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4 February 2025
Stroudsburg Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Delvin Hutchinson, age 33, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 31, 2025, to 60 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for making false statements in connection with the acquisition and attempted acquisition of firearms. On September 3, 2024, a federal jury in Scranton convicted Hutchinson of all three counts of an indictment following a four-day trial.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, in March of 2019, Hutchinson straw purchased a total of seven firearms for his friend, a person prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms. The prohibited person submitted online orders for firearms, which Hutchinson would pick up in exchange for a cash payment. There was a pending online order for two more firearms when Hutchinson was initially questioned by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Agents concerning the multiple handgun purchases. All of the firearms purchased by Hutchinson were cheap, low-quality firearms – not suitable for collection or self-protection, but commonly associated with criminal activity.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Sarah R. Lloyd prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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St. Louis Tax Preparer Admits Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis tax preparer on Monday admitted preparing at least 41 fraudulent tax returns for the tax years 2017-2021.
Shasherese M. Reed, 53, pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns. Reed admitted using a tax preparation business, Majac Money, which was opened by her daughter because the IRS revoked the Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) assigned to Reed and her business, Sha-Sha Taxes, in 2015. Reed falsely identified her daughter as the paid preparer on the tax returns that Reed prepared at Majac Money. On these returns, Reed commonly included a false Schedule C that reported tens of thousands of dollars in business expenses, when the taxpayer either had substantially smaller expenses or did not own a business at all. Reed also claimed false and fraudulent deductions for things like state and local taxes, medical and dental expenses and mortgage interest, her plea agreement says.
Reed also admitted preparing a fraudulent tax return for an undercover agent with IRS Criminal Investigation who was posing as a potential client of Majac Money. Without ever asking if the agent had a business, Reed prepared a return that included a false Schedule C showing $26,242 in business expenses, the plea agreement says.
Reed charged clients hundreds of dollars in fees for preparing returns, making about $378,026 in fees for the 2017-2021 tax years. Her plea says she prepared at least 41 false tax returns for 13 different taxpayers, costing the IRS at least $312,192.
Reed is scheduled to be sentenced May 6.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Admits Drug Robbery, CarjackingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from St. Louis County, Missouri on Tuesday admitted possessing a machine gun and committing a drug robbery and a carjacking.
Walter C. Moore, 19, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Tuesday to charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a machine gun, robbery, carjacking and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Moore admitted using Facebook to arrange for the purchase of $900 worth of the painkiller Oxycodone on April 25, 2024. The seller drove to Moore’s house and invited him to sit in her 2014 Mazda6 to complete the sale. Moore pulled out a handgun, grabbed the Oxycodone pills and ordered the seller out, threatening to shoot her. Moore then sped off in her car.
St. Louis County police located the car near the 1800 block of Chambers Road. Moore ran as police approached, but he was quickly located and arrested. He had discarded a Glock handgun equipped with a “switch,” or machinegun conversion device, rendering it a fully automatic weapon. It also had an extended magazine and a laser sight. Moore’s phone contained pictures of him with that gun and others. As a convicted felon, he is barred from possessing firearms.
Moore is scheduled to be sentenced May 6. Both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Moore’s lawyer have agreed to recommend a sentence of 15 years in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Southbridge Man Convicted of Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Southbridge man has been convicted by a federal jury for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed cocaine and fentanyl throughout the North Shore and Central Massachusetts areas.
Ismael Maysonet, 40, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for June 4, 2025. In September 2022, Maysonet was charged along with 21 other co-conspirators.
“Ismael Maysonet was a member of a large-scale drug trafficking organization that pumped fentanyl and cocaine into the communities of Massachusetts. We will continue to target and dismantle these groups to keep our communities safe and hold drug traffickers accountable,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “My office is committed to prosecuting all drug traffickers who prey on the vulnerable and addicted in our communities. We will continue to root out, arrest and prosecute those who violate our drug laws.”
“Those who choose to distribute fentanyl and cocaine endanger their customers as well as the general public. Maintaining public safety requires that they be prosecuted aggressively,” said Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “We work closely each day with our law enforcement partners to target those who seek to profit from the sale of these substances.”
“Postal inspectors are committed to ensuring the U.S. Postal Service is not a mechanism to distribute deadly fentanyl and other illicit narcotics,” stated Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “Let today’s verdict serve as a reminder that postal inspectors, along with our law enforcement partners, remain steadfast in our resolve to combat the flow of illicit drugs impacting our communities.”
In and around August 2021 through August 2022, Maysonet was identified as a member of a Southbridge-based DTO who distributed cocaine and fentanyl to retail customers and other drug dealers at the request of the leaders of the DTO, Jonathan Pizarro Gonzalez and Isaac Gonzalez. The DTO regularly used the United States mail to conduct drug trafficking activities. Specifically, the DTO obtained large quantities of cocaine through packages mailed from Puerto Rico to addresses used by the DTO and mailed packages containing fentanyl to recipients in Florida and elsewhere. On multiple occasions Maysonet was observed retrieving packages that were delivered by the United States mail that were known to contain drugs. Throughout the investigation, Maysonet was heard over intercepted calls discussing drug trafficking, payments and pickups, as well as the packaging of fentanyl in an electronic device to be mailed to Florida. Approximately nine kilograms of cocaine from packages sent through the mail and 800 grams of fentanyl were seized from various DTO members over the course of the investigation.
Both Jonathan Pizarro Gonzalez and Isaac Gonzalez pleaded guilty in January 2025 and are scheduled to be sentenced on April 29, 2025 and May 12, 2025, respectively.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams of cocaine fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence offive5 years and up to life in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Foley, DEA Acting SAC Belleau and USPIS INC Larco-Ward made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service, Massachusetts State Police, Southbridge Police Department, Lawrence Police Department, Essex County Sherriff’s Department and Worcester County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Hassink and Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Sisseton Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child AbuseRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Sisseton, South Dakota, man convicted of Child Abuse. The sentencing took place on January 27, 2025.
Nathaniel Yazzie, 24, was sentenced to one year and seven months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Yazzie was indicted for Child Abuse by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024.
On July 29, 2024, Yazzie struck a three-year-old child multiple times in the face and head while the child was in his care. A concerned party heard the child being abused in Yazzie’s room and called law enforcement. Upon arrival at Yazzie’s residence, law enforcement found the child with a bloody lip and bruising on his face, including linear bruises consistent with being slapped. Yazzie was arrested on tribal charges, and the child was transported to the hospital for medical care.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Yazzie was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Siblings Plead Guilty to COVID Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, MS – A Forrest County man and woman pled guilty to conspiring with each other to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Artista Garner, 36, of Hattiesburg, assisted her brother, Thaddieus Cooper, 31, in applying for benefits with the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. As an inmate in the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC), Cooper was not entitled to receive unemployment insurance benefits. Cooper was serving a sentence of six years in MDOC custody for armed robbery. Garner used the unemployment funds for her personal benefit and transferred some of the funds to Cooper via his commissary fund.
The unemployment insurance benefits were federally subsidized through the CARES Act in response to the pandemic.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Cooper and Garner on September 10, 2024. Both Cooper and Garner pled guilty on January 30, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They are scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2025, and they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick A. Lemon, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Southeast Region made the announcement.
The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force (NUIFTF). In response to the unprecedented scope of Unemployment Insurance (UI) fraud, the Department of Justice established the NUIFTF. The NUIFTF is a prosecutor-led multi-agency task force with representatives from FBI, DOL-OIG, IRS-CI, HSI, DHS-OIG, USPIS, USSS, SSA-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and other agencies. Members of the NUIFTF are working with state workforce agencies, financial institutions, and other law enforcement partners across the country to fight UI fraud, and consumers should be vigilant in light of these threats and take the appropriate steps to safeguard themselves.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization that expands states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who are not ordinarily eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime for Threatening and Firing Shots Outside of Albany SynagogueRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, age 29, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to civil rights and firearm charges related to his firing shots outside of an Albany synagogue.
Alkhader pled guilty to obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, brandishing a firearm during the commission of this offense, and conspiring to purchase a firearm unlawfully. Alkhader was arrested on December 7, 2023, and has been in federal custody since that date.
On the afternoon of December 7, 2023, Alkhader took an Uber from his home in Schenectady to Temple Israel in Albany. Upon arriving, he walked up the front steps of the synagogue, removed a shotgun from a duffel bag, and discharged two rounds into the air shouting, “Free Palestine!” Still holding the shotgun, he then attempted to remove an Israeli flag from a flagpole outside of the synagogue before walking away. He was arrested shortly after by Albany Police Officers.
United States Attorney Carla Freedman stated: “The defendant’s violent, antisemitic and terrifying act targeted the Temple Israel congregation, the larger Jewish community, and the right of every person to practice their religion without fear of violence. I commend law enforcement for acting swiftly to arrest Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, to investigate his motives and his illegal acquisition of the shotgun, and to bring about today’s guilty plea to a crime carrying a minimum term of 7 years in prison.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli stated: “Mr. Alkhader’s plea confirms his deliberate and premeditated intentions to illegally acquire a gun and use it to bring terror to the Temple Israel community as they were preparing to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. Thanks to the swift actions of the Temple Israel community and our law enforcement partners, justice has been served. The FBI remains steadfast in our mission to ensure all our communities can live without fear of hateful violence.”
Alkhader’s threatening actions forced the daycare operating inside of Temple Israel at the time of his actions to go into lockdown. Alkhader also significantly disrupted activities that the Temple Israel community had planned to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and made congregants afraid to return to their place of worship.
Alkhader also admitted that in November 2023, he and Andrew Miller agreed that Miller would purchase a shotgun for Alkhader by lying to a firearms dealer and falsely representing that Miller was the purchaser of the shotgun. On November 5, 2023, Alkhader and Miller drove to a federal firearms dealer in Albany and Miller purchased the Kel-Tec KS7 12-gauge pump-action shotgun; Miller later gave the shotgun to Alkhader. Alkhader fired this shotgun outside of Temple Israel.
ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller stated: “This guilty plea shows accountability for unlawfully obtaining a firearm and using it to instill fear. By stopping those who seek to use firearms to threaten and intimidate others, we are sending a message that gun violence will not be tolerated. This case demonstrates the dangerous consequences of unlawful gun possession. The cooperation between federal, state and local agencies remains critical in dismantling illegal gun trafficking. The successful resolution of this case was made possible due to collaboration between ATF NY Albany, FBI Albany, Albany PD, New York State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox stated: “The Albany Police Department wants to reassure the community that these incidents are taken very seriously, and we are dedicated to maintaining peace and safety for everyone in our community. Alkhader directly targeted the Jewish community, and I am pleased with our department’s quick action in apprehending the defendant, as well as the collective partnerships with the FBI Albany Office and the ATF who helped bring justice to this case.”
Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2025, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Alkhader faces at least 7 years and up to life in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 5 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Andrew Miller pled guilty and was sentenced to 14 months of imprisonment for his role in the straw purchase conspiracy.
The FBI Albany Field Office, in conjunction with the ATF and the Albany Police Department, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Belliss and Alexander Wentworth-Ping for the Northern District of New York, Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and Trial Attorney Trevor Kempner of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Pharmacy LLC Agrees to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of Billing for Drugs Not DispensedRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Plus Pharmacy LLC, the former owner of A Plus Pharmacy, a pharmacy located in Manalapan, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $350,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing a federal health care program for certain medications that it never dispensed, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced today.
According to the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:
The United States alleged that, from January 1, 2015, through February 27, 2023, A Plus Pharmacy LLC caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program for certain drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The government contends that inventory records showed that A Plus Pharmacy LLC did not purchase enough of these medications from wholesalers to fill the prescriptions billed to the federal health care program.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Toll and Kruti Dharia of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Jennifer Cihon in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section).
The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare 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 the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims settled by the agreement are allegations only, and there has been no admission of liability.
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a_plus_pharmacy.settlement_agreement.pdfOwner of District Real Estate Company Sentenced for Defrauding Paycheck Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Patrick Strauss, 54, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 48 months of probation – including six months of home confinement to be followed by a period of intermittent incarceration, that is, 26 weekends in jail – and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $304,900 and fined $8,784, all for participating in a conspiracy that fraudulently obtained more than $304,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, D.C. Inspector General Daniel Lucas, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C., Field Office.
Strauss pleaded guilty on September 12, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. According to court documents, Strauss was owner of Powergrid Real Estate LLC. In 2020, he was approached by someone who asked him if he wanted to file an application for a PPP loan. Strauss was aware that Powergrid did not qualify for a PPP loan because it had no employees and no payroll.
A co-conspirator prepared the PPP loan application for Powergrid, that falsely claimed that the company had 16 employees and an average monthly payroll of $132,547.17. The co-conspirator also prepared phony federal tax forms and payroll records to support the fraudulent PPP loan applications.
In July 2020, Strauss submitted the PPP loan application to Capital Bank. On July 29, 2020, Capital Bank wired $304,900 into Powergrid’s bank account. In July 2021, a co-conspirator prepared false and fraudulent federal tax returns. Strauss submitted the faked papers to Capital Bank in support of loan forgiveness for Powergrid.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allowed qualifying small-businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1 percent. PPP loan proceeds were required be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spent the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated time after receiving the proceeds and used at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
The case was investigated jointly by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C., Field Office. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin commended the work of those who investigated the case.
This matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb, Jr.
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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Oregon Check Casher Sentenced to Federal Prison for Payroll Tax Scheme Involving $177 MillionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.--A Tualatin, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for conspiring to defraud the United States and filing false currency transaction reports.
David Katz, 48, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and three years' supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $44,877,254 in restitution to the IRS.
According to court documents and trial testimony, from January 2014 through December 2017, Katz, as president of Check Cash Pacific, Inc., conspired with others in the construction industry to defraud the United States by facilitating under-the-table payments to construction workers. To carry out the scheme, sham construction companies were created and used to cash more than $177 million in payroll checks at different Check Cash Pacific locations. The cash was used to pay construction workers under-the-table, with no taxes being withheld or reported to the IRS.
Construction companies would notify Katz when they planned to bring checks into one of his check cashing locations so that Katz could ensure he had enough cash on hand to complete the transaction. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of payroll checks were cashed daily and Katz was aware that at least one of his co-conspirators used a false name and social security number. Acting as compliance officer, Katz allowed hundreds of false regulatory reports to be filed knowing they contained the fake identity.
For his role in the scheme, Katz received a 2% commission on each transaction which, in total, amounted to more than $4 million. Over the course of their conspiracy, Katz and his co-conspirators prevented the IRS from collecting more than $44 million in payroll and income taxes due on the cash wages.
On December 2, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a five-count indictment charging Katz with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and four counts of filing false currency transaction reports with FinCEN. On June 12, 2024, a federal jury in Portland found Katz guilty of all charges.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Robert S. Trisotto and Andrew T. Ho, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
One Sentenced, Two Admit to Roles in Ohio Valley Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Three men appeared in federal court this week for their involvement with a drug trafficking operation in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.
James Kidder, also known as “Jamey,” 47, of Martins Ferry, Ohio, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He has a criminal history that includes domestic violence, assault, theft, drug trafficking, and burglary.
James Galloway, 28, of Bellaire, Ohio, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base. Matthew Clemont, 32, of Wheeling, West Virginia, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, the three men were distributors in a larger drug trafficking operation that spanned from Las Vegas, Nevada, to the Ohio Valley.
Kidder will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Galloway and Clemont each face up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, Marshall County Drug Task Force, and the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, all HIDTA-funded initiatives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; West Virginia State Police; Wheeling Police Department; Ohio County Sheriff’s Office; and the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Press release on the associated case: www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/federal-grand-jury-indicts-twenty-six-drug-trafficking
Oglala Man Found Guilty in Federal Trial of Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Clayton Fire Thunder, age 40, of Oglala, South Dakota, of Involuntary Manslaughter and two counts of False Statement following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on January 30, 2025.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of eight years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Fire Thunder was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024.
The conviction relates to the following facts presented at trial. At approximately 4:00 A.M. on September 15, 2022, Fire Thunder caught a ride to a man’s residence just a few miles east of Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Fire Thunder was intoxicated. The individual Fire Thunder was seeking to contact was a methamphetamine dealer. Fire Thunder had acquired a firearm and intended to exchange the firearm with the methamphetamine dealer. As Fire Thunder approached the front door of the residence, he heard noises coming from inside the residence. At some point while on the exterior of the residence, Fire Thunder mishandled the firearm, causing a bullet to discharge into the house. Fire Thunder heard a female screaming, and he left the residence. A later investigation revealed that the bullet had traveled through the siding of the residence and into the adjacent bedroom where the methamphetamine dealer and a female were present. The female was struck by the bullet on her left side slightly below her arm. She later succumbed to her injuries. During two separate interviews with FBI agents in October 2023 and May 2024, Fire Thunder made false statements about the firearm and his involvement in the killing.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for April 25, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Norris Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Norris, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on February 4, 2025.
Harold White Hat, age 41, was sentenced to one year and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
White Hat was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024.
White Hat was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in 2022. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and to update his registration within three business days of relocation or changing employment. In July of 2024, White Hat relocated from his registered address in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but he did not thereafter update his sex offender registration. He was arrested in Todd County, South Dakota, on August 23, 2024.
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 the U.S. Marshals Service. Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
White Hat was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime for Threatening Jewish Synagogue in AlbanyRead the Press Release
A New York man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Albany, New York, to civil rights and firearm charges related to his threatening conduct targeted at a Jewish synagogue.
According to court documents, Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 29, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty to an information charging one count of obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, one count of brandishing a firearm during the commission of this offense, and one count of conspiring to purchase a firearm unlawfully. Alkhader was arrested on Dec. 7, 2023, and has been in federal custody since that date.
“The defendant’s violent, antisemitic and terrifying act targeted the Temple Israel congregation, the larger Jewish community, and the right of every person to practice their religion without fear of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Carla Freedman for the Northern District of New York. “I commend law enforcement for acting swiftly to arrest Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, to investigate his motives and his illegal acquisition of the shotgun, and to bring about today’s guilty plea to a crime carrying a minimum term of seven years in prison.”
“Mr. Alkhader’s plea confirms his deliberate and premeditated intentions to illegally acquire a gun and use it to bring terror to the Temple Israel community as they were preparing to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office. “Thanks to the swift actions of the Temple Israel community and our law enforcement partners, justice has been served. The FBI remains steadfast in our mission to ensure all our communities can live without fear of hateful violence.”
“This guilty plea shows accountability for unlawfully obtaining a firearm and using it to instill fear. By stopping those who seek to use firearms to threaten and intimidate others, we are sending a message that gun violence will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller of the New York Field Division for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “This case demonstrates the dangerous consequences of unlawful gun possession. The cooperation between federal, state and local agencies remains critical in dismantling illegal gun trafficking. The successful resolution of this case was made possible due to collaboration between ATF NY Albany, FBI Albany, Albany PD, NYSP, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
On the afternoon of Dec. 7, 2023, Alkhader took an Uber from his home in Schenectady to Temple Israel Synagogue in Albany. Upon arriving, he walked up the front steps of the synagogue, removed a shotgun from a duffel bag he had been carrying, and discharged two rounds into the air, shouting, “Free Palestine!” Still holding the shotgun, he then attempted to remove an Israeli flag from a flagpole outside of the synagogue before walking away. He was apprehended shortly after by Albany Police Department officers.
Alkhader’s threatening actions forced the daycare operating inside of Temple Israel at the time of his actions to go into lockdown. Alkhader also significantly disrupted activities that the Temple Israel community had planned to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and made congregants afraid to return to their place of worship.
For obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, Alkhader faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years for brandishing a firearm during the commission of his crime. Alkhader faces a maximum of five years in prison for participating in a conspiracy to unlawfully purchase a firearm. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Alkhader is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Albany Field Office investigated the case with assistance from ATF and the Albany Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Belliss and Alexander Wentworth-Ping for the Northern District of New York and Trial Attorney Trevor Kempner of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the Justice Department's National Security Division.
New York City Resident Sentenced to Six Years of Prison for Role in Interstate Methamphetamine Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Queens, New York, was sentenced in federal court to six years of imprisonment on his conviction for violating federal narcotics laws related to a six-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around Blair, Cambria, Centre, and Clearfield counties of Pennsylvania, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Timothy Paz, 32, on January 21, 2025, also ordering that Paz serve three years of supervised release following his incarceration.
According to information presented to the Court, Paz was a courier who transported approximately seven pounds of methamphetamine from the New York City area to Altoona, Pennsylvania, on behalf of a large-scale narcotics supplier. Paz also transported large amounts of United States currency representing payment for the methamphetamine from an Altoona-based narcotics distributor to the supplier.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Paz.
This prosecution 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.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun Control and Federal Controlled Substances Acts ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LYNDELL MIMS (“MIMS”), age 34, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 30, 2025, by United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier, after previously pleading guilty to possessing, with the intent to distribute, controlled substances, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and being a felon in possession of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, New Orleans Police Department officers stopped MIMS in his vehicle and detected a strong odor of marijuana. After getting a warrant to search his vehicle, the officers found three firearms, including a Diamondback Firearms Model DB15, 5.56 milli-meter pistol, a Glock Model 22, and a third gun in his female passenger’s purse. Officers then learned that MIMS was a convicted felon who was not allowed to possess firearms.
In addition to the guns, the officers found several types of drugs and three digital scales. The drugs, included 21.08 grams of methamphetamine; 30 grams of a mixture of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl; 2.22 grams of methamphetamine; 4.46 grams of cocaine; 1.55 grams of cocaine; 10.66 grams of psilocyn; approximately 300 grams of marijuana in over 100 smaller bags; 31 Tramadol pills; 75 packets of Buprenorphine/suboxone; 175 Tapentadol pills; 1.52 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture; 2.21 grams of fentanyl; several oxycodone pills; several pills containing fentanyl; 50.64 grams of methamphetamine; and additional miscellaneous pills.
Judge Barbier sentenced MIMS to 84 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Drug and Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that CALEB PUNCH (“PUNCH”), age 32 of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 30, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter after previously pleading guilty to (1) count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Dangerous Substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C), one (1) count of Possession of Firearms during a Drug Trafficking Offense, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), and one (1) count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
Judge Vitter sentenced PUNCH to 120 months of imprisonment on the drug distribution charge, and 60 months, to run consecutive to the 120 months, on the firearms charge, for a total sentence of 180 months imprisonment. Judge Vitter also ordered PUNCH to serve 4 years of supervised release after release from prison, as well as payment of a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, after the execution of multiple search warrants, large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and LSD, along with firearms, a .22 caliber Bearman Model CL22L, and a nine-millimeter Smith and Wesson Model MP9, were located in the residence maintained and used by PUNCH to distribute various narcotics. PUNCH is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior felony conviction.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
New Bedford Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Bedford man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Vinicio DeJesus Marrero Arias, 40, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Arias will also be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In October 2024, Arias pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Following an investigation into fentanyl trafficking in and around the Lord Phillips Apartments in New Bedford, Arias was identified as fentanyl distributors in the area. A search of Arias’ residence, as well as an apartment that was being used as a stash location and two storage units rented on behalf of Arias’s co-conspirator, Yohenry Contreras-Lara, resulted in the recovery of more than several hundred grams of fentanyl and $1.2 million in cash in suspected drug proceeds.
Contreras-Lara pleaded guilty in November 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2025.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Bradley Parker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office and the New Bedford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Morrilton Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Timothy Lee Highfield will spend 30 years in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
On June 8, 2022, Highfield, 46, of Morrilton, Arkansas, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of production of child pornography. On January 9, 2024, Highfield pleaded guilty to the count in the Indictment. Chief Judge Baker sentenced Highfield to 360 months in federal prison a lifetime of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On approximately December 17, 2021, a citizen brought a phone containing child sexual abuse material to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). An investigation revealed the phone previously belonged to Highfield. During a search of the phone by FBI, a video made by Highfield was located on the phone. The video depicted a minor, believed to be less than seven years of age, performing oral sex on Highfield. The phone also contained multiple videos and images of child sexual abuse material and adults performing sexual acts with minors.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Mississippi Man Sentenced to over Eight Years in Federal Prison After Being Convicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
JONESBORO—Robert Wilburn, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 100 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Lee P. Rudofsky.
On March 15, 2022, deputies from the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office responded to a vehicle that was stopped on the side of the road. Deputies located Wilburn asleep behind the wheel of the vehicle. While attempting to wake Wilburn, deputies noticed the smell of intoxicants and marijuana in the vehicle. After repeated attempts, deputies were finally able to wake Wilburn, whose speech was incoherent. Deputies removed Wilburn from the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs. During a search of Wilburn’s vehicle, deputies located in plain view next to the center console a Glock 43, 9mm firearm that contained a loaded magazine and one round in the chamber. In the center console, deputies located a box of 9mm ammunition that matched the ammunition found inside of the firearm. Deputies also located a second magazine in the glovebox. Deputies found an open beer can in the center cup holder that was cold to the touch and a small amount of marijuana in the pocket of the driver’s side door.
On February 9, 2023, Wilburn, 32, of Inverness, Mississippi, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. On August 21, 2024, a jury found Wilburn guilty after a two-day jury trial conducted in the Jonesboro federal courthouse.
Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Wilburn to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin O’Leary and Katie Hinojosa.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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@USAO_EDAR
Mission Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for LarcenyRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Larceny. The sentencing took place on February 3, 2025.
Preston White Feather, age 28, was sentenced to one year in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. White Feather was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,888.56.
White Feather was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2024. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in December 2023 within the boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On December 9, 2023, White Feather stole merchandise from a convenience store in Mission, South Dakota. He was identified on surveillance video and was subsequently apprehended by law enforcement.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
White Feather was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry by a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – MAURILIO JASTINTO-JUAREZ (“JASTINTO-JUAREZ”), age 50, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on January 27, 2025 for illegal reentry by a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. He was sentenced to (6) six months imprisonment, (1) one year of supervised release and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, JASTINTO-JUAREZ, illegally reentered the United States after being previously removed on December 16, 2022. JASTINTO-JUAREZ was discovered in the United States when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) systems became alerted to his presence via the collection of his fingerprints by the Louisiana State Police (“LSP”). The LSP obtained his fingerprints subsequent to their arrest of him for driving while intoxicated in Houma, La. on March 17, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Louisiana State Police, and the Terrebonne Sherriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Mexican Man with Seven Previous Removals from U.S. Indicted for Illegal Re-entryRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Mexico has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Dario Fortunato-Torres, 37, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, in October 2024, Fortunato-Torres was found in this District after having been removed from the United States on seven prior occasions between September 2013 and October 2017. Public records show that Fortunato-Torres was charged by the Moon Township Police Department on October 8, 2024, for conduct allegedly occurring on October 1, 2024. He was arrested on November 19, 2024, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement related to this charge.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Member of Capital District Drug Trafficking Organization Admits to Dealing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Todd Austin, age 64, of Gloversville, New York, pled guilty today to conspiracy and drug distribution charges in connection with his distribution and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of pure methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement.
Austin admitted that between March and July 2023, he obtained methamphetamine from his Albany-based methamphetamine supplier that he then sold to others from his Gloversville residence.
Austin was one of nine defendants to be charged in this investigation. The following defendants have pled guilty and have been sentenced or are pending sentencing:
- Andrew Deleon was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Stefanie Plass was sentenced to 24 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Ahmad Burke is scheduled to be sentenced on April 9, 2025;
- Keisha Duboise is scheduled to be sentenced on March 19, 2025;
- Flor Arencibia is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2025; and
- Melissa Karwan is scheduled to be sentenced on February 24, 2025.
Austin faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life. He will be sentenced on June 6, 2025, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Charges against the two remaining defendants, Felix Arencibia and Christian Mur-Santana, are pending. The charges in the indictment against Arencibia and Mur-Santana are merely accusations. They are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
These cases are being investigated by the DEA and USPIS. Assistant United States Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the cases.
These cases are 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.
Member of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Sentenced to 44 Years in Prison for Terrorism OffensesRead the Press Release
Minh Quang Pham, also known as “Amim”, 41, was sentenced today to 44 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for attempted suicide bombing in alliance with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
“The defendant was sentenced for an attempt to commit an act of terrorism and plotting a suicide bombing on behalf of AQAP,” said Devin DeBacker, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will not rest in seeking justice for acts of terrorism and will continue to thwart any attempt to jeopardize global security.”
“Pham coordinated with known terrorist Anwar al-Aulaqi on a plot to conduct a suicide bombing at Heathrow International Airport which could have killed or injured many people, but fortunately that plan was stopped,” said Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Pham also tried to recruit others to commit acts of terrorism. The FBI will work with our partners to hold accountable those who align themselves with terrorist organizations and attempt to carry out acts of violence.”
“Minh Quang Pham's actions were not just an affront to the safety of this country, but to the principles of peace and security that we hold dear,” said U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon for the Southern District of New York. “Today’s sentencing underscores our collective resolve to stop terrorism before it occurs, and place would-be terrorists in prison.”
According to court documents, in December 2010, Pham informed others that he planned to travel to Ireland while residing in London. From Ireland, he traveled to Yemen, the principal base of operations for AQAP. Pham traveled to Yemen in order to join AQAP, wage jihad on behalf of AQAP, and martyr himself for AQAP’s cause. After arriving in Yemen, he swore an oath of loyalty to AQAP in the presence of an AQAP commander.
While in Yemen in 2010 and 2011, Pham provided assistance to and received training from Anwar al-Aulaqi, a U.S.-born senior leader of AQAP. Al-Aulaqi advised Pham to return to the U.K. for the purpose of finding and making contact with individuals who, like Pham, wanted to travel to Yemen to join AQAP. Al-Aulaqi also provided Pham with money, as well as a telephone number and e-mail address that Pham was to use to contact al-Aulaqi upon his return to the U.K. In addition, Pham exchanged his laptop computer with al-Aulaqi, who provided him with a new “clean” laptop to take with him when he returned to the U.K. so that the authorities would not find anything if they searched his computer.
In or about June 2011, prior to his departure from Yemen, Pham approached al-Aulaqi about conducting a suicide attack whereby he would “sacrifice” himself on behalf of AQAP. Al-Aulaqi personally taught Pham how to create a lethal explosive device using household chemicals and directed Pham to detonate such an explosive device at the arrivals area of Heathrow International Airport following Pham’s return to the U.K. in 2011. Al-Aulaqi instructed Pham to carry an explosive in a concealed backpack and target the area where flights arrived from the U.S. or Israel. During this time, Pham made videos depicting his preparation to carry out that attack. In one video, Pham is shown wiring an electrical device for the use of making an explosive device. In another video, he sketches an explosive device to be contained in a backpack, and in a third, Pham wears a backpack with wiring for explosives on it, which he turns on in the video.
During this time, around June or July 2011 — shortly before Pham returned from Yemen to the U.K. — Pham recorded a video in which he attempted to recruit and encourage individuals in the West to engage in violent jihad abroad or in their home countries. In this video, he also expresses a desire to martyr himself. At the outset of this video, consisting of an approximately 13-minute-long monologue, Pham states that, “America itself is not fighting a war with a group or an organization, they are fighting with the army of Allah, the believers.” He continues, in part, “We have that opportunity, that ability to be in their midst, in their land . . . and I advise the brothers inshallah to, whatever you can, to gather and prepare and strike the enemy in their own land . . . The saying, a thousand cuts, you hit them with as much as you can until inshallah the enemy will bleed to death.” During his time in Yemen, Pham also assisted with the preparation and dissemination of AQAP’s propaganda magazine, Inspire. Pham, who has college degrees in both graphic design and animation, worked directly with now-deceased U.S. citizen, Samir Khan, who was a prominent member of AQAP responsible for editing and publishing Inspire.
Pham also received a six-page document entitled “Your Instructions” from al-Aulaqi in Yemen, which provided detailed instructions on how Pham was to commit his suicide attack at Heathrow. The document from al-Aulaqi instructed Pham, “[d]o not do anything for the first three months” and “[y]ou should target Christmas/ New Year season[.]” The instructions from al-Aulaqi provided explicit direction about the importance of using shrapnel to kill as many people as possible, including that “[t]he proper use of shrapnel is as important as the main charge itself. The detonation wave from a main charge of AP by itself is most likely not going to cause the death of anyone except those who are in its immediate vicinity. It is the shrapnel that would do the job. You may imagine this IED as a shotgun that is firing in all directions.” The document therefore instructed Pham to take “special care” with the “proper arrangement and choice of shrapnel,” and to “poison” it to inflict maximum death.
On July 27, 2011, Pham returned to the U.K. Upon his arrival at Heathrow, U.K. authorities detained Pham, searched him, and recovered various materials from him, including a live round of 7.62mm caliber armor-piercing ammunition, which is consistent with ammunition that is used in a Kalashnikov assault rifle, a type of weapon for which Pham received training from AQAP in Yemen. U.K. authorities released Pham and cautioned him for his possession of the live round of ammunition, before, in December 2011, arresting him pursuant to their authorities under U.K. immigration law. In searches of Pham’s residence, other locations, and vehicles, U.K. authorities recovered several pieces of electronic media. Among other things, a forensic analysis of Pham’s electronic media showed that he was accessing speeches and writings of al-Aulaqi as late as December 2011 — months after Pham’s return to the U.K.
On May 24, 2012, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Pham with terrorism offenses and U.S. authorities sought Pham’s extradition from the U.K. He was provisionally arrested with a view towards extradition on June 29, 2012, and he was extradited to the United States on Feb. 26, 2015. On Jan. 8, 2016, Pham pleaded guilty to terrorism offenses related to certain of the same underlying conduct. On May 27, 2016, Pham was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan principally to a term of 40 years in prison. On Sept. 12, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed Pham’s conviction and sentence. Thereafter, Pham made a motion that, based on intervening Supreme Court decisions, resulted in the vacatur of one of the counts of his conviction. Ultimately, the government, with Pham’s consent, moved to vacate Pham’s earlier convictions. On April 8, 2021, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment, reinstating certain charges and filing other new charges against Pham, and which formed the basis for Pham’s May 11, 2023, guilty plea and conviction.
The FBI Washington and New York Field Offices investigated the case. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, Metropolitan Police Service/SO 15 Counter Terrorism Command at New Scotland Yard, Crown Prosecution Service, and the Home Office provided assistance in the investigation, extradition, and prosecution of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob H. Gutwillig for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Member of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Sentenced to 44 Years in Prison for Terrorism OffensesRead the Press Release
Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Devin DeBacker, the Head of the National Security Division of the United States Department of Justice; and Sanjay Virmani, the Special Agent in Charge of the Counterterrorism Division of the Washington Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), announced today that MINH QUANG PHAM, a/k/a “Amin,” 41, was sentenced to 44 years in prison for terrorism charges based on Pham’s support of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (“AQAP”), a designated foreign terrorist organization, including attempting to commit a suicide bombing at Heathrow International Airport (“Heathrow Airport”). On May 11, 2023, PHAM pled guilty to providing and attempting to provide material support to AQAP and participating in a conspiracy to do the same; conspiring to receive military-type training from AQAP; and providing and attempting to provide material support for acts of terrorism. Today’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.
U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “Minh Quang Pham's actions were not just an affront to the safety of this country, but to the principles of peace and security that we hold dear. Today’s sentencing underscores our collective resolve to stop terrorism before it occurs, and place would-be terrorists in prison.”
Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division Devin DeBacker said: “The defendant was sentenced for an attempt to commit an act of terrorism and plotting a suicide bombing on behalf of AQAP. The Justice Department will not rest in seeking justice for acts of terrorism and will continue to thwart any attempt to jeopardize global security.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani said: "Pham pledged an oath of loyalty to al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and received military training from AQAP as part of his plot to commit a suicide bombing on the organization's behalf. This case is a reminder of the relentless terrorism threats targeting the U.S., our citizens, and our interests abroad. We thank our international partners for their collaboration over the last 15 years, particularly the U.K.'s Crown Prosecution Service, Metropolitan Police Service, and New Scotland Yard. Their work prevented Pham from conducting a terrorist attack at Heathrow Airport and later helped lead to his conviction in the U.S."
According to the indictments, extradition materials, court filings and statements made at related court proceedings, including today’s sentencing:
In December 2010, PHAM informed others that he planned to travel to Ireland while residing in London. From Ireland, he traveled to Yemen, the principal base of operations for AQAP. PHAM traveled to Yemen in order to join AQAP, to wage jihad on behalf of AQAP and to martyr himself for AQAP’s cause. After arriving in Yemen, he swore an oath of loyalty to AQAP in the presence of an AQAP commander.
While in Yemen in 2010 and 2011, PHAM provided assistance to and received training from Anwar al-Aulaqi, a U.S.-born senior leader of AQAP. Al-Aulaqi advised PHAM to return to the United Kingdom for the purpose of finding and making contact with individuals who, like PHAM, wanted to travel to Yemen to join AQAP. Al-Aulaqi also provided PHAM with money, as well as a telephone number and e-mail address that PHAM was to use to contact al-Aulaqi upon his return to the U.K. In addition, PHAM exchanged his laptop computer with al-Aulaqi, who provided him with a new “clean” laptop to take with him when he returned to the U.K. so that the authorities would not find anything if they searched his computer.
In or about June 2011, prior to his departure from Yemen, PHAM approached al-Aulaqi about conducting a suicide attack whereby he would “sacrifice” himself on behalf of AQAP. Al-Aulaqi personally taught PHAM how to create a lethal explosive device using household chemicals and directed PHAM to detonate such an explosive device at the arrivals area of Heathrow following PHAM’s return to the U.K. in 2011. Al-Aulaqi instructed PHAM to carry an explosive in a concealed backpack and target the area where flights arrived from the U.S. or Israel. During this time, PHAM made videos depicting his preparation to carry out that attack. In one video, PHAM is shown wiring an electrical device for the use of making an explosive device; in another, he sketches an explosive device to be contained in a backpack; and in a third, PHAM wears a backpack with wiring for explosives on it, which he turns on in the video.
Also during this time, in or about June or July 2011—shortly before PHAM returned from Yemen to the U.K.—PHAM recorded a video in which he attempted to recruit and encourage individuals in the West to engage in violent jihad abroad or in their home countries; in this video, he also expresses a desire to martyr himself. At the outset of this video, consisting of an approximately 13 minute-long monologue, PHAM states that, “America itself is not fighting a war with a group or an organization, they are fighting with the army of Allah, the believers.” He continues, in part, “We have that opportunity, that ability to be in their midst, in their land . . . and I advise the brothers inshallah to, whatever you can, to gather and prepare and strike the enemy in their own land . . . The saying, a thousand cuts, you hit them with as much as you can until inshallah the enemy will bleed to death.” During his time in Yemen, PHAM also assisted with the preparation and dissemination of AQAP’s propaganda magazine, Inspire. PHAM, who has college degrees in both graphic design and animation, worked directly with now-deceased U.S. citizen Samir Khan, who was a prominent member of AQAP responsible for editing and publishing Inspire.
PHAM also received a six-page document entitled “Your Instructions” from al-Aulaqi in Yemen, which provided detailed instructions on how PHAM was to commit his suicide attack at Heathrow. The document from al-Aulaqi instructed PHAM, “[d]o not do anything for the first three months” and “[y]ou should target Christmas/ New Year season[.]” The instructions from al-Aulaqi provided explicit direction about the importance of using shrapnel to kill as many people as possible, including that “[t]he proper use of shrapnel is as important as the main charge itself. The detonation wave from a main charge of AP by itself is most likely not going to cause the death of anyone except those who are in its immediate vicinity. It is the shrapnel that would do the job. You may imagine this IED as a shotgun that is firing in all directions.” The document therefore instructed PHAM to take “special care” with the “proper arrangement and choice of shrapnel,” and to “poison” it to inflict maximum death.
On July 27, 2011, PHAM returned to the U.K. Upon his arrival at Heathrow, U.K. authorities detained PHAM, searched him, and recovered various materials from him, including a live round of 7.62mm caliber armor-piercing ammunition, which is consistent with ammunition that is used in a Kalashnikov assault rifle, a type of weapon for which PHAM received training from AQAP in Yemen. U.K. authorities released PHAM and cautioned him for his possession of the live round of ammunition, before, in December 2011, arresting him pursuant to their authorities under U.K. immigration law. In searches of PHAM’s residence, other locations, and vehicles, U.K. authorities recovered several pieces of electronic media. Among other things, a forensic analysis of PHAM’s electronic media showed that he was accessing speeches and writings of al-Aulaqi as late as December 2011—months after PHAM’s return to the U.K.
On May 24, 2012, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Pham with terrorism offenses and U.S. authorities sought Pham’s extradition from the United Kingdom. He was provisionally arrested with a view towards extradition on June 29, 2012, and he was extradited to the United States on February 26, 2015. On January 8, 2016, Pham pled guilty to terrorism offenses related to certain of the same underlying conduct. On May 27, 2016, Pham was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan principally to a term of 40 years in prison. On September 12, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed Pham’s conviction and sentence. Thereafter, Pham made a motion that, based on intervening Supreme Court decisions, resulted in the vacatur of one of the counts of his conviction. Ultimately, the Government, with Pham’s consent, moved to vacate Pham’s earlier convictions. On April 8, 2021, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment, reinstating certain charges and filing other new charges against Pham, and which formed the basis for Pham’s May 11, 2023 guilty plea and conviction.
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In addition to the prison term, PHAM, 41, was also sentenced to life term of supervised release and a $400 special assessment.
Ms. Sassoon praised the extraordinary investigative work of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. She also expressed her gratitude to the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force for the critical role it played in the investigation and prosecution. Ms. Sassoon also thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs for their significant assistance, as well as the Metropolitan Police Service/SO 15 Counter Terrorism Command at New Scotland Yard, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the Home Office for their cooperation in the investigation, extradition and prosecution.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob H. Gutwillig is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Covid-19 Tenant Assistance ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Syreeta Price, 51, of Maryland, pleaded guilty today in DC Superior Court to one count of first-degree fraud for obtaining more than $20,000 from a DC Covid-19 tenant assistance program despite having no tenancy in DC. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas.
The Honorable Errol Arthur accepted Price’s plea and scheduled sentencing for April 8, 2025.
According to court documents, in 2021, Price, through a third party, submitted an application to Stronger Together by Assisting You (STAY DC), a DC government program established in 2021 to help cover unpaid rent and utilities for DC renters suffering hardship from the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite actually living in Maryland at the time, Price used the address of an acquaintance in Southeast DC to make herself appear to be a DC resident. The DC government sent her a check for $22,750 intended to cover nearly a year’s worth of unpaid rent for that DC address. Despite knowing she was not eligible for the program, Price cashed the check, deposited it into her personal bank account, and kept the money for her personal use.
This case was investigated by the D.C. Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Bluming.
Marty Man Convicted at a Federal Jury Trial of Kidnapping and Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Ellery Zephier, Sr., age 39, of Marty, South Dakota, of Kidnapping and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The jury acquitted Zephier on two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The verdict was returned on January 23, 2025.
The assault charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The kidnapping charge carries a maximum penalty of any term of years, up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Zephier was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2024.
Between July 20-25, 2024, Zephier kidnapped and held a woman against her will in his home in Marty. During that same time frame, Zephier assaulted the woman resulting in her sustaining serious bodily injury.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Yankton Sioux Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paige Petersen and Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for April 28, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Manvel resident admits to series of frauds totaling $2 millionRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 39-year-old man has entered a guilty plea to wire fraud for a Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) scheme involving the submission of a series of false applications under the name of a business that did not exist, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Antonio Jackson submitted false documents on four separate applications for PPP funds during the COVID-19 epidemic. Jackson claimed to have multiple employees at a business that was later found to have been entirely fictitious.
To further the fraud, Jackson submitted false tax documents, bank statements and employee forms to the Small Business Administration (SBA), ultimately resulting in a loss of $491,711 to the SBA.
As part of his plea, Jackson also admitted to several other frauds he had committed during this timeframe. One included a scheme to defraud a Washington D.C.-based federal credit union through a series of false home improvement loan applications. He also acknowledged a mortgage fraud by claiming honorable discharge for a Veteran’s Affairs Department backed loan, a scheme to avoid paying taxes on a residence in Brazoria County by claiming to be an fully disabled veteran and to committing credit card abuse in December 2024.
In total, losses associated with Jackson’s various frauds have exceeded $2 million.
“Going after fraudsters who take money meant for hard-working Americans is a priority for this office. Doing so both upholds the public trust and protects the taxpayer,” said Ganjei.
As part of his plea, Jackson has agreed to pay full restitution for his crimes.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal will impose sentencing April 16. At that time, Jackson faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The SBA-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Carter prosecuted the case.
Manhattan Man Pleads Guilty to Mailing a Letter Containing a Threat to Kill Two JudgesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christopher McCarty, age 33, of Manhattan, pled guilty today to mailing a letter containing a threat to kill two New York State judges. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
McCarty admitted that between May and June 2023, he was incarcerated at the Auburn Correctional Facility in Auburn, New York. McCarty admitted that on or about May 31, 2023, he mailed a letter to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul. In the letter, McCarty wrote that when he was released from prison, he was going to kill two New York State judges who had presided over his case leading to his incarceration at Auburn Correctional Facility.
At sentencing scheduled for June 10, 2025, before Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby, McCarty faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, post-release supervision of up to 3 years, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss is prosecuting the case.
Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Launder Money in Connection with $100 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Greensboro, NC – Chaudhry Shabbir Ahmed pled guilty on Monday, February 3, 2025, to conspiring to launder over $3 million in connection with a $100 million dollar health care fraud scheme, announced Acting United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon.
According to court documents, Ahmed conspired with another individual to represent himself as the owner of two durable medical equipment businesses—Dune Medical Supply, LLC located in High Point, North Carolina and Prospect Health Solutions, Inc. located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ahmed and a co-conspirator used a sham purchase agreement to make it appear as though Ahmed owned and operated these companies, even though the co-conspirator continued to control the companies. Once Ahmed was listed on relevant documents as the sole owner of Dune and Prospect, including documents submitted to Medicare, Dune and Prospect collectively submitted more than $100 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare. The claims were submitted between April 2024 and August 2024 for durable medical equipment that Medicare beneficiaries never received, requested, or needed, or that the provider never ordered.
Before the scheme was discovered, Medicare electronically deposited more than $33 million in claim reimbursements into bank accounts held in the name of Dune and Prospect at various financial institutions. Ahmed had access to these accounts and would withdraw fraud proceeds in cash at bank branches. For example, on June 30, 2024, Ahmed withdrew $400,000 in cash from Prospect’s bank account and on August 9, 2024, Ahmed withdrew $500,000 in cash from Prospect’s bank account.
As part of the plea agreement, Ahmed agreed to forfeit over $17.6 million dollars that was seized during the investigation, as well as a Rolex watch and cryptocurrency.
Sentencing is scheduled to take place on June 24, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. in Greensboro, North Carolina, before Chief United States District Judge Catherine C. Eagles. At sentencing, Ahmed faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a period of supervised release of up to three years, and monetary penalties.
The Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Mayer, JoAnna McFadden, and Ashley Waid.
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Local chef sentenced to 15 years in prison for selling fake ‘M30’ Percocet pills that contained fentanylRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Maurice B. Stewart, 41, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 180 months in prison for distributing fentanyl, as a result of a joint investigation by Mason Police Department and the Heroin Coalition Task Force.
According to court documents, Stewart, who is also known as “Reese” and “Suave, worked as a chef in various restaurants in and around Cincinnati. He used his employment to gain customers to buy blue purported “Percocet” pills from him. He’d often sell the blue pills to his coworkers while at work or to other customers directly outside the restaurant.
On Sept. 18, 2022, Stewart agreed to sell three pills to a customer for $60. They agreed to meet at the Westin Hotel in downtown Cincinnati. The customer’s mother discovered him unresponsive on their bathroom floor at 3:30am. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene and discovered one of the three blue pills. The victim’s toxicology report tested positive for fentanyl, and the coroner determined the cause of death was due to a fatal fentanyl overdose.
Stewart was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023 and pled guilty in July 2024.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit; and Officials with the Mason Police Department and the Heroin Coalition Task Force announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorneys David P. Dornette and Timothy D. Oakley are representing the United States in this case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Local 98 Member Sentenced for Unlawfully Seeking Money from Union Employer for Hours Not WorkedRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Gregory Fiocca, 32, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl to two years of probation for unlawfully demanding money as a union representative from a union employer for hours he did not work, in an amount not exceeding $1,000.
On August 19, 2020, following a week where he did little work and was frequently absent, Fiocca received a paycheck that was for substantially less than 40 hours. In response, Fiocca confronted and assaulted a Local 98 member who was the project manager. Fiocca slapped the project manager, choked him, threw him across a desk, spit on him, and threatened to beat him and the owner if they continued to monitor his attendance and performance. Fiocca then unlawfully demanded money from the project manager for hours he did not work.
Fiocca was charged by superseding information and pleaded guilty in September 2024.
"Fiocca, as the nephew of then-Local 98 Business Manager John Dougherty, abused his power and influence and resorted to violence to unlawfully claim wages he did not rightfully earn. That force and intimidation is detrimental to the integrity of hardworking and law-abiding members of Local 98, and such actions cannot be tolerated as business as usual," said U.S. Attorney Romero. "Many thanks to our law enforcement partners at FBI for their persistence in fighting corruption in Philadelphia and helping to ensure no one is threatened by economic retaliation or physical harm while engaging in honest business practices."
"Gregory Fiocca exploited his position within the union and resorted to violence in an unlawful attempt to claim wages he did not rightfully earn," said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. "The FBI remains committed to working alongside the U.S. Attorney's Office to root out corruption and uphold the integrity of our city for the citizens we serve."
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell and former Assistant United States Attorney Frank Costello.
Kissimmee Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Stephen Michael Lippincott (70, Kissimmee) to 25 years in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material. Lippincott was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender.
According to court records, on January 18, 2024, Lippincott was embarking on a four-day cruise to the Bahamas when his cellular phone was searched by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Jax Port Cruise Terminal. The search was precipitated by a tip CBP received about a possible warrant for indecent exposure Lippincott had out of New Jersey. The search led to the discovery that Lippincott was communicating with multiple female children ranging from ages 8 to 14 on a variety of social media platforms. Lippincott also had sent at least six female children money to watch him engage in sexual acts which he then recorded on his cell phone.
“Violating the innocence of a child is a detestable act and a betrayal of the trust that fortifies the safety of our communities,” said Tim Hemker, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville assistant Special Agent in Charge. “Alongside our partners at the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Jacksonville, HSI will not rest until every predator who seeks to sexually exploit children is brought to justice.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office, and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. This case was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jason Douglas MaComber, 52, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 12, 2023, MaComber possessed a Remington model 870 Wingmaster 12-gauge shotgun in St. Albans.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. MaComber knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession of dangerous drugs/controlled substances on November 20, 2007, possession of a firearm by a felon on June 24, 2014, and illegal firearm transportation on July 1, 2019, all in San Bernardino, California, Superior Court.
The shotgun had a modified and shortened barrel. The short-barreled shotgun was not registered to MaComber in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law.
MaComber is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the St. Albans Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-148.
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Jury finds local man guilty of crimes involving 2 local drug-related murdersRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A jury found a local man guilty on all counts for crimes related to two murders in Cincinnati during the summer of 2021.
Jamal Binford, 33, of Dallas and Cincinnati, was convicted of five counts as charged in a second superseding indictment. The verdict was announced yesterday afternoon following a trial that began on Jan. 15 before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Binford purported to manage two co-defendants as boxers, presenting himself as a boxing manager helping young men he wanted to help off the streets. Instead, he directed them to sell fentanyl and marijuana and, after assisting the coconspirators following one murder, he directed a second murder.
Co-defendants Antwan Coach, Jr., 22, of Cincinnati, and Markel Hardy, 23, of Cincinnati, robbed and murdered Kamar Williams on July 5, 2021, in North College Hill. It is alleged Coach and Hardy robbed Mr. Williams of marijuana and a firearm and shot him to death.
In August 2021, all three defendants conspired to murder a second victim, Deonte Nuckols, in St. Bernard in connection with a narcotics conspiracy involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl and five kilograms or more of cocaine.
As the government outlined at trial, Binford paid the two other men to kill Mr. Nuckols, who had had been texting Binford that day about Binford paying a drug debt.
Binford was arrested in February 2023 at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
The narcotics conspiracy in this case includes 400 grams or more of fentanyl, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and 100 kilograms or more of marijuana.
Binford faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 years and up to life in prison for participating in the narcotics conspiracy, being an accessory after the fact, murder in connection with the drug trafficking conspiracy, use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and use of a firearm to commit murder.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge; North College Hill Police Chief Ryan Schrand; and St. Bernard Police Chief Michael Simos announced the verdicts. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division also aided during the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley N. Brucato and OCDETF Deputy Criminal Chief Frederic C. Shadley represented the United States in this case.
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Indian Nationals Convicted of Money Laundering Conspiracy That Took Life Savings from Victims in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and IndianaRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – After a six-day trial, a federal jury convicted two men of participating in a vast money laundering conspiracy that robbed victims from across four states of their life savings. Pranay Kumar Mamidi, 27, and Kishan Vinayak Patel, 26, both nationals of the Republic of India, were found guilty of participating in a money laundering conspiracy, concealing the source of the money, and using the illegally gained money to further promote a criminal enterprise.
According to court documents, from about May to November 2023, Mamidi and Patel, along with other co-conspirators, engaged in a multi-layered scheme to launder proceeds derived from a fraud known as a phantom hacker scam. In this type of scam, a scammer, acting as a customer service representative for a store or bank, contacts a target victim and falsely informs them that their bank account has been hacked or compromised. Next, the victim is directed to a fake federal law enforcement agent for supposed assistance. The fake federal agent then proceeds to obtain the victim’s savings by deception, typically threatening imminent seizure or arrest.
In one common example, elderly victims are contacted by someone pretending to be an Amazon, Inc. employee, who informs the victim of suspicious activity on their accounts. Next, the victim is contacted by another person who claims to be from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and informs the victim that their identity was stolen. The victim is then contacted by another individual who claims to be a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agent. The fake DEA special agent claims that the account in question is being investigated for facilitating fraud and has resulted in supposed arrest warrants for the victim. Fearing legal actions, the victim follows the scammer’s instructions to pull their savings from their bank account and convert funds into cash or gold bars. The victim is further instructed to give another supposed law enforcement official cash and/or gold bars at a designated drop-off point such as a gas station or fast food restaurant. After the drop, the victim is then sent a receipt which appears to be from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and completes the illusion of a legitimate transaction.
According to court documents, the defendants in this case served as money launderers for other co-conspirators throughout the world who participated in phantom hacker schemes based out of India. The U.S. based money laundering infrastructure allowed funds illegally taken from victims to be distributed throughout the world. Investigators estimate that the total amount of money laundered is in the tens of millions of dollars.
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. Mamidi and Patel each face a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of conviction.
Six other defendants also named in the second superseding indictment filed in August 2024 were also charged. The following have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing: Dileep Kumar Sakineni, age 26; Balaji Rakesh Mulpuri, age 26; Avi Jitendrakumar Patel, age 22; Sai Hruthik Thodeti, age 25; and Srinivas Ravi Valluru, age 31, all nationals of the Republic of India; and Hiren Jagdishbhai Patel, age 33, of Columbus, Ohio.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI-Cleveland Field Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Melching and Dexter Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio.
The investigation and prosecution of this case is in response to the Elder Justice Initiative Program originating from the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 (EAPPA). The mission of the EAPPA and Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud, and scams that target the nation’s elderly population.
If you suspect fraudulent conduct involving an older adult, please contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311 and visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at IC3.gov to report it.
Indian National Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on February 3, 2025, Nitin Mishra, 33, of Jaipur, India, was sentenced for conspiring to distribute controlled substances and distributing controlled substances, including the opioids Tapentadol and Tramadol, in connection with his involvement in an international drug trafficking operation. Mishra had been extradited from Albania to the United States to face these charges. United States District Judge William K. Sessions III sentenced Mishra, who had already spent approximately 28 months in custody, to time served and ordered the defendant to pay $7,300 in forfeiture.
According to court records, from around the beginning of 2019 through about June 2021, Mishra, who was based in India, conspired with two Vermont residents, among other individuals, to send multiple shipments of controlled substances, including opioids and misbranded drugs, into the United States. Mishra then worked with his co-conspirators to reship and distribute these drugs to individuals located throughout the United States. The investigation revealed that the conspiracy involved tens of thousands of pills, and included the Schedule II controlled substance Tapentadol, as well as the Schedule IV controlled substances, Tramadol, Carisoprodol, and Zolpidem.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Rutland City Police Department.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Gilman. Mishra is represented by Robert L. Sussman, Esq.
Illegal alien gets life sentence for ongoing sexual abuse of minor childRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 35-year-old Mexican citizen who illegally resided in Palmview has been sentenced for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of a family member and coercing the production of CSAM using various chat platforms, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jesus Adrian Barraza-Vega pleaded guilty Oct. 9, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton has now sentenced Barraza-Vega to serve the rest of his life in prison. The court further ordered him to pay $3,000 in restitution to a known victim and a total of $60,000 in fines.
At the hearing, the minor victim was present with family and provided a victim letter addressed to Barraza-Vega describing the harm he had caused her. In addition, the court heard that Barraza-Vega’s ongoing abuse of a minor family member continued until just days before his encounter with law enforcement.
“Our sincere hope is that the children who Barraza-Vega victimized can now have some measure of peace,” said Ganjei. “Crimes against children committed in the Southern District of Texas will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. The life sentence handed down today against Mr. Barraza-Vega should be a warning to other would-be abusers.”
“Children deserve to be safe. Whether online or in their own homes, we all have a duty to protect those most vulnerable to exploitation,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “The FBI works day and night to ensure predators like this are brought to justice. We hope this sentence might bring some sense of closure and healing for the victims and their families.”
On July 3, 2023, New York authorities discovered inappropriate images were being sent to an eight-year-old minor. A review of the conversation revealed the minor victim had sent sexually explicit videos of herself to an unknown individual using TextNow and WhatsApp. During the course of the conversation, the individual pretended to be a 13-year-old male. He sent images depicting a male’s genitalia and messages that were sexually explicit in nature, including requests for the minor victim to engage in sexual acts.
Law enforcement conducted a search and determined the subscriber information for the IP address information returned to addresses where Barraza-Vega had previously resided including his current location in Palmview.
During an interview with Barraza-Vega, he confirmed his prior residences, email addresses and phone number, and that he used TextNow and WhatsApp. All matched the information linked to the accounts used to coerce and entice the production of CSAM from the minor victim in New York.
In February 2024, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant for a cellphone identified as belonging to Barraza-Vega. The forensic extraction revealed CSAM including videos and images of a minor relative. The material included images and videos of Barraza-Vega engaging in various sexual acts with this victim. The videos and images dated from on or about Nov. 11, 2020, to on or about Jan. 18, 2024.
FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol and police departments in Mission and Palmview.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Honduras Resident Charged with Illegal Re-entry into U.S.Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A citizen of Honduras has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Luis Fernando Diaz-Garcia, 27, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, in August 2024, Diaz-Garcia was found in western Pennsylvania after having been removed from the United States on or about November 13, 2019. Public records show that Diaz-Garcia was charged by criminal complaint in Allegheny County by the Pennsylvania State Police for conduct allegedly occurring on or about August 19, 2024.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Handgun Fitted with Glock SwitchRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KENDALL CAMBY, also known as “KB,” 35, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 22, 2023, Hartford Police received information that Camby was in possession of a firearm while distributing drugs in the area of 1631 Main Street. After officers observed Camby engaging in suspected hand-to-hand drug transactions and then entering the passenger seat of a car, they stopped the car and found him in possession of a .45 caliber Glock 30 handgun with a magazine loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition, and fitted with a Glock switch auto sear device, which converted the gun to an automatic weapon. Camby also possessed approximately 650 wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl and approximately 50 bags of crack cocaine.
Camby’s criminal history includes state convictions for felony firearm, drug, robbery, and burglary offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On July 10, 2024, Camby pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Gun Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALGELLY DIAZ, 42, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a firearm trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2023, members of the FBI Waterbury Safe Streets Task Force conducted three controlled purchases of a total of nine firearms from Diaz’s associate in Waterbury. A joint investigation revealed that Diaz’s associate was acquiring numerous firearms, most of which were purchased by straw purchasers from licensed gun dealers in Kansas and then shipped through the U.S. Mail to a stash location that Diaz maintained in Hartford. Diaz’s associate then obtained the firearms, which included assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, from Diaz and sold them to others throughout Connecticut. Diaz is a previously convicted felon who cannot lawfully purchase or possess firearms.
The investigation further revealed that, between August 2020 and May 2023, one of Diaz’s co-conspirators purchased at least 73 firearms from a licensed gun dealer in Deerfield, Kansas.
Diaz and multiple co-conspirators were arrested on May 19, 2023. On that date, investigators executed search warrants at locations in Connecticut, Kansas, and California. A search of Diaz’s residence revealed approximately 90 rounds of ammunition. In addition, a court-authorized search of a package that was shipped to Diaz and seized from the mail stream revealed an additional three firearms.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Waterbury Police Department, the Connecticut State Police, and the Chino (Calif.) Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
Guilty Plea in Theft and Sale of Hundreds of Government-Issued Phones and Computers Slated for DestructionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nikhil Parekh, 37, of Randallstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with the theft and sale of hundreds of government-issued smartphones, laptop computers, and other IT devices that had been slated for destruction.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Chief J. Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police, and USAID Special Agent in Charge Sean Bottary of the USAID Office of Inspector General.
Parekh pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit an offense against the United States – that is selling stolen goods. U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb scheduled sentencing for May 5, 2025.
According to court documents, between February 2019 and September 2023, Parekh was a driver for an international IT asset disposition company, which operated out of Maryland and, later, Virginia. Several government agencies as well as private companies in the region contracted with the company to take older, obsolete IT assets and completely dismantle and recycle them in a responsible manner. These services including wiping and sanitizing digital storage devices in accordance with nationally promulgated standards.
From 2022 to 2023, Parekh and his unindicted co-conspirators served as drivers for the company and were generally responsible for receiving the IT assets from the victim agencies and companies and either securely shredding them on site or delivering them to secure shredding facilities owned by the company. Instead, however, as Parekh admitted, he and others would surreptitiously remove the IT assets after receiving them and transport them to electronics re-sellers in the area for their own accounts. After pocketing the profits, Parekh and others would then cause the company to issue certificates to the victim agencies and companies certifying that the IT assets had been wiped and destroyed. Parekh admitted that as part of this conspiracy he and others took hundreds of assets with a value of at least $10,000.
Investigating agents of the U.S. Capitol Police and USAID, noting that some of the resold devices still had their government asset tags on them, tracked down evidence of the transfer / sale of devices furnished by the victim agencies and companies from resellers in the area and beyond.
At sentencing, Parekh faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. By virtue of his plea agreement, he has agreed to forfeit a variety of digital devices seized from his home pursuant to a search warrant and has agreed to pay $10,000 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police and United States Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Hart, with valuable assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset
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Georgia Man Indicted for Firearm Charge in 2023 Shooting of SCHP TrooperRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a single-count indictment against Derrick Gathers, 38, of Augusta, Georgia, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The indictment alleges that on April 16, 2023, Gathers possessed a firearm and ammunition during an incident where he shot at a South Carolina State Trooper. Gathers has been charged in state court for a number of other charges related to the incident. Gathers has a previous felony conviction that prevents him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The trooper, Lance Corporal Frazier, has recovered.
Gathers faces a maximum penalty of 15 years. Gathers was already detained on state charges.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bamberg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Fyall is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ft. Campbell Soldier Sentenced to 87 Months in Federal Prison on Child Sexual Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Donald Lee Collins, 41, of Clarksville, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday to 87 months in federal prison after having pled guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a minor and one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to an individual under the age of sixteen, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. In addition to his sentence of incarceration, Collins is required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, in late December 2019, Collins and the minor victim, who was the daughter of a friend, connected over Facebook Messenger and began exchanging sexually explicit messages and images. On the night of December 31, 2019, the minor victim spent the night at Collins’ house with his teenage daughter. The next morning, Collins sexually abused the minor victim at his home. Then, as he drove the minor victim to her father’s house on Fort Campbell, Collins again sexually abused the minor victim both before driving through the gate at Fort Campbell and after they entered the Army base. Collins continued to engage in sexually explicit communication with the minor victim over Facebook Messenger after January 1, 2020.
As a result of this conduct, Collins was other than honorably discharged by the Army.
After serving his sentence, Collins will be on supervised release for 10 years.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, Clarksville Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison prosecuted the case.
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Four Defendants Indicted for CarjackingRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted four Birmingham men with multiple crimes related to three separate carjacking events in Jefferson County, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
Those indicted in January include:
- Dearrius Dontrell Pace, 30, who was charged with carjacking and kidnapping. This incident occurred on July 16, 2024;
- Charles Avery Pruitt, 22, who was charged with carjacking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. This incident occurred on July 10, 2024; and
- Kyone D’Mias Harris and Brandon Taylor Ezell, both 24, who were charged with carjacking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. This incident occurred in October 2024.
FBI investigated each case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John G. Camp, Daniel S. McBrayer, and Darius C. Greene are prosecuting these cases.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former soldier sentenced to 7+years in prison for sexual abuse of a child on Joint Base Lewis-McChordRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 87 months in prison for abusive sexual contact with a child, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Cameron James Taylor, 49, of Seattle, pleaded guilty in May 2024 and has been in custody since his guilty plea. At today’s sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo noted the conduct in this case may cause the victim lifetime torment. The victim “is a strong individual” and “shows courage to move on” Chief Judge Estudillo said.
“This horrific conduct cannot go unpunished. Our work to protect children on our military bases is a priority in the Western District of Washington,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Mr. Taylor sexually assaulted a child who was just 5 years old. He then pressured the child to hide the conduct when questioned by other adults. I commend the strength of the victim in this case.”
According to records filed in the case, Taylor left the Army in 2016 with an “Other than Honorable” discharge after he was investigated for sexual assault of an unconscious female in Germany, and for assaulting soldiers who went to arrest him. Taylor resigned in lieu of Court Martial.
Once back in the U.S., Taylor was convicted of the 2019 sexual assault of a 5-year-old neighbor child. Taylor forced the child to massage him and reach into his pants. In 2022, Taylor was sentenced in King County Superior Court to 18 months in prison.
During the investigation related to the neighbor child, other children who had been in Taylor’s care were interviewed. Taylor had coached a child, who was now a teen about hiding his sexual assaults. Ultimately, the child disclosed to a relative that in 2012, while stationed on JBLM, Taylor locked the then 5- or 6-year-old in a closet and sexually assaulted the child.
On the eve of trial, Taylor pleaded guilty.
In asking for the 8-year sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Taylor’s crimes reveal a man who lacks empathy and who prioritized his own pleasure over others’ pain. Taylor is also no stranger to the justice system; this is his third criminal sex offense. The government hopes that a 96-month sentence, coupled with lifetime supervised release, will prevent Taylor from reoffending again.”
Taylor is required to register as a sex offender following his prison term. Chief Judge Estudillo ordered that he be on supervised release for ten years following prison.
The case was investigated by U.S. Army Criminal Investigations (CID), the King County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hillary K. Stuart and Erika J. Evans.
Former Vice President and Controller of Publicly Traded Company Pleads Guilty to Insider TradingRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Florida man pleaded guilty today in the Southern District of Florida for his role in an insider trading scheme that netted him over $1.6 million in illicit profits.
According to court documents, Stephen George, 54, of Parkland, was a member of the Finance Department at Company A from November 2017 until April 7, 2023, where he held roles including vice president and controller. Company A is a consumer-packaged goods company headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, that is the maker of a fitness drink and whose securities are publicly traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market. In his role at Company A, George received material non-public information (MNPI) regarding Company A’s profit and revenue performance.
George’s last day of employment at Company A was April 7, 2023. On that day, George used a Company A computer to generate out of Company A’s enterprise resource planning system a consolidated income statement showing Company A’s financial performance for the first quarter of 2023, which George knew contained MNPI. The income statement showed that Company A’s first quarter of 2023 had greatly exceeded expectations. Shortly after generating the income statement, George emailed it to himself using two personal email accounts.
Beginning on April 10, 2023, the first trading day after his last day of employment with Company A, and continuing through May 8, 2023, George purchased Company A securities on the basis of MNPI — specifically, 20,000 shares of Company A common stock and 300 call option contracts. On May 9, 2023, after the market close, Company A publicly reported better-than-expected earnings and sales for the first quarter of 2023, including an all-time quarterly record in revenue. After the public announcement, Company A’s stock price increased significantly. During the next trading day, May 10, 2023, George sold all 20,000 shares of common stock and 300 call option contracts, resulting in over $1.6 million in personal profits.
George pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 28 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin E. Fleck of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department appreciates the assistance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s Criminal Prosecution Assistance Group.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eli S. Rubin and Elizabeth Young for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Matthew F. Sullivan and Matt Kahn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.
George’s guilty plea comes on the heels of three guilty pleas entered in a separate insider trading prosecution in the Southern District of Florida: United States v. Federico Nannini, et al., 24-cr-20398-RAR. Based on court filings in that case, defendant Federico Nannini, through his work at a global consulting firm, learned that Mas Tec Inc. planned to acquire Infrastructure and Energy Alternative, Inc. Federico Nannini tipped his father, defendant Mauro Nannini, and childhood friend, defendant Alejandro Thermiotis, who each traded on the insider information. In total, they made over $1.1 million in illegal profits. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexandra D. Comoli, Eli S. Rubin, and Elizabeth Young are prosecuting that case, with AUSA Annika Miranda handling forfeiture.
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.
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Former Vice President and Controller of Publicly Traded Company Pleads Guilty to Insider TradingRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty today in the Southern District of Florida for his role in an insider trading scheme that netted him over $1.6 million in illicit profits.
According to court documents, Stephen George, 54, of Parkland, was a member of the Finance Department at Company A from November 2017 until April 7, 2023, where he held roles including vice president and controller. Company A is a consumer-packaged goods company headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, that is the maker of a fitness drink and whose securities are publicly traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market. In his role at Company A, George received material non-public information (MNPI) regarding Company A’s profit and revenue performance.
George’s last day of employment at Company A was April 7, 2023. On that day, George used a Company A computer to generate out of Company A’s enterprise resource planning system a consolidated income statement showing Company A’s financial performance for the first quarter of 2023, which George knew contained MNPI. The income statement showed that Company A’s first quarter of 2023 had greatly exceeded expectations. Shortly after generating the income statement, George emailed it to himself using two personal email accounts.
Beginning on April 10, 2023, the first trading day after his last day of employment with Company A, and continuing through May 8, 2023, George purchased Company A securities on the basis of MNPI — specifically, 20,000 shares of Company A common stock and 300 call option contracts. On May 9, 2023, after the market close, Company A publicly reported better-than-expected earnings and sales for the first quarter of 2023, including an all-time quarterly record in revenue. After the public announcement, Company A’s stock price increased significantly. During the next trading day, May 10, 2023, George sold all 20,000 shares of common stock and 300 call option contracts, resulting in over $1.6 million in personal profits.
George pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 28 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin E. Fleck of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department appreciates the assistance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s Criminal Prosecution Assistance Group.
Trial Attorneys Matthew F. Sullivan and Matt Kahn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eli S. Rubin and Elizabeth Young for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.
Former Teacher Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing and Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BOISE – Chad Joseph Longley, 45, of Boise, was sentenced to 141 months in federal prison with 20 years of supervised release for one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, investigators with the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received a tip that Longley possessed child sexual abuse material. ICAC investigators investigated and corroborated this tip which led to a search warrant authorizing law enforcement to search Longley’s residence and digital devices. While executing the search warrant, investigators seized digital devices belonging to Longley. A computer forensic examiner discovered child sexual abuse material on the devices. During an interview, investigators advised Longley of his Miranda rights and he admitted to possessing the child sexual abuse material.
In July 2021, a grand jury charged Longley with the crime of possession of child pornography. While awaiting sentencing, Longley and the Government engaged forensic computer experts to further review the digital devices. This review revealed additional criminal conduct beyond possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court records, around 2017, Longley had a fake profile of a young female on a social media platform. Posing as a young female, he became social media friends with one of his former students. He tricked the former student into sending him child sexual abuse material. The victim was unaware that it was his teacher using a fake persona when he sent the child sexual abuse material. In March 2024, Longley was indicted by a grand jury for the additional criminal conduct. Longley entered into a new plea agreement, whereby he pleaded guilty to the crime of receiving child pornography and agreed to a jointly recommend a sentence of 141 months in prison with 20 years of supervised release.
On February 4, 2025, Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill followed the recommendations and sentenced Longley to 48 months in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release in his first case involving the possession of child pornography, and to 141 months in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release in his second case involving the receipt of child pornography. The two sentences will run concurrently to each other.
“The defendant’s actions in taking advantage of a former student are particularly heinous, and he deserves this lengthy prison sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Our office is fortunate to have outstanding prosecutors who work tirelessly to hold child predators accountable and seek justice for victims. The result in this case would not have been possible without their dedication and that of our law enforcement partners.”
“The actions of this former teacher are reprehensible,” said Attorney General Raúl Labrador. “This sentence represents the hard work of ICAC’s investigators, the federal prosecutor, and the team of professionals committed to stopping these crimes. I’m grateful for their commitment to keep our kids safe from abuse and exploitation, and for the courts that recognize the seriousness of these crimes.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the work of the Idaho ICAC Task Force, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Robins prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal 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.
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