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Wednesday 24 June 2026
Two Georgia Men Charged in National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Today, United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg announced criminal charges against two defendants for health care fraud schemes that exploited Medicare, Medicaid, and health care providers. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from services not rendered and services misrepresented that were billed to health care programs, including Medicare and the Georgia Medicaid program. In total, the defendants in the two cases are alleged to have obtained $2.7 million through fraud.
“These defendants exploited our health care system to enrich themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Not only did they steal from taxpayers, but they also harmed Medicare and Medicaid’s ability to provide critical health care benefits to patients in need. We will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice criminals who prey on government health care programs.”
“We’re prosecuting fraud in all its forms, and we’re fighting to protect taxpayer dollars,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “Let me be clear – if you steal from our Medicaid program, you will be held accountable and forced to pay back all the money you stole. This is a nationwide effort, and we’re proud to work with all of our state and federal partners to ensure the integrity of our publicly funded healthcare programs.”
“Medicare and Medicaid funds are intended to provide essential services to some of our most vulnerable populations. When individuals exploit these programs for personal gain, they not only steal taxpayer dollars but also compromise the integrity of these programs,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working with our federal and state partners, we will continue to hold accountable those who defraud the Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Hertzberg are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. This Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: charges in 56 federal districts and involving 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a $1.2 billion telemedicine scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; seize over $182 million in cash, houses, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and provide full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.
This coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:
- Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
- 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
- Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
- 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.
The two individuals charged in the Northern District of Georgia in connection with the nationwide Takedown are Murrell Carnel Rutledge, Jr. and Lonnie Releford.
Murrell Carnel Rutledge, Jr.
On June 17, 2026, the United States moved to unseal a federal indictment charging Murrell Carnel Rutledge, Jr., 52, of Atlanta, Georgia, with 40 counts of health care fraud. According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Rutledge established Rutledge Medical Associates, a medical practice located in East Point, Georgia, in May 2014. Beginning in or about January 2017 and continuing for at least six years, Rutledge billed Georgia Medicaid for thousands of wound care, cyst removal, psychotherapy, and allergy testing services that were never performed:
- Between in or about February 2019 and in or about June 2022, Rutledgesubmitted and caused to be submitted nearly 900 false and fraudulent claims for purportedly excising and removing complex pilonidal cysts.
- Between in or about January 2018 and in or about June 2022, Rutledge submitted and caused to be submitted nearly 1,500 false and fraudulent claims for purportedly completing the incision and drainage of deep abscesses or hematomas.
- Between in or about July 2017 and in or about March 2023, Rutledge submitted and caused to be submitted nearly 7,900 false and fraudulent claims for extended, face-to-face psychotherapy sessions.
- Between in or about January 2017 and in or about June 2022, Rutledge submitted and caused to be submitted over 1,000 false and fraudulent claims for purportedly completing medically unnecessary percutaneous allergy tests.
These false and fraudulent claims sought $4.3 million from Georgia Medicaid, with approximately $2.6 million actually being paid out.
Lonnie Releford
On June 11, 2026, Lonnie Releford, 57, of Atlanta, Georgia, was charged in a federal criminal information with one count of concealment of material facts related to health care matters. According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: From August 2021 to April 2025, Releford allegedly applied for and obtained nursing jobs at hospitals and nursing homes around metro Atlanta by lying about his educational and professional qualifications, submitting fraudulent documents, and stealing the identity of a real licensed practical nurse. Releford did not have a nursing degree, nor was he qualified to practice as a licensed practical nurse in Georgia. When asked about his criminal history, Releford allegedly falsely stated he had none, despite his prior convictions for identity theft and fraud. Based on these alleged misrepresentations, numerous health care providers paid Releford’s salary and billed Medicare and Medicaid for services Releford could not legally perform.
The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today.
Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cathelynn Tio and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Mooney are prosecuting the case against Rutledge, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Robinson Jr. is prosecuting the case against Releford. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia worked with the Georgia Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the Takedown.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment against Rutledge and information against Releford only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges until they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt or admit guilt in a court of law.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Two Fresno Women Sentenced to 20 and 17 Years in Prison for Kidnapping a Mother and Child and Withholding Her Infant for Seven MonthsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — On Monday, U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston sentenced Fresno residents Rosa Ventura, 36, to 20 years and Claudia Gonzales, 39, to 17 years in prison for conspiring to kidnap a woman and her nine-year-old daughter while unlawfully withholding the woman’s five-month-old baby, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, the adult victim was a young mother of a nine-year-old daughter living in Mexico who met Rosa Ventura’s brother and later became pregnant with his child. Before she gave birth, Ventura arranged for the mother and her daughter to come to the United States despite lacking legal status.
After settling in Fresno, the mother gave birth to a second daughter. On May 8, 2024, she reported her boyfriend to police for domestic violence, and he was arrested. His arrest angered his family, especially Ventura, who blamed the mother and devised a plan to kidnap her and take her to Mexico.
On May 9, Ventura told the mother she needed help raising money for Ventura’s brother in jail. The mother agreed and left her five‑month‑old baby with a relative. Ventura drove the mother and her older daughter to her home where they waited. While waiting, Ventura contacted her friend and co-defendant Claudia Gonzales to come and help her carry out her plan. Gonzales hid in the trunk of Ventura’s car to wait for the next phase of the plan.
Then, instead of taking the mother to retrieve the baby, Ventura drove the mother and daughter to an open field where Gonzales emerged from the trunk and moved to the front and sat with the victims. Ventura then drove south. During the drive, Ventura threatened the mother and warned her she might never see her baby again. At a gas station around 3 a.m., the victims attempted to flee, but Gonzales and Ventura forcibly restrained them. Gonzales used a taser on the mother. Ventura confiscated their phones before driving across the border to Tijuana.
Around 4 a.m., Ventura abandoned the mother and her daughter at a bus stop in Tijuana with no means to return. When the mother asked about her infant, Ventura said it depended on what happened in her brother’s case.
While in Mexico for the next seven months, the mother sought help from lawyers, law enforcement, and Ventura to recover her baby. In December 2024, U.S. law enforcement brought the mother and daughter back to the United States and arrested Ventura and Gonzalez. The baby was reunited with her mother that day in Fresno.
On Jan. 21, 2025, a federal grand jury charged Ventura and Gonzales with three kidnapping counts, including conspiracy to kidnap a minor. On Feb. 23, 2026, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnapping involving a minor.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Fresno Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Veneman-Hughes and Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.
Two Charged in District of Rhode Island as Part of National Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
Providence: First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda announced charges against two defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicaid. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
“Fraud against public health care programs is not a victimless crime. It undermines trust in essential government programs and drains resources intended to provide care and assistance to the members of our community that need it most,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “The District of Rhode Island is proud to participate in this nationwide effort to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who abuse these programs for personal profit.”
The charges announced on June 23, 2026, are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. This Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.
This coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:
- Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
- 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
- Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
- 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.
The following individuals were charged in the District of Rhode Island:
Mareli Arias Batista, 57, of Providence, Rhode Island, was charged by indictment with false representation of a social security number, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, false statement in application for a passport, use of a false passport, and bank fraud, in connection with a scheme to obtain benefits using the identity of another person. Among other benefits, Batista fraudulently obtained approximately $28,236.42 in Rhode Island Medicaid benefits. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Moreira of the District of Rhode Island and the Social Security Administration.
Balni Pimentel Lara, 59, of Providence, Rhode Island, an alien living unlawfully in the United States, was charged by indictment with false representation of a social security number, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and health care fraud, in connection with a scheme to obtain benefits using the identity of another person. Among other benefits, Lara fraudulently obtained approximately $24,018.86 in Rhode Island Medicaid benefits. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Moreira of the District of Rhode Island and the Social Security Administration.
The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today.
Descriptions of each case involved in the enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
The District of Rhode Island worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division and the following law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the Takedown: U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service Boston Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations Providence, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations Providence, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Twelve Indicted in Alleged Drone Smuggling Conspiracy at Ten PrisonsRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. — An indictment was unsealed this morning charging twelve individuals in a vast alleged conspiracy using drones to smuggle contraband, such as drugs and cell phones, into ten prisons across eight states, including Georgia, representing the largest federal prosecution to date involving coordinated drone operations to smuggle illegal items into prisons.
The 17-count indictment in Case No. 5:26-cr-00026 was returned by a federal grand jury in the Middle District of Georgia on June 10 and unsealed on June 24. According to the indictment, beginning in September 2023 until May 2026, the defendants allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to use six drones to drop illegal contraband at least 38 times into ten federal prisons: Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) Atlanta; FCI Beckley (Beaver, West Virginia); FCI Jesup (Georgia); Federal Medical Center (FMC) Lexington (Kentucky); FCI Manchester (Kentucky); FCI Memphis (Tennessee); Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Petersburg (Hopewell, Virginia); FCI Pollock (Louisiana); FCI Talladega (Alabama); and FCI Yazoo City (Mississippi).
The following individuals are charged by indictment:
Ira Christopher Jackson, aka “Chris,” “CJ”, “Action,” “Action Jackson,” 42, of Macon, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide contraband in prison; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a schedule I controlled substance (K-2); one count of possession with intent to distribute a schedule III controlled substance (suboxone); one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence; and two counts of owning and operating an unregistered drone and is facing a maximum of life in prison.
Kenna Middleton, aka “Cuz,” “K Day,” “KD,” 45, of Macon, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide contraband in prison; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a schedule I controlled substance (K-2); one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; one count of travel in aid of racketeering; two counts of use of a communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act; and one count of owning and operating an unregistered drone and is facing a maximum of life in prison.
Leviticus Blash, 42, of Macon, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide contraband in prison; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a Schedule I controlled substance (K-2); and two counts of travel in aid of racketeering and is facing a maximum of life in prison.
Chrystal Dunn, 37, of Macon and Greenville, South Carolina, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide contraband in prison; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana; one count of travel in aid of racketeering; and two counts of use of a communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum of life in prison.
Jeff Richardson, 23, of Macon and East Point, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide contraband in prison; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana; and one count of travel in aid of racketeering and is facing a maximum of life in prison.
Tysean Richardson, 23, of Macon and East Point, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide contraband in prison; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and is facing a maximum of life in prison.
Glenn Middleton, 70, of Macon, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide contraband in prison; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana; one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison, plus a minimum of five years imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence if convicted of the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Aaron Hubbard, 37, a BOP inmate, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide contraband in prison and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a schedule I controlled substance (K-2) and is facing a maximum of 30 years in prison.
Xavier Maxwell, 30, of Macon, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide contraband in prison and one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence and is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Lametheus Douglas, aka “Mephy,” 47, a BOP inmate, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide contraband in prison and is facing a maximum of five years in prison.
Robert Lee Whisby, Jr., aka “Lil Pumpkin,” 51, a BOP inmate, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide contraband in prison and is facing a maximum of five years in prison.
James Phillips, 51, of Jacksonville, Florida, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide contraband in prison and is facing a maximum of five years in prison.
According to court documents, the BOP had a drone detection system that provided alerts when drones were within the vicinity of BOP properties. In addition to alerting that drones were present, the system provided information on the drone's make, model, and drone identification number, along with the launch location, flight path, and altitude.
Heavy payload drone as seen at press conference announcing unsealing of indictment in
U.S. v. Jackson et al in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia.
Illegal items and contraband allegedly dropped during the conspiracy were methamphetamine, marijuana, and other controlled substances; objects including saw blades designed and intended to be used as weapons and to facilitate escape; cell phones; and tobacco.
As further alleged in the indictment, Jackson used a former day care center, referred to as “The Lab” by the defendants, to store items used in the conspiracy, and five of the drones were routinely activated at and near “The Lab” in the days leading up to prison contraband drops. In addition, Jackson allegedly communicated with federal prison inmates to facilitate the contraband drops. Kenna Middleton allegedly assisted in flying drones, storing contraband, and communicating with federal prison inmates to facilitate the drops. Blash allegedly assisted in the contraband drone drops by traveling to the federal prisons to help with the drone flights and drops. Dunn allegedly provided transportation and served as a lookout for the drone drops. Jeff and Tysean Richardson allegedly flew drones for contraband drone drops. Glenn Middleton allegedly stored items to support the contraband and narcotics conspiracies at his home. Maxwell allegedly helped to prepare and package contraband for the drone drops.
The indictment alleges that Douglas, a BOP inmate at FCI Manchester and FMC Lexington; Whisby, Jr., a BOP inmate at FCI Memphis; Hubbard, a BOP inmate at FCI Beckley; and Phillips, a former BOP inmate at FCI Jesup, FCI Talladega, and other BOP facilities; all utilized contraband cell phones to schedule contraband drops at their federal prisons.
U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes for the Middle District of Georgia; Director William K. Marshall III of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP); Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham of FBI-Atlanta; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Harris of the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), Southern Region, made the announcement.
The initial appearances for the defendants will occur in the U.S. Magistrate Court in the Middle District of Georgia at times set by the Court. The defendants are in federal custody.
FBI-Atlanta, BOP, and DOT-OIG are investigating the case. Today’s arrests were made possible thanks to the assistance of the BOP Special Investigative Services and its Intelligence & Investigations Unit, along with FBI-Jacksonville, DEA-Atlanta, the Georgia Department of Corrections, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, and several state and local agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard is prosecuting the case for the Government.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
Trenton Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County man was sentenced yesterday to 90 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Anthony Brown, 31, of Trenton, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch on February 17, 2026 in Trenton federal court to an Indictment charging him with possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
During the evening of October 3, 2023, Trenton Police Officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Brown. During the stop, Brown exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Brown then led law enforcement on a foot pursuit along the Delaware and Raritan Canal while he clutched a dark-colored cross-body style bag in his hands. Brown attempted to discard his bag in brush adjacent to the canal before he dove into the canal. Officers caught up with Brown, assisted him getting out of the canal, and subsequently arrested him. Inside Brown’s bag were two semi-automatic handguns. Brown’s status as a felon—at the time, he had prior felony convictions—prohibited him from possessing firearms.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kirsch sentenced Brown to 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the supervision of Director Steve Wilson; and members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard G. Shephard and Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
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Defense counsel: Aidan P. O’Connor, Esq., of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C.
The Department of Justice Reaches a Proposed Consent Decree with Kansas to Enjoin the State from Enforcing its Unconstitutional In-State Tuition and Scholarship Programs for Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the United States filed a complaint against Kansas and joined with the State in filing a proposed consent decree to permanently enjoin Kansas laws that provide in-state tuition for illegal aliens.
The proposed consent decree, which must still be approved by the court, would resolve the Department’s claims that Kansas’s laws unconstitutionally discriminate against American citizens in favor of illegal aliens. Specifically, Kansas’s challenged laws grant reduced tuition to illegal aliens over U.S. citizens, which not only violates federal law but also incentivizes illegal immigration and rewards illegal immigrants with scholarship benefits that U.S. citizens are not eligible for.
“For decades, the Kansas legislature gave preferential treatment to illegal aliens over American citizens,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “We encourage all States to follow the commonsense correction of Attorney General Kobach, ceasing any policy that rewards illegal entry into our nation with educational opportunities not available to U.S. citizens.”
“Kansas’s unconstitutional and un-American laws should never have been passed in the first place and are prohibited by federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice has won on this exact issue in Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Nebraska, and we will take this fight to any states that fail to put American citizens first.”
“This proposed consent decree demonstrates the quality of partnership between Kansas state leaders and the Department of Justice for the shared purpose of ensuring that federal tax dollars are not used to discriminate against Kansas’s lawful citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas.
The motion came just hours after the Justice Department filed a complaint in the District of Kansas against the state of Kansas seeking to enjoin the state from enforcing laws that require colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates to all aliens who maintain Kansas residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States.
This is the 10th lawsuit in a series of actions the department has filed to fulfill President Trump’s commitment to ensure that illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment. These efforts have already delivered wins for the American people, as three similar lawsuits in Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Nebraska have resulted favorable orders permanently enjoining and declaring unconstitutional analogous laws that gave reduced tuition to illegal aliens. Lawsuits against other states that similarly put illegal aliens ahead of U.S. citizens are pending across the country in Illinois, Minnesota, Virginia, California, and New Jersey.
Tennessee Man to Serve 60 Months for Trafficking Fentanyl at Hotel and Casino in BristolRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Tennessee man, who trafficked fentanyl-laced pills and fentanyl powder into Southwest Virginia, including to the parking lot of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Bristol, Virginia, was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison.
Jermaine Crayton Jr., 20, of Chattanooga, Tenn. pled guilty in February to one count of conspiracy possess with the intent to distribute and distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, following a law enforcement operation in August 2025, investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, City of Bristol Virginia Police Department, Washington County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office, and Drug Enforcement Administration developed intelligence that Crayton was trafficking fentanyl-laced pills and powder fentanyl. The intelligence indicated that Crayton, on a regular basis, had been bringing large quantities of fentanyl pills into Smyth County for further distribution.
On August 18, 2025, law enforcement arranged a controlled purchase of 1,000 fentanyl pills and two ounces of fentanyl powder from Crayton at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Bristol, Virginia.
After they identified Crayton, law enforcement converged on Crayton’s vehicle, at which time Crayton fled on foot. While fleeing, Crayton dropped several items, including a baggie containing pressed fentanyl pills and a baggie containing powder fentanyl.
Following his arrest, it was determined that Crayton had brought 2,372 fentanyl pills and 58.72 grams of fentanyl powder to the casino. The type of pills Crayton was distributing are increasingly common and extremely dangerous. They are known as “pressed” pills or “M30s” designed to resemble a pharmaceutical preparation of oxycodone pills. However, they often contain fentanyl, in inconsistent doses that can lead to overdose and death.
Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, and Christopher Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Washington Division, made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, City of Bristol Virginia Police Department, and Washington County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Whit Pierce is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Sixth Defendant Pleads Guilty for Role in Conspiracy to Launder Tens of Millions of Dollars in Illicit Cash ProceedsRead the Press Release
A Brazilian man pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking, and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida accepted the guilty plea today. On June 1, the district court also accepted the guilty pleas of five co-defendants.
According to court documents, Omar Aliperti De Mello Correa, 34, a U.S. citizen residing in Orlando; Ygor Fokin Saviolli, 35, a Brazilian national; Gabriel Cezar Menezes, 29, a Brazilian national; Joao Andrade De Mello, 29, a Brazilian national; Tadeu Sebastiane Rabelo Alves Barbosa, 30, a Brazilian national; and Leandro De Avila Goncalves, 42, a Brazilian national, all illegally residing in Orlando, were part of a sophisticated money laundering organization that operated across the United States and spanned several countries.
Members of the conspiracy arranged for bulk cash proceeds from the sale of controlled substances to be received by U.S.-based couriers and deposited at banks across the country in order to conceal and return those profits to, among others, the sources of drug supply operating outside the United States. Dozens of pickups across the country were coordinated through WhatsApp message chains that included facilitators and couriers. Saviolli provided upfront funds to facilitate the operations of the money laundering organization and oversaw the receipt and laundering of the bulk cash drug proceeds. Menezes also served as a facilitator, providing direction to and oversight of couriers, and personally picked up bulk cash on multiple occasions. Correa, De Mello, Barbosa, and Goncalves all served as couriers for the money laundering organization, conducting bulk cash pickups in cities including Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Rochester, New York, and Tampa, among others. During the course of the conspiracy, the organization concealed more than $30 million in cash.
Saviolli, whose plea was accepted today, and the five co-defendants each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Saviolli is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 11. Menezes, Correa, De Mello, Barbosa, and Goncalves are scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 20. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rochester Resident Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Brasilia Attaché Office and Miami Field Office.
Trial Attorneys James Hepburn and Jessee Alexander-Hoeppner of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Monique Botero for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s International Unit investigates and prosecutes cross-border money laundering schemes involving transnational criminal organizations, cartels, foreign official corruption and related money laundering affecting the U.S. financial system and prosecutes criminal cases and civil forfeiture matters to recover the proceeds of those crimes.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on June 22, 2026.
Warren Allen McBride, 33, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
McBride was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2025. He pleaded guilty on March 30, 2026.
According to court records, on April 23, 2025, McBride possessed a short-barreled shotgun, even though he knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearms as a result of prior felony convictions. The shotgun had a barrel length of less than 18 inches, and it was unregistered in the National Firearms Registry. McBride possessed the short-barreled shotgun in a residence where others had direct access to it, and it was seized during the execution of a search warrant at his residence.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
McBride was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Several Illegal Aliens Indicted in Connection with Baltimore-Area Drug InvestigationRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today, that six aliens unlawfully in the United States face indictment, stemming from a local drug investigation. The illegal aliens, along with a seventh defendant, are charged with several crimes in connection with a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in the Baltimore metropolitan area.
Pablo Aberlardo Molina, 35, of Honduras; German Dario Aguilar Mencias, 20, of Honduras; Santos Ayala Serrano, 27, of Honduras; Hamilton Estuardo Cha Pacay, 23, of Guatemala; Brayan Juarez Cruz, 30, of Honduras; Benjamin Rivas Lopez, 39, of Honduras; and Gerson Alex Tabora-Chinchilla, 31, of Honduras; made their initial appearances to face the charges.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division, and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).
According to the indictment, beginning in March 2025, and continuing into October 2025, the DTO members conspired to distribute five kilograms or more of a cocaine mixture along with 280 grams or more of a cocaine-base mixture. They are all charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Additionally, Molina, Serrano, Cruz, and Rivas Lopez are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, while Aguilar Mencias, Cha Pacay, andChinchilla are charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Aguilar Mencias and Cha Pacay are also charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person; and Aguilar Mencias, Cha Pacay, andChinchilla are charged with conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, the co-conspirators face a minimum mandatory of 10 years imprisonment to life imprisonment for conspiring and possessing with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine or 280 grams or more of cocaine base (counts one and two), and a maximum of 20 years for possession with intent to distribute cocaine (counts three and four); a maximum of 15 years for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (count five); and a maximum of 20 years for conspiracy to possess firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (count six).
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA and BCPD for their work in the investigation, along with the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office and Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office, for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaRai Everett and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Godwin who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to over Nine Years in Prison for Robbing Weymouth Bank at GunpointRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for the December 2024 armed robbery of a Santander Bank in Weymouth.
Glenn Legere, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to 110 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In December 2025, Legere pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery. Legere was arrested and charged in June 2025.
At approximately 4:52 p.m. on Dec. 17, 2024, law enforcement was dispatched to a Santander bank branch in Weymouth for a reported bank robbery. There, a bank teller told law enforcement that as employees were preparing to close the bank, a man wearing a sweatshirt, baseball hat, face covering and gloves entered the bank through the main entrance. The suspect, later identified as Legere, approached a teller’s window, removed a black firearm from the front pocket of his sweatshirt, opened a black cloth bag and demanded all the money. As the bank teller handed Legere money from the cash box, Legere yelled words to the effect of “I need money,” “I want the money” and “I don’t play.” At various times, Legere pointed the firearm directly at the teller. Legere also ran towards other teller windows, gesturing towards the cash box areas and demanding more money, but the teller explained that there was no more money and displayed an empty cash drawer. Legere then left the bank with approximately $947 in stolen cash.
A subsequent review of surveillance video footage from nearby locations determined that Legere drove to and from the robbery location in a silver or grey Jeep Grand Cherokee. A vehicle matching the description was captured on cameras in Quincy immediately before and after the robbery. The vehicle was registered to Legere.
Legere has multiple prior convictions for committing armed and unarmed robberies, including a 2011 conviction of armed robbery in Norfolk Superior Court for which he was sentenced to three to five years in state prison, as well as a 2010 conviction for armed and unarmed robbery of banks in Braintree, Hanover, Duxbury and Plymouth for which he was sentenced to three years in state prison.At the time of Legere’s arrest, a firearm and some of the clothing believed to be used by Legere during the robbery were recovered.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Weymouth Police Chief Richard M. Fuller made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the Wellesley Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Sequoyah County Resident Pleads Guilty to Two Counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joshua Leon Brown, age 35, of Muldrow, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country, each punishable by a period of 30 years to life in prison and a fine of $250,000.
The Indictment alleged that beginning in March 2023, and continuing until in or about November 2025, Brown knowingly engaged in sexual acts with a victim who had not attained the age of 12 years.
The crimes occurred in Sequoyah County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Brown will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Ruston Area Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization DismantledRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT – In June 2026, the last three defendants in a fourteen‑defendant methamphetamine trafficking organization were sentenced to federal prison. After pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, the defendants received sentences of varying lengths, with the highest reaching 27 years.
According to court documents, in February 2024, federal authorities began investigating Shedrick Green III, 41, and Cornelius Boston, 45, for distributing methamphetamine in and around Ruston, Louisiana. As part of the investigation, agents made controlled drug purchases, obtained Title III wiretaps, subpoenaed financial records, conducted traffic stops, and carried out multiple search warrants. The investigation revealed that the men obtained their supply of methamphetamine from two sources: Ferrano Barnes, 55, of Lodi, California, and Felipe Penaloza Gomez, 40, of Mexico. The methamphetamine was then stored and distributed from five locations in Ruston. Search warrants and CashApp records revealed coordinated payments among conspirators used to obtain, transport, and distribute the drugs. Searches ultimately led to the seizure of more than 22 pounds of methamphetamine and approximately $55,000 in cash from locations in Ruston and Sulphur.
“This case shows the power of coordinated effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement, who worked together here to dismantle a large and complex drug trafficking conspiracy devoted to poisoning our rural North Louisiana community with methamphetamine,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Our Office is tirelessly working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle these networks throughout the District as part of the nationwide Operation Take Back America initiative.”
For their roles in the methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, the defendants were sentenced to the following terms of imprisonment:
Cornelius Boston, 45, of Ruston, LA180 monthsShedrick Green, 41, of Ruston, LA146.5 monthsLandon Askins, 44, of Ruston, LA300 monthsFerrano Barnes, 55, of Lodi, CA168 monthsJakevdrick Carter, 35, of Ruston, LA162 monthsReyna Chavez-Rios, 43, of Mexico18 monthsBroderick Graham, 32, of Ruston, LA120 monthsMarcus Gray, 42, of Salinas, KS210 monthsLadavid Hunter, 38, of Jonesboro, LA262 monthsKimoni McMurray, 47, of Ruston, LA324 monthsJason Potts, 47, of Ruston, LA120 monthsTangua Raybon, 57, of Winnfield, LA40 monthsRoy Lee Williams, 41, of Ruston, LA120 monthsFelipe Penaloza Gomez, 40, of MexicoFugitiveU.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, Ruston Police Department, Sulphur Police Department, Louisiana National Guard Counterdrug Unit, Louisiana Air National Guard, and U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Cassidy and Elliott Cassidy with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Emily Favrot.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 24-cr-00264-01.
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CONTACT: Public Affairs
United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
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Rosebud Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a “Sawed-Off” ShotgunRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Rosebud, South Dakota man convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. The sentencing took place on June 22, 2026.
Theodore Running Bear III, age 29, was sentenced to one year and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Running Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025. He pleaded guilty on March 23, 2026.
The conviction stemmed from conduct that occurred in June 2025 within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On June 11, 2025, Running Bear was arrested by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement in connection with an alleged assault that occurred earlier that month. At the time of his arrest, Running Bear was in possession of a short (“sawed-off”) shotgun. The short shotgun was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Running Bear will forfeit ownership of the firearm to the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Running Bear was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rockwood Detective Sentenced to 12 Years for Attempted Enticement of A ChildRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On June 23, 2026, Charles Andrew Crothers, 39, of Oliver Springs, TN, was sentenced to 151 months imprisonment by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, Crothers will be on lifetime supervised release and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Crothers agreed to plead guilty to one count in the indictment charging him with attempted enticement of a child, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b).
Investigators with the Blount County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office conducted an undercover operation targeting known chat websites. An undercover officer, posing as a 15-year-old girl, was contacted by Crothers. Crothers was given a phone number he believed to be for a cell phone for the 15-year-old. Crothers requested nude photographs of the girl and spoke to her about sexually explicit topics. On the final day of texting, Crothers sent the undercover officer pictures of his erect penis. In those pictures, and pictures sent earlier depicting his face, investigators with the Blount County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office was able to determine that Crothers was employed as a detective with the Rockwood, TN Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Blount County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office. This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Jordan Foreman.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click the tab "resources.”
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Raleigh Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving More than $60 Million in Fraudulent Claims from Paying Kickbacks for Patient ReferralsRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Raleigh man, James Shuford Price, III, 59, pleaded guilty in federal court to the crime of paying illegal kickbacks for referrals to his California-based lab and filing a false federal tax return. At sentencing, Price faces a statutory maximum of 13 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Price will also be required to pay restitution to the California Medical Assistance Program (Medi-Cal), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and others.
“Stealing taxpayer dollars that should be used to help legitimate beneficiaries is lowdown, dirty pool. We have a message to fraudsters who steal federal dollars: we will catch, prosecute, and imprison you. Cheaters. Never. Win.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
“This guilty plea demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting federal healthcare programs and the taxpayers who fund them. Orchestrating a $60 million Medicare fraud scheme is a profound violation of public trust. This guilty plea is the direct result of meticulous investigative work conducted alongside our law enforcement and government partners," said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
“Today’s plea reflects our commitment to protecting patients, clinicians, and taxpayer funded programs from those who try to profit through deception,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “The defendant orchestrated an extensive fraud scheme generating thousands of illegitimate laboratory test claims to Medi Cal and Medicare resulting in multimillion-dollar reimbursements. This scheme not only violated federal healthcare programs but undermined trust in critical medical services.”
“Effectively investigating complex fraud schemes like this one requires close coordination among federal and state agencies from coast to coast. This favorable outcome shows that HHS-OIG and its partners will aggressively pursue fraudsters who try to illegally boost profits using kickbacks, which compromise impartial medical decision-making and drive up health care costs for everyone,” said Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG) Pacific Region. “This case shows how teams of dedicated investigators and prosecutors working together across jurisdictions can make a powerful impact in protecting Medicare and Medicaid and the millions of Americans served by these programs. HHS‑OIG will continue to collaborate closely with our partners to safeguard patients and defend federal health care programs from fraud.”
“California is committed to protecting the integrity of our health care programs and ensuring taxpayer dollars are used appropriately,” said Department of Health Care Services Director Michelle Baass. "We appreciate our partnership with our colleagues at the U.S. Department of Justice in pursuing this case. Together, we are strengthening oversight, holding bad actors accountable, and safeguarding the Medi-Cal program so it can continue delivering vital services to the Californians who rely on it every day.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Price owned and operated Golden Star Labs (GSL), a laboratory facility in Los Angeles, California. Between August 2023 and June 2025, GSL submitted more than $85 million in false claims to Medi-Cal and more than $11 million in false claims to Medicare for multi-panel testing for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), Influenza A and B (the flu), and Respiratory Synctial Virus (RSV). The fake claims came from fraudulent test samples and resulted in Medi-Cal and Medicare’s disbursing of more than $60 million to GSL.
As part of the scheme, GSL engaged so-called “collectors” in California and elsewhere to source test specimens from Medi-Cal/Medicare beneficiaries. Under Price’s direction and control, GSL unlawfully induced the collectors to supply samples by compensating them, in whole or in part, based on the volume of samples provided to the lab. Between August 2023 and January 2025, GSL paid over $17 million to these collectors. In exchange, the collectors supplied GSL with bulk quantities of bogus test samples obtained under fraudulent circumstances, including widespread identity theft. GSL then systematically billed Medi-Cal and Medicare for testing the sham samples.
For example, in the first six months, approximately 96% of GSL’s Medi-Cal claims were fraudulent test authorizations from a single out-of-state physician whose personal identifiers were stolen and misapplied. In February 2024, Price purported to pause GSL’s testing operations for a month to “clean up” the billing issues. However, GSL went right back to it, basing its claims on fraudulent specimens provided by collectors after the lab resumed operations and billing in March 2024. From late March 2024 until January 2025, approximately 92% of GSL’s Medi-Cal claims were premised on phony test authorizations generated from the stolen personal information of five different clinicians.
During this same period, Price directed GSL to enter written contracts with collectors specifying a fixed fee for services and prohibiting payments based on the volume or value of referrals. These fake contracts were meant to give the false appearance that GSL was complying with the law. However, the same kickback scheme with GSL paying collectors on a per-specimen basis to induce referrals continued without regard to these phony contracts, resulting in millions of dollars in Medi-Cal/Medicare payouts to GSL.
During the investigation, the FBI worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to seize more than six million dollars in assets attributable to the fraud.
Price also pleaded guilty to filing a false federal income tax return for the 2022 calendar year. According to the investigation, Price failed to report income from multiple sources, including money received from victims in connection with a prior investment scam.
Medi-Cal is a state-administered Medicaid program funded jointly by California and the U.S. government. The law only provides for Medi-Cal and Medicare to pay private clinical labs like GSL for diagnostic testing services when an authorized treatment provider ordered such medically necessary services.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The FBI (Charlotte Field Office, Raleigh Resident Agency) investigated this case in partnership with IRS-CI (Charlotte Field Office), the U.S. HHS-OIG (Pacific Regional Office), and the California Department of Health Care Services, Investigations Division.
More information about the Healthcare Fraud Takedown can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:26-CR-00087-M-1.
Pekin Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Pekin, Illinois, man, Mark Steven Peterson, 42, was sentenced on June 18, 2026, to 120 months in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor. Peterson is also required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley, the evidence showed that in April 2025, Peterson engaged in multiple online conversations with a person he believed to be a stepfather of a 10-year-old female, discussing specific sexual acts he would like to perform, he then scheduled a meeting to engage in those acts. Peterson traveled from Pekin to Peoria for the purpose of having a sexual encounter with the minor stepdaughter and was subsequently arrested by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Peterson in May 2025, and he was released on bond with conditions in July 2025. In August 2025, Peterson was arrested for a violation of his pre-trial release and pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor in December 2025. Peterson has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest in August 2025.
The statutory penalties for attempted enticement of a minor include a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment, five years to life term of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Peterson was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov
One Man Charged and Another Man Sentenced to Prison for Roles in $2 Million TheftRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia man was charged for his role in stealing $2 million from a Glassboro business, and another Philadelphia man was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment for his role in the same theft, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Ruben Cruz, 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as Davenport, Florida, was charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to transport stolen property, transportation of stolen property, and conspiracy to launder money. He made his initial appearance and was arraigned yesterday in Camden federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal.
Ricky Rivas-Ortiz, 43, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with transporting stolen property. U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn sentenced Rivas-Ortiz earlier today in Camden federal court to 21 months’ imprisonment and two years of supervised release to follow his term of imprisonment.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Over the 2021 July 4th holiday weekend, Cruz and Rivas-Ortiz burglarized a Glassboro business, stealing a safe that contained more than $2 million in money orders and cash. After the burglary, Cruz and another co-conspirator proceeded to negotiate money orders from the stolen safe in a manner designed to conceal their control of the money orders. One method they used to launder the proceeds was depositing the stolen money orders in piecemeal fashion. For example, Cruz deposited some of the stolen money orders on the same day at different banks that were next door to each other and deposited other stolen money orders at the same bank branch over several consecutive days.
For Cruz, the count of conspiracy to transport stolen property carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. The count of transportation of stolen property carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. The count of conspiracy to launder money carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the value of the laundered money, whichever is greatest.
The charges and allegations contained in the superseding indictment against Cruz are merely accusations, and Cruz is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, and agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to these charges and this sentence. He also thanked the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Andrew B. Johns, and the Elk Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Lance Hitzelberger, for their valuable assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
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Defense counsel:
Rivas-Ortiz: Claressa Lowe, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender.
Cruz: Brian O’Malley, Haddon Township, New Jersey.
cruz.supersedingindictment.pdfOhio Man Back in U.S. Custody After Fleeing to Bangkok to Avoid Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 35-year-old man is in federal custody after being charged for possessing numerous illicit drugs intended for distribution. After his initial encounter with law enforcement, he fled the country. Authorities located him in Asia where he was arrested and deported back to the United States.
According to the criminal complaint and affidavit filed in April, the U.S. Postal Service received for mailing, three packages in late 2025 that were suspected of containing illicit drugs. The packages were mailed from San Bernadino, California, to an address in Parma, Ohio. During a search warrant execution on the packages, agents found pills which later tested positive for being 1,136 grams (2.5 pounds) of methamphetamine. The packages were destined for a residence connected to Stanislav Vinokurov. During a consensual search of the residence, investigators located various controlled substances and drug trafficking tools, including:
- Methamphetamine – approximately 7,149 grams
- Fentanyl – approximately 305.1 grams
- Bromazolam – approximately 193.6 grams
- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) – approximately 101.3 grams
- Cocaine – approximately 79.3 grams
- Ketamine – approximately 17.4 grams
- Dimethyltryptamine – approximately 17.3 grams
- Approximately $24,512 in U.S. Currency
- Scales, a vacuum sealer, and packing materials
In May, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Vinokurov with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Fentanyl, and MDMA. Federal and international law enforcement partners located him in Bangkok, Thailand. They arrested him and brought him to the United States to face pending charges. If convicted, Vinokurov faces up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio, Acting Inspector in Charge David Cunningham for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Pittsburgh Division, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph O. Dixon for the DEA Detroit Field Division, made the announcement.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, DEA Cleveland District Office, and the Parma Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Marshals Service for their valuable assistance in this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Joines is leading the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Oak Ridge Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On June 23, 2026, Travis O’Neil Todd, 48, of Oak Ridge, TN was sentenced to 324 months imprisonment by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, Todd will be on lifetime supervised release and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Todd agreed to plead guilty to two counts in the indictment charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252A(a)(2) and (b)(1); and one count of possession and access with intent to view child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252A(a)(5)(B) and (b)(2).
Investigators with the Homeland Security Investigations-Internet Crimes Against Children (HSI-ICAC) in Detroit, MI were conducting an undercover operation into KiK groups related to child exploitation. An undercover agent with HSI was contacted by KiK user “Loudnhard” now known to be the defendant regarding exchanging child sexual abuse material. Todd sent the undercover agent two images of a nude, teenage female. HSI and Todd set up an interchange on the Wire application, where Todd sent the undercover agent more sexually explicit images: one of two nude, teenaged girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct; one of a nude, teenage girl in a sexually provocative position; and one of a nude, female toddler with sexually explicit writing on her stomach and legs. Investigation into the KiK user’s subscriber information identified Todd as the account holder residing in Oak Ridge, TN. HSI and Knoxville Police Department executed a search warrant of Todd’s home. Forensic examination of Todd’s phone identified 26 videos and 5 images containing child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by HSI-ICAC and Knoxville Police Department–ICAC, assisted by Oak Ridge Police Department. This investigation was led by HSI-ICAC Task Force Officer Tom Evans.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click the tab "resources.”
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Nine Illegal Aliens Convicted of Immigration Offenses in MayRead the Press Release
Pensacola and Tallahassee – Today, United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced that nine illegal aliens were convicted of federal immigration crimes in the month of May.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “These criminal aliens tried to lie, cheat, and steal their way into our country, but thanks to my office’s commitment to aggressively prosecuting all criminal offenders and the strong partnerships we have with our state and federal law enforcement agencies, they are being held accountable for willfully – and often repeatedly – violating our immigration laws. These successful prosecutions were made possible thanks to the Department of Justice’s commitment to the rule of law under Operation Take Back America, and my office will continue to deliver the safe, crime-free streets our citizens deserve.”
According to court records, nine previously indicted illegal aliens were convicted of federal offenses in the Northern District of Florida in the month of May. Eight of the criminal aliens were convicted of illegal reentry by a removed alien, including:
- Edwin Rodriguez-Gonzalez, 31, of El Salvador, who was previously removed in July 2019, was encountered in Gadsden County on November 6, 2025.
- Rodolfo Garcia Martinez, 38, of Guatemala, who was previously removed in February 2009, May 2014, and May 2017, was encountered in Escambia County on February 17, 2026.
- Ricardo Castrejon Lucatero, 31, of Mexico, who was previously removed in April 2018, was encountered in Santa Rosa County on May 12, 2025.
- Anibal Murcia-Barrera, 27, of Honduras, who was previously removed in August 2017, was encountered in Okaloosa County on March 4, 2026.
- Santos Gomez-Diaz, 41, of Mexico, who was previously removed in November 2013 and November 2017, was encountered in Walton County on September 11, 2022.
- Simon Mateo-Simon, 36, of Mexico, who was previously removed in December 2015, was encountered in Okaloosa County on March 21, 2026.
- Noe Alexis Lopez Suarez, 27, of Mexico, who was previously removed in November 2022, was encountered in Santa Rosa County on April 4, 2026.
- Deyzon Altamirano Pineda, 21, of Mexico, who was previously removed in February 2024, was encountered in Taylor County on March 14, 2026.
Two illegal aliens were also convicted of false document crimes:
- Luis Armando Lopez Lopez, 27, of Guatemala.
- Rodolfo Garcia Martinez, 38, of Guatemala, who also pleaded guilty to illegal reentry by a removed alien, as noted above.
The cases involved investigations by Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations with the assistance of the Florida Highway Patrol, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Naval Air Station Pensacola Police, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Gulf Breeze Police Department and the Perry Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain, Thomas S.P. Geeker, Brooke Lindsay, Jessica S. Etherton, Jeffrey M. Tharp and Eric Welch are prosecuting the cases.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
New Hampshire Man Charged with Assaulting Deputy U.S. MarshalRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON– The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Christopher Palermo, 49, of Andover, New Hampshire, has been charged by criminal complaint with assaulting a federal officer. On June 23, 2026, Palermo appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Palermo be detained pending trial.
According to court records, a Deputy U.S. Marshal and Vermont State Police Troopers were attempting to arrest Palermo on April 24, 2026, at a residence in Groton, Vermont. At the time, Palermo had multiple extraditable arrest warrants issued by New Hampshire state courts. Palermo attempted to flee on foot, and resisted arrest after his apprehension. While law enforcement was attempting to secure Palermo in a VSP cruiser, Palermo bit the Deputy U.S. Marshal on the bicep, causing injury.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Palermo is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Palermo faces up to 20 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its assistance investigating the case.
The prosecutor is First Assistant United States Attorney Ophardt. Palermo is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sam Ansell.
National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 455 Defendants Charged in Connection with More Than $6.5 Billion in Alleged FraudRead the Press Release
Today, United States Attorney Leif Olson announced criminal charges and a civil enforcement action in connection with alleged schemes to defraud the Veterans Community Care Program, Medicare, and Tricare. The cases are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. They stem from alleged schemes to submit claims for home health care services not actually provided and to receive payments from Medicare based on false invoices.
The cases are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death.
Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Cyprus in connection with an $3.7+ billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of more than $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.
Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:
- Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
- 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to more than $73 million, more than 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’s Office of Inspector General under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
- Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
- 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.
These cases were brought by the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa:
- Hughes Home Care, Inc., d/b/a Synergy Homecare (“Synergy”) and its owner, Jacob Hughes, age 35, both of Cedar Rapids, were indicted in connection with a scheme to defraud the Veterans Community Care Program out of more than $350,000. As alleged in the indictment, Hughes and Synergy submitted claims for home health care services not actually provided to elderly and infirm veterans, including claims for services purportedly provided after a veteran client passed away. As alleged, Hughes used the proceeds of the scheme to pay sports gambling debts and other personal expenses. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyndra Lundquist.
- Heartland Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, P.C., and its owner, Eugene J. Cherny, of Des Moines, were sued for damages and civil penalties arising from false pricing information they sent to Medicare. The complaint, filed jointly with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, alleges that Heartland and Cherny gave Medicare false invoices for skin substitute products used to treat Medicare patients. Medicare used the invoices to set the reimbursement Heartland received. The complaint alleges that Medicare and Tricare paid Cherny more than $2 million based on the false information provided. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon J. Gray and Brian J. Keogh, of the Northern District of Iowa, and Andy Kahal, of the Southern District of Iowa, represent the United States.
The cases across the country are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central and Southern Districts of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware; Middle, Northern, and Southern Districts of Florida; Northern District of Georgia; District of Hawaii; District of Idaho; Northern District of Illinois; Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa; Western District of Kentucky; Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana; District of Massachusetts; Eastern District of Michigan; Southern District of Mississippi; District of Montana; District of Nebraska; District of New Hampshire; District of New Jersey; District of New Mexico; Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of New York; Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina; Northern District of Ohio; Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma; District of Oregon; Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Pennsylvania; District of Puerto Rico; District of Rhode Island; District of South Carolina; District of South Dakota; Middle and Western Districts of Tennessee; Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas; District of Vermont; Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia; Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
The Northern District of Iowa, in particular, worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division, the Fraud Section of the Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa; the Attorney General of Iowa, through her office’s MFCU; and: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Veteran Affairs – Office of Inspector General, the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Defense – Office of Inspector General.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
NDOK Announces Charges Related to the 2026 National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, United States Attorney Clint Johnson announced a criminal charge and a civil complaint in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and the Child Care Development Block Grant Program. These charges are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
The National Health Care Fraud Takedown (Takedown) is part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. The Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history.
In the Northern District of Oklahoma, Jeremy Michael Bowles, 41, of Bixby, Oklahoma, was charged by Indictment with 16 counts of Healthcare Fraud. Court documents allege that Bowles was the operator of 3 pharmacies and submitted the false billings on behalf of those pharmacies, which he controlled. In doing so, Bowles allegedly attempted to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by submitting false claims for reimbursement for COVID-19 tests.
Additionally, a civil forfeiture complaint was filed against real property located at 6303 and 6311 Tecumseh Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Court documents allege that Tamara and Qunicy Reid, brother and sister, and Dameion Ray are owners of the properties. In December 2022, Dameion Ray applied for a Child Care Desert Grant. This federal funding is part of the Child Care Development Block Grant Program and is awarded through the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Dameion Ray was allegedly awarded $600,000 and improperly used approximately $300,000 of those funds to purchase the subject real property.
Nationally, during the two-week Takedown, law enforcement received unprecedented international cooperation that resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctors’ offices to corporate boardrooms.
This coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:
- Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
- 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
- Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
- 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.
The cases within the Northern District of Oklahoma are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Charles Greenough, Reagan Reininger, and David Whipple. They worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division and the following law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the cases filed: The Office of the Inspector General – Health and Human Services, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the United States Secret Service is the investigative agency, with assistance from the Oklahoma Board of Pharmacy.
Descriptions of cases involved in the Takedown are available on the Department’s website here. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia participated in the investigation of federal cases announced.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mississippi Man Arrested for Advertising Child Pornography on the Dark WebRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mississippi man has been arrested and charged with allegedly publishing and advertising child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online.
Jesse Ladner, 26, of Pass Christian, Miss., was charged in U.S. District Court in Boston with one count of advertisement of child pornography. Ladner was arrested today in the Southern District of Mississippi and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, as part of an ongoing international investigation into online child exploitation, law enforcement has been targeting individuals who advertise, distribute, or access CSAM on dark web platforms. One such platform, referred to as “Website A,” operated on the Tor network from approximately August 2024 to October 2025 and was dedicated to the exploitation of children.
It is alleged that Ladner was identified as an active participant on the site from approximately Aug. 29, 2024, through Sept. 3, 2025, during which time he contributed approximately 1,450 posts depicting CSAM. Investigators reviewed posts allegedly by Ladner on Website A, demonstrating his history and use of Website A over time. On Sept. 5, 2025 numerous posts allegedly contributed by Ladner were located across various sections of Website A. including on a thread previously created by Ladner. On this thread Ladner allegedly advertised CSAM files including those with titles like, “Next up Melissa the naked 11 yo! Incoming Live Preview:” and “Next up a classic blonde! (2 Vids). Incoming Live Previews.”The charge of advertisement of child pornography provides for no less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Gulf Port, Miss. and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Minneapolis Man Sentenced to More than 12 Years’ Imprisonment for Role in Drug Trafficking and Possession of Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Denzel Christopher Meeks, 33, was sentenced yesterday, June 23, 2026, to 148 months in federal prison for his role in a fentanyl trafficking operation uncovered during a 2023 investigation.
According to court documents, investigators with a drug task force identified Meeks as a wholesale narcotics trafficker operating throughout the Twin Cities and Minnesota. During the fall of 2023, officers observed Meeks accessing multiple stash locations, including two apartments and a storage unit, to store fentanyl, drug proceeds, and firearms.
On October 18, 2023, law enforcement executed multiple court‑authorized search warrants. Officers conducted a traffic stop of Meeks’ vehicle and discovered a loaded Glock 29 pistol with an extended magazine in a hidden compartment in Meeks’ vehicle, along with approximately 25 grams of fentanyl concealed on his person.
Searches of Meeks’ stash locations revealed:
- Inside a Minneapolis storage unit, approximately 500 grams of fentanyl, along with two Glock pistols equipped with “switch” devices—which enabled the pistols to function as fully-automatic machineguns—and extended magazines, and more than $32,000 in cash drug proceeds.
- In a Minneapolis apartment, approximately 4,500 fentanyl pills weighing approximately 370 grams, drug packaging materials, and digital scales.
- Over $48,000 in cash drug proceeds inside an apartment in St. Louis Park.
In total, Meeks admitted to possessing between 1,200 and 4,000 grams of fentanyl with the intent to distribute it, and that he possessed several firearms in furtherance of his drug activity. In the government’s sentencing position, the United States argued that “Meeks was not a small-time or sporadic drug distributer,” and noted that the “volume of cash found at locations he controlled, more than $80,000, demonstrates the scope and profitability of Meeks’ drug trafficking enterprise.”
“Fentanyl continues to take lives across Minnesota, and those who choose to traffic this lethal drug while armed with illegal firearms will meet justice,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “This sentence is necessary to protect the public and to send a clear message that fentanyl trafficking will not be tolerated.”
“The deadly fentanyl Denzel Meeks trafficked around the Twin Cities put our community members at risk,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie. “Fentanyl is lethal in extremely small amounts and each dose removed by law enforcement, without a doubt, saved lives. Meeks peddled poison in our communities and for that, he now faces several years in a federal prison with no opportunity at parole.”
“The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office West Metro Drug Task Force, which operates with funding provided by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), played a critical role in this investigation, identifying Meeks as a suspected narcotics trafficker and executing search warrants that led to the seizure of fentanyl powder, cocaine, thousands of fentanyl pills, and illegally possessed firearms. We are grateful for the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office whose efforts helped bring this case to a successful prosecution. This sends a clear message that those who traffic dangerous drugs and endanger our communities will be held accountable for their actions,” said Dawanna S. Witt, Sheriff of Hennepin County.
Meeks pleaded guilty on November 3, 2025, to one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Sentencing took place on June 23, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank in St. Paul.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Green is prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Sentenced for Possessing Firearm and Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court today for being an alien in possession of a firearm, and for illegal reentry into the United States.
Isreal Ramirez-Jaramillo, 34, a citizen of Mexico who has been previously deported on two occasions and was living in Osage Beach, Mo., pleaded guilty on Dec. 9, 2025.
United States District Judge Stephen R. Bough sentenced Ramirez-Jaramillo to two years in federal prison without parole, to be followed by one year of supervised release.
On April 20, 2025, Osage Beach Police Department responded to an apartment in response to a report of a man abusing his wife and discharging a firearm. Through investigation, officers learned Ramirez-Jaramillo consumed alcohol, became intoxicated and was arguing with his girlfriend. During the argument, Ramirez-Jaramillo went to his car in the parking lot, and his girlfriend followed him and they continued arguing. Neighbors exited their apartments to observe the disturbance, which angered Ramirez-Jaramillo. He removed a firearm from his car, yelled “where is the tough guy at,” and fired a round into the sky. Police officers located Ramirez-Jaramillo within the apartment and recovered the firearm, a SCCY, model CPX-2 9mm pistol.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Komoroski and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Duenckel. It was investigated by the Osage Beach Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegally Reentering United StatesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Mexican National illegally residing in the Springfield, Mo. area, was sentenced for illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of a prior felony.
Pedro Lopez-Dominguez, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Megan Benton to eight months imprisonment and one year of supervised release.
On Jan. 18, 2026, Greene County Missouri Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Lopez-Dominguez during a traffic stop for erratic and intoxicated driving. After the arrest, authorities learned that Lopez-Dominguez had an outstanding arrest warrant from Taney County, Missouri, for a previous criminal offense and failing to appear before that court. Upon determining that Lopez-Dominguez was illegally within the United States, local law enforcement contacted agents with the Department of Homeland Security – Immigration Customs Enforcement (HSI-ICE). Agents responded and determined Lopez-Dominguez was illegally in the United States and had illegally entered the United States in violation of federal immigration law on at least five previous occasions.
Lopez-Dominguez was previous convicted for illegal entry into the United States as a previously removed alien in 2019.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Greene County Missouri Sheriff’s Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
McLeansville Woman Charged with Health Care Fraud, Part of National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, NC – United States Attorney Dan Bishop announced criminal charges against Deborah Lanell White, age 54, in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicaid. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from a multi-year scheme to defraud Medicaid. As alleged in the criminal complaint, White, the owner of Reginald Center of Turn Around, billed North Carolina Medicaid for thousands of fictitious drug tests resulting in a loss of $2.8 million dollars.
The charges announced yesterday by U.S. Attorney Bishop are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. The Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.
The coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:
- Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
- 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
- Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
- 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.
The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced as part of the enforcement initiative.
Descriptions of each case involved in the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown are available on the Department’s website here.
The Middle District of North Carolina, in particular, worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division and the following law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the case filed during the Takedown: the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Investigations Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Iverson, Special Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Spillman, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Waid.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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McCurtain County Resident Pleads Guilty to Assault and Federal Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kyle Wayne Hudgins, age 40, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea in federal district court to one count of Assault with Intent to Commit a Felony in Indian Country, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, punishable by a minimum of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Superseding Indictment alleged that on November 18, 2024, Hudgins assaulted the victim with the intent to commit a robbery, and that Hudgins knowingly possessed two semi-automatic pistols in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime for which he may be prosecuted in a court of the United States, that is, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The crimes occurred in McCurtain County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Hudgins will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarrod Leaman and Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Firearm Offenses and Unlawful Entry into the U.S.Read the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Massachusetts man who unlawfully entered the United States and was found in possession of a loaded firearm following a Providence traffic stop, has been sentenced to federal prison.
Everton Luis Teixeira Da Silva, 23, of Framingham, Massachusetts, was sentenced on June 18, 2026, by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 12 months and one day in federal prison for possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States. The court also imposed a sentence of time served for unlawfully entering into the United States. Da Silva was not ordered to serve a term of supervised release due to pending deportation proceedings following completion of his prison sentence.
Da Silva pleaded guilty in February 2026 to possession of a firearm and ammunition by an alien unlawfully present in the United States and unlawful entry into the United States.
According to court documents, on August 17, 2025, during a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Da Silva was a passenger conducted by the Providence Police Department, Da Silva fled from officers on foot. During the pursuit, he discarded a firearm and approximately $900 in cash. Following his apprehension, police immediately recovered the firearm and identified it as a green 9mm pistol loaded with six rounds of ammunition and bearing an obliterated serial number. Further inquiry by investigators into Da Silva’s background following his arrest determined that he entered the United States unlawfully.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the FBI and the Providence Police Department.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Massachusetts Company Sentenced for Violating OSHA Rule Leading to Worker’s DeathRead the Press Release
BOSTON – John Oliveira & Sons Stamp Concrete, Inc., a corporation doing business in East Freetown, Mass., was sentenced in federal court in Boston for willfully violating Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety standards in a 2023 incident that led to a worker’s death.
John Oliveira & Sons Stamp Concrete, Inc., was sentenced on May 6, 2026 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson to 18 months’ probation. On June 22, 2026, John Oliveira & Sons was ordered to pay $115,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, the company utilized a large soil screener for purposes of processing and screening soil and similar substances. The soil screener was approximately 46 feet long and 13 feet high, and weighed approximately 35,880 lbs. The tail conveyor of the soil screener – which weighed approximately 1,500 pounds – could be placed in a vertical closed position or could be opened to an approximate 45° angle. At various occasions in 2022 or 2023, the tail conveyor of the soil screener closed unexpectedly, and the soil screener had suffered a ruptured hydraulic pressure line.
On Sept. 6, 2023, a company employee was working alongside a co-owner on the tail conveyer of the soil screener, which was in the open position. At the time, there was no equipment in place to prevent the tail conveyer from closing. According to the charging documents, as the employee was seeking to remove a bolt, the tail conveyor closed unexpectedly. The employee held onto the upper frame of the soil screener as the tail conveyer closed into the vertical position, crushing the employee’s head. The employee suffered massive head trauma and was pronounced dead soon thereafter.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Anthony D’Esposito, Inspector General of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Jeff Erskine, Regional Administrator of the Department of Labor OSHA Boston Region; and Maia Fisher, Regional Solicitor for Department of Labor Boston Region made the announcement. Assistance in the investigation was also provided by the OSHA Criminal Investigations Team, Boston Region. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely, Chief of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Marshall, Missouri Man Sentenced to 265 Months on Drug and Firearms Charges Linked to Search Warrant Shooting that Injured Two DeputiesRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Marshall, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for drug and gun charges arising out of a May 2025 search warrant, during which two Pettis County deputies were injured.
James Joseph Elsea, 63, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 145 months’ imprisonment on two counts relating to his possession of methamphetamine and firearms, and an additional consecutive sentence of 120 months’ imprisonment for possession and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The total sentence of 265 months will be followed by a term of supervised release.
Elsea previously pleaded guilty on Jan. 13, 2026, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, discharging and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing firearms after a prior felony conviction. In a plea agreement filed with the court, Elsea admitted that while Pettis County Sheriff’s Office deputies were executing a no-knock search warrant at his home on May 2, 2025, Elsea fired shots from inside the residence, hitting and injuring two deputies. Approximately nine minutes after the shots were fired, Elsea made a 911 call reporting that he believed he had shot someone. Later, after the officers arrested Elsea and made entry into his residence, they found evidence that Elsea had discarded methamphetamine down the toilet, leaving loose methamphetamine on the bathroom floor, around and underneath the toilet, on the toilet seat, and in the toilet bowl. Firearms were also found within the home. Elsea has prior felony convictions and is not permitted to possess a gun.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Pettis County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Manderson Man Sentenced to over Six Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Manderson, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on June 22, 2026.
Gene Kaline, 33, was sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Kaline was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in January 2026. He pleaded guilty on March 9, 2026.
In the Fall of 2025, Kaline led local police officers on several dangerous, high-speed chases while eluding them in a stolen vehicle. On one date, he was speeding into oncoming traffic in the course of which he nearly ran over a deputy sheriff attempting to deploy traffic spikes to disable the car Kaline was driving. Kaline was not caught. Days later, Kaline again led officers on a dangerous, high-speed chase without, initially, being caught. Later the same day, he was again involved in a pursuit during which he collided with a police car. Fortunately, no one was injured by the defendant’s flagrant actions and the defendant was apprehended. In the stolen car Kaline was driving, officers found a stolen 9mm handgun. Kaline has a 2019 felony conviction for Violation of a Protection Order.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Box Elder Police Department, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
Kaline was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Manager of U.S. Freight Forwarding Company Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Circumventing Export ControlsRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Natalya Ivanovna Mazulina, also known as “Natasha Mazulina,” a resident of Federal Way, Washington, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for crafting a scheme to circumvent U.S. export laws related to Russia. Mazulina was the Western Regional Manager of Delex Air Cargo LLC, a freight forwarding company based in Jamaica, New York, which operated out of John F. Kennedy International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Mazulina was arrested in December 2024 and, in October 2025, pled guilty to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act. As part of her sentence, Mazulina was ordered to forfeit $77,000 in criminal proceeds.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), New York Field Office; and James Guanci, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office, announced the sentence.
“The Russian oil and gas industry is the lifeblood that fuels the Russian war machine,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This defendant put her own profits above the national security of the United States by conspiring to illegally export industrial oil and gas equipment to Russia. Our Office will continue to use all our law enforcement tools to investigate and prosecute those who evade export control laws.”
Mr. Nocella extended his appreciation to the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, the FBI’s Seattle Field Office, and the OEE’s Boston Field Office for their assistance in this case.
“Natalya Mazulina bolstered Russia’s military capabilities and jeopardized our country’s security by violating U.S. export regulations. The FBI maintains its unwavering commitment to quash threat actors who exploit American companies to support adversarial agendas of hostile nations,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
“This case shows that BIS will work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue all those who violate our export control laws,” stated Special Agent in Charge Guanci.
As described in court filings, from at least December 2022 through December 2024, Mazulina conspired with Russian freight forwarding companies and others to unlawfully ship controlled items, including industrial oil and gas equipment, from the United States to Russia, through intermediary countries. At one point, in June 2023, Mazulina told colleagues that her clients were paying through bank accounts in third party countries because “[m]ost of [her] clients [were] currently sanctioned with USA.” Mazulina attempted to conceal the unlawful scheme by submitting and causing the submission of false export documents to the U.S. government, which omitted the information that the goods were destined for Russia.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Skurnik is in charge of the prosecution. Significant assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The Defendant:
NATALYA IVANOVNA MAZULINA (also known as “Natasha Mazulina”)
Age: 43
Federal Way, WashingtonE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-493 (EK)
Kyle Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Assault on a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault on a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on June 15, 2026.
Robert Wayne Old Horse, 58, was sentenced to serve two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Old Horse was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury in August 2025. He pleaded guilty on April 6, 2026.
On April 5, 2025, at Pine Ridge, Old Horse was arrested by tribal law enforcement. While inside the correctional facility, he became combative with the corrections officers and refused to enter his cell. At one point, Old Horse laid on the ground and while a female corrections officer was attempting to get him up, Old Horse kicked her in the abdomen with his foot. The officer was eight months pregnant at the time.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paige Petersen and Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Old Horse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Klamath Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Distributing Explosive DevicesRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A Klamath Falls, Oregon, man pleaded guilty on Monday for illegally distributing explosive devices, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Jason Edward Lowery, 52, pleaded guilty to distribution of explosives by a non-licensee.
According to court documents, in June 2025, Lowery sold multiple illegal M-type explosive devices at his residence and at his place of business in Klamath Falls. Pursuant to a search warrant at Lowery’s residence, business, and vehicle, investigators seized over 200 homemade explosive devices and materials for constructing more explosives. Police seized a destructive device that had a large amount of explosive powder and nails strapped to it. At Lowery’s residence, police also seized firearms and methamphetamine. Lowery’s phone revealed texts showing he was selling devices to multiple individuals.
On July 17, 2025, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a two-count indictment charging Lowery with distribution of explosives by a non-licensee and manufacture of explosives by a non-licensee.
Lowery faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on October 8, 2026, before a U.S. district court judge.
As part of the plea agreement, Lowery has agreed to forfeit any criminally-derived proceeds and property used to facilitate his crimes identified by the government prior to sentencing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Oregon State Police are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith R. Harper is prosecuting the case.
Kevin Epstein Designated as Interim U.S. Trustee for Louisiana and MississippiRead the Press Release
Kevin Epstein has been designated by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as the U.S. Trustee for Louisiana and Mississippi (Region 5) on an interim basis effective June 29. Epstein replaces David Asbach, who is retiring after 35 years of distinguished service to the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP).
Under 28 U.S.C. § 585, the Attorney General may fill U.S. Trustee vacancies by designating an incumbent U.S. Trustee to serve in a second region. Since 2021, Epstein has been the U.S. Trustee for the Southern and Western Districts of Texas (Region 7), and he will remain in that position while also overseeing Region 5. From July 2023 to November 2024, Epstein was the Interim U.S. Trustee for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas (Region 6).
The Executive Office for U.S. Trustees made the announcement.
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 82 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.
Jury Finds D.C. Man Guilty of Murder After Argument over a BBQ GrillRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Irv Duff, 35, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty yesterday in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, on charges of shooting and killing 26-year-old Darnell Gibson, in Southwest D.C., on August 1, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Duff was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder while armed, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On June 23, 2026, Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for September 11, 2026.
“This was a brazen and senseless act of violence that stole a young man’s life and endangered others,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This tragedy is especially troubling because it began with something as trivial as an argument over a grill. Our community deserves far better, and my office remains committed to pursuing accountability and ensuring that those who choose violence are held fully responsible under the law.”
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of August 1, 2023, Duff and his girlfriend got into a verbal dispute in the stairwell of the girlfriend’s walk-up apartment. During the argument, the defendant threw a grill sitting in the hallway that belonged to the victim, Darnell Gibson. The victim came out of his apartment and started arguing with Duff about him knocking over the grill. As the defendant’s girlfriend retreated into her apartment, the defendant and the victim continued to argue. Duff challenged the victim to come outside to fight, which the victim agreed to do. As the victim got ready to go outside, Duff retreated to his vehicle parked in the street and called his girlfriend to warn her there was about to be a shootout. The victim then walked outside, followed closely by the victim’s girlfriend, who stood behind him near the entrance of the building. The victim and Duff remained separated by at least 60 feet while they hurled insults at one another. Moments later, Duff took out a pistol and unleashed 22 rounds of automatic gunfire toward the victim and his girlfriend. The victim’s girlfriend dropped to the ground and narrowly avoided being hit by the hail of bullets. The victim tried to run away, but he was cut down by three shots to his upper torso, all from behind, killing him instantly. Duff then fled the scene in his vehicle.
Duff was arrested on December 8, 2023, and has been in custody since.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hall and Wes Faulkner.
2023 CF1 009215
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Machinegun PossessionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Jefferson County man has been sentenced for illegally possessing a machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced De’Corlion Keshaun Robinson, 24, of Bessemer, Alabama, to 120 months in prison, the statutory maximum for the offense. In November 2025, Robinson pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun.
“This maximum sentence reflects the devastating consequences of the defendant’s actions,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners whose dedication to justice made this prosecution possible. Together, we will continue to target those who use illegal firearms and machinegun conversion devices to threaten the safety of our communities.”
“Machine gun conversion devices are illegal and extremely dangerous,” said ATF SACJamey Vanvliet. “The ATF will continue to work alongside our local, state, and federal partners to disrupt individuals who, knowingly and willingly, use them to carry out violent and devasting crimes within the communities that we serve. Today’s sentence underscores the collective efforts to address this public safety threat.”
According to the plea agreement, on August 13, 2025, an officer with the Birmingham Police Department was dispatched to Lakeshore Ridge apartments on a report of a person shot. Upon arrival, the officer found Robinson standing in the parking lot. The officer asked Robinson if he had shot someone. Robinson admitted to shooting the victim, who was found deceased inside of an apartment. The officer asked Robinson for the location of the firearm. Robinson told the officer that he threw it into the woods. A short time later, the officer recovered a Glock 10mm pistol that had been converted to a machinegun using a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch,” on the grounds of the apartment complex. During an interview with law enforcement, Robinson admitted that he had purchased the pistol with the machinegun conversion device already attached and that he knew the effect of it.
ATF investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sex Acts with TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Wednesday sentenced a Jefferson County, Missouri man who engaged in sex acts with a 13-year-old and requested and obtained nude photos of her to 20 years in prison.
Anthony A. Moore, now 49, engaged in sex acts with the victim in 2023 and 2024, beginning when she was 13 and he was 46. The victim’s father reported to law enforcement that he went through her cell phone and discovered communications between Moore and his daughter, including Moore’s requests for nude photos of her. Investigators found images of her on Moore’s phone after his arrest.
Moore pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in March to one count of receipt of child pornography.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
Jamaican National Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Operating Sweepstakes ScamRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JIMMY SMITH, 31, a citizen of Jamaica residing in Hinesville, Georgia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 46 months of imprisonment for operating a sweepstakes scam.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in a sweepstakes scam, scam participants contact victims by telephone and falsely inform them that they have won large sums of money. Victims are told that they need to pay fees or taxes to claim their winnings and they are instructed to send money through the mail to various addresses controlled by scam participants, or to various bank accounts through wires.
Smith and others defrauded at least four victims residing in Connecticut, New York, Texas, and California, by telling them they had won a Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes and needed to pay taxes or money to claim the prize. Smith recruited others to use their bank accounts to deposit money that had been mailed by scam victims. Smith’s co-conspirators then withdrew cash and gave it to Smith, or sent Smith money using bank transfer applications.
For example, in July 2022, a Connecticut victim was contacted by telephone and told that she had won a $2.5 million sweepstakes prize and needed to pay taxes to claim her winnings. In August 2022, the victim mailed a $75,000 check paid to the order of Keshelski & K Transport to an address in Brooklyn, New York. The account was deposited into an account in the name of Keshelski&K Transports LLC, which was controlled by Keshelski Bates, a co-conspirator of Smith.
Smith also participated in a separate scheme that defrauded an Arkansas resident who believed he was paying for farm equipment.
Victims lost more than $2.6 million through these schemes.
Smith was arrested on March 17, 2025. On November 18, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.
Smith, who is released on bond and is on electronic monitoring, must report to prison on August 24.
Bates pleaded guilty to the same charge and awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of Army CID, the Hinesville (Ga.) Police Department, and the Orlando (Fla.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather M. Cherry.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Litchfield for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
Illinois Man Admits Bank Fraud Conspiracy Involving Checks Stolen from the MailRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – An Illinois man on Wednesday admitted engaging in a conspiracy to steal checks from the mail and deposit them into fraudulently-opened bank accounts.
Isaiah W. Douglas, 24, of Champaign, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of possession of stolen mail matter. He admitted conspiring with others to deposit checks that had been stolen from the mail by opening unauthorized bank accounts in the names of the businesses that were listed as payees on the checks. Douglas admitted that he and his co-conspirators intended to cause a loss of at least $581,123, based on the value of stolen checks deposited into unauthorized business accounts and the stolen checks recovered by police.
Luis A. Franco-Gonzalez, 26, of Rantoul, Ill., and Isaiah B. Handford, 28, pleaded guilty on May 20 to one count of making a false statement to a financial institution.
Douglas’ plea agreement says that he and others stole checks, or caused them to be stolen, from collection boxes in and around St. Louis. Douglas then offered money to Handford and Franco-Gonzalez to fraudulently open bank accounts and supplied them with false business documents to do so. On June 12, 2023, Handford entered a St. Louis bank and applied to open a business bank account in the name of one of the victim businesses by falsely claiming that he was an owner and registered agent of the business. Suspicious bank officials refused to open an account. That same day, Franco-Gonzalez was successful in opening an account at a different bank in Chesterfield and depositing a $312,677 check.
The following day, Handford and Franco-Gonzalez tried to open an account at a bank in Creve Coeur. Franco-Gonzalez entered the bank while Handford waited in the parking lot in the getaway vehicle, a tan Mercedes sedan. The bank refused to open an account for Franco-Gonzalez and he fled the bank on foot. Police spotted the Mercedes nearby and arrested Handford. Officers went to a nearby Drury Hotel, saw Franco-Gonzalez in a white Ford Explorer in the parking lot and arrested him. The Explorer contained a handgun and fraudulent paperwork in the name of one of the victims. Officers encountered Douglas at the hotel, carrying a backpack and a duffel bag that contained more fraudulent paperwork, a handgun and 53 loose checks, money orders, and envelopes that had been stolen from collection boxes. In hotel rooms used by the conspirators, police found more stolen mail and an additional stolen check.
All three are scheduled to be sentenced on September 2.
The Creve Coeur Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Illegal alien sentenced for production of child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Mexican national illegally residing in the United States was sentenced to 30 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for production of child sexual abuse material. He was also required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, on several occasions in February and March 2025, Samuel Flores de Dios, 36, brought the victim, who was under 13 years old, to a bedroom he rented in an apartment in Fredericksburg on several occasions. On at least four occasions, Flores de Dios sexually abused the victim and recorded the abuse on cellphones positioned around his bedroom. One of the cellphones belonging to Flores de Dios also contained videos of a second adult male abusing the victim.
Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., investigated this case with assistance from the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Angelica Carrasco of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-158.
Illegal Aliens Sentenced to Decades in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking Child OrphanRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Two illegal aliens from Venezuela were sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to a combined 32 years in prison for sex trafficking of a 16-year-old starting in Colombia and extending to Richmond, Kentucky and San Antonio, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Giannys Alexandra Ramirez-Fernandez, 21, and Nelson Adrian Perez-Martinez, 23, conspired, knowing that a 16-year-old undocumented Venezuelan orphan, would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act.
Ramirez-Fernandez, who was 17 years old at the time, began a relationship with the minor victim when the minor was 13 years old and living with her adopted parents in Colombia. The two crossed illegally into the United States in December 2022. Perez-Martinez, a friend of Ramirez-Fernandez from Venezuela, crossed illegally into the U.S. in December 2023 and joined them. Perez-Martinez and Ramirez-Fernandez traveled with the minor victim from Kentucky to San Antonio for the minor victim to engage in prostitution. Once in San Antonio, an advertisement was posted on personals for commercial sex with the minor victim. All three – Ramirez-Fernandez, Perez-Martinez, and the minor victim – shared in the proceeds from the commercial sex.
An investigation revealed that, in 2024, Perez-Martinez and Ramirez-Fernandez accompanied the minor to approximately six different motels in San Antonio from July 19 to July 30. The three shared a room at each location, paid for in cash by proceeds from the child’s commercial sex acts.
Perez-Martinez and Ramirez-Fernandez were arrested on July 30, 2024, as part of an ongoing investigation into domestic sex trafficking. An undercover San Antonio Police officer with the Human Exploitation Unit responded to an advertisement posted on a website for escort services. Posing as a customer, the officer contacted the phone number on the advertisement and was instructed to meet at the Studio 6 motel on Pasteur Court in San Antonio. Once the undercover was in the motel room with the minor, the victim agreed to sexual services for a fee, and the officer signaled for the arrest team. Simultaneously, Perez-Martinez and Ramirez-Fernandez were arrested, as they were identified as spotters for the operation.
On Sept. 17, 2025, Ramirez-Fernandez pleaded guilty to three counts: aiding and abetting sex trafficking of children, conspiracy to sex traffic children, and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. On Oct. 1, 2025, federal prosecutors filed a five-count superseding indictment charging Perez-Martinez with aiding and abetting sex trafficking children; aiding and abetting benefitting from sex trafficking children; conspiracy to sex traffic children; aiding and abetting coercion and enticement; and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. A jury found Perez-Martinez guilty on all counts on Feb. 23, 2026. Prior to that, in October, an initial trial for Perez-Martinez resulted in a hung jury.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery sentenced Perez-Martinez to 240 months in federal prison and lifetime supervised release. On Tuesday, Judge Biery sentenced Ramirez-Fernandez to 150 months in federal prison.
“We will not abide illegal aliens who come to this country, take advantage of our many freedoms, and then enrich themselves to the detriment of others,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “The illegal alien defendants in this case sought to enrich themselves to the detriment of a child by forcing that child to engage in sex with adult men, and now they’re getting paid exactly what they’re owed: decades in prison.”
“Human trafficking has no place in the world,” said acting Special Agent in Charge, John A. Pasciucco, HSI San Antonio. “The suffering and abuse endured by the minor victims at the hands of this organization is unconscionable, and these sentences reflect the severity of those crimes. Our agents, analysts, and specialists work tirelessly—both globally and domestically—to pursue traffickers and, most importantly, to rescue victims across the country and around the world,”
Homeland Security Investigations and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia McNab and Sade Bogart prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Illegal Alien from India Pleads Guilty to Visa Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Indian national unlawfully residing in Worcester, Mass., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with a conspiracy to conduct staged armed robberies of convenience stores for the purpose of allowing store clerks to falsely claim they were crime victims on immigration applications.
Mitul Patel, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for July 29, 2026. The defendant, along with 10 others allegedly involved in the scheme, was previously charged by criminal complaint in March 2026.
According to the charging documents, beginning in March 2023, Rambhai Patel and his co-conspirators set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least six convenience/liquor stores and fast-food restaurants in Massachusetts and elsewhere. It is alleged that the purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the clerks present to falsely claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for U non-immigration status (U Visa). A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.
During the staged robberies, the “robber” would allegedly threaten store clerks and/or owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video. The clerks and/or owners would then allegedly wait five or more minutes until the “robber” had escaped before calling police to report the “crime.” The “victims” are alleged to have each paid Rambhai Patel to participate in the scheme. In turn, Rambhai Patel allegedly paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery.
The organizer Rambhai Patel, the “robber,” and the getaway driver Balwinder Singh were previously charged and later convicted in May 2025. Mitul Patel, charged today, paid Rambhai Patel so that he could participate as a “victim” in a staged armed robbery of a store in Worcester, Mass. in October 2023.
The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Additionally, the defendant is subject to deportation. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of New York, the Western District of Washington, the Northern District of Ohio, the Eastern District of Missouri and the Eastern District of Kentucky; FBI’s New York, Seattle, Louisville, Cleveland and St. Louis Field Offices; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; Massachusetts State Police; Worcester County District Attorney’s Office; and the Boston, Dedham, Hingham, Malden, Marshfield, Randolph, Somerville, Weymouth, Worcester, Upper Darby, (Pa.), West Pittston (Pa.), Louisville, (Ky.) and Bean Station (Tenn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.Illegal Alien with Multiple Deportations and Violent Felony Convictions Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced today by United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally reentering the United States after having been removed from the country on three prior occasions.
According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings, on April 29, 2024, Miguel Antonio Murillo-Ramos was found in the United States after he was previously deported to Mexico on January 17, 2015, April 10, 2019, and November 1, 2023.
Murillo-Ramos has two prior convictions for illegally reentering the United States after being deported from 2017 and 2020. Both convictions were from the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. Murillo-Ramos also has felony convictions for Robbery, and Assault with a Deadly Weapon from the Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County, Nevada.
Murillo-Ramos pleaded guilty to one count of Deported Alien Found in the United States. After serving his prison sentence, he will be deported to Mexico for a fourth time.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Acting Field Office Director Alejandro Almeida made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Illegal Alien Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking in Sacramento AreaRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Felix Ortiz-Plata, 45, a Mexican national illegally residing in Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to 16 years and three months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, in 2022 Ortiz-Plata was at the center of a substantial drug trafficking operation and operated a clandestine stash house with multiple firearms and was responsible for 377 pounds of methamphetamine and 11 ounces of cocaine. Ortiz-Plata has a history of large-scale drug trafficking and was on court-ordered supervision for a state court conviction at the age of 33 when he became involved in this extensive drug trafficking conspiracy.
On Aug. 18, 2025, Ortiz-Plata pleaded guilty.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Forest Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Land Management, and the California Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hitt prosecuted the case.
Illegal Alien Sentenced for Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Samuel Flores de Dios, 36, an illegal alien from Mexico, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) after he placed a camera in his bedroom and recorded himself sexually abusing a victim who was under 13-years old. He was also required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, on several occasions between February 2025 and March 2025, Flores de Dios brought the minor victim to his residence in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where he sexually abused her. On at least four different occasions, Flores de Dios recorded the sexual acts using cellular telephones positioned around his bedroom. One of the cellular telephones belonging to Flores de Dios also contained videos of a second adult male abusing the victim.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Eric J. Weindorf of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by HSI with substantial assistance from the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Angelica Carrasco of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Garnett for the Eastern District of Virginia.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov.
Horry County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Guns and DrugsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Quentin Raymar Price, 32, of Longs, has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl and possession of firearms by a felon.
In late 2024 and early 2025, the Horry County Police Department (HCPD) conducted three controlled purchases of fentanyl from Price during a drug trafficking investigation. In total, Price sold 60 grams of fentanyl to the HCPD.
On March 24, 2025, members of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force went to an apartment on Polo Rd. in Columbia to arrest Price on warrants related to the HCPD investigation. While arresting Price, officers observed marijuana in the apartment and obtained a search warrant. During the search warrant, officers recovered two firearms, 53 grams of cocaine, 20 grams of crack cocaine, $7,250 in cash and personal items belonging to Price.
Price has a prior federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine which prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. During the investigation, the FBI determined Price was an active gang member.
United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Price to 80 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Price was also required to forfeit $7,250.00 in cash and over $90,000.00 worth of jewelry.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Horry County Police Department, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall prosecuted the case.###