Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
7 October 2026
Hudson County Woman Charged with Illegally Voting in Federal Election and Unlawful Procurement of U.S. CitizenshipRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County woman, who is a naturalized citizen who immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic, was charged with illegally voting in a federal election and unlawfully procuring citizenship, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.
Lizabeth Almonte Rosa, 24, of West New York, New Jersey was charged by criminal complaint with voting by an alien in a federal election and unlawfully procuring citizenship. Almonte Rosa had her initial appearance on October 7, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacey D. Adams in federal court in Newark.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Almonte Rosa was a non-citizen when she was registered to vote. The answers provided in her voter registration form falsely certified and attested that she was a United States citizen. In order to register, and to vote in federal elections, a person must be a United States citizen.
Almonte Rosa voted in-person in the primary election held in June 2022 and the general election held in November 2022. At the time she cast her ballots, Almonte Rosa, who entered the United States from the Dominican Republic on an IR2 visa, was not a United States citizen and was therefore not authorized to vote in federal elections.
After illegally voting in federal elections, Almonte Rosa applied to become a United States citizen by submitting an application for naturalization (an N-400). An N-400 requires the applicant to swear under penalty of perjury that the information provided in the application is complete, true, and correct. In her N-400 application, Almonte Rosa falsely claimed that she had never registered to vote or voted in any federal elections.
The count of voting by an alien carries a maximum sentence of 1 year’s imprisonment, and a fine of up to $100,000. The count of unlawfully procuring citizenship carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy; and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with the investigation.
The case was brought under the United States Attorney’s Office’s Election Integrity Task Force, a coalition of federal law enforcement partners focused on preserving and protecting the integrity of elections conducted in the District of New Jersey.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
###
almonterosa.complaint.pdfHouston resident sentenced in $14 million pandemic loan fraud conspiracyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 42-year-old woman has been ordered to federal prison for her role in a multimillion-dollar pandemic loan fraud conspiracy.
Trenikia Lashae Banks pleaded guilty Sept. 22, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt ordered Banks to serve 18 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Banks was also ordered to pay more than $400,000 in restitution to the Small Business Administration. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hoyt cited the aggravated nature of the crime and Banks’ lack of moral fortitude. He emphasized there is no such thing as “free money” and described her conduct as intentional, not a mistake.
In 2020 and 2021, Banks and Shawn Nicholas Young conspired with approximately 70 others to submit fraudulent applications for funds through the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Young submitted more than 100 loan applications from his Missouri City residence, including one for his fake business All Day Money Crew LLC.
The group attempted to obtain more than $14 million in pandemic loan funds and successfully received approximately $4.5 million.
Through Young, Banks obtained three pandemic loans for fake businesses in her name and paid him kickbacks from the proceeds. She also falsified documents at Young’s request for submission with 15 loan applications for other co-conspirators. Young paid Banks to falsify the documents even when the loan applications were unsuccessful.
Banks was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Young, 43, Missouri City, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in the scheme and is set for sentencing Feb. 9, 2027.
Federal Housing Finance Agency - Office of Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Agency, SBA - OIG, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - OIG, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation, with the assistance of Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office and Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 1.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bauman prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division which 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.
Honduran Illegal Alien Indicted for Illegal Reentry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MIGUEL SANTOS-MEZA (“SANTOS-MEZA”), age 50, a Honduran national, was indicted on October 2, 2026, for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, on or about August 24, 2026, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, SANTOS-MEZA, an alien, was found in the United States after having been deported and removed therefrom on or about September 9, 2016, without the approval of the Attorney General of the United States or his designated successor, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States.
If convicted, SANTOS-MEZA faces a maximum penalty of up to two (2) years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to one (1) year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Lorcan L. Connick of the General Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.
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.
* * *
Honduran Illegal Alien Indicted for Illegal Reentry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MIGUEL SANTOS-MEZA (“SANTOS-MEZA”), age 50, a Honduran national, was indicted on October 2, 2026, for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, on or about August 24, 2026, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, SANTOS-MEZA, an alien, was found in the United States after having been deported and removed therefrom on or about September 9, 2016, without the approval of the Attorney General of the United States or his designated successor, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States.
If convicted, SANTOS-MEZA faces a maximum penalty of up to two (2) years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to one (1) year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Lorcan L. Connick of the General Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.
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.
* * *
Honduran Illegal Alien Indicted for Illegal Reentry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LEVIN YULIEN ESCOTO-SOLIS (“ESCOTO-SOLIS”), age 38, a Honduran national, was indicted on October 2, 2026, for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) & (b)(1), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, on or about September 15, 2026, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, ESCOTO-SOLIS, an alien, was found in the United States after having been deported and removed therefrom on or about April 13, 2012, without the approval of the Attorney General of the United States or his designated successor, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States.
If convicted, ESCOTO-SOLIS faces a maximum penalty of up to ten (10) years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Lorcan L. Connick of the General Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.
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.
* * *
Heal 360 Clinics and owner agree to pay $20m to resolve False Claims Act allegations of billing false claims to the COVID-19 uninsured program for services not renderedRead the Press Release
DALLAS –Heal 360 Urgent Care PLLC, Heal 360 Primary Care PLLC (together “Heal 360”) and their owner, Dr. Mohammed Amer Mohiuddin (Mohiuddin), have agreed to pay the United States $20 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims to the Health Resources & Services Administration COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured Program (the “Uninsured Program”) for evaluation and management services that were not performed.
“This settlement is a great example of this Administration’s commitment to using all available tools at its disposal to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in federal healthcare programs,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “Through the combined efforts of civil fraud and asset forfeiture prosecutors from my office, civil fraud prosecutors in the Eastern District of Texas and at Main Justice, and outstanding investigative work by our agency partners at the HHS Office of Inspector General, we were able to secure this substantial recovery for the benefit of the American taxpayer. The message should be crystal clear to anyone seeking to defraud federal healthcare programs — we will find you, we will find the money and assets, and we will do everything within our power to hold you accountable.”
“The Department is committed to rooting out fraud by healthcare providers who bill for services they did not provide,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that we will hold accountable those providers who exploit federal healthcare programs for their own financial gain.”
“We are dedicated to protecting healthcare resources from fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas. “When medical providers bill federal healthcare payers for unnecessary or unprovided services to increase revenue, we will use every possible tool to hold medical providers accountable and recover those funds. This case emphasizes our District’s commitment to justice by pursuing anyone who attempts to steal through misrepresentations.”
“Ensuring federal funds dedicated to public health emergency response are used appropriately is a core oversight priority for HHS‑OIG,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Billing for services that were never provided undermines trust in the health care system and diverts resources from patients who need them. HHS‑OIG will continue working alongside law‑enforcement partners to hold anyone who attempts to exploit federal healthcare programs accountable.”
Between approximately May 2020 and April 2022, the Uninsured Program reimbursed eligible providers for COVID-19 tests, testing-related items and services, treatment, and vaccines performed on uninsured individuals. Mohiuddin is a physician who owns the Heal 360 entities, which are medical clinics in Plano, Texas. During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, Heal 360 provided healthcare services, including specimen collection for COVID-19 tests. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that from Jan. 1, 2021 through March 23, 2022, Heal 360 and Mohiuddin knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims to the Uninsured Program by billing evaluation and management services (E/M Services) that were not performed.
As alleged by United States, claims for E/M Services, sometimes referred to as “office visits,” are submitted under Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Codes, and vary in level of complexity. Higher level codes reflect increased complexity, such as a higher level of decision-making, more detailed history, or longer duration of time. During the COVID Public Health Emergency, CMS approved the use of CPT Code 99211 for COVID-19 test specimen collection. Physicians and non-physician practitioners, such as nurse practitioners (NPs) were required to use CPT Code 99211 to bill for COVID-19 specimen collection billed by clinical staff incident to their services. By contrast, Levels 3 and 4 E/M Services (i.e. CPT Codes 99203 and 99204 for new patients, and 99213 and 99214 for established patients) are codes for higher level E/M services (the “Higher Level E/M Services”) that could not be used for mere specimen collection.
The United States contends that during the PHE, under Mohiuddin’s oversight and direction, the Heal 360 entities operated and provided services at dozens of COVID-19 testing sites in Texas, the vast majority of which were walk up or drive through testing sites (the “COVID test sites”). Patients could register online or at the site to receive a COVID-19 test, and at the COVID test sites, patients remained in their vehicles while Heal 360 staff checked them in and performed specimen collection services through nasal swabs for COVID-19 tests. No other medical treatment was rendered.
The United States alleges that Heal 360 and Mohiuddin knew that the appropriate CPT Codes for the services provided at the COVID test sites were specimen collection codes, but nevertheless submitted claims under CPT Codes for Higher Level E/M Services that were reimbursed at substantially higher rates than reimbursements for specimen collection.
In order to create the appearance that Higher Level E/M Services were being performed, Heal 360 and Mohiuddin created fictitious, template-generated medical records to correspond to the dates of service for testing that made it appear as if E/M services occurred, for example by including sections for “past medical history” and “examination.” The charts were generated by remote scribes located overseas who input information collected at the COVID test sites into the records. Although Mohiuddin did not visit or treat patients at the COVID tests sites, he was listed on the majority of the claims as the rendering physician. Heal 360 and Mohiuddin submitted hundreds of thousands of claims by the Heal 360 entities to the Uninsured Program for Higher Level E/M Services, and as a result received payment to which they were not entitled.
The civil settlement resolves two cases pending in the Eastern District of Texas and Northern District of Texas filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to file an action for false claims on behalf of the United States and share any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned U.S. ex rel. Hooper at al. v. Heal 360 Primary Care, PLLC et al., Case No. 4:21-cv-00569 (E.D. Tex.) and U.S. ex rel. Hasan v. Heal 360 Urgent Care, PLLC et al., Case No. 3:22-cv-1333-E (N.D. Tex.). Relators will receive $3,400,000 of the proceeds from the settlement. In addition, the government and Mohiuddin have reached an agreement to resolve a related asset forfeiture proceeding initiated in the Northern District of Texas against certain real properties purchased by Mohiuddin, with proceeds from the sales of those properties being credited to the civil settlement. The asset forfeiture proceeding is captioned United States v. Real Property Known as 3300 State Highway 78, Garland, TX et al., No. 3:23-cv-2784-X.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Texas and Northern District of Texas, with substantial assistance from HHS-OIG. This matter was handled by Civil Division Fraud Section Trial Attorney Elizabeth J. Kappakas and by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Gillingham and Kevin McClendon for the Eastern District of Texas, Brian Stoltz and Najib Gazi for the Northern District of Texas, and John Penn for the forfeiture proceeding in the Northern District of Texas.
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The civil claims settled by the agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of civil liability.
Heal 360 Clinics and Owner Agree to Pay $20M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of Billing False Claims to the COVID-19 Uninsured Program for Services Not RenderedRead the Press Release
Heal 360 Urgent Care PLLC, Heal 360 Primary Care PLLC (together “Heal 360”) and their owner, Dr. Mohammed Amer Mohiuddin (Mohiuddin), have agreed to pay the United States $20 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims to the Health Resources & Services Administration COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured Program (the “Uninsured Program”) for evaluation and management services that were not performed.
“The Department is committed to rooting out fraud by healthcare providers who bill for services they did not provide,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that we will hold accountable those providers who exploit federal healthcare programs for their own financial gain.”
“We are dedicated to protecting healthcare resources from fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas. “When medical providers bill federal healthcare payers for unnecessary or unprovided services to increase revenue, we will use every possible tool to hold medical providers accountable and recover those funds. This case emphasizes our District’s commitment to justice by pursuing anyone who attempts to steal through misrepresentations.”
“This settlement is a great example of this Administration’s commitment to using all available tools at its disposal to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in federal healthcare programs,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “Through the combined efforts of civil fraud and asset forfeiture prosecutors from my office, civil fraud prosecutors in the Eastern District of Texas and at Main Justice, and outstanding investigative work by our agency partners at the HHS Office of Inspector General, we were able to secure this substantial recovery for the benefit of the American taxpayer. The message should be crystal clear to anyone seeking to defraud federal healthcare programs — we will find you, we will find the money and assets, and we will do everything within our power to hold you accountable.”
“Ensuring federal funds dedicated to public health emergency response are used appropriately is a core oversight priority for HHS‑OIG,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Billing for services that were never provided undermines trust in the health care system and diverts resources from patients who need them. HHS‑OIG will continue working alongside law‑enforcement partners to hold anyone who attempts to exploit federal healthcare programs accountable.”
Between approximately May 2020 and April 2022, the Uninsured Program reimbursed eligible providers for COVID-19 tests, testing-related items and services, treatment, and vaccines performed on uninsured individuals. Mohiuddin is a physician who owns the Heal 360 entities, which are medical clinics in Plano, Texas. During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), Heal 360 provided healthcare services, including specimen collection for COVID-19 tests. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that from Jan. 1, 2021 through March 23, 2022, Heal 360 and Mohiuddin knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims to the Uninsured Program by billing evaluation and management services (E/M Services) that were not performed.
As alleged by United States, claims for E/M Services, sometimes referred to as “office visits,” are submitted under Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Codes, and vary in level of complexity. Higher level codes reflect increased complexity, such as a higher level of decision-making, more detailed history, or longer duration of time. During the COVID Public Health Emergency (PHE), CMS approved the use of CPT Code 99211 for COVID-19 test specimen collection. Physicians and non-physician practitioners, such as nurse practitioners (NPs) were required to use CPT Code 99211 to bill for COVID-19 specimen collection billed by clinical staff incident to their services. By contrast, Levels 3 and 4 E/M Services (i.e. CPT Codes 99203 and 99204 for new patients, and 99213 and 99214 for established patients) are codes for higher level E/M services (the “Higher Level E/M Services”) that could not be used for mere specimen collection.
The United States contends that during the PHE, under Mohiuddin’s oversight and direction, the Heal 360 entities operated and provided services at dozens of COVID-19 testing sites in Texas, the vast majority of which were walk up or drive through testing sites (the “COVID test sites”). Patients could register online or at the site to receive a COVID-19 test, and at the COVID test sites, patients remained in their vehicles while Heal 360 staff checked them in and performed specimen collection services through nasal swabs for COVID-19 tests. No other medical treatment was rendered.
The United States alleges that Heal 360 and Mohiuddin knew that the appropriate CPT Codes for the services provided at the COVID test sites were specimen collection codes, but nevertheless submitted claims under CPT Codes for Higher Level E/M Services that were reimbursed at substantially higher rates than reimbursements for specimen collection.
In order to create the appearance that Higher Level E/M Services were being performed, Heal 360 and Mohiuddin created fictitious, template-generated medical records to correspond to the dates of service for testing that made it appear as if E/M services occurred, for example by including sections for “past medical history” and “examination.” The charts were generated by remote scribes located overseas who input information collected at the COVID test sites into the records. Although Mohiuddin did not visit or treat patients at the COVID tests sites, he was listed on the majority of the claims as the rendering physician. Heal 360 and Mohiuddin submitted hundreds of thousands of claims by the Heal 360 entities to the Uninsured Program for Higher Level E/M Services, and as a result received payment to which they were not entitled.
The civil settlement resolves two cases pending in the Eastern District of Texas and Northern District of Texas filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to file an action for false claims on behalf of the United States and share any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned U.S. ex rel. Hooper at al. v. Heal 360 Primary Care, PLLC et al., Case No. 4:21-cv-00569 (E.D. Tex.) and U.S. ex rel. Hasan v. Heal 360 Urgent Care, PLLC et al., Case No. 3:22-cv-1333-E (N.D. Tex.). Relators will receive $3,400,000 of the proceeds from the settlement. In addition, the government and Mohiuddin have reached an agreement to resolve a related asset forfeiture proceeding initiated in the Northern District of Texas against certain real properties purchased by Mohiuddin, with proceeds from the sales of those properties being credited to the civil settlement. The asset forfeiture proceeding is captioned United States v. Real Property Known as 3300 State Highway 78, Garland, TX et al., No. 3:23-cv-2784-X.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Texas and Northern District of Texas, with substantial assistance from HHS-OIG. This matter was handled by Civil Division Fraud Section Trial Attorney Elizabeth J. Kappakas and by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Gillingham and Kevin McClendon for the Eastern District of Texas, Brian Stoltz and Najib Gazi for the Northern District of Texas, and John Penn for the forfeiture proceeding in the Northern District of Texas.
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Guilty Plea for Felon on Federal Supervised Release Caught Again with MachinegunRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – J’Shawn Tikariyon Walker, 21, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal possession of a machinegun and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the excellent investigative work by Customs and Border Protection agents to thwart this repeat offender’s attempt to acquire machinegun conversion devices from China. The fact that he was already under federal supervision for a prior weapons conviction amply demonstrates that he has no intention to lead a law-abiding life and he must be incarcerated to keep our community safe.”
Court documents reflect that Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package from China addressed to “Jay Walk” at the defendant’s residence. When inspected, the package was found to contain three Glock machinegun conversion devices (MCDs). The defendant was on federal supervised release at the time for charges that included illegal possession of a Glock machinegun. On August 7, 2026, Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence and found a Glock 19 that had been converted into a machinegun in a shoebox in the defendant’s bedroom. The defendant admitted to ordering an MCD, commonly called a “Glock switch,” from China, and further admitted ownership of the converted Glock machinegun found in his bedroom.
The defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms based on his prior federal felony convictions, which involved the theft of multiple firearms from gun stores and the illegal possession of a machinegun. The defendant had been sentenced to 18 months in prison and was on supervised release at the time of the instant offense.
The defendant faces up to 25 years’ imprisonment.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 9, 2026, at 3:00 pm, in the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker.
The case involved an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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.
Grand jury indicts Wichita man for trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned a superseding indictment charging a Kansas man with methamphetamine trafficking and firearms offenses.
According to court documents, Shane Ledford, 46, of Wichita was indicted on:
• one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance; • two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; • two counts of prohibited person in possession of a firearm, • one count of maintaining a drug involved premises, and
• one count of distribution of a controlled substance.The Wichita Police Department (WPD) is investigating the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Dalevon Dixon, 34, of Wichita was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case.
Encarnacion Hernandez-Batz, 38, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case.
Edgar Martinez-Ochoa, 46, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case.
Terry Morrison, 70, of Hutchinson was indicted on one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Gainesville Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Stephen Lamar Jones, 43, of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the excellent investigative work by the DEA and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office that supported this successful prosecution by my office. This repeat offender sought to profit from the devastation caused by meth and other drugs, but now he’ll remain locked away in federal prison where he belongs.”
Court records indicate that the defendant was found in possession of 284 grams of methamphetamine. The defendant also had heroin and cocaine in his possession. The defendant has a prior conviction for Trafficking in Amphetamines.
Jones faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christie Utt and Tyler Fleming.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 8, 2026, at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
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, human and drug trafficking.
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.
Freeland Resident Arraigned on Child Exploitation and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
BAY CITY - Nikolas Clark, 22, of Freeland, Michigan, was arraigned today on an indictment that charges him with attempted sexual exploitation of children and other related offenses, announced Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jeremy Pierczynski, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Detroit Field Office.
According to court records, it is alleged that in July 2026, Clark attempted to sexually exploit a child by attempting to coerce and entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Clark is also alleged to have possessed, and accessed with intent to view, child sexually abusive material, and to have sent obscene material to a minor.
Clark was arrested on September 10 and detained after a hearing before United States Magistrate Judge Patricia Morris in Bay City.
Clark worked as a paraprofessional at an elementary school in the Bullock Creek School District. Currently, HSI has no information suggesting that any students were victimized. If you and/or your minor dependent(s) have information relevant to this investigation, please call 1-866-347-2423. If you or your minor dependent is identified as a victim in this case, all identities of victims will be kept confidential.
An indictment is only a charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by HSI with the assistance of the Michigan State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Rawsthorne and Katherine Boothroyd.
Former Director of Food Services for Plymouth Public Schools Sentenced for Stealing Food and Equipment for Side BusinessRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Director of Plymouth Public Schools’ Food Services program pleaded guilty was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a long-running fraud scheme that began in 2014 in which he stole food and commercial kitchen equipment for use and sale at his private business, the “Snack Shack,” on Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable, Mass.
Patrick Van Cott, 64, of Sandwich, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to six months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay a $2,000 fine as well as restitution in an amount that will be determined at a later date. In May 2026, Van Cott pleaded guilty to one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and two counts of wire fraud. Van Cott was charged in April 2026.
Van Cott was the Director of Food Services for the Plymouth Public Schools from 2003 until June 2025. Beginning in 2014, he also operated a seasonal business, the “Snack Shack,” on Sandy Neck Beach.
Between 2014 and June 2025, Van Cott defrauded the Plymouth Public Schools by taking food and equipment purchased with funds, including U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds, and using it to run the Snack Shack. The equipment Van Cott ordered with school funds included two $2,200 refrigerators; a $3,950 two-door freezer; two 12-inch hot plates; a 24-inch griddle; a chargrill; a fryolator; shelving; a sandwich prep table; a convection oven; and chalk boards. In addition, every summer beginning in approximately 2014, Van Cott collected condiments, diced chicken, hot dogs, cooking oil, snacks, paper goods, coffee, food products and other miscellaneous items paid for by the Plymouth Public Schools or supplied by the USDA, then used and sold those items at the Snack Shack. Additionally, once or twice per week every summer starting in 2014, Van Cott directed Plymouth Public Schools cafeteria workers to slice at least nine pounds of deli turkey and 4.5 pounds of deli ham which he then sold at the Snack Shack. Van Cott also ordered over $3,000 in premium burger patties with school funds, which he intended to and did sell in menu items at the Snack Shack.
The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted program administered on the federal level by the USDA that provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to public school children. In Massachusetts, meals for all students are free, and schools are reimbursed for meals through a combination of USDA funds and state funds.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Plymouth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Customs and Border Protection Agent Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent was sentenced to five years in federal prison yesterday for receiving child pornography, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The sentencing follows Harry Marvelle Peless’s February 2026 plea to one count of receipt of child pornography. In addition to the custodial sentence, Peless will be on supervised release for a period of eight years following his release from custody and was ordered to pay fines totaling $25,000.
Law enforcement began investigating Peless, 51 of Newport, Michigan, after he sent sexual messages to an undercover officer in New Jersey who was posing as a minor. Peless started communicating with the undercover in September 2024, and his contacts with the nominal teen girl became a near daily occurrence. At the time of the offense, Peless was employed as a Marine Border Protection Agent at the Gibraltar, Michigan, CBP station. Following the filing of charges in this matter, CBP placed Peless on unpaid administrative leave. Evidence recovered during the investigation showed that Peless had received child pornography over the internet, and that he was logged into the chat account he used to communicate with the undercover officer while he was at the Gibraltar CBP station.
Peless faces additional criminal charges in New Jersey for attempting to entice a minor.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton Brown.
Former Anchorage Attorney Sentenced to 20 Years for Drug Trafficking in Homeland Security Task Force CaseRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A former Anchorage defense attorney was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison for possessing fentanyl and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute the drugs in Alaska.
According to court documents, Justin Facey, 46, facilitated a drug trafficking organization run by a California prisoner, Heraclio Sanchez-Rodriguez, who was indicted on federal drug trafficking and murder charges in October 2023. To date, over 60 defendants have been charged in connection with the Sanchez-Rodriguez drug trafficking organization.
Facey continued to engage in drug trafficking after the indictment of Sanchez-Rodriguez and other defendants. Between April 2024 and 2025, he utilized his residence to distribute and use controlled substances, including fentanyl and methamphetamine. Facey also possessed multiple firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes. Facey was suspended from practicing law on February 24, 2025. Prior to suspension, Facey was a practicing defense attorney in Anchorage.
On May 20, 2025, Facey was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of firearms by a prohibited person. On July 17, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment adding one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute with a minor present. On June 22, 2026, Facey pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized that Facey fell far short of his professional responsibility to seek justice, and that he dehumanized and exploited vulnerable women in the course of his drug trafficking.
“Mr. Facey egregiously betrayed his community while taking advantage of his clients and neglecting his ethical responsibilities,” said U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon. “Facey used his position to promote and personally assist a large-scale drug trafficking organization that endangered Alaskans and other communities. This sentence is a conclusion of a multi-year investigation and demonstrates that anyone who chooses profit over human life will be held accountable.”
“Mr. Facey was driven by greed and power and bragged about being an attorney for the cartel, while he victimized his clients, trafficked fentanyl and meth, and solicited sex in exchange for drug debts,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “He betrayed his oath to uphold the law and spread poison in his community. Through Fentanyl Free America, DEA and our law enforcement partners are disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing its availability, and saving American lives.”
“Mr. Facey used his position as an attorney to fuel a drug trafficking organization operating within Alaska, eroding the public’s trust and safety in the process,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Schlegel of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “This sentencing demonstrates that no one, regardless of position or status, is above the law. The FBI, alongside the DEA and our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who engage in drug trafficking activities.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska has been recused from this case with the exception of certain personnel. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Clymer from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York has been appointed as Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General to assist with this and other recused cases. He reports to and acts under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, or his delegee, or U.S. Attorney Bradford in these cases. Special Attorney Clymer supervises personnel from the District of Alaska who have been exempted from the recusal.
The DEA Anchorage District Office and FBI Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the Anchorage Police Department, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Alexander and Jennifer Ivers prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region One comprises agents and officers from Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations – Seattle; the United States Attorney’s Office(s) for the Districts of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Eastern Washington, and Western Washington; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); CBP – Office of Field Operations; CBP – Air & Marine Operations; U.S. Border Patrol; U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard Investigative Service; and Transportation Security Administration, Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.
Case number: 3:25-cr-00033
###
Former Amtrak Employee Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Defraud the Amtrak Health Care Plan and Conspiring to Communicate Extortionate ThreatsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former Amtrak employee was sentenced today for his role in a health care fraud scheme targeting Amtrak’s health care plan and for conspiring to threaten and extort a health care provider, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Devon Burt, 53, of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on June 27, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to communicate extortionate threats. Burt was sentenced today to 20 months’ imprisonment, two years’ supervised release, and ordered to pay $959,072 in restitution.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Burt, a former Amtrak employee, worked with health care providers to recruit Amtrak employees to participate in a health care fraud scheme through the offer of cash payments, in exchange for the employees allowing health care providers to use their patient and insurance information to submit false claims. The health care providers benefitted from the scheme by receiving payments from the Amtrak health care plan for services that were never provided or that were medically unnecessary. Burt received cash payments from providers in return for allowing the providers to use his personal and insurance information, and that of his dependents, to submit fraudulent claims. Burt received cash payments from providers in return for recruiting others to participate in the scheme.
In or around April 2022 through June 2022, Burt and another conspirator conspired to communicate extortionate threats to a health care provider who participated in the scheme. Burt and his conspirator threatened the provider by interstate telephone calls and text messages, indicating that the provider would be injured if the provider did not pay the conspirator several thousand dollars.
The overall scheme targeting the Amtrak health care plan involved dozens of Amtrak employees and multiple health care providers, who paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks to Amtrak employees over the course of the scheme. In total, the Amtrak health care plan paid over $11 million in fraudulent claims associated with providers connected to the scheme. The Amtrak health care plan paid out approximately $959,072 for claims associated with Burt. The investigation has resulted in the prosecution of nineteen individuals, including Burt. All have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James Harper, the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police James Cook, and special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano, Deputy Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is 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.
###
Defense counsel: Robert J. DeGroot, Esq.
Florida Laboratory Vice President and Marketer Convicted of Medicare Fraud for COVID-19 Testing SchemeRead the Press Release
Yesterday, a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted a Florida man who was the Vice President of a testing laboratory and owned and operated a separate marketing company for his role in a fraud scheme that took advantage of patients who wanted COVID-19 tests during the pandemic and were instead given additional blood tests they did not want or need, for which Medicare was billed for over $15 million.
“The defendant took advantage of patients desperate for COVID-19 tests at the height of the pandemic to bill Medicare for unnecessary blood tests,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Such egregious conduct in the face of a global pandemic cannot stand and will be prosecuted. The Fraud Division remains committed to holding the perpetrators of such schemes accountable.”
“This case highlights a troubling scheme that took advantage of vulnerable patients who sought COVID‑19 testing during a national public health crisis, only to be subjected to additional and unnecessary blood tests intended to increase profits,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “By placing personal gain above the well‑being of elderly individuals, the defendant violated their trust and threatened the integrity of our health care system. HHS‑OIG remains steadfast in its mission to protect public health and ensure that individuals who abuse federal health care programs and the people they serve are held fully accountable.”
“This guilty verdict holds Joseph Rodriguez accountable for his role in a scheme that exploited patients and fraudulently billed Medicare for millions of dollars," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles. “The jury’s verdict reflects the strength of the evidence and underscores that those who seek to profit through fraudulent schemes will be held accountable. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting patients, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and pursuing those who defraud federal health care programs.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Joseph Rodriguez, 58, of Coral Springs, perpetrated a scheme that exploited elderly patients at residence country clubs in the West Palm Beach area who were desperate for COVID-19 nasal swab and blood antibody tests. When those patients signed up to receive just swab and antibody tests at drive-through testing events at their residence clubs organized by Rodriguez through his marketing company, Phoenix Health, they were, in addition to the COVID-19 tests they wanted, subjected to tens or even hundreds of unnecessary blood tests that they did not want or need, and that no doctor ordered as required. These tests, which ranged from hormone tests to heavy metal tests for arsenic, mercury, and cadmium, were then billed to Medicare as if they were medically necessary and ordered by a treating physician.
Rodriguez marketed these drive-through COVID-19 events to the residence country clubs, set up the testing events, directed his staff to draw extra blood for the unnecessary tests, and caused a doctor’s name to be fraudulently listed on the claims submitted to Medicare. As a result of these claims — for tests conducted at nine different clubs over approximately four months involving almost two thousand patients — Medicare was billed more than $15 million and paid over $500,000. Evidence at trial included patient complaints sent to Rodriguez, complaints from one of the doctors who supposedly ordered such tests wondering why Medicare had been billed thousands of dollars for blood tests in the doctor’s name, and managers from the residence country clubs asking Rodriguez why these extra blood tests were being done on their club members when all they wanted were COVID-19 tests.
Image of one of the COVID-19 testing events managed and advertised by the defendant to the residence country club managers.The jury convicted Rodriguez of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and six substantive counts of health care fraud. Rodriguez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled by the Court at a later date in January 2027. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
FBI and HHS-OIG are investigated the case.
Assistant Deputy Chief James V. Hayes and Trial Attorney Claire Horrell of the Fraud Division’s Health Care Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the 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.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Federal Jury Convicts Man of Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey announced that a federal jury convicted Eric Scott May (39, Pellston, Michigan) of two counts of sexual abuse of a minor. May will be sentenced this winter.
The jury heard evidence that between February and March 2025, May engaged in sexual acts with a child between the ages of 12 and 15. A witness testified that May exploited the minor while the child was in May’s care. The jury’s decision was aided by proof that May had previously sexually exploited a different child, who was under 12 years of age at the time. May has a lengthy criminal history that includes more than ten prior felony convictions.
U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey said, “The public expects federal law enforcement to do a lot of things, but none is more important than identifying, prosecuting and imprisoning child molesters like Eric May. I am proud of my trial team and the investigators for assembling the evidence that allowed the jury to reach the right result. We will tell the judge at the sentencing hearing all of the reasons why May should now face a long prison sentence.”
“Today’s conviction reflects the commitment of the FBI and our law‑enforcement partners to relentlessly pursue child predators and to stand with victims every step of the way,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “No child should ever endure this kind of abuse, and we will continue to use every resource available to bring offenders to justice and protect those who cannot protect themselves. I am grateful for the outstanding work of our FBI Marquette Resident Agency, in partnership with the Sault Tribe Law Enforcement and the Michigan State Police, whose persistence and coordination helped bring this case to a successful conclusion.”
The FBI, Sault Tribe Police Department, and Michigan State Police investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hanna L. Rutkowski and Alexis M. Sanford are prosecuting it.
Federal Inmate Sentenced to 64 Months for Assault with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Steven Whitesell, age 46, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary Canaan, was sentenced on October 5, 2026, to 64 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr., for assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, on September 4, 2025, Whitesell, while serving a federal sentence for illegal firearm possession, stabbed another inmate multiple times in the eyes and upper back with an inmate-manufactured weapon. The victim sustained serious bodily injury which required the victim to undergo surgical medical treatment. The weapon, commonly referred to as a “shank,” was recovered by prison officials following the assault. The weapon measured six and one-half inches in length and was constructed of metal sharpened to a point and affixed to a plastic handle. The U.S. Attorney said that Whitesell pleaded guilty on June 25, 2026.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—Scranton Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson.
Federal Corrections Officer Admits to Sexually Abusing Inmate at FCI Fort DixRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Middlesex County woman admitted to sexually abusing an individual in federal custody, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.
Jordan Pensak, 27, a corrections officer at Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix (Fort Dix), pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court to an Information which charged her with sexual abuse of an individual in federal custody. The sentencing date is scheduled for February 10, 2027.
According to statements made in court and documents filed in the case:
Pensak had a consensual sexual relationship with an inmate at Fort Dix, a low-security federal correctional institution in Burlington County, and had sex with him in January 2026. Pensak and the inmate also exchanged sexually explicit photographs and messages over social media and electronic applications, facilitated by the inmate’s use of two contraband cell phones while in custody at Fort Dix. Pensak admitted to having a sexual relationship with the inmate in text messages sent to multiple individuals, including family members of the inmate. In one of those communications Pensak raised concerns that she might be pregnant with the inmate’s child.
The charge of sexual abuse of an individual in federal custody has a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; and the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Edminston, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division.
###
pensak.information.pdfFall River Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl and Cocaine and Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to drug distribution, drug conspiracy and firearm charges.
Wilson Colon-Tirado, 34, pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Jan. 7, 2026. Colon-Tirado was charged alongside co-conspirator Antonio Dossantos-Tirado in October 2025.
On June 10, 2025, Colon-Tirado sold a firearm, approximately 31 grams of fentanyl and approximately 29 grams of cocaine to a cooperating witness at the Sunset Hill housing development in Fall River. The transaction had been arranged with Colon-Tirado and his relative, Dossantos-Tirado.
One week later, on June 17, 2025, Colon-Tirado sold the cooperating witness approximately 49.9 grams of fentanyl. Later, on July 24, 2025, Colon-Tirado sold the cooperating witness two privately made 9mm firearms and approximately 19.9 grams of fentanyl. During that transaction, Colon-Tirado stated that he could obtain additional firearms, and a second firearm was delivered during the meeting. On Aug. 6, 2025, Colon-Tirado again sold the cooperating witness approximately 51.1 grams of fentanyl. On Oct. 7, 2025, Colon-Tirado again sold approximately 50.0 grams of fentanyl.
Colon-Tirado has at least 32 prior criminal convictions, including a 2021 Massachusetts state conviction for trafficking cocaine, for which he was sentenced to two to three years in state prison. As a result of his prior felony convictions, Colon-Tirado is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Dossantos-Tirado pleaded guilty on Sept. 22, 2026 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 21, 2026.
The charge of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of no less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $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 Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Fall River Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is 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 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.
Fall River Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to drug distribution offenses involving cocaine base, more commonly known as crack cocaine.
Antonio Calderon, 44, pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of 28 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Feb. 2, 2027. Calderon was arrested and charged in November 2025 and remains in federal custody.
Calderon sold over 28 grams of crack cocaine in the Fall River area on four separate occasions: June 17; June 24; July 16; and Sept. 18, 2025.
Calderon has been arraigned on 31 charges dating back to 2000 and has 13 convictions, including for trafficking cocaine for which he was sentenced to 10-15 years in state prison.
The charges of distribution of 28 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base each provide for a sentence of no less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Fall River Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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.
FCI Lewisburg Inmate Sentenced for Assaulting Other InmateRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced on October 5, 2026, that Jaron Minnicks, 33, of Richmond, VA, was sentenced by Magistrate Judge Sean A. Camoni to 2 months on a misdemeanor charge of assault by striking, beating, or wounding another inmate. The 2 months will be served consecutively to Minnicks’ underlying sentence.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, on April 25, 2026, in FCI Lewisburg, Minnicks punched another inmate, causing injury to the victim’s face.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger prosecuted the case.
Elk Grove man convicted of defrauding COVID-era programRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted Oleg Gregorvich Fursov, 52, of Elk Grove, of one count of wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in January 2022, Fursov applied for a $1 million Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), a program administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration to help businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In his application, Fursov falsely certified that he would use the money solely for business purposes. Instead, he gambled more than $442,000 at casinos and paid $100,000 as an unauthorized kickback to a person who assisted with the application. By the time he applied for the $1 million EIDL loan, Fursov had already applied for, received, and gambled tens of thousands of dollars of COVID-era business loans, including Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and an earlier $150,000 EIDL loan.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dhruv Sharma, Zachary Malinski and Jessica Delaney are prosecuting the case.
Fursov is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on Jan. 14, 2027. Fursov faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Durham Man Sentenced to 13-1/2 Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A Durham, North Carolina man was sentenced today in Greensboro to 163 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to a possession of firearms as a previously convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Dan Bishop of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
FREDERICK LAMONT MAYO, JR., aged 37, was sentenced to 163 months imprisonment plus 3 years post release supervision by the Honorable Lindsey A. Freeman, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC.
According to court records, on September 9, 2025, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, Anti-Crime Narcotics Unit, along with the FBI’s Raleigh-Durham Safe Streets Task Force, were conducting a proactive anti-gang initiative in Durham. Deputies recovered a Taurus .40 caliber pistol and a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol from the driver seat floorboard of a vehicle that MAYO had been driving earlier. MAYO made multiple admissions to the ownership of the firearms and control of the vehicle where the firearms were recovered.
Court documents also show that MAYO illegally possessed three additional firearms on two other occasions, one firearm in 2024 and two firearms after his release from custody for the September 2025 firearms possession charge.
MAYO is a multi-convicted felon who was previously convicted on April 4, 2019, in Johnston County Superior Court for felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance as an habitual felon and received a sentence of 58 to 82 months imprisonment.
MAYO pleaded guilty on June 1, 2026, to being a felon in possession of firearms, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
The case was investigated by the Durham County Sherriff’s Office, the Durham Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Raleigh-Durham Safe Streets Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon.
###
District Man Sentenced for Southeast D.C. Fentanyl and Crack Cocaine Trafficking Case Involving Seven FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jerrad Anthony Childs, 27, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 72 months in prison in connection with a fentanyl and crack cocaine trafficking operation out of a Southeast Washington apartment that involved seven firearms and body armor, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Child’s apartment was stocked like an arsenal, with seven firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and body armor, all to protect a drug operation that was pumping fentanyl and crack cocaine into our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This office will continue dismantling armed drug‑trafficking networks and holding the people who run them accountable.”
Childs, aka “heavyglocksosa,” pleaded guilty on April 22, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, crack cocaine and cocaine, and to one count of possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the 72-month prison term, Judge AliKhan ordered Childs to serve five years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a prison sentence of 124 months.
According to court papers, on Oct. 7, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at an apartment in the 3900 block of 1st Street SE, a residence used by Childs.
Inside the apartment, law enforcement recovered seven firearms, including several semi-automatic pistols and a rifle with an obliterated serial number, along with 296 rounds of ammunition and tactical body armor.
Investigators also seized about 168 grams of fentanyl, 40 grams of crack cocaine, and 10 grams of cocaine, along with $18,581.99 in cash.
Childs admitted that he possessed the drugs with intent to distribute them and that he used and possessed the firearms in furtherance of that drug trafficking.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Police Department.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney George Eliopoulos of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section.
26cr69
Follow us on X, Instagram, and YouTube
Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc
Department of Justice Announces Phase Three of Compensation Process for Western Union Fraud VictimsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced that it has begun the third phase of the remission compensation process to provide recovery for Western Union fraud victims.
In 2017, Western Union entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Department of Justice and agreed to forfeit $586 million. The Department of Justice previously distributed over $436.9 million to more than 180,000 victims. Because additional forfeited funds remain available in this case, the Department of Justice has reopened the petition process to potential victims who did not previously submit a petition for remission.
“The Department is pleased to announce the third and final phase of the Western Union remission process,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thousands of victims have already obtained over $430 million in compensation in the first two phases, and this third phase represents the Criminal Division’s continued dedication to taking the profit out of crime and compensating victims of fraud.”
“This additional $3.4 million in remission to 1,294 victims and the opening of the Victim Portal represents the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s commitment to ensuring all victims of consumer fraud are protected,” said Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division. “We are proud of our efforts recovering over $400 million for victims of this fraud, and we thank our partners for their contributions to this cooperative effort.”
Victims of fraud who sent a money transfer through Western Union between Jan. 1, 2004, and March 9, 2020, can file a petition for remission and receive compensation for their fraud losses. Individuals who believe they may be victims may file a petition online or may obtain a petition form online at www.westernunionremissionphase3.com/. The deadline to file a petition for remission is Dec. 31. More information regarding the remission process, including eligibility criteria, updates, and frequently asked questions, is available at www.westernunionremissionphase3.com/ or by calling 1-833-419-4677.
Pursuant to the DPA, Western Union acknowledged responsibility for its criminal conduct, which included violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and aiding and abetting wire fraud, and agreed to forfeit $586 million. This money has been made available to compensate victims of an international consumer fraud scheme. Western Union simultaneously resolved a parallel civil investigation with the Federal Trade Commission.
According to court documents, fraudsters targeted consumers, including seniors, through multiple scams and convinced their victims to send money through Western Union. Three specific scams directed towards seniors included the so-called grandparent scam, where the fraudster would pose as the victim’s relative in purported need of immediate money to avoid personal harm; lottery or sweepstakes scams, where the fraudster would tell the victim that he or she had won a large cash prize but had to pay fees, such as taxes, to claim the prize; and romance scams, where the fraudster would pose as an online love interest and request funds for a visit or for another purpose.
Certain owners, operators, or employees of Western Union locations were complicit in the scheme. Western Union aided and abetted the scheme by failing to suspend or terminate complicit agents and by allowing them to continue to process fraud-induced monetary transactions. Western Union fulfilled its obligations under the DPA, and the court granted the motion to dismiss the criminal information against Western Union in 2020.
The Department of Justice, through the Asset Forfeiture Program, works diligently to restore lost funds to victims of crime and acknowledges the significant assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Philadelphia Division’s Harrisburg Office in the victim compensation process and in conducting the criminal fraud investigation. Since fiscal year 2000, the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF), which has overseen the remission process, has successfully used its specialized expertise to return more than $13 billion in forfeited assets to victims of crime.
The victim compensation payments in this case would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of MNF and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Central District of California, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Southern District of Florida. The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Reserve Board, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General, and the Department of the Treasury Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance. The FTC conducted the civil fraud investigation. MNF Attorney Advisor Brittany R. Van Camp with the section’s Program Management and Training Unit is leading the remission process.
Verita Global LLC (formerly known as Gilardi & Co. LLC) is serving as the remission administrator in this matter. Verita Global LLC and the Department of Justice will not ask for any payment to participate in this remission process.
Neither the Remission Administrator nor the Department of Justice will ask for any payment to participate in this remission process. Please be cautious of any individual or organization claiming to represent the Remission Administrator or the federal government in this matter. If you are a victim, any communications will come directly from the Remission Administrator or from government representatives with whom you have already had contact.
PSA: FBI Warns of the Impersonation of Law Enforcement and Government Officials: www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA250418
How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam: consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-government-impersonation-scam
For more information on how to protect yourself from fraud, please visit www.uspis.gov or www.consumer.ftc.gov.
Defendant Pleads Guilty to Arson in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dillon Lee Vail, age 33, entered a guilty plea to one count of Arson in Indian Country, punishable by up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on May 13, 2026, Vail willfully and maliciously set fire to and burned the Fairfield Inn and Suites, a building and dwelling, placing the life of any person in jeopardy.
The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department, the Muskogee Fire Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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.
Vail will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.
Creator of Digital Asset Kishu Inu Indicted for Allegedly Operating $9 Million “Rug Pull” Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The creator of the digital asset Kishu Inu has been indicted in federal court in Chicago for allegedly operating a $9 million “rug pull” fraud scheme.
ALEXANDER SISEMORE, also known as “Kishu man” and “Kimbo,” founded and created the digital asset Kishu Inu, which launched in 2021 and subsequently reached a market capitalization of more than $1.6 billion. An indictment returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois alleges that Sisemore and others made materially false statements to investors in order to maintain Kishu Inu’s liquidity and increase its price in the cryptocurrency market while surreptitiously selling a large quantity of Kishu Inu tokens that Sisemore and others secretly allocated to themselves at the time the asset was created. Many of Sisemore’s alleged misrepresentations and falsehoods were made to actual and potential investors on social media applications, including Telegram, Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit.
The alleged fraud scheme—known colloquially as a “rug pull”—generated personal profits for Sisemore of approximately $9 million, the indictment states.
The indictment charges Sisemore, 28, of Fayetteville, Ark., with three counts of wire fraud, each of which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ryan Whalen, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elie Zenner and Matthew Getter.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The FBI Chicago Field Office is seeking to identify investors in Kishu Inu. If you invested in Kishu Inu or have information relevant to this investigation, you are encouraged to complete this online form. Responses are voluntary but may be useful in the federal investigation and to identify potential victims.
sisemore_indictment.pdfConvicted Felon on State Probation Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Zyon Zashawn Jacobs, 21, of Asheville, was sentenced yesterday to 21 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a felon for illegally possessing firearms, one of which was used in four separate shootings in Asheville, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jacobs was also ordered to serve three years under supervised release after he is released from prison.
According to filed documents and court proceedings, Jacobs was on probation for 2024 state convictions of possession with intent to manufacture, sell, and deliver marijuana, common law robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. In November 2025, law enforcement officers found and seized two Glock 9mm pistols following a search conducted at an apartment in Asheville. One of the firearms was fitted with a machinegun conversion device, commonly known as a “Glock switch.” Agents interviewed Jacobs later at the police department. Initially, Jacobs denied possession of the firearms, but agents found videos and photos of Jacobs possessing the two 9mm pistols upon execution of a consent search of Jacobs’s cell phone. This video and photographic evidence established that Jacobs possessed one of the firearms as early as September 3, 2025. Agents then reinterviewed Jacobs and confronted him with the evidence from his cell phone. Jacobs admitted to possessing the firearms but stated that the Glock switch was not attached to the firearm at the time he possessed it.
Agents later determined one of the 9mm pistols was involved in four Asheville shootings—July 23, 2025, August 7, 2025, September 2, 2025, and September 21, 2025.
“One of the two guns Jacobs possessed was used in four separate shootings in Asheville,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “That’s too many lives one person is putting at risk, and we will use all the federal tools available to remove people like that from the streets.”
In June 2026, Jacobs pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Asheville Police Department, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville 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.
Co-Creator of Dark Web Marketplace Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Virginia man who co-created and operated “Empire Market”—a dark web marketplace that enabled users to anonymously buy and sell illegal goods and services—has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison.
RAHEIM HAMILTON co-owned and operated Empire Market from 2018 to 2020. During that time, the online market facilitated more than four million transactions between vendors and buyers valued at more than $430 million. The illegal products and services available on the site included controlled substances, compromised or stolen account credentials, stolen personally identifying information, counterfeit currency, and computer-hacking tools. Sales of controlled substances were the most prevalent activity, with net drug sales totaling nearly $375 million over the life of the site. The controlled substances sold on the market included approximately at least 13,314.23 grams of fentanyl, 446,683.15 grams of cocaine, 71,992.33 grams of methamphetamine, and 103,396.21 grams of heroin.
Hamilton and co-creator THOMAS PAVEY designed Empire Market to help its users avoid detection by law enforcement and to assist users with laundering money from the illicit transactions. Hamilton and Pavey established that all transactions on the site must be conducted using only cryptocurrency. They encouraged users to use tumbling and mixing services to conceal cryptocurrency transactions and utilize encryption while communicating on the site. They also allowed users to rate vendors based on how well the vendors concealed the drugs they shipped.
Hamilton, 30, of Suffolk, Va., pleaded guilty earlier this year in U.S. District Court in Chicago to a drug conspiracy charge. Hamilton agreed to forfeit certain ill-gotten proceeds, including, among things, approximately 1,230 bitcoin and 24.4 Ether, as well as three properties in Virginia.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger sentenced Hamilton to 40 years in federal prison and fined him $5 million.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Ryan Whalen, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Nicholas Bucciarelli, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Pete Gizas, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Marie E. Ursini.
Pavey, 41, of Ormond Beach, Fla., pleaded guilty last year to a federal drug conspiracy charge and admitted his role in creating and operating Empire Market. Pavey agreed to forfeit certain ill-gotten proceeds, including, among things, approximately 1,584 bitcoin, two boxes containing 25-ounce gold bars, three automobiles, and two properties in Florida. Pavey is set to be sentenced before Judge Seeger later this month.
Brockton Man Arrested for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a ChildRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton, Mass., man who recently worked as a caregiver for disabled adults in a group home, has been arrested and charged with attempted sex trafficking of a child. The defendant allegedly responded to an advertisement posted by undercover law enforcement for sexual intercourse with an under-age girl.
Jonathan Durocher, 34, was charged with one count of attempted sex trafficking of a child. Durocher was arrested this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester, was released on various conditions, including location monitoring and the requirement that he not have any unsupervised contact with any child younger than 18 years old.
According to court filings, Durocher was arrested as part of a federal law enforcement effort to address human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children before, during, and after the World Cup matches held in the Boston area in June and July 2026.
Specifically, on June 15, 2026, Durocher allegedly responded to an advertisement posted by law enforcement on a website commonly used for prostitution services. The ad featured images of a young woman or girl and included a link to a phone number operated and monitored by an undercover officer.
Durocher allegedly began exchanging text messages with the undercover officer, who told Durocher that the girl was underage, “beautiful,” and “experienced.” “You good her being young?” the officer asked Durocher, who allegedly responded, “Yeah.” Later that day, Durocher allegedly arrived at the agreed upon meeting location and paid the undercover officer $100. When the officer asked whether Durocher had brought a condom, he allegedly replied that he did not. Durocher was taken into custody. According to court documents, Durocher told officers that worked as a caregiver at Bamsi Home, a residential group home in Brockton. The home serves adults who need daily living assistance because of their developmental disabilities, brain injuries, or other medical needs.
The charge of attempted sex trafficking of a child provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years and up to life 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 Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; and the Boston, New Bedford, and Brockton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beck is prosecuting the case.
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.
Box Elder Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Box Elder, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026.
Zachary Wylie, 20, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $95 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Forfeiture of a Google Pixel cell phone was also ordered.
Wylie was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury in March 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 29, 2026.
Between June and December 2024, the internet-based messaging application Kik generated multiple CyberTips based on Wylie’s viewing, downloading, and receiving sexually explicit visual depictions of minors. The CyberTips were routed to the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for investigation. Each of the CyberTips contained information identifying Wylie as the user of each of the relevant Kik accounts. In January 2025, law enforcement investigators executed a search warrant on Wylie’s residence and seized multiple electronic devices. Wylie admitted he had been viewing child pornography online for many years and was doing so right before law enforcement arrived at his residence. The contents of his Kik accounts contained more than 30 videos of child pornography. They also contained messages in which Wylie discussed trading child pornography and encouraging minors to engage in sexually explicit activity over video chats so he could watch them.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Box Elder Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Wylie was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Boone County Man Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Burlington, Ky., man, Landan Strong, 21, was sentenced on Wednesday to 54 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Chad Meredith; Strong previously pleaded guilty to possessing firearms while being an unlawful user of/addicted to controlled substances in violation of federal law.
On October 8, 2025, law enforcement responded to Walton Verona High School following multiple reports of an individual with a weapon on campus. Witnesses and school surveillance footage showed a white male with long black hair, dressed in black, conceal a firearm on school grounds. Several area schools were locked down as a result. Law enforcement identified, located, and detained the individual, Strong, who admitted hiding firearms in the woods near the high school and showed deputies where they were located.
Deputies recovered multiple loaded firearms, assorted ammunition, and the clothing Strong was wearing. Law enforcement also found pressed fentanyl pills and a small amount of marijuana on Strong. He told deputies he purchased one of the firearms that was found (a 1911-style handgun) from a friend who he had just smoked marijuana with. Strong also admitted that he had been abusing – and was addicted to – fentanyl. A subsequent search of Strong’s residence resulted in the seizure of an additional .22 caliber pistol, ammunition, marijuana, blue pills, Alprazolam tablets, and drug paraphernalia.
Jason Parman, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Les K. Hill, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and Boone County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Leonhard is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
– END –
Board Chairman and Co-Owner of Puerto Rican Bank Sentenced in Multimillion-Dollar Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – The former board chairman and co-owner of Nodus International Bank (Nodus Bank), a Puerto Rican International Banking Entity, was sentenced today to 62 months in prison. Juan Francisco Ramirez, 60, of Miami, led a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $23.6 million from Nodus Bank. Ramirez was ordered to forfeit over $13.6 million, which represents the value of the proceeds he derived from the wire fraud conspiracy.
“This defendant abused the trust of his bank’s depositors, and when the bank went under, innocent people lost their savings,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division won’t stand for it. We will use every resource at our disposal to protect this country’s financial system and the decent, hardworking people who rely on it.”
“Ramirez was entrusted to lead a bank. Instead, he looted it. He secretly steered millions of dollars in bank funds to benefit himself and his associates, causing nearly $24 million in losses and contributing to the bank’s collapse,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Today, he was sentenced to 62 months in federal prison and ordered to forfeit more than $13 million. This sentence sends a clear message: those who abuse positions of trust to enrich themselves will be held accountable.”
“Financial frauds can be complicated, but the law is simple: do your business honestly and protect your depositors, or you will be brought to justice,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Florida Field Office. “IRS Special Agents, alongside our partners, will keep bringing transparency to complex financial crimes and protecting confidence in our banking system.”
In September 2025, Ramirez pleaded guilty to an information charging one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to court documents, Ramirez conspired with others to siphon money from Nodus Bank. Ramirez and a co-conspirator concealed from other Nodus Bank board members and executives, and the bank’s regulator — the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico (OCIF) — that certain investments or loans were for the benefit of Ramirez and a co-conspirator, in violation of Puerto Rican law and Nodus Bank policy regarding insider transactions.
From 2017 to 2023, Ramirez conspired with others to invest more than $11 million of Nodus Bank’s funds in a Miami-based lender so that it could loan those funds to Ramirez and a co-conspirator for their own benefit. Ramirez and his co-conspirators knew that these transactions were illegal and took steps to conceal their prohibited nature by having the bank make sham investments in the lending entity.
Between January 2018 and September 2021, Ramirez and a co-conspirator fraudulently induced Nodus Bank’s board and comptroller to agree to, or facilitate, the purchase of at least 47 promissory notes totaling approximately $25.3 million from Miami-based finance company that Ramirez and the co-conspirator jointly owned. These promissory notes purported to fund loans to legitimate individuals or businesses, but in fact Ramirez and the co-conspirator used the loan proceeds for their own benefit, including to make personal investments in third-party companies, pay personal mortgages, or cover personal credit card expenses.
In early March 2023, OCIF notified Nodus Bank of its intention to place the Bank into liquidation, and later that month Nodus Bank agreed to enter into a voluntary liquidation. On April 28, 2023, knowing that the liquidation process would commence imminently and without authorization from OCIF, Ramirez and a co-conspirator caused Nodus Bank to purchase from their Miami-based finance company a loan portfolio totaling approximately $26 million. Most of these loans were delinquent, nonperforming, and otherwise uncollateralized. Ramirez and a co-conspirator caused Nodus Bank to accept the loan portfolio as payment of their Miami-based finance company’s debt arising from the 47 promissory notes that Nodus Bank had purchased during 2018 to 2021. This resulted in a direct benefit to the finance company (and Ramirez and his co-conspirator) by relieving the finance company of its debt to the bank.
Ramirez’s actions caused Nodus Bank to lose at least $23,613,371.
IRS-CI investigated the case with support from OCIF and Treasury Executive Office for Asset Forfeiture.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Felipe Plechac-Diaz for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Javier Urbina and Samir Paul of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Miami comprises agents and officers from IRS Criminal Investigation with the prosecution being led by Bank Integrity Unit of MNF and by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
MNF’s 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 Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 25-cr-20384.
###
Board Chairman and Co-Owner of Puerto Rican Bank Sentenced in Multimillion-Dollar Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The former board chairman and co-owner of Nodus International Bank (Nodus Bank), a Puerto Rican International Banking Entity, was sentenced today to 62 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and to pay forfeiture of approximately $13.6 million, which represents the value of the proceeds he derived from the wire fraud conspiracy. Juan Francisco Ramirez, 60, of Miami, Florida, led a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $23.6 million from Nodus Bank.
“This defendant abused the trust of his bank’s depositors, and when the bank went under, innocent people lost their savings,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division won’t stand for it. We will use every resource at our disposal to protect this country’s financial system and the decent, hardworking people who rely on it.”
“Ramirez was entrusted to lead a bank. Instead, he looted it. He secretly steered millions of dollars in bank funds to benefit himself and his associates, causing nearly $24 million in losses and contributing to the bank’s collapse,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Today, he was sentenced to 62 months in federal prison and ordered to forfeit more than $13 million. This sentence sends a clear message: those who abuse positions of trust to enrich themselves will be held accountable.”
“Financial frauds can be complicated, but the law is simple: do your business honestly and protect your depositors, or you will be brought to justice,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller of the IRS Criminal Investigation Florida Field Office. “IRS Special Agents, alongside our partners, will keep bringing transparency to complex financial crimes and protecting confidence in our banking system.”
In September 2025, Ramirez pleaded guilty to an information charging one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to court documents, Ramirez conspired with others to siphon money from Nodus Bank. Ramirez and a co-conspirator concealed from other Nodus Bank board members and executives, and the bank’s regulator — the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico (OCIF) — that certain investments or loans were for the benefit of Ramirez and a co-conspirator, in violation of Puerto Rican law and Nodus Bank policy regarding insider transactions.
From 2017 to 2023, Ramirez conspired with others to invest more than $11 million of Nodus Bank’s funds in a Miami-based lender so that it could loan those funds to Ramirez and a co-conspirator for their own benefit. Ramirez and his co-conspirators knew that these transactions were illegal and took steps to conceal their prohibited nature by having the bank make sham investments in the lending entity.
Between January 2018 and September 2021, Ramirez and a co-conspirator fraudulently induced Nodus Bank’s board and comptroller to agree to, or facilitate, the purchase of at least 47 promissory notes totaling approximately $25.3 million from Miami-based finance company that Ramirez and the co-conspirator jointly owned. These promissory notes purported to fund loans to legitimate individuals or businesses, but in fact Ramirez and the co-conspirator used the loan proceeds for their own benefit, including to make personal investments in third-party companies, pay personal mortgages, or cover personal credit card expenses.
In early March 2023, OCIF notified Nodus Bank of its intention to place the Bank into liquidation, and later that month Nodus Bank agreed to enter into a voluntary liquidation. On April 28, 2023, knowing that the liquidation process would commence imminently and without authorization from OCIF, Ramirez and a co-conspirator caused Nodus Bank to purchase from their Miami-based finance company a loan portfolio totaling approximately $26 million. Most of these loans were delinquent, nonperforming, and otherwise uncollateralized. Ramirez and a co-conspirator caused Nodus Bank to accept the loan portfolio as payment of their Miami-based finance company’s debt arising from the 47 promissory notes that Nodus Bank had purchased during 2018 to 2021. This resulted in a direct benefit to the finance company — and Ramirez and his co-conspirator — by relieving the finance company of its debt to the bank.
Ramirez’s actions caused Nodus Bank to lose at least $23,613,371.
IRS-CI investigated the case with support from OCIF and Treasury Executive Office for Asset Forfeiture.
Trial Attorneys Javier Urbina and Samir Paul of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Felipe Plechac-Diaz for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Miami comprises agents and officers from IRS Criminal Investigation with the prosecution being led by Bank Integrity Unit of MNF and by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
MNF’s 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 Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
Billings man sentenced to over 6 years in prison for drug traffickingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who was selling illicit drugs from his motel room was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Shawn Leon Anderson, 53, pleaded guilty in June 2026 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement learned in July 2023 that Anderson was selling illicit drugs from a Billings Rodeway Inn motel room. Agents arranged for an informant to buy from Anderson. Investigators searched the motel room and found just under a pound of fentanyl in the form of thousands of pills, roughly three-quarters of a pound of methamphetamine, 20 grams of cocaine, and $4,753 in cash.
Anderson told agents he used the motel room to sell drugs so that he didn’t draw attention to his residence in Billings. He said for the last three months he had been acquiring illicit drugs once or twice a month to sell to users.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and the DEA conducted the investigation.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
Bend Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Bend, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison today for robbery and use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Russell Ian Boggess, 43, was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison and 5 years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on July 23, 2024, Boggess robbed a cannabis dispensary in Bend at gunpoint. Boggess was armed with a 9mm handgun, carried a bag, and wore a bandana covering his face. He pointed his gun at an employee and demanded the employee give him marijuana stored behind the counter. While pointing the gun near the employee, Boggess tried to fire the gun twice, but it jammed both times. Boggess then walked behind the counter and took the marijuana himself. Boggess pistol whipped the employee when the employee attempted to call 911.
Officers from the Bend Police Department (BPD) responded to the scene within minutes of the robbery and took Boggess into custody. BPD recovered the gun containing a 34-round magazine. The gun was later test fired and was found to be operational.
On September 19, 2024, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a 3-count indictment charging Boggess with interference with commerce by threats or violence, felon in possession of ammunition, and use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
This case was investigated by FBI and BPD. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Nelson and Assistant U.S. Attorney William McLaren.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
Arkansas Man Arrested for Threatening Massachusetts Congressional MembersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Hatfield, Ark., man has been arrested and charged for allegedly threatening two Massachusetts members of the United States Congress.
David Czerniak, 62, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on two counts of interstate transmission of threatening communications. Czerniak was arrested this morning and will make an initial appearance in federal court in the Western District of Arkansas later today. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
“Threats of violence against elected officials are not protected speech. They are federal crimes,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “We will not tolerate behavior intended to terrorize public officials, their families or their communities. We take all threats extremely seriously. If you make them, we will find you – and we will hold you accountable.”
“Americans can and will disagree on policy and politics, but those disagreements must never escalate into threats or acts of violence. Today, the FBI arrested David Czerniak whose rhetoric crossed the line into alleged criminal conduct,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “We urge everyone to engage respectfully, recognize the legitimacy of differing viewpoints, and uphold the principles that allow our democratic process to function safely and effectively because the FBI and our partners will not tolerate attempts to intimidate, coerce, or endanger anyone.”
According to the indictment, on or about Feb. 7, 2025, Czerniak left the following voicemail for Public Official 1 at their Massachusetts office:
Yes, [Public Official 1], I would like to hear back from you after this conversation. President Trump put Elon Musk into office to do a job that you f****** Democrats keep stealing from us American citizens. Okay, the USAD, that’s a f****** farce. Okay, you guys spend millions of my tax dollars when I, my son-in-law is a disabled veteran who can’t get a f****** thing, and you're putting billions of dollars into these f****** illegal aliens. Okay, illegal trespassers. Oh, there’s one more thing, you Democrats wanted open borders and you let unconstitutional and you unconstitutionally took my safety away from me and my family by taking open borders. Okay? I’m going to let you know one thing you and any of your family members will pay the consequences and would be responsible if any of these f****** illegal immigrants harm my family and friends in any way. It’s called an eye for an eye. This ain’t a threat. This is called freedom of speech because you wanted f****** open borders. You took my safety and security away. I’ll do the same to you. Okay? Now Obama, Obama sent billions to f****** terrorists, Iran, of my. . .
On or about Dec. 6, 2025, Czerniak left the following voicemail for Public Official 2 at their Massachusetts office:
Yes, please give this message to [Public Official 2] and all your other Democrats. You know, you people think that the American people are blind. You f****** Democrats had open borders endangered the lives of American people and murdered American citizens, and now you’re going to say that Trump and Pete Hegseth is, well, you know what you guys want to say, they’re endangering America? F*** you! And you know what the other thing is, is, if you keep your f****** rhetoric, if another ICE agent, federal agent, any of them get hurt, you better watch your f****** backs. It’s an eye for an eye, mother******; you’re f****** playing with danger. We’re tired of you f****** Democrats lying to the American people consistently, consistently. You f****** liars. You better watch your back. It’s coming. It’s coming to all you guys. Remember what Timothy McVeigh did? Remember what happened to Charlie Kirk? Next time you people stand at a podium, you better f****** duck. You better watch your back, I’m telling you.
The charge of interstate transmission of threatening communications provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $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.
U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI SAC Docks made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Capitol Police; the Massachusetts State Police; and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy Sun of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
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.
Air Force Airman Sentenced to 121 Months’ Imprisonment for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Airman with the United States Air Force was sentenced today to 121 months’ imprisonment for receiving child pornography on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Christian Keilberg, 35 of Ocean County, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on February 10, 2026, before U.S. District Court Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton federal court, to an Information charging him with receipt of child pornography. Today, Judge Castner imposed the 121-month sentence.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From November 2020 through November 2022, while Keilberg was an enlisted active-duty Airman with the United States Department of the Air Force living and working on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Keilberg used online chat applications and social media to communicate with minor victims located within and outside of New Jersey. Keilberg exchanged sexually explicit messages with the minor victims and asked them to send him images and videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which they did. A search of Keilberg’s electronic devices found in his on-base housing revealed additional videos and images of child pornography. Keilberg received more than 600 images of child pornography, including depictions of minors between twelve and fifteen years old.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Keilberg to ten years of supervised release following Keilberg’s term of imprisonment.
U. S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the United States Department of the Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Linzi Joseph, with the investigation. He also credited the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
###
Defense counsel: Andrea Aldana, Esq., Trenton, New Jersey.
After Months on the Run, Felon Faces Federal Charges for Trafficking More than 40 Kilograms of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Atlanta – Garry Haggins, Jr., a convicted drug dealer who served more than a decade in federal prison, was arraigned earlier today on new charges related to his alleged trafficking of approximately 42 kilograms of methamphetamine.
“Drug trafficking threatens the safety and stability of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to pursue and punish criminals who distribute deadly narcotics.”
“This case is a clear example of the strength of law enforcement partnerships,” said Michael J. Connolly, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Investigators across agencies worked together to track down a convicted felon facing federal charges for trafficking more than 40 kilograms of methamphetamine. That collaboration was critical to ensuring this defendant could no longer evade justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2009, Garry Haggins, Jr. was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base in the Southern District of Florida and was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment. On April 9, 2026, Drug Enforcement Administration agents observed Haggins drive to a parking lot in Ellenwood, Georgia, park next to another vehicle, remove two bags from that vehicle, place those two bags in his vehicle, and quickly depart. Georgia State Patrol troopers later observed Haggins’s vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. During a subsequent traffic stop, troopers attempted to detain Haggins, but he allegedly resisted and fled the scene, successfully evading capture. A search of Haggins’s vehicle allegedly uncovered approximately 42 kilograms of off-white crystal shards that tested positive for methamphetamine.
On September 18, 2026, after months as a fugitive, Haggins was arrested in Oklahoma and transferred to federal custody.
Today, Garry Haggins, Jr., 43, of Thomasville, Georgia, was arraigned in federal court in Atlanta on an indictment that charged him with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Haggins was ordered detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia State Patrol and the Henry County Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Edward C. Robinson Jr. is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
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.
Afghan national pleads guilty to federal charge after online suicide attack threatRead the Press Release
FORT WORTH, Texas — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced that an Afghan citizen residing in Fort Worth pleaded guilty Oct. 6 to transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce after threatening to conduct a suicide attack.
Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, a 32-year-old Afghan national, was charged by federal complaint on Nov. 30, 2025, with transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce related to threats he made during a social media livestream, which was recorded and posted to multiple social media accounts.
“Threats of suicide bombing are not jokes or momentary outbursts, they are federal crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “The United States has zero-tolerance for any threat to engage in a suicide attack or mass casualty event. We will respond swiftly and decisively to ensure that anyone who engages in this type of behavior faces serious federal consequences.”
“The FBI takes online threats of violence seriously and will work with our law enforcement partners to hold individuals accountable for threatening the safety of others. I want to thank the members of the public who came forward to report the defendant’s video. Their timely action contributed to our ability to quickly identify the defendant and secure this guilty plea. We continue to urge the public to report threatening communications to law enforcement," said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
According to court documents, on Nov. 23, 2025, Alokozay participated in an online video chat group with several individuals, including Victim 1, who is also from Afghanistan. Alokozay and the others exchanged highly offensive insults based on longstanding tribal animosity. Alokozay threatened to conduct a "suicide attack" against Victim 1 and the others using a "suicide bomb." Portions of the exchange were recorded and uploaded to the social media platform TikTok.
Federal agents and local partners quickly identified and located Alokozay and executed a search warrant at his residence and on his mobile phone to confirm he had no bomb‑making materials and concluded that the defendant did not intend to carry out an attack. Alokozay admitted in court documents that he knowingly transmitted a threat to injure another person through interstate and foreign commerce.
Alokozay pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton on Oct 6. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. A sentencing date will be set by the Court.
The FBI Dallas, Fort Worth Resident Agency conducted the investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations Dallas, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Fort Worth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent Mazzurco from the National Security-Cybercrime section is prosecuting the case.
###
AI data center engineering firm settles PPP lawsuit for $2.48 millionRead the Press Release
DALLAS — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced today that AMAX Engineering Corporation, an AI data center engineering firm, has agreed to pay $2.48 million to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by applying for and receiving a loan that it was not eligible for in the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program.
AMAX applied for and received a second draw PPP loan in 2021 which was later forgiven in full. However, the government contended that AMAX was not a qualified small business eligible for the loan, because it and related entities collectively exceeded the applicable size standard.
The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is case number 3:25-CV-3100-N in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and the qui tam relator, Blockquote, Inc., will receive $248,000 in connection with the settlement.
“My office continues to aggressively investigate and pursue companies that received PPP funds they were not eligible for,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “The PPP was purposely limited to qualifying small businesses, meaning that every PPP dollar taken by a larger, ineligible company during the pandemic was a dollar that should have gone to the small businesses of Main Street America that Congress was trying to help. We are determined to hold those companies accountable and recover those taxpayer dollars.”
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to provide emergency loans to small businesses suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether an applicant qualified for a PPP loan depended on various factors, including employee-count size standards for applicants.
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Najib Gazi, together with Attorney Amber Perez, Office of General Counsel for the Small Business Administration.
This year, the Trump Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s False Claims Act enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. False Claims Act matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s False Claims work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The civil claims settled by the agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of civil liability.
###
28 Members of a Drug Trafficking Organization Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations in Juana Díaz, Villalba, and Coamo, PRRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On September 24, 2026, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 28 gang members from the municipalities of Juana Díaz, Villalba, and Coamo with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced Héctor Ramírez Carbó, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) Ponce Strike Force, with the collaboration of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). Today, during the arrests, the following agencies provided support: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), US Marshals Service, and the Puerto Rico Department of Correction and Rehabilitation.
“The arrests in this case underscore the resolve of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners to uphold the rule of law and bring to justice violent criminals who threaten our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ramírez-Carbó. “These arrests reflect our determination to remove violent gangs from our communities.”
“Through the Homeland Security Task Force, the DEA and our federal, state, and local partners stand united in one mission: protecting the people of Puerto Rico. Fentanyl is an extraordinarily dangerous drug that is taking lives and devastating families, and we will continue to relentlessly pursue the violent organizations that profit from it,” said Michael Mayer, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Caribbean Division. “Operations like this demonstrate the power of our partnerships—not only to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and reduce violence, but to prevent deadly drugs from reaching our communities. Every kilogram seized, every criminal organization disrupted, and every drug point dismantled represents lives potentially saved. The DEA Caribbean Division remains unwavering in its commitment to a Fentanyl Free America and to keeping our citizens safe.”
The indictment alleges that from 2022, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base (crack), cocaine, marijuana, Tramadol, and Clonazepam within 1,000 feet of the Enudio Negrón, Maximino Miranda, Villa Del Parque Public Housing Projects (PHPs), the Pastillo Ward, and areas near those locations, all for significant financial gain and profit.
The object of the conspiracy was to distribute wholesale quantities and street amount quantities of controlled substances at the Enudio Negón Public housing Project (PHP), Maximino Miranda PHP, Villa Del Parque PHP, also known as Kennedy PHP, as well as the Pastillo Ward and areas nearby. This organization also transported and distributed kilogram quantities of cocaine in the continental United States. The defendants communicated with each other using two-way radios and cell phones, via instant messaging and social media.
It is alleged that members of the drug trafficking organization participated in acts of violence, including shootings and murders, to maintain control of the drug trafficking in the areas they controlled.
The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including as leaders, suppliers, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and facilitators. Twenty (20) defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and fourteen (14) of those defendants are facing one count of possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendants charged in the indictment are:
[1] Jeremy José Maldonado-Rivera, a.k.a. “Jere/El Patrón/La J/El Loco”
[2] Jerome Javier Cruz-Santiago
[3] Javier Sánchez-Pérez, a.k.a. “Javi/Javielito”
[4] José Armando Rodríguez-López, a.k.a. “Armandito/Mamando”
[5] Roric Harvey Núñez-García, a.k.a. “El Colo/Colorao/Rubio”
[6] Jomar Javier Cruz-Santiago, a.k.a. “Truco/Truko”
[7] Anthony Cruz-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Anton”
[8] Yamil Hernández-De Jesús, a.k.a. “Pulpi/Yamito/Yamo”
[9] Jonathan Daniel Colón-Santiago, a.k.a. “Curry”
[10] Eliezer Steven De Jesús-Martínez
[11] Carlos Omar Costales-González, a.k.a. “Maro/Goldo”
[12] Cristobal Manuel Santiago-López, a.k.a. “Cristo”
[13] Jadiel Carlid Gaston-García
[14] Miguel Ángel Alvarado-Ortiz, a.k.a. “Mikito/Minguito/Mickeyto/Miko”
[15] Jorge Esteban Sosa-Pomales
[16] Jayson Santiago-Rivera
[17] Kevin Camacho-Franceschi, a.k.a. “Hongo/Honguito”
[18] Luis Daniel Colón-Santiago, a.k.a. “Wiso”
[19] Christian Jasnel Cruz-García, a.k.a. “Oreja”
[20] Luis Armando Rivera-Merlo, a.k.a. “El Negrito/El Negro de Guayanilla”
[21] Emmanuel Santiago-Bermúdez, a.k.a. “27”
[22] Wilbert Torres-Cortés, a.k.a. “Wilbul”
[23] Jonathan Adolfo Santiago-Guzmán, a.k.a. “Manota”
[24] Héctor Jomar Torres-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Changa”
[25] Luis David Colón-Malavé, a.k.a. “Willo”
[26] Hermarilis Rosado-Ortiz, a.k.a. “Elma/Patita”
[27] Yarielis Michelle Morales-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Golda”
[28] Nitzaliz Yadielis Rivera-Curet
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, and AUSA Joseph Russell are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Six, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. The defendants charged with possession of machine guns in furtherance of drug trafficking in Count Seven face a mandatory minimum sentence of thirty years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $4,158,080.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
6 October 2026
Webster Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Building and Detonating Pipe Bombs in Weare in 2023Read the Press Release
CONCORD – Webster resident Dale G. Stewart, 57, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 60 months in federal prison for building and detonating pipe bombs in Weare in April of 2023, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Stewart was also sentenced to three years of supervised release following completion of his incarceration.
Stewart pleaded guilty in April to three counts of possessing an unregistered firearm, specifically a destructive device. According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Stewart detonated two pipe bombs on Dustin Tavern Road and Sugar Hill Road in Weare, New Hampshire, on the evening of April 26 and on the morning of April 27, 2023. As part of the emergency response to these explosions, on the evening of April 27, 2023, law enforcement agents located and searched Stewart’s vehicle on South Stark Highway in Weare, where they recovered an undetonated pipe bomb, constructed of white PVC pipe, with glued end caps, wrapped in black electrical tape, with a green hobby fuse protruding from one of the end caps. The undetonated pipe bomb contained more than 4 ounces of an explosive material, consistent with the manufacturing of the two pipe bombs that Stewart had detonated earlier. During police questioning, Stewart indicated he built these destructive devices at his home in Webster.
“This defendant is a dangerous individual, who deployed and detonated explosives that could have taken the lives of many people, and who will now be serving years behind bars,” said Erin Creegan, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. “We are grateful for the quick actions of the Weare Police and the partnership with the ATF and all state and federal agencies who brought Mr. Stewart to justice. We will continue to prosecute violent individuals who put the safety of our communities at risk.”
“Dale Stewart manufactured and detonated explosive devices across the Weare, New Hampshire area, unlawfully possessed additional firearms and explosive material, and tried to flee to avoid prosecution,” said Thomas A. Greco, Special Agent-in-Charge for the New England region of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “It is clear Stewart is a danger to our community, and today’s sentence is necessary to protect the public. This investigation required timely and efficient cooperation between ATF and partner agencies to identify, locate, and arrest Stewart. ATF is grateful for, and proud of, these partnerships which greatly enhance public safety across New Hampshire. We specifically recognize the contributions of New Hampshire Department of Insurance Fraud Unit Director Brendhan Harris, who was integral to this investigation, and who sadly passed away before the conclusion of this case.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Weare Police Department; and the Federal Protective Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Hampshire State Police, the Bow and Webster Police Departments, the State of New Hampshire Department of Insurance, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega prosecuted the case.
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm by a FelonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Arnold Kevin Dussol, 39, of Leesburg, Virginia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm while hiding in a Northwest storage facility, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Dussol pleaded guilty before Judge Amy Berman Jackson to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. Judge Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for February 19, 2027.According to the government’s evidence, on March 30, 2026, law enforcement responded to reports from a victim stating that Dussol had threatened to kill her current boyfriend and that he possessed a firearm. Officers used location information and access instructions Dussol had sent the victim to locate a secure storage facility on 7th Street NW.
Inside the storage area, officers found Dussol hiding behind the door of an unlocked locker. He was dressed in all black and wearing a purple satchel consistent with the victim’s description.
Inside that satchel, investigators recovered a loaded 9mm handgun with one round in the chamber and six rounds in the magazine. A subsequent search revealed a small bag containing a white rock substance that field‑tested positive for methamphetamine.
Dussol has multiple prior felony convictions, including extortion, felony weapon possession, first‑degree assault, and felony drug distribution, and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition at the time of his arrest.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office.
The matter was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josh Satter and Lauren Ibanez.
Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful supports President Trump’s Executive Order that cracks down on gun violence, prioritizes federal firearms violations, pursues tougher penalties, and seeks detention for federal firearms violators.
26cr91
U.S. Attorneys for Southern & Northern Ohio announce voter fraud casesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS and CLEVELAND, Ohio – United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio and United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio announced today arrests in three voter fraud cases for allegations involving voting in an election that included candidates for the office of President, Vice President, Member of the Senate, and Member of the House of Representatives.
In the Southern District of Ohio, a criminal complaint was filed charging Cary Ann Patterson, 59, a citizen of the United Kingdom with lawful permanent resident status, with illegally voting in a federal election as an alien. Voters in federal elections must be U.S. citizens, and the complaint alleges that Patterson voted on Nov. 5, 2024. According to court documents, in 2005, the Gallia County Board of Elections received a voter registration card for Patterson in which “Yes” was marked in response to the question, “Are you a U.S. citizen?” Based on Gallia County Board of Elections records, Patterson allegedly voted in at least 10 elections as a non-citizen.
In the Northern District of Ohio, Arshed Zuberi, 69, a Pakistani national with lawful permanent resident status, has been charged by criminal complaint with illegally voting in a federal election as an alien. He allegedly registered to vote in September 2015 and August 2016. On voter registration forms, Zuberi’s signature appears next to the declaration “I declare under penalty of election falsification I am a citizen of the United States.” Voting records from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections show that he voted in at least six elections.
A criminal complaint has also been filed in the Northern District of Ohio charging Eliza M. Moss, 63, a citizen of the Philippines with lawful permanent resident status, with unlawfully voting in a federal election as an alien. According to state of Ohio and Ashtabula County voting records, Moss registered to vote in September 2004 and in February 2023. On voter registration forms, her signature appears next to the declaration “I declare under penalty of election falsification I am a citizen of the United States.” Moss allegedly voted in several primary and general elections. According to the criminal complaint, Moss told investigators that the person who helped fill out her registration told her that she could vote despite not being a citizen.
Unlawfully voting in a federal election as an alien is punishable by up to 12 months in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; David M. Toepfer, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Pierczynski, Homeland Security Investigations Detroit announced the charges. Executive Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy for the Southern District of Ohio and Assistant United States Attorney Robert Corts for the Northern District of Ohio are representing the United States in these cases.
Criminal complaints merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
U.S. Attorneys for Northern & Southern Ohio Announce Voter Fraud CasesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND and COLUMBUS, Ohio –United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio and United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio announced arrests in three voter fraud cases for allegations involving voting in an election that included candidates for the office of President, Vice President, Member of the Senate, and Member of the House of Representatives.
In the Southern District of Ohio, a criminal complaint was filed charging Cary Ann Patterson, 59, a citizen of the United Kingdom with lawful permanent resident status, with illegally voting in a federal election as an alien. Voters in federal elections must be U.S. citizens, and the complaint alleges that Patterson voted on Nov. 5, 2024. According to court documents, in 2005, the Gallia County Board of Elections received a voter registration card for Patterson in which “Yes” was marked in response to the question, “Are you a U.S. citizen?” Based on Gallia County Board of Elections records, Patterson allegedly voted in at least 10 elections as a non-citizen.
In the Northern District of Ohio, Arshed Zuberi, 69, a Pakistani national with lawful permanent resident status, has been charged by criminal complaint with illegally voting in a federal election as an alien. He allegedly registered to vote in September 2015 and August 2016. On voter registration forms, Zuberi’s signature appears next to the declaration “I declare under penalty of election falsification I am a citizen of the United States.” Voting records from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections show that he voted in at least six elections.
A criminal complaint has also been filed in the Northern District of Ohio charging Eliza M. Moss, 63, a citizen of the Philippines with lawful permanent resident status, with unlawfully voting in a federal election as an alien. According to state of Ohio and Ashtabula County voting records, Moss registered to vote in September 2004 and in February 2023. On voter registration forms, her signature appears next to the declaration “I declare under penalty of election falsification I am a citizen of the United States.” Moss allegedly voted in several primary and general elections. According to the criminal complaint, Moss told investigators that the person who helped fill out her registration told her that she could vote despite not being a citizen.
Unlawfully voting in a federal election as an alien is punishable by up to 12 months in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; David M. Toepfer, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Pierczynski, Homeland Security Investigations Detroit announced the charges. Executive Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy for the Southern District of Ohio and Assistant United States Attorney Robert Corts for the Northern District of Ohio are representing the United States in these cases.
Criminal complaints merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones Receives League of Prosecutors’ President’s AwardRead the Press Release
MIAMI – U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida received the League of Prosecutors’ President’s Award at the organization’s 2026 Justice Award Dinner in Miami.
The President’s Award recognizes distinguished contributions to the justice system, public service, and the community. The League honored Reding Quiñones for a career of service spanning more than two decades in the military, on the bench, in national security, and as a federal prosecutor, as well as for his continued commitment to the work ahead as U.S. Attorney.
“I am deeply grateful to the League of Prosecutors for this honor,” said U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones. “Ideas do not prevail simply because they are right. They endure because people are willing to stand up for them and fight for them. Every day, prosecutors are in the trenches fighting for the idea and the principle of justice, and I am proud to be in that fight with them. I have had the privilege of serving our country in uniform, serving our community from the bench, and serving alongside extraordinary prosecutors and law enforcement officers throughout my career. This award is not a finish line. It is a reminder of the responsibility we carry and the work still ahead.”
Founded in 2002, the League of Prosecutors brings together current and former prosecutors and members of the broader justice community. For more than two decades, the organization has supported and mentored generations of prosecutors, educated the public about issues affecting the justice system, and recognized judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and other public servants for their contributions to the community and the administration of justice.
Reding Quiñones was sworn in as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida on Aug. 13, 2025. An Air Force Colonel with more than 23 years of military service, he previously served as a Florida trial judge, as a national security official in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and as a federal prosecutor in both the Eastern District of Virginia and the Southern District of Florida.
As U.S. Attorney, Reding Quiñones serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Southern District of Florida. He oversees the prosecution of federal crimes and the representation of the United States in civil matters throughout the district.
###
Two Defendants Charged in March 2023 Drug-Related Robbery and MurderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Chief of Police for the Town of Haverstraw, New York, John Gould Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging JAQUEY WILKES, a/k/a “BQ,” and TYRONE STEWART, a/k/a “Ty,” with robbery, firearms offenses, and murder in connection with the March 5, 2023 fatal shooting of Eric Quinones in the parking lot outside of his home in Pomona, New York. WILKES, STEWART, and a third individual, LEROY SIMPSON, a/k/a “Unc,” were also charged with narcotics conspiracy in connection with the drug transaction that preceded the robbery and murder. All three defendants were presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge District Judge Philip M. Halpern.
“This Office and our law enforcement partners continue to work tirelessly to keep the residents of this District safe,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “As alleged, Jaquey Wilkes and Tyrone Stewart robbed and murdered Eric Quinones outside of his home during a drug deal orchestrated by Leroy Simpson. We will relentlessly pursue those who plague our community with drug and gun violence and will hold them accountable for their crimes.”
“Today’s charges underscore the FBI’s resolve to hold violent offenders who terrorize our communities accountable for their actions,” said Assistant FBI Director James C. Barnacle, Jr. “As alleged, the defendants orchestrated a drug‑related robbery that culminated in a tragic and senseless murder. The FBI will continue to pursue these offenders until they are held fully accountable. We extend our gratitude to our partners at the Haverstraw Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office for their dedication and coordination throughout this investigation.”
“This indictment is the result of an intensive investigation and the unwavering commitment of our detectives and law enforcement partners to seek justice for the victim and his family,” said Chief of Police for the Town of Haverstraw, John Gould Jr. “From the outset, the Town of Haverstraw Police Department remained committed to following the evidence wherever it led and ensuring that those allegedly responsible for this violent crime were held accountable. I want to commend the dedicated members of the Town of Haverstraw Police Department Detective Division, the FBI, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office for their collaboration and persistence throughout this investigation. This case demonstrates the importance of strong partnerships among local, federal, and county law enforcement agencies and sends a clear message that acts of violence in our community will be investigated relentlessly, regardless of how much time has passed.”
As alleged in the Indictment, and based on statements made in public court proceedings:
On or about March 5, 2023, WILKES and STEWART robbed Eric Quinones at gunpoint in the parking lot outside of the Manors Apartments in Pomona, New York. WILKES and STEWART stole from Quinones, without limitation, narcotics and a firearm. In the course of that robbery, WILKES and STEWART brandished firearms and shot Quinones, resulting in his death. SIMPSON conspired with WILKES and STEWART to orchestrate the narcotics transaction that preceded Quinones’s robbery and murder.
* * *
WILKES, 29, of Nyack, New York, and STEWART, 35, of Nyack, New York, are each charged with Hobbs Act Robbery, which carries a maximum term of twenty years in prison; Firearms Use, Carrying, and Possession, which carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison, and; Murder Through Use of a Firearm, which carries a maximum term of life in prison or death. WILKES, STEWART, and SIMPSON, 33, of Pomona, New York, are also charged with Narcotics Conspiracy, which carries a maximum term of twenty years in prison.
The statutory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, Town of Haverstraw Police Department, Rockland County Sheriff’s Office, and Orangetown Police Department and thanked the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in this investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Wheelock and Ioannis Drivas are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
^
As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Twenty Atlanta Residents Charged with Federal Crimes Arising from Massive Gun Heists and Gang-Related Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Twenty individuals, including five members of the GoodFellas criminal street gang and four convicted felons, have been indicted on federal gun and drug charges, including firearms-trafficking charges arising from the theft of nearly 1,500 guns stolen from shipping facilities in Conley, Georgia and Macon, Georgia.
“Gang‑related firearms trafficking and drug trafficking pose a grave threat to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Criminal networks that move guns and narcotics fuel violence, undermine neighborhoods, and endanger innocent lives. Using every lawful tool available, my office and our law enforcement partners in the Homeland Security Task Force are committed to eliminating these criminal enterprises, holding offenders accountable, and protecting law-abiding Georgians.”
“Stealing nearly 1,500 firearms and flooding our communities with guns and drugs is more than brazen criminal conduct; it is a direct attack on public safety,” said ATF Atlanta Field Division Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Gibbons. “The GoodFellas gang and their associates allegedly put deadly firepower on the streets across multiple states and even beyond our borders. ATF will not allow criminal organizations to profit by endangering our communities. As this investigation shows, our agents, working with our federal, state, and local partners, move quickly to shut down illegal firearms pipelines. If you steal guns, traffic guns, or arm violent gangs, ATF will find you, we will dismantle your operation, and you will be held accountable.”
“The sheer amount of stolen guns and drugs these individuals were allegedly dealing with is alarming,” said Richard Bilson, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to prioritize investigations like these so that Georgians will be able to live without fear of either themselves or their loved ones becoming a victim of the violence used or drugs peddled by these street gangs and their associates.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: The GoodFellas is an Atlanta-based gang that primarily recruits members in Atlanta neighborhoods as well as jails and prisons within Georgia. The gang generates money through, among other criminal activities, drug trafficking, robbery, carjacking, fraud, and firearms trafficking. The gang protects its operation, turf, and reputation through violence and threats of violence.
On November 29 and 30, 2025, Tremaine Snell, Tarik Winfrey, and Daveon Stillwell allegedly broke into a shipping facility in Conley, Georgia and stole 724 Glock pistols. On December 2, 2025, Devarrio Burns and Christopher Billings, both of whom are GoodFellas members, sold two of the stolen pistols to an undercover ATF agent.
On January 10, 2026, Snell allegedly broke into a shipping facility in Macon, Georgia and stole 469 firearms. On January 16, 2026, Snell and Stillwell sold an undercover ATF agent four firearms taken during the Conley and Macon burglaries.
On January 16, 2026, Snell, Winfrey, and GoodFellas member Marquez Crews allegedly broke into the same Macon shipping facility and stole 293 firearms. The next day, agents recovered three of the stolen firearms from Calvin Washington’s South Fulton residence. On January 23, 2026, Crews, assisted by Snell, Temeka Camiel, and Matthew Gaskin, sold 14 of the stolen firearms to an undercover ATF agent. On April 1, 2026, agents seized from convicted felon Shanteria Horton an eighteenth firearm taken from the Macon facility.
During a traffic stop on February 19, 2026, law enforcement encountered convicted felons Samdrekas Floyd and Antonio Thomas and allegedly seized firearms from both of them.
On May 13, 2026, the FBI, ATF, and other law enforcement agencies executed search warrants at 12 locations in the Atlanta area allegedly associated with the GoodFellas gang. Across all locations, agents seized approximately 24 kilograms of methamphetamine, 22 kilograms of marijuana, 40 grams of cocaine base, 27 grams of fentanyl, and a pill press used to manufacture counterfeit pills. Additionally, agents seized firearms from Samuel Harris, Joseph Sutton, Deanthony Cole, and Demontra Williams, all of whom are convicted felons.
On September 23, 2026, a federal grand jury returned six indictments charging the following defendants:
- Christopher Billings, 36, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms, firearms trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;
- Devarrio Burns, a/k/a Debo, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to traffic firearms, firearms trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;
- Temeka Camiel, 50, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms and firearms trafficking;
- Deanthony Cole, 33, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;
- Kordion Cousins, 29, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with transferring a firearm to an out-of-state resident;
- Marquez Crews, a/k/a Quez, 25, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms, firearms trafficking, conspiracy to commit theft of interstate shipments, and theft of interstate shipments;
- Brandon Elligan, a/k/a Mario World, a/k/a Billy Mario, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense;
- Samdrekas Floyd, a/k/a Hot, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;
- Matthew Gaskin, a/k/a Matthew Gaskins, 23, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms and firearms trafficking;
- Samuel Harris, a/k/a Bobo, 41, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense;
- Shanteria Horton, 27 of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;
- Ramudo Lloyd, 52, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance;
- Deavis Reese, a/k/a Boogaloo, a/k/a Unk, a/k/a Boo, 51, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance;
- Tremaine Snell, a/k/a Big, a/k/a Man Man, 26, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms, firearms trafficking, conspiracy to commit theft of interstate shipments, and theft of interstate shipments;
- Daveon Stillwell, a/k/a Drip, 21, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms, firearms trafficking, conspiracy to commit theft of interstate shipments, and theft of interstate shipments;
- Joseph Sutton, a/k/a Squirt, a/k/a O, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense;
- Antonio Thomas, 27, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;
- Calvin Washington, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with unlawful possession of a stolen firearm;
- Demontra Williams, 41, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and
- Tarik Winfrey, 26, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms, firearms trafficking, conspiracy to commit theft of interstate shipments, and theft of interstate shipments.
Earlier today, FBI agents arrested Deanthony Cole, Brandon Elligan, Ramudo Lloyd, Deavis Reese, and Joseph Sutton. On September 25, 2026, ATF agents arrested Temeka Camiel, Kordion Cousins, Marquez Crews, Tremaine Snell, and Calvin Washington. Defendants Christopher Billings, Samdrekas Floyd, Matthew Gaskin, Shanteria Horton, Daveon Stillwell, Antonio Thomas, and Tarik Winfrey are currently being held in local custody and will appear in federal court at a later date. Defendant Devarrio Burns was recently transferred from local to federal custody and will be arraigned later today.
Samuel Harris and Demontra Williams are currently fugitives. If you have any information on their whereabouts, please contact your local law enforcement agency.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictments only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the
Atlanta Police Department, Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Georgia State Police, Georgia Department of Corrections, and Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office.These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
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.