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Friday 17 January 2025
Justice Department Statements on Supreme Court’s Decision in TikTok, et al. v. GarlandRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statements from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco on the Supreme Court’s decision in TikTok, et al. v. Garland:
“The Court’s decision enables the Justice Department to prevent the Chinese government from weaponizing TikTok to undermine America’s national security,” said Attorney General Garland. “Authoritarian regimes should not have unfettered access to millions of Americans’ sensitive data. The Court’s decision affirms that this Act protects the national security of the United States in a manner that is consistent with the Constitution.”
“We welcome today’s decision by the Supreme Court. The Justice Department has long warned about the national security harms from PRC control of TikTok — including the ability to gather sensitive information about tens of millions of Americans and to covertly manipulate the content delivered to them,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The Court’s ruling also underscores that the bipartisan legislation upheld today is focused on protecting Americans, not restricting free speech. Rather, this legislation is about breaking the ties that bind TikTok to the government in Beijing, in a manner consistent with the Constitution. The next phase of this effort — implementing and ensuring compliance with the law after it goes into effect on January 19 — will be a process that plays out over time.”
Justice Department Recovers an Additional $20M in Misappropriated 1MDB FundsRead the Press Release
Note: View the complaint here.
View the stipulation and request to enter consent judgment of forfeiture here.
The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement to recover an additional $20 million in misappropriated 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds. In June 2024, the department announced it has already recovered and returned and assisted in returning to Malaysia approximately $1.4 billion.
Beginning in 2016, a landmark effort encompassing now 43 civil forfeiture actions filed in the Central District of California and one in the District of Columbia by the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) led to the seizure of over $1.7 billion in stolen assets. This is the largest recovery to date under the Justice Department’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative. The funds include both funds finally forfeited to the government and funds the department assisted in recovering and returning. The department continues to litigate actions against additional assets allegedly linked to this scheme.
According to court documents, the funds from 1MDB, formerly Malaysia’s investment development fund, were laundered through major financial institutions worldwide, including in the United States, Switzerland, Singapore, and Luxembourg.
As alleged in the civil forfeiture complaints, from 2009 through 2015, more than $4.5 billion in funds belonging to 1MDB were misappropriated by high-level officials of 1MDB and their associates, and Low Taek Jho, also known as aka Jho Low, through a criminal scheme involving international money laundering and embezzlement. Some of the embezzlement proceeds were also allegedly used to pay bribes. As alleged in the complaint filed in this case, tens of millions of dollars in funds misappropriated from 1MDB were paid to companies owned and controlled by Frank White Jr. and others. The unlawful source of these funds was unknown to White Jr. at the time of the payment. White Jr. has consented to $20 million in forfeiture in this case, all of which derives from these embezzled funds.
In conjunction with the agreement announced today, White Jr.’s company, DuSable Capital Management LLC (DuSable), submitted amended filings pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The amended filings disclose additional political activities performed by DuSable for the government of Malaysia, including lobbying the U.S. government to provide non-financial support for a solar project in Malaysia.
1MDB was created by the government of Malaysia to promote economic development in Malaysia through global partnerships and foreign direct investment. Its funds were intended to be used for improving the well-being of the Malaysian people. Instead, funds held by 1MDB and proceeds of bonds issued for and on behalf of 1MDB were misappropriated and spent on a wide variety of extravagant items, including luxury homes and properties in Beverly Hills, California, New York, and London; a 300-foot superyacht; and fine art by Monet and Van Gogh. The funds also were sent into numerous business investments, including a boutique hotel in Beverly Hills, a movie production company that made “The Wolf of Wall Street,” the redevelopment of the Park Lane Hotel in Manhattan, and shares in EMI, the largest private music-rights holder. As alleged, other funds were provided to various public officials and co-conspirators.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Carolyn Pokorny for the Eastern District of New York; and Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy of the FBI New York Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s International Corruption Squad in New York is leading this investigation.
MLARS Trial Attorney Joshua Sohn is prosecuting the civil forfeiture case. MLARS Trial Attorney Joshua Sohn and former MLARS Trial Attorney Sean Fern, Deputy Chief Erik Paulsen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section, and Trial Attorney Christine Bonomo of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section investigated the case. Asset Forfeiture Section Chief Jonathon Galatzan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California provided critical assistance with the investigation and prosecution.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is providing substantial assistance. MLARS’ Program Operations Unit, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California have also provided significant support.
Significant assistance has also been provided to the Justice Department over the course of its work in the investigations and civil and criminal litigation by the Attorney General’s Chambers of Malaysia, Royal Malaysian Police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, U.K. Prudential Regulation Authority, U.K. National Crime Agency, Attorney General’s Chambers of the Territory of the British Virgin Islands, Attorney General’s Office of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and Guernsey Economic Crime Division, International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre, Attorney General’s Chambers of Singapore, Singapore Police Force — Commercial Affairs Division, Office of the Attorney General and Federal Office of Justice of Switzerland, judicial investigating authority of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Criminal Investigation Department of the Grand-Ducal Police of Luxembourg, Republic of Indonesia, Latvian authorities, and French authorities, including the Parquet National Financier and Agency for Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets (AGRASC).
The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative is led by a team of dedicated MLARS prosecutors in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and often with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, to repatriate those recovered assets to governments for the benefit of the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should email [email protected] or submit information at tips.fbi.gov/.
Justice Department Reaches Agreement with the Orange County, California, Sheriff’s Department to Protect Against the Misuse of Custodial InformantsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into a settlement agreement with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department on the use of custodial informants by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in California. The agreement, together with an earlier agreement with the Orange County District Attorney, fully resolves the department’s civil investigation into custodial informant activity at the Orange County Jails from 2007 through 2016 that violated criminal defendants’ right to counsel under the Sixth Amendment and right to due process of law under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The agreement with the Orange County Sheriff will ensure that reforms put in place by the sheriff since suspending the use of custodial informants in 2016 provide appropriate protections against future violations. Under the agreement, the sheriff agrees to maintain changes to policies, training, document and information systems and audits in a manner that permits effective oversight of the custodial informant practices at the Orange County jails. The sheriff also agrees to solicit feedback on additional improvements from members of the criminal justice system in Orange County and to publish information about its reform efforts. The department will have full and direct access to independently validate that the Sheriff’s Department has sustained the reforms.
“We applaud the sheriff for his proactive efforts instituting key improvements to prevent the misuse of custodial informants at the Orange County Jails and to assist prosecutors in meeting their fundamental disclosure obligations while pursuing justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The robust and transparent validation measures in today’s agreement will strengthen the public’s trust in the sheriff’s Department and uphold the constitutional rights of criminal defendants in custody. The sheriff’s cooperation and adoption of reforms have helped narrow the scope and expected duration of the out-of-court agreement and, together with a related agreement reached with the Orange County District Attorney, will provide for continuation of the necessary collaboration and information sharing.”
The department opened its investigation into the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office in 2016. The evidence uncovered by the department revealed that custodial informants in the Orange County Jail system acted as agents of law enforcement to elicit incriminating statements from defendants represented by counsel, and that for years Orange County sheriff deputies maintained and concealed systems to track, manage and reward those custodial informants. The evidence also revealed that Orange County prosecutors failed to seek out and disclose exculpatory information regarding custodial informants to defense counsel.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section conducted the investigation pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12601. The statute prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law.
Since January 2021, the Civil Rights Division has opened 12 investigations into law enforcement agencies. The section is enforcing 15 agreements with law enforcement agencies and two post-judgment orders. The department also reached a court enforceable agreement with Louisville, Kentucky, and Minneapolis, Minnesota to resolve its findings. Both are pending review by the court.
The memorandum of agreement between the department and Orange County Sheriff’s Department can be found here, and the department’s investigative findings from October 2022 can be found here.
Information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Justice Department Files Nationwide Lawsuit Alleging Walgreens Knowingly Filled Millions of Prescriptions that Lacked a Legitimate Medical PurposeRead the Press Release
Note: View the complaint here.
WASHINGTON – In a civil complaint filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the Justice Department alleges that Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co. and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) dispensed millions of unlawful prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought reimbursement for many of these prescriptions from various federal health care programs in violation the False Claims Act (FCA). Walgreens is one of the country’s largest pharmacy chains, with over 8,000 pharmacies across the United States.
“This lawsuit seeks to hold Walgreens accountable for the many years that it failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Our complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled millions of controlled substance prescriptions with clear red flags that indicated the prescriptions were highly likely to be unlawful, and that Walgreens systematically pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions, including controlled substance prescriptions, without taking the time needed to confirm their validity. These practices allowed millions of opioid pills and other controlled substances to flow illegally out of Walgreens stores.”
The government’s complaint alleges that, from approximately August 2012 through the present, Walgreens knowingly filled millions of prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, were not valid, and/or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. Among the millions of unlawful prescriptions that Walgreens allegedly filled were prescriptions for dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids, prescriptions for early refills of opioids and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of drugs known as the “trinity,” which is made up of an opioid, a benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant.
The complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear “red flags” that indicated that the prescriptions were highly likely to be unlawful. Walgreens allegedly ignored substantial evidence from multiple sources that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions, including from its own pharmacists and internal data.
The complaint further alleges that Walgreens systematically pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly without taking the time needed to confirm each prescription’s validity. Walgreens also allegedly deprived its pharmacists of crucial information, including by preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain prescribers.
The complaint alleges that by knowingly filling unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances, Walgreens violated the CSA and, where Walgreens sought reimbursement from federal health care programs, also violated the FCA. The complaint alleges that Walgreens’s actions helped to fuel the prescription opioid crisis and that, in some particularly tragic instances, patients died after overdosing on opioids shortly after filling unlawful prescriptions at Walgreens. If Walgreens is found liable, it could face civil penalties of up to $80,850 for each unlawful prescription filled in violation of the CSA and treble damages and applicable penalties for each prescription paid by federal programs in violation of the FCA. The court also may award injunctive relief to prevent Walgreens from committing further CSA violations.
“As alleged in the complaint, Walgreens continually disregarded its obligations under the Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act by illegally dispensing powerful controlled substances and unlawfully seeking reimbursement from federal health care programs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “These laws are critically important in protecting our communities from the dangers of the opioid epidemic. Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that opioids are properly dispensed and that taxpayer funds are only spent on legitimate pharmacy claims.”
“The damage caused by the opioid crisis continues to reverberate in the Middle District of Florida and around the country,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “The filing of this civil complaint is a major step in our continued effort to confront those responsible for the harm they have done to our communities.”
“Pharmacies play a critical role in ensuring that only lawful controlled substance prescriptions are dispensed – Walgreens failed to do just that,” said U.S. Attorney Erek Barron for the District of Maryland. “We are committed to holding Walgreens accountable for its role in the opioid epidemic that has devastated communities across the country, including in Maryland.”
“This country is in the midst of a serious opioid epidemic, and New York is no exception,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carolyn Pokorny for the Eastern District of New York. “Walgreens, which operates one of the largest pharmacy chains in the United States, including nearly 300 pharmacies in the Eastern District of New York during the relevant time period, repeatedly ignored its obligations to ensure that these drugs did not fall into the wrong hands. My office will continue to work with others in the Justice Department to combat the opioid crisis by holding pharmacies that fill unlawful prescriptions accountable.”
“The Justice Department has prioritized both combating the opioid crisis and upholding corporate accountability, and the action we are announcing today affirms our resolve,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Maya D. Song for the Eastern District of Virginia. “My office is pleased to partner with our colleagues from across the nation to confront these issues and deter pharmacies and pharmacists from failing to honor their obligation to ensure that these dangerous drugs are only provided to those with a true medical need.”
“Walgreens and its pharmacists have an obligation to ensure that every prescription they fill is legitimate and issued responsibly. As this lawsuit alleges, Walgreens failed in this obligation, and many times ignored the red flags that warned of suspicious prescribing practices,” said DEA Principal Deputy Administrator George Papadopoulos. “Walgreens placed the public in danger by disregarding their responsibility. DEA will continue to pursue any individual or corporation that chooses profit over patient safety and we will hold them accountable.”
“Millions of Americans enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, and other public health care programs count on pharmacies to dispense drugs responsibly. When pharmacies disregard federal laws and put profits ahead of patients, they endanger Americans’ health and compromise taxpayer dollars,” said Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG remains diligent in pursuing entities involved in unlawful behavior that abuses the public’s trust in health care services.”
Four different whistleblowers who previously worked for Walgreens in various parts of the country filed whistleblower actions under the qui tam provisions of the FCA. Those provisions authorize private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it has done here. The four cases have been consolidated and are captioned United States ex rel. Novak v. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. No. 18 C 5452 (NDIL).
The United States’ intervention in this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant Director Amy DeLine, Senior Litigation Counsel Donald Lorenzen and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer of the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorney Joshua Barron of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy for the Northern District of Illinois, Chief of the Civil Division Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie for the Middle District of Florida, Chief of the Civil Division Thomas Corcoran for the District of Maryland, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner for the Eastern District of New York and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Wuerker for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado and the Southern District of California, the DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General and FBI Chicago Field Office provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
The Justice Department is committed to holding responsible those who have fueled the opioid crisis by violating the law. In March 2023, the Associate Attorney General announced the creation of the Opioid Epidemic Civil Litigation Task Force, which formalizes and enhances coordination of the department’s existing work and will consider new initiatives. Because of the scope and duration of the crisis, the Task Force includes U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, DEA and other department components. The Task Force steers the department’s civil litigation efforts involving actors alleged to have contributed to the opioid epidemic, including by diverting prescription opioids.
The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Additional information about the Fraud Section of the Civil Division and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/fraud-section.
For information about the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, visit:
- Middle District of Florida, justice.gov/usao-mdfl;
- Northern District of Illinois, justice.gov/usao-ndil;
- District of Maryland, justice.gov/usao-md;
- Eastern District of New York, justice.gov/usao-edny; and
- Eastern District of Virginia, justice.gov/usao-edva.
For information about the federal agencies involved in this investigation and their work to combat the opioid crisis and federal health care fraud, visit:
- DEA at dea.gov;
- FBI at fbi.gov;
- HHS at hhs.gov;
- DHA at health.mil/About-MHS/OASDHA/Defense-Health-Agency;
- OPM at opm.gov; and
- DOL at dol.gov.
###
Justice Department Files Nationwide Lawsuit Alleging Walgreens Knowingly Filled Millions of Prescriptions that Lacked a Legitimate Medical PurposeRead the Press Release
In a civil complaint filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the Justice Department alleges that Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co. and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) dispensed millions of unlawful prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought reimbursement for many of these prescriptions from various federal health care programs in violation the False Claims Act (FCA). Walgreens is one of the country’s largest pharmacy chains, with over 8,000 pharmacies across the United States.
“This lawsuit seeks to hold Walgreens accountable for the many years that it failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Our complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled millions of controlled substance prescriptions with clear red flags that indicated the prescriptions were highly likely to be unlawful, and that Walgreens systematically pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions, including controlled substance prescriptions, without taking the time needed to confirm their validity. These practices allowed millions of opioid pills and other controlled substances to flow illegally out of Walgreens stores.”
The government’s complaint alleges that, from approximately August 2012 through the present, Walgreens knowingly filled millions of prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, were not valid, and/or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. Among the millions of unlawful prescriptions that Walgreens allegedly filled were prescriptions for dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids, prescriptions for early refills of opioids and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of drugs known as the “trinity,” which is made up of an opioid, a benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant.
The complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear “red flags” that indicated that the prescriptions were highly likely to be unlawful. Walgreens allegedly ignored substantial evidence from multiple sources that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions, including from its own pharmacists and internal data.
The complaint further alleges that Walgreens systematically pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly without taking the time needed to confirm each prescription’s validity. Walgreens also allegedly deprived its pharmacists of crucial information, including by preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain prescribers.
The complaint alleges that by knowingly filling unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances, Walgreens violated the CSA and, where Walgreens sought reimbursement from federal health care programs, also violated the FCA. The complaint alleges that Walgreens’s actions helped to fuel the prescription opioid crisis and that, in some particularly tragic instances, patients died after overdosing on opioids shortly after filling unlawful prescriptions at Walgreens. If Walgreens is found liable, it could face civil penalties of up to $80,850 for each unlawful prescription filled in violation of the CSA and treble damages and applicable penalties for each prescription paid by federal programs in violation of the FCA. The court also may award injunctive relief to prevent Walgreens from committing further CSA violations.
“As alleged in the complaint, Walgreens continually disregarded its obligations under the Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act by illegally dispensing powerful controlled substances and unlawfully seeking reimbursement from federal health care programs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “These laws are critically important in protecting our communities from the dangers of the opioid epidemic. Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that opioids are properly dispensed and that taxpayer funds are only spent on legitimate pharmacy claims.”
“The damage caused by the opioid crisis continues to reverberate in the Middle District of Florida and around the country,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “The filing of this civil complaint is a major step in our continued effort to confront those responsible for the harm they have done to our communities.”
“Pharmacies play a critical role in ensuring that only lawful controlled substance prescriptions are dispensed – Walgreens failed to do just that,” said U.S. Attorney Erek Barron for the District of Maryland. “We are committed to holding Walgreens accountable for its role in the opioid epidemic that has devastated communities across the country, including in Maryland.”
“This country is in the midst of a serious opioid epidemic, and New York is no exception,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carolyn Pokorny for the Eastern District of New York. “Walgreens, which operates one of the largest pharmacy chains in the United States, including nearly 300 pharmacies in the Eastern District of New York during the relevant time period, repeatedly ignored its obligations to ensure that these drugs did not fall into the wrong hands. My office will continue to work with others in the Justice Department to combat the opioid crisis by holding pharmacies that fill unlawful prescriptions accountable.”
“Today’s announcement demonstrates that we are doubling down on our commitment to both combat the opioid crisis and enforce corporate accountability,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Maya D. Song for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will continue to work with colleagues across the nation to confront these issues and deter pharmacies from failing to honor their obligation to ensure that these powerful drugs are provided only to those with a true medical need.”
“Walgreens and its pharmacists have an obligation to ensure that every prescription they fill is legitimate and issued responsibly. As this lawsuit alleges, Walgreens failed in this obligation, and many times ignored the red flags that warned of suspicious prescribing practices,” said DEA Principal Deputy Administrator George Papadopoulos. “Walgreens placed the public in danger by disregarding their responsibility. DEA will continue to pursue any individual or corporation that chooses profit over patient safety and we will hold them accountable.”
“Millions of Americans enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid and other public health care programs count on pharmacies to dispense drugs responsibly. When pharmacies disregard federal laws and put profits ahead of patients, they endanger Americans’ health and compromise taxpayer dollars,” said Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG remains diligent in pursuing entities involved in unlawful behavior that abuses the public’s trust in health care services.”
Four different whistleblowers who previously worked for Walgreens in various parts of the country filed whistleblower actions under the qui tam provisions of the FCA. Those provisions authorize private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it has done here. The four cases have been consolidated and are captioned United States ex rel. Novak v. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. No. 18 C 5452 (NDIL).
The United States’ intervention in this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant Director Amy DeLine, Senior Litigation Counsel Donald Lorenzen and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer of the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorney Joshua Barron of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy for the Northern District of Illinois, Chief of the Civil Division Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie for the Middle District of Florida, Chief of the Civil Division Thomas Corcoran for the District of Maryland, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner for the Eastern District of New York and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Wuerker for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado and the Southern District of California, the DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General and FBI Chicago Field Office provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
The Justice Department is committed to holding responsible those who have fueled the opioid crisis by violating the law. In March 2023, the Associate Attorney General announced the creation of the Opioid Epidemic Civil Litigation Task Force, which formalizes and enhances coordination of the department’s existing work and will consider new initiatives. Because of the scope and duration of the crisis, the Task Force includes U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, DEA and other department components. The Task Force steers the department’s civil litigation efforts involving actors alleged to have contributed to the opioid epidemic, including by diverting prescription opioids.
The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Additional information about the Fraud Section of the Civil Division and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/fraud-section.
For information about the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, visit:
- Middle District of Florida, justice.gov/usao-mdfl;
- Northern District of Illinois, justice.gov/usao-ndil;
- District of Maryland, justice.gov/usao-md;
- Eastern District of New York, justice.gov/usao-edny; and
- Eastern District of Virginia, justice.gov/usao-edva.
For information about the federal agencies involved in this investigation and their work to combat the opioid crisis and federal health care fraud, visit:
- DEA at dea.gov;
- FBI at fbi.gov;
- HHS at hhs.gov;
- DHA at health.mil/About-MHS/OASDHA/Defense-Health-Agency;
- OPM at opm.gov; and
- DOL at dol.gov.
View the complaint here.
Justice Department Files Nationwide Lawsuit Alleging Walgreens Knowingly Filled Millions of Prescriptions that Lacked a Legitimate Medical PurposeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – In a civil complaint filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the Justice Department alleges that Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co. and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) dispensed millions of unlawful prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought reimbursement for many of these prescriptions from various federal health care programs in violation the False Claims Act (FCA). Walgreens is one of the country’s largest pharmacy chains, with over 8,000 pharmacies across the United States.
“This lawsuit seeks to hold Walgreens accountable for the many years that it failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Our complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled millions of controlled substance prescriptions with clear red flags that indicated the prescriptions were highly likely to be unlawful, and that Walgreens systematically pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions, including controlled substance prescriptions, without taking the time needed to confirm their validity. These practices allowed millions of opioid pills and other controlled substances to flow illegally out of Walgreens stores.”
The government’s complaint alleges that, from approximately August 2012 through the present, Walgreens knowingly filled millions of prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, were not valid, and/or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. Among the millions of unlawful prescriptions that Walgreens allegedly filled were prescriptions for dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids, prescriptions for early refills of opioids and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of drugs known as the “trinity,” which is made up of an opioid, a benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant.
The complaint alleges that Walgreens pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear “red flags” that indicated that the prescriptions were highly likely to be unlawful. Walgreens allegedly ignored substantial evidence from multiple sources that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions, including from its own pharmacists and internal data.
The complaint further alleges that Walgreens systematically pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly without taking the time needed to confirm each prescription’s validity. Walgreens also allegedly deprived its pharmacists of crucial information, including by preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain prescribers.
The complaint alleges that by knowingly filling unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances, Walgreens violated the CSA and, where Walgreens sought reimbursement from federal health care programs, also violated the FCA. The complaint alleges that Walgreens’s actions helped to fuel the prescription opioid crisis and that, in some particularly tragic instances, patients died after overdosing on opioids shortly after filling unlawful prescriptions at Walgreens. If Walgreens is found liable, it could face civil penalties of up to $80,850 for each unlawful prescription filled in violation of the CSA and treble damages and applicable penalties for each prescription paid by federal programs in violation of the FCA. The court also may award injunctive relief to prevent Walgreens from committing further CSA violations.
“As alleged in the complaint, Walgreens continually disregarded its obligations under the Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act by illegally dispensing powerful controlled substances and unlawfully seeking reimbursement from federal health care programs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “These laws are critically important in protecting our communities from the dangers of the opioid epidemic. Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that opioids are properly dispensed and that taxpayer funds are only spent on legitimate pharmacy claims.”
“The damage caused by the opioid crisis continues to reverberate in the Middle District of Florida and around the country,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “The filing of this civil complaint is a major step in our continued effort to confront those responsible for the harm they have done to our communities.”
“Pharmacies play a critical role in ensuring that only lawful controlled substance prescriptions are dispensed – Walgreens failed to do just that,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “We are committed to holding Walgreens accountable for its role in the opioid epidemic that has devastated communities across the country, including in Maryland.”
“This country is in the midst of a serious opioid epidemic, and New York is no exception,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carolyn Pokorny for the Eastern District of New York. “Walgreens, which operates one of the largest pharmacy chains in the United States, including nearly 300 pharmacies in the Eastern District of New York during the relevant time period, repeatedly ignored its obligations to ensure that these drugs did not fall into the wrong hands. My office will continue to work with others in the Justice Department to combat the opioid crisis by holding pharmacies that fill unlawful prescriptions accountable.”
“The Justice Department has prioritized both combating the opioid crisis and upholding corporate accountability, and the action we are announcing today affirms our resolve,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Maya D. Song for the Eastern District of Virginia. “My office is pleased to partner with our colleagues from across the nation to confront these issues and deter pharmacies and pharmacists from failing to honor their obligation to ensure that these dangerous drugs are only provided to those with a true medical need.”
“Walgreens and its pharmacists have an obligation to ensure that every prescription they fill is legitimate and issued responsibly. As this lawsuit alleges, Walgreens failed in this obligation, and many times ignored the red flags that warned of suspicious prescribing practices,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Walgreens placed the public in danger by disregarding their responsibility. DEA will continue to pursue any individual or corporation that chooses profit over patient safety and we will hold them accountable.”
“Millions of Americans enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, and other public health care programs count on pharmacies to dispense drugs responsibly. When pharmacies disregard federal laws and put profits ahead of patients, they endanger Americans’ health and compromise taxpayer dollars,” said Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG remains diligent in pursuing entities involved in unlawful behavior that abuses the public’s trust in health care services.”
Four different whistleblowers who previously worked for Walgreens in various parts of the country filed whistleblower actions under the qui tam provisions of the FCA. Those provisions authorize private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it has done here. The four cases have been consolidated and are captioned United States ex rel. Novak v. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. No. 18 C 5452 (NDIL).
The United States’ intervention in this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant Director Amy DeLine, Senior Litigation Counsel Donald Lorenzen and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer of the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorney Joshua Barron of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy for the Northern District of Illinois, Chief of the Civil Division Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie for the Middle District of Florida, Chief of the Civil Division Thomas Corcoran for the District of Maryland, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner for the Eastern District of New York and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Wuerker for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado and the Southern District of California, the DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General and FBI Chicago Field Office provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
The Justice Department is committed to holding responsible those who have fueled the opioid crisis by violating the law. In March 2023, the Associate Attorney General announced the creation of the Opioid Epidemic Civil Litigation Task Force, which formalizes and enhances coordination of the department’s existing work and will consider new initiatives. Because of the scope and duration of the crisis, the Task Force includes U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, DEA and other department components. The Task Force steers the department’s civil litigation efforts involving actors alleged to have contributed to the opioid epidemic, including by diverting prescription opioids.
The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Additional information about the Fraud Section of the Civil Division and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/fraud-section.
For information about the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, visit:
- Middle District of Florida, www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl;
- Northern District of Illinois, www.justice.gov/usao-ndil;
- District of Maryland, www.justice.gov/usao-md;
- Eastern District of New York, www.justice.gov/usao-edny; and
- Eastern District of Virginia, www.justice.gov/usao-edva.
For information about the federal agencies involved in this investigation and their work to combat the opioid crisis and federal health care fraud, visit:
- DEA at www.dea.gov;
- FBI at www.fbi.gov;
- HHS at www.hhs.gov;
- DHA at www.health.mil/About-MHS/OASDHA/Defense-Health-Agency;
- OPM at www.opm.gov; and
- DOL at www.dol.gov.
Justice Department Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Iowa Landlord for Sexually Harassing TenantsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Kurt Williams and Gearhead Properties LC, of Davenport, Iowa, for sexually harassing female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Williams has managed residential rental properties in Davenport since at least 2010.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, alleges that, since at least 2010, Williams subjected female tenants to unwelcome sexual contact, exposed his genitals to female tenants, made requests for sex in exchange for reduced rent or other housing benefits and evicted tenants when they did not give in to his sexual advances.
“Landlords who target vulnerable women by repeatedly demanding sex for themselves and their friends and retaliating against those who refuse with eviction actions and refusals to make repairs show an egregious abuse of power,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department remains committed to protecting tenants’ right to live in and access housing free of sexual harassment. We encourage survivors of sexual harassment to speak out so that we can vindicate their fair housing rights.”
“Seeking basic human needs such as housing, should not bring with it the threat of sexual harassment,” said U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal for the Southern District of Iowa. “Gearhead Properties is alleged to have violated the rights of tenants to be free from this type of harassment. Our office and the Justice Department will continue to protect and vindicate tenant’s rights. Improper interference with a tenant’s right to housing will not be tolerated. Anyone with information about the Gearhead Properties investigation are encouraged to contact our office at the number below.”
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, civil penalties to vindicate the public interest, and a court order barring future discrimination.
The lawsuit is the result of a joint investigative effort with the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG).
“It is unconscionable for landlords to sexually harass or abuse their vulnerable, low-income tenants,” said Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis of HUD. “The defendant allegedly preyed upon female tenants by seeking sexual acts in exchange for housing benefits and retaliating against them when they refused his advances. Together with our law enforcement partners we will continue to hold landlords accountable for this type of horrible conduct.”
The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. It also prohibits sexual harassment, a form of sex discrimination. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental properties owned or managed by Kurt Williams or Gearhead Properties LC, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, may contact the Justice Department by calling the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa at (515) 473-9300. Individuals may also email the Justice Department at [email protected] or submit a report online. Reports also may be made by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
The Justice Department launched its Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative in October 2017. The initiative, which is led by the Civil Rights Division in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the department has filed 48 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $17 million for victims of such harassment. The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting people from sexual misconduct.
Justice Department Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Iowa Landlord for Sexually Harassing TenantsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Kurt Williams and Gearhead Properties LC, of Davenport, Iowa, for sexually harassing female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Williams has managed residential rental properties in Davenport since at least 2010.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, alleges that, since at least 2010, Williams subjected female tenants to unwelcome sexual contact, exposed his genitals to female tenants, made requests for sex in exchange for reduced rent or other housing benefits and evicted tenants when they did not give in to his sexual advances.
“Landlords who target vulnerable women by repeatedly demanding sex for themselves and their friends and retaliating against those who refuse with eviction actions and refusals to make repairs show an egregious abuse of power,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department remains committed to protecting tenants’ right to live in and access housing free of sexual harassment. We encourage survivors of sexual harassment to speak out so that we can vindicate their fair housing rights.”
“Seeking basic human needs such as housing, should not bring with it the threat of sexual harassment,” said U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal for the Southern District of Iowa. “Gearhead Properties is alleged to have violated the rights of tenants to be free from this type of harassment. Our office and the Justice Department will continue to protect and vindicate tenant’s rights. Improper interference with a tenant’s right to housing will not be tolerated. Anyone with information about the Gearhead Properties investigation are encouraged to contact our office at the number below.”
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, civil penalties to vindicate the public interest, and a court order barring future discrimination.
The lawsuit is the result of a joint investigative effort with the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG).
“It is unconscionable for landlords to sexually harass or abuse their vulnerable, low-income tenants,” said Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis of HUD. “The defendant allegedly preyed upon female tenants by seeking sexual acts in exchange for housing benefits and retaliating against them when they refused his advances. Together with our law enforcement partners we will continue to hold landlords accountable for this type of horrible conduct.”
The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. It also prohibits sexual harassment, a form of sex discrimination. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental properties owned or managed by Kurt Williams or Gearhead Properties LC, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, may contact the Justice Department by calling the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa at (515) 473-9300. Individuals may also email the Justice Department at [email protected] or submit a report online. Reports also may be made by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
The Justice Department launched its Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative in October 2017. The initiative, which is led by the Civil Rights Division in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the department has filed 48 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $17 million for victims of such harassment. The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting people from sexual misconduct.
Jury Convicts Man for Involvement in $700,000 Casino HeistRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that a federal jury convicted Jesus Gaytan-Garcia, 45, Chicago, Illinois, of interstate transportation of stolen money, and theft from an Indian tribal organization. Mr. Gaytan-Garcia will be sentenced on a later date to be set by the court.
“This case underscores the need for businesses, organizations, and citizens to be diligent and cautious about phone and internet scams,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “Thanks to the persistent and dedicated investigators at the Pokagon Tribal Police Department and FBI, Mr. Gaytan-Garcia was identified as one of the perpetrators of this theft-scam and is being held accountable for this bold crime.”
The evidence at trial showed that on July 30, 2023, a call came into the Hartford Four Winds Casino. The caller falsely claimed that he was the tribal chairperson and needed funds to make an urgent payment. A casino supervisory employee, apparently misled by the caller’s fraudulent claims, took $700,000 in cash and walked out of the casino. At the direction of the caller, the employee transported the cash across state lines to a gas station in Gary, Indiana, where the employee then handed the money over to two unknown individuals. The evidence at trial proved that Jesus Gaytan-Garcia was one of those individuals.
When investigators searched Gaytan-Garcia’s home in Chicago, they located a bundle of cash still wrapped in a paper band that was stamped with the word, “Hartford,” the location of the victimized Four Winds Casino, and the exact date of the theft, July 30, 2023.
“The cooperative efforts of the FBI and our tribal law enforcement has resulted in justice for the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi Indians,” said Pokagon Band Chief of Police Mario RedLegs. “I am extremely proud of the professional teamwork that was put forth by those involved in the investigation. The diligence of the investigative team and the U.S. Attorney's Office was vital to hold Mr. Gaytan-Garcia responsible for the crimes he committed against the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.”
"The conviction of Jesus Gaytan-Garcia represents a significant step toward justice and healing for the Pokagon Tribal Community," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Those involved in large-scale thefts will be held accountable for their actions. I am grateful for the dedicated investigative efforts of our team at the FBI’s St. Joseph Resident Agency, in partnership with the FBI Chicago Field Office and the Pokagon Tribal Police Department, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, whose collaboration was crucial in securing this successful prosecution."
The case was investigated by the Pokagon Band Tribal Police and the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Lane and Alexia Jansen prosecuted it.
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Jonesboro Man Sentenced for Possession of FentanylRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – Jarrell M. Palmer, 44, of Jonesboro, Louisiana, was sentenced today for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Chief United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty sentenced Palmer to 188 months (15 years, 8 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
In April 2023, agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted a suspicious package mailed from California to an address in Jonesboro. Agents exposed the package to an open air examination by a narcotic detecting K-9 who alerted to the presence of the odor of narcotics coming from inside the box. A warrant was obtained, and agents found several jigsaw puzzle boxes inside, one which contained Ziplock-style bags wrapped in plastic wrap and carbon paper. Inside those bags were more than 5,000 pills suspected to be fake oxycodone tablets. Subsequent chemical analysis determined that the pills comprised a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and weighed approximately 552.5 grams.
Law enforcement agents repackaged the box and conducted a controlled delivery of the package to the front door of the Jonesboro address. Agents observed the defendant’s mother retrieve the package from the front doorstep and take it inside the residence. Shortly thereafter, agents were alerted by way of sensors installed on the package that it had been opened and they converged on the home to execute the search warrant. Agents found Palmer standing outside of the home and arrested him. Palmer had residue on his hands from spray that was added to the package by law enforcement agents. Inside the home was the suspicious package containing the jigsaw puzzle boxes with the fentanyl, as well as marijuana and a digital scale. Palmer admitted that the suspicious package was his and that he sold the pills to other individuals. He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on December 12, 2023.
The case was investigated by U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office and Metro Narcotics Unit in Monroe, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Shannon.
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International Crypto Vendor Sentenced for Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – An Indian national, Anurag Pramod Murarka, 30, an international virtual currency vendor operating under two monikers (“elonmuskwhm” and “la2nyc”), was sentenced late Wednesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, to 121 months in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents recently unsealed, since at least April 2021 and continuing until September 29, 2023, Murarka operated an international money laundering business. Murarka advertised his services online, often on dark net marketplaces, as a money laundering service. Customers would then contact him through encrypted messages, in response to those advertisements, and negotiate an exchange rate. Once the exchange rate had been set, Murarka, located in India, directed his customers to send cryptocurrency to certain cryptocurrency addresses. Murarka then worked through a complex, pre-arranged hawala operation emanating out of India to arrange for cash to be delivered to his employees in the United States. Murarka’s network of employees throughout the United States and overseas would collect cash from Murarka’s hawala connections and then package the cash in a variety of ways, including between the pages of books and sealed in multiple envelopes, before mailing the cash to the customer.
Murarka collected a fee for his services and used part of the fee to pay off his employees and co-conspirators. Murarka was aware that many of his customers engaged in criminal activity – specifically computer hacking and drug trafficking – and therefore knew that his business facilitated that criminal activity, by assisting in disguising the source of the unlawful activity. In total, Murarka and his co-conspirators laundered more than $20 million in criminal proceeds.
A joint operation between the FBI and USPIS resulted in Murarka’s arrest. Thereafter, the FBI assumed his online identity, taking control of the money laundering operation and conducting undercover activity. This operation resulted in law enforcement actions against several of Murarka’s customers, including the prevention of multiple financial account takeovers (in excess of $1.4 million), the seizure of counterfeit and illegal drugs and drug manufacturing equipment, and related prosecutions. Additionally, the FBI seized millions of dollars’ worth of criminal proceeds.
Under federal law, Murarka must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon Murarka’s release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
“Using the internet, the defendant provided his assistance to countless other criminals as they tried to conceal their stolen money and illegal drug proceeds,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “This case highlights the global scope of cybercrime, as well as the demand for diligence and collaboration in fighting money laundering – a devastating second layer of criminal conduct. The dedicated work of our law enforcement partners has now held him accountable; and we remain committed in our collaborative efforts to combat this destructive criminal activity.”
“Gone are the days when cyber criminals, who enable and profit from the horrendous criminal conduct of others, can sit safely in their dens, across oceans, convinced of the limited reach of justice. The success of this operation proves that the FBI can unmask even the most careful anonymous online actors,” said Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office. “Moreover, the FBI will leverage every advantage against criminal networks that cause damage to our communities, to apprehend these malicious actors, seize the proceeds of their crimes, and expose their network of co-conspirators.”
“The successful conclusion of this case involving the sentencing of Anurag Murarka, a cryptocurrency exchanger, shines a light on the United States Postal Inspection Service’s relentless pursuit of criminals who think they can use the anonymity of the dark web to perpetrate crimes and make the US Postal Service an unwitting partner in transferring ill-begotten funds,” said Lesley Allison, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge – Pittsburgh Division.
United States Attorney Shier; FBI Special Agent in Charge Stansbury; and USPIS Postal Inspector in Charge Allison, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by FBI and USPIS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Dieruf prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
— END —
Health Care Plan Agrees to Pay over $500,000 as Part of Self-Disclosure of Potential False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today that Commonwealth Care Alliance, Inc. (CCA) has agreed to pay $520,355.65 to resolve allegations that Reliance HMO, Inc., a company CCA acquired in 2022, violated the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733, by providing cash payments to induce the referral of Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in Reliance’s Medicare Advantage Plan, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)(2). CCA voluntarily self-disclosed the conduct to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the settlement acknowledges that CCA took significant steps, entitling it to credit for cooperating with the government’s investigation.
Under Medicare Advantage, also known as the Medicare Part C program, Medicare beneficiaries have the option of enrolling in managed care insurance plans called Medicare Advantage Plans (MA Plans). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) pays MA Plans a monthly capitated payment for each beneficiary who enrolls in one of their plans. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits parties who participate in federal healthcare programs from knowingly and willfully paying or receiving any remuneration in return for referring an individual to, or arranging for the furnishing of, any item or services for which payment is made by the federal healthcare programs.
CCA is a not-for-profit corporation, with its principal place of business in Boston, Massachusetts, engaged in offering MA Plans. In April 2019, CMS authorized Reliance HMO, Inc. (Reliance) to operate a MA plan for Medicare beneficiaries in Michigan, with beneficiaries receiving coverage starting in January 2020. On March 31, 2022, CCA announced completion of its acquisition of a 70% stake in Reliance. After the acquisition, CCA identified concerns regarding certain marketing-related outreach and payments Reliance agents had made to personnel at physician practices. In particular, CCA disclosed two schemes.
First, from April 12, 2019, through December 22, 2020, Reliance provided cash payments to healthcare professionals and administrative staff in physician practices, in exchange for providing Reliance with the contact information for patients who had agreed, through executing so-called “permission to contact” cards, to be contacted by Reliance regarding its MA plan offerings.
Second, in November 2019, prior to Reliance’s MA plan becoming active, Reliance paid each of four physicians and physician practices $2,500, which Reliance characterized as advances on “coordination of care” services to be provided by the physicians to beneficiaries when the MA plan became active in 2020.
The United States alleges these payments were intended to induce the referral, recommendation, or arrangement of enrollment of Medicare beneficiaries in Reliance’s MA plan. Such payments, the United States alleges, were impermissible kickbacks in violation of the False Claims Act. The settlement announced today resolves these claims.
CCA voluntarily self-disclosed this conduct to the United States and received credit for its cooperation. In addition, CCA took remedial measures, including terminating the employees directly involved with the decision to offer the payments described above, and providing the United States with a detailed written statement describing its investigation, along with other supplemental information to assist the United States in its investigation.
“Our office encourages companies and individuals to make timely self-disclosures and take remedial measures to mitigate the harm from fraud that they discover,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “While we remain steadfast in using the False Claims Act to address the use of prohibited payments to induce federal healthcare business, our office is prepared to give credit, where justified, to those that save the government time and resources by disclosing fraud.”
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
"Paying kickbacks in exchange for patient referrals can drive up costs and lead to unnecessary medical services," said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "This settlement highlights the value of HHS-OIG’s Self-Disclosure Program, which allows providers to report potential fraud directly to HHS-OIG and mitigate the costs and disruptions often associated with a government-directed investigation."
The United States Attorney’s Office encourages anyone with information involving waste, fraud, and abuse in federal healthcare or other programs, to please report the illegal conduct, by contacting:
HHS-OIG Hotline: 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or https://tips.oig.hhs.gov
To file a voluntary self-disclosure, please access the link below:
https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/self-disclosure-info/self-disclosure-protocol/
The civil investigation was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonny Zajac of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, with assistance from HHS-OIG.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination or admission of liability.
HF Sinclair Navajo Agrees to Settlement to Reduce Climate- and Health- Harming Emissions at Artesia Refinery in New MexicoRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) today announced a proposed settlement with HF Sinclair Navajo Refining LLC, an HF Sinclair Corp. subsidiary, resolving alleged Clean Air Act and New Mexico Air Quality Control Act violations at the company’s oil refinery in Artesia, New Mexico.
Under the settlement, HF Sinclair Navajo must pay a civil penalty of $35 million, owed in equal shares to the United States and the State of New Mexico. The company must implement compliance measures at an estimated cost of $137 million, including significant capital investments, to reduce emissions at its refinery. The compliance measures are projected to achieve reductions of:
- 180 tons per year of hazardous air pollutants, including benzene,
- 2,716 tons per year of volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
- 51 tons per year of NOx and
- 31 tons per year of sulfur dioxide (SO2).
These include reductions already achieved in response to EPA’s investigations. All told, the emission reductions have a related climate benefit of reducing 97,551 tons per year of carbon dioxide emission equivalence.
HF Sinclair Navajo also must operate 10 real-time air pollution monitors along the refinery fence line and one real-time air pollution monitor and six other passive monitors in the town of Artesia to measure refinery air pollution emissions and make the results available on a public website.
The refinery is adjacent to a community overburdened by pollution. This settlement is part of the Justice Department and EPA’s ongoing commitment to address unlawful pollution in historically marginalized and disproportionally impacted communities.
“This settlement reinforces the United States’ commitment to protect communities from illegal refinery benzene and VOC emissions,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Katherine E. Konschnik of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Under the settlement, the refinery will make significant capital investments in pollution controls and implement additional programs to improve air quality and reduce health impacts on the residents of Artesia, including the students at Roselawn Elementary School.”
“HF Sinclair Navajo’s failure to monitor and control the release of benzene, a known carcinogen, and other hazardous and toxic air pollutants posed a significant threat and potential health risks to the nearby community,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Cecil Rodriguez of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The monitoring required by today’s settlement will ensure that the community and state and federal regulators will have real-time emissions data to help ensure the community is protected against future health impacts from the refinery’s operations.”
“The fenceline community in Artesia has lived with the burden of benzene and VOC emissions for many years. This settlement is an overdue step in bringing them some relief from the potential health effects of these pollutants,” said EPA Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “The Roselawn Elementary School, just hundreds of feet away from the HF Sinclair refinery, is a reminder of how critical our rulemaking and enforcement efforts are to protecting the health and environment of impacted citizens.”
“Today’s settlement continues to hammer home that if you don’t follow through on your commitments to clean air by following our rules, permits, or prior settlement agreements, you will pay for it in fines,” said Secretary James Kenney of NMED. “Today’s action not only obtains civil penalties — it forces the Artesia Refinery to invest in a number of projects to benefit our state, including improving controls for cancer-causing benzene emissions and other pollutants that infringe on New Mexicans’ right to breathe clean air.”
HF Sinclair Navajo has agreed to take the necessary measures to address the refinery’s failure to comply with regulations that govern a wide range of refinery equipment and operations, including flaring, fenceline monitoring of benzene emissions, wastewater, storage vessels, heat exchanger leaks and leak detection and repair.
These failures are alleged in the United States’ complaint, filed simultaneously with the settlement, and resulted in the release of hazardous air pollutants and VOCs directly into the air. The company will address these failures by:
- Installing a flare gas recovery system that will reduce VOC, SO2, and NOx, and greenhouse gas emissions;
- Implementing capital investments and additional upgrades to wastewater equipment to reduce benzene in wastewater streams and an enhanced monitoring program to more quickly identify and address air pollution emissions;
- Implementing numerous projects, such as the installation of geodesic domes, for storage vessels to reduce VOC emissions and an enhanced and innovative monitoring program to more quickly identify and address air pollution emissions;
- Strengthening leak detection and repair practices at the refinery to lower VOC and HAP emissions from process equipment and
- Implementing an enhanced inspection and chemical monitoring program of heat exchangers to more quickly identify VOC and HAP emissions from cooling towers.
In 2018 and 2019, monitoring at the refinery recorded the highest refinery fenceline benzene concentrations in the country. Under the settlement HF Sinclair Navajo agreed to operate and maintain air pollution monitors at the facility fenceline and in the community at an estimated cost of $1.8 million. The monitoring will help ensure compliance with Clean Air Act’s regulations, and help the company identify and address potentially harmful emission sources more quickly. Additionally, the fenceline and community monitoring will help regulators and the community hold HF Sinclair Navajo accountable for harmful air pollutants entering the community.
Benzene is known to cause cancer in humans and is associated with short-term and long-term inhalation exposure risks. VOCs, along with nitrous oxide, play a major role in the atmospheric reactions that produce ozone, which is the primary constituent of smog. Ground-level ozone exposure is linked to a variety of short- and long-term health problems.
HF Sinclair Corp. is a publicly traded energy company headquartered in Dallas. The Artesia refinery serves markets in the southwestern United States and has a crude oil capacity of 100,000 barrels per day.
The proposed consent decree was filed with the U.S District Court for the District of New Mexico and is subject to a 30-day comment period. The complaint and the proposed consent decree are available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
EPA and NMED investigated the case.
Attorneys with ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.
Guatemala Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for over 10 Years for Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Sex Trafficking of a ChildRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Guatemala man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child. The charge of attempted enticement carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
Gerber David Santos-Gonzalez, age 26, was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. He was found guilty following a jury trial in October 2024.
On January 13, 2025, Santos-Gonzalez was sentenced to 10 years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200. Santos-Gonzalez is required to register as a sex offender once released from federal prison.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 12, 2024, when Santos-Gonzalez used Facebook and Facebook Messenger to convince a 15-year-old girl to have sex with him in exchange for $100. The 15-year-old girl was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Santos-Gonzalez was arrested when he attempted to meet up with the girl in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, Watertown Police Department, Tea Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
Santos-Gonzalez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Grand jury indicts 2 former FirstEnergy executives in racketeering conspiracy involving more than $60 million in bribery schemesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Two former FirstEnergy executives have been indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with one count of participating in a racketeering (RICO) conspiracy.
Charles E. Jones, 69, of Akron, and Michael Dowling, 60, of Massillon, will be scheduled to appear in federal court in Cincinnati today. The indictment was returned on Jan. 15 and unsealed this morning.
It is alleged that Jones and Dowling participated in an enterprise (FirstEnergy Corp. and its subsidiaries) through a pattern of racketeering activity – including bribery, money laundering and obstruction – to increase the company’s stock price and enrich themselves. Although the defendants helped pursue the legal interests of FirstEnergy, Jones and Dowling also corrupted FirstEnergy by allegedly abusing their positions of trust and engaging in criminal activities in pursuit of personal and commercial gain.
Jones served in senior executive positions for FirstEnergy, including as President and CEO, from approximately 2015 until his employment was terminated in 2020. During that time, Jones made approximately $65 million in compensation. Approximately $60 million of his earnings came from performance-based pay tied, in part, to FirstEnergy stock prices. Dowling served as Senior Vice President at the time of his termination in 2020. Part of his pay was also tied to company financial performance and growth.
The 42-page indictment details the ways in which Jones and Dowling allegedly acted in support of the RICO conspiracy, including schemes to bribe former Ohio House Representative Larry Householder and former PUCO Chairman Samuel Randazzo.
According to the indictment, between 2017 and March 2020, FirstEnergy paid more than $59 million to 501(c)(4) entity Generation Now, which Jones and Dowling knew was operated for the benefit of and controlled by Householder. The bribe money helped Householder gain the position of Speaker of the House and pass and uphold House Bill 6, a billion-dollar nuclear plant bailout to benefit FirstEnergy.
It is alleged Jones and Dowling used a different 501(c)(4) entity, Energy Pass-Through, to fund with FirstEnergy money and direct payments to Generation Now and other entities they believed were associated with public officials for FirstEnergy’s and the officials’ benefit. Dowling allegedly referred to the 501(c)(4) as a “political tool.”
The indictment also alleges that Jones and Dowling pushed for FirstEnergy-approved appointments to the state public utilities board, including Randazzo as PUCO Chairman. In January 2019, FirstEnergy allegedly paid Randazzo’s companies more than $4.3 million for Randazzo providing favorable official actions for FirstEnergy through PUCO proceedings.
The indictment alleges that Jones referred to Householder as his “expensive friend,” and thanked Randazzo after PUCO, under Randazzo’s leadership, took action in 2019 that Jones attributed to raising FirstEnergy’s stock price.
After the passage of House Bill 6, Dowling wrote, “Huge bet and we played it all right on the budget and HB 6 – so we can go back for more!”
“I stated following the jury conviction of Householder and Borges that this office would continue to work tirelessly to hold more people accountable for their actions to harm Ohioans, and we have,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “This indictment is yet another step in the direction of that accountability.”
“This alleged $60 million racketeering conspiracy defrauded Ohioans to enrich the defendants," stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “The FBI will continue to pursue political corruption and corporate fraud to protect taxpayers and hold white-collar criminals responsible for their actions.”
The RICO conspiracy as charged in this case is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, 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 charges. Deputy Criminal Chief Emily N. Glatfelter and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew C. Singer are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Grand Rapids Man Sentenced for Firearms Violation, Apprehended with AR-Style Gun at High School GraduationRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Shyon Malik Armstrong, 19, of Grand Rapids, was sentenced to 50 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms.
“At one of life’s most celebratory moments – a high school graduation – Mr. Armstrong created the risk of horrendous harm for these graduates, their families, and school officials,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “I’m so grateful to the Grand Rapids Police Department officers who acted swiftly to protect the community. Every person – no matter who they are or where they live – has a right to live free from the fear of gun violence.”
On May 30, 2024, Grands Rapids Police Department responded to information that violence might break out at a graduation ceremony at Calvary Church. The police had learned earlier in the day that two street gangs were fighting and threatening acts of violence at the graduation ceremony. Mr. Armstrong attempted to flee police, but when they detained him, they found two loaded firearms in his backpack. One of the guns was an AR-style pistol with an extended magazine containing 35 rounds of ammunition.
The Grand Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/psn.
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Gladwyne Investment Adviser Charged with Misappropriating More Than $17 Million from Clients Through Two Long-Running Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Scott Mason, 66, of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, was charged by criminal information with wire fraud, securities fraud, investment adviser fraud, and filing false tax returns, arising from two fraudulent schemes that Mason, through his investment advisory firm Rubicon Wealth Management LLC, orchestrated to divert millions of dollars in client funds in order to finance his lavish lifestyle.
The information alleges that between 2016 and 2024, Mason — who had a fiduciary duty to make investment decisions in his clients’ best interests — transferred more than $17 million from 13 Rubicon clients to an entity that he owned and controlled, and ultimately used that money to finance his personal expenditures, including international travel, country club membership dues, credit card bill payments, and the purchase of an ownership stake in a Jersey Shore-based miniature golf course.
The information further alleges that Mason targeted clients with whom he had a longstanding relationship and who trusted him implicitly, including longtime friends and family members, and he often liquidated those clients’ securities holdings in order to finance the fraudulent transfers. Mason allegedly either forged client signatures on distribution authorization forms or omitted all pertinent details of the so-called “investments” when seeking client authorization for the transfers and instead falsely represented that he was investing client funds in diversified short-term bonds.
In reality, as the information alleges, Mason was converting client funds to his own personal use. He also used a portion of the fraud proceeds to repay another Rubicon client from whom Mason had allegedly misappropriated an additional several million dollars dating back to at least 2014, in order to avoid detection by that victim.
Finally, the information alleges that Mason failed to report any of his fraud proceeds on his personal income tax returns, generating a tax loss of approximately $3.225 million.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 80 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $6,760,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Rice. In a parallel matter, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced charges against Mason today.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Gang Member Admits to Racketeering ChargeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips gang admitted to his role in a racketeering conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Jason Franklin, a/k/a “Freak,” (“Franklin”), 41, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to a superseding indictment that charged him with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (“RICO”) conspiracy.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From at least in or around 2015 through on or about September 22, 2022, Franklin was a member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, a criminal enterprise responsible for acts of violence and the distribution of controlled substances in the District of New Jersey and elsewhere. Franklin held a leadership role within the enterprise and ordered other members and associates of the enterprise to commit several acts of violence.
Specifically, on or about March 20, 2019, in Irvington, New Jersey, Franklin ordered other members and associates of the enterprise to murder another person, in retaliation for the murder of a member and associate of the Rollin’ 60s.
In or around early April 2021, Franklin ordered other members and associates of the enterprise to retaliate against rival gang members, resulting in the April 5, 2021 attempted murder of another person, who sustained serious bodily injury as a result of being shot.
The defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for May 21, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr., as well as investigators of the U.S. Marshals Service, under Marshal Juan Mattos’ direction; the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Police Division Director Tracy Bowers, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Discroll Jr., the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, Sr., the Bloomfield Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Samuel A. DeMaio, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under Sheriff Amir D. Jones’s direction, the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis L. Bindi, the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Earl J. Graves, the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Tom Bryan, the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel, the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Philip Corbisiero, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Fugitive and Missing Person Task Force, which includes members of the FBI, for the investigations leading to the charges in the Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips investigation.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the Health Care Fraud Unit.
Defense Counsels:
Anthony Iacullo, Esq.
Michael Koribanics, Esq.
franklin.superseding_indictment.pdfFour People Sentenced to Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Four South Florida residents have been sentenced to federal prison for distributing fentanyl and meth.
On Jan. 16, Gito St Fort, 35, of West Palm Beach, Florida, a career criminal, was sentenced to 320 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death. On Dec. 24, 2023, St Fort sold the victim the fentanyl which resulted in his death while the victim was visiting his parents.
On Jan. 15, Anwar Hazzi, 36, of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, was sentenced to 200 months in federal prison. From June 2023 to May 2024, Hazzi sold drugs, including more than 900 grams of fentanyl and 500 grams of meth. The fentanyl was concealed within counterfeit prescription pills resembling oxycodone and the meth was concealed within counterfeit prescription pills resembling Adderall. In September 2024, Hazzi pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Also, on Jan. 15, Samantha Yi, 31, of Lake Worth, Florida, was sentenced to 288 months in federal prison. Yi and her then boyfriend, Darnell Julio Mendez, 32, of Lake Worth, sold fentanyl to the mother of a 10-month-old baby who fatally overdosed on the fentanyl in March 2022. Both defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. Mendez, a career criminal, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison in October 2024.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the DEA, Miami Field Division, announced the sentence.
The DEA Miami Field Division investigated the cases with assistance from PBSO, BBPD and the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam McMichael, Brian Ralston and Shannon O’Shea Darsch prosecuted the cases.
According to the DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment, nitazenes are synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, but some nitazenes can match or surpass the potency of fentanyl. Different nitazenes have been appearing in fentanyl mixtures in the United States since 2019. When combined with fentanyl, the effects of both drugs are heightened, which significantly increases the chance of a fatal drug poisoning.
Synthetic drugs such as fentanyl are poisoning the nation. Fentanyl has proven to be a deadly poison that does not discriminate. Its victims include every gender, race, age, and economic background, and its debilitating effects are the same across all demographics. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even in small doses, fentanyl can be deadly. Just one fentanyl pill can kill, as noted in DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign. As little as two milligrams, about the size of 5 grains of salt, can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The State of Florida has also seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl. In 2022, more than 5,622 people died from overdoses involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogs in Florida.
For more information visit: https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MEC/Publications-and-Forms/Documents/Drugs-in-Deceased-Persons/2022-Annual-Drug-Report-FINAL-(1).aspx; https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html#; and https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 24-cr-80063, 24-cr-80070 and 24-cr-80041.
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Four Members of Charlotte-Based Multi-Million Dollar Auto Theft Ring Are Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Four members of a theft ring that stole more than 100 high-end vehicles worth millions of dollars from dealerships located across the United States were sentenced in federal court late yesterday, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney King is joined in making today’s announcement by Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
The defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport, possess, and sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and were sentenced as follows:
- Dewanne Lamar White, 44, of Sumter, South Carolina, was sentenced to 108 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. White also pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
- Kevin Ja’Coryen James Fields, 28, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 96 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Fields also pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.
- Reginald Eugene Hill, 25, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
- Garyka Vaughn Bost, 26, of Denver, North Carolina, was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release.
According to court documents and court proceedings, from 2021 to 2023, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to steal luxury vehicles worth millions of dollars from dealerships in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Arizona. To maximize profits, they targeted luxury vehicles made by Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Land Rover, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz, and other expensive models from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, and other manufacturers.
Court documents show that the defendants executed the thefts in a number of ways. In some instances, they visited dealerships posing as customers interested in purchasing the vehicles. After pretending to test drive or inspect the vehicles, the defendants would swap the vehicles’ key fobs with similar ones, and later use the stolen key fobs to steal the vehicles. Other times, they employed methods like “smash and grab” thefts, where they would break into dealerships and locate keys to the high-end models, or break open lockboxes containing keys to luxury vehicles, and then drive the vehicles off the lot. According to court records Bost, Fields, and Hill often served as drivers in the conspiracy, and White frequently paid them and other drivers for their work in the scheme. On several occasions the defendants and other co-conspirators stole multiple vehicles simultaneously, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
According to court documents and the sentencing hearings, once the stolen vehicles were taken off the dealership lots, the defendants avoided law enforcement detection by removing the GPS navigation and tracking systems from the stolen vehicles, attaching fictitious dealer tags or stolen license plates on the vehicles, and replacing the vehicles’ authentic Vehicle Identification Numbers, among other things. The stolen vehicles were then transported back to Charlotte where they were sold locally at prices well below market value.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked HSI, FBI, and CMPD for their investigation of the case and recognized the contributions of the York County South Carolina Sheriff’s Office and many other state and local law enforcement partners that assisted with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bozin and Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
Fort Towson Resident Sentenced for MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Thomas Raymond Phillips, III, age 36, of Fort Towson, Oklahoma, was sentenced to a term of life in prison for First Degree Murder in Indian Country. Phillips was also sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence. The sentences are set to be served consecutively.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On October 25, 2023, Phillips was found guilty of the charges by a federal jury at trial. According to investigators, on the evening of December 19, 2020, Phillips fired multiple shots into a Fort Towson bar after being ejected by management for instigating a fight. One bullet struck a patron, killing the victim at the scene. The crime occurred in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“The defendant’s malicious and senseless acts stole a life, and the defendant will spend his remaining days in prison paying the price justice demands for his crimes,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “I commend county, state, and federal law enforcement for their investigative work and the prosecuting attorneys for presenting the case and advocating for the victim.”
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Phillips will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dean Burris and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Fort Dodge Woman Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area was sentenced January 17, 2025, to 126 months in federal prison.
Carolyn Michaels (Woodman), 60, recently from Ankeny, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 19, 2024, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine in a protected zone.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Michaels was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least 50 kilograms of methamphetamine in 2023/2024. Additional evidence showed Michaels distributed a total of six ounces of methamphetamine over three transactions to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. During a search warrant at Michaels’ residence, law enforcement seized drug use/trafficking paraphernalia, including: several cellular telephones, a scale, cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine. Michaels admitted to obtaining pound quantities of methamphetamine from sources in Fort Dodge and re-distributing it in ounce to ¼ pound quantities to several persons in Fort Dodge area.
Michaels was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Michaels was sentenced to 126 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Michaels is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa DCI Laboratory, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Webster County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3012.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Former nurse practitioner in Butte sentenced to five years in prison, ordered to pay more than $600,000 restitution for health care fraudRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A former nurse practitioner in Butte was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for falsely billing an insurance company approximately $62 million for vitamin B-12 injections in which she received approximately $613,108 for the false claims, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Tristan Ashley Svejkovsky, 41, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to health care fraud and to use of a registration number issued to another person.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court also ordered $613,108 in restitution. The court allowed Svejkovsky to self-report to the U.S. Marshals Service.
The government alleged in court documents that Svejkovsky was a nurse practitioner whose license was suspended by the Montana Board of Nursing on April 1, 2022. Svejkovsky continued to prescribe controlled substances using her own name and Drug Enforcement Administration registration number until June 2022. After contact by the DEA, Svejkovsky agreed to voluntarily surrender her DEA registration. However, Svejkovsky continued to prescribe controlled substances using the name and DEA registration number of a friend who also was nurse practitioner. Svejkovsky misrepresented to her friend that her nursing license was on probation, not suspended, and that she would not use her friend’s information to prescribe drugs. In fact, Svejkovsky used her friend’s DEA registration number to write at least 28 prescriptions for controlled substances.
The government further alleged that Svejkovsky falsely billed Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana for 158 vitamin B-12 injections that did not occur and stole $613,108 from the insurance company. In August 2021, Svejkovsky started falsely increasing the number of units of a standard vitamin B-12 injection from one unit to 1,000 units, thereby increasing the payment from the insurance company for each injection from roughly $4.88 to $4,880. After her license was suspended, Svejkovsky started submitting numerous such claims each month to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana by backdating claims to supposedly before her license was suspended. This conduct continued through May 2022, when Svejkovsky submitted four claims, this time claiming $15 million per vitamin B-12 injection to a new patient. In total, Svejkovsky billed the insurance company $62,310,000 in fraudulent claims for false vitamin B-12 injections and stole $613,108 from the insurance company.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The DEA and FBI conducted the investigation.
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Former West Michigan Business Owners Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Gregory Hite and Bridget Bureau Defrauded Nearly 40 Victims of $3,019,972
GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Gregory Hite and Bridget Bureau, both age 39 and residents of Lake, Michigan, were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in defrauding nearly 40 victims of more than $3 million dollars in a long-running fraud and identity theft scheme. U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney sentenced Hite to serve 150 months in prison and Bureau to serve to 51 months in prison. Both defendants were ordered to pay $1,952,186 in restitution to their victims.
“Protecting victims from financial crimes is part of keeping our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Hite and Bureau deceived unsuspecting victims out of millions of dollars for their personal gain. Criminals do not always wear masks and carry a gun; sometimes they carry out their deeds with a pen and paper and a dash of charm. We are determined to hold fraudsters accountable whoever they are.”
Gregory Hite and Bridget Bureau, a married couple, pleaded guilty to conspiring with each other to commit wire fraud and unlawfully using the identities of others to fraudulently obtain financing for their former west Michigan businesses. Those businesses operated under several names, including Hites RV, Alpine Trailer Sales, Great Lakes Recreational, Great Lakes Trailer, GLR Transport, and Great Lakes Trailer Manufacturing.
Between 2016 and 2020, the defendants assumed the identities of credit-worthy individuals to fraudulently obtain $5,443,982 in loans to support their fledgling business venture. The defendants made materially false statements on loan/equipment financing documents, unlawfully used other people’s identities to obtain financing they could not get on their own, impersonated those victims on phone calls with other victims, and used multiple limited liability companies to facilitate and conceal their fraudulent conduct. The fraud scheme collapsed when the defendants ran out of money and lenders began seeking repayment from the identity theft victims.
The sentencing of Gregory Hite and Bridget Bureau highlights the FBI’s steadfast commitment to safeguarding vulnerable victims and financial institutions from those who exploit and defraud the system,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI in Michigan will remain relentless in its efforts to protect our communities and ensure accountability for those who engage in fraudulent schemes.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.
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Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Thao’s Longtime Partner, and Two Local Businessmen Charged with Bribery OffensesRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – An eight-count indictment was unsealed today charging former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and local businessmen David Trung Duong and Andy Hung Duong with bribery offenses, and charging Andy Duong with making false statements to government agents.
According to the indictment filed Jan. 9, 2025, in the weeks leading up to the City of Oakland mayoral election in November 2022 and following her election as mayor, Thao promised to take official actions as the mayor of Oakland to benefit David Duong and Andy Duong, in exchange for the Duongs providing various benefits to Thao and Jones. David Duong was the president and CEO of a recycling company that provided residential recycling collection services to Oakland households, and was also the chairman and co-owner of a housing company formed to develop and manufacture prefabricated modular homes. Andy Duong, David Duong’s son, was an employee of the recycling company and also a founder and co-owner of the housing company.
The indictment describes that Thao promised to commit the City of Oakland to purchase housing units from the Duongs’ housing company, extend the City’s contract with the Duongs’ recycling company, and appoint city officials selected by the Duongs. In exchange, David and Andy Duong promised to and did fund a $75,000 negative mailer campaign targeting Thao’s opponents in the mayoral election, and made $95,000 in payments to Jones for a no-show job with their housing company, with the promise of additional payments, all intended for the benefit of Thao and Jones.
Once Thao became Mayor of Oakland in January 2023, she allegedly took steps in furtherance of the corrupt relationship with the Duongs, including using her influence to help appoint a high-level City of Oakland official selected by David and Andy Duong, and requesting that members of her staff meet with and tour the Duongs’ housing company.
Thao allegedly benefitted from the payments that the Duongs made to Jones. Financial records indicate that before Jones began receiving payments as a result of the bribery scheme, Thao either paid the entirety of or split with Jones the rent for their shared residence. However, starting in January 2023, soon after Jones began receiving payments as part of the bribery scheme, Jones began paying the entirety of their rent. In addition, beginning in January 2023, Jones increased his contribution to, or paid the entirety of, shared bills with Thao, including household utility bills and mobile phone bills.
Defendants allegedly took steps to conceal their bribery scheme by, among other actions: at Thao’s direction, making the bribe payments to Jones to avoid a paper trial to Thao; misrepresenting that Jones had a legitimate job with the Duongs’ housing company to mask the bribery payments; creating false invoices for the bribe payments from the Duongs’ recycling company; and failing to disclose benefits received on California Form 700, Statement of Economic Interests.
“The public deserves honesty and transparency from City Hall. When elected officials agree to a pay-to-play system to benefit themselves rather than work for the best interests of their constituents, that breaches the public trust,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins. “This indictment reaffirms the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to root out, investigate, and prosecute corruption in our local governments.”
“Our communities are entitled to leaders who act in their best interest, free from the shadow of corruption,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Dan Costin. “Today’s actions demonstrate our resolute determination to protect the integrity of our government and ensure accountability for those who betray the public’s trust.”
“To protect the public trust, Postal Inspectors worked closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners at the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) to investigate and prosecute those individuals responsible for fraud schemes committed against a government agency, businesses, and the public,” said San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen M. Sherwood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
“The alleged crimes committed against the citizens of Oakland by former Mayor Thao and her co-conspirators are a clear breach of public trust and cannot be tolerated,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen. “Public corruption schemes are rooted in greed and typically leave a money trail behind. IRS-CI specializes in following that trail and building cases that lead to justice.”
The indictment charges each defendant with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(B) or 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(2); one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail and wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349; one count of honest services mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1346; and two counts of honest services wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343, 1346. Andy Duong was also charged with one count of making false statements to government agents in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2).
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count under 18 U.S.C. § 1349, 18 U.S.C. § 1341, and 18 U.S.C. § 1343, a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count under 18 U.S.C. §§ 666(a)(1)(B) and (a)(2), and a maximum of five years in prison for the count under 18 U.S.C. § 371. Andy Duong faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the count under 18 U.S.C. § 1001. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The defendants are scheduled to make their initial federal court appearance in Oakland at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Priedeman, Abraham Fine, and Lloyd Farnham are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James and Madeline Wachs. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, USPIS, and IRS-CI.
Sheng Thao Indictment
Former Liberian Rebel General Pleads Guilty to Immigration FraudRead the Press Release
A New Jersey man pleaded guilty yesterday to using and possessing a green card that he unlawfully obtained by making false statements about his involvement in the civil war in the West African nation of Liberia.
According to court documents, Laye Sekou Camara, 46, of Mays Landing, New Jersey, was a general with a Liberian rebel group from approximately 1999 to 2003 and fought against the Liberian government that was led by then-President Charles Taylor. Camara, also known as K-1 and Dragon Master, entered the United States pursuant to an immigrant visa and later obtained Lawful Permanent Resident status and a green card by falsely stating on immigration forms that he had never participated in extrajudicial killings or other acts of violence; had never been involved with a paramilitary unit, rebel group, or guerilla group; and had never engaged in the recruitment or use of child soldiers.
Camara pleaded guilty to three counts of using and one count of possessing a fraudulently obtained green card. According to the indictment, Camara used the green card when he applied for a Pennsylvania identification card in 2017, applied for a New Jersey home health care aide license in 2020, and sought employment at a New Jersey-based home health care agency in 2020, and he was in possession of the green card when he was arrested in 2022 at JFK International Airport in New York before attempting to board an international flight.
Camara is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; and Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia made the announcement.
HSI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia.
Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Linwood C. Wright Jr., Patrick J. Brown, and Kelly M. Harrell for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.
Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, or complete the FBI online tip form or the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement online tip form.
Former Liberian Rebel General Pleads Guilty to Immigration FraudRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero, the Justice Department, and Homeland Security Investigations announced that Laye Sekou Camara, 46, of Mays Landing, New Jersey, entered a plea of guilty yesterday before United States District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney to using and possessing a green card that he unlawfully obtained by making false statements about his involvement in the civil war in the west African nation of Liberia.
Camara pleaded guilty on the eve of trial to all charges against him — three counts of using, and one count of possessing, a fraudulently obtained green card.
According to court documents, Camara was a general with a Liberian rebel group from approximately 1999 to 2003 and fought against the Liberian government that was led by then-President Charles Taylor. Camara, also known as K-1 and Dragon Master, entered the United States pursuant to an immigrant visa and later obtained Lawful Permanent Resident status and a green card by falsely stating on immigration forms that he had never participated in extrajudicial killings or other acts of violence; had never been involved with a paramilitary unit, rebel group, or guerilla group; and had never engaged in the recruitment or use of child soldiers.
According to the indictment, Camara used the green card when he applied for a Pennsylvania identification card in 2017, applied for a New Jersey home health care aide license in 2020, and sought employment at a New Jersey-based home health care agency in 2020, and he was in possession of the green card when he was arrested in 2022 at JFK International Airport in New York before attempting to board an international flight.
Camara is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.
“Respecting both human dignity and the rule of law is fundamental to who we are as a nation,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Camara lied about his brutal history in Liberia to get a green card and live in the United States, enjoying the benefits and protections provided by our government’s laws, even as he flouted them. The Department of Justice is committed to working with our federal and international partners to deny human rights violators safe haven in this country.”
“The guilty plea by Laye Sekou Camara is another resounding example of coordination and collaboration targeting human rights violators globally,” said Edward V. Owens, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia. “Camara fraudulently claimed that he had not participated in Liberia’s civil war. In fact, Camara, also known as ‘Dragon Master,’ was a high-ranking member of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebel group during Liberia's Second Civil War. As such, he was involved in committing atrocities, including the massacre of civilians, and the recruitment of child soldiers. HSI, along with the excellent prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will continue to thoroughly investigate and prosecute such offenses to ensure that war criminals that engage in such horrific crimes against humanity will find no refuge within the United States.”
This case is being investigated by HSI, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Linwood C. Wright Jr., Patrick Brown, and Kelly M. Harrell are prosecuting the case, with Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, or complete the FBI online tip form or the ICE online tip form.
Former Finance Minister of Mozambique Sentenced in $2B Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
The former Finance Minister of Mozambique was sentenced today to 102 months in prison for his role in a $2 billion international fraud, bribery, and money laundering scheme, in which he received $7 million in bribes to approve fraudulent loans.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Manuel Chang, 69, of Mozambique, received $7 million in bribes in exchange for signing guarantees on behalf of the Republic of Mozambique to secure funding for three loans for maritime projects. As part of the scheme, Chang and his co-conspirators falsely told banks and investors that the loan proceeds would be used for the projects and not to pay bribes to government officials. In fact, however, Chang and his co-conspirators diverted more than $200 million of the loan proceeds that were used, among other things, to pay bribes and kickbacks to Chang and others.
“Manuel Chang abused his position as Finance Minister of Mozambique by obtaining $7 million in bribe payments in exchange for helping secure more than $2 billion in loans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Chang’s brazen misconduct betrayed his duty to the people of Mozambique and defrauded investors, including those in the United States, of substantial amounts. With today’s sentence, Chang has been held accountable for his violations of U.S. law.”
“Today’s sentence shows that foreign officials who abuse their power to commit crimes targeting the U.S. financial system will meet U.S. justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carolyn Pokorny for the Eastern District of New York. “My office will continue to pursue those who violate our laws and harm U.S. investors regardless of their power, position or title.”
“Manuel Chang abused his authority as the former Mozambique Finance Minister by helping to obtain billions of dollars in loans, a large portion of which was diverted from its intended purposes to satisfy bribe payments, ultimately causing significant financial loss to U.S. and global investors,” said Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy of the FBI New York Field Office. “With the support of his co-conspirators, Chang violated the trust of his office and wielded his position to enrich himself and other Mozambican officials. May today’s sentencing reiterate the FBI’s commitment to dismantling all corruptive malpractices orchestrated by foreign governments, especially those targeting our country as their personal piggy-bank.”
Between approximately 2013 and 2015, in his capacity as Mozambique’s Minister of Finance, Chang, together with his co-conspirators — including executives of Privinvest Group, a United Arab Emirates-based shipbuilding company — ensured that Credit Suisse AG, through its subsidiary in the United Kingdom, Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited (CSSEL), and another foreign investment bank would arrange for more than $2 billion to be extended to companies owned and controlled by the Mozambican government: Proindicus S.A. (Proindicus), Empresa Moçambicana de Atum, S.A. (EMATUM), and Mozambique Asset Management (MAM). The proceeds of the loans were intended to fund three maritime projects for which Privinvest was to provide the equipment and services. Specifically, Proindicus was to perform coastal surveillance, EMATUM was to engage in tuna fishing, and MAM was to build and maintain shipyards.
Instead, Chang and his co-conspirators illegally facilitated Privinvest’s diversion of more than $200 million of the loan proceeds to bribes and kickbacks. These funds included more than $150 million that Privinvest used to bribe Chang and other Mozambican government officials to ensure that companies owned and controlled by the Mozambican government would enter into the loan arrangements, and that the government of Mozambique would guarantee those loans. The loans were subsequently sold in whole or in part to investors worldwide, including in the United States. In doing so, the participants in the scheme conspired to defraud these investors by misrepresenting how the loan proceeds would be used. Ultimately, Proindicus, EMATUM, and MAM each defaulted on their loans and proceeded to miss more than $700 million in loan payments, causing substantial losses to investors.
On Aug. 8, 2024, Chang was convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Chang was ordered to forfeit $7 million. A restitution amount will be determined at a later date.
In October 2021, Credit Suisse AG and CSSEL (together, Credit Suisse) admitted to defrauding U.S. and international investors in the financing of an $850 million loan for the EMATUM project. CSSEL pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and Credit Suisse AG entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. As a part of the resolution, Credit Suisse paid approximately $475 million in penalties, fines, and disgorgement as part of coordinated resolutions with criminal and civil authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The FBI New York Field Office investigated the case.
Fraud Section Trial Attorney Peter Cooch, MLARS Trial Attorney Morgan Cohen, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hiral D. Mehta and Jonathan Siegel for the Eastern District of New York prosecuted the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department appreciates the assistance of South African authorities, particularly those in the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the South African Police Service, as well as authorities in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal.
MLARS’ Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Former Finance Minister of Mozambique Sentenced to 102 Months’ Imprisonment for His Role in $2 Billion Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Manuel Chang, the former Finance Minister of Mozambique, was sentenced by United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis to a term of imprisonment of 102 months and ordered to pay $7 million in forfeiture. The restitution amount will be determined at a later date. Chang was convicted after a four-week trial in July and August 2024 of conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his role in a $2 billion international fraud, bribery and money laundering scheme that victimized investors in the United States and elsewhere. He was arrested in December 2018 in South Africa, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant issued at the request of the United States and extradited to the Eastern District of New York in July 2023.
Carolyn Pokorny, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Brent S. Wible, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“Today’s sentence shows that foreign officials who abuse their power to commit crimes targeting the U.S. financial system will meet U.S. justice,” stated Acting United States Attorney Pokorny. “My Office will continue to pursue those who violate our laws and harm U.S. investors regardless of their power, position or title.”
“Manuel Chang abused his position as Finance Minister of Mozambique by obtaining $7 million in bribe payments in exchange for helping secure more than $2 billion in loans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Chang’s brazen misconduct betrayed his duty to the people of Mozambique and defrauded investors, including those in the United States, of substantial amounts. With today’s sentence, Chang has been held accountable for his violations of U.S. law.”
“Manuel Chang abused his authority as the former Mozambique Finance Minister by helping to obtain billions of dollars in loans, a large portion of which was diverted from its intended purposes to satisfy bribe payments, ultimately causing significant financial loss to U.S. and global investors,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “With the support of his co-conspirators, Chang violated the trust of his office and wielded his position to enrich himself and other Mozambican officials. May today’s sentencing reiterate the FBI’s commitment to dismantling all corruptive malpractices orchestrated by foreign governments, especially those targeting our country as their personal piggy bank.”
As proven at trial, Chang received $7 million in bribes in exchange for signing guarantees on behalf of the Republic of Mozambique to secure funding for three loans for maritime projects. As part of the scheme, Chang and his co-conspirators falsely stated to banks and investors that the loan proceeds would be used for the projects and that the borrower would not pay bribes to Mozambican government officials. In fact, however, Chang and his co-conspirators facilitated the criminal diversion of more than $200 million of the loan proceeds that were used to pay bribes and kickbacks to Chang and others.Between approximately 2013 and 2016, in his capacity as Mozambique’s Minister of Finance, Chang, together with his co-conspirators – including executives of Privinvest Group, a United Arab Emirates-based shipbuilding company – ensured that Credit Suisse AG, through its subsidiary in the United Kingdom, Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited (CSSEL), and another foreign investment bank would arrange for more than $2 billion to be extended to companies owned and controlled by the Mozambican government: Proindicus S.A. (Proindicus), Empresa Moçambicana de Atum, S.A. (EMATUM), and Mozambique Asset Management (MAM). The proceeds of the loans were intended to fund three maritime projects for which Privinvest was to provide the equipment and services. Specifically, Proindicus was to perform coastal surveillance, EMATUM was to engage in tuna fishing, and MAM was to build and maintain shipyards.
Instead, Chang and his co-conspirators illegally facilitated Privinvest’s diversion of more than $200 million of the loan proceeds to bribes and kickbacks. These funds included more than $150 million that Privinvest used to bribe Chang and other Mozambican government officials to ensure that companies owned and controlled by the Mozambican government would enter into the loan arrangements, and that the government of Mozambique would guarantee those loans. The loans were subsequently sold in whole or in part to investors worldwide, including in the United States. In doing so, the participants in the scheme conspired to defraud these investors by misrepresenting how the loan proceeds would be used. Ultimately, Proindicus, EMATUM, and MAM each defaulted on their loans and proceeded to miss more than $700 million in loan payments, causing substantial losses to investors.
In October 2021, Credit Suisse AG and CSSEL admitted to defrauding U.S. and international investors in the financing of an $850 million loan for the EMATUM project. CSSEL pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and Credit Suisse AG entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section (Fraud Section) and the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS). As a part of the resolution, Credit Suisse AG and CSSEL paid approximately $475 million in penalties, fines, and disgorgement as part of coordinated resolutions with criminal and civil authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Office’s Business & Securities Fraud Section is handling the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Hiral D. Mehta, Genny Ngai and Jonathan Siegel, and Trial Attorneys Peter Cooch of the Fraud Section and Morgan Cohen of MLARS, are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Timothy Migliaro. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department appreciates the assistance of South African authorities, particularly those in the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the South African Police Service, as well as authorities in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal.
The Defendant:
MANUEL CHANG
Age: 69
MozambiqueE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-681 (NGG)
Former CIA analyst pleads guilty to transmitting Top Secret National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former CIA analyst pled guilty today to retaining and transmitting Top Secret National Defense Information to people who were not entitled to receive it, information which was publicly posted on a social media platform in October 2024.
According to court documents, Asif William Rahman, 34, of Vienna, was an employee of the CIA since 2016 and had a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
“Asif Rahman is pleading guilty in federal court three months to the day that he disclosed top secret American documents in violation of his oath, his responsibility, and the law,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This District, in partnership with federal law enforcement and the intelligence community, exemplified dedication, skill, and speed to bring him to justice expeditiously. Mr. Rahman’s actions placed lives at risk, undermined U.S. foreign relations, and compromised our ability to collect vital intelligence in the future.”
“Mr. Rahman betrayed the trust of the American people by unlawfully sharing classified national defense information he swore an oath to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that the Justice Department will spare no effort to swiftly find and aggressively prosecute those who harm the United States by illegally disclosing our national security secrets.”
“With today's plea, Asif Rahman acknowledges he betrayed the trust of his country by sharing classified information in spite of the risk to the United States and our allies,” said Robert Wells, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI's National Security Branch. “Government employees who are granted security clearances and given access to our nation's classified information must promise to protect it. Rahman blatantly violated that pledge and took multiple steps to hide his actions. The FBI will use all our resources to investigate and hold accountable those who illegally transmit classified information and endanger the national security interests of our country.”
“Today’s plea demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to deploy the necessary tools and authorities to identify, locate, and bring to justice a government clearance holder who violated the oath he took to support and defend the U.S. Constitution,” said Assistant Director David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “This is a good reminder to all clearance holders that the FBI and our Intelligence Community partners will spare no resource to immediately find and hold accountable those who violate the law and disclose classified information without authorization, no matter where in the world they are located.”
According to court documents, on Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman accessed and printed two Top Secret documents containing National Defense Information regarding a U.S. foreign ally and its planned actions against a foreign adversary. Rahman removed the documents, photographed them, and transmitted them to individuals he knew were not entitled to receive them. By Oct. 18, 2024, the documents appeared publicly on multiple social media platforms, complete with the classification markings.
After Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman deleted and edited journal entries and written work product on his personal electronic devices to conceal his personal opinions on U.S. policy and drafted entries to construct a false narrative regarding his activity. Rahman also destroyed multiple electronic devices, including a personal mobile device and an internet router he used to transmit classified information and photographs of classified documents, and discarded the destroyed devices in public trash receptacles in an effort to thwart potential investigations into him and his unlawful conduct.
Beginning in the spring of 2024 and continuing through November 2024, Rahman repeatedly accessed and printed classified National Defense Information, including documents classified up to the Top Secret level, to take them to his residence. There, Rahman reproduced the documents and, while doing so, altered them in an effort to conceal their source and his activity. Rahman then communicated Top Secret information that he learned in the course of his employment to multiple individuals he knew were not entitled to receive it.
Rahman was indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 7, 2024, and was arrested by the FBI as he arrived to work on Nov. 12, 2024. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
Rahman pled guilty to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to the national defense. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 25. He faces up to 10 years in prison for both counts in the plea agreement. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy A. Edwards Jr. for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Brett Reynolds of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-CR-249.
Former CIA Analyst Pleads Guilty to Transmitting Top Secret National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
A former CIA analyst pleaded guilty today to retaining and transmitting Top Secret National Defense Information to people who were not entitled to receive it, information which was publicly posted on a social media platform in October 2024.
According to court documents, Asif William Rahman, 34, of Vienna, was an employee of the CIA since 2016 and had a Top-Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
“Mr. Rahman betrayed the trust of the American people by unlawfully sharing classified national defense information he swore an oath to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that the Justice Department will spare no effort to swiftly find and aggressively prosecute those who harm the United States by illegally disclosing our national security secrets.”
“Asif Rahman is pleading guilty in federal court three months to the day that he disclosed top secret American documents in violation of his oath, his responsibility, and the law,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This District, in partnership with federal law enforcement and the intelligence community, exemplified dedication, skill, and speed to bring him to justice expeditiously. Mr. Rahman’s actions placed lives at risk, undermined U.S. foreign relations, and compromised our ability to collect vital intelligence in the future.”
“With today's plea, Asif Rahman acknowledges he betrayed the trust of his country by sharing classified information in spite of the risk to the United States and our allies,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “Government employees who are granted security clearances and given access to our nation's classified information must promise to protect it. Rahman blatantly violated that pledge and took multiple steps to hide his actions. The FBI will use all our resources to investigate and hold accountable those who illegally transmit classified information and endanger the national security interests of our country.”
“Today’s plea demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to deploy the necessary tools and authorities to identify, locate, and bring to justice a government clearance holder who violated the oath he took to support and defend the U.S. Constitution,” said Assistant Director David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “This is a good reminder to all clearance holders that the FBI and our Intelligence Community partners will spare no resource to immediately find and hold accountable those who violate the law and disclose classified information without authorization, no matter where in the world they are located.”
According to court documents, on Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman accessed and printed two Top Secret documents containing National Defense Information regarding a U.S. foreign ally and its planned actions against a foreign adversary. Rahman removed the documents, photographed them, and transmitted them to individuals he knew were not entitled to receive them. By Oct. 18, 2024, the documents appeared publicly on multiple social media platforms, complete with the classification markings.
After Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman deleted and edited journal entries and written work product on his personal electronic devices to conceal his personal opinions on U.S. policy and drafted entries to construct a false narrative regarding his activity. Rahman also destroyed multiple electronic devices, including a personal mobile device and an internet router he used to transmit classified information and photographs of classified documents, and discarded the destroyed devices in public trash receptacles in an effort to thwart potential investigations into him and his unlawful conduct.
Beginning in the spring of 2024 and continuing through November 2024, Rahman repeatedly accessed and printed classified National Defense Information, including documents classified up to the Top Secret level, to take them to his residence. There, Rahman reproduced the documents and, while doing so, altered them in an effort to conceal their source and his activity. Rahman then communicated Top Secret information that he learned in the course of his employment to multiple individuals he knew were not entitled to receive it.
Rahman was indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 7, 2024, and was arrested by the FBI as he arrived to work on Nov. 12, 2024. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
Rahman pleaded guilty to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to the national defense. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for both counts in the plea agreement. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy A. Edwards Jr. for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Brett Reynolds of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Former Attorney Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Former Rhode Island personal injury attorney Peter P.D. Leach has been sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison and ordered to repay clients that he defrauded when he conducted a Ponzi scheme with their settlement funds, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
At the time of his guilty plea to charges of wire fraud and tax evasion, Leach admitted that he forged client signatures and deposited client settlement checks into his attorney IOLTA account, using those funds to pay personal expenses and to repay earlier clients whose funds he had embezzled. To prolong his scheme, Leach repeatedly made false representations to clients about the status of their cases and told them that he would pay their medical expenses and other bills with settlement funds he had received.
Leach also admitted that from 2014-2019, he took multiple steps to conceal his gains from the IRS, including by making false statements on IRS forms regarding his assets; making false statements to IRS Revenue officers about his ability and willingness to pay his taxes and about his withdrawal of over $540,000 of cash from his IOLTA accounts for payment of personal expenses; and by transferring money from his client account to the account of family members to make personal payments.
“Peter Leach egregiously abused the core responsibility of any lawyer- the trust of his clients – to help himself to money that belonged to victims of accidents and tragedies, and then tried to cheat on his taxes into the bargain” remarked U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. “Today’s sentence provides not just accountability, but hopefully a chance for his victims to recover some of the funds that he stole from them, and it serves notice of this Office’s continued determination to tireless pursue the perpetrators of financial crimes against vulnerable victims.”
“While it is the expectation that a person can trust their attorney, Leach used his position to take advantage of his clients. He used their money and personal information to line his pockets, telling lie after lie to get what he wanted. Now, there is no lie that he can tell to hide the fact that he will spend the next few years in prison for his criminal acts. It’s time for him to face the truth,” said Thomas E. Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI Boston.
On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin sentenced Leach to 33 months of incarceration to be followed by two years of federal supervised release. Additionally, Leach was ordered to pay restitution to his victims totaling $299,774.41. In a separate restitution matter, the court is expected to enter an order that Leach pay $320,622.76 to the IRS, representing taxes he failed to pay to the agency.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and Denise M. Barton.
The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police Financial Crimes Unit and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
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Foreign National Facing Federal Charges Related to $6-Million-Plus Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland –James Aliyu, 29, the last of three defendants charged in a $6-million business email compromise (BEC) scheme, has been extradited from South Africa to the United States to face federal indictment.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Aliyu, Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo, 30, and Henry Onyedikachi Echefu, 31, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a BEC scheme that resulted in the loss of more than $6 million.
All three are Nigerian citizens that resided in South Africa at the time of the crimes. Federal authorities returned this indictment on June 24, 2019, and unsealed it on July 6, 2022, upon the defendants’ arrests outside the U.S.
Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Baltimore.
According to the seven-count indictment, from February 2016 until at least July 2017, the defendants conspired with others to perpetrate a BEC scheme. The indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators, some of whom resided in Maryland, gained unauthorized access to individual and business email accounts. Co-conspirators then allegedly sent false wiring instructions to the victims’ email accounts from spoofed emails, which are forged with sender addresses, to deceive the victims into sending money to bank accounts, known as drop accounts, that were controlled by perpetrators of the scheme.
The indictment also alleges that the defendants conspired to commit money laundering. They planned to disburse the fraudulently obtained funds to other accounts by initiating account transfers, withdrawing cash, obtaining cashier’s checks, and by writing checks to other individuals and entities, to hide the true ownership and source of the assets. Additionally, the defendants are charged with wire fraud, related to the BEC scheme. Specifically, Simon-Ebo is charged in three wire-fraud counts in which he wired $6,343,533.10 collected from victims to accounts controlled by conspirators.
Simon-Ebo and Echefu were previously extradited from Canada, pled guilty, and have been sentenced.
If convicted, Aliyu faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and for each count of money laundering and wire fraud.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. The individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended HSI’s Mid-Atlantic El Dorado Task Force for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa, and the South African Police Service. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing Aliyu’s extradition from South Africa. OIA and the Department of Justice Canada’s International Assistance Group also provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of both Echefu and Simon-Ebo. Mr. Barron also recognized Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Fentanyl Trafficker SentencedRead the Press Release
Austin, Texas – A Texas man was sentenced today to 168 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release for distributing fentanyl and other illegal controlled substances. The sentence included the forfeiture of $34,567 in drug proceeds, assorted jewelry, and nineteen firearms.
According to court documents, Joshua James Calvo, 37, distributed a variety of controlled substances between February and May 2024. DEA, through informants, bought heroin and methamphetamine from Calvo on three occasions: February 11, March 21, and April 11, 2024. DEA then obtained and executed a Federal search warrant on May 1, 2024, for Calvo's residence. Inside the residence, DEA agents found approximately 23 pounds of drugs, including 1.2kg of fentanyl, 8.2kg of marijuana, 890g of heroin, and 295g of meth. The DEA also seized nineteen firearms and $34,567 in cash. Calvo was arrested.
Joshua Calvo's sentencing continues this Office's efforts to stem the tide in the greater Austin area of the illegal drug distribution of fentanyl and other controlled substances. The DEA and its agents combined with Williamson Co. Sheriff's Office and Georgetown Police Dept. to investigate this case to its conclusion.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The DEA along with Williamson Co. Sheriff's Office and Georgetown Police Dept. investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Castillo prosecuted the case.
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Felon Sentenced for Committing Pandemic Relief Fraud While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Boeroepae Jordan has been sentenced to a new term in prison for defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program of more than $323,000, less than a year after being released from federal prison for firearms and drug crimes.
“Jordan quickly returned to his criminal activity after his release from prison, this time committing fraud to obtain money intended to help individuals and businesses who were suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This case demonstrates our continuing resolve to identify and prosecute individuals who wrongfully exploited the pandemic relief programs.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On September 9, 2019, Jordan completed a 72-month federal prison sentence for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and began a six-year term of supervised release. On April 5, 2020, Jordan applied to the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) for an EIDL advance of $5,000, claiming he owned a business named A/E Multi-Diamond Entertainment Incorporated which had five employees. In reality, the business existed in name only and had no employees. Jordan requested the funds be deposited into a business bank account that he arranged for a family member to open, claiming that the family member owned the business. The SBA then deposited the $5,000 into the bank account.
The following month, Jordan applied for an SBA-guaranteed PPP loan of $291,250 for the same fake business. Jordan claimed he had 18 employees and needed the loan to continue providing payroll during the pandemic. Jordan supported the application by providing fake IRS documents and altered bank statements. Jordan received the loan into his bank account on May 20, 2020, and immediately began withdrawing cash and spending large amounts of the money at restaurants, retail stores, nail salons, and furniture stores. By July 31, 2020, less than $5,000 of the loan funds was left in the account. Jordan caused an overall loss to the SBA of $323,433.31.
Boeroepae Jordan, 51, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to three years, five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration in the amount of $323,433.31. Jordan was convicted on October 10, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford and Erin N. Spritzer prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Federal Jury Finds Repeat Offender Guilty of Receipt, Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL Minn. — A federal jury convicted a Ramsey County man for receipt and possession of videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of children, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Peter Michael Guevara, 56, was on “intensive supervised release” (ISR) for a previous conviction in 2014 of possession of child sexual abuse material in Sherburne County, Minnesota. Law enforcement agents received a tip the defendant was using an unauthorized smart phone. On November 12, 2020, agents conducted a surprise search of Guevara’s property, and found an Apple iPhone in the defendant’s pocket. Officers confirmed that it was an unauthorized device and arrested Guevara. Shortly afterwards, the defendant was recorded on jail calls instructing family members on how to remotely lock and erase the contents of his confiscated iPhone. A forensic examination of the iPhone later found more than 4,000 images and videos of prepubescent minors under the age of 18 engaged in illegal sexual activity.
A federal jury found Guevara guilty yesterday after a three-day trial on one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, with assistance from the Minnesota Department of Corrections and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorney LeeAnn K. Bell and DOJ Trial Attorney Emily A. Polachek prosecuted the case.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Fayetteville man was sentenced yesterday to 188 months in prison without the possibility of parole on one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor via Attempted Production of Child Pornography on January 15, 2025. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, in November of 2023, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office conducted an online child pornography investigation that led investigators to discover that a residence in Fayetteville was responsible for downloading child pornography. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office then provided the lead to the Northwest Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Investigators with the ICAC Task Force and Fayetteville Police Department subsequently executed a residential search warrant at the Fayetteville residence and encountered John Steven Wallace, age 30, who admitted that he was responsible for downloading child pornography files via the peer-to-peer network. Wallace further admitted that he had produced images and videos of a minor in various stages of undress with a hidden camera staged in the bathroom of his residence. Subsequent forensic examination of the electronics taken from the residence confirmed Wallace had a large collection of child pornography and the videos of the minor he identified.
Wallace was indicted by a Grand Jury in May 2024 and entered a plea of guilty in September 2024.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Fayetteville Police Department and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Williams prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Drug Trafficker with Machinegun Sentenced to 16 YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Kevon Bracey, age 26, of Wilmington, was sentenced to 196 months in prison and six years of supervised release, after fleeing from police with a bag containing cocaine and a fully automatic machinegun. On September 3, 2024, Bracey pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on February 22, 2024, the Wilmington Police Department was investigating narcotics activity in the South Turners Run area. Officers approached a vehicle where Bracey was a passenger. Bracey exited the vehicle carrying a bag and fled on foot. After a brief chase, police detained Bracey. They searched the area where he had fled and found the bag he had discarded during his escape.
The bag contained a loaded 9mm handgun that had been converted into a fully automatic machine gun with an extended magazine. In addition, it held quantities of crack and powdered cocaine. Law enforcement identified Bracey as a validated gang member and noted his extensive criminal history. He has previous convictions for possession of a stolen firearm, possession with intent to distribute heroin, and selling heroin in 2017, as well as possession of a firearm by a felon and discharging a firearm within city limits in 2020. In 2021, he was again convicted of possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon. Due to these convictions, Bracey was prohibited from possessing any firearms.
This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, 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.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., 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 Tobacco, Alcohol and Firearms (ATF) and the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo 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. 7:24-CR-00028-D.
Dominican Man Previously Convicted of Drug Offenses Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican man was sentenced yesterday for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Edward Tejeda Pimental, a/k/a “Miguel Carrillo Rodrigues,” a/k/a “Angel Matos,” 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 37 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. He will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In November 2024, Tejeda Pimental pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry.
Tejeda Pimental was first removed from the United States following a federal conviction for an immigration offense in the Western District of Texas in 2003. He was removed a second time following narcotics convictions in the District of Massachusetts in 2008. Later, Tejeda Pimental was removed from the United States for a third time in 2018, following a drug-related arrest in New Hampshire. Tejeda Pimental is currently facing an additional drug charge in Massachusetts state court following a 2022 arrest for fentanyl trafficking.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Detroit Man Sentenced for Armed Fentanyl and Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Detroit man, Khari Smith, 21, was sentenced on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to 200 months in prison, for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
In May 2023, law enforcement began investigating an individual distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine in Lexington, and also identified the vehicle being used to transport the drugs into the area. On July 10, 2023, law enforcement located the vehicle traveling from Detroit to Kentucky, as one of a pair of vehicles they believed were connected. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on both vehicles. Khari Smith and Khmari Smith, his brother and co-defendant, were found in one vehicle, with no evidence of drugs. In the other vehicle, co-defendant Brianna Hanspard, 29, also from Detroit, was found with 4.6 kilograms of methamphetamine and 199.7 grams of fentanyl. Hanspard admitted agreeing with Khmari Smith and others to transport drugs from Detroit to Lexington, in exchange for payment.
Further investigation established that Khari and Khmari Smith continued their drug distribution, using sources in Detroit. In August 2023, law enforcement searched their leased residences in Lexington. At the first residence they found 354.4 grams of fentanyl, 216.3 grams of methamphetamine, and 18 firearms; at the second residence, they found additional fentanyl, methamphetamine, and 12 firearms. Khmari Smith admitted that he received those firearms as payment for drugs he distributed.
In their previous sentencings, Khmari Smith was sentenced to 384 months and Hanspard was sentenced to 84 months.
Under federal law, Khari Smith must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, KSP, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Crypto ‘Godfather’ and LASD Detective Agree to Plead Guilty to Violating Civil Rights of Business Rivals and Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A cryptocurrency businessman who dubbed himself “The Godfather” and a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy have agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges, including for their roles in a conspiracy that targeted multiple victims in Los Angeles, violating their civil rights via intimidation, extortion, illegal search warrants and other abuses of police power, the Justice Department announced today.
Adam Iza, 24, who has residences in Beverly Hills and Newport Coast, was named this week in a three-count superseding information that charges him with conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and tax evasion. Iza has been in federal custody since September 2024.
Eric Chase Saavedra, 41, of Chino, an LASD deputy and a former federal task force officer, was separately charged today with conspiracy against rights and subscribing to a false tax return.
Iza and Saavedra have agreed to plead guilty to these felony charges and are expected to make their initial appearances in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming days.
“When law enforcement officers violate their oath, they betray not only the public but also the vast majority of officers who do the job the right way,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “The conduct admitted to in these plea agreements is deeply disturbing and cannot be tolerated. I am grateful for the cooperation of Sheriff Robert Luna and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in working with our office to root out corruption and uphold civil rights.”
“The defendants profited handsomely by abusing the criminal justice system and trampling on victims’ civil rights,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI is committed to rooting out corrupt officials and their coconspirators whose actions erode trust in law enforcement.”
The plea agreement for Iza was filed this morning. Federal prosecutors late Thursday filed charges, as well a plea agreement, in the case against Saavedra.
According to their plea agreements, Iza hired off-duty LASD deputies to act as his personal enforcers against his enemies. As part of the conspiracy to violate civil rights, Iza would have the deputies assist him in carrying out extortion, intimidation, setting people up for arrest, and abuse of legal process. One of the deputies Iza employed was Saavedra, who was assigned to LASD’s Operation Safe Streets Bureau and served as a federal task force officer assigned to the United States Marshals Service’s Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Saavedra founded a private security company, Saavedra & Associates LLC. This company provided private security for its clients and often employed active LASD deputies and other law enforcement officers. From August 2021 to March 2022, Iza – who then lived in a Bel Air mansion – hired Saavedra & Associates to provide him round-the-clock private security at a typical cost of $100,000 per month. Iza hired the company again from July 2024 until Iza’s arrest in September 2024.
Starting in the fall of 2021, Saavedra illegally and regularly used his LASD credentials to access sensitive law enforcement databases to obtain personal identifiable information for Iza, including PII for people with whom Iza had personal or business disputes, their associates and their family members. Saavedra knew he was not authorized under LASD rules to access this information for non-law enforcement matters or to share it with private clients. He did so because he wanted to impress Iza with his access to law enforcement information and to continue to receive lucrative business from Iza, according to court documents.
Saavedra admitted that he used his powers as a sworn law enforcement officer to improperly obtain court-authorized search warrants related to individuals with whom Iza had disputes, including a warrant to search an individual’s residence that Saavedra helped facilitate and a warrant to obtain location information associated with another individual that Saavedra directly obtained.
Iza, Saavedra and others used confidential information that the LASD deputies obtained in their official capacities to locate, intimidate, harass, threaten and extort individuals with whom Iza had disputes and their associates, according to court documents. They also used Telegram and other encrypted communications apps to avoid law enforcement detection.
For example, in late 2021 or early 2022, Iza – believing a victim possessed a laptop computer containing more than $100 million in cryptocurrency – discussed and agreed that Saavedra would obtain a search warrant for GPS location associated with that victim’s telephone number. In January 2022, Saavedra applied for and obtained a search warrant under false pretenses from a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. In an affidavit supporting the search warrant application, Saavedra falsely stated that the victim’s telephone number was associated with a suspect in a firearms investigation.
After securing the illegal warrant, Saavedra tracked down the victim and provided the victim’s address to Iza. In March 2022, Iza caused three armed individuals to try to force entry into the victim’s home to steal the laptop. The individuals fled after the victim fired a gunshot in their direction. Afterward, Iza sent the victim a video of the attempted home invasion robbery.
The documents filed this week describe other violent acts, including an August 2021 event during which two LASD deputies held a victim at gunpoint inside Iza’s residence, after which Iza caused $25,000 to be transferred from the victim’s bank account to his own, and an October 2021 event in which Iza himself held a victim at gunpoint, causing that victim to transfer $127,000 to Iza.
Iza also admitted to stealing more than $37 million by fraudulently gaining access to Meta Platforms Inc. business manager accounts and their associated lines of credit from 2020 to 2022.
Both Iza and Saavedra admitted in their plea agreements to federal tax crimes. Iza willfully avoided the assessment of approximately $6,772,725 in federal income tax due for the year 2021. Saavedra received approximately $373,146 in unreported income and subscribed to a false tax return for 2021.
“Mr. Iza’s and Mr. Saavedra’s relationship was little more than a thuggish partnership between a thief and a crooked cop,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “The public should be able to trust members of law enforcement, but Mr. Saavedra violated his oath for a payday. Mr. Iza stole from anyone he could and found a big payday by ripping off Meta so that he could afford to pay for Mr. Saavedra’s corrupt protection and assistance. Unfortunately for both of them, money leaves trails and IRS Criminal Investigation is the best in the world at finding and following those trails. When you commit fraud and take a payday from fraudsters you must pay taxes on those funds. Now they will face justice for their actions.”
After pleading guilty, Iza will face up to 35 years in federal prison. Saavedra will face up to 13 years in federal prison.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. O’Brien and J. Jamari Buxton of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Maxwell K. Coll of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Columbia County Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Wire Fraud Conspiracy and Illegally Dispensing Animal DrugsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Columbia County, Oregon woman was sentenced to federal prison Thursday for her role in a conspiracy to defraud customers seeking to adopt pets and illegally dispensing prescription animal drugs without a lawful order of a veterinarian.
Samantha Miller, 55, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. The sum of restitution Miller must pay to her victims will be determined at a later date.
“Today’s sentence should make it clear to others engaged in unconscionable conduct that it will not be tolerated and they will be held responsible for their crimes,” said Hannah Horsley, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit for the District of Oregon.
“The FDA regulates animal drugs as part of its mission to protect the public health, which includes ensuring that prescription animal drugs are lawfully obtained, distributed, and dispensed,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Los Angeles Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who criminally attempt to evade the law.”
According to court documents, between November 2019 and January 2021, Miller and her co-conspirators, through their animal rescue business Woofin Palooza, LLC, conspired to obtain animals with health and behavioral problems from out-of-state shelters at no cost to offer for adoption to paying customers in Oregon. Once animals were transported to Portland, Miller did not provide the care needed by these animals through a licensed veterinarian. Instead, their medical issues were either ignored or Miller attempted to treat the animals herself by administering prescription animal drugs without supervision of a veterinarian.
As part of the scheme, Miller used the alias “Mandy Myers” to hide her true identity. Miller advertised animals for adoption on Woofin Palooza and Petfinder websites with misleading or false statements of the known medical and behavioral issues. When victims adopted a pet, Miller misrepresented the extent of health and behavioral issues in communications and contracts with the victims. In some instances, Miller dispensed prescription animal drugs to victims that she had repackaged with false or misleading labels and without the order of a licensed veterinarian. As a result, victims unknowingly adopted unhealthy and aggressive animals and were forced to seek veterinary care and training, including euthanasia, often incurring significant expenses.
On February 7, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 4-count superseding indictment charging Miller with conspiring to commit wire fraud, conspiring to misbrand drugs, and misbranding animal drugs by dispensing them without a lawful order of a veterinarian and by repackaging and relabeling them.
On October 24, 2024, Miller pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and misbranding drugs by dispensing prescription animal drugs without a lawful order of a veterinarian.
This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Robert S. Trisotto and Meredith D.M. Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Colorado Man Sentenced to 37 Months for Methamphetamine and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Juan Rodriguez-Rios, age 39, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced January 16, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for possessing with intent to distribute 430 grams of methamphetamine and 14 pounds of marijuana. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Rodriguez-Rios to 37 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 2-year term of supervised release.
On September 6, 2022, the Nebraska State Patrol on I-80 around Seward, observed a GMC Yukon with an inoperative brake light. A traffic stop was conducted, and the driver and sole occupant was identified as Rodriguez-Rios. At the conclusion of the traffic stop, Rodriguez-Rios was given a warning. During the post-stop encounter, Rodriguez-Rios gave consent to search the vehicle. In the vehicle the trooper located approximately 14 pounds of marijuana and 430 grams of pure meth.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Cedar Rapids Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who distributed more than 900 fentanyl pills was sentenced January 15, 2025, to more than five years in federal prison.
Brogan Eugene McCartney, age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 29, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, one count of distribution of a controlled substance, and three counts of use of a communication facility to commit a felony drug offense.
Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, between January 2023 and the beginning of March 2023, McCartney obtained at least 900 pills containing fentanyl from a source of supply. McCartney distributed some or all those pills to other individuals. On March 4, 2023, emergency personnel responded to McCartney’s residence in Cedar Rapids, where they found a female deceased in McCartney’s bed from a fentanyl‑related overdose. McCartney continued to distribute fentanyl pills.
On August 7, 2023, law enforcement officers used an undercover officer to purchase 18 fentanyl pills from McCartney. During the August 7 purchase, McCartney told the undercover officer that he had a firearm on him, and McCartney then lifted up his shirt and flashed the handle of what appeared to be a firearm. Officers later learned that it was actually a BB gun. On August 23, 2023, the undercover officer ordered more fentanyl pills from McCartney. When the officer arrived at McCartney’s residence, McCartney and McCartney’s friend entered the officer’s vehicle, where McCartney’s friend distributed 16 fentanyl pills to the officer. On September 6, 2023, McCartney posted a video on social media of himself with a firearm containing an extended magazine. That same day, the undercover officer ordered more fentanyl pills from McCartney. When the officer arrived at McCartney’s residence, McCartney and McCartney’s friend entered the officer’s vehicle. During the purchase, McCartney offered to purchase a firearm for the officer if the officer paid McCartney $100. McCartney’s friend eventually distributed 30 fentanyl pills to the officer.
McCartney was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. McCartney was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a three‑year term of supervised release after the prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
McCartney is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Johnson County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa City Police Department, the Coralville Police Department, the North Liberty Police Department, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24‑CR‑00057‑CJW.
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California La eMe Members and Associates Indicted for Racketeering and Controlled Substance Trafficking through a Partnership with the Sinaloa CartelRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count superseding indictment against Ronaldo Mudrano Ayala, 74, of San Diego; Angel Anthony Esparza, 41, of Indio; Ronald Paul Sepulveda, 40, of Riverside; Samuel O. Morales, 42, of Seattle; Allen David Fong, 33, of San Mateo; and Alexis Rodriguez, 23, of Seattle, Washington; charging them with racketeering and controlled substance offenses, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The superseding indictment was returned on Dec. 19, 2024, and was unsealed yesterday following the arrest and arraignment of Rodriguez.
According to court documents, the defendants were members of an organization known as the Mexican Mafia or La eMe, whose members engaged in, among other things, interference with commerce through extortion, arson, controlled substance trafficking, and firearms trafficking. La eMe was founded in Folsom State Prison. Thereafter, La eMe grew within the California and Federal prison systems, and today, La eMe exerts influence and control over various illegal activities both inside and outside of the prison systems. La eMe controls and organizes Sureño street gangs into a larger, La eMe-controlled, criminal organization, and it enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members and associates by assaulting and threatening those individuals, including associates, who violate the rules, fail to carry out an order, or pose a threat to La eMe. Members and associates of La eMe routinely used contraband cellphones smuggled into prisons to communicate with each other.
The superseding indictment alleges that La eMe generated revenue through the collection of “La eMe taxes.” For instance, La eMe required the payment of taxes on any illegal activities that generate revenue within their area of influence. To ensure the payment of taxes, La eMe offered protection should an individual paying the taxes serve a sentence of incarceration. Also, La eMe sought to burn property belonging to persons who failed to pay taxes. La eMe also collected taxes from entertainers or persons perceived to be profiting by using La eMe’s reputation, insignias, or claiming La eMe or “mafia” affiliation.
La eMe collected La eMe taxes in areas throughout the Western United States including throughout California and in Washington state. The superseding indictment alleges that La eMe formed a partnership with the Sinaloa Cartel offering protection for the cartel’s incarcerated members, including Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, in exchange for the Sinaloa Cartel supplying controlled substances from Mexico.
The superseding indictment alleges that the defendants served the following functions, among others, within the enterprise:
Ronaldo Mudrano Ayala, aka “OG,” aka “El Professor,” aka “Profe,” was an inmate at San Quentin State Prison. Ayala oversaw La eMe’s interests and tax collection efforts in the areas throughout the United States including San Diego, Riverside County, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Seattle. Ayala also oversaw the agreement between La eMe and the Sinaloa Cartel, ordered the extortion of persons who failed to pay La eMe taxes, ordered the arson of property belonging to persons who failed to pay La eMe taxes, communicated La eMe directives to La eMe associates inside and outside the prison systems, and enforced discipline among La eMe associates.
Angel Anthony Esparza, aka “Snappy,” aka “Snaps,” was an inmate at San Quentin State Prison. Esparza handled La eMe business for Ayala. Esparza instructed others concerning the amount of La eMe taxes which Ayala ordered to be collected on controlled substances received through the agreement between La eMe and the Sinaloa Cartel. Esparza also provided instructions concerning the payment of La eMe taxes including, coordinating the receipt of La eMe tax payments.
Ronald Paul Sepulveda, aka “Temper,” acted as a La eMe associate outside the prison system in Riverside County. Ayala or his associates communicated La eMe directives to Sepulveda who, in turn, oversaw their commission. Those directives involved the collection of taxes, extortionate threats, arson, and taxes collected from persons in the entertainment industry, particularly musicians, who purported to have Sureño or La eMe affiliation.
Samuel O. Morales, aka “Payaso,” aka “Paya” was a member of the United Lokotes, a Sureño gang located in the Seattle area. Through his membership in a Sureño gang, Morales acted as a La eMe associate. Morales carried out a La eMe a directive to improve La eMe tax collection by organizing Sureño gangs in the area surrounding Seattle. Morales also assisted La eMe in a plot to extort a musician, and Morales oversaw the arson of property belonging to the musician.
Allen David Fong, aka “Frank,” aka “Frankie Chino” was an incarcerated La eMe associate. From inside California State Prison – Solano, Fong acted as a La eMe associate who helped to arrange controlled substance transactions and to collect La eMe taxes.
Alexis Rodriguez, aka “Menace,” was a member of the United Lokotes, a Sureño gang located in the Seattle area. Through his membership in a Sureño gang, Rodriguez acted as a La eMe associate. Along with Morales, Rodriguez assisted La eMe in a plot to extort a musician, and Rodriguez helped in the arson of property belonging to the musician.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Abendroth is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Ayala, Esparza, and Fong face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted, Sepulveda, Morales, and Rodriguez face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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. The specific mission of the OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, and prosecute the most significant criminal organizations operating in the Eastern District of California. OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is composed of agents and officers from DEA, FBI, HSI, IRS-CI, USMS, ATF, USPIS, BLM, USFS, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, the California National Guard, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, and the Central Valley California HIDTA. The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California with the assistance of the Yolo County and Placer County District Attorneys.
Boston Man Sentenced to Prison for Firearm Offenses and Straw Purchasing ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today for conspiring to illegally traffic and straw purchase firearms.
Gustavo Rodriguez, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In November 2023, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL and one count of aiding and abetting making false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL. Rodriguez was charged by complaint on Jan. 17, 2023 along with Cory Daigle and Shakim Grant. He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on March 16, 2023.
From in or about August 2022 through November 2022, Rodriguez and Daigle conspired to create false entries in records required to be maintained by Daigle, an FFL, in order to conceal the illegal sale of multiple firearms through Grant to Rodriguez, who could not lawfully purchase or possess firearms. Specifically, Grant and Daigle made and signed false representations on required forms to disguise Rodriguez’s identity as the true firearm purchaser. Rodriguez is prohibited from possessing a firearm. The defendants also attempted to coverup the illegal straw purchase by providing false information to law enforcement.
Daigle and Grant each pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. On Jan. 10, 2025, Daigle was sentenced to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. On Oct. 18, 2024, Grant was sentenced to three years of probation.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Revere Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.BioReference Health and OPKO Health Agree to Pay $704,349 to Settle Allegations that they Billed the Government for Medically Unnecessary Blood TestsRead the Press Release
BioReference Health LLC, formerly known as BioReference Laboratories Inc. (BioReference) and OPKO Health Inc. (OPKO), have agreed to pay $704,349 to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act arising from BioReference’s submission of claims for laboratory tests that had not been ordered by a patient’s provider. OPKO is a Delaware Corporation. BioReference, a subsidiary of OPKO, is headquartered in New Jersey and is one of the largest clinical laboratories in the United States.
The United States alleged that BioReference and OPKO knowingly submitted false claims to federal healthcare programs for complete blood count (CBC) with automated white blood cell (WBC) differential laboratory tests that were not medically necessary. Specifically, the United States alleged that, from Jan. 1, 2012, until March 1, 2023, BioReference and OPKO routinely performed more expensive CBC with WBC differential tests when, in fact, medical providers had ordered less expensive CBC with no WBC differential tests, and then billed federal healthcare programs for the more expensive and medically unnecessary tests.
“Health care providers are expected to provide and bill only for services that are medically necessary,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates our commitment to protecting the integrity of federal health care programs and the taxpayer funds that support them.”
“BioReference allegedly profited by fraudulently performing and billing the federal government for unreasonable and unnecessary lab tests,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss for the District of Delaware. “Schemes like these waste taxpayer money and raise healthcare costs for all Americans. My office will vigorously enforce anti-fraud statutes like the False Claims Act to combat such fraud and abuse of our healthcare system.”
“Laboratory companies have a responsibility to perform the specific testing requested by physicians’ orders,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is committed to working with the Justice Department to investigate allegations of inappropriate insurance claims and to safeguard the integrity of our federal health care programs.”
The settlement stems from allegations originally brought in a lawsuit filed in the District of Delaware by a whistleblower under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties, known as relators, to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. In connection with today’s announced settlement, the relator will receive $112,694 of the recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Omni Healthcare Inc. v. OPKO Health, Inc. and BioReference Laboratories Inc., Civil Action No. 19-1670 (DDE).
This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware with assistance from HHS-OIG. Trial Attorney Claire L. Norsetter of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shamoor Anis for the District of Delaware handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
Benton Harbor Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Federal Jury Found Defendant Guilty Following Trial on Felon in Possession Charge
GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Lamon Tirell Turner, 47, of Benton Harbor, was sentenced to 100 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Turner has many prior violent convictions including assault, unarmed robbery, domestic violence, and assault on a police officer.
“Gun violence inflict tremendous harm on our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “My office is committed to stopping the proliferation of illegal guns flooding our communities. We will use all our tools and partnerships to hold offenders driving gun violence accountable and keep our communities safe.”
Investigators executed a search warrant at an apartment where Turner was staying. Officers located a firearm hidden underneath a couch, adjacent to where Turner was sleeping. Turner’s wallet was within feet of the weapon. Subsequent DNA analysis confirmed Turner’s DNA was present on the firearm.
The recovered firearm was determined to be the last one recovered of 123 firearms stolen during a November 16, 2023, robbery of Dunham's sporting goods store in Benton Harbor. With this recovery, law enforcement has now successfully located all firearms taken during that robbery.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis Sanford and Constance Turnbull represented the United States at trial.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/psn.
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Barre, Vermont Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud of Elder VictimRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on January 17, 2025, Jessica Russell, 42, of Barre, Vermont, pleaded guilty before Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to two counts of wire fraud.
According to court records, Russell defrauded an elderly Vermont victim of over $84,000. Russell befriended her victim who had lost a son. Russell built rapport with the victim by calling her “mom” and falsely telling her that Russell herself had lost a child. The elderly victim gave Russell a power of attorney, but it only authorized Russell to take legal actions that the victim would have taken, if they were able. As the elderly victim’s health and mental state declined, Russell opened a joint checking account with the victim. That account was funded with over $132,000 that came from the sale of the victim’s home. Of that money, Russell used $68,000 to buy a house in Barton, Vermont and over $16,000 to buy a 2017 Mitsubishi SUV. Russell put the house in her own name, falsely telling other people that she had bought it with her own money or that she had inherited it. Russell put the SUV in her name as well. Last year, Russell communicated with a car dealership about making repairs to the SUV which she continued to represent as belonging to her.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for June 12, 2025, in Burlington.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and Vermont State Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Owyang. Russell is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara Puls.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Honors Justice Department Employees and Partners for the 72nd Annual Attorney General’s AwardsRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the recipients of the 72nd Annual Attorney General’s Awards, honoring Justice Department employees and others for extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of our nation’s laws. This year, there are 437 award recipients in 23 categories.
The 72nd Attorney General’s Awards and recipients are as follows:
The Attorney General’s David Margolis Award for Exceptional Service is the highest award given by the Justice Department to recognize employee achievement.
The Attorney General commends the investigation and prosecution team of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting: U.S. Attorney Honorable Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Trial Attorney Barry K. Disney of the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section; First Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Trial Attorney Aaron J. Stewart of the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Special Agent Samantha Bell of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Special Agent Brian R. Collins of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Hanrahan for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Staff Operations Specialist Evan P. Browne of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Victim Assistance Specialist Adrienne R. Howe for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Victim Specialist Bridget M. Simunovic for the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section; Victim Specialist Kristin N. Czernewski of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; and Trial Attorney Julia K. Gegenheimer of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service is the Department’s second highest award for employee performance. There are 16 Distinguished Service Awards.
The first Distinguished Award is presented to the BOP Deaths in Custody Evaluation Team: Chief Inspector Jan E. Davis Hamm of the Office of Inspector General’s Evaluations and Inspections Division; Chief Inspector Michael E. Pannone of the Office of Inspector General’s Evaluations and Inspections Division; Senior Inspector Alexander C. Parker of the Office of Inspector General’s Evaluations and Inspections Division; and Inspector Lincoln T. Berget of the Office of Inspector General’s Evaluations and Inspections Division.
The second Distinguished Award is presented to the Uvalde Team: Deputy Director Robert Chapman of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; Senior Counsel to the Director Shanetta Cutlar of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; Policing Assistance and Reform Sociologist Nazmia Comrie of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
The third Distinguished Award is presented to the Second Amendment Appellate Litigation Team: Assistant to the Solicitor General Vivek Suri of the Office of the Solicitor General; Appellate Litigation Counsel Mark B. Stern of the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Deputy Chief Ann O’Connell Adams of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section; Appellate Litigation Counsel Michael S. Raab of the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Deputy Chief Scott Meisler of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section; Trial Attorney Courtney L. Dixon of the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Trial Attorney William Glaser Criminal Division’s Appellate Section; Trial Attorney Sean R. Janda of the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Trial Attorney Joshua Handell of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section; Trial Attorney Kevin B. Soter of the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Trial Attorney Andrew Noll of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section; Trial Attorney Steven H. Hazel Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Trial Attorney Mahogane Reed of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section; Trial Attorney Benjamin R. Lewis Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; and Deputy Director Abby C. Wright of the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff.
The fourth Distinguished Award is presented to the Purdue Pharma Team: Deputy Director and General Counsel Ramona D. Elliott of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; Deputy General Counsel Lisa A. Tracy of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; Associate General Counsel Nan Roberts Eitel of the of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; Associate General Counsel P. Matthew Sutko of the of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; U.S. Trustee William K. Harrington of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Regions 1 and 2; Assistant U.S. Trustee Linda A. Riffkin of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Regions 1 and 2; Trial Attorney Paul M. Schwartzberg of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Region 2; Trial Attorney Denise J. Penn of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; Trial Attorney John P. Sheahan of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; Trial Attorney Beth A. Levene of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; Trial Attorney Sumi K. Sakata of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; Attorney Michael Shih Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Attorney Sean R. Janda Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence A. Fogelman for the Southern District of New York; Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter M. Aronoff for Southern District of New York; Deputy Solicitor General Curtis E. Gannon of the Office of the Solicitor General; Assistant to the Solicitor General Masha G. Hansford of the Office of the Solicitor General
The fifth Distinguished Award is presented to the Medicare Drug Negotiation Team: Assistant Director Michelle Bennett of the Civil Division; Staff Attorney Steve Myers of the Civil Division; Senior Trial Counsel Steve Pezzi of the Civil Division; Staff Attorney Catherine Padhi of the Civil Division; Appellate Litigation Counsel Michael S. Raab of the Civil Division; Staff Attorney David Peters of the Civil Division; Staff Attorney Maxwell Baldi of the Civil Division; Staff Attorney Lindsey Powell of the Civil Division; Trial Attorney Christine Coogle of the Civil Division; Trial Attorney Cassie Snyder of the Civil Division; Trial Attorney Alexander V. Sverdlov Civil Division; Trial Attorney Mike Gaffney of the Civil Division.
The sixth Distinguished Award is presented to the Magazine Case Team: Supervisory Special Agent Dustin Berger of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office; Paralegal Specialist Chrissy J. Nguyen for the District of Minnesota; Forensic Accountant Lacramioara Blackwell of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office; Paralegal Specialist Hannah C. Serres for the District of Minnesota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert for the District of Minnesota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson for the District of Minnesota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett S. Fields for the District of Minnesota; Litigation Support Specialist Rachel L. Thrasher for the District of Minnesota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Jacobs for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Postal Inspector John M. Western of the U.S. Postal Inspection (USPIS) Denver Field Office; and Special Agent Jared F. Kary of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office.
The seventh Distinguished Award is presented to the Emergency Support Function #13 National Coordinator Center: National Coordinator Robert P. McCloy of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Unit Chief Michael T. McCarthy of the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group; Correctional Program Specialist Jacob Dyer of the Federal Bureau of Prisons; Special Agent Robert L. Patrizi of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Special Agent Christopher E. Felski of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Special Agent Michael D. Schaefer of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Special Agent Gregory A. Fox of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Special Agent Nathan P. Shaffer of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Program Analyst Jennifer D. Ivy of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Assistant Chief Inspector Jeffrey R. Sharp U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); Budget Analyst Naomi Jacques of the Federal Bureau of Prisons; Emergency Management Specialist Edward G. Sherburne III of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Special Agent Gabriel S. Mamock of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Assistant Chief Inspector Andrew Slazinik of the USMS; and Special Agent Daniel R. Marchant of the DEA.
The eighth Distinguished Award is presented to the Google Search Team: Trial Attorney Diana A. Aguilar Aldape of the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office; Trial Attorney Claire M. Maddox of the Antitrust Division’s Technology and Digital Platforms; Assistant Section Chief Meagan K. Bellshaw of the Antitrust Division’s Financial Services, Fintech, and Banking Section; Trial Attorney Michael G. McLellan of the Antitrust Division’s Financial Services, Fintech, and Banking Section; Acting Deputy Director of Civil Litigation David E. Dahlquist of the Antitrust Division’s Litigation Program; Economics Director of Enforcement Office Aditi M. Mehta of the Antitrust Division’s Assistant Attorney General; Deputy Branch Director Kenneth Dintzer of the Antitrust Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch/National Courts; Senior Litigation Counsel Erin K. Murdock-Park of the Antitrust Division’s Litigation Program; Trial Attorney Jeremy M.P. Goldstein of the Antitrust Division’s San Fransico Office; Economist Craig T. Peters of the Antitrust Division’s Economic Policy Section; Trial Attorney Richard C. Gower of the Antitrust Division’s Technology and Digital Platforms; Assistant Section Chief Adam T. Severt of the Antitrust Division’s Technology and Digital Platforms; Trial Attorney Karl E. Herrmann of the Antitrust Division’s Technology and Digital Platforms; Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General Lara E.V. Trager of the Antitrust Division’s Technology and Digital Platforms; Assistant Section Chief Elizabeth S. Jensen of the Antitrust Division’s San Fransico Office; Trial Attorney Sara Trent of the Antitrust Division’s Technology and Digital Platforms; Trial Attorney Matthew R. Jones of the Antitrust Division’s Financial Services, Fintech, and Banking Section; Economist Andrew S. Vollmer of the Antitrust Division’s Economic Litigation Section; Economist Samuel D. Krumholz of the Antitrust Division’s Economic Regulatory Section; and Trial Attorney Catharine S. Wright of the Antitrust Division’s Technology and Digital Platforms.
The ninth Distinguished Award is presented to the Counternarcotic Cyber Investigations Task Force: Special Agent Michael A. Buemi of the DEA’s Miami Field Division; Task Force Officer Carlos Muvdi of the DEA’s Miami Field Division; Staff Coordinator Hauns G. Charters of the DEA’s Special Operations Division; Sanctions Investigator Thomas L. Vien of the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control; Postal Inspector Rafael A. Garcia of the USPIS Miami Division; Special Agent James B. Whitworth of the DEA’s Miami Field Division; Special Agent Alexis J. Gregory of Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), Program Manager Lissel Wilson of U.S. Custom and Border Protection’s Officer National Targeting Center;
Sanctions Investigator Matthew B. Hebron of the Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Foreign Assets Control; Intelligence Research Specialist Nikeisha P. Winston of DEA’s Miami Field Division; Special Agent Bryce Jones of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations; Diversion Investigator Lana M. Worobec of DEA’s Beijing Country Office; and Supervisory Intelligence Research Specialist Daniel E. Maxwell of DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence.
The 10th Distinguished Award is presented to the Title II Web Final Rule Team: Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jennifer E. Mathis of the Civil Rights Division; Attorney Advisor Lara S. Kaufmann of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Chief Rebecca B. Bond of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Trial Attorney Rebecca N. Guterman of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Deputy Chief Kristin M. Stitcher of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Trial Attorney Abigail A. Olson of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Deputy Chief Joy Levin Welan of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Attorney Advisor Badar U. Tareen of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Attorney Advisor David K. Gardner of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Paralegal Specialist Cameron C. Lynch of the Civil Rights Division’s Professional Development Office; Attorney Advisor Logan K. Gerrity of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section.
The 11th Distinguished Award is presented to the Access to Justice Leadership Team: Senior Advisor Jesse Bernstein of the Office for Access to Justice; Executive Officer Shannon Munro of the Office for Access to Justice; Language Access Coordinator Claudia Castillo of the Office for Access to Justice; Senior Counsel Nikhil Ramnaney of the Office for Access to Justice; Pro Bono Program Manager Laura Klein of the Office for Access to Justice; Deputy Director of Policy Christina Smith of the Office for Access to Justice; Public Affairs Officer Lauren Lambert of the Office for Access to Justice; Acting Deputy Director of Programs David Steib of the Office for Access to Justice; Senior Advisor Kim Lopez of the Office for Access to Justice; Senior Counsel Andrew Walchuk of the Office for Access to Justice; General Counsel Catalina Martinez of the Office for Access to Justice; Acting Chief of Staff Jessa Wilcox of the Office for Access to Justice; Human Resource Liaison Nichole Miller of the Office for Access to Justice; and Executive Director of the Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable Allie Yang-Green of the Office for Access to Justice.
The 12th Distinguished Award is presented to the Fisher Team: Deputy Chief of Complex Frauds Christopher Huber for the Northern District of Georgia; Trial Attorney Richard Rolwing of the Tax Division’s Northern Criminal Enforcement Section; Trial Attorney Jessica Kraft of the Tax Division’s Southern Criminal Enforcement Section; Trial Attorney Nicholas Schilling of the Tax Division’s Southern Criminal Enforcement Section; Paralegal Robert Resto of the Tax Division’s Southern Criminal Enforcement Section; Trial Attorney Parker Tobin of the Tax Division’s Southern Criminal Enforcement Section.
The 13th Distinguished Award is presented to the Data Protection Review Court Team: Acting Director Katherine Harman-Stokes of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; Program Specialist Leatha Johnson of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; Senior Counsel Christina Baptista of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; International Director Dylan Cors of the National Security Division’s Office of Law and Policy; Senior Counsel Hannah Mayer of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; Litigation Support Specialist Maisha Treadwell of the National Security Division’s eLitigation and Data Services; Senior Counsel Andrew McFarland of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; Assistant Director Nancy Anne Baugher of the Justice Management Division’s Budget Staff; Senior Counsel Jay Sinha of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; Budget Analyst Peter Carlino of the Justice Management Division’s Budget Staff; Attorney Advisor Victoria Garcia of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; Assistant Director Julie Homick of Justice Management Division’s Human Resources Coordination Team; Management and Program Advisor Andria Robinson-Smith of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; and Program Specialist Claudia Tweed of the Justice Management Division’s Human Resource Operations.
The 14th Distinguished Award is presented to the Section 702 Reauthorization Team: Supervisory Attorney Advisor Peter J. Atlee of the National Security Division’s Office of Intelligence; Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel Susan J. Hennessey of the National Security Division’s Office of the Assistant Attorney General; Senior Counsel Andrew D. Beaty of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General; Supervisory Special Agent W. Mike Herrington of the FBI’s Office of the Director; Counselor Margot G. Benedict of the Office of the Attorney General; Counsel Hilary A. Hurd of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General; Senior Counsel Adrienne L. Benson of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General; Deputy Assistant Attorney General Melissa MacTough of the National Security Division’s Office of the Assistant Attorney General; Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nelson Slade Bond II of the Office of Legislative Affairs; Legislative Affairs Specialist Daniel J. Paviglianiti of the FBI’s Office of Congressional Affairs; Attorney Advisor Kathryn J. L. Donahue of the National Security Division’s Office of Intelligence; Supervisory Attorney Advisor Joshua T. Raines of the National Security Division’s Office of Intelligence; Press Secretary Emma M. Dulaney of the Office of Public Affairs; and Attorney Advisor James Saulino of the FBI’s Office of General Counsel.
The 15th Distinguished Award is presented to the Marathon Oil Team: Trial Attorney Jonah P. Brown of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section; Trial Attorney Vanessa M. Moore of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section; Legal Assistant Gabrielle J. James of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section; Assistant Section Chief Laura A. Thoms of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section; Paralegal Specialist Meghan R. Jones of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section.
The 16th Distinguished Award is presented to the United States v. Ross Roggio Team: Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee National Security Division’s Counter Espionage Section; Legal Administrative Specialist Sierra Morano for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Trial Attorney Colette L. Ford of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs; Victim Witness Specialist Andrea C. Myers for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Legal Administrative Specialist Christina M. Nihen for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Historian Phil Hoffman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights & Special Prosecutions Section; Special Agent Thomas J. O’Donnell of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office; Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights & Special Prosecutions Section; Paralegal Anna Rogers of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights & Special Prosecutions Section; Trial Attorney Christian Levesque of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights & Special Prosecutions Section; and Deputy Chief Courtney Spivey Urschel of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights & Special Prosecutions Section.
The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism recognizes a remarkable act of bravery and risk of life while performing official duties.
The Award for Exception Heroism is presented to the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force: Senior Inspector Austin Acheson of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Special Agent Arthur Philson of the ATF; Task Force Officer (Fallen) William Elliott of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Task Force Officer (Fallen) Samuel Poloche of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Task Force Officer Josh Funderburk of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Task Force Officer Frankie Runyon of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Task Force Officer Casey Hoover of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Task Force Officer Chad Shingler of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Task Force Officer Frank Irizarry of the USMS Investigative Operations; Deputy U.S. Marshal Joshua Shuffler for the Western District of North Carolina; Task Force Officer Collin Johnson of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Senior Inspector Eric Tillman of the USMS Investigative Operations; Task Force Officer Samuel Laws of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Deputy U.S. Marshal (Fallen) Thomas Weeks for the Western District of North Carolina; Senior Inspector Derek Miller of the USMS Investigative Operations Division.
The Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award recognizes employees who have served at least 20 years in the Department and who have demonstrated high standards of excellence and dedication throughout their careers. This award is presented only in exceptional circumstances to those individuals of special merit and is not awarded to express general appreciation for tenure alone.
The first Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Deputy Chief Barbara “Bobbi” Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
The second Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to General Counsel Jennifer Kaplan of the Office on Violence Against Women.
The third Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Supervisory Trial Attorney Terry Henry of the Civil Division’s Federal Programs Branch.
The fourth Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane Harrigan for the Southern District of California.
The fifth Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart for the Northern District of Georgia.
The sixth Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Deputy Chief Gregg A. Maisel for the District of Columbia.
The seventh Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Senior Counsel for Appellate Matters Eric G. Hostetler of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Defense Section.
The eighth Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Supervisory Attorney Mary K. Butler of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
The ninth Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Supervisory Special Agent Richard B. Marx of the FBI’s Laboratory Division.
The Edward H. Levi Award for Outstanding Professionalism and Exemplary Integrity is established to pay tribute to the memory and achievements of former Attorney General Edward H. Levi, whose career as an attorney, law professor, and dean and public servant exemplified these qualities in the best traditions of the Department. The Edward H. Levi Award for Outstanding Professionalism and Exemplary Integrity is presented to Trial Attorney Lowell V. Sturgill of the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff.
The William French Smith Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cooperative Law Enforcement was established to pay tribute to the memory and achievements of former Attorney General William French Smith for his establishment of Law Enforcement Coordinating Committees (LECCs), and his outstanding efforts in promoting law enforcement cooperation and coordination throughout the nation. It is designed to recognize state and local law enforcement officials who, through their participation in cooperative interagency efforts, have made significant contributions to law enforcement endeavors and objectives.
This award is presented to the OPERATION DISRUPT SoCal Team: Senior Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section; Special Agent Brett A. Crooks of HSI; Deputy Chief Joseph A. Poux of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section; Special Agent Seidy Gaytan of HSI; Assistant Special Agent-In-Charge Benjamin M. Carr of Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division; Special Agent Shawn P. Doyle of HSI; Special Agent Gabrielle M. Buda of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division; Special Agent Ian MacLean of HSI; Special Agent Sawyer A. Rotell of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division; Criminal Analyst Regina Soria of HSI; Special Agent Ezekiel Austin of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division; Chief Phong Hua of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Supervisory Special Agent Michael Lesley of HSI; Watch Commander Roberto Pagan of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Supervising Criminal Investigator Gloria Gamino of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement recognizes outstanding professional achievements by law enforcement officers within the Justice Department. Two Excellence in Law Enforcement Awards.
The first Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement is presented to the Charlotte Response Team: Deputy Commander Brian Alfano of the USMS’ Investigative Operations Division; Senior Inspector David Frebel Jr. of the USMS’ Investigative Operations Division; Deputy Commander Brian Montana of the USMS’ Investigative Operations Division; Task Force Officer Jamie Terry of the USMS’ Investigative Operations Division; Law Enforcement Officer Jack Blowers of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; Law Enforcement Officer Mike Giglio of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; Law Enforcement Officer Justin Campbell of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; Law Enforcement Officer Christopher Tolley of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; Enforcement Officer (Fallen) Joshua Eyer Law of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; Task Force Officer Samuel Barksdale of the Investigative Operations Division Gastonia Police Department.
The second Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement is presented to Special Agent Kimojha “Mo” Brooks of the DEA’s North and Central America Division.
The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service in Indian Country is designed to recognize extraordinary efforts to demonstrate the Department's commitment to fight crime in Indian Country. The Award for Exceptional Service in Indian Country is presented to the Tribal Affairs Division of the Office on Violence Against Women: Grants Management Specialist Lisa M. Arnold of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Jennifer W. Marsh of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Tammy L. Ashley of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Jenny R. Mills of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Yulonda I. Candelario of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Mary A. Mummaw of the Office on Violence Against Women; Attorney Advisor Frances A. Cook of the Office on Violence Against Women; Deputy Director Sherriann C. Moore of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Samantha L. Dziatkiewicz of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Darla R. Nolan of the Specialist Office on Violence Against Women; Supervisory Grants Management Specialist Tia H. Farmer of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Cheryl “Renee” Stapp of the Office on Violence Against Women; Supervisory Grants Management Specialist Rebekah R. Jones of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Sydney L. West of the Office on Violence Against Women; Senior Grants Management Specialist Regina D. Madison of the Office on Violence Against Women.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Management recognizes outstanding administrative or managerial achievements which have significant improved operations, productivity, or reduced costs. The award is presented to Program Manager Angela D. Vandergrift of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Investigative Services.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Technology or Privacy recognizes outstanding contributions by Justice Department employees in applying information technology to improve the operations or productivity of the Department, reduce or avoid costs, or solve problems, as well as recognizing outstanding achievements in privacy law, policy, and compliance.
The first Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Technology or Privacy was presented to the Bankruptcy Videoconference Team: Supervisory Auditor Krista G. Hale of the U.S. Trustee Program; Auditor Nicole M. Zollars of the U.S. Trustee Program.
The second Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Technology or Privacy was presented to the DOJ National Law Enforcement Accountability Database (NLEAD) Team: Senior Counsel Jeffrey S. Nestler of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General; Director James L. Dunlap of the Justice Management Division’s Security and Emergency Planning Staff; Chief Privacy & Civil Liberties Officer (Acting) Peter A. Winn of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; Assistant Director Michael W. Haas of the Justice Management Division’s Law Enforcement Services and Information Sharing; Deputy Associate Attorney General Saeed Mody of the Office of the Associate Attorney General; Senior Advisor Marissa A. Marrone of the Justice Management Division’s Human Resources Staff; Deputy Assistant Attorney General Melinda Rogers of the Justice Management Division’s Office of the Chief Information Officer; Deputy Director Brian Merrick of the Justice Management Division’s Service Delivery Staff; Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Williams of the Justice Management Division’s Human Resources and Administration; General Counsel Morton J. Posner of the Justice Management Division; Director Melody Armstrong of the Justice Management Division; Deputy Director F. Michael Sena Justice Management Division’s Human Resources Staff; Chief of Staff Nikki Collier of the Justice Management Division; Senior Assistant General Counsel Evelyn Tang of the Justice Management Division; Deputy Assistant Director Peter W. Crichlow of the Justice Management Division; Deputy Assistant Director Leah Taylor of the USMS; Assistant Director Eric S. Daniels of the Justice Management Division; Deputy Assistant Director Erin M. Prest of the FBI’s Office of the General Counsel; Assistant Director Swati Deb of the Justice Management Division’s Application Technical Services.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security is designed to recognize a special act or service by a Department employee who has greatly contributed to protecting U.S. national security. The 2024 award is presented to T-Mobile Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States Penalty and Disclosure Team: Supervisory Attorney Advisor Eric S. Johnson of the National Security Division’s Foreign Investment Review Section; Supervisory Attorney Advisor Diane Kelleher of the Civil Division’s Federal Programs Branch; Research Support Specialist Robert A. Kaminaris of the National Security Division’s Foreign Investment Review Section; Trial Attorney James C. Luh of the Civil Division’s Federal Programs Branch; Attorney Advisor Eileen C. Keenan of the National Security Division’s Foreign Investment Review Section; Information Technology Specialist Matthew Baer of the FBI’s Operation Technology Division; Attorney Advisor Kara L. Podraza of the National Security Division’s Foreign Investment Review Section; Senior Telecommunications Specialist Michael Gray of the FBI’s Operational Technology Division; Supervisory Attorney Advisor Tyler J. Wood of the National Security Division’s Foreign Investment Review Section; Attorney Gregory Welsch of the FBI’s Operational Technology Division; and Trial Attorney Alison Zitron of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Service in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Administration is designated to recognize exceptional dedication to the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. This award is presented to the Federal Bureau of Prisons Freedom of Information Act Team: Government Information Specialist Santos Arellano of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ North Central Regional Office; Government Information Specialist Sara Lilly of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Central Office; Supervisory Attorney Advisor Eugene Baime of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Central Office; Government Information Specialist Kristi Scarantino of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Federal Correctional Complex Butner; Government Information Specialist Robin Carl of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Western Regional Office; Government Information Specialist Shauniece White of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix; Supervisory Government Information Specialist Kara Christenson of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Federal Medical Center Rochester.
The Attorney General’s Award for Equal Employment Opportunity is the Department’s highest award for performance in support of the Equal Employment Opportunity Program. This award is presented to the Beacon Project Team: Information Technology Specialist Aisha Napari Abass of the FBI Newark Field Office; Special Agent Corey G. Harris of the FBI New Orleans Field Office; Management & Program Analyst Alexis Karen Averette of the FBI’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion; Management and Program Analyst Tamika M. Harrison of the FBI’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Bryant Management & Program Analyst Shantuana Nicole of the FBI’s Directorate of Intelligence; Community Outreach Specialist Chiquanda D. Tillie of the FBI Columbia Field Office; Supervisory Foreign Language Program Coordinator Annie Yaitze Correa of the FBI New York Field Office; Community Outreach Specialist Stacie K. Ward of the FBI Charlotte Field Office; Management & Program Analyst Stacy Lamonte Culler of the FBI Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Management and Program Analyst Amy E. Waye of the FBI’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Special Agent Stacey Reid Deal of the FBI Charlotte Field Office; Applicant Recruiter/Coordinator Amani Wilson of the FBI Baltimore Field Office; Management & Program Analyst Edrienne C. Elliott-Wade of the FBI’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Supervisory Special Agent Kisha T. Winston of the FBI Washington Field Office; Community Outreach Specialist Marvella Gray of the FBI Baltimore Field Office.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Legal Support recognizes outstanding achievements in the field of legal support to attorneys by paralegal specialists and other legal assistants.
The first award for Excellence in Legal Support is presented to Environmental Torts Litigation Paralegal Specialist Doris Renate Epton of the Civil Division’s Torts Branch.
The second award for Excellence in Legal Support is presented to Management Analyst/Criminal Paralegal Margaret E. Jahn for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Administrative Support recognizes outstanding administrative or managerial achievements (e.g., human resources, financial management, information technology, and general non-legal administrative support). This award is presented to Paralegal Jenna Rahrle of the Office of Legislative Affairs.
The Claudia J. Flynn Award for Professional Responsibility is designed to recognize a Department attorney who has made significant contributions in professional responsibility by successfully handling a sensitive and challenging professional responsibility issue in an exemplary fashion and/or leading efforts to ensure that Department attorneys carry out their duties in accordance with the rules of professional conduct. The Claudia J. Flynn Award for Professional Responsibility is presented to Deputy Counsel Suzanne K. Drouet of the Office of Professional Responsibility.
The Attorney General’s Award for Asset Forfeiture recognizes the outstanding legal efforts or other actions by Department employees in support of the Government’s asset forfeiture programs. The Attorney General’s Award for Asset Forfeiture is presented to the Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program Team: Associate Deputy Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General; Chief Policy Unit Sarah Dorsey of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kevin O. Driscoll of the Criminal Division’s Office of the Assistant Attorney General; Acting Director of the Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program Patrick B. Gushue of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lisa H. Miller of the Criminal Division’s Office of the Assistant Attorney General; Principal Deputy Chief Lorinda Laryea of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section; Chief Counselor Brent Wible of the Criminal Division’s Office of the Assistant Attorney General; Chief Glenn S. Leon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section; Chief Margaret “Molly” Moeser of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; Principal Deputy Assistant Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit Jacob N. Foster of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section; Chief of the Program Management and Training Unit Jennifer Bickford of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; Assistant Chief Market Integrity & Major Fraud Unit Michael “Mike” O’Neill of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section; Deputy Chief Program Management and Training Unit Raymond “Matt” Colon of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; and Attorney Advisor Mark H. Goldberg of the National Security Division.
The Attorney General’s Award for Fraud Prevention recognizes those who have been involved with the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud and other white-collar crimes. The award is presented to the Endo Bankruptcy and Litigation Team: Assistant United States Attorney Peter Aronoff for the Southern District of New York; Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Schwartz for the Southern District of New York; Special Agent Wende E. Bardfeld of the FBI; Trial Attorney Tara M. Shinnick of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch; Assistant U.S. Attorney Jean-David Barnea for the Southern District of New York; Diversion Investigator Stephanie K. Tait of the DEA; Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Chase for the Southern District of Florida; Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Terranova of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section Commercial Litigation Branch; Trial Attorney Benjamin A. Cornfeld of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch; Supervisory Trial Attorney Kevin P. VanLandingham of the Civil Division’s Corporate/Financial Litigation; Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Feeley for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Director of the Fraud Section Natalie A. Waites of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch; Diversion Investigator Donna G. Richards of the DEA; Legal Administrative Specialist Angela Weddle for the Southern District of Florida; and Supervisory Trial Attorney Mary Schmergel of the Civil Division’s Corporate/Financial Litigation.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions by a New Employee recognizes exceptional performance and notable accomplishments towards the Department’s mission by an employee with fewer than five years of federal career service.
The first Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions by a New Employee recognizes Chief Juan Castillo of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Human Resource Management Division, National Recruitment Office.
The second Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions by a New Employee recognizes Physical Security Specialist Nicholas R. Eubanks of the USMS Southern District of Alabama.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding External Contributions recognizes individuals or teams who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and skill in fostering collaboration between government agencies and community stakeholders to enhance public safety or have rendered exceptionally helpful assistance to the Department in high-visibility litigation.
The first Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding External Contributions is presented to the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention Deployment Team: Conciliation Specialist Sean Barrett Community Relations Service’s South Region; Pearson Conciliation Specialist Kelly Hams of the Community Relations Service’s Midwest Region; Conciliation Specialist Kabrina W. Bass of the Community Relations Service’s Midwest Region; Conciliation Specialist Karl Jegeris of the Community Relations Service’s Midwest Region; Conciliation Specialist Joi Brown Dillard of the Community Relations Service’s South Region; Conciliation Specialist Dion Lyons of the Community Relations Service’s South Region; Conciliation Specialist Mildred Duprey de Robles of the Community Relations Service’s South Region; Conciliation Specialist Reginal M. Malden of the Community Relations Service’s South Region; Conciliation Specialist Clayton B. Fong of the Community Relations Service’s Mountain Central Region; Conciliation Specialist Kimberly L. McDonald of the Community Relations Service’s Atlantic North Region; Conciliation Specialist GusTavo A. Guerra Vasquez of the Community Relations Service’s West Region; Conciliation Specialist Michael Outlaw of the Community Relations Service’s Atlantic North Region; Conciliation Specialist Shanette Hall of the Community Relations Service’s Midwest Region; Conciliation Specialist Daniel Z. Rowe of the Community Relations Service’s South Region.
The second Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding External Contributions is the Project Safe Childhood Team: Project Safe Childhood Program Specialist Karen Legace for the District of Massachusetts; Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti for the District of Massachusetts; Special Agent Jennifer L. Gerega of the FBI Boston Field Office; Special Agent Matthew G. Fontaine of the FBI Boston Field Office; Special Agent Edward Bradstreet of HSI; Special Agent Virginia B. Toulouse of the FBI Boston Field Office; Special Agent Andrew Kelleher of HSI; Trooper DeShawn Brown Trooper of the Massachusetts State Police.
The John Marshall Awards are the Department’s highest awards presented to attorneys for contributions and excellence in specialized areas of legal performance.
The first John Marshall Award for Excellence in Litigation is presented to the United States v. Aldrich Prosecution Team: Victim Witness Coordinator Debbie Azua-Dillehay for the District of Colorado; Special Agent Ryan Molinari of ATF; Auditor Dana Chamberlin for the District of Colorado; Victim Specialist Alicia Wagner of the FBIE Denver Field Office; Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Connaughty for the District of Colorado; Special Agent Jason R. Walter of the FBI Denver Field Office; Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Fields for the District of Colorado; Trial Attorney Maura D. White of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section; and Special Agent Justin Kempf of the FBI Denver Field Office.
The second John Marshall Award is presented to the United States v. Westchester Joint Water Works Team: Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel H. Dolinger for the Southern District of New York and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tomoko Onozawa for the Southern District of New York.
The third John Marshall Award is presented to the Aimenn Penny Investigation and Prosecution Team: Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian S. Deckert for the Northern District of Ohio; Special Agent Patrick B. Lentz of the FBI Cleveland Field Office; Special Agent Stacey Griggs of the FBI Cleveland Field Office; Intelligence Analyst Wendi Parker of the FBI Cleveland Field Office; Special Operations Specialist Megan Hixon of the FBI Cleveland Field Office; Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew W. Shepherd for the Northern District of Ohio; Victim Witness Specialist Allison A. Kretz for the Northern District of Ohio; Special Agent Lane R. Thorum for the FBI Cleveland Field Office; Supervisory Special Agent Jacob C. Kunkle of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent Cleveland Nicholas H. Visnich of the FBI Field Office.
The fourth John Marshall Award is presented to the United States v. Andrew Fahie Prosecution Team: Trial Attorney Shane Butland Criminal Division’s Fraud Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. McLaughlin for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin D. Gerarde for the Southern District of Florida; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederic (Fritz) Shadley for the Southern District of Florida.
The fifth John Marshall Award is presented to the Columbia River System Team: Senior Trial Attorney Michael R. Eitel of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section; Senior Trial Attorney Romney S. Philpott of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Natural Resources Section; Trial Attorney David S. Frankel of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Appellate Section; Senior Trial Attorney Frederick H. Turner of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section.
The sixth John Marshall Award is presented to the Binance Investigation and Prosecution Team: Trial Attorney Elizabeth R. Carr of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; Trial Attorney Alexander H. Wharton of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section; Deputy Chief of the Bank Integrity Unit Kevin G. Mosley Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael W. Dion for the Western District of Washington; Trial Attorney Victor R. Salgado of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Jarrett for the District of Oregon; Deputy Chief Matthew A. Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s Nation Security Cyber Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonas B. Lerman for the Western District of Washington; and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The John Marshall Award for Providing Legal Advice is presented to the Securing the Border Team: Attorney-Advisor Amanda Chuzi of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Louis Katz of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Jon Cowles of the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Office of Policy, Immigration Law Division; Attorney-Advisor Mark Krass of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Conor Craft of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Lucas Lallinger of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Lauren Gallenstein of the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Office of Policy, Immigration Law Division; Attorney-Advisor Grace Leeper of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Naomi Gilens of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Robert Charles Merritt of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Samantha Goldstein of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Dina Mishra of the Office of Legal Counsel; Honors Program Attorney Emily Gorrivan of the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Office of Policy, Immigration Law Division; Counsel Nicholas Nasrallah of the Office of Legal Counsel; Senior Litigation Counsel Christina Greer of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation; Attorney-Advisor Mariette Peltier of the Office of Legal Counsel; Special Counsel Rosemary Hart of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Caitlin E. Whaley of the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Office of Policy, Immigration Law Division; and Supervisory Attorney Raechel J. Horowitz of the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Office of Policy, Immigration Law Division.
The John Marshall Award for Appellate Litigation is presented to Trial Attorney David M. Lieberman of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section.