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23 January 2025
Repeat Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Traffic Four Women Using Violence and ThreatsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoughton man, previously convicted of multiple counts of sex trafficking, was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for sex trafficking multiple adult women.
Marvin Pompilus, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 13 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Pompilus will also be ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. In October 2024, Pompilus pleaded guilty to four counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Pompilus was previously arrested and charged in November 2023, and indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2024.
In February 2018, Pompilus was convicted in Suffolk Superior Court of multiple counts of trafficking a person for sexual servitude and deriving support for prostitution. He was sentenced to six years in state prison and was released in October 2021.
“Marvin Pompilus is a criminal recidivist and vile perpetrator who deserves a significant sentence to protect our community. His prior conviction did nothing to deter further acts of violence on women and continuing to push drugs onto our streets,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Today’s sentence highlights our ongoing efforts to hold accountable those who prey on vulnerable victims and denigrate human dignity.”
“The cruelty and inhumanity displayed by Marvin Pompilus is overwhelming. This twice convicted felon forced four women into sexual servitude, unleashing significant physical and emotional abuse for his own financial gain,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “While it’s gratifying to see Mr. Pompilus receive a lengthy prison term, no sentence can make up for the significant harm he inflicted on these women. We hope the victims in this case continue to heal with each new day that passes. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove sex traffickers from our communities.”
Following his release from state custody in October 2021, Pompilus conspired to exploit and recruit multiple women into the commercial sex trade, using a combination of physical and sexual violence, threats and verbal abuse and withholding of controlled substances from drug dependent victims to coerce and/or force them to engage in commercial sex acts. He then collected all of the proceeds. Pompilus required his victims to check in with him, forbade them from interacting with other men, and precluded them from obtaining drugs from anyone other than him. If one of the victims attempted to keep any of the proceeds from commercial sex or attempted to refuse to see a sex buyer, Pompilus would become physically violent, at times striking the victim in the face and kicking them. Pompilus would also engage in other forms of abuse such as using degrading names toward his victims, spitting on them, and throwing drinks on them, as well as isolating them from others.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].
U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Boston and Randolph Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit and Trial Attorney Meghan Tokash of the Justice Department’s Human Trafficking Protection Unit prosecuted the case.
Repeat Sex Trafficker Sentenced in MassachusettsRead the Press Release
Marvin Pompilus, 40, of Stoughton, Massachusetts, was sentenced today to 13 years in prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release. The court will order restitution at a later date. A federal judge earlier accepted Pompilus’s guilty plea in October 2024 to four counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and one count of possession of cocaine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
“Marvin Pompilus is a criminal recidivist and vile perpetrator who deserves a significant sentence to protect our community. His prior conviction did nothing to deter further acts of violence on women and continuing to push drugs onto our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “Today’s sentence highlights our ongoing efforts to hold those accountable who prey on vulnerable victims and denigrate human dignity.”
“The cruelty and inhumanity displayed by Marvin Pompilus is overwhelming. This twice convicted felon forced four women into sexual servitude, unleashing significant physical and emotional abuse for his own financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Boston Field Office. “While it’s gratifying to see Mr. Pompilus receive a lengthy prison term, no sentence can make up for the significant harm he inflicted on these women. We hope the victims in this case continue to heal with each new day that passes. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove sex traffickers from our communities.”
In February 2018, in a separate case by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a Suffolk Superior Court jury convicted Pompilus of multiple counts of trafficking a person for sexual servitude and deriving support from prostitution. He was sentenced to six years in prison and was released in October 2021. In the weeks following his release, Pompilus conspired with others to again target vulnerable women suffering from substance abuse disorders. Once Pompilus identified the victims he could target, he exploited their vulnerabilities — including the fear of suffering from opioid withdrawal — and created a climate of fear to compel these women to engage in commercial sex acts multiple times a day every day of the week. The investigation revealed that sex buyers paid the victims between $100-$200 per commercial sex act, and Pompilus kept all the proceeds for himself.
At his October 2024 plea hearing, Pompilus admitted to conspiring to exploit four Boston-area women who were suffering with substance abuse disorders and compelled them to engage in commercial sex by using drugs, intimidation, threats of violence and actual physical violence as means to control them. Pompilus also admitted to possessing quantities of cocaine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute these drugs in and around the Boston area.
The FBI Boston Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Massachusetts State Police and the Boston and Randolph Police Departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley for the District of Massachusetts and former Trial Attorney Meghan Tokash of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Protection Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Rensselaer County Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael Cardwell, age 39, of Rensselaer County, pled guilty today to sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). 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.
Cardwell admitted that he sexually abused an approximately 7-year-old girl over a period of months and created sexually explicit images of that victim. Cardwell also acknowledged that he had a collection of approximately 1,000 CSAM files that he obtained via the internet, including pictures of prepubescent children engaged in sexual activity.
At sentencing scheduled for May 23, 2025, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci, Cardwell faces a mandatory minimum imprisonment term of 15 years and a maximum imprisonment term of 50 years, post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life, a fine of up to $250,000, special assessments, restitution to the victims, and forfeiture of the property he used to commit he offenses. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statutes the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Cardwell also will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the New York State Police, and the Troy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Receipt of child pornography sends Indiana man to prison for 10 yearsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — An Indiana man who admitted to possessing child pornography after investigators in Bozeman found thousands of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on his cell phone was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Todd Schannen Pearson, 55, of Indianapolis, Indiana, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to possession of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court also ordered $42,000 restitution.
The government alleged in court documents that in June 2020, Verizon reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a user had uploaded to its cloud storage five files that depicted a prepubescent minor engaged a lascivious display of her genital area. An investigation by the Bozeman Police Department determined that Pearson owned the account and that he had uploaded other images to Verizon’s cloud storage. In September 2021, Bozeman police seized a cell phone from Pearson’s person in Bozeman, and a forensic analysis revealed Pearson’s phone contained at least an additional 10,002 images and 84 videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. These images were transported to Pearson’s cell phone using the internet.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bozeman Police Department, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Montana Sexual and Violent Offender Registry conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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Previously convicted felon sentenced to federal prison for gun, drug crimes in Wedgewood Village ApartmentsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Adrian McKinney, 29, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 84 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm and narcotics near a local school.
According to court documents, in March 2024, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at McKinney’s apartment in the Wedgewood Village Apartment Complex, which is within 1,000 feet of Wedgewood Middle School.
The Hilltop apartment complex has 700 units and is near multiple schools. This case was investigated by the Wedgewood Enforcement Team, which was developed by the Columbus Division of Police beginning in October 2023 and is dedicated to addressing the consistently high crime level at the apartment complex.
While searching McKinney’s apartment, officers located a loaded multi-caliber firearm, fentanyl and cocaine. As a previously convicted felon, McKinney is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. McKinney has been convicted of various state narcotics crimes in the past and was under court supervision when he committed these latest offenses.
McKinney pleaded guilty in August 2024 to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine near a school, illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
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); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Rausch is representing the United States in this case.
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Possessing images and videos of child sexual abuse material sends Mexican man to prisonRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 22-year-old Mexican citizen has been sentenced for possession of child pornography, announced acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Kevin Alejandro Santos-Moya pleaded guilty May 30, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. has now sentenced Santos-Moya to 60 months in federal prison. The court further ordered him to pay $3,000 in restitution to a known victim and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Santos-Moya will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
On June 30, 2023, Santos-Moya attempted to enter the United States through the Los Indios Port of Entry. Law enforcement referred him to secondary inspection where they conducted a search of his iPhone and located child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Forensic analysis of the phone resulted in the discovery of a total of 31 images and 37 videos of CSAM.
Santos-Moya will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano prosecuted 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 link on that page.
Pontotoc County Resident Pleads Guilty to Assault and Threatening Interstate CommunicationsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dekentrek Donneil McDowell, a/k/a Deketrek D. McDowell, a/k/a X Day Day, a/k/a X Deezy, a/k/a X Lil Beefy, age 19, of Ada, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Indictment of one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country and one count of Threatening Interstate Communications.
The Indictment alleged that on June 4, 2024, McDowell assaulted an individual with a dangerous weapon, intending to do bodily harm, and that on July 27, 2024, McDowell knowingly and willfully transmitted by voicemail a threat to injure or kill a second individual and to kill that individual’s unborn child.
The crimes occurred in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Ada Police Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. McDowell will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
Plymouth Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to a Decade Long Cyberstalking Campaign Against Multiple Victims and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Plymouth, Mass. man has agreed to plead guilty to charges relating to cyberstalking numerous Massachusetts victims through social media, email and various online platforms. The defendant allegedly programmed multiple artificial intelligence-driven chatbots to mimic human conversation through text or voice interactions with unknown users of social media platforms and used generative artificial-intelligence tools to create pornographic images of the victims in order to post them online to websites that focus on shaming and degrading women.
James Florence Jr., 36, has agreed to plead guilty to seven counts of cyberstalking and one count of possession of child pornography. Florence was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2024. According to the charging documents, on or about January of 2014 through September of 2024, Florence engaged in an extensive cyberstalking campaign targeting victims and those associated with them. Florence used a variety of techniques and methods to allegedly harass and intimidate his victims and others in the community, including making fake nude images of the victims, doxing or exposing victims’ personal information, creating vulgar fake accounts in the victims’ names and accessing online accounts without authorization (i.e. “hacking”) the victims’ accounts.
Florence’s cyberstalking campaigns allegedly included obtaining, -and then widely distributing, private information about the victims, such as private photographs or photographs shared amongst friends on social media. These photographs were frequently doctored to appear sexual or pornographic in nature. According to court documents Florence also allegedly accessed online accounts without authorization; created accounts in the name of his victims; and solicitated fantasy sexual encounters on their behalf. In the case of one victim, those fabricated sexual encounters allegedly included building a profile of the victim on an interactive platform with information about the victim’s apparent underwear preference, information that the victim was sexually adventurous, used sex toys and had a sex swing in her home. Florence allegedly listed the victims home address; posed as his victims by creating impersonation accounts in their names and then posted or sent various harmful content from those accounts; encouraged others to extort, shame, defame and intimidate victims for pornographic material; and stole victims’ underwear and used photos of the underwear to both harass those victims or engage with others on the internet to further mutual sexual fantasies.
In addition to having received threatening messages from social media and email accounts believed to be controlled by Florence, the victims also allegedly received harassing and extorting communications that are believed to be from users who messaged the victims as a result of Florence’s posts encouraging them to do so. Florence allegedly created and posted photo collages of one of the victims to a website, including images edited to make her appear nude or semi-nude along with all her personal identifying information and captions that encouraged viewers to “Post & Share Her Everywhere. Make The Whore Famous.”
The charge of stalking by electronic means provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Plymouth Police Department and Plymouth Fire Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 46 Months’ Imprisonment for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Khalif Ward, 27, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky to a term of 46 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $25,000 fine for firearms offenses.
In December of 2023, Ward was indicted on one count of possession of a machine gun and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. He pleaded guilty to both charges in October.
The defendant, a rap artist known as “Leaf Ward,” with hundreds of thousands of online followers, committed the offenses while on release for a state case involving the straw purchase and illegal transfer of firearms, and after he was found in possession of a firearm after being shot in 2020.
As stated in court documents, on August 16, 2023, Ward took a stolen vehicle to the Bahama Breeze restaurant in the King of Prussia Mall. Officers doing proactive details in the parking lot ran the registration for the car, which came back stolen out of Philadelphia. The officers then began the process of towing the vehicle. While the car was in the process of being towed, Ward exited the restaurant with his girlfriend.
Ward ran toward the tow truck, until he saw the uniformed police officers and the marked police vehicle. He then sprinted back into the restaurant, where an employee saw him put a loaded Glock firearm into a kitchen trash can and discard his hat nearby.
Officers chased Ward into the restaurant and through the kitchen, apprehending him behind the eatery and recovering the loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol, which was found to be fitted with a illegal switch converting it from semi-automatic to fully automatic fire.
“Despite two prior gun convictions, Ward continued to wield these weapons, boldly displaying them in his videos and carrying them on the street,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Moreover, the pistol he tried to ditch when running from police was altered to enable automatic fire. This office will continue to work with the ATF and our state and local partners to get guns out of the hands of people not permitted to have them, to tamp down violent crime and make the public safer.”
“Keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals is why the law prohibits felons from having firearms,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF's Philadelphia Field Division. “In this case, the defendant was not only illegally carrying a loaded weapon in a busy public location, but he was carrying a pistol turned into a machine gun. Such converted weapons are extremely dangerous as they can fire an entire magazine of bullets in seconds, often hitting uninvolved bystanders. ATF is committed to working with our partners to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals like Ward who endanger our neighborhoods.”
The case was investigated by the ATF, United States Secret Service, and the Upper Merion Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Lanni, Everett Witherell, and Shayna Gannone.
Parkersburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Christian Elliott, 21, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 2, 2024, Elliott was on probation for an offense committed in Ohio when his residence was searched as a condition of his probation supervision. The search revealed a loaded Glock model 43X 9mm pistol, a loaded Diamondback firearms model DB-15 multi-caliber pistol, a loaded Glock model 29SF 10mm pistol, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, scales, and $6,717 in the residence. Elliott admitted to possessing the firearms.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Elliott knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer in Lucas County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas on September 7, 2022.
Law enforcement officers investigating Elliott found a social media page that Elliott maintained with photos of Elliott holding a large amount of marijuana, a large amount of cash, and multiple firearms. Elliott told investigators he was holding a half-pound of marijuana in the photos and that he possessed the firearms for protection while selling marijuana.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum and former Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-97.
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Pain-Management Doctor and Medical Practice to Pay $3.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act and Control Substances Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Dr. Kamal Kabakibou and his medical practice, Kamal Kabakibou, M.D., P.C., doing business as “The Center for Pain Management,” have settled claims under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) and the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) arising from their alleged billing for medically unnecessary testing and for pre-signing opioid prescriptions to be dispensed by a nurse practitioner while Dr. Kabakibou was out of the country. As part of the settlement, they will jointly pay $3.5 million to the United States and have agreed to submit regular monitoring reports to the Drug Enforcement Administration for the next five years. Dr. Kabakibou and his medical practice have also entered into a three-year integrity agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), which includes an annual claims review by an independent review organization.
“Our office will continue to insist that dangerous opioids be properly dispensed and that federal healthcare dollars be wisely spent,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “On behalf of those healthcare providers who correctly bill for medical procedures, and for the patients who rely on the safety net of federal healthcare programs, our office will continue to work vigorously with our federal agencies and law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable those providers who engage in misconduct.”
“Health care professionals are entrusted with accurately billing federal health care programs and prescribing controlled substances responsibly,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly J. Blackmon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG remains committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who engage in fraud schemes that exploit federal health care programs and jeopardize patient safety.”
“Medical providers who submit false claims to the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) for medically unnecessary services place illegal profits above patient safety,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and OWCP to protect the integrity of DOL’s worker compensation programs.”
“This settlement should serve as a strong deterrent to healthcare practitioners who abandon their Hippocratic Oath while seeking to exploit and defraud TRICARE, the military healthcare system relied on by our servicemembers, retired military members, and their families,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski, Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “DCIS, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of healthcare fraud that affect the Department of Defense and put its personnel at risk.”
“Dr. Kamal Kabakibou had a responsibility to issue controlled substance prescriptions for a legitimate medical purpose, while acting in the usual course of his professional practice, in order to prevent the diversion of dangerous prescription drugs, especially opioids,” said Jae Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “The moment he decided to carelessly distribute drugs and ignore his corresponding responsibility, he became nothing more than a dangerous drug trafficker.”
“Medicare beneficiaries should never have to question whether treatment recommendations are based on their doctors’ best financial interests rather than their best medical advice,” said FBI Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke. “This case is further proof that the government will vigorously pursue those who attempt to cheat the taxpayer-funded system that pays for medical care for millions of Americans.”
Dr. Kabakibou operates pain-management clinics in Atlanta and Blue Ridge, Georgia. The clinics use an in-house laboratory to conduct urine drug tests. The government alleges that Dr. Kabakibou performed medically unnecessary and duplicative laboratory testing on patients and submitted claims for those tests to federal health insurance (including Medicare, TRICARE, and the Department of Labor). The government further alleges that when Dr. Kabakibou travelled abroad, which he did regularly, he pre-signed prescriptions and left them for his nurse practitioners to dispense. Many of these prescriptions were for Schedule II controlled substances, including opioids, which could not be dispensed by unsupervised nurse practitioners.
The CSA was enacted by Congress to deter the illegal importation, manufacture, distribution, possession, and improper use of controlled substances, including prescription medications. The CSA prohibits DEA registrants from issuing prescriptions outside the usual course of professional practice. State law prohibited pre-signing prescriptions. DEA registrants who issue improper prescriptions are subject to civil monetary penalties for each violation.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General.
The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque. The civil case was also investigated by former Assistant U.S. Attorney David O’Neal.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Orlando Man Pleads Guilty to Conducting Series of Cyber Intrusions Against Former EmployerRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Michael Scheuer (39, Orlando) today pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly transmitting a program, code, or command to a protected computer and intentionally causing damage without authorization and one count of aggravated identity theft. Scheuer faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the computer fraud, as well as a minimum sentence of 2 years in federal prison for the aggravated identity theft. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Scheuer conducted a series of computer intrusions or attacks directed at his former employer following his termination. These intrusions included manipulating allergen information in restaurant menus to indicate that food items were safe for customers with certain allergies, when they were not. Scheuer also altered menu information related to wine regions to reflect locations of recent mass shootings. Further, Scheuer launched denial-of-service attacks designed to lock certain company employees out of their enterprise accounts. Scheuer agreed to forfeit the computer used to commit the offenses.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Tampa Division Orlando Resident Agency Criminal Intrusion Cyber Squad. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. Sowell.
Operator of Home Health Care Company Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Multimillion Dollar Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Westford woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with a home health care fraud scheme.
Faith Newton, 56, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. to 12 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Newton was also ordered to pay a fine of $250,000 and restitution in the amount of $99,734,517.
In July 2024, Newton was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of health care fraud and three counts of money laundering. The jury found the defendant not guilty on one count of money laundering conspiracy. Newton was arrested and charged along with co-defendant Winnie Waruru in February 2021.
“Ms. Newton used the home health care agency she operated to perpetrate a massive, years-long fraud scheme that siphoned over $100 million from a program designed to support our most vulnerable residents. She used the stolen money to fund her lavish lifestyle, showing a callous disregard for those who were in dire need of care and assistance. Her actions not only defrauded taxpayers but also compromised the integrity of essential home health care services. The significant prison term imposed today reflects the seriousness of her crimes and the harm she caused to patients, providers, and the public,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Those who exploit vital health care programs like MassHealth for personal gain will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who prioritize greed over the well-being of others.”
“Faith Newton seemed to think she could execute a $100 million health care fraud scheme at the expense of American taxpayers and get away with it, but she was grossly mistaken,” said Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “HHS-OIG is committed to protecting taxpayer-funded health care programs from fraud and abuse, and our message is clear: those who exploit our nation’s health care system for personal gain will be caught, and justice will be served.”
“The sentencing of Faith Newton demonstrates IRS Criminal Investigation’s commitment to the prosecution of all financial crimes that impact the citizens of the United States,” said Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Newton orchestrated an elaborate healthcare scheme, stealing at least $100 million from Medicaid and MassHealth with the sole purpose of funding her lavish lifestyle at the expense of the American taxpayers. Newton’s self-serving actions impacted the tens of thousands of U.S. citizens that depend on the finite funds that these government programs provide in order to obtain even the most basic of medical care.”
“Faith Newton betrayed the trust of her patients and their families when she used them as pawns in a massive $100 million home health care fraud scheme to fund her lavish lifestyle by paying kickbacks and billing for services she never provided, treatments that were not medically necessary, and visits by sham home health aides who were not certified or trained,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “It’s clear that the guiding principle here was greed. Anyone involved in, or entertaining, similar activity should know that health care fraud is a priority for the FBI, and we will pursue anyone trying to steal from this country’s vital health care system.”
From January 2013 to January 2017, Newton operated Arbor Homecare Services LLC. Newton and others engaged in a conspiracy to use Arbor to defraud MassHealth of at least $100 million.
Specifically, Arbor, through Newton and others, billed for home health services that were never provided. Co-conspirators were instructed by Newton to create and submit falsified copy-and-paste notes from nursing visits that did not happen. In addition, Arbor, through Newton and others, paid kickbacks for patient referrals, regardless of medical necessity. They also entered sham employment relationships with patients’ family members to provide home health aide services that were not medically necessary and routinely billed for fictitious visits that Newton knew did not occur. Newton and Arbor would flood clinics with Plans of Care that were not medically necessary, pressuring doctors to sign off.
At Newton’s direction, Arbor would submit false claims to MassHealth for services by HHA’s who were not trained and certified as required by law. Arbor never provided the required 75 hours of training to the people it hired. Newton covered up the lack of HHA training by forging training documents and giving hires sham exams along with answer keys.
In 2017, after learning that Mass Health had cut off Arbor, Newton cut herself and her husband each a $2 million dollar check from the Arbor payroll account. Newton backdated the checks to 2016 to make them appear as Christmas bonuses, when in fact, Newton wrote and negotiated the checks in January 2017.
Newton’s co-defendant, Waruru, pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy in September 2022. A sentencing date for Waruru has not yet been scheduled.
U.S. Attorney Foley; HHS SAC Coviello; IRS Acting SAC Demeo; and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Brady and Christopher R. Looney of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Carol Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit prosecuted the case.
Onondaga County Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – David Gedamoske, age 41, of Lafayette, New York, pled guilty yesterday to evading taxes on over $1 million in wages between 2016 and 2021.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Harry Chavis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York Field Division, made the announcement.
At his change of plea, Gedamoske admitted that he worked as a journeyman lineman for various electrical companies and received wages reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on the Form W-2. When he started working at these companies, Gedamoske completed a Form W-4 and claimed either “99 Allowances” or that he was “Exempt” from income tax. In doing so, he intended to have his employer withhold little or no federal income tax on his paycheck. Despite owing a significant amount of tax, Gedamoske failed to file a federal tax return between 2016-2021. As a result, Gedamoske evaded paying over $200,000 in federal taxes.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 11, 2025, before Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. Gedamoske faces up to 5 years in federal prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum $100,000 fine. He will have to pay restitution to the IRS. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the IRS-CI and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Paul Tuck.
Ohio Man Charged with Cyberstalking Three WomenRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A grand jury in Cleveland, Ohio, has returned a six-count indictment related to cyberstalking and making online threats. The indictment charges Logan Stanford, 28, of Shelby, Ohio, with cyberstalking at least three individuals. He is also charged with making interstate threatening communications.
According to the indictment, from Sept. 1, 2021, through May 31, 2024, Stanford used various electronic communication methods to stalk his victims online, known as cyberstalking. This form of threatening behavior can include unwarranted emails, instant and direct messaging, or liking and commenting on social media posts. Stanford allegedly created many accounts under different names on various online platforms. He found victims to target and repeatedly sent them numerous harassing comments. Many of the electronic messages Stanford sent his victims were sexual or violent in nature or threatened to cause them physical harm. He also created multiple email accounts under different names to send similar intimidating messages.
The FBI Cleveland Division is the investigating agency on the case which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Joyce and Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio.
January is National Stalking Awareness Month. To learn more, or to make a report, visit stalkingawareness.org/what-to-do-if-you-are-being-stalked/.
An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Newton Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Newton man was sentenced on January 15, 2025 to 100 months in federal prison for receipt of child sexual abuse material.
According to public court documents, between October 2022 and January 2024, Charles Gordon Feagins, 24, purchased and received images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. During a search of Feagins’s Newton residence, law enforcement seized electronic devices that had more than 500 images and videos containing child sexual abuse material.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Feagins will be required to serve a fifteen-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Feagins was also ordered to pay $45,000 in restitution. Feagins will be required to register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Child Exploitation Task Force.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc
Newberry Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Federal Firearm and Narcotics ConvictionsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Tyrell Rakeem Sanders, 29, of Newberry, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on Dec. 22, 2022, Richland County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call that a man was possibly selling drugs out of his vehicle in an apartment complex parking lot. Deputies found the suspicious vehicle with Sanders sitting in the driver’s seat. After smelling the odor of marijuana and seeing the handle of a firearm on the floorboard in plain view, deputies detained Sanders and his passenger before searching the vehicle. Deputies recovered a stolen .40 caliber pistol between the driver’s seat and the driver’s door, which Sanders later claimed to own. Deputies also recovered a total of 201 grams of marijuana in a backpack that was on the driver’s floorboard. Finally, deputies searched Sanders’s person and found a baggie of multi-colored pills that were later confirmed to be methamphetamine with a weight of 37.9 grams. At sentencing, Sanders was also held accountable for two other incidents—one in Richland County and one in Newberry County—where he possessed firearms and an incident where he led police on a high-speed chase for over 20 miles. These incidents of relevant conduct served to enhance the advisory sentencing guideline range that federal judges consider before imposing a sentence.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Tyrell Rakeem Sanders to 151 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a six-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Sanford is prosecuting the case.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun and Drug ConvictionsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DWINE HARDY (“HARDY”), age 32, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 7, 2025, by United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey, after previously pleading guilty to Counts 1, 2, and 3 of a four-count indictment. The indictment charged HARDY with being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8) (Count 1); possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(0) and 924(a)(2) (Count 2); and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) (Count 3).
HARDY was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment as to Counts 1, 2, and 3, with each count to be served concurrently. Judge Zainey also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release following HARDY’s release from prison and payment of a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, Kenner police officers stopped HARDY in a stolen vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, officers discovered illegal narcotics, drug paraphernalia, two Apple iPhones, 15 rounds of ammunition, and a stolen Glock Model 23 .40-caliber pistol. The firearm was equipped with a machine gun conversion device and an extended 22-round capacity magazine.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Kenner Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Heroin and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Fords, New Jersey, has been sentenced to 77 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on charges of violating federal drug trafficking laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Ryan Mendoza, 32, on January 22, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, on February 25, 2021, employees of a hotel in Pittsburgh notified the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police that a backpack containing a substantial amount of drugs was located in a room previously occupied by Mendoza. Mendoza was taken into custody by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police when he reentered the hotel and attempted to access his former room. Mendoza admitted to possession of the recovered drugs, which later were determined to be heroin and fentanyl.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Ball prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Mendoza.
Morrisdale Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Morrisdale, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Shane Hoover, 33, on January 22, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around November 2019 to June 2020, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Hoover conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. Hoover was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hoover. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Millcreek Police Department, Erie Bureau of Police, and other local law enforcement agencies.
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.
Money Launderer for Chicago-Based Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A money launderer for a Chicago-based drug trafficking organization has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison.
COSME CHACON, 55, pleaded guilty in 2023 to a money laundering conspiracy charge. U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. imposed a 100-month prison sentence during a hearing on Tuesday in federal court in Chicago.
Chacon was among four defendants indicted in Chicago in 2007. The defendants participated in a drug trafficking organization that transported heroin to Chicago from New York, Florida, and Texas. After the drugs were sold in the Chicago area, Chacon laundered the illicit proceeds through wire transfers to Colombia and other overseas locations. Chacon’s three co-defendants pleaded guilty and were sentenced to federal prison terms of 16 years, 12 years, and one year.
Chacon was free on bond in 2009 when he failed to appear for status hearings in the weeks leading up to his scheduled trial. Chacon remained a fugitive until 2022, when he was arrested in Panama and returned to the United States.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations, and Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian F. Williamson represented the government.
Valuable assistance in securing Chacon’s arrest and return to the U.S. was provided by IRS Criminal Investigation Panama City, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, and other alleged criminal offenders 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 alleged criminal networks.
Middle District of Florida Prosecutors Indict 46 Firearms and Violent Crime Defendants During First Quarter of 2025 as Part of Project Safe Neighborhoods StrategyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today the results of the first quarter of fiscal year 2025 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, ending on December 31, 2024, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida indicted 46 individuals. These defendants face federal firearms, narcotics, and violent crime charges. Law enforcement also seized more than 85 firearms associated with these cases. (See chart for details).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also engaged in more than 30 community outreach events focused on PSN and crime prevention. Members of the office spoke with hundreds of students as part of outreach efforts during the first quarter of 2025. In addition, prosecutors spoke to more than 100 recently released individuals at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office DISMAS program at the Jacksonville Bridge Community Release Center and over 50 inmates scheduled for release from the Baker Re-Entry Center.
“My office is committed to working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement officers to combat violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “Over the past three fiscal years, my office has increased the number of violent crime and firearms cases brought in federal court by over 75%. In total, federal prosecutors have charged more than 750 defendants with firearms violations during that timeframe, with more than 300 of those defendants being charged in the most recent fiscal year. We will continue to federally prosecute and hold accountable those perpetrators of violent crimes in our communities.”
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on prevention and intervention efforts through community engagement and problem-solving partnerships, strategic enforcement of the most violent offenders, and locally based re-entry programs to reduce recidivism.
Q1 PSN Case Highlights
United States v. JD Irons, Jr. (Ft. Myers)
In October 2024, JD Irons, Jr. was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. According to court records, in December 2023, Irons fled from officers with the Fort Myers Police Department during a traffic stop. Irons was subsequently located, and a firearm was recovered from the vehicle and forensically linked to Irons. Irons qualified for enhanced sentencing under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
United States v. Jameise Christian et al (Jacksonville)
On December 10, 2024, Jameise Vaughn Christian was sentenced to 12 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robberies and brandishing a firearm during the robberies. According to court documents, Christian and his co-conspirators planned and executed a series of jewelry store robberies in New Jersey, Florida, and the District of Columbia. Based in the Washington, D.C. area, the group targeted predominantly South Asian jewelry stores along the east coast. Wearing disguises and armed with firearms, they used hammers to smash jewelry display cases and steal valuable items. These stores were specifically chosen because they sold high-purity gold, which yielded higher proceeds when sold for cash. To date, all individuals involved in the Jacksonville and New Jersey robberies have been arrested and face charges in Jacksonville and Washington, D.C.
United States v. Joshua Fries (Ocala)
On October 23, 2024, Joshua Fries pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful possession of unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons: a silencer and machinegun-conversion devices. Fries faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each count when he is sentenced next month. According to court documents, Fries provided a confidential informant with two auto sears (machinegun-conversion devices) and a silencer, all of which he had illegally manufactured. During their conversations, Fries disclosed to the informant that he was part of a local anti-government militia group and that he made silencers, auto sears, and other weapons for that militia. Contrary to federal law, none of these devices were registered to Fries in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record—a database maintained by ATF.
United States v. Joshua Grant Cobb (Orlando)
Joshua Grant Cobb was sentenced in December 2024 to 25 years in federal prison for possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute them and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to court documents, law enforcement identified Cobb as a distributor of methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl who used his residence to facilitate drug transactions. A confidential source arranged to fentanyl at Cobb’s residence. Cobb was later detained as he was leaving his residence. He had a loaded firearm and 55 grams of a fentanyl mixture on him at the time. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Cobb’s home and agents located over 700 grams of methamphetamine, nearly 350 grams of fentanyl mixtures, $4,000 in cash, drug processing materials and equipment, and 6 additional loaded firearms.
United States v. Francisco Cabrera (Tampa)
In November 2024, Francisco Cabrera was sentenced to 38 years in federal prison for robbery, carjacking, attempted murder, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. According to court records, Cabrera engaged in a crime spree where he robbed two stores and a gas station, holding victims at gunpoint. Cabrera later returned to the gas station he had robbed, approached an individual sitting inside a truck, and carjacked him at gunpoint. Hours later, officers and agents located Cabrera who then fled from the officers. During an 11-mile chase, Cabrera traveled at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour, nearly crashed into a truck, drove through red lights and into oncoming traffic causing other vehicles to take evasive actions, and nearly missed hitting other vehicles. While fleeing, Cabrera fired gunshots at numerous local and federal agents, firing at 7 different police officers. In fear that Cabrera was going to kill someone, and after determining that no other law enforcement officers or civilians would be in danger, an ATF special agent fired at Cabrera striking him twice in his lower back. The same law enforcement officers that Cabrera had fired upon then quickly provided him with first aid medical assistance, saving his life.
These cases are being prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorneys in all five divisions throughout the Middle District of Florida. For additional information on Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit our website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/project-safe-neighborhoods-0.
20250123_psn_q1_fy_2025_chart.pdfMember of Ulster County Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 156 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Joshua Atkinson, age 27, of Ellenville, New York, was sentenced last week to serve 156 months in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York; and Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa, whose office leads the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT).
Atkinson was one of 11 defendants charged in the case. These defendants have pled guilty and have been sentenced or are pending sentencing:
- Christopher Baez was sentenced to 71 months in prison, to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release;
- Michael Herry was sentenced to 27 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Joshua Morales is scheduled to be sentenced on February 19, 2025;
- Joseph Logan is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21, 2025;
- Timothy Hutcherson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 9, 2025; and
- Daryl Livingston is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2, 2025.
As part of his guilty plea, Atkinson admitted that during the conspiracy he distributed and possessed with intent to distribute approximately 3.2 kilograms of cocaine and 600 grams of fentanyl. Atkinson also admitted to using violence to obtain payments from his drug redistributors, including threatening a co-conspirator with a hammer. In January 2023, a search warrant was executed at Atkinson’s Ellenville residence and a .22 caliber pistol was recovered by law enforcement.
Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd also imposed a 5-year term of supervised release to begin after Atkinson is released from prison.
This case is being investigated by HSI; the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with URGENT (the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement and Narcotics Team), an inter-agency taskforce targeting drug dealers and gang members in Ulster County; the New York State Police; the Village of Ellenville Police Department; and the White Plains Police Department, with assistance from the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda is prosecuting this case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
McGlothin named Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
Pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act, First Assistant United States Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr., has been named the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas following the departure of U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs on January 21, 2025.
Man Sentenced to a Decade in Federal Prison for Attempting to Traffic Cocaine in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for attempting to traffic cocaine that was shipped to Chicago from California.
In February 2022, JOSE RAMIREZ-ARELLANO arranged to receive a parcel containing approximately five kilograms of cocaine that was shipped to his residence in Chicago from southern California. Law enforcement intercepted the package, replaced the real cocaine with sham cocaine, and delivered it to Ramirez-Arellano’s residence. Upon receipt, Ramirez-Arellano took the package to a hotel in downtown Chicago, where he was arrested.
The federal investigation revealed that Ramirez-Arellano also received a second shipment of approximately five kilograms of cocaine that same month. In addition, law enforcement seized two parcels of bulk cash linked to Ramirez-Arellano, which together contained approximately $43,550.
Ramirez-Arellano, 33, pleaded guilty last year to a federal drug charge. U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood imposed the prison sentence on Jan. 17, 2025, during a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department and the Illinois National Guard Counter-Drug Task Force.
“The cocaine that defendant attempted to possess and distribute represented thousands of street-level user quantities of this highly addictive and dangerous narcotic,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Parthum argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Had defendant succeeded in receiving and distributing that cocaine, it would have exacerbated the crisis of addiction and cocaine-related harms and deaths.”
Lincoln Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jovan Travis, age 38, of Lincoln, Nebraska was sentenced on January 23, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln for one count of felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Travis to a total of 92 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Travis’ release from prison, he will begin a 2-year term of supervised release.
On January 12, 2023, an Omaha Police Department (“OPD”) officer was contacted by a Confidential Informant (“CI”) regarding illegal narcotics sales. The officer had the CI arrange a controlled purchase of pills from Travis. On that same day, the CI and Travis met for the transaction. However, at the time of the buy, Travis advised the CI that he did not have the pills yet. Instead, he offered the CI a handgun for $300, which the CI purchased using the task force money. The handgun was reported stolen out of Illinois.
Travis was previously convicted of multiple crimes that were punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Kenton County Man Sentenced for Arson and Unlawful Possession of Explosive DevicesRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Covington man, David Juarez, 39, was sentenced on Wednesday to 137 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning for arson and unlawful possession of a destructive device.
According to his plea agreement, between March 6 and 9, 2023, Juarez maliciously set fire to two structures, using an ignitable liquid and Molotov cocktails. Specifically, sometime before February 28, 2023, and then again sometime before March 5, 2023, Juarez burglarized an apartment in Covington. During each burglary, Juarez stole personal items belonging to the resident. On March 6, 2023, Juarez burglarized the apartment again and stole additional personal property; but before leaving, he poured and set fire to an ignitable liquid in two locations within the apartment.
On March 9, 2023, Juarez committed another arson, this time firebombing a restaurant in Covington. Juarez used the bottles of alcohol he had previously stolen in the first burglary to create Molotov cocktails, throwing them into the restaurant. The Covington Fire Department were able to extinguish the fire before the fire spread or caused significant damage.
Under federal law, Juarez must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Brian Valenti, Covington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and Covington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel King is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Arthur Ray Elkins, 60, of Chesapeake, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 6, 2023, Elkins sold approximately 56 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Chesapeake in exchange for $700.
After conducting additional controlled buys of methamphetamine from Elkins, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence and his adjoining garage on March 15, 2023. During the search, officers found approximately 229 grams of methamphetamine, three firearms, and approximately $3,854. Elkins told officers that he sold methamphetamine on a regular basis, was a daily user of methamphetamine, and received the firearms as payment in exchange for methamphetamine.
On December 13, 2023, officers recovered an additional pound of methamphetamine from Elkins as part of their investigation.
Elkins has a long criminal history that includes prior felony convictions for breaking and entering, grand larceny, forgery, conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver marijuana, unarmed robbery, bank robbery, and conspiracy to steal U.S. Treasury checks from the United States Mail.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh prosecuted the case.
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-15.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Larry Joe Chapman, 44, 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 March 28, 2024, law enforcement officers responded to a reported shoplifting at a MacCorkle Avenue business in South Charleston. Officers encountered Chapman in the storage room of the business, with a knife in his hand. Officers arrested Chapman, took him outside, and searched him. Officers found a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard .380-caliber pistol and merchandise belonging to the business on Chapman’s person.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Chapman knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for breaking and entering a building other than a dwelling on February 5, 2018, and conspiracy to operate and attempt to operate a clandestine drug laboratory for the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamine on November 8, 2013, both in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Chapman is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh 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-125.
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Kalamazoo Man Sentenced to over 27 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and FentanylRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge announced that Michael Warren Smith, Jr., 38, of Kalamazoo, was sentenced to 327 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and cocaine. Smith previously pleaded guilty in October 2024.
According to the plea agreement, on October 11, 2023, investigators searched Smith’s house on Elmwood Street and his apartment on West Main Street, both in Kalamazoo. When investigators searched the house on Elmwood Street, Smith was present and had over 185 grams of fentanyl in his pants. Inside Smith’s bedroom, investigators found 388.5 grams of 99 percent pure methamphetamine, and other evidence of drug trafficking. In Smith’s apartment on West Main Street, investigators found approximately five pounds of 99 percent pure methamphetamine, over 500 grams of fentanyl, over 470 grams of cocaine, and five loaded firearms. Smith admitted that he possessed these drugs and intended to sell them.
“We are pleased with this sentence,” said Mike Ferguson, Captain of the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team. “Mr. Smith possessed a large amount of drugs and guns. Drugs and guns that would’ve hit the streets of Kalamazoo if not for the hard work of KVET and our federal partners.”
“Mr. Smith’s sentencing should serve as a reminder that the DEA will relentlessly pursue those responsible for the distribution of illicit drugs accountable,” said Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Detroit Field Division. “Methamphetamine has devastating effects on communities, and fentanyl is responsible for the loss of tens of thousands of lives. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who profit from this illegal and dangerous trade.”
“Michael Smith, Jr. sold poison in our community while armed with five illegal firearms. This sentence should serve as a clear warning to every illegally armed drug dealer operating in our community: If you pack an illegal firearm in furtherance of peddling your poison, you need to pack your bags for prison,” said James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Detroit Division.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET), and Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) investigated this case.
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Jury convicts California man in diamond investment fraud schemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Jan. 14, Murray Todd Petersen, 73, of Fair Oaks, California, was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, after a seven-day jury trial in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
From March 2013 through August 2019, Petersen, who worked as a salesman for Petersen & Lowe LLC, induced investors to purchase fancy-colored diamonds using materially false and fraudulent representations concerning the safety and security of the investments, the value of the investments, the expected profits and rates of return, and the use of investors’ funds. After selling his victims expensive fancy-colored diamonds supplied with fraudulent overvalued appraisals, he instructed his clients to hold onto their investments often for one to two years prior to looking to liquidate. When trying to cover his investors cash out demands at the overpriced appraisal prices, he used another false representation of a China investment program, where he would purportedly invest the victims’ money into the Chinese diamond market with a purported guaranteed five to eight percent monthly dividend return on investment. Unbeknownst to his victims, this new investment program was really a Ponzi scheme in disguise designed to pay off his first round of investor clients. When customers began to complain about missing promised returns and highly inaccurate overvalued appraisals, the scheme pivoted again to a theft model, where investors prepaid for diamonds that were never delivered. Petersen took approximately $850,000 in sales commissions from his victims, which he used to pay off his high IRS tax liens and cover his business operating expenses.
After his conviction, Petersen was remanded into custody. A sentencing hearing is set for April 24 at 10:00 a.m. in Fort Lauderdale. Petersen faces up to 20 years in prison on each count. Petersen’s co-conspirators Adam Jonathan Lowe, 43, of West Pittston, Pennsylvania, was previously convicted of conspiracy to commit wire Fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering in July 2024 and Scott Schafer, 62, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, was previously convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in June 2024.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the conviction.
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc Anton and Latoya Brown prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset 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, under case number 23-cr-60225.
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Jefferson County man sentenced to 10 years for possessing fentanylRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possessing fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Joe Anthony Garcia, 28, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on January 23, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on May 19, 2022, law enforcement officers responded to a 9-1-1 call regarding a shooting on Avenue E in Beaumont. Officers found at least 16 bullet holes in the front door of the home and Garcia, a resident of the home, inside with gunshot wounds to his chest and hip. Officers also observed narcotics throughout the house in plain view. A search warrant was obtained, and additional narcotics were discovered, including over 1,200 pills in the bathroom. The pills were analyzed by the crime lab and found to contain approximately 156 grams of fentanyl.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued a Public Safety Alert warning Americans of the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. The Public Safety Alert coincides with the launch of DEA’s One Pill Can Kill Public Awareness Campaign to educate the public of the dangers of counterfeit pills and urges all Americans to take only medications prescribed by a medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of a significant nationwide surge in fake pills that are mass-produced by criminal drug networks in labs, deceptively marketed as legitimate prescription pills, and are killing unsuspecting Americans at an unprecedented rate. For more information, please visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.
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January Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the January Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Bradley Andrew Friend. Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Production of Child Pornography; Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography. Friend, 40, of Oologah, is charged with enticing and persuading a minor child to engage in sexual activity. He is further charged with producing, possessing, receiving, and distributing materials that depict the sexual abuse of children. The Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-013
Gary Syd Goldberg. Possession of Child Pornography. Goldberg, 76, of Mannford, is charged with possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Mannford Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Richard is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-253
Shawn Ray Murnan. Bank Fraud (Counts 1 through 4); False Statements (Counts 5 through 8); Unlawful Monetary Transactions (Counts 9 through 14). Murnan, 56, of Windemere, Florida, is charged with fraudulently submitting 14 applications on behalf of his various businesses seeking more than $2.7 million in CARES Act Funds. Of those applications, Murnan received more than $1.6 million in PPP and EIDL loans. After receiving CARES Act funds, Murnan requested loan forgiveness. More than $1.3 million was forgiven. Two of the PPP loans were funded by a bank located within the NDOK. Each application submitted by Murnan contained false representations and inaccurate accounting regarding employees' wages, including that he owned no other businesses. The FRB-CFPB Office of the Inspector General, the SBA Office of the Inspector General, and TIGTA are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Whipple and Cheryl Baber are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-014
Xavion Eugene Paggett. Attempted Bank Robbery; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Paggett, 24, of Broken Arrow, is charged with using a firearm to rob a bank in Nov. 2024. He is further charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema M. Onias is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-012
Anthony Clay Russell. First Degree Murder in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country (superseding). Russell, 32, of Tulsa and a member of the Osage Nation, is charged with maliciously killing Tasha Shepard on Oct. 22, 2024. He is further charged with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and intentionally assaulting a second victim with a dangerous weapon. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam D. McConney and John Brasher are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-365
Marcos Javier Suazo-Otero; Marcos Javier Suazo-Mancilla. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Counts 2 and 3); Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute (Count 4); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 5 and 6); Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien (Count 7); Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 8); Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms (Count 9) (superseding). Suazo-Otero, 46, and Suazo-Mancilla, 23, both Mexican nationals, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 2024 through Nov. 2024. They are further charged with maintaining a residence for drug distribution. Suazo-Otero knowingly possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute and is additionally charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Aug. 2018. Lastly, Suazo-Mancilla knowingly possessed cocaine with intent to distribute, possessed firearms while drug trafficking, and knowingly did so while being an alien illegally in the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-397
Iowa City Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced today to 6 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography.
According to public court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that a social media account, later determined to be associated with Christopher Kevin Carpenter, 62, received files containing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement seized 10 electronic and storage devices during a search of Carpenter’s Coralville residence. A forensic examination of the seized devices and multiple cloud-based storage accounts showed that Carpenter received images and videos containing child sexual abuse material dating back to 2001.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Carpenter will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Carpenter was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the University of Iowa Department of Campus Safety.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
India- And New Jersey-Based Jeweler Sentenced to 30 Months Incarceration for Multimillion Dollar International Trade Fraud Scheme and Unlicensed Money TransmittingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, NJ. – An India- and New Jersey-based man who operated jewelry companies in New York City’s Diamond District was sentenced to 30 months incarceration for spearheading a scheme to illegally evade customs duties for more than $13.5 million of jewelry imports into the United States and for illegally processing more than $10.3 million through an unlicensed money transmitting business, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Monishkumar Kirankumar Doshi Shah, a/k/a “Monish Doshi Shah” (Shah), 40, of Mumbai, India and Jersey City, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to a two-count Information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and operating and aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business. Judge Salas imposed the sentence in Newark federal court and remanded Shah to begin serving his sentence.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From in or around December 2019 through in or around April 2022, Shah engaged in a scheme to evade duties for shipments of jewelry from Turkey and India to the United States. Shah would ship and/or instruct his co-conspirators to ship goods from Turkey or India—which would have been subject to an approximately 5.5% duty if shipped directly to the United States—to one of Shah’s companies in South Korea. Shah’s co-conspirators in South Korea would change the labels on the jewelry to state that they were from South Korea instead of Turkey or India, and then ship them to Shah or his customers in the United States, thereby unlawfully evading the duty. Shah would also make and instruct his customers to make fake invoices and packing lists to make it look like Shah’s South Korean companies were actually ordering jewelry from Turkey or India. Shah also instructed a third-party shipping company to provide false information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) concerning the origin of the jewelry. During the scheme, Shah shipped approximately $13.5 million of jewelry from South Korea to the United States without paying the appropriate duty.
In addition, from in or around July 2020 through in or around November 2021, Shah owned and/or operated numerous jewelry companies in New York City’s Diamond District, including MKore LLC, MKore USA Inc, and Vruman Corp. Shah used these entities to conduct more than $10.3 million in illegal financial transactions for customers—including converting cash to checks or wire transfers. Shah would also collect cash from customers and use other individuals’ jewelry companies to convert the cash into wires or checks. At times, Shah and other members of the money transmitting business moved hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single day. In exchange for their services, certain members of the money transmitting business charged a fee. None of Shah’s or his associates’ companies were registered as money transmitting businesses with New York, New Jersey, or the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas ordered restitution in the amount of $742,500 for the wire fraud scheme and forfeiture in the amount of $11,126,982.33 for the wire fraud and unlicensed money transmitting schemes. In addition, the Court imposed a two-year term of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents and task force officers of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; special agents with Homeland Security Investigations New York, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker; special agents with Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas; and special agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of New York/Newark, under the direction of Acting Port Director Jeffrey R. Greene, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence. He also thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection in New York; Homeland Security Investigations in Seoul, South Korea; the Korea Customs Service in South Korea; the Seoul Customs Special Investigation Office in South Korea; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Paterson; the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department; the Morristown Police Department; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General; and the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) for their assistance in the investigation.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olta Bejleri of the Economic Crimes Unit and Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark.
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Defense Attorney: Rahul Agarwal, Esq.
Humboldt, Iowa, Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
Paul William Flett, age 44, from Humboldt, Iowa, pled guilty January 23, 2025, to one count to sexual exploitation of a child in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa.
In a plea agreement, Flett admitted he sent links and images of child pornography to underage girls and asked them to send images and videos of themselves to him. On June 6, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Flett’s home and in a consensual interview Flett admitted he threw his phone in a closet when law enforcement showed up because he knew they were there for him. Forensic analysis of Flett’s iPhone 12, computer, and Kik account discovered a total of 16 videos and 60 images of child pornography. The images and videos contained material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct, as well as prepubescent children, infants, and toddlers.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Flett was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Flett faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any imprisonment of 5 years to life.
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 Attorneys’ 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.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Cyber-Crime Unit, and Webster County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-03036. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Robbing Victims Who Advertised Goods on Internet MarketplacesRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JALEN LASALLE, 20, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for committing a series of gunpoint robberies targeting individual sellers of luxury goods over online marketplaces.
According to court documents and statements made in court, ATF, the Hartford Police Department, and the Middletown Police Departments investigated a series of gunpoint robberies of individuals who advertised items for sale on internet marketplaces, such as Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. At an arranged meeting place to sell their items, which included cell phones and luxury sneakers and accessories, the purported purchaser would brandish a firearm, force the victim to hand over the luxury goods, and flee. The investigation revealed that Lasalle and John Villegas, also known as “Kirby,” committed five armed robberies in Hartford in late August and early September 2022. Villegas, with his sister Valerie Meneses, also committed an armed robbery in August 2022 in Middletown.
Lasalle was arrested on February 3, 2023. On September 18, 2024, he pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), and two counts of carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Lasalle, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on February 24.
Villegas and Meneses pleaded guilty to related charges. On January 8, 2025, Villegas was sentenced to 156 months of imprisonment and, on October 16, 2024, Meneses was sentenced to 63 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Hartford Police Department, and the Middletown Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and A. Reed Durham.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman encouraged those who sell and purchase items online, and need to meet an individual in person to complete the sale, to use a visible, monitored location. Contact your local police department to see if it offers a monitored meeting location, or search online for a nearby monitored location.
Gucci Store Burglars Sentenced in Theft from Northwest StoreRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Husan Thurston, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to two years in prison and Alton Pernell, 28, also of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to two years in prison, with six months suspended, yesterday, for the burglary of a Gucci store in Northwest D.C. on September, 9, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On January 22, 2025, the Honorable Judge Andrea Hertzfeld sentenced Husan Thurston to 24 months’ incarceration followed by three years of supervised release, and Alton Pernell to 24 months’ incarceration, with six months suspended, followed by three years of supervised release suspended and one year of supervised probation. Pernell and Thurston pleaded guilty on November 19, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second-degree burglary.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 11:00 p.m., on September 9, 2024, law enforcement officers observed a large group of individuals attempting to force entry into the Gucci store, located at the 1000 block of I Street, NW, while it was closed for business. Surveillance camera footage from inside of the Gucci store showed the defendants kicking the store’s doors and forcing their way inside. Both defendants were also captured on the store’s surveillance camera, running inside the store and grabbing handbags off of the display stands. One of the officers approached the front entrance of the store and then observed Thurston and Pernell inside. When officers entered the store and approached Pernell and Thurston, both men attempted to the flee but were prevented by the incoming officer. Both defendants fled to the rear of the store, where they were apprehended.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hannah Skopicki and Elizabeth Ginsburg, who prosecuted the case.
Four SoCal Residents Found Guilty of Participating in an Armed Robbery and Carjacking at Car Repair Shop in San Bernardino CountyRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – Three San Gabriel Valley residents and one San Bernardino County man have been found guilty by a jury of participating in an armed robbery and carjacking of a car repair business last year in Bloomington in which one victim was pistol-whipped into near unconsciousness, the Justice Department announced today.
At the conclusion of a 13-day trial, a federal jury on late Wednesday returned a guilty verdict on all counts against the following defendants:
- Marcos Guerrero, 49, of Glendora;
- Elijah Gafare, 35, of West Covina;
- Cinthia Leal, 39, of Glendora; and
- Vincent Solarez, 58, of Upland.
All four defendants were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of carjacking.
Guerrero, Gafare, and Leal also were found guilty of witness tampering and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of and in relation to a crime of violence. Guerrero further was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“Violent crime tears at the fabric of our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “The verdict reached in this case highlights our office’s ongoing efforts to root out and punish criminals who use guns to harm innocent people.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Guerrero, Gafare, Leal, and Solarez participated in an armed robbery of a car repair shop in Bloomington in the early morning hours of March 12, 2024. During the robbery, two of the defendants brandished firearms and one of the defendants pistol-whipped one of the victims into near unconsciousness.
The defendants kept the victims hostage and threatened to kill them if the victims did not hand over cash, their car, and if they ever called law enforcement. In total, defendants stole several thousand dollars in cash and the business surveillance system, in addition to the victim’s car and other property.
Law enforcement tracked the defendants down and arrested them in May and June of 2024.
On May 30, 2024, Guerrero illegally possessed a .45-caliber firearm and dozens of rounds of ammunition. He is not permitted to possess firearms and ammunition because his criminal history includes convictions in San Bernardino County Superior Court for home invasion robbery, first-degree residential burglary, false imprisonment by violence, possession of a firearm by a felon, and evading a police officer.
United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal scheduled an April 21 sentencing hearing, at which Guerrero, Gafare, and Leal will face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Solarez will face a statutory maximum sentence of 65 years in federal prison.
The FBI Inland Violent Crimes Suppression Task Force and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua J. Lee and Neil P. Thakor of the General Crimes Section, and Tritia L. Yuen of the Riverside Branch Office, are prosecuting this case.
Founder and Former CEO of San Francisco Technology Company and Attorney Indicted for Years-Long Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A 25-count indictment was unsealed today charging Alexander Charles Beckman, the founder and former CEO of GameOn, Inc., also known as GameOn Technology or ON Platform (“GameOn”), and Valerie Lau Beckman (“Lau”), an attorney who worked on GameOn matters and is married to Beckman, with conspiracy, wire fraud, securities fraud, identity theft, and other offenses. Lau was also charged with obstruction of justice.
According to the indictment filed on Jan. 21, 2025, Beckman, 41, and Lau, 38, both of San Francisco, allegedly conspired to defraud GameOn investors, GameOn, and a bank. GameOn is a San Francisco-based private business that offers a software program claiming artificial intelligence functionality that mimics human conversation and interaction, commonly known as a chatbot or “chat.” Its customers included prominent American professional sports leagues and teams and leading luxury fashion and retail brands. Over the course of the alleged scheme, from September 2018 to July 2024, Beckman raised over $60 million from GameOn investors. Lau was an attorney who worked on GameOn corporate and transactional matters from at least 2016 to 2024. The couple married in October 2023. Beckman and Lau allegedly used over $4 million of GameOn investor funds on personal expenses, including purchases of residences in San Francisco, payments to private schools, and payments to their wedding venue.
“The Bay Area is home to incredible innovation and hard-working entrepreneurs, but innovation cannot grow through fraud. Schemes like the ones that defendants are charged with threaten our financial markets and cheat investors,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins. “This indictment should serve as a reminder that we will investigate and hold fraudsters accountable.”
“Fraud undermines the integrity of our capital markets and erodes the trust that investors place in them,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Dan Costin. “The FBI is committed to ensuring our financial markets remain fair and transparent by investigating and holding accountable those who engage in deceptive practices.”
As alleged in the indictment, Beckman’s statements to GameOn investors often described non-existent revenue, inflated cash balances, and fake and otherwise exaggerated customer relationships. To further the scheme, Beckman allegedly used the names of at least seven real people—including fake emails and signatures—without their permission to distribute false and fraudulent GameOn financial and business information and documents with the intent to defraud GameOn and its investors. Among the individuals whose names Beckman used to commit the fraud scheme was a GameOn CFO, two bank employees, and an employee of a major professional sports league. Beckman also fabricated two GameOn audit reports using the names, signatures, and trademarks of reputable accounting firms, including one of the Big Four accounting firms, to validate false financial statements, and distributed over a dozen fake bank statements for GameOn’s accounts as part of the scheme.
After changing law firms multiple times, Lau joined a venture capital firm in September 2021. Lau is alleged to have provided Beckman with genuine audit reports that she obtained from her own employer that Beckman then used to create fake audit reports for GameOn. The indictment alleges that Lau personally emailed one of these fake audit reports to a GameOn investor’s representative, knowing it to be fake, to induce further investment into the company.
In June 2024, Lau furthered the scheme to defraud by delivering a fake GameOn account statement—one that she knew falsely listed GameOn’s balance at a certain financial institution as over $13 million when the company’s true balance was just $25.93—to a bank branch in San Francisco and asking a bank employee to keep the fake statement in an envelope at the bank for Beckman to pick up later that day. Lau knew that Beckman planned to pick up the fake statement with a GameOn director who represented a major investor on GameOn’s board. Beckman picked up the fake statement with the GameOn director that day.
In August 2024, when Lau’s employer approached Lau regarding GameOn, Lau lied to her employer about her work for GameOn and then attempted to delete hundreds of files relating to that GameOn work from her employer’s records at a time when a grand jury investigation into GameOn was pending.
Beckman and Lau were arrested earlier today and made their initial appearances in federal court in San Francisco this morning.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, defendants face the following maximum sentences: 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 1349 and securities fraud under 15 U.S.C. §§ 78j(b) and 78ff; five years in prison for the count of securities fraud conspiracy under 18 U.S.C. § 371; 30 years in prison for each count of bank fraud conspiracy and false statements to a bank under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1349 and 1014; 10 years in prison for the count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity under 18 U.S.C. § 1957; and two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft under 18 U.S.C. § 1028A that must be consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed under any other provision of law. Lau also faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the count of obstruction of justice under 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(1). Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick O’Brien is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lance Libatique and Maryam Beros. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Anyone with information about allegations of corporate and securities fraud can report it by contacting the FBI at (415) 553-7400 or tips.fbi.gov, or by reporting the allegations to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California through its Whistleblower Pilot Program, using the instructions at link.
Beckman Indictment
Former Owner of San Diego Surrogacy Consulting Businesses Admits to Stealing Client FundsRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Lillian Arielle Markowitz, former owner of three San Diego-based surrogacy consulting businesses, pleaded guilty in federal court today to fraud charges, admitting that she stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in client funds from escrow accounts set up to pay for surrogacy-related services.
According to her plea agreement, Markowitz admitted that she owned three businesses — My Donor Cycle, Surrogacy Beyond Borders, and Expecting Surrogacy — through which she marketed herself as a surrogacy consultant to those seeking to realize their dreams of becoming surrogate parents. Beginning around 2018, when Markowitz and her businesses began to experience financial distress, she devised a scheme to steal money from her surrogacy clients by, among other things, submitting fraudulent requests to the escrow company where her clients’ funds were maintained.
Markowitz admitted to submitting four fraudulent escrow disbursement requests from the escrow accounts of two couples. One included what Markowitz knew to be a forged client signature, and each one resulted in her obtaining a check from the escrow company without the knowledge or consent of her clients.
In addition, Markowitz admitted that beginning in January 2019 and continuing through May 2021, she defrauded nine additional clients by falsely promising their funds would be deposited into an escrow account and that they would be accessed only to pay for expenses related to their respective surrogacy journey. In fact, Markowitz deposited these clients’ funds into a business checking account and immediately accessed those funds to cover general business expenses, expenses related to other clients’ surrogacy journeys, and her personal expenses. As a condition of her plea, Markowitz has agreed to make restitution of at least $389,142.00 to her former clients.
“The path to parenthood through surrogacy can be fraught with emotional and financial challenges,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “This defendant selfishly exploited vulnerable clients who were striving to fulfill their dream of becoming parents.”
“Instead of aiding her hopeful clients on their path to parenthood, the defendant took advantage of their vulnerability, betrayed their trust, and stole their money,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “FBI will continue to investigate these unique fraud schemes to protect the public against those who employ empty promises and prey upon vulnerable individuals.”
Markowitz is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., by District Judge Todd W. Robinson.
If you believe that you may be a victim in this case, please contact the FBI San Diego field office at (858) 320-1800.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey D. Hill and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark W. Pletcher.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24-CR-0904-TWR
Lillian Arielle Markowitz (aka Lillian Frost) Age: 40 Portland, OR
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Former Mercer County Pharmacist Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Illegally Distribute Oxycodone from Trenton PharmacyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A former Mercer County pharmacist was convicted yesterday for her role in a conspiracy to distribute and dispense outside the course of professional practice large quantities of Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone, from a pharmacy formerly located in Trenton, New Jersey, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Florence Ndubizu, 64, of Princeton Junction, New Jersey, was convicted of two counts of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone, between 2014 and 2017 and maintaining a premises for the illegal distribution of controlled substances. A third count of unlawful distribution of controlled substances was dismissed before trial. The jury returned the guilty verdict following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence presented at trial:
Between 2014 and 2017, Ndubizu was the co-owner and pharmacist-in-charge of Healthcare Pharmacy in Trenton. She and her employee conspirators, acting at her direction, filled fraudulent prescriptions outside the usual course of professional practice, knowing that the drugs would not be used for a legitimate medical purpose, but instead would be illegally diverted, including to street-level drug dealers. Ndubizu, operating a single-location pharmacy, purchased and distributed millions of dosage units of oxycodone, including over 800,000 pills in 2014; over 900,000 pills in 2015; over 800,000 pills in 2016; and over 200,000 pills in 2017, the year that the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) suspended the pharmacy’s registration.
Ndubizu diverted oxycodone pills and then evaded state and federal reporting requirements by manipulating the pharmacy’s records. The DEA conducted an audit of Healthcare Pharmacy’s inventory and found that between April 2015 and August 2017 alone, Ndubizu and Healthcare Pharmacy diverted more than 64,000 oxycodone containing pills.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of maintaining Healthcare Pharmacy as a drug-involved premises carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents, diversion investigators, and task force officers of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; special agents of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the supervision of Director Steve Wilson, members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, and members of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Elizabeth Parvin, with the investigation leading to yesterday’s guilty verdict.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Ramey and Ashley Super Pitts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
Ndubizu’s husband, Gordian A. Ndubizu, the co-owner of Healthcare Pharmacy, was separately convicted of tax evasion offenses after a jury trial in August 2024. Gordian A. Ndubizu was not charged with controlled substance offenses.
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Defense counsel: William H. Newman, Esq., and Shrey Sharma, Esq., of New York, New York
Former Keolis Assistant Chief Engineer Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Keolis Commuter ServicesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Assistant Chief Engineer of Facilities for Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis) pleaded guilty today to defrauding Keolis of over $8 million and to defrauding the IRS.
John P. Pigsley, 59, pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of tax evasion, one count of filing a false tax return and four counts of structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for April 17, 2025. Pigsley and his co-conspirator John Rafferty were charged in April 2023.
Keolis has operated the MBTA commuter rail system since 2014 under an annual contract of $291–$349 million. Between 2014 and November 2021, Pigsley was employed as Keolis’ Assistant Chief Engineer of Facilities and was responsible for the maintenance of MBTA Commuter Rail Facilities and their engineering operations, including corrective repair and project management for assets and maintenance and ordering and approving his subordinates’ orders of electrical supplies from outside vendors for Keolis. Pigsley also operated a separate construction company called Pigman Group. Rafferty was the general manager of LJ Electric, Inc., an electrical supply vendor to which Keolis paid over $17 million between 2014 through 2021.
Between July 2014 and November 2021, Pigsley and Rafferty defrauded Keolis of over $4 million through a false LJ Electric invoicing scheme. Specifically, Rafferty purchased vehicles, construction equipment, construction supplies and other items for Pigsley, Pigman Group and others, and Pigsley directed Rafferty to recover the cost of these items by submitting false and fraudulent LJ Electric invoices to Keolis. Rafferty spent more than $3 million on items for Pigsley and others – including: at least nine trucks; construction equipment including at least seven Bobcat machines; at least $1 million in home building supplies and services; and a $54,000 camper– for which Keolis paid Rafferty more than $4 million based on false LJ Electric invoices.
In addition to the false invoicing scheme, Pigsley directed Keolis to purchase copper wire which he then stole and sold to scrap metal businesses, keeping the cash proceeds for himself. To conceal the theft, Pigsley personally picked up the copper wire orders from vendors or had the orders delivered to his Beverly home. Pigsley then personally transported the wire to scrap yards where he traded it for thousands of dollars in cash several times a month and sometimes more than once a day. Pigsley obtained more than $4.5 million in cash by stealing and scrapping the copper wire.
In addition, Pigsley defrauded the IRS by failing to withhold and pay federal income taxes on income he received from the LJ Electric invoicing scheme and from scrapping copper wire. Pigsley also filed a false tax return for the tax year 2016. Additionally, Pigsley deposited over $1.9 million in cash into his bank accounts between 2014 and 2021 and structured some of those deposits to evade currency transaction reporting requirements applicable to financial institutions.
The charges of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of tax evasion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated structuring provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
In June 2023, Rafferty pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Rafferty is scheduled to be sentenced on April 10, 2025.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the cases.
Former Employee of Real Estate Investment Firm Indicted for Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The former Vice President of Project Management for National Realty Investment Advisors (“NRIA”) has been indicted for his role in an investment fraud scheme and for misappropriating approximately $2.3 million from victim investors, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced today.
Ivel Turner, 51, of Newark, Delaware, was indicted by a federal grand jury with eight counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon A. King in Camden federal court and was released on a $100,000 unsecured appearance bond and other conditions. His arraignment is scheduled for February 4, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Turner was previously employed as Vice President of Project Management for NRIA, which held itself out as a real estate investment management fund with over $1.25 billion in assets under management. NRIA promised investors guaranteed returns of at least 12 percent per year for a period of five years, a full return of their investments, and monthly distributions of between six and ten percent of their original investments. Turner had access to NRIA’s PPM, which made many such representations pertaining to NRIA’s purported returns on investment and distributions.
In April 2020, while still employed at NRIA, Turner incorporated Oasis Realty Investment Group (“ORIG”). Turner, through ORIG, solicited real estate investors to purchase, finance, and co-develop residential units in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. Turner used NRIA as a model for ORIG.
To induce investors to invest and continue to invest in ORIG, Turner made material misrepresentations and omissions related to, among other things: (a) ORIG’s financial position; (b) the manner in which Turner used investor money; and (c) Turner’s role at ORIG. Turner also falsely represented to the victim investors that substantially all of ORIG’s proceeds would be used for real estate investment purposes, but instead, Turner misused hundreds of thousands of dollars of investor money on personal expenses, including luxury retail purchases, several vehicles, international travel, and a down payment on his residence.
The wire fraud charges each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The securities fraud charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $5,000,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Rubin M. Sinins, Esq., Springfield, New Jersey
turner.indictment.pdf
Former Bosnian Prison Camp Supervisor Sentenced to More than Five Years in Prison for Concealing Participation in Wartime PersecutionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Swampscott, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for a 25-year scheme to conceal his persecution of ethnic Serbs during the Bosnian War as well as making false claims to become a refugee to the United States and ultimately a United States citizen.
Kemal Mrndzic, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 65 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In October 2024, Mrndzic was convicted by a federal jury of engaging in a scheme to conceal his involvement in the persecution of Serb prisoners at the notorious Celebici prison camp in Bosnia in 1992; making a false statement to federal agents about his role at the camp; possessing a fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate and Social Security card; and using a fraudulently obtained passport and certificate of naturalization.
“For over two decades, Mr. Mrndzic evaded accountability for his participation in the persecution and torture of countless victims at the camp. By holding him accountable for his lies and fraudulent conduct, this sentence reinforces our resolve to ensure that those responsible for war crimes and human rights abuses are identified, exposed, and prosecuted. This case underscores that we will not allow our nation to be a refuge for those who seek to escape justice,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “The government will be working to ensure that his fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship is revoked.”
“Through the brave testimony of the survivors of the Celebici prison camp, the persecution Mrndzic attempted to conceal was finally brought to light after over 30 years. Though we can never undo what the survivors endured, I hope this sentence brings some measure of justice, no matter how long delayed,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, New England. “HSI remains tireless in our effort to pursue war criminals and human rights violators who attempt to evade justice.”
Mrndzic served as a supervisor of the guards at the notorious Celebici prison camp in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the sectarian war which fractured the country in the 1990s. Twenty-one former detainees described Mrndzic as one of the most notable guards at the camp, who was widely known for his particularly vicious treatment of prisoners and his close association with the camp deputy commander. Mrndzic participated in the systematic and pervasive brutal torture and deprivation of basic human needs of hundreds of captive victims – some of whom were elderly – at the Celebici prison camp. For seven months, victims were forcibly detained with starvation rations, at times forced into lightless, airless manholes that were sealed for hours at a time. Victims also endured daily and nightly beatings that were administered by the guards at the camp — with baseball bats, wooden poles and rifle buts.
Camp survivors who testified at trial in October 2024 recounted murders, the burning of one detainee’s tongue with a heated knife blade, the wrapping of another detainee with a long explosive fuse cord and then lighting it on fire, sexual abuse and other harrowing acts committed over a period of many months. One survivor recounted the beating death of a 70-year-old detainee whom guards pinned a military badge to his forehead while he was still dying. Survivors also testified about being starved and deprived of the most basic needs, including sleeping on the concrete floor of a sheet metal hanger for months on end while being fed only a slice of bread a day.
A United Nations tribunal investigated the crimes committed at Celebici in the 1990s and convicted the two top commanders of the camp and one particularly sadistic guard on numerous crimes including murder and torture. While Mrndzic was interviewed by investigators in connection with that case in 1996, he was not charged by international authorities. Mrndzic subsequently concocted a scheme to leave Bosnia by crossing the border into Croatia and applying as a refugee to the United States using a fabricated story. In his refugee application and interview, he falsely claimed that he fled his home after he was captured, interrogated and abused by Serb forces, and could not return home for fear of future persecution. As the government argued at trial, Mrndzic used his own experience as a persecutor to press a false narrative that he had been persecuted. He was admitted to the U.S. as a refugee in 1999, and ultimately became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009.
Many Celebici survivors became refugees during and after the Bosnian War. Some came to the United States and have since become U.S. citizens. The survivors living in the United States played a central role in the investigation and prosecution of this case. They provided critical trial testimony and submitted moving victim impact statements.
U.S. Attorney Foley; HSI SAC Krol; Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office made the announcement. This matter was investigated with the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the United States Interagency Human Rights Violators & War Crimes Center and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Assistance was provided by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and the United States Embassies in Sarajevo, Belgrade and Helsinki. The Australian Federal Police, Bosnian and Herzegovinian Ministry of Justice, Serbian Ministry of Justice, law enforcement authorities in Finland and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police all provided valuable assistance. The Cook County (Ill.) Sheriff’s Office and Swampscott (Mass.) Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. McNeil and Jason A. Casey of the National Security Unit prosecuted the case.
Florissant Man Sentenced to 26 Months in Check Washing SchemeRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A Florissant, Missouri, man was sentenced to federal prison after he participated in a scheme to deposit counterfeit checks at an Illinois bank.
Quentin T. Gandy, Jr., 22, pleaded guilty in October to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
“When criminals steal checks from the mail, commit fraud by washing the check and print fake copies, real people are victimized,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate the efforts by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to disband this organized effort to defraud banks.”
According to court documents, Gandy obtained checks from uncharged conspirators who stole authentic checks from the mail. Using the authentic checks, the conspirators created counterfeit checks using the account name, number and routing information.
Gandy knew the checks were counterfeit with forged signatures and admitted to trying to deposit $48,200 into his bank account in O’Fallon, Illinois.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to defending the nation’s mail system from criminal activity, preserving the integrity of the U.S. Mail, and protecting United States Postal Service employees. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service values our law enforcement partners for supporting our mission to protect the integrity of the U.S. Mail,” said Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard prosecuted the case.
Florida Woman Sentenced for Using Kennebunk Business’s Bank Account for Personal GainRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Florida woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for committing wire fraud.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Alexis Hodges, 39, to 12 months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay the victim $73,291.33 in restitution. Hodges pleaded guilty on June 28, 2024.
According to court records, from at least November 2019 through October 2021, Hodges fraudulently used the bank account of a Kennebunk business to pay expenses for herself, her family members, and her business. Hodges provided the bank account information to multiple vendors, causing or attempting to cause more than $90,000 to be electronically paid out of the account to pay her rent, insurance policies, and credit card bills, among others, without the victim’s consent or knowledge. In September 2021, the victim discovered that unauthorized payments were occurring and reported it to the Kennebunk Police Department, which referred the case to the U.S. Secret Service New England Cyber Fraud Task Force for investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office does not identify crime victims and is limiting identifying information, including the name and type of business, to protect the victim’s privacy.
In 2011, Hodges was convicted of identity theft, defrauding a financial institution, and scheming to defraud for unlawfully accessing the customer accounts of her then-employer.
The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case with assistance from the Kennebunk Police Department.
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Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Gate Agent at DFW AirportRead the Press Release
A Florida man who assaulted a gate agent at DFW Airport pleaded guilty to interfering with security personnel, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.
Keith Charles Owens, 53, was charged via criminal complaint in November 2024. He pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging interference with security screening personnel before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton on Wednesday.
In plea papers, Mr. Owens admitted that he assaulted an American Airlines gate agent at DFW Airport on Oct. 5, 2024. Security footage showed Mr. Owens repeatedly punched the gate agent in the head.
According to court documents, around 4:42 p.m., Mr. Owens approached the gate agent at gate A36, explained he was late, and attempted to scan his boarding pass. When the gate agent informed him he was at the wrong gate, Mr. Owens cursed and walked away. The agent then radioed the correct gate, A35, to inform airline personnel that Mr. Owens was headed their way and appeared to be intoxicated.
Mr. Owens then walked onto the A35 jet bridge without scanning his boarding pass. Airline personnel removed him from the jet bridge.
A few moments later, at 4:48 p.m., Mr. Owens again approached gate A36. He began yelling at the gate agent, grabbed him by the shoulders, and punched him repeatedly in the face and neck. Eventually, airline personnel were able to restrain him.
Both the gate agent and the personnel who assisted in restraining Mr. Owens sustained minor injuries. The flight departing from gate A36 was delayed.
Mr. Owens now faces up to 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing has been set for May 2, 2025.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Beck is prosecuting the case.
Felon Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearm on Minneapolis Light RailRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on June 11, 2024, an anonymous 911 caller reported that a man had threatened to shoot the caller’s boyfriend while riding the light-rail train in Minneapolis. The caller provided a physical description of the man, and said he was carrying a firearm in a blue nylon drawstring backpack. Police responded to the light-rail station at Lake Street and Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis where they saw a man, later identified as George Matthews IV, 34, who fit the caller’s description and was carrying a blue nylon drawstring backpack. Officers shouted at Matthews to stop, but instead, he fled the scene and abandoned the blue backpack as he ran. Inside the backpack, officers found a Kimber Micro 9mm pistol with one round of ammunition in the chamber and four rounds in the magazine. Matthews was arrested moments later while wearing a Smith & Wesson belt clip.
Because Matthews has prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms.
Matthews pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon on September 11, 2024. He was sentenced on January 15, 2025, in U.S. District Court by Judge John R. Tunheim.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Metro Transit Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Forbes prosecuted the case.
Federal Jury Finds Hopkinsville, Kentucky Man Guilty of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – Today, following a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted a Hopkinsville, Kentucky, man of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as seven counts of money laundering.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison, of the USPIS Pittsburgh Division, Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd, of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Cincinnati Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jason Newby of the Hopkinsville Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between May 20, 2020, and January 22, 2022, Robert Blaine, 46, of Hopkinsville, Kentucky conspired with Roderick Tutt and Jessica Ochoa to possess with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and over 400 grams of a fentanyl mixture. During that time frame, Blaine wired money to Ochoa as payment for the drugs and in furtherance of the overall conspiracy. Blaine also mailed a box containing $36,960 in U.S. currency to Ochoa that he obtained from proceeds of illegal drug sales. On January 21, 2022, Blaine arranged for Tutt to travel to Arizona to pick up fentanyl and methamphetamine from Ochoa. Tutt was supposed to bring the drugs back to Blaine in Hopkinsville. Tutt was arrested on the way back to Hopkinsville with 2,059 fentanyl pills and approximately 8 kilograms of methamphetamine. Blaine has numerous prior drug trafficking convictions.
On July 20, 2023, Roderick Tutt, 36, of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Jessica Ochoa, 40, of Phoenix, Arizona pled guilty to conspiring with Blaine to possess with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and 400 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl. Ochoa also pled guilty to seven counts of money laundering. Tutt and Ochoa are scheduled for sentencing on March 25, 2025, before a United States District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky.
Blaine is scheduled for sentencing on May 5, 2025, and remains in federal custody pending sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the DEA Paducah Post of Duty, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division, ATF – Louisville Division, and the Hopkinsville Police Department, with assistance from the FBI Louisville Field Division, the Tonto Apache Police Department, and the DEA – Phoenix Division.
Assistant United States Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case with assistance from paralegal Cristy Crockett.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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