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Wednesday 19 March 2025
Honduran Citizen Sentenced for Possessing Fraudulent Social Security CardRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Roney Vasquez-Pineda, age 48, a Honduran citizen, was sentenced yesterday to time-served, after being in ICE custody and with the Bureau of Prisons for 36 days, by U.S. Magistrate Judge William I. Arbuckle, for a misdemeanor charge of possessing a fraudulent identification document.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Vasquez-Pineda possessed a fraudulent social security card on February 10, 2025.
Vasquez-Pineda will return to ICE custody and face immigration removal proceedings.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger prosecuted the case.
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High-Ranking MS-13 Leader Arraigned in Long Island Federal Court on Terrorism and Racketeering Charges After His Arrest in MexicoRead the Press Release
CENTRAL ISLIP, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, also known as “Veterano de Tribus,” a high-ranking leader of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as “MS-13,” was arraigned on a four-count indictment charging him, along with a dozen other high-ranking MS-13 leaders, with directing the transnational criminal organization’s unlawful activities in the United States, El Salvador, Mexico, and elsewhere over the past two decades. Roman-Bardales, who had been a fugitive for nearly three years and was added to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List last month, was arrested by the FBI on March 18, 2025 at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego, California. Roman-Bardales had been located and arrested by Mexican authorities in Veracruz on March 17, 2025, and after it was determined that he was an El Salvadoran citizen with no valid status in Mexico, he was expelled from Mexico. Roman-Bardales is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to provide and conceal material support and resources to terrorists, narco-terrorism conspiracy, and alien smuggling conspiracy. Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack. Roman-Bardales was ordered detained pending trial in the Eastern District of New York.
Pamela Bondi, United States Attorney General, John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Leslie Backschies, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, FBI, New York Field Office, announced the arraignment.
“MS-13 is a terrorist organization and this case reflects the Department of Justice’s ironclad commitment to putting terrorists behind bars,” stated Attorney General Bondi. “Members of MS-13 and similar groups should live in fear knowing that we will hunt them down, prosecute them, and deliver swift American justice for their heinous crimes.”
“The prosecution in the Eastern District of New York of this international fugitive, who is one of the most senior leaders of the MS-13 in the world, is another momentous step in the dismantling of this evil criminal enterprise, whose bloodshed and reign of terror traverses all boundaries,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Thanks to the relentless and brave work of United States law enforcement, he will soon face reckoning in a courtroom on Long Island where his transnational criminal organization has impacted so many communities.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Suffolk County Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, San Diego (HSI), the FBI’s San Diego Field Office and the Government of Mexico for their assistance.“FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Roman-Bardales has been extradited to the United States to be held accountable for the extreme and depraved violence and terror his leadership of MS-13 allegedly brought to the streets of the United States and across North America,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Backschies. “The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners are committed to eradicating MS-13 and all violent transnational criminal organizations wherever they operate as we protect our nation.”
As set forth in court filings, Roman-Bardales and his co-defendants are part of MS-13’s command and control structure, consisting of the Ranfla Nacional, Ranfla en Las Calles, and Ranfla en Los Penales. They exercise significant leadership roles in the organization’s operations in El Salvador, Mexico, the United States, and throughout the world. Roman-Bardales was himself a founding member of the Ranfla en las Calles and oversaw the “Western Zone” of MS-13 in El Salvador. In the related case of United States v. Henriquez, et al., a grand jury in the Eastern District of New York previously indicted 14 members of the Ranfla Nacional, who functioned as MS-13’s “Board of Directors.” Formal extradition requests have been submitted by the United States and remain pending for 11 of those defendants who either are or were in custody in El Salvador.
As further alleged, the defendants have engaged in a litany of violent terrorist activities aimed at influencing the policies of the government of El Salvador (GOES) and at obtaining benefits and concessions from GOES; targeting GOES law enforcement and military officials; employing terrorist tactics such as the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and grenades; operating military-style training camps for firearms and explosives; using public displays of violence to intimidate civilian populations; using violence to obtain and control territory; and manipulating the electoral process in El Salvador.
Further, these defendants authorized and directed violence in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere as part of a concerted effort to expand MS-13’s influence and territorial control. As the leaders of the MS-13 transnational criminal organization, these defendants were an integral part of the leadership chain responsible for supervising MS-13 cliques in the United States that engaged in extreme violence, including countless murders, attempted murders, assaults, and related offenses. For example, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has prosecuted hundreds of MS-13 leaders, members, and associates for carrying out more than 80 murders in the Eastern District of New York between 2009 and the present.
Several of these defendants, including Roman-Bardales, coordinated MS-13’s expansion into Mexico (the Mexico Program), at the direction of the Ranfla Nacional, which was a coordinated effort to maintain MS-13’s continuity of operations in response to law enforcement pressure previously exerted by the United States and GOES. Additionally, Roman-Bardales and the Mexico Program forged alliances with Mexican cartels, and engaged in narcotics trafficking, immigrant smuggling, extortion, kidnappings, and weapons trafficking. As alleged in the indictment, the MS-13’s Mexico Program murdered some migrants bound for the United States, including suspected members of the rival 18th Street gang and MS-13 members attempting to flee MS-13 in El Salvador without permission. Drug trafficking was an important part of MS-13’s moneymaking operation, especially in Mexico, and the defendants used MS-13’s large membership in the United States to generate financial support for MS-13’s terrorist activities in El Salvador.
This case was brought by Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was created to combat MS-13 and comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Eastern District of New York; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of New York; the District of Massachusetts; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; HSI; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the U.S. Bureau of Prisons; and the United States Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General have been essential law enforcement partners and spearheaded JTFV’s investigations.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charges, Roman-Bardales faces up to life in prison or the possibility of the death penalty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division and as part of the work of the Office’s Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Justina L. Geraci, Paul G. Scotti, and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Kerryanne Ucci and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello.
The Defendant:
FRANCISCO JAVIER ROMAN-BARDALES (also known as “Veterano de Tribus”)
Age: 47
Ahuachapán, El Salvador and Veracruz, MexicoE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-429 (JMA)
High-Ranking MS-13 Leader Arraigned in Long Island Federal Court on Terrorism and Racketeering Charges After His Arrest in MexicoRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a high-ranking leader of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, was arraigned on a four-count indictment charging him, along with a dozen other high-ranking MS-13 leaders, with directing the transnational criminal organization’s unlawful activities in the United States, El Salvador, Mexico, and elsewhere over the past two decades.
Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, also known as Veterano de Tribus, 47, of Ahuachapán, El Salvador, and Veracruz, Mexico, had been a fugitive for nearly three years and was added to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List last month. He was arrested on March 18 at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego, California. Roman-Bardales had been located and arrested by Mexican authorities in Veracruz on March 17, and after it was determined that he was an El Salvadoran citizen with no valid status in Mexico, he was expelled from Mexico.
“MS-13 is a terrorist organization and this case reflects the Department of Justice’s ironclad commitment to putting terrorists behind bars,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Members of MS-13 and similar groups should live in fear knowing that we will hunt them down, prosecute them, and deliver swift American justice for their heinous crimes.”
“The prosecution in the Eastern District of New York of this international fugitive, who is one of the most senior leaders of the MS-13 in the world, is another momentous step in the dismantling of this evil criminal enterprise, whose bloodshed and reign of terror traverses all boundaries,” stated U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “Thanks to the relentless and brave work of U.S. law enforcement, he will soon face reckoning in a courtroom on Long Island where his transnational criminal organization has impacted so many communities.”
As set forth in court filings, Roman-Bardales and his co-defendants are part of MS-13’s command and control structure, consisting of the Ranfla Nacional, Ranfla en Las Calles, and Ranfla en Los Penales. They exercise significant leadership roles in the organization’s operations in El Salvador, Mexico, the United States, and throughout the world. Roman-Bardales was himself a founding member of the Ranfla en las Calles, and oversaw the “Western Zone” of MS-13 in El Salvador. In the related case of United States v. Henriquez, et al., a grand jury in the Eastern District of New York previously indicted 14 members of the Ranfla Nacional, who functioned as MS-13’s “Board of Directors.” Formal extradition requests have been submitted by the United States and remain pending for 11 of those defendants who either are or were in custody in El Salvador.
As further alleged, the defendants have engaged in a litany of violent terrorist activities aimed at influencing the policies of the government of El Salvador (GOES) and at obtaining benefits and concessions from GOES; targeting GOES law enforcement and military officials; employing terrorist tactics such as the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and grenades; operating military-style training camps for firearms and explosives; using public displays of violence to intimidate civilian populations; using violence to obtain and control territory; and manipulating the electoral process in El Salvador.
Further, these defendants authorized and directed violence in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere as part of a concerted effort to expand MS-13’s influence and territorial control. As the leaders of the MS-13 transnational criminal organization, these defendants were an integral part of the leadership chain responsible for supervising MS-13 cliques in the United States that engaged in extreme violence, including countless murders, attempted murders, assaults, and related offenses. For example, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has prosecuted hundreds of MS-13 leaders, members and associates for carrying out more than 80 murders in the Eastern District of New York between 2009 and the present.
Several of these defendants, including Roman-Bardales, coordinated MS-13’s expansion into Mexico (the Mexico Program), at the direction of the Ranfla Nacional, which was a coordinated effort to maintain MS-13’s continuity of operations in response to law enforcement pressure previously exerted by the United States and GOES. Additionally, Roman-Bardales and the Mexico Program forged alliances with Mexican cartels, and engaged in narcotics trafficking, immigrant smuggling, extortion, kidnappings, and weapons trafficking. As alleged in the indictment, the MS-13’s Mexico Program murdered some migrants bound for the United States, including suspected members of the rival 18th Street gang and MS-13 members attempting to flee MS-13 in El Salvador without permission. Drug trafficking was an important part of MS-13’s moneymaking operation, especially in Mexico, and the defendants used MS-13’s large membership in the United States to generate financial support for MS-13’s terrorist activities in El Salvador.
Roman-Bardales is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to provide and conceal material support and resources to terrorists, narco-terrorism conspiracy and alien smuggling conspiracy. Today’s proceeding was held before U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack. Roman-Bardales was ordered detained pending trial in the Eastern District of New York. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison or the possibility of the death penalty.
This case was brought by Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was created to combat MS-13 and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Eastern District of New York; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of New York; the District of Massachusetts; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; HSI; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Bureau of Prisons; and the U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General have been essential law enforcement partners and spearheaded JTFV’s investigations.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The FBI’s San Diego Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Suffolk County Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justina L. Geraci, Paul G. Scotti, and Megan E. Farrell for the Eastern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Kerryanne Ucci and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Gulfport Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Gulfport man was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for the illegal possession of a machinegun.
According to court documents, Elijah Antonio Porter, 23, was found in possession of an illegal machine gun during a traffic stop in Gautier, Mississippi. During the traffic stop, law enforcement located a Glock pistol inside the vehicle, and a machine gun device, also known as a switch, was attached to the pistol.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi; and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and Gautier Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter McCreight prosecuted the case.
Georgia Man Admits to $1 Million Wire FraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Prince Boateng Adjei, age 31, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, has admitted to wire fraud involving more than $1 million stolen from a Gilmer County, WV business.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Adjei and another defendant, Chisom Okonkwo, conspired together to carry out a business email compromise scheme. The defendants created an email disguising themselves as an employee of a Gilmer County business. This type of activity is commonly referred to as “spoofing.” As part of the fraud scheme, the defendants caused a person (who believed they were dealing with a legitimate business) to send more than $1 million to a bank account controlled by the defendants. Adjei and Okonkwo spent more than $600,000 of the stolen funds before the scheme was discovered.
Okonkwo pled guilty earlier this month. She will be sentenced at a later date.
As a part of the plea agreement, Adjei agreed to pay $610,146.03 in restitution. He faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Fresno Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing over 100 Pounds of FentanylRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Carlos Jordan Lopez, 29, of Fresno, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 10 years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute approximately 107 pounds of fentanyl and approximately 39 pounds of cocaine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on Sept. 8, 2023, Lopez was stopped for a traffic infraction while driving northbound on Interstate 5 near Shields Avenue in Fresno County. A subsequent search of the trunk revealed a spare tire loaded with 28 packages containing approximately 485,000 fentanyl pills. Officers also located a bag that contained 18 “bricks” of cocaine powder.
This case was the product of an investigation by the California Highway Patrol, the California High Impact Investigation Team, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Gilio and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Lewis prosecuted the case.
Former Employee of Marshall Mathers, AKA Eminem, Charged with Criminal Infringement of a Copyright and Interstate Transportation of Stolen GoodsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Joseph Strange, 46, of Holly, Michigan and a former employee of Marshall Mathers, AKA Eminem, was charged in a criminal complaint with criminal infringement of a copyright and interstate transportation of stolen goods in connection with the sale of unreleased music created by Eminem, announced Acting United States Attorney Julie Beck.
Beck was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Detroit Field Office (Michigan).
According to the criminal complaint, on or about January 16, 2025, the FBI was contacted by employees of Mathers’s music studio in Ferndale, Michigan who recently discovered unreleased music created by Mathers that was available on the internet. This music was still in the process of being developed by Mathers. The employees obtained an image of a list of the music that Mathers had created, but not released, and was for sale through various internet sites. The employees recognized this as an image taken directly from a hard drive in the Ferndale studio. The FBI was able to identify and locate multiple individuals that purchased the unreleased music. These individuals identified Joseph Strange as the person who was selling the music. Strange was an employee of Marshall Mathers from approximately 2007 until 2021.
“Protecting intellectual property from thieves is critical in safeguarding the exclusive rights of creators and protecting their original work from reproduction and distribution by individuals who seek to profit from the creative output of others,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beck.
“This investigation underscores the FBI’s commitment to safeguarding artists' intellectual property from exploitation by individuals seeking to profit illegally," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Thanks to the cooperation of Mathers Music Studio, FBI agents from the Oakland County Resident Agency were able to swiftly enforce federal laws and ensure Joseph Strange was held accountable for his actions."
If convicted on the charge of criminal infringement of a copyright, Strange faces a statutory maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A conviction on of the charge of interstate transportation of stolen goods, carries a statutory maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.
This case is being investigated by special agents of the FBI Oakland County Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Wyse and Alyse Wu.
Former Employee of Augusta National Golf Club Sentenced to a Year in Prison for Stealing Masters Golf Tournament Merchandise and MemorabiliaRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former employee of the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia was sentenced today to a year in federal prison for stealing millions of dollars’ worth of Masters golf tournament merchandise and memorabilia and selling it to online brokers.
RICHARD BRENDAN GLOBENSKY, 40, of Evans, Ga., pleaded guilty last year in U.S. District Court in Chicago to a federal charge of transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman today ordered Globensky to pay $3,448,842 in restitution to Augusta National.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Art Crime Team.
Globensky admitted in a plea agreement that he stole the merchandise and memorabilia from 2009 to 2022 while he was employed by the club as a warehouse assistant. The merchandise included Masters shirts, hats, flags, watches, and other goods, while the memorabilia included historically significant items, such as the Green Jackets awarded to tournament winners Arnold Palmer, Gene Sarazen, and Ben Hogan. Globensky sold the merchandise to an online broker in Florida for a total of approximately $5.3 million. He sold the historically significant memorabilia to the same broker, as well as to the broker’s associate, for nearly $300,000. The brokers later re-sold the stolen merchandise and memorabilia, often at significant markups from the amounts paid to Globensky. At least one of the stolen items was purchased by a collector in Chicago.
During the last six years of the crime, Globensky spent more than $370,000 to purchase five vehicles and a motorboat, as well as more than $160,000 for Walt Disney-themed vacations and related activities. Globensky also spent nearly $600,000 on construction of a custom-built residence in Georgia and approximately $32,000 at luxury retailer Louis Vuitton.
“The funds Globensky obtained enabled him and his spouse to live a lifestyle far beyond their means,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The manner in which he spent the proceeds suggests greed was his primary motivation for committing the offense.”
Former Colombian Navy Personnel Extradited to the United States for Their Role in Selling Locations of Colombian Navy Drug Interdiction Vessels to International Drug TraffickersRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announced the extraditions of Jair Alberto Alvarez Valenzuela (54) and Luis Carlos Diaz Martinez (32), both from Colombia, to stand trial on an indictment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine having reasonable cause to believe it would be unlawfully imported into the United States. Alvarez Valenzuela and Diaz Martinez were extradited to the United States on March 13, 2025, from Colombia. If convicted, both defendants face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Alvarez Valenzuela and Diaz Martinez were former employees of the Colombian Navy. In exchange for money from drug traffickers they recruited active-duty members of the Colombian Navy to secretly plant global positioning system (GPS) tracking devices in Colombian Navy vessels. Transnational Criminal Organizations used the location data derived from these tracking devices to direct vessels filled with cocaine bound for the United States around Colombian Navy ships and patrols.
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 prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi- jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigation. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of these defendants. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Stoia.
Former Art Advisor Lisa Schiff Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Defrauding ClientsRead the Press Release
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LISA SCHIFF, a Manhattan-based art advisor focused on contemporary art, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken for perpetrating a multi-year scheme in which she defrauded the clients of her art advisory business of approximately $6.5 million in connection with the purchase and sale of approximately fifty-five artworks.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “For five years, Lisa Schiff breached the trust of her art advisory clients by diverting millions of dollars to pay her own business and personal expenses, and to fund a lavish lifestyle. Because of Schiff’s lies, and her illusory art advisory scam, Schiff will now serve a substantial sentence in prison.”
According to the Information, plea agreement, and statements made in court:
From 2018 through May 2023, SCHIFF engaged in a scheme to defraud clients of her art advisory business, Schiff Fine Art (“SFA”) by diverting her clients’ funds—profits from the sale of her clients’ artworks or payments they made to purchase artwork—to pay her own personal and business expenses. SCHIFF advised clients regarding the purchase and sale of artworks and bought and sold artworks on behalf of clients in exchange for a commission. In her role as an art advisor, SCHIFF acted as an intermediary between art galleries and auction houses, and her clients, who were art collectors. Typically, when SCHIFF’s clients bought or sold artworks, payments were routed through SCHIFF’s business, SFA. In addition, when SCHIFF sold artworks on behalf of a client, she often had custody or control of the artworks to coordinate the sale. At times, SCHIFF, through SFA, also sold artwork on consignment on behalf of artists and other galleries.
Starting in about 2018, SCHIFF began defrauding her clients in two ways: not remitting payments to her clients when she sold their artwork while not disclosing to her clients that their artworks had, in fact, been sold; and not purchasing artworks on behalf of clients despite representing to her clients that she would purchase certain artworks on their behalf using their funds. Instead of using client funds as promised, SCHIFF diverted her clients’ money to pay her business and personal expenses. SCHIFF lied to her clients and galleries in furtherance of her fraud scheme. For example, when defrauding clients in connection with selling their artwork, SCHIFF at times lied to clients, claiming she had not sold the artwork, or the buyer was delayed in making the payment and SCHIFF still had custody of the artwork when, in fact, SCHIFF had sold the artwork, received payment from the buyer, and delivered the artwork to the buyer. When defrauding clients in connection with purchasing artwork on their behalf, SCHIFF lied to galleries from which she was supposed to purchase artwork on behalf clients, blaming delays in payment on clients when, in fact, clients had already paid SCHIFF for the purchase of the artwork and she had diverted the funds for her own use. In 2020, SCHIFF considered admitting to at least two of her victims that she had stolen millions from them, drafting letters of confession to them, but she never sent the letters and instead continued to defraud these two victims and others for three more years. Over approximately five years, SCHIFF defrauded at least 12 clients, one artist, the estate of another artist, and one gallery, collectively, of at least approximately $6.5 million. During her fraud, SCHIFF lived lavishly and incurred substantial debts, which she paid in part using her victims’ diverted funds.
In about May 2023, SCHIFF could no longer conceal her scheme due to mounting debts. SCHIFF confessed to several clients that she had stolen their money.
* * *
SCHIFF, 54, of New York, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release. SCHIFF was further ordered to pay forfeiture of $6,408,538.20 and restitution of $9,147,789.26.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Crime Team.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cecilia Vogel and Jennifer Ong are in charge of the prosecution.
Federal Jury Finds Feeding Our Future Mastermind and Co-Defendant Guilty in $250 Million Pandemic Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Two individuals have been convicted by a federal jury for their roles in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
“Aimee Bock and Salim Said took advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to carry out a massive fraud scheme that stole money meant to feed children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “The defendants falsely claimed to have served 91 million meals, for which they fraudulently received nearly $250 million in federal funds. That money did not go to feed kids. Instead, it was used to fund their lavish lifestyles. Today’s verdict sends a message to the community that fraud against the government will not be tolerated.”
“Stealing from the federal government is stealing from the American people - plain and simple. The egregious fraud uncovered in the Feeding our Future case represents the blatant betrayal of public trust. These criminals stole hundreds of millions in federal funding meant to feed hungry children during a crisis and instead funneled it into luxury homes, cars and lavish lifestyles while families struggled,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI will not allow criminals to rob federal programs and walk away unscathed. We will expose their schemes, dismantle their networks, and ensure they face the full weight of justice.”
“Aimee Bock, Salim Said, and others took advantage of a global pandemic to rob food programs, aimed at serving those in need, of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars during a time when so many people were struggling,” said Ramsey Covington, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Instead of overseeing the distribution of meals to low-income children, Bock’s organization enabled meal site operators to commit fraud. This verdict is the product of dedicated investigators and prosecutors to bring accountability to those who brazenly stole from the American public. IRS Criminal Investigation is deeply committed to working with our partner agencies to combat these types of fraud schemes and ensure our American tax dollars serve their intended purpose.”
“Today’s verdict reaffirms how critical a role the U.S. Postal Inspection Service plays in protecting the American consumer from these types of fraudulent schemes and in ensuring that the nation’s U.S. mail stream is not used by criminals to prey upon our citizens and programs intended to aid those in need during difficult times. The bold egregious nature in which these fraudsters victimized our children and programs intended to feed them during a world-wide pandemic illustrates their callous disregard for human decency and overall greed,” Bryan Musgrove, Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division stated. “This investigation is a tremendous example of how the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our FBI law enforcement partners can work side by side in an effort to bring these fraudsters to justice.”
Historically, the Federal Child Nutrition provided meals to children in school-based programs or activities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) waived some of the standard requirements for participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Among other things, the USDA allowed for-profit restaurants to participate in the program, as well as allowed for off-site food distribution to children outside of educational programs.
As proven at trial, Aimee Bock, 44, was the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Salim Said, 36, former co-owner of Safari Restaurant, was jointly tried with Bock. Together, they oversaw a massive fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship.As proven at trial, Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota. These sites, created and operated by Bock, Said, and others, fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed. Bock and Said created and submitted false documentation, including fraudulent meal counts consisting of fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names and ages of the children receiving meals at the sites each day. Feeding Our Future submitted these fraudulent claims to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and then disbursed the fraudulently obtained Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to their co-conspirators involved in the scheme.
To accomplish their scheme, Bock and Said created dozens of shell companies to enroll in the program as food program sites, and to receive and launder the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme. In exchange for sponsoring these sites’ fraudulent participation in the program, Feeding Our Future received more than $18 million in administrative fees to which it was not entitled. In addition to the administrative fees, Feeding Our Future employees solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies sponsored by Feeding Our Future. Many of these kickbacks were paid in cash or disguised as “consulting fees” paid to shell companies created by Feeding Our Future employees to make them appear legitimate.
As proven at trial, Said’s Safari Restaurant reported approximately $600,000 in annual revenue in each of the three years prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, Safari Restaurant enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. By July 2020, Said claimed to be serving meals to 5,000 children per day, seven days a week. In total, Said claimed to have served over 3.9 million meals to children from the Safari Restaurant food site between April 2020 and November 2021. Said also claimed that Safari Restaurant provided more than 2.2 million meals to other food sites involved in Feeding Our Future’s fraud scheme.
In total, Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota, and in doing so, went from receiving and disbursing approximately $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021. Throughout the course of their scheme, Feeding Our Future fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. The defendants used the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme to purchase luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota as well as property in Ohio and Kentucky, real estate in Kenya and Turkey, and to fund international travel.
After a six-week trial, Bock was convicted on four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of bribery, and one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery. Said was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, eight counts of bribery, one count conspiracy to commit money laundering and five counts of money laundering.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Federal Jury Convicts Florida Resident for Operating Mass Mailing Fraud Scheme Targeting Elderly and Vulnerable VictimsRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Central Islip, New York, convicted Hallandale Beach, Florida resident Phillip Priolo, 61, of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and four counts of mail fraud.
In November 2021, Priolo was charged with operating a mass mailing fraud scheme that tricked thousands of victims, many of whom were elderly, into providing the defendants with money by falsely promising prizes. Evidence presented at trial showed that, from March 2015 to December 2016, Priolo and his co-conspirators mailed millions of prize notices that falsely represented that the victims had been specifically chosen to receive a large cash prize and would receive the prize if they paid a fee. Victims who paid the requested fee, however, did not receive the promised cash prize. Although the notices appeared to be personalized correspondence, they were merely mass-produced, boilerplate documents that were bulk mailed to recipients whose names and addresses were on mailing lists.
“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch is committed to pursuing criminals who prey upon our elder citizens through fraudulent schemes like fake prize scams,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “I thank the Postal Inspection Service for their partnership in this matter and for conducting a thorough and successful investigation.”
“Here, the defendant targeted and defrauded older individuals, the most vulnerable of populations, through a mass-mailing scheme,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is deeply committed to protecting older Americans from fraudulent schemes. This conviction underscores the Postal Inspection Service’s and the Department of Justice’s dedication and determination to keep susceptible communities safe from financial exploitation and bring criminals to justice.”
Priolo will be scheduled for sentencing later this year, in Central Islip before U.S. District Judge Nusrat Jahan Choudhury of the Eastern District of New York. The defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conviction. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The trial resulted from a multi-year investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by trial attorneys Charles Dunn, Ann Entwistle, and Jason Feldman of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch.
The department’s extensive and broad-based efforts to combat elder fraud seeks to halt the widespread losses seniors suffer from fraud schemes. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is 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 its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Eighteen Brazilian Nationals Charged; Over One Hundred Firearms Seized in Federal Crackdown on Firearm TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the results of a year-long federal investigation into illegal firearm sales across Massachusetts.
According to the charging documents, the investigation identified Brazilian nationals in several communities in Massachusetts who have allegedly been involved in the sale of various types of firearms. It is further alleged that some of the firearms were tied to gang-related activities involving a large transnational criminal organization, Primeiro Comando da Capital, as well as smaller, local street gangs, specifically the “Tropa de Sete” and “Trem Bala” street gangs. Primeiro Comando da Capital, originally founded in the prison systems in São Paulo, Brazil, is one of the largest criminal organizations in Brazil and Latin America. It is alleged that Primeiro Comando da Capital members and their associates are known to commit violent offenses in furtherance of the organization, to include murders, armed robberies, kidnappings and the coordination of a transnational drug trafficking operation.
To date, approximately 110 firearms, trafficking quantities of fentanyl and ammunition have been seized over the course of the investigation which began in 2024. The firearms allegedly recovered include, but are not limited to, handguns, rifles, short-barreled rifles and shotguns that were primarily trafficked from areas in Florida and South Carolina into Massachusetts.Eighteen Brazilian nationals have been charged separately with federal firearms offenses over the course of the investigation. The majority of the defendants have no legal status in the United States and are in the United States illegally:
- Guilherme Fernandes Tavares, 31, illegal, resided in Marlborough, charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license;
- Lucas Henrique Moreira De Paiva, 22, illegal, resided in Malden, Weymouth and Chelsea, charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license;
- Victor Eduardo Santos De Souza, 21, illegal, resided in Framingham and Revere, charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license;
- Rafaell Martins Ferreira, 27, illegal, resided in Boston, charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license;
- Riquelme Henrique De Aguilar Ferreira, 21, illegal, resided in Framingham and Revere, charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license;
- Lucas Ferreira-Da Silva, 27, of Malden, charged with engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license;
- Floriano De Souza, 50, illegal, resided in Yarmouth, charged with conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license;
- Israel Yurisson Dos Santos, 24, illegal, resided in Marlborough, charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license;
- Alason Ferreira-Peixoto, 22, of West Yarmouth, charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license;
- Gideoni De Oliveira Moutinho, 32, illegal, resided in Malden, Weymouth and Chelsea, charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license;
- Lucas Nascimento-Siva, 27, of West Yarmouth, charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license;
- Vanderson Rocha Oliveira, 31, illegal, resided in Boston, charged with charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license;
- Joao Vitor Dos Santos Goncalves Pimenta, 20, illegal, resided in Malden, charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license;
- Talles Provette De Faria, 34, of Barnstable and Plymouth, charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and distribution of fentanyl;
- Patrick Rodrigues De Oliveira, 34, of Framingham, charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license;
- Marcos Paulo Silva, 24, illegal, resided in Boston, charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license;
- Joao Victor Da Silva Soares, 21, of Everett, charged with conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license; and
- Kessi Jhonny Firmino Sales, 23, illegal, resided in West Yarmouth, charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
“As alleged, these defendants – most of whom have no legal status in the United States – played a role in bringing deadly weapons into Massachusetts, some as traffickers and others as unlawful possessors. This kind of lawlessness fuels violent crime and empowers transnational criminal organizations that profit from chaos and fear. It puts American lives at risk,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “This case is a testament to the strength of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships in keeping our communities safe and upholding the rule of law.”
“This case involved the trafficking of well over 100 illegal firearms and included 18 defendants, many of whom are illegal aliens allegedly engaged in the unlawful possession and distribution of deadly weapons. The combination of illegal firearms and individuals unlawfully in our country presents a grave threat to public safety. ATF will not stand by – we will continue to work aggressively with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate and dismantle those who arm criminals and endanger our communities,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division.
“Not only are many of these individuals in the country illegally, these defendants also allegedly trafficked dangerous firearms in connection with transnational gangs, posing a serious threat to our communities in Massachusetts. This investigation is the result of collaboration with our partners, each leveraging our unique expertise and authorities to work towards our shared public safety goals,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England.
“Many of these 18 Brazilian aliens illegally settled in our Massachusetts communities apparently with the intention of causing harm to our residents,” said Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. “Not only were they allegedly members or associates of dangerous transnational criminal organizations, but they were also allegedly involved in trafficking significant amounts of illegal firearms, ammunition, and fentanyl. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders from our New England neighborhoods.”
The charges of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendants are 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.
U.S. Attorney Foley; ATF SAC Ferguson; HSI SAC Krol; and ICE ERO Director Hyde made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; United States Postal Inspection Service; Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office; United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Fraud Detection & National Security Directorate; and the Barnstable, Yarmouth, Plymouth, Chelsea, Milford, Malden, Marlborough, Weymouth, Framingham, New Bedford and Worcester Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Crowley, Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III are prosecuting the cases.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).
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.EEOC and Justice Department Warn Against Unlawful DEI-Related DiscriminationRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released two technical assistance documents focused on educating the public about unlawful discrimination related to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) in the workplace.
DEI is a broad term that is not defined in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on protected characteristics such as race and sex. Under Title VII, DEI initiatives, policies, programs, or practices may be unlawful if they involve an employer or other covered entity taking an employment action motivated—in whole or in part—by an employee’s or applicant’s race, sex, or another protected characteristic.
In the past five years, DEI policies, programs, and practices have become increasingly prevalent in many of our nation’s largest and most prominent businesses, universities, and cultural institutions. The widespread adoption of DEI, however, does not change longstanding legal prohibitions against the use of race, sex, and other protected characteristics in employment.
To help educate the public about how well-established civil rights rules apply to employment policies, programs, and practices—including those labeled or framed as “DEI”—the EEOC and the DOJ today released a joint one-page technical assistance document, “What To Do If You Experience Discrimination Related to DEI at Work.” The EEOC also released a longer question-and-answer technical assistance document, “What You Should Know About DEI-Related Discrimination at Work.” Both documents are based on Title VII, existing EEOC policy guidance and technical assistance documents and Supreme Court precedent.
“Far too many employers defend certain types of race or sex preferences as good, provided they are motivated by business interests in ‘diversity, equity, or inclusion.’ But no matter an employer’s motive, there is no ‘good,’ or even acceptable, race or sex discrimination,” said EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas. “In the words of Justice Clarence Thomas in his concurrence in Students for Fair Admissions, ‘two discriminatory wrongs cannot make a right.’”
Lucas emphasized, “While the public may be confused about what rules apply to DEI, the law itself is clear. And there are some serious implications for some very popular types of DEI programs. These technical assistance documents will help employees know their rights and help employers take action to avoid unlawful DEI-related discrimination.”
“The Department of Justice is committed to ending illegal DEI initiatives, policies, and programs,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The technical assistance document provides clear information for employees on how to act should they experience unlawful discrimination based on DEI practices.”
Duo Arrested and Charged for Human Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RENO – A father and son residing in the Reno area were charged and made their initial court appearances Tuesday before United States Magistrate Judge Carla L. Baldwin for their alleged roles in a human smuggling conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens in the Reno area.
“The criminal complaint alleges the father and son conspired to exploit vulnerable individuals for profit,” said Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada. “Human smuggling operations threaten our national security. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to continually working with HSI and our local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who smuggle illegal aliens into the United States.”
"A collaborative operation of this scale demonstrates the importance of intelligence-driven investigations, followed by coordinated law enforcement action," said Homeland Security Investigations Las Vegas acting Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr. "We will continue to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations that engage in the exploitation and trafficking of humans while combatting other criminal activities that impact the communities of Northern Nevada."
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint and statements made in court, beginning in July 2021, and continuing to March 11, 2025, Carlos Recinos-Valdez (43) and his son Kevin Recinos-Ruano (20) conspired with each other to harbor illegal aliens for personal financial gain. Law enforcement executed a criminal search warrant at Recinos-Valdez’s residence, leading to the recovery of firearms, fraudulent documents, and other evidence.
It is alleged that Recinos-Valdez orchestrated the illegal smuggling of aliens through a Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) with a network of human smugglers and traffickers located throughout Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States. He has locations in apartment complexes where he houses the illegal aliens in the Reno area. Recinos-Valdez and the TCO he works for charge thousands of dollars for each person smuggled into the United States. Once in Reno, Recinos-Valdez demands money from the victims to pay off their debt to the TCO. He would meet the victims at their residence or place of employment to collect regular payments for smuggling fees; and victims have been threatened with physical violence if payments were not received. Recinos-Ruano assisted in collecting payments and acted as an enforcer.
Recinos-Valdez is charged with one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens; three counts of harboring illegal aliens; and two counts of aiding and abetting attempted interference with commerce by extortion. Recinos-Ruano is charged with one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.
If convicted, Recinos-Valdez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison; and Recinos-Ruano faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The charges are the result of an HSI-led criminal investigation with assistance from the Reno Police Department, the Sparks Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Keenan is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Dublin man pleads guilty to 3 armed bank robberiesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A central Ohio man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to federal crimes related to three separate armed bank robberies.
Hussein A. Mohamed, 27, of Dublin, pleaded guilty to three counts of committing bank robbery, three counts of conspiring to commit bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Mohamed admitted to committing three armed bank robberies in Columbus within a week in April 2024.
According to court documents, on April 11, 2024, Mohamed robbed the Telhio Credit Union on North Hamilton Road. He wore a dark Patagonia sweatshirt, light ripped jeans, white covid mask and black winter hat. Mohamed showed the bank teller a note on his cell phone that demanded cash and indicated he had a gun.
On April 16, 2024, Mohamed committed two separate armed robberies.
First, at approximately 4pm, he robbed a Fifth Third Bank on Bethel Road. He wore a red sweatshirt, light jeans, blue covid mask and black New Balance shoes. Again, he showed the teller a note on his phone demanding money and indicating he had a gun.
About 45 minutes later, he committed another bank robbery, this time at Huntington Bank on North High Street. Mohamed had changed clothes between the robberies.
At this final robbery, Mohamed showed his phone to one bank teller, who provided him with cash. He then told another teller to empty her drawer. When that victim told Mohamed she did not have any money in her drawer, Mohamed pulled a black firearm from the waist area of his pants, racked the slide on the handgun, and forced the tellers into the vault room while making threats.
For reach of the three robberies, Mohamed conspired with another individual who was present in the vehicle used to travel to and from the robberies.
Law enforcement officials recovered the clothing that Mohamed wore at each robbery, a loaded handgun, Mohamed’s wallet and identification at an apartment on Merriwick Crossing Drive in Columbus.
He was arrested in May 2024.
Bank robbery is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Conspiring to commit bank robbery carries a potential maximum penalty of five years in prison. Brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence is punishable by a mandatory seven years and up to life in prison, to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed. Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Damoun Delaviz and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.
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Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Re-Entry and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national residing in Methuen pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to unlawfully re-entering the United States after deportation and possessing narcotics intended for distribution.
Raul Fernando Lora, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of unlawful reentry of deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for July 16, 2025. Lora was charged in November 2023.
Lora was previously removed from the United States on July 2, 2013 and June 5, 2018. Before his first removal, Lora was convicted for aggravated identity theft for fraudulently using the identity of a Puerto Rican citizen. Additionally, Lora has prior convictions for possession with intent to distribute heroin, firearms offenses and assault and battery that were under the name of the identity Lora had stolen.
In 2023, federal immigration authorities became aware of Lora’s presence in the United States after being notified that the defendant’s fingerprints were taken in connection with criminal charges in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Lora had default warrants outstanding for both cases.
Lora was arrested on Oct. 3, 2023, at which time he was found in possession of a sock that contained over 200 grams of fentanyl and over 30 grams of cocaine in multiple plastic bags.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentenced 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 today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.Davenport Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Meth Conspiracy and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during in and relation to drug trafficking.
According to public court documents, Kyle Ogden Antle, 23, was involved in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Quad Cities area with co-conspirators, Rosston Tate, 40, and Jason Douglas Ringold, 26, both Davenport residents.
On February 6, 2024, Antle was arrested by the Davenport Police Department for violations of his state probation. Antle fled and dropped a backpack, found to contain more than 50 grams of meth, packaging materials, a digital scale, and 68 rounds of ammunition. Antle also dropped a loaded pistol as he fled.
While incarcerated at the Scott County jail pending trial, Antle continued to participate in the drug conspiracy, including by placing phone calls to collect drug debts, directed others to collect debts on his behalf, and connected other people with his source of supply, Tate.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Antle will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
In December 2024, Tate received a 20-year sentence, followed by a five-year term of supervised release. Ringold’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 15, 2025. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the United States sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department, the Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Rock Island 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.
Davenport Man Sentenced to 114 months in Federal Prison for Charges Related to Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to 114 months in federal prison for conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, while on federal supervised release.
According to public court documents, Terrance Lamont Mason, 49, conspired with others to obtain cocaine in Rockford, Illinois and bring it to Iowa for distribution. Law enforcement stopped Mason returning to Iowa and stopped a car trailing Mason’s vehicle. In the trail car, officers located more than a quarter pound of cocaine inside of a black stocking cap. Surveillance video from a Rockford gas station showed Mason met with another person, received the black stocking cap, and placed the black stocking cap inside the trail car.
Mason was serving a term of federal supervised release at the time he committed these crimes. He had been released from federal prison in February 2023, after serving a 108-month sentence for possessing a firearm as a felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. Due to the violation of his federal supervised release terms, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa ordered Mason to serve an additional two‑year prison term, consecutive with his 90-month prison sentence, for a total prison term of 114 months.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Mason will be required to serve a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
In July 2024, a co-conspirator, Dedrick Montez Jones, 44 of Davenport, was sentenced to a 162-month prison term for selling cocaine. Jones was also on federal supervised release.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Bettendorf Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group.
DOJ and Vix Technology (USA) Inc. resolve allegations of Paycheck Protection Program fraudRead the Press Release
Seattle – The U.S. Department of Justice and Vix Technology (USA) Inc. today resolved a qui tam False Claims Act lawsuitalleging Vix had too many employees to qualify for the $1,066,900 Paycheck Protection loan it received on May 18, 2021. Vix will pay $2,144,114 to resolve the matter. The relator of the qui tam case will receive a percentage of the settlement amount. The relator is the San Francisco company Blockquote that produces public interest internet research, news reporting and investigations.
According to the settlement agreement, on June 24, 2024, Blockquote filed a qui tam action alleging that Vix Technology had improperly received a COVID 19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration. To be eligible for the loan a business had to have fewer than 300 employees. Vix has more than 300 employees in its operations around the world and therefore did not qualify for the loan.
Vix Technology is an Australian company that designs, supplies, and operates automated fare collection systems, intelligent transportation systems access, payment, and passenger information display systems for the public transit industry. The company’s U.S. Operations are headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.
Vix does not admit any wrongdoing, but to avoid the uncertainty of litigation, entered into the agreement with the United States paying double damages of $2,144,114. Vix will also pay $20,000 to the relator, Blockquote, for attorney fees and costs.
“The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration, working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and with private individuals who uncover fraudulent conduct, to recover the product of fraud and penalties as well,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis.
The settlement was negotiated by Assistant United States Attorney Nickolas Bohl.
Court Sentences Hino Motors Ltd., a Toyota Subsidiary, and Imposes over $1.6B in Penalties for Emissions Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Note: View plea agreement here. View criminal information here.
Today, U.S. District Court Judge Mark A. Goldsmith for the Eastern District of Michigan accepted Hino Motors, Ltd.’s guilty plea to a one-count criminal information charging it with having engaged in a multi-year criminal conspiracy to defraud both the U.S. government and American consumers and illicitly smuggle goods into the country. Judge Goldsmith also sentenced Hino, a Toyota subsidiary, to pay a criminal fine of $521.76 million, serve a five-year term of probation — during which it is prohibited from importing any diesel engines it has manufactured into the United States — and implement a comprehensive compliance and ethics program and reporting structure. The court also entered a $1.087 billion forfeiture money judgment against the company.
According to court records, between 2010 and 2019, Hino Motors, Ltd. engineers submitted and caused to be submitted false applications for engine certification approvals in violation of the federal Clean Air Act. Hino Motors, Ltd. engineers regularly altered emission test data, conducted tests improperly and fabricated data without conducting any underlying tests. The engineers also submitted fraudulent carbon dioxide emissions test data, which resulted in false fuel consumption values being calculated for its engines, and failed to disclose software functions that could adversely affect engines’ emission control systems. As a result of the fraud, Hino Motors, Ltd. imported and sold over 105,000 non-conforming engines between 2010 and 2022. These engines were primarily installed in heavy-duty trucks manufactured and sold by Hino nationwide.
“Hino unlawfully imported over 105,000 engines that did not comply with U.S. emissions standards and lied about what it was doing. Hino’s criminal conduct gave it an unfair business advantage over other law-abiding companies, including American companies, and generated over $1 billion in gross proceeds,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We are committed to upholding the rule of law by prosecuting fraud and enforcing our Clean Air Act emissions standards.”
“Our office is steadfast in its commitment to holding corporate actors accountable when they lie to government regulators, illicitly smuggle goods into our county, and then fraudulently sell those goods to American consumers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck for the Eastern District of Michigan.
“Hino falsely certified compliance with the Clean Air Act so that it could profit off Americans by sending illegal, polluting engines into the United States,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s plea and sentencing demonstrates that companies who intentionally evade our nation’s environmental laws, including by fabricating data to feign compliance with those laws, deserve punishment and will be held criminally accountable.”
“By pleading guilty, Hino Motors, Ltd. has admitted to orchestrating a deliberate and years-long fraud scheme that put profit over principle,” said Acting Assistant Director James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division “It doesn’t matter how complex the scheme is, the FBI is committed to holding individuals and organizations responsible for their actions.”
Special agents of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and FBI’s Detroit Field Office investigated the criminal case.
Senior Trial Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind for the Eastern District of Michigan handled the criminal prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gjon Juncaj handled the criminal forfeiture matters.
Coos Bay Man Faces Federal Charges for Producing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Coos Bay, Oregon man was arraigned in federal court today for possessing, distributing, attempting to produce, and producing child pornography.
Thomas Owen Barnett, 39, has been charged with attempting to use and using a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and possessing and distributing child pornography.
According to court documents, between September and December 2023, Barnett is alleged to have knowingly and intentionally used a minor to engage in and record sexually explicit conduct. In September 2024, Barnett is further alleged to have used Kik and Instagram, online social media platforms, to engage in chats involving child sex abuse, seek opportunities to engage in child sexual abuse, and advertise the sale of child pornography. At times, Barnett posed as a young man or a minor female to persuade his victims to produce and exchange child pornography, including requests for sexually explicit materials depicting an infant.
Barnett made his initial appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on May 27, 2025.
Attempting to use a minor and using a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct are each punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison with a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence, distribution of child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years in prison with a 5-year mandatory minimum sentence, and possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison. If convicted, Barnett also faces up to a lifetime term of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 for each count.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Colombian National Indicted After Agents Seize Approximately 10,000 Fentanyl Pills and a FirearmRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Colombian national was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City today for drug and firearm and immigration crimes after law enforcement seized approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills and a firearm during the execution of a search warrant.
Wasatch Metro Drug Task ForceDavid Estiven Alvear Carcamo, 20, of Kearns, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on March 5, 2025.
According to court documents, beginning in January 2025, the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force began investigating a drug trafficking organization suspected of distributing large quantities of narcotics into Utah. During the investigation, on March 4, 2025, agents executed search warrants on a residence in Sandy, Utah, and a vehicle. During the execution of the search warrant on the vehicle, Carcamo, who was the registered owner of the vehicle, was its sole occupant. Agents seized approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills weighing 2.35 pounds, and a handgun from the vehicle.
Carcamo is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. His initial appearance on the indictment is March 20, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 7.1 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.
Wasatch Metro Drug Task ForceThe case is being investigated by the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF), consisting of the FBI and the Davis Metro Narcotic Strike Force (DMNSF).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Cocaine smuggler who led law enforcement on high-speed chase sentenced to decade in federal prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 50-year-old Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, man has been ordered to prison for attempting to smuggle cocaine through the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Kingsville, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Christopher Seabrook pleaded guilty Nov. 22, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos has now ordered him to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard evidence describing how Seabrook fled from the checkpoint and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase. In handing down the sentence Judge Ramos noted how the flight from the checkpoint made Seabrook’s offense potentially more dangerous.
On July 25, 2024, Seabrook approached the checkpoint near Kingsville while driving a Chrysler sedan with two people as passengers. Upon initial inspection, Seabrook soon fled and led law enforcement on a chase reaching speeds up to 125 miles per hour.
Authorities brought the vehicle to a stop by puncturing its tires, at which time Seabrook tried to flee on foot. Following his apprehension and subsequent search of his vehicle, law enforcement found 10 bundles of cocaine weighing 9.8 kilograms hidden in the rear panels.
“High-speed flight by smugglers or human traffickers represents a significant threat to public safety,” said Ganjei. “Thankfully, the quick action of law enforcement allowed for the apprehension of Mr. Seabrook without injury to the public, officers, or the defendant himself.”
Law enforcement estimates the narcotics had a street value of $210,000.
Seabrook has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
BP and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lamont and Ashley Pruitt prosecuted the case.
Cicero Woman Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy and DistributionRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Erin Rushford, age 50, formerly of Cicero, New York, was sentenced today to 25 months in prison for her role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine in Onondaga County and elsewhere in Central New York.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
As part of her prior guilty plea, Rushford admitted that from approximately February 2020 through April 2021, she participated in a conspiracy to transport methamphetamine from California to locations in the Northern District of New York for distribution. Rushford further admitted that she agreed to receive shipments of methamphetamine delivered to her home and the home of a relative; she delivered those packages of methamphetamine to other coconspirators for further distribution. Rushford also admitted that she herself sold methamphetamine to customers out of her residence.
Senior United States Senior District Judge David N. Hurd also ordered Rushford to serve a 3-year term of supervised release to follow her release from prison, and ordered the forfeiture of $3,160.
This case was investigated by DEA, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York State Police-Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (NYSP-VGNET), Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, Syracuse Police Department, Oklahoma City Police Department, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie prosecuted the case.
Charlotte Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Trafficking Kilograms of Cocaine from Charlotte to WilmingtonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison for injecting large quantities of cocaine into the Wilmington area from early 2017 to July 2022. On November 5, 2024, Kinte Fisher, age 47, pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a quantity of cocaine.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Wilmington Police Department (WPD) started investigating Fisher for drug trafficking. The investigation revealed that Fisher, who lived in Charlotte, moved narcotics to a “stash house” that he maintained in Wilmington. From there, he would sell large quantities of cocaine. Fisher often used the cover of visiting family to deliver cocaine to the area and supervised several other individuals involved in drug trafficking, including his girlfriend. Fisher also mailed packages containing narcotics using the United States Postal Service. Over a five-year period, Fisher distributed at least sixty-two kilograms of cocaine.
On July 25, 2022, surveillance revealed that Fisher was traveling again to Wilmington. Agents with the FBI saw him enter his stash house with a backpack. A few moments later, Fisher left the apartment and threw a piece of plastic wrap into a municipal trash can before driving off. Law enforcement officers tested that plastic wrap, and it tested positive for cocaine residue. Based on that, law enforcement attempted to initiate a traffic stop. Fisher sped off. A high-speed chase unfolded where Fisher sped through various areas, including one of Wilmington’s business districts. Fisher abandoned his car and continued to evade arrest on foot. Law enforcement caught up to Fisher at the Wilmington Riverwalk. As they closed in, Fisher tossed his cellphone into the river. A subsequent search of Fisher’s stash house found approximately 340 grams of cocaine, a scale, and drug packaging materials.
This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The FBI, Wilmington Police Department, and New Hanover County Sheriff's Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Logan Liles prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-CR-101-D-1.
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Career criminal sentenced in Corpus Christi to 14 years for drug traffickingRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 46-year-old Santa Rosa resident has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute nearly six kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jossue Omar Gonzalez pleaded guilty Aug. 6, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Gonzalez to serve 168 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard evidence of Gonzalez’s long criminal history that included two prior federal convictions for the same offense. In handing down the sentence, Judge Ramos noted the seriousness and repetitive nature of his criminal conduct.
On Oct. 22, 2023, Jonathan Anthony Lopez, 38, of Rio Hondo, approached the Sarita checkpoint driving a red Mitsubishi Mirage when a K-9 alerted. Authorities referred the vehicle to secondary inspection where they discovered 5.99 kg of cocaine hidden behind the rear seat of the vehicle.
The investigation linked Gonzalez to the cocaine bundles. Authorities also found a video of Gonzalez purchasing the packaging material wrapped around the drugs the day prior to the offense in the same red Mitsubishi.
Lopez also pleaded guilty and was previously sentenced to 120 months in prison.
Gonzalez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.
California Couple Sentenced to Prison for Mail Order Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal district judge in Ft. Pierce sentenced a husband and wife to federal prison yesterday for working with a foreign drug trafficking organization to distribute methamphetamine, opioids, and other controlled drugs purchased by customers from an online pharmacy.
U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon sentenced Vanessa Vanly Kaiser, 50, to six years’ imprisonment and Ronald Robert Kaiser, 61, to almost four years’ imprisonment after each pled guilty on December 19, 2024, to conspiring to distribute a controlled substance, including methamphetamine. The Kaisers are from Sacramento, California.
For about six months in 2023, the scheme operated as follows: Customers throughout the United States purchased narcotics without prescriptions from an online pharmacy. The foreign drug trafficking organization provided the Kaisers with drugs which were mailed to the organization’s customers throughout the United States (including ones in South Florida). The Kaisers also collected payments on the organization’s behalf. The drugs included Schedule II opioids and pills (appearing to be Adderall) containing methamphetamine. Over the six months, the Kaisers possessed or mailed more than 169,000 pills and funneled more than $500,000 from customers to the foreign drug traffickers using online money transfer applications and bank accounts.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Miami Field Division (DEA), Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of FBI Miami, Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, and Acting Inspector in Charge Steven L. Hodges of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, made the announcement.
DEA Miami Field Division, FBI Miami, HSI Fort Pierce, HSI Detroit, and USPIS Miami Division investigated the case with assistance from the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation (FDA-OCI), and United States Marshal Service (USMS).
Assistant United States Attorney Daniel E. Funk prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-80069.
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Calhoun County Man Sentenced to 52 Months for Role in the Burglary of a Local Firearms StoreRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, MS – Bryson Latavion Walker, 22, was sentenced today to over four years for his role in the burglary of a federally licensed firearms store.
According to court documents, just after midnight on August 13, 2024, Walker and three other individuals broke into a federally licensed firearms store in Calhoun City, Mississippi and stole more than a dozen firearms as well as ammunition.
On March 19, 2025, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Walker to 52 months in federal prison for the offense, to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. The Court further ordered Walker to pay restitution to the store.
“Every stolen firearm has the potential to wind up in the hands of a criminal, threatening the safety of our citizens and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We are proud to stand with our state and federal partners to demonstrate unequivocally that thieves who burglarize federal firearms licensees will face prosecution.”
“Getting guns out of the hands of criminals before it is used in a violent crime is an essential part of our efforts to prevent, reduce, and solve violent crime,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “We continue to identify and hold accountable those who want to illegally obtain firearms. The sentence imposed today sends a message that we will continue to focus our efforts to remove another violent criminal from our streets and keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF.”
The case was investigated by the Oxford Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Howell Addison 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.
Buffalo woman going to prison for filing false tax returnRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Maureen Holleran, 62, of Buffalo, who was convicted of filing a false tax return, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A.C. Penrose, who handled the case, stated that between September 2015 and October 2023, Holleran worked remotely as a worker’s compensation claims handler for Insurance Company 1, which is headquartered in Canada. In this role, Holleran evaluated and, if appropriate, paid workers compensation claims for policies issued by Insurance Company 1. If a claim was determined to be eligible, Holleran had authority to send payment to the claimant. She had the authority to send payments of up to $2,000 without further approval by her supervisor. Between July 2020 and June 2023, Holleran submitted more than 1,200 fraudulent claims in Insurance Company 1’s claim processing system, with each claim below the $2,000 threshold. Claims were then paid into bank accounts controlled by Holleran.
Holleran created fictious expenses, such as claims for lost wages and reimbursements for medical supplies and copays, to justify the fraudulent payments. In total, she submitted approximately $2,370,848.24 in fraudulent claims. To carry out the scheme, she created fictitious email accounts that superficially appeared to be associated with the policy claimant. Holleran then used these email addresses to sign up for Insurance Company 1’s client portal. She would then input her own banking information into the portal. For the tax years 2020 through 2022, Holleran embezzled approximately $1,592,095 from Insurance Company 1 that she did not report on her income tax returns for those years. The Internal Revenue Service estimates tax due and owing for these tax years is $545,792.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Harry Chavis.
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Buffalo woman going to prison for filing false tax returnRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Maureen Holleran, 62, of Buffalo, who was convicted of filing a false tax return, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A.C. Penrose, who handled the case, stated that between September 2015 and October 2023, Holleran worked remotely as a worker’s compensation claims handler for Insurance Company 1, which is headquartered in Canada. In this role, Holleran evaluated and, if appropriate, paid workers compensation claims for policies issued by Insurance Company 1. If a claim was determined to be eligible, Holleran had authority to send payment to the claimant. She had the authority to send payments of up to $2,000 without further approval by her supervisor. Between July 2020 and June 2023, Holleran submitted more than 1,200 fraudulent claims in Insurance Company 1’s claim processing system, with each claim below the $2,000 threshold. Claims were then paid into bank accounts controlled by Holleran.
Holleran created fictitious expenses, such as claims for lost wages and reimbursements for medical supplies and copays, to justify the fraudulent payments. In total, she submitted approximately $2,370,848.24 in fraudulent claims. To carry out the scheme, she created fictitious email accounts that superficially appeared to be associated with the policy claimant. Holleran then used these email addresses to sign up for Insurance Company 1’s client portal. She would then input her own banking information into the portal. For the tax years 2020 through 2022, Holleran embezzled approximately $1,592,095 from Insurance Company 1 that she did not report on her income tax returns for those years. The Internal Revenue Service estimates tax due and owing for these tax years is $545,792.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Harry Chavis.
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Brockport woman awaiting sentencing for committing fraud, charged once again with bank fraud and making false statementsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Patricia Hutchins, 53, of Brockport, NY, was charged by criminal complaint with making a false statement and bank fraud, which carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in July 2021, U.S. Postal Inspectors executed a search warrant at Hutchins’ Rochester and seized documents, cash, and electronic devices that were either used in or derived from various wire fraud schemes, including Unemployment Insurance fraud, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud, and elder fraud. In October 2022, Hutchins was arrested on charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. On May 1, 2024, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and is awaiting sentencing on that charge, which is scheduled for April 15, 2025. As part of her plea agreement, Hutchins must pay restitution to two victims: $20,052.00 to reimburse a financial institution for a fraudulent PPP loan disbursement $25,100.00 to an elderly individual who had been duped into “paying off a debt for a friend” by sending that money to Hutchins.
On October 16, 2024, Hutchins appeared in federal court for sentencing. At that time, she stated that she had invested the entire proceeds of her home sale in a retirement account and did not have any money for restitution. As a result, her sentencing was delayed. On December 4, 2024, Hutchins appeared once again for sentencing. This time, she advised the court that she had given all of her money to an individual whom she believed to be country music recording artist Kenny Chesney, who had agreed to invest it for her. Hutchins had already used this excuse—that she was scammed by a person whom she believed was Kenny Chesney—twice before. Hutchins ultimately pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud with the individual whom she claimed to believe was Kenny Chesney.
According to the latest complaint against Hutchins, the proceeds from the sale of her residence were deposited into her bank account, approximately one month before her scheduled sentencing on October 16, 2024. In the month leading up to the sentencing, she pulled approximately $15,000.00 out of the account, making numerous $250.00 gift card purchases at merchants such as Walgreens, Tops, Wegman’s, Lowe’s, and Home Depot. After the original sentencing was adjourned, and she was directed by the Court to gather funds to pay restitution, Hutchins continued to make regular gift card purchases totaling approximately $8,500.00. As of November 29, 2024, there was approximately $1,000 left in her account. In addition, Hutchins is accused of fraud involving two credit card accounts.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division.
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.
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Bonanno Crime Family Soldier Sentenced to 37 Months’ Imprisonment for Extortionate Collection of CreditRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, John Ragano, also known as “Bazoo,” a member of the Bonanno organized crime family, was sentenced by United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez to 37 months in prison for extortionate collection of credit in connection with a $150,000 loan. The sentence imposed today will be served following the completion of Ragano’s 57-month sentence for the conspiracy to commit extortionate collection of credit of the same victim. Additionally, as part of the sentence, Ragano was ordered to pay the government $3,000 in forfeiture. Ragano was convicted of the charge in October 2024 following a four-day jury trial.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Leslie R. Backschies, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“Today’s sentence punishes Ragano’s blatant disregard for the law, even while under court supervision for crimes brazenly carried out within the federal courthouse,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “This prosecution represents my Office’s steadfast commitment to combatting the Mafia in our district.”
“Despite previous arrests and detention, John Ragano tormented his victim to make weekly exorbitant loan payments and enforced humiliating methods when faced with resistance,” stated Acting FBI Assistant Director in Charge Backschies. “His actions reflected his apathy to the criminal justice system as he repeatedly attempted to extort his victims in the midst of active legal proceedings. Today’s verdict emphasizes the FBI’s intolerance of the mob’s historical inclination to utilize coercive and threatening tactics to fulfill their greedy demands.
In early 2021, the defendant Ragano loaned the victim $150,000 in cash and required the victim to make interest payments of approximately $1,800 a week. These payments did not reduce the principal of the $150,000 loan. On September 14, 2021, Ragano was arrested in connection with the extortionate loan to the victim, as well as separate schemes to traffic marijuana and commit fraud. After Ragano was released on bond from the Metropolitan Detention Center in December 2021, he continued to try to collect the $150,000 loan from the victim while under pretrial supervision. He did so by approaching the victim in-person at status conferences held at the federal courthouse, and by directing another individual (Individual #1) to contact the victim. On November 28, 2022, Ragano pleaded guilty to conspiring to issue the extortionate loan to the victim. However, in 2023, despite his previous guilty plea, ongoing court supervision, and sentence to 57 months’ imprisonment in connection with his previous guilty plea as to the 2021 loan, Ragano continued to extort the victim to collect payments on the 2021 loan, which resulted in a subsequent indictment for extortionate collection of credit and harassment of a witness.
As proven during Ragano’s October 2024 trial, on March 25, 2023, the victim recorded a meeting with Individual #1, who explained that Ragano wanted the entire amount of the loan repaid and that “nobody’s looking for anybody to get hurt.” A week later, on March 31, 2023, Individual #1 told the victim that Ragano was “a little upset” that the loan was outstanding. On July 5, 2023, the victim went to a used auto parts yard where Ragano worked to discuss the loan. Unbeknownst to Ragano, the victim recorded the meeting. The victim told Ragano that he was going to stop repaying the loan. Ragano accused the victim of cooperating with the government and demanded that he remove all his clothes. Ragano stated: “Okay, well then take off your f--king s--t right now my man. Take off your f--king pants right now, lemme see, I want to see.” At Ragano’s insistence, the victim complied and took off all his clothing. At that point, two men at the business walked up behind Ragano, one of whom was holding metal tools. Ragano then demanded the victim pay the money the defendant believed he was owed, telling him, “You owe me my f---king money, let’s see how you’re gonna do when I get out.” Despite being forced to strip naked, the victim was still able to record the confrontation, including Ragano’s parting words, “I’ll see you when I get out tough guy…Don’t forget I know where you’re at now.”
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Devon Lash and Andrew D. Reich are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kristina Kim. Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha Payne of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendant:
JOHN RAGANO (also known as “Bazoo”)
Age: 62
Franklin Square, Long IslandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-50 (HG)
Biloxi Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Biloxi man was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Bradlee James Harrison, 22, was found in possession of a firearm by the Biloxi Police Department during a Mardi Gras parade on February 13, 2024. Harrison had a previous felony conviction for Failure to Stop Motor Vehicle and was on bond at the time of his arrest.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi; and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and Biloxi Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter McCreight prosecuted the case.
Armed Raleigh Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl pills. On November 12, 2024, Donnavin Mustafia Byrdsong pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 400 grams or more of Fentanyl.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Byrdsong, 31, was part of a group that was trafficking fentanyl pills into the Raleigh, North Carolina area for distribution. Law enforcement determined that Byrdsong and other members of the drug trafficking organization would fly to California to purchase fentanyl pills and would ship the pills back to North Carolina. On January 16, 2024, Byrdsong mailed two packages from California to an address in Raleigh. Law enforcement ultimately seized the packages and discovered a total of 40,000 fentanyl pills, concealed in Lego boxes. During a search of Byrdsong’s residence, law enforcement found numerous additional Lego boxes. The investigation confirmed that Byrdsong had previously mailed similar packages from California to Raleigh.
This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Raleigh Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey L. Peaden prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-200.
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Aliquippa Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on March 18, 2025, to a federal firearm charge, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Tyland Witherspoon, 28, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV to one count of felony possession of a firearm and ammunition.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on June 19, 2024, Witherspoon—who was previously convicted of a felony—was found to be in possession of a firearm and ammunition while the sole occupant of a vehicle in the Northview Heights area of Pittsburgh. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge Stickman scheduled Witherspoon’s sentencing for July 28, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Witherspoon remains detained pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Witherspoon.
Albany County Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Joshua White, age 47, of Albany County, was sentenced yesterday to 151 months in prison, to be followed by 20 years of post-imprisonment supervision. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
During his previously entered guilty plea, White admitted that he distributed sexually explicit images of a minor known to him to another person over text message, and that when he met with police in July 2023, he possessed, on his phone, child sexual abuse material depicting other victims that he obtained from the Internet and social media messaging applications.
White was also ordered to forfeit the property he used to commit the offense, and pay a special assessment and restitution of $5,000 to the victim known to him. He is required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
HSI and the New York State Police investigated this case, and Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Tuesday 18 March 2025
Wilbraham Man Indicted for Violent Threats Targeting Public Officials, Private Individuals and ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Wilbraham man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mass. for allegedly making numerous violent threats on social media targeting public figures, private individuals, children in Wilbraham and Boston, and an elementary school in Springfield.
Funwayo Mbilini Nyawo, also known as “Jonathan Funwayo Nyawo,” “Michael Jacobs” “Robert, Jacobs,” and “Carl Fields,” 36, was indicted with 13 counts of interstate transmission of threatening communications and one count of stalking through facilities of interstate commerce. Nyawo was previously arrested on Feb. 5, 2025 in the Southern District of Florida and ordered detained until his appearance in federal court in Springfield, which will be scheduled at a later date.
According to the Indictment, between July 30, 2024 and Oct. 1, 2024, Nyawo posted various communications on X (formerly known as Twitter) threatening to kill an elected United States official (and their family), a former United States official (and their family), a former member of a Massachusetts police department (and their family), a private individual, local officials and their family members; the children of Wilbraham and Boston; members of the Wilbraham Police Department and Wilbraham Fire Department (and their families); and an elementary school in Springfield, among others.
In addition, between Aug. 17, 2024 and on or about Oct. 1, 2024, Nyawo used X to engage in a course of conduct with the intent to harass and intimidate the elected United States official, their spouse, their child, their child’s spouse, and their grandchildren.
All of the charges provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and J. Thomas Manger of the United States Capital Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Wilbraham Police Department, the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, and the Miami-Dade Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office 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.
West Virginia Residents Sentenced for Roles in Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Monongalia County residents have been sentenced for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in the Northern District of West Virginia.
Jennifer Clapper, 37, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison. Jamie Purtee, 33, of Morgantown, West Virginia was sentenced to 60 months.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Clapper and Purtee were part of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Monongalia County, unlawfully distributing kilograms of controlled substances for more than six years. The drug organization originated in Philadelphia, PA from which its members transported 5 to 10 pounds of methamphetamine to Morgantown per trip. Clapper and Purtee were distributors for the DTO.
Following their prison sentences, Clapper and Purtee will serve three years of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
The Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Wealthy Miami Man Pleads Guilty to Decades-Long Scheme to Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
A Miami man pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring with others to defraud the United States by concealing millions of dollars in assets and income in undisclosed Swiss bank accounts.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 1985 and 2020, Dan Rotta hid more than $20 million in assets in dozens of secret Swiss accounts at five different Swiss banks, including UBS, Credit Suisse, Bank Bonhôte, and Bank Julius Baer. The accounts were held in his own name, in the names of sham structures, and, in one instance, a pseudonym. Over the years, Rotta earned tens of millions of dollars of income from these assets that he did not report on his tax returns and that he used to fund his lavish lifestyle. He caused a substantial tax loss to the IRS.
Rotta employed increasingly elaborate schemes to keep his accounts hidden. Over the years, he kept his accounts open, in part, by falsely representing that he was not a U.S. citizen, leveraging his Brazilian citizenship to claim he was a Brazilian citizen residing in Brazil.
Starting in 2008, after it was reported publicly that UBS and its bankers were under criminal investigation for helping U.S. taxpayers evade their taxes, Rotta closed his UBS account and moved his funds to Credit Suisse and Bank Bonhôte.
In 2011, after the IRS obtained records related to one of Rotta’s Swiss accounts, Rotta nominally changed the documentation of his accounts at Credit Suisse and Bank Bonhôte to make it appear that his co-conspirator, a Brazilian national and resident, owned the assets in the accounts. Despite the change, Rotta continued to control the assets and transferred millions of dollars out of those accounts for his use.
Shortly after Rotta changed the account documentation, the IRS began auditing Rotta. During the audit, Rotta falsely denied that he owned the assets in the foreign financial accounts and, instead, claimed that the millions of dollars he withdrew from the accounts were non-taxable loans from foreign nationals. Rotta provided the IRS with fake promissory notes and false affidavits from the foreign nationals to corroborate his claims. During the audit, Rotta continued to use the funds in his foreign accounts to fund his lifestyle in the United States, but to conceal his use of the funds from the IRS, he often routed transfers from his foreign accounts through nominee accounts and attorney trust fund accounts in the United States.
The IRS did not believe Rotta’s story and assessed millions of dollars of additional taxes as well as penalties and interest against him. Rotta sought to reverse the assessments by filing a false petition in U.S. Tax Court. In that petition, Rotta, through his attorney, falsely denied having any foreign accounts and attached fictitious loan documents. Furthermore, the nominee account owners traveled to the United States to retell the false loan story to IRS attorneys.
In 2017, after Rotta presented evidence that the purported loans had been repaid, the IRS reversed the deficiencies and agreed that Rotta owed no additional tax. Unbeknownst to the IRS, however, the “loan repayments” were fake: the funds that Rotta purportedly repaid went back into accounts that Rotta controlled shortly after the IRS dismissed the suit. Also as part of the conspiracy, Rotta had his U.S.-based attorneys create sham trust structures that he used to transfer his assets to the United States without alerting the IRS. On paper, it appeared that Rotta’s co-conspirator funded the trusts for Rotta’s benefit. In reality, Rotta funded the trusts with transfers from Swiss accounts.
In 2019, Rotta became aware that the IRS would receive additional account records from Switzerland that contradicted the false claims that he had previously made. To avoid criminal liability, Rotta applied to participate in the IRS’s voluntary disclosure practice. Under that practice, taxpayers who failed to comply with their tax and reporting obligations can make timely, accurate, and complete disclosures of their conduct, which may offer a path to resolve their non-compliance and limit their criminal exposure. Rotta made false statements in his submission, including falsely claiming that the assets in the Swiss accounts mostly belonged to others, and that any funds provided to Rotta were non-taxable gifts. Rotta also claimed that the nominee account owner gifted Rotta money because the nominee had no children to benefit from the funds. In fact, the nominee had two children.
Rotta is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)’s Washington, D.C., Field Office made the announcement.
Special Agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C., and dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, is investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsels Sean Beaty and Mark Daly and Trial Attorneys Patrick Elwell and William Montague of the Tax Division, as well as Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark for the Southern District of Florida, are prosecuting the case.
Wealthy Miami Man Pleads Guilty to Decades-Long Scheme to Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
Defendant Hid Millions in Swiss Accounts
MIAMI – A Miami man pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring with others to defraud the United States by concealing millions of dollars in assets and income in undisclosed Swiss bank accounts.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 1985 and 2020, Dan Rotta hid more than $20 million in assets in dozens of secret Swiss accounts at five different Swiss banks, including UBS, Credit Suisse, Bank Bonhôte, and Bank Julius Baer. The accounts were held in his own name, in the names of sham structures, and, in one instance, a pseudonym. Over the years, Rotta earned tens of millions of dollars of income from these assets that he did not report on his tax returns and that he used to fund his lavish lifestyle. He caused a substantial tax loss to the IRS.
Rotta employed increasingly elaborate schemes to keep his accounts hidden. Over the years, he kept his accounts open, in part, by falsely representing that he was not a U.S. citizen, leveraging his Brazilian citizenship to claim he was a Brazilian citizen residing in Brazil.
Starting in 2008, after it was reported publicly that UBS and its bankers were under criminal investigation for helping U.S. taxpayers evade their taxes, Rotta closed his UBS account and moved his funds to Credit Suisse and Bank Bonhôte.
In 2011, after the IRS obtained records related to one of Rotta’s Swiss accounts, Rotta nominally changed the documentation of his accounts at Credit Suisse and Bank Bonhôte to make it appear that his co-conspirator, a Brazilian national and resident, owned the assets in the accounts. Despite the change, Rotta continued to control the assets and transferred millions of dollars out of those accounts for his use.
Shortly after Rotta changed the account documentation, the IRS began auditing Rotta. During the audit, Rotta falsely denied that he owned the assets in the foreign financial accounts and, instead, claimed that the millions of dollars he withdrew from the accounts were non-taxable loans from foreign nationals. Rotta provided the IRS with fake promissory notes and false affidavits from the foreign nationals to corroborate his claims. During the audit, Rotta continued to use the funds in his foreign accounts to fund his lifestyle in the United States, but to conceal his use of the funds from the IRS, he often routed transfers from his foreign accounts through nominee accounts and attorney trust fund accounts in the United States.
The IRS did not believe Rotta’s story and assessed millions of dollars of additional taxes as well as penalties and interest against him. Rotta sought to reverse the assessments by filing a false petition in U.S. Tax Court. In that petition, Rotta, through his attorney, falsely denied having any foreign accounts and attached fictitious loan documents. Furthermore, the nominee account owners traveled to the United States to retell the false loan story to IRS attorneys.
In 2017, after Rotta presented evidence that the purported loans had been repaid, the IRS reversed the deficiencies and agreed that Rotta owed no additional tax. Unbeknownst to the IRS, however, the “loan repayments” were fake: the funds that Rotta purportedly repaid went back into accounts that Rotta controlled shortly after the IRS dismissed the suit. Also as part of the conspiracy, Rotta had his U.S.-based attorneys create sham trust structures that he used to transfer his assets to the United States without alerting the IRS. On paper, it appeared that Rotta’s co-conspirator funded the trusts for Rotta’s benefit. In reality, Rotta funded the trusts with transfers from Swiss accounts.
In 2019, Rotta became aware that the IRS would receive additional account records from Switzerland that contradicted the false claims that he had previously made. To avoid criminal liability, Rotta applied to participate in the IRS’s voluntary disclosure practice. Under that practice, taxpayers who failed to comply with their tax and reporting obligations can make timely, accurate, and complete disclosures of their conduct, which may offer a path to resolve their non-compliance and limit their criminal exposure. Rotta made false statements in his submission, including falsely claiming that the assets in the Swiss accounts mostly belonged to others, and that any funds provided to Rotta were non-taxable gifts. Rotta also claimed that the nominee account owner gifted Rotta money because the nominee had no children to benefit from the funds. In fact, the nominee had two children.
Rotta is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)’s Washington, D.C., Field Office made the announcement.
Special Agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C., and dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, is investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark for the Southern District of Florida; Senior Litigation Counsels Sean Beaty and Mark Daly, and Trial Attorneys Patrick Elwell and William Montague of the Tax Division, are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20113.
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Villa Rica Man Sentenced for Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
NEWNAN, Ga. - Timmy S. Stephens has been sentenced for stealing money intended as disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. For approximately 20 years, Stephens claimed that he was disabled in order to receive benefits all while he worked at a local funeral home.
“Stephens perpetrated a two-decades long fraud on the Social Security Administration,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “The disability program is a wage replacement program for those members of our society who cannot work due to a physical or mental health condition. Stealing benefits from the Social Security trust fund betrays the Social Security Administration and the people the program is designed to help.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, Jr., the charges and other information presented in court: The evidence uncovered during the investigation showed that Stephens began receiving disability benefits due to a cardiac condition in or about August 2002. At that time and regularly thereafter, the Social Security Administration (SSA) informed him that if his condition improved or if he returned to work, he must report any change in his condition or work activity to the SSA. Despite notice of these reporting requirements, Stephens began working at a local funeral home in January 2003 and did not report the work activity to SSA. Instead, to conceal his work activity from SSA, Stephens arranged with the funeral home for his earnings to be reported to the Internal Revenue Service using a relative’s social security number.
SSA later learned of this arrangement and about Stephen’s work activity. Stephens then submitted a false work activity report claiming that he had not worked since 2001. In response, federal special agents interviewed Stephens about his work activity. During the interview, he lied to the agents and also produced falsified time sheets to the funeral homeowner, directing her to give the false records to law enforcement. In total, Stephens received more than $360,000 in disability benefits when he was in fact able to work and not disabled.
Timmy Stephens has been sentenced to nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $5,500.00 and restitution in the amount of $126,560.50. Stephens was convicted on these charges on October 17, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane C Schulman prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Venezuelan Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Migrant Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Cesar David Martinez-Gonzalez, 40, a native of Venezuela who had been residing in Chester, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh to 36 months’ imprisonment and $20,560 in restitution, in connection with a conspiracy to help smuggle and encourage and induce dozens of migrants from South America to enter the United States illegally so that he could profit from their labor.
The defendant was charged by indictment in July of last year and pleaded guilty in November to one count of conspiring to illegally bring aliens to the United States and to encourage and induce aliens to enter the United States for private financial gain, five counts of encouraging and inducing aliens to illegally enter the United States for private financial gain, and four counts of transfer of an unlawful identification document.
The object of the conspiracy, for the personal financial gain of Martinez-Gonzalez and others, was to illegally smuggle citizens of South American countries into the United States across the U.S.-Mexico border, and to encourage and induce them to enter the United States without prior authorization.
Martinez-Gonzalez entered the United States illegally. He then launched a scheme and wired money to migrants in South America and fronted money to “coyotes” in Mexico, who guided migrants across the Rio Grande and through holes in the U.S.-Mexico border wall. He also provided migrants with information to give to Customs and Border Protection so that they could be released — on parole — to his residences. Martinez-Gonzalez then paid for airplane flights to bring the migrants to Philadelphia, and, once they arrived, transported them to houses in and around Chester, Pa.
At this point, Martinez-Gonzalez and his associates would impose upon the migrants thousands or tens-of-thousands of dollars in “debts” owed to him, which the migrants would have to pay off through working long hours at factories and other worksites and forfeiting half of their weekly wages to the defendant. Martinez-Gonzalez also helped the migrants obtain false identification documents and hourly work through various staffing agencies. The debts imposed by the defendant were well in excess of what it cost to get the individuals to Chester and house them there.
During the two-year period that the defendant operated his scheme, he induced and helped to illegally bring over 100 aliens to the United States, all for his private financial gain. The defendant imposed a daily pressure campaign on the migrants to keep working, for whatever hours they could get from the staffing agencies, so that they could keep making “debt” payments to him. He kept careful records of the debts migrants had paid to him and still owed to him, demonstrating that the illegal scheme was, for him, about making money. The defendant’s steady, calculated scheme entailed a pervasive abuse of the nation’s immigration system, as well as of the many migrants he induced to come to the United States. Moreover, the defendant was granted Temporary Protected Status in the United States in March 2024, which he took advantage of by continuing to perpetrate his scheme after being granted status to remain in the country.
“Martinez-Gonzalez committed an egregious offense against the citizens of our country as well as the illegal immigrants he smuggled into it,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Our office intends to combat illegal immigration in all forms — including by pursuing the offenders who orchestrate and facilitate schemes that compromise our border security and the rule of law. In this case, Martinez-Gonzalez not only betrayed our country after entering it illegally and receiving status, but he also imposed onerous ‘debts’ on unlawful migrants and effectively coerced them to work long and monotonous hours to pay him back. My office and our partners will continue to target human smugglers for prosecution. They exploit their victims and make a mockery of our lawful immigration system.”
“Driven by personal greed, Martinez-Gonzalez not only smuggled individuals into the United States but also continued to exploit them for profit,” said Wayne A. Jacobs. “The FBI, in collaboration with HSI, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Attorney's Office, remains committed to holding accountable those who engage in human smuggling and exploitation.”
“This case highlights the critical role that Homeland Security Investigations plays in dismantling human smuggling networks that exploit vulnerable individuals for personal profit. Martinez-Gonzalez not only violated our nation's immigration laws but also preyed on the hopes and dreams of those seeking a better life, forcing them into a cycle of debt and exploitation,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward V. Owens. “HSI remains committed to working with our partners to investigate and prosecute those who engage in such reprehensible acts.”
“Mr. Martinez-Gonzalez helped illegal migrants obtain false identification for employment, forcing them to work off so-called thousands of dollars in debts, but in reality, it was for his own personal gain,” said Assistant Inspector General for Audit performing the duties of the Inspector General, Michelle L. Anderson. “I thank our law enforcement partners, the FBI and HSI, for their efforts in this investigation, as well as the United States Attorney’s Office for prosecuting the case.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, HSI, and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara A. Solow, Louis D. Lappen, Eileen Castilla Geiger, and J. Andrew Jenemann.
Van Zandt electrical contractor sentenced in wire fraud conspiracyRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Canton man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a wire fraud conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
James Derr, 55, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy Kernodle on March 18, 2025. Derr was also ordered to pay $2,615,585.93 in restitution.
According to information presented in court, Derr, an electrical contractor with J&D Electric, was involved in a conspiracy with Rebekah Mitchell and Brittany Burton to divert equipment for their own financial gain. Between March of 2017 and May of 2021, Mitchell used her position at Schneider Electric in Athens to steal Schneider Electric circuit breakers from their inventory and direct the shipment of the stolen circuit breakers to locations where Derr could take possession of them. Mitchell paid Burton to use her position at J&K Storage in Flint to receive shipments of stolen Schneider Electric circuit breakers at J&K Storage. Mitchell created fraudulent documentation in the purchase order and/or bill of lading logistics systems depicting fictional customers that resulted in the shipment of Schneider Electric circuit breakers to locations that she and Derr agreed upon, which included, on approximately 11 occasions in 2017 and 2018, J&K Storage. Derr took possession of the Schneider Electric products at various locations and sold them to various buyers. Derr shared the proceeds of these sales with Mitchell in consideration for her role in the conspiracy. As a result, Derr, Mitchell and Burton caused Schneider Electric to suffer a financial loss of approximately $2,615,585.93.
On February 18, 2025, Mitchell was sentenced to 34 months in federal prison and was also ordered to pay $2.6 million in restitution to Schneider Electric. Burton pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and is currently awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the FBI Tyler Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Noble.
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Undercover operation sends drug dealing sex offender to prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 27-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute over 11 grams of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Sunny Ray Garcia pleaded guilty Nov. 21, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Garcia to serve 60 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence of Garcia’s extensive criminal history that includes convictions for aggravated sexual assault of a child, burglary and possession of a controlled substance.
In January 2023, authorities had identified Garcia as a target involved in drug distribution. On Jan. 25, they conducted an operation and purchased drugs from Garcia. The narcotics were later tested and confirmed to be methamphetamine.
When authorities arrested Garcia in February 2023, they also discovered a stolen firearm in his vehicle.
Garcia will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Izaak Bruce prosecuted the case.
U.S. Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against Aircraft Used by Nicolás Maduro Moros in Violation of U.S. Sanctions and Export Control LawsRead the Press Release
Note: View the forfeiture complaint.
MIAMI – The United States today filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the Southern District of Florida against a Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft, bearing tail number T7-ESPRT, which was smuggled from the United States under false pretenses and operated for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro Moros (Maduro) and his representatives in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (the Maduro Regime) in violation of U.S. sanctions and export control laws. The aircraft was seized last year in the Dominican Republic at the request of the United States.
Today’s filing alleges that the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft was purchased and maintained in violation of U.S. sanctions against Maduro and the Maduro Regime. According to the complaint, the aircraft is forfeitable based on violations of U.S. law, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and money laundering violations.
Since 2014, the United States has imposed sanctions against targeted individuals, entities, and sectors in Venezuela to address the increasing political oppression and corruption in Venezuela by the Maduro Regime. On March 8, 2015, the President found that the situation in Venezuela constituted an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and declared a national emergency pursuant to IEEPA to deal with that threat. See Executive Order (E.O.) 13692.
In 2017, 2018, and 2019, President Trump took additional steps regarding the national emergency declared in E.O. 13692. On Aug. 5, 2019, the President issued E.O. 13884 “in light of the continued usurpation of power by Nicolás Maduro and persons affiliated with him, as well as human rights abuses, including arbitrary or unlawful arrest and detention of Venezuelan citizens, interference with freedom of expression, including for members of the media, and ongoing attempts to undermine Interim President Juan Guaidó and the Venezuelan National Assembly’s exercise of legitimate authority in Venezuela.”
E.O. 13884 prohibits the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order, including the Government of Venezuela and the Maduro Regime; the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person; and, any transaction that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in the order.
The complaint alleges that on or about Jan. 23, 2023, a company purportedly based in the Caribbean island country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Foreign Company 1) entered into a contract to purchase the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft from a company in Florida for $13,250,000. The complaint further alleges that the individual in charge of purchasing the aircraft purportedly on behalf of Foreign Company 1 was a Venezuelan national (Foreign Principal 1), who concealed the fact that he was representing or associated with the Maduro Regime.
The complaint further alleges that Foreign Company 1 merely acted as a nominee owner of the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft as it was formed shortly before the purchase, in June 2022, and was struck from the register of St. Vincent companies for failure to pay annual fees two years later, in May 2024.
The complaint further alleges that funds used to purchase the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft were sent via multiple wire transfers from different countries, including Malaysia, using both U.S. dollars and euros, and that Foreign Company 1 used an email address with a “.ae” domain from the United Arab Emirates to correspond with the Florida-based seller even though Foreign Company 1’s representatives allegedly had Spanish names and some of the emails contained the phrase “Enviado desde mi iPhone,” or Spanish for “Sent from my iPhone.”
The complaint further alleges that the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft was flown from the United States to St. Vincent on or about April 3, 2023, and approximately five hours later, it departed for Caracas, Venezuela, piloted by two members of the Venezuelan Presidential Honor Guard, and accompanied by a second aircraft that operates out of a Venezuelan military base.
The complaint further alleges that, since May 2023, the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft has flown to and from Venezuela at least 21 times and Maduro has been seen traveling with the aircraft on official visits to other countries, including for a December 2023 prisoner exchange with the United States.
As alleged, in March 2024, the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft was flown to the Dominican Republic for service and maintenance where Foreign Company 1 held itself out to be the owner, concealing from the Dominican-based jet maintenance company that the aircraft had been purchased and operated for benefit of the Maduro Regime.
The complaint further alleges that on at least two occasions in May 2024, Foreign Principal 1, purportedly acting on behalf of Foreign Company 1, and other Venezuelan individuals, including military personnel, attempted to retrieve the Dassault Falcon aircraft from the Dominican Republic.
Following the attempts by the Venezuelan individuals to retrieve the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft, the U.S. government obtained a seizure warrant and requested that the Dominican Republic seize, detain, and transfer the Dassault Falcon aircraft. Pursuant to U.S. request, the aircraft was transported back to the United States on Sept. 2, 2024. That same day, the Maduro Regime issued a statement admitting the Dassault Falcon aircraft “has been used by” Maduro.
A second Dassault Falcon aircraft identified by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as blocked property of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the sanctioned Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural-gas company, and illegally serviced and maintained in violation of U.S. sanctions, also was seized in the Dominican Republic at the request of the United States government on Feb. 6, 2025.
The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Miami Field Office is investigating the case, along with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Santo Domingo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Paster and Jorge Delgado for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the matter.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and HSI El Dorado Task Force Miami provided significant assistance in working with authorities in the Dominican Republic. The United States thanks the Dominican Republic for its assistance in this matter.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cv-60516.
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U.S. Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against Aircraft Used by Nicolás Maduro Moros in Violation of U.S. Sanctions and Export Control LawsRead the Press Release
Note: View the forfeiture complaint.
The United States today filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the Southern District of Florida against a Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft, bearing tail number T7-ESPRT, which was smuggled from the United States under false pretenses and operated for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro Moros (Maduro) and his representatives in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (the Maduro Regime) in violation of U.S. sanctions and export control laws. The aircraft was seized last year in the Dominican Republic at the request of the United States.
Today’s filing alleges that the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft was purchased and maintained in violation of U.S. sanctions against Maduro and the Maduro Regime. According to the complaint, the aircraft is forfeitable based on violations of U.S. law, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and money laundering violations.
Since 2014, the United States has imposed sanctions against targeted individuals, entities, and sectors in Venezuela to address the increasing political oppression and corruption in Venezuela by the Maduro Regime. On March 8, 2015, the President found that the situation in Venezuela constituted an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and declared a national emergency pursuant to IEEPA to deal with that threat. See Executive Order (E.O.) 13692.
In 2017, 2018, and 2019, President Trump took additional steps regarding the national emergency declared in E.O. 13692. On Aug. 5, 2019, the President issued E.O. 13884 “in light of the continued usurpation of power by Nicolás Maduro and persons affiliated with him, as well as human rights abuses, including arbitrary or unlawful arrest and detention of Venezuelan citizens, interference with freedom of expression, including for members of the media, and ongoing attempts to undermine Interim President Juan Guaidó and the Venezuelan National Assembly’s exercise of legitimate authority in Venezuela.”
E.O. 13884 prohibits the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order, including the Government of Venezuela and the Maduro Regime; the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person; and, any transaction that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in the order.
The complaint alleges that on or about Jan. 23, 2023, a company purportedly based in the Caribbean island country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Foreign Company 1) entered into a contract to purchase the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft from a company in Florida for $13,250,000. The complaint further alleges that the individual in charge of purchasing the aircraft purportedly on behalf of Foreign Company 1 was a Venezuelan national (Foreign Principal 1), who concealed the fact that he was representing or associated with the Maduro Regime.
The complaint further alleges that Foreign Company 1 merely acted as a nominee owner of the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft as it was formed shortly before the purchase, in June 2022, and was struck from the register of St. Vincent companies for failure to pay annual fees two years later, in May 2024.
The complaint further alleges that funds used to purchase the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft were sent via multiple wire transfers from different countries, including Malaysia, using both U.S. dollars and euros, and that Foreign Company 1 used an email address with a “.ae” domain from the United Arab Emirates to correspond with the Florida-based seller even though Foreign Company 1’s representatives allegedly had Spanish names and some of the emails contained the phrase “Enviado desde mi iPhone,” or Spanish for “Sent from my iPhone.”
The complaint further alleges that the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft was flown from the United States to St. Vincent on or about April 3, 2023, and approximately five hours later, it departed for Caracas, Venezuela, piloted by two members of the Venezuelan Presidential Honor Guard, and accompanied by a second aircraft that operates out of a Venezuelan military base.
The complaint further alleges that, since May 2023, the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft has flown to and from Venezuela at least 21 times and Maduro has been seen traveling with the aircraft on official visits to other countries, including for a December 2023 prisoner exchange with the United States.
As alleged, in March 2024, the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft was flown to the Dominican Republic for service and maintenance where Foreign Company 1 held itself out to be the owner, concealing from the Dominican-based jet maintenance company that the aircraft had been purchased and operated for benefit of the Maduro Regime.
The complaint further alleges that on at least two occasions in May 2024, Foreign Principal 1, purportedly acting on behalf of Foreign Company 1, and other Venezuelan individuals, including military personnel, attempted to retrieve the Dassault Falcon aircraft from the Dominican Republic.
Following the attempts by the Venezuelan individuals to retrieve the Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft, the U.S. government obtained a seizure warrant and requested that the Dominican Republic seize, detain, and transfer the Dassault Falcon aircraft. Pursuant to U.S. request, the aircraft was transported back to the United States on Sept. 2, 2024. That same day, the Maduro Regime issued a statement admitting the Dassault Falcon aircraft “has been used by” Maduro.
A second Dassault Falcon aircraft identified by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as blocked property of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the sanctioned Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural-gas company, and illegally serviced and maintained in violation of U.S. sanctions, also was seized in the Dominican Republic at the request of the United States government on Feb. 6, 2025.
The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Miami Field Office is investigating the case, along with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Santo Domingo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Paster and Jorge Delgado for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the matter.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and HSI El Dorado Task Force Miami provided significant assistance in working with authorities in the Dominican Republic. The United States thanks the Dominican Republic for its assistance in this matter.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Immigration Violation Charges for the Northern District of OhioRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced that federal grand juries in the Northern District of Ohio have returned indictments for the following individuals on charges of immigration law violations. These are separate and unrelated cases filed during the months of January and February 2025.
Yeixon Brito-Gonzalez, aka Yiexon Maikenedy Brito-Gonzalez, 21, a citizen of Venezuela, was indicted on two counts of possession of a fraudulent identification document. He possessed counterfeit Legal Permanent Resident and Social Security cards. Brito-Gonzalez was arrested Jan. 30, 2025, in Sandusky, Ohio. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Sandusky Bay Station.
Juan A. Cabrera-Claros, 42, a citizen of El Salvador, was indicted on one charge of illegal re-entry into the United States. He has been previously removed three times: July 13, 2011; Nov. 23, 2011; and Feb. 22, 2013. Cabrera-Claros was arrested Feb. 15, 2025, in South Euclid, Ohio. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Mardoqueo Hernandez-Gomez, aka, Gabino Toj-Chac, 31, a citizen of Guatemala, was indicted on one charge of making a false claim of citizenship to obtain a federal or state benefit, and one count of misuse of a Social Security number. On April 17, 2023, the defendant is alleged to have attempted to obtain an Ohio Driver’s License by providing a Social Security card issued to another individual. Hernandez-Gomez was arrested Jan. 16, 2025, in the state of Kansas. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP Sandusky Bay Station.
Angel Baltazar Lux-Santay, 32, a citizen of Guatemala, was indicted on one charge of illegal re-entry into the United States after having previously been removed on Sept. 12, 2019 and Jan. 20, 2020. Lux-Santay was arrested in Ashland County, Ohio, on Feb. 2, 2025. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ICE.
Jorge Marrero-Padilla, 36, a citizen of Mexico, was indicted on one charge of illegal re-entry into the United States. He has been previously removed four times: July 9, 2008; June 29, 2010; Nov. 13, 2010; and Dec. 26, 2012. Marrero-Padilla was arrested in Painesville, Ohio, on Jan. 15, 2025. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ICE.
Raul Montes-Rodriguez, 52, a citizen of Mexico, was indicted on one charge of illegal re-entry into the United States after having been removed twice from the U.S. on Jan. 21, 2014 and April 23, 2013. Montes-Rodriguez was arrested Jan. 29, 2025 in Lorain, Ohio. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP Sandusky Bay Station.
Alando Roach, 24, a citizen of Jamaica, was charged with being an undocumented alien in possession of a firearm. Roach was arrested March 3, 2025, in Youngstown, Ohio. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and ICE.
Mariano Tomas-Aguilar, 44, a citizen of Guatemala, was indicted on one charge of illegal re-entry into the United States. He was previously removed from the U.S. five times: Aug. 14, 2008; Sept. 8, 2009; Oct. 26, 2018; Feb. 19, 2019; and March 12, 2020. Tomas-Aguilar was arrested Dec. 9, 2024, in Eastlake, Ohio. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ICE.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
A team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the USAO’s criminal division are prosecuting these cases.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Two Mexican Nationals with Prior Convictions Charged for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Two Mexican nationals residing in Las Vegas made their initial court appearances Monday to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country.
Jose Miguel Gutierrez-Chavarria, 40, and Luis Abel Soto-Rodriguez, 33, are both charged with one count of deported alien found in the United States. Preliminary hearings for both defendants are scheduled for March 31, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Brenda N. Weksler.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaints and statements made during court proceedings, Gutierrez-Chavarria and Soto-Rodriguez are both citizens and nationals of Mexico. They were previously deported and removed from the United States and reentered the United States illegally.
On February 20, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Gutierrez-Chavarria in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gutierrez-Chavarria had previously been deported on or about April 5, 2022, and again on September 6, 2022. Gutierrez-Chavarria has prior felony convictions from 2007 for two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance. He was sentenced to 10 to 25 years in the custody of the Nevada Department of Corrections. On December 13, 2024, Gutierrez-Chavarria was arrested by officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for three counts Sell/Transport Controlled Substance and Trafficking Controlled Substance. If convicted, Gutierrez-Chavarria faces the maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
On March 5, 2025, ICE arrested Soto-Rodriguez who had previously been deported on four occasions between May 9, 2017, and June 1, 2022. The United States District Court, District of Arizona, convicted Soto-Rodriguez of reentry of removed alien on May 1, 2020, and again on February 24, 2022. Soto-Rodriguez faces the maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Two Men Convicted and a Third Extradited from Guatemala to the United States for Involvement in 2022 Mass Casualty Alien Smuggling Event in San Antonio, TXRead the Press Release
Two men were convicted today by a federal jury for their roles in a 2022 mass casualty alien smuggling event in San Antonio, Texas, that resulted in 53 deaths and 11 aliens injured. A third man allegedly involved in the same fatal smuggling incident was extradited from Guatemala to the United States to face justice in the case.
“These convictions and extradition represent the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting the leaders, organizers, and key facilitators of alien smuggling networks that bring people illegally — at significant risk to life — into the United States,” said Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “It is a powerful example of the crucial work of Joint Task Force Alpha, which has been enhanced and empowered to go after cartels and transnational criminal organizations and to eliminate the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Felipe Orduna-Torres, also known as Cholo, Chuequito, and Negro, 30, and Armando Gonzalez-Ortega, also known as El Don and Don Gon, 55, conspired with others as part of an alien smuggling organization that loaded approximately 66 aliens into a tractor trailer, which lacked functioning air conditioning, and drove the aliens north across the U.S.-Mexico border and on a Texas interstate. On June 27, 2022, as the temperature rose, some of the migrants inside the trailer lost consciousness, while others clawed at the walls, trying to escape. By the time the tractor-trailer reached San Antonio, according to the evidence presented at trial, 48 migrants had already died. Another five migrants died after being transported to local hospitals. Six children and a pregnant woman were among the deceased. The defendants conspired with others to facilitate the travel of the aliens from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras to the United States, charging the aliens and their families approximately $12,000 to $15,000 for the perilous journey.
Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death, resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, one count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death, and one count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy. For both counts resulting in death, they each face a maximum penalty of life in prison at their sentencing on June 27. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In addition, extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Guatemalan law enforcement authorities resulted in the extradition of Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, an alleged leader of a Guatemala-based alien smuggling organization, for his alleged role in the San Antonio mass casualty incident.
“The extradition of Miranda-Orozco to U.S. custody is a major step in the takedown of a large and complex human smuggling organization he is alleged to be a part of,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Just as we’ve shown throughout the trial of Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega, we will continue to prosecute this case aggressively — seeking justice for those who have perished, and holding accountable those who illegally value profit over human life.”
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) aggressively targets human smugglers, no matter where they operate or how far they think they can hide,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “These verdicts reflect the scope and depth of our human smuggling investigations. From country of origin to final destination, our special agents have worked tirelessly to track these criminals down and dismantle their entire smuggling network. One by one we are seeing the consequences of human smuggling as the justice system prevails.”
According to court documents, Miranda-Orozco conspired with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of four aliens from Guatemala through Mexico, and ultimately, to the United States, charging the families approximately $12,000 to $15,000 for the deadly journey. In particular, Miranda-Orozco is alleged to be responsible for smuggling three migrants who perished in the tractor trailer.
In August 2024, Miranda-Orozco was arrested in Guatemala pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition. His arrest was part of a large-scale takedown during which Guatemalan law enforcement executed multiple search and arrest warrants across Guatemala. Miranda-Orozco was indicted under seal in the Western District of Texas (WDTX), and his indictment was unsealed after he was arrested. Miranda-Orozco made his initial appearance Monday in federal district court in San Antonio and was arraigned on the indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States resulting in death, three counts of aiding and abetting bringing an alien to the United States resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, and one count of aiding and abetting bringing an alien to the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy.
The convictions and extradition are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 315 U.S. convictions; more than 260 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
HSI San Antonio led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI Guatemala’s invaluable team members, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI received substantial assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the San Antonio Police Department; the San Antonio Fire Department; and the Palestine Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Guatemala to secure the arrest and extradition of Miranda-Orozco and, along with the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), provided crucial assistance in this matter.
The case against Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears, and Amanda Brown for the Western District of Texas. The case against Miranda-Orozco is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s HRSP Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney/JTFA prosecutor Jose Luis Acosta for the Western District of Texas, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
The Justice Department thanks its Guatemalan law enforcement partners, who were instrumental in arresting Miranda-Orozco, and the Guatemalan Attorney General’s Office and Anti-Human Smuggling Unit for making the extradition possible.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.