title: Utah Woman Extradited to U.S. from Croatia to Face International Parental Kidnapping and Passport Fraud Charges in the District of Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah woman is in federal custody in Salt Lake City after she was extradited on June 12, 2026, to the United States from Croatia after being charged in a federal indictment with international parental kidnapping and passport fraud. Elleshia Anne Seymour, 35, of West Jordan, Utah, allegedly traveled to Europe, and to Croatia with her four biological children without the children’s fathers’ knowledge or court approval. She was indicted on January 28, 2026, and an arrest warrant was issued for Seymour. On January 16, Croatian authorities notified FBI they located Seymour and the children in Croatia. The four children were recovered and returned to their fathers in the United States. On January 17, 2026, Seymour was arrested in Croatia. She appeared in federal court for her initial appearance on the indictment on June 22, 2026. Her detention hearing is scheduled for July 1, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. According to court documents, on November 29, 2025 through January 16, 2026, Seymour removed her four children from the United States with the intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of the parental rights of the children’s fathers. Seymour and the children’s fathers shared joint custody in an order by the Utah state court. On December 2, 2025, West Jordan Police officers responded to a request from Seymour’s co-worker for a welfare check for Seymour’s residence. The responding officer found the apartment unlocked and, after making entry, determined that no one was present. The officer attempted to contact Seymour by telephone but was unsuccessful. On December 3, 2025, Seymour’s former husband and the biological father of three of the children reported to police that he last saw the children on November 24, 2025, when he dropped them off at school. Seymour did not notify the father of her intent to travel internationally with the children as required by the custody order. The father reported to law enforcement he had no contact from Seymour since November 23, 2025. The three children’s father further believed Seymour was out of the country and forged his signature on passport applications for the three children after he found opened passport-related envelopes for the children inside the trash in Seymour’s apartment, found she had deleted her social media accounts, and found other evidence indicating she left the country. As alleged in court documents, Seymour’s second ex-husband and father to the fourth child told law enforcement he signed paperwork for his child’s passport but was not informed Seymour intended to leave the country. The last he heard from Seymour was via voicemail on December 2, 2025, and Seymour said she was in France with the children, when in fact she was not. Seymour reminded him she had to get the children out of the country because the “end time is coming.” Seymour allegedly told her ex-husband and father of the fourth child she wanted him to join them and asked him not to let the three children’s father know where she was. Both ex-husbands described Seymour as a “Doomsdayer,” a person who believes in the imminent destruction of the United States and eventually the world. “The safe return of the children remains our highest priority. We are deeply grateful to our federal and international partners for their tireless efforts in bringing about this successful outcome,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah. “Our work is not finished—we will continue to pursue justice in the case against Seymour.” "International parental kidnappings can have a profound impact on a child’s sense of safety and stability," said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. "We are grateful the children in this case were safely returned home through the extensive reach, resources, and collaborative efforts of the FBI and our law enforcement partners." The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by West Jordan Police Department, Salt Lake City Airport Police, INTERPOL, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Ministry of Justice of Croatia, and Croatian authorities. Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . 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. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Attachments: elleshia_anne_seymour.indictment.pdf elleshia_a._seymour.motionfordetention.pdf


title: Oklahoma Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of trafficking fentanyl, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Edwin Hernandez, 24, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was informed that, on February 2, 2022, Hernandez possessed with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Judge Hardy scheduled sentencing for October 27, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Pennsylvania State Police and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hernandez.


title: United States Attorney Andrew S. Boutros Announces Charges Against Two Chicago-Area Defendants as Part of Department of Justice’s National Healthcare Fraud Takedown

component: Criminal - Criminal Fraud Section

body_text: CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced criminal charges against two Chicago-area defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. The charges filed in federal court in Chicago are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Healthcare Fraud Takedown. The charges continue the trend of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago as well as the Midwest Strike Force moving with speed, intentionality, velocity, and impact to bring criminal healthcare fraud prosecutions, especially against gatekeepers, that dismantle significant schemes that syphon taxpayer funds from Medicare and Medicaid. As part of those efforts, in the summer of 2025, U.S. Attorney Boutros stood up the Office’s first-ever Healthcare Fraud Section, which since its inception has charged some $2.135 billion in healthcare fraud in the Northern District of Illinois. One of the Chicago-area defendants is charged with participating in a scheme to defraud Medicare out of approximately $240 million in reimbursements for over-the-counter Covid-19 test kits that were either never provided or never requested by Medicare beneficiaries, all within a span of less than six months. The other Chicago-area defendant is charged with orchestrating a scheme to defraud the Illinois Medicaid program out of more than $75 million for purported behavioral health counseling and therapy services that were never provided. “Healthcare fraud causes billions of dollars in losses to the federal government and private insurers and all too often involves the exploitation of patients through unnecessary or unsafe medical tests and procedures,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “That’s precisely why, last year, I created a standalone Healthcare Fraud Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago—to bring greater focus, velocity, and impact to our efforts in this critical program area. Since becoming U.S. Attorney on April 7, 2025, my Office has charged more than $2.135 billion in healthcare fraud schemes involving alleged criminal conduct in the Northern District of Illinois and throughout the United States and even transnationally. In addition, our Healthcare Fraud Section and its team of federal prosecutors work closely with the Healthcare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, to bring important and consequential cases such as the significant charges announced today. Under my leadership, healthcare providers, gatekeepers, and others who criminally cheat the system will be vigorously investigated, prosecuted, and punished to the full extent of federal law. I am quite proud of the work that federal prosecutors and agency partners in Chicago have accomplished in the healthcare fraud space in such a short period of time.” The Chicago-area cases announced today by U.S. Attorney Boutros are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges filed throughout the country against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with a more than $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of more than $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms. Today’s national enforcement action involved a whole-of-government approach, including: Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers. 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to more than $73 million, more than 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers. Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million. 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025. The two Chicago-area defendants were charged in the Northern District of Illinois: AMIRALI BHIMANI, 42, of Naperville, Ill., was charged in a criminal information with three counts of healthcare fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare through the submission of fraudulent claims for over-the-counter Covid-19 test kits that were never requested or provided. Through the alleged scheme, Bhimani caused laboratories to bill Medicare approximately $342 million for the purported provision of test kits to beneficiaries who did not consent to receiving the kits and did not receive the kits, of which approximately $240 million was paid to the laboratories. Specifically, as alleged in the information, Bhimani sold Medicare beneficiary information to laboratories so that those laboratories could bill Medicare for purportedly providing the beneficiaries with Covid-19 test kits. Bhimani and others provided one or more of the laboratories with fake recordings of phone calls, in which the Medicare beneficiaries purportedly agreed to receive the test kits, the charges allege. The source of the recordings allegedly informed Bhimani that they were generated using artificial intelligence. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kelly M. Warner of the Midwest Strike Force. DANIEL ROBINSON, 51, of Palos Park, Ill., was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of healthcare fraud and one count of money laundering in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Illinois Medicaid through the submission of fraudulent claims for behavioral health counseling and therapy services that were never provided. As alleged in the complaint, since January 2024, Robinson’s company, ODA Solutions, Inc., has billed Illinois Medicaid more than $92 million and has been paid approximately $75 million. Robinson, as Founder and CEO of ODA Solutions, allegedly directed others to create fake medical records and then bill for counseling services that were not provided, including for beneficiaries who had died. As alleged in the complaint, Robinson transferred approximately $45 million of the fraudulent proceeds to several brokerage and other business bank accounts and used more than $7 million of the fraudulent proceeds to purchase luxury items including real estate, vehicles, jewelry, and a yacht. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sarah Finch of the Midwest Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Pinkston of the Northern District of Illinois. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division, HHS-OIG, and the FBI, with assistance from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, to investigate and prosecute the cases filed in federal court in Chicago. The cases involved in the National Takedown are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today. On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. The public is reminded that an indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. bhimani_information.pdf robinson_complaint.pdf


title: National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 455 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $6.5 Billion in Alleged Fraud, Including Oahu Man Charged with Fraudulent Billing Resulting in $1.5 Million Loss

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: HONOLULU – Today, United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced criminal charges against Henry Quan in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from a scheme to bill for prescription drugs that were never dispensed. “Health care fraud – driven by greed and a total disregard for the patients whom health care providers are meant to serve – is a blight on our community that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners are committed to eradicating,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “We will bring to justice those who seek to steal from our taxpayers, undermine our federal health care programs, and endanger the lives of patients in the process.” “Protecting federal healthcare programs from fraud and abuse is a top priority for the FBI,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “As alleged, the defendant compromised the integrity of our healthcare system and put profits over patient care by charging Medicare for prescription drugs that were never provided. The FBI, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively pursue and hold accountable anyone who attempts to enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers and vulnerable patients.” “These charges reflect the serious threat that health care fraud poses to patients and to the integrity of federal healthcare programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Robb Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Pacific Regional Office. “I want to commend the investigators and prosecutors whose diligent work brought these allegations to light. HHS-OIG remains committed to pursuing those who exploit and defraud the Medicare program.” The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms. Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including: Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers. 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers. Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million. 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025. In the District of Hawaii, Henry Quan, 54, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was charged by criminal complaint with healthcare fraud in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for prescription drugs that were never dispensed, resulting in a loss of at least $1.5 million. As alleged in the criminal complaint, Quan, a registered pharmacist, controlled Wellness Pharmacy, which billed for drugs that were not dispensed. This included fraudulently billing for several high-cost medications, such as Restasis, for which the pharmacy did not have sufficient supplies on hand to cover the medications it claimed to have dispensed to patients. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here . The District of Hawaii, in particular, worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division and the following law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the Takedown: the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Albanese is prosecuting the case against Quan. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Western District of Oklahoma Cases Filed as Part of National Health Care Fraud Takedown

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, United States Attorney Robert J. Troester announced criminal charges against two defendants and the filing of a separate civil case, both in the Western District of Oklahoma, in connection with the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. “Fraud against federal health care programs ultimately harms both taxpayers and the individuals these programs are designed to serve,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “Through this national initiative, the Department of Justice and its partners are committed to holding accountable those who allegedly undermine the integrity of our health care system.” “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to protecting TRICARE, the U.S. Military’s healthcare program, from fraudulent schemes that harm its beneficiaries and waste critical taxpayer-provided resources,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Gosch, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Services Southwest Field Office. “These indictments are the result of a strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma to tirelessly pursue companies and individuals that seek to enrich themselves at the expense of our military members and U.S. taxpayers.” National Initiative The cases announced today are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms. Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including: Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers. 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers. Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million. 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025. Western District of Oklahoma Cases The following cases were brought in the Western District of Oklahoma: United States vs Stewart Johnson and Stephen Johnson – Stewart Johnson, 72, and Stephen Johnson, 47, of Lawton, Oklahoma, were charged by Indictment on June 16, 2026, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud TRICARE of more than $27 million. As alleged in the Indictment, the Johnsons operated a durable medical equipment company named Combined Home Medical Equipment that offered Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (“CPAP”) machines. It is alleged that from January 2018 through December 2024, the Defendants submitted fraudulent claims to TRICARE for in-person CPAP-related services that the Defendants did not provide and were not qualified to provide. In total, the Defendants are alleged to have submitted claims for more than 650,000 separate in-person CPAP-related services and received more than $27 million in reimbursements. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney D.H. Dilbeck. United States & State of Oklahoma v. Judy Dennis – Judy Dennis of Oklahoma City was charged by civil complaint on June 22, 2026, with violating the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733, the Oklahoma Medicaid False Claims Act, 63 Okla. Stat. § 5053.1 et seq., federal common law, and Oklahoma common law in connection with the submission of more than $2.5 million in false and fraudulent claims for speech-language pathology services. As alleged in the Complaint, Dennis, a licensed speech-language pathologist, knowingly presented, or caused to be presented, materially false and fraudulent claims for payment or approval to the United States and the State of Oklahoma, including claims for reimbursement submitted to Medicare, Oklahoma Medicaid, and TRICARE, for services that were not rendered, were not medically reasonable and necessary, and/or did not comply with program requirements. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda R. Johnson and Ronald R. Gallegos of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma and Assistant Attorneys General Jamie L. Bloyd and Annette Howlett of the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The Western District of Oklahoma worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division and the following law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the Takedown: the Oklahoma Medicaid Fraud Unit, the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Services, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The cases across the nation are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today. For more information on today’s nationwide takedown, visit the Justice Department’s website here . On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Bahamian National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Possession

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Bahamian national who was unlawfully present in the U.S. and wanted for murder in the Bahamas pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to possessing a firearm as an illegal alien. According to court records, Shelton Thompson, 38, of the Bahamas, has been unlawfully present in the U.S. since August 2024. During a traffic stop, law enforcement encountered Thompson and determined that he was illegally present in the U.S. after initiating a traffic stop. A subsequent search of his residence uncovered a firearm that Thompson was prohibited from possessing under federal law. “South Florida's proximity to international borders makes vigorous enforcement of immigration and firearms laws essential to public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Individuals who enter or remain in this country unlawfully and illegally possess firearms will be investigated and prosecuted. We will continue to use every lawful tool available to protect our communities from dangerous offenders.” Thompson faces up to 15 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement. FBI Miami is investigating the case, with assistance from U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Coast Guard. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Pierce is prosecuting the case. This case is being prosecuted by the Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) Section. BICE was created by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones in November of 2025 to strengthen South Florida’s border security posture, protect maritime and land points of entry, enforce federal immigration law, and dismantle transnational smuggling networks operating through the region. The Section brings together narcotics, immigration, fraud, and violent-crime expertise into a single coordinated unit focused on border-driven threats. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 26-cr-20087. ###


title: Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 10 SoCal Defendants Federally Charged with Defrauding Public Health Plans, Other Crimes

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – As part of the national health care fraud takedown, federal law enforcement in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area have arrested five defendants, including a Whittier woman who participated in a scheme that submitted nearly $270 million in fraudulent claims to Medi-Cal for expensive prescription drugs, and a San Fernando Valley man who is charged with running hospice care companies that fraudulently billed Medicare $27 million, the Justice Department announced today. In total, federal prosecutors in the Central District of California have brought criminal charges against 10 defendants who’ve allegedly engaged in fraud against government-funded health programs or abused their positions as doctors to illegally prescribe controlled substances. The charges announced today are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of more than $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms. Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including: Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers. 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers. Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million. 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025. “This year’s National Health Care Fraud Takedown represents the greatest whole-of-government effort to combat health care fraud in our Nation’s history,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Under the decisive leadership of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, and our law enforcement partners, this administration has ushered in a new era of enforcement that will safeguard taxpayer dollars.” “Public health programs are intended to support the elderly, the ill, the needy, and other vulnerable members of our communities,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “It is not there to enrich fraudsters. Today’s announcement highlights our determination to hold anyone who defrauds our nation’s health system criminally accountable. We will find you. We will arrest you. And we will seek long prison sentences.” “We are aggressively scaling our offensive against anyone using health care as a front to steal from the American people,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “As today’s cases and arrests show, there is no case too big, no scheme too complex, and no hiding place too remote for our relentless fraud-fighting team. Our message is simple: if you put profit over patients, you should expect to be put in prison.” “Health care fraud steals from taxpayers, exploits vulnerable patients, and puts lives at risk,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Today’s historic enforcement action sends a clear message: if you use our health care system to enrich yourself at the expense of patients or the American people, we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will hold you accountable. HHS will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect patients, safeguard taxpayer dollars, and restore integrity to our health care system.” “The coordination in the Health Care Fraud Takedown reinforces the Trump Administration’s efforts to end the crimes of bad actors who have ripped off U.S. taxpayers,” said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “This is a whole of government effort, to hold those who defraud our nation accountable. Our message is clear: If you steal from American taxpayers, you will face the consequences.” “This results of this nationwide healthcare takedown are historic,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Under the leadership of President Trump, Vice President Vance, and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, this FBI worked alongside our DOJ partners to arrest and charge over 450 people, including almost 100 medical professionals, for over $6 billion in alleged healthcare fraud schemes - showing the enormous amount of work done by our interagency law enforcement team over the last month and beyond. While today’s announcement is one of the largest on record–every arrest is a continued message to criminal actors who rob American taxpayers that you will not get away with your crimes.” “Taking advantage of grieving families at the moment they are mourning a loss and siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars from programs meant to provide real medical care, are harms that go far beyond fraud,” said Patrick Grandy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “These actions inflict deep emotional pain and drain resources that taxpayers and vulnerable patients rely on. The FBI, along with our partners, remain committed to protecting families during their hardest moments and defending the integrity of our health care system from those who seek to exploit it.” The following individuals have been charged in the Central District of California: United States v. Mareik Christina Mareik, 61, a.k.a. “Christina Marie Sanchez Hernandez,” of Whittier, was arrested on June 17 on a federal criminal complaint charging her with health care fraud. She made her initial appearance on June 17 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. She is free on $100,000 bond and her arraignment is scheduled for July 23. Mareik allegedly participated in a scheme in which nearly $270 million in fraudulent claims were submitted over an 11-month span to Medi-Cal for expensive prescription drugs containing generic ingredients that were not medically necessary and, in many instances, not provided to the purported recipients. She worked for Paul Richard Randall, 67, of Orange, a patient marketer for Monte VP LLC, a Montclair-based company that did business as Monte Vista Pharmacy. Randall, along with Monte Vista Pharmacy’s owner, Kyrollos Mekail, 38, of Moreno Valley, and Patricia Anderson, 59, of West Hills, took advantage of Medi-Cal’s suspension of its requirement that health care providers obtain prior authorization before providing certain health care services or medications as a condition of reimbursement. The suspension of the prior authorization requirements was part of an ongoing transition of Medi-Cal’s prescription drug program to a new payment system. According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Mareik “played a key role in this sprawling fraud scheme by creating fraudulent prescriptions for Medi-Cal beneficiaries,” directing Anderson to sign the fraudulent prescriptions understanding that Anderson had not seen the patients or otherwise determined that the medications were medically necessary, and arranging for the fraudulent prescriptions to be submitted to Monte Vista to submit claims to Medi-Cal. From May 2022 to April 2023, Mareik facilitated the signing of the bogus prescriptions that were billed to Medi-Cal for nearly $270 million and in turn for which Medi-Cal paid more than $178 million for 19 expensive, non-contracted drugs containing low-cost, generic ingredients that were not medically necessary or were not provided. Mareik sent thousands of fraudulent prescriptions to Anderson and caused the submission of fraudulent prescriptions under her own name. Numerous patients complained about receiving medications from Monte Vista for which they had no use and no knowledge as to why they were receiving the medications. Mareik handled the patient complaints so patients would not involve law enforcement and so that the fraud scheme could continue. After an audit of Monte Vista by the California Department of Health Care Services, Mareik sent Mekail hundreds of fraudulent progress notes for Medi-Cal beneficiaries to help cover up the scheme. Mareik received hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent Medi-Cal proceeds for facilitating the scheme. If convicted, Mareik would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. Randall pleaded guilty on April 7 to one count of wire fraud committed while on release and faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison at his August 3 sentencing hearing. Federal law enforcement has seized multiple luxury cards and rare baseball cards in connection with the scheme and are in forfeiture proceedings concerning homes Randall purchased with illicitly gained funds. The FBI, HHS-OIG, and the California Department of Justice are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Roger Hsieh of the Major Frauds Section and Trial Attorney Siobhan M. Namazi of the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant United States Attorney James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling asset forfeiture matters in this case. United States v. Shachar, et al. Oren David Shachar, 59, of Van Nuys, and Abraham Shin, 66, of Corona, were arrested on June 18, made their initial appearances that day, and were arraigned in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Both defendants, along with Jeannie Choi, 57, of Torrance, are charged in a 16-count indictment alleging that they conspired to defraud Medicare out of approximately $27 million. Choi was arrested Monday and is expected to make her initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The charges in the indictment are conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, monetary transaction in criminally derived property over $10,000, and violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Shachar and Shin are scheduled to go to trial on August 11. A federal magistrate judge ordered both defendants released on bond. According to the indictment, from February 2021 to March 2026, Shachar, who conspired with marketers Choi and Shin in 2025, submitted false claims for hospice services that were medically unnecessary because the beneficiaries were not terminally ill or were not provided because the beneficiaries were already deceased. Shachar’s Medicare claims were also non-payable because Shachar paid illegal kickbacks to marketers to procure hospice beneficiaries and paid beneficiaries to remain enrolled in his hospices. As part of this scheme, Shachar owned and operated at least four hospice care companies that he used to submit the fraudulent claims, including the Valley Glen-based Gentle Touch Hospice Care Inc., the Montclair-based Oxford Hospice Care Inc., the Encino-based Art of Hospice Inc., and the Glendale-based Holly Trinity Hospice. In 2025, Shin and Choi sold living and deceased patients’ personal identifying information to Shachar to assist him in perpetuating this fraud. If convicted of all charges, the defendants would face decades in federal prison. The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating this matter. Trial Attorney Michael Bacharach of the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section is prosecuting this case. United States v. Lopez Brenda Lee Lopez, 63, of Norwalk, was arrested this morning. She is charged in a federal grand jury indictment with seven counts of health care fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft in connection with a $9 million laboratory testing scheme to defraud Medicare. Lopez is expected to make her initial appearance and be arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. According to the indictment, Lopez, a medical office manager, prepared false orders for urinary tract infection tests, respiratory pathogen panels, and oral toxicology screens for Medicare beneficiaries using the names and forged signatures of four medical providers. The beneficiaries did not provide specimens for the tests, and some were deceased at the time of testing. Lopez provided the orders to a laboratory, which billed Medicare for the fraudulent tests. At one point, Lopez attempted to pay one of the providers when the provider learned that his name was used without authorization to refer hundreds of tests to the laboratory. In total, the laboratory billed Medicare approximately $9,087,013 and was paid approximately $2,117,994 for testing referred by Lopez based on the fraudulent orders. In exchange for the referrals, the laboratory paid Lopez and her family members approximately $335,000, much of which Lopez spent at a casino and to pay others who assisted her in the scheme. If convicted, Lopez would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each health care fraud count and a mandatory two-year consecutive federal prison sentence for each count of aggravated identity theft. The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating this matter. Trial Attorney Matthew R. Belz of the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section is prosecuting this case. United States v. Galbraith Lynn Galbraith, 59, of Anaheim, the owner of the Garden Grove-based Azure Hospice Care Inc., is charged in a single-count information with health care fraud. From April 2021 to February 2024, Galbraith allegedly submitted approximately $2,266,694 in fraudulent claims to Medicare for hospice services. Medicare paid out approximately $2,140,606 on the fraudulent claims. Galbraith is expected to make her initial appearance in the coming weeks in United States District Court in Santa Ana. If convicted, she would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. HHS-OIG is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Rosalind Wang of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case. United States v. Khader, et al. Three physicians – Wisam Khader, 36, of Irvine, Patrick Murphy, 40, of Irvine, and Justin Evans, 37, of Lakewood, Colorado – are charged in connection with a scheme in which they used their prescribing authority to prescribe controlled substances to one another outside the course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. As alleged in the single-count indictment, the three defendants wrote almost 90 prescriptions to one another for drugs containing federally controlled substances, including amphetamine, oxycodone, buprenorphine, diazepam, morphine, and pregabalin. They are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison. The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Rahul Hari of the Major Crimes Section is prosecuting this case. United States v. Dorsey Dr. Eugene Richard Dorsey, 83, of Orange, a psychiatrist at Western Orthopaedic Surgical Associates, a.k.a. “South County Orthopaedic Associates,” is charged via information with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the United States Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation programs According to court documents, from December 2020 to December 2025, Dorsey falsified psychiatric reports so that claimants would fraudulently qualify for federal worker’s compensation, and submitted false claims for reimbursement of medical services, resulting in overpayments of approximately $1,831,462. Dorsey is expected to make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana in the coming weeks. If convicted, Dorsey would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General and the Fraud Division of the California Department of Insurance, Enforcement Branch are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Rosalind Wang of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case. Criminal complaints, indictments, and informations contain allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President JD Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide Takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the National Fraud Division’s Health Care 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. In addition, CMS, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, 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 .


title: Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Mark Lewis Cobb, 39, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 1, 2026, Cobb possessed a Polymer80 Inc. 9mm pistol in St. Albans. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Cobb knew he was prohibited from possession a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on February 8. 2017. Cobb was on supervised release for that conviction at the time of his current offense. Cobb is scheduled to be sentenced on October 7, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the St. Albans Police Department. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph 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. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-70. ###


title: Newport News man sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually exploiting a minor and posting a video of the abuse online

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents, in February 2024, Kemp Jermaine Nelson, 33, engaged in sex with a 15-year-old runaway, recorded his abuse of the victim, and then posted the resultant CSAM on social media. On Sept. 17, 2025, FBI agents searched Nelson’s residence. Nelson claimed to investigators that he was a “content creator” and “porn star.” The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-CR-68.


title: Peoria Man Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Matthew T. Cosey, 32, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison on June 18, 2026, for trafficking in methamphetamine. Cosey was convicted of two counts of distribution of methamphetamine and received concurrent sentences on each count, followed by concurrent three-year terms of supervised release. At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley, the evidence showed that Cosey delivered methamphetamine on two occasions in January 2023 in Tazewell County, Illinois. Law enforcement arrested Cosey after the second sale. In total, Cosey was responsible for the unlawful delivery of 167.2 grams of methamphetamine (mixture and substance). A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Cosey in February 2023. Cosey pleaded guilty in January 2026. The statutory penalties for distribution of methamphetamine are not more than 20 years’ imprisonment, up to a three-year term of supervised release, and up to a $1,000,000 fine. Members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) Springfield, Illinois, Resident Office; Illinois State Police (“ISP”) Central Illinois Enforcement Group; ISP Silver SWAT; ISP Peoria Metropolitan Enforcement Group, and the Peoria Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.


title: Former New Hampshire State Representative and Massachusetts Daycare Worker Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Child Exploitation

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A New Hampshire woman, formerly employed at a daycare in Tyngsborough, Mass., and her former intimate partner have been sentenced in federal court in Boston for child exploitation and child pornography charges. Lindsay Groves, 41, of Hudson, N.H., was sentenced on June 2, 2026 by U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 262 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Stacie Marie Laughton, 42, of Nashua, N.H., a former New Hampshire State Representative, was sentenced on June 18, 2026 by U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 400 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release . In October and November of 2025 , the defendants pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of children. Groves also pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography. Groves and Laughton were arrested and charged by criminal complaint in June 2023 and July 2023 , respectively. They were both subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2023 . “Parents rely on daycare centers to provide safe, nurturing and heathy environments for their children. These defendants exploited parents’ trust in the most egregious way imaginable. All to satisfy their disgusting prurient interests. The victims in this case were toddlers – children who were not yet old enough to care for themselves and, in some cases, not even fully verbal. Everyone who learns about the conduct in this case should be outraged. The defendants stripped these children of their innocence – something that can never be undone,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “The sentences imposed reflect the depravity of the conduct and the seriousness of the crimes. My office will seek the most serious charges and the stiffest sentences for anyone who preys on children.” “This is one of the most abhorrent and disturbing crimes ever investigated by this office. It represents a profound violation of trust and the safety of vulnerable children. Groves and Laughton exploited their positions and betrayed the trust of parents and the community,” said Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “There are few crimes more disturbing than the sexual assault of a child, and no person more disturbing than one who stands accused of preying upon the most innocent members of our communities. HSI New England will continue to prioritize public safety by working tenaciously to remove child sex predators from our New England neighborhoods.” Groves worked at Creative Minds located in Tyngsborough, Mass. Between May 2022 and June 2023, Groves took nude images of children at the daycare and sent the photos to Laughton, with whom she was previously in an intimate relationship. Specifically, Groves used natural bathroom breaks for the children (routine diaper/pull-up changes prior to “naptime”) to take multiple photos of the prepubescent children in a private bathroom and then sent the photos to Laughton via text message at Laughton’s request. Forensic review of Grove’s and Laughton’s cellphones revealed over 10,000 text messages between them during an approximate one-month period in 2023. These messages included discussion about, and transfer of, explicit photographs that Groves had taken of children while employed at Creative Minds – including at least four sexually explicit images of children who appear to be approximately three to five years old. All minor victims involved in this matter have been identified and their families have been contacted by law enforcement. U.S. Attorney Foley, HSI Acting SAC Grimming and Nashua (N.H.) Police Chief Kevin Rourke made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire; Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office; and the Hudson, N.H. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Soto and Anne Paruti of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 .


title: District of Arizona Announces Charges Involving Over $1.2 Billion in False or Fraudulent Claims as Part of National Health Care Fraud Takedown

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine announced criminal charges against four defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs of over $1.2 billion. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. “The billions of dollars of fraud highlighted in today’s announcement should shock and anger every American,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “We must protect our valuable federal health care programs from exploitation by criminals. The message from the success of this takedown is clear – the United States government will protect taxpayer dollars and will prosecute those who seek to defraud our country.” The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms. Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including: Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers. 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers. Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million. 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025. The following individuals were charged in the District of Arizona: Susie Kamien , 55, of West Chester, Illinois, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with submitting over $918 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for amniotic wound allografts. As alleged in the information, Kamien was a medical biller who submitted claims to Medicare for allografts that were medically unreasonable and unnecessary, and procured through illegal kickbacks and bribes. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Shane Butland and William Hochul III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona. Jimmy Muyumbu , 38, formerly of Glendale, Arizona, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to launder money, and money laundering, in connection with an alleged scheme involving a substance abuse treatment clinic in Arizona that billed Arizona Medicaid over $44 million. As alleged in the indictment, Muyumbu owned and operated an outpatient treatment center called Motherland Counseling LLC (“Motherland”) in Phoenix, Arizona, which was purportedly in the business of providing addiction treatment services for vulnerable patients suffering from alcohol and drug addiction. Muyumbu enrolled Motherland as a provider with Arizona’s Medicaid agency, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (“AHCCCS”). Muyumbu sought out patients enrolled in AHCCCS’s American Indian Health Program, a fee-for-service program for Native American AHCCCS members. Muyumbu and his co-conspirators exploited these patients by submitting approximately $44,920,644 in false and fraudulent claims to AHCCCS for services that were not provided, were not provided as billed, were so substandard that they failed to serve a treatment purpose, were not used as part of or integrated into any treatment plan, were tainted by illegal kickbacks and bribes, and, in some cases, were medically unnecessary. AHCCCS paid approximately $36,678,016 based on these fraudulent claims. Muyumbu then laundered the fraudulent proceeds by purchasing real estate in the greater Phoenix area. The government seized approximately $104,463 in proceeds from Muyumbu’s alleged fraud scheme. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sarah Edwards and Assistant Chief Jim Hayes of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Bozdech is handling the forfeiture aspects of the case. Sandra Peters , 45, of Saint Johns, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with over $10 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for amniotic wound allografts. As alleged in the information, Peters was a sales representative who ordered and recommended allografts that were medically unreasonable and unnecessary, and procured through illegal kickbacks and bribes. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Shane Butland and William Hochul III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona. Brian Rowan , 47, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay health care kickbacks, paying health care kickbacks, and transactional money laundering, in connection with a $1.2 billion wound allograft scheme. As alleged in the Indictment, Rowan, the Vice President of Sales for a company that sold expensive amniotic wound allografts, caused hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal kickbacks, bribes, and rebates to be paid to sales representatives and medical providers throughout the country to unlawfully induce purchases of the company’s allografts. Rowan and his co-conspirators concealed these kickbacks and bribes by issuing sham sales invoices to providers in amounts that exceeded the providers’ actual cost of the allografts and directing providers to use the amounts reflected on those invoices for Medicare reimbursement, thereby inflating Medicare’s reimbursements and concealing the providers’ undisclosed and unreported profits. Rowan and his co-conspirators further concealed the kickbacks and bribes by using pass-through bank accounts associated with a shell company to funnel the illegal kickbacks and bribes to providers in exchange for purchasing the company’s allografts. Induced by these unlawful financial incentives, sales representatives and providers targeted elderly patients, many of whom were terminally ill in hospice care, and caused medically unreasonable and unnecessary allografts to be applied to these vulnerable patients. Between December 2021 and June 2024, Rowan and his co-conspirators caused the submission of $1.2 billion in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, TRICARE, CHAMPVA, and commercial insurers, of which approximately $614 million was paid. Rowan personally made over $24 million, which he used to purchase multi-million-dollar houses, million-dollar life insurance policies, luxury vehicles, and luxury watches. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Shane Butland and William Hochul III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here . The District of Arizona, in particular, worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division and the following law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the Takedown: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of War Defense Criminal Investigative Service. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. CASE NUMBER: U.S. v. Susie Kamien CR-26-0676-PHX-KML U.S. v. Jimmy Muyumbu CR-26-0668-PHX-DJH U.S. v. Sandra Peters CR-26-0673-PHX-SMB U.S. v. Brian Rowan CR-26-0660-PHX-DGC RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-105_National Health Care Fraud Takedown # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Beaverton Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Felon in Possession of a Firearm

component: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Beaverton, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison last Wednesday for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. Roberto Ochoa-Vergara, 29, was sentenced to a total of 120 months in federal prison and a total of four years of supervised release. According to court documents, on February 7, 2025, Ochoa-Vergara and a co-conspirator sold 128 grams of fentanyl out of the trunk of Ochoa-Vergara’s car. On March 5, 2025, Ochoa-Vergara sold almost 400 grams of fentanyl and a pistol. On March 7, 2025, a Hillsboro Police Department officer found Ochoa-Vergara unconscious, slumped over while sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle partially blocking the road. A search of Ochoa-Vergara and the vehicle revealed over $10,000 in cash, three bags totaling over 300 grams of fentanyl powder, and small bags containing cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Pursuant to a search warrant of Ochoa-Vergara’s residence, investigators found a pistol and over one kilogram of fentanyl powder. On March 18, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Ochoa-Vergara with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and felon in possession of a firearm. On April 2, 2026, Ochoa-Vergara pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm. On August 12, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned another indictment charging Ochoa-Vergara, along with his co-conspirators, with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm. On April 2, 2026, Ochoa-Vergara pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment charging possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated these cases, with assistance from the Hillsboro Police Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Bockelman prosecuted the cases. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.


title: New York Man Sentenced to Prison for Impersonating Crypto Influencers In Investment Scam

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A New York man received a federal-prison term for mimicking popular crypto influencers as he carried out a wire-fraud scheme. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Noman Saleem, 39, of Queens and Levittown, to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, in connection with the scam. Saleem conspired to steal victims’ money — including a victim in Maryland — under the guise of a crypto staking or crypto investment opportunity with guaranteed returns. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office. According to court documents, beginning in December 2020, and continuing through at least March 2021, Saleem engaged in the investment scheme by promoting himself as popular online crypto influencers, convincing several victims to send crypto to virtual wallets that he owned and controlled. The victims invested with Saleem under the guise of a crypto staking or crypto investment opportunity with guaranteed returns. After Saleem took control of the victims’ crypto, he ceased communicating with them and disappeared with their crypto. Cryptocurrencies are not tied to any nation’s fiat currency. The owner of cryptocurrency is assigned a mathematical encryption key pair consisting of a public key and a private key. A public key, also known as an address, is visible to the public. The public key allows the public to verify the owner of virtual currency and to send and receive cryptocurrencies. A private key, also known as a secret key, utilizes a password to complete cryptocurrency transactions. Secret keys are typically only shared with the owner of the public key. A wallet can hold multiple public keys for a user and an account can hold multiple wallets for a user. Crypto staking involves holding cryptocurrency holdings for a period of time to earn interest or rewards. Crypto staking is often accomplished through groups of people or pools, with participants earning passive income on their holdings, ranging from 5 to 20 percent. In 2020, Saleem began using Telegram as a messaging application. Saleem created a handle on Telegram used by a popular crypto influencer. Thousands of people joined Saleem’s public channel, and he also created a VIP sub channel by subscription in exchange for approximately $500 to $600 of crypto. Saleem led members to believe that he was the influencer, as VIP channel members could direct message him. He also created a second handle using another popular crypto influencer’s handle and offered channel members the option to join his VIP channel by subscription. Saleem advertised staking rewards through his Telegram channels, with terms of 30 to 90 days. He then enticed potential investors with promises that the more crypto that they invested, the greater the returns. Saleem never actually staked any crypto. While conducting the crypto influencing and staking scheme, Saleem obtained at least $1,415,067.14 in the equivalent of U.S. currency and crypto. The Government seized much of these losses back in the form of crypto and U.S. currency, as identified in the plea agreement. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean R. Delaney, who prosecuted this federal case, and recognized Paralegal Specialist Shelbe Mascaro for her valuable assistance. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging New York Mask Ban and Identification Requirements for Federal Officers

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: WASHINGTON—Yesterday, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the State of New York, Governor of New York Kathy Hochul, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Assistant Attorney General in Charge, Buffalo Regional Office, challenging their unconstitutional attempt to regulate federal law enforcement officers by criminally prohibiting federal officers from wearing masks, requiring individual identifiers, and banning cooperative 287(g) agreements with numerous local law enforcement agencies dedicated to helping enforce this nation’s laws. Not only is the law an illegal attempt to regulate the federal government, but, as alleged in the complaint, the law threatens the safety of federal officers who have faced an unprecedented wave of harassment, doxing, and even violence. Threatening officers with prosecution for simply protecting their identities and their families also chills the enforcement of federal law and compromises sensitive law enforcement operations. "Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe, and they do not deserve to be doxed or harassed simply for carrying out their duties," said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. "New York’s anti-law enforcement policies regulate the federal government and are designed to create risk for our agents. These laws cannot stand." "Governor Hochul cannot tell Federal officers how to do their job,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. "And she certainly cannot prohibit them from ensuring their own safety in conducting Federal law enforcement operations. Our suit today stops New York’s unconstitutional efforts." "The Department of Justice will steadfastly protect the privacy and safety of law enforcement from unconstitutional state laws like New York’s," said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. Acting Attorney General Blanche has instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal laws or impede lawful federal operations. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal policies designed to thwart federal law enforcement across the country, including in Virginia, New Jersey, and California.


title: Two Florida Men Convicted At Trial Of Orchestrating $18 Million Advance-Fee Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that JOSEPH MALVASIO, a/k/a “Joe Cohen,” and GREGG MARCUS, a/k/a “Gregg Pierce,” were convicted of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a years-long advance-fee scheme through which they defrauded hundreds of victims of at least approximately $18 million. MALVASIO and MARCUS were found guilty following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman. “Joseph Malvasio and Gregg Marcus perpetrated an advance-fee scheme whose victims were defrauded into paying millions of dollars for loans the defendants never intended to make,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The victims needed these loans to buy property and build businesses. But the defendants simply charged upfront fees and pocketed their victims’ money—approximately $18 million. This Office is committed to rooting out fraud and holding those responsible accountable.” According to the Indictment, statements made in public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence at trial: From at least in or about March 2017 through at least in or about August 2023, MALVASIO and MARCUS operated an advance-fee scheme that defrauded hundreds of victims of approximately $18 million. MALVASIO and MARCUS operated this fraudulent scheme through their ownership and operation of a business called Global Capital Partners Fund LLC (“GCPF”). MALVASIO and MARCUS falsely represented that GCPF was a legitimate business that would provide loans to individuals who were interested in funding for private commercial projects. Instead, MALVASIO and MARCUS defrauded victims, collecting thousands of dollars in fees from each victim without intending to issue a loan. MALVASIO also committed the same scheme using two other entities, called Harbor Equity and Commercial Private Equity. * * * MALVASIO, 68, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Bridgehampton, New York, and MARCUS, 60, of Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, were each convicted of one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. MALVASIO was also convicted, separately, of a second count of wire fraud. The 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. Sentencing is scheduled for October 8, 2026. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgia V. Kostopoulos, Patrick J. Gallagher, Adabelle U. Ekechukwu, Jaclyn Delligatti, Micah F. Fergenson, and Daniel G. Nessim are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Saadhana Jakka and Myrnette Millington.