title: Brazilian National Charged with Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Brazilian national residing in Somerville has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Paulo Vinicius Cardozo Pereira, 43, is charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Cardozo Pereira was arrested by immigration authorities on May 10, 2025 and will appear in federal court in Boston on June 24, 2025. According to the indictment, Cardozo Pereira was deported from the United States on July 25, 2014. It is alleged that sometime after his July 2014 removal, Cardozo Pereira illegally reentered the United States without permission. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Passaic County Lawyer Sentenced To 21 Months for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $300,000 in Covid-19 Relief Funds

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey attorney was sentenced to 21 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $300,000 in COVID-19 relief benefits, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Morton Chirnomas, 62, of Clifton, New Jersey previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an Information charging him with wire fraud. Judge O’Hearn imposed the sentence in Camden federal Court. Chirnomas was also ordered to serve three years’ supervised release. According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: From May 2020 to September 2020, Chirnomas fraudulently obtained a $150,000 loan through the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans program. He also falsely obtained $200,000 in unemployment insurance benefits using the names and identities of other people without their authorization. U.S. Attorney Habba credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone; and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark. The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . ### Defense counsel: Saverio A. Viggiano, Newark, New Jersey


title: Salvadoran Man Indicted for Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Salvadoran man unlawfully residing in Lynn has been indicted in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Jose Leonardo Gutierrez-Mendez, 32, is indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to the indictment, Gutierrez-Mendez was previously deported to El Salvador in August 2014. It is alleged that, sometime after his removal, Gutierrez-Mendez unlawfully reentered the United States. He was encountered by immigration authorities on or about May 8, 2025. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lynn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Dominican National Charged with Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Antonio Gonzales, 53, is charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Gonzales was arrested on May 7, 2025 and will appear in federal court in Boston on June 23, 2025. According to the charging documents, Gonzales has previously been convicted of a felony. Gonzales was previously deported from the United States on Sept. 15, 2004, and it is alleged that sometime after his September 2004 removal, Gonzales illegally reentered the United States without permission. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien with a prior felony criminal conviction provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crime Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Lowell Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Guns, Drugs, Machinegun Conversion Devices

body_text: BOSTON – A Lowell man has pleaded guilty to multiple federal crimes after he was recorded illegally selling numerous guns, thousands of methamphetamine pills and machineguns. Billy Chan, a/k/a “Juju,” 20, pleaded guilty on June 6, 2025 to one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license; one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and one count of transfer and possession of a machinegun. U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17, 2025. On five different dates in Lowell between March 2023 and June 2023, Chan sold three handguns, four machinegun conversion devices and approximately 2,000 pills marketed as “Adderall,” to undercover law enforcement. Laboratory testing confirmed that the “Adderall” pills were homemade methamphetamine pills pressed with caffeine and designed to look like the genuine pharmaceutical product. Chan trafficked the counterfeit pills with an alleged co-conspirator who was a member of the Asian Boyz gang. The investigation revealed that, in 2023, Asian Boyz gang members and associates had access to a plentiful supply of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine, which they distributed widely across the Merrimack Valley region. During a recorded meeting with a cooperating source, Chan said he worked at a machine shop, could make the machinegun conversion “switch” devices himself and gave instructions and demonstrations on how to install the “switches” on a pistol. A few days later, Chan sent the source a video of a person shooting a fully automatic handgun into the air, with the message: “I let my boys test the switch.” United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Superintendent Gregory C. Hudon of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Billerica, Haverhill, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, 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 https://www.justice.gov/PSN . This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant in the case is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Harrison County Man Admits to Methamphetamine Charge

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Leonard Bailey, III, age 41, of Stonewood, West Virginia, has admitted to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents, Bailey was found with 32 grams of methamphetamine and a firearm in Harrison County. Bailey is facing at least five and up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christie Utt is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Stonewood Police Department investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.


title: Brazilian National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully residing in Framingham was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Rafael De Jesus-Ribeiro, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to time served (approximately 56 days) and one year of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings. On May 30, 2025, De Jesus-Ribeiro pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. De Jesus-Ribeiro was deported from the United States on July 17, 2019, after illegally crossing the border in Texas and being stopped by Border Patrol, to whom he initially provided false documentation. Sometime after his July 2019 removal, De Jesus-Ribeiro illegally reentered the United States without permission. United States Attorney Leah Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to Thirty-Five Years in Prison for Enticing a Minor, Launching a Murder-for-Hire Plot to Silence the Victim

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A registered sex offender convicted in federal court for enticing a 12-year-old girl and then launching a murder-for-hire plot to have the victim silenced has been sentenced to 35 years in prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Chander J. Cardente, 30, previously admitted to a federal judge that he enticed the young girl to engage in multiple sexual encounters and later launched a murder-for-hire plot in a scheme to eliminate her as a witness against him. Court documents reflect that in the summer of 2021, Cardente, while posing as a 17-year-old, began communicating with the minor victim via a messaging app, and told the victim that he was interested in having sexual contact with her. In December 2021, he met the girl a short distance from her middle school, drove her to various locations in Rhode Island, and engaged in sexual contact with her multiple times. Cardente was subsequently arrested and detained in state custody. While being held at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI), Cardente communicated by telephone with another person, expressing his intent that the victim be murdered. In a conversation with a law enforcement officer acting in an undercover capacity, Cardente told the officer that the victim needed “to end up dead” because she was “a witness.” He offered the undercover officer $200 in cash and equipment worth $1,500. Cardente pleaded guilty on March 20, 2025, to enticement of a minor, commission of a felony while being required to register as a sex offender, and interstate murder for hire. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Senior Judge William E. Smith to 420 months of incarceration and 30 years of federal supervised release, with the term of incarceration commencing on December 11, 2021, to include the time Cardente has been held prior to sentencing. Cardente faced both federal and state prosecution in this matter. On May 1, 2025, at a hearing before Superior Court Justice David Cruise, Cardente plead nolo contendere to six counts of first-degree child molestation. Judge Cruise sentenced the defendant to 60 years with 35 to serve and 60 years of probation. The case in federal court was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; the Warwick, Cranston, and Burrillville Police Departments; Rhode Island State Police; and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections Special Investigations Unit. Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom acknowledges and thanks the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General for their assistance in advancing federal charges brought in this matter. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc ###


title: Nevada Woman Sentenced to 120 Months for $7 Million Advance Fee Ponzi Scheme and Obstructing the Government’s Investigation

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Nevada woman was sentenced to 120 months in prison for orchestrating a $7 million advance fee Ponzi scheme and obstructing the government’s investigation, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Anna Kline, formerly Jordana Weber, 35, of Sparks, Nevada, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court to two counts of an Indictment charging her with wire fraud. Judge O’Hearn imposed the sentence in Camden federal Court. Kline was also ordered to serve three years’ supervised release and pay $3,403,000 in restitution. According to the Indictment and documents filed in this case and statements made in court: The Fraud Scheme Between April 2017 and July 2019, Kline owned and operated several shell companies that falsely purported to offer lending services to customers, typically small business owners seeking high value loans, often in excess of $100 million. As part of the scheme, Kline required the victim borrowers to pay up to 5% of a potential total loan amount as a “fee” prior to the loan being funded. After the victim’s “fee” was paid, Kline purported to conduct due diligence on the loans. During this period, Kline frequently gave victims bogus explanations for why the funding of their loan was delayed. It was also common for the victims to be provided with falsified or fraudulent documents, including bank statements that purported to show that the shell companies had sufficient money to fund the loan. Throughout the scheme, Kline and her significant other, Jason Torres, used the “fees” paid by the victims for their daily living expenses, as well as for numerous lavish purchases, which included several luxury vehicles, high priced artwork, and vacations. The “fees” were also used to pay back previous victims of the fraud, in the manner of a traditional Ponzi scheme. At least six victims transferred a total of approximately $7 million being transferred to bank accounts controlled by the Kline as a result of the scheme. Kline’s Obstruction Kline was arrested on charges related to the fraudulent advance fee scheme in July 2019. While released on bail on those charges, Kline, through her then-attorney, Attorney-1, provided the Government with a .pdf document that purported to be a portion of a Cellebrite report showing iMessages between Kline and Torres that appeared to show Torres making threats toward Kline and insinuating that Torres was primarily responsible for the fraudulent advance fee scheme. A forensic review of the .pdf document Kline provided to the Government revealed that it had been falsified. Further investigation revealed that Kline presented the fake Cellebrite report to a Family Court in California as part of a custody dispute between Kline and Torres. During that hearing, Kline represented that the report had been generated by a forensic examiner named “Drew Andrews.” Investigation revealed that “Andrews” did not exist but was actually an alter-ego of Kline’s that Kline used to deceive the California Family Court, Attorney-1, and a forensic expert into believing that the fraudulent Cellebrite Report was legitimate. In addition to the fraudulent Cellebrite report, Kline also provided the Government a computer that she claimed contained an iTunes backup that included the alleged text messages from Torres. A forensic review of the computer revealed that data on the computer, including the iTunes backup, had been manipulated. Specifically, certain time stamps on the computer had been changed to make it appear as if the iTunes backup and other files stored on the computer were created in April 2020, when the fictional “Andrews” purportedly ran the fraudulent Cellebrite Report. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Cybercrime Unit in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Michael Huff, Esq., Philadelphia, PA


title: Waterbury Teen Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Salem Gun Theft, Trafficking Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDUARDO CRUZ, 19, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses related to the theft of firearms from a federally-licensed gun dealer in Salem, and the trafficking of some of the stolen firearms. According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning of March 15, 2024, Cruz and others drove a car into the entryway doors of Statewide Pawn Shop, a federal firearms licensee in Salem, and stole 21 firearms from the store. Later that day, law enforcement made a controlled purchase of three of the stolen firearms from Cruz and a juvenile in Waterbury. On March 18, 2024, investigators purchased another of the stolen firearms from Cruz, who arrived at the meeting location with two juveniles. Cruz was arrested at that time, and law enforcement recovered two additional stolen firearms, one that was carried by one of the juveniles, and one from Cruz’s vehicle. Two of the stolen firearms were also found in the home of one of Cruz’s associates on March 18, 2024. Thirteen of the stolen firearms are still missing. Cruz has been detained since his arrest. On March 7, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a licensee and one count of firearms trafficking. This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Connecticut State Police, and the Waterbury, Stamford, and Wolcott Police Departments. U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Waterbury and the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of New London for their cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Mahard through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Guatemalan National Indicted for Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Burlington has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Odvin Natael Chavarria-Lopez, 30, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. According to the indictment, Chavarria-Lopez was deported from the United States in July 2015. It is alleged that, sometime after his removal, the defendant unlawfully reentered the United States and was encountered on May 6, 2025. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Dominican National Indicted for Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Brockton has been indicted for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Edwin Antonio Sanchez-Lara, 34, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. According to the indictment, Sanchez-Lara was removed from the United States in August 2019. It is alleged that, sometime after his removal, the defendant unlawfully reentered the United States and was encountered on May 11, 2025. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Over Six Years in Prison on Federal Civil Rights Charges in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia Jail

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A former corrections officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for failing to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Q.B. died as a result of the officers’ assault. Ashley Toney, 25, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. According to court documents and statements made in court, then-Correctional Officer Toney acknowledged that she responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. Toney and other officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. and then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where multiple officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone, as punishment for attempting to leave his assigned pod. Toney admitted that she had an opportunity to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting Q.B. but chose not to make any reasonable effort to do so. Toney pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on August 8, 2024, to deprivation of rights under color of law resulting in physical injury. “This former corrections officer violated her duty as a law enforcement officer, and the public trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “I thank our Civil Rights Division prosecutors and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who saw these cases through appropriate sentencing.” “The defendant’s inaction led to the death of a 37-year-old man, and afterwards she attempted to shield herself and fellow officers from being held accountable for his death,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Through her criminal conduct, the defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system she swore to uphold. I commend the Civil Rights Division for their outstanding advocacy in this case.” Six corrections officers were charged in this case. In November 2024, three of those defendants — Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters — each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. In August 2024, Jacob Boothe pleaded guilty to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, Walters, and Boothe are scheduled for July 9, 2025. On Jan. 27, 2025, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict at trial for the sixth indicted defendant, Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, finding him guilty on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. On May 15, 2025, Lester was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison. Prior to their respective indictments, former correctional officers Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. On May 8, 2025, Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to nine years in prison. Fleshman is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2025. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement. The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. 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. 5:24-cr-124. ###


title: Real Estate Investor, His Company, and an Employee Sentenced for Defrauding Financially Distressed Homeowners and Financial Institutions

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Johnston-based real estate investment firm, the company’s owner, and an employee of the real estate investment firm were sentenced in U.S. District Court today for conspiring to defraud and for defrauding homeowners, many of whom spoke little or no English, and financial institutions, criminal conduct that caused some homeowners to move out of their property, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. In April 2023, after a three week trial, a jury convicted Gregory F. Aloisio, 63, of Johnston, his real estate investment company, Aloisio Group, LLC, and Aloisio Group employee John DiFruscio, Jr., 72, of North Providence, for their roles in a scheme to fraudulently obtain properties from financially distressed homeowners; to fraudulently obtain fees, commissions, and other income associated with the rental, use and short sale of homeowners’ properties; to fraudulently purchase properties in short sales and illegally “flip” them for significant personal gain; and defraud several financial institutions. Aloisio Group, LLC and DiFruscio, Jr., were each convicted of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud; Gregory Aloisio and John DiFruscio were each convicted on three counts of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud; and Gregory Aloisio was also convicted on a charge of money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy today sentenced Gregory Aloisio to a term of incarceration of 12 months and one day to be followed by three years of supervised release and John DiFruscio, Jr. to three years supervised release, the first three months in home confinement. District Court Judge McElroy imposed a term of one year of probation against the Aloisio Group. Restitution orders in this matter will be entered by the court within 30 days. The government presented evidence during the trial that, as part of the conspiracy and to further their scheme, the defendants lied to homeowners, financial institutions, and others, including evidence of the following: Through misrepresentations and concealment, the defendants represented that they were working at “arm’s length” from the homeowners, meaning that there were no relationships or connections between themselves and the homeowners that could create incentive for suppressions of house purchase prices. In fact, the defendants were controlling both sides of the purchase transactions. The defendants filed affidavits and documents that falsely represented 1) that no commercial relationship existed between the parties to induce lenders to approve short sales; 2) that there was no agreement to “flip” or rent the targeted properties after the short sale; and 3) the identity of the seller, the identity of the buyer, and/or cash to the parties at closing. In fact, defendants lined-up buyers prior to short sale so as to guarantee a flip and profit after the short sale. Prior to short sale, the defendants entered into agreements with lined-up buyers to sell properties at prices more than the short sale prices. The defendants deceived homeowners into believing that they offered a legitimate solution to the homeowners’ financial distress. In reality, the defendants were using homeowners to perpetuate their fraud. Some financially distressed homeowners were convinced to move out of their residences and lost their homes. Others remained in their properties and paid rent to the co-conspirators. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and Milind M. Shah. The matter was investigated by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General and the FBI. ###


title: Three Admit Smuggling Methamphetamine, Fentanyl into the Lincoln County Jail

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Three people, including a former inmate and a former jail employee, have admitted smuggling methamphetamine and fentanyl into the Lincoln County, Missouri jail. Kevin Childers Jr., 37, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Monday to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Steven Williamson Jr., 36, and Brittany Spangler, 35, pleaded guilty to the same charge, Williamson in May and Spangler in March. Williamson was a jail inmate and trustee at the time of the crime and worked in the kitchen. Spangler was his girlfriend. Childers ran the jail kitchen as a contract employee. All three were active in the drug scene in Lincoln County, their plea agreements say. All three admitted conspiring to smuggle fentanyl and meth into the jail from June 27, 2022, through Oct. 6, 2022. Spangler and Childers exchanged multiple phone calls between Sept. 24, 2022, and Oct. 2, 2022. Beginning at the latest in the first week of October, Williamson obtained a cell phone from a former jail trustee. He used it to ask Spangler to obtain fentanyl and meth and then told her to give the drugs to Childers to smuggle into the jail. They repeatedly discussed obtaining drugs and the payment for the drugs in text messages. On Oct. 6, 2022, Lincoln County jail officials were alerted to a contraband cell phone in the trustee pod. A search found the phone and a piece of paper with Childers’ phone number and first name. Williamson had a sock in his pants containing a clear baggie with 9.87 grams of meth and two capsules containing fentanyl. Childers is scheduled to be sentenced on October 1. Spangler’s sentencing is set for July and Williamson’s for August. The crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both a prison term and fine. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug is prosecuting the case.


title: Repeat Offender Admits Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey man admitted to possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. John Mangan, 78, of Lanoka Harbor, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court today to an Information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On October 29, 2024, agents with Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, executed a search warrant at Mangan’s residence in Lanoka Harbor and discovered an electronic device containing over 250 images of children being sexually abused. Mangan was previously convicted of sexual offenses involving minors, including: (i) a New Jersey conviction for sexual assault against a minor, for conduct that occurred while Mangan was a school principal; and (ii) a prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography. Because Mangan has been previously convicted of certain qualifying offenses, the count of possession of child pornography carries an enhanced mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for October 21, 2025. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. 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 . The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Belgiovine of the Criminal Division in Trenton. ### Defense counsel: Suzanne Axel, Hackensack, New Jersey. mangan.information.pdf


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for  Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on June 6, 2025. James Thunder Hawk, age 42, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. A federal grand jury indicted Thunder Hawk in October 2022. He pleaded guilty on March 26, 2025. Beginning in December 2020, and continuing through October 2022, Thunder Hawk and others joined in an agreement or understanding to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine in South Dakota. Some of the co-conspirators traveled to the Denver area, and other places, to acquire the drug. Thunder Hawk knew some of this methamphetamine he was selling would be further distributed. This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET). UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case. Thunder Hawk was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Acting at the Direction of North Korea to Export Firearms, Ammo, and Technology to North Korea

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An illegal alien from China pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for illegally exporting firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea by concealing them inside shipping containers that departed from the Port of Long Beach, and for committing this crime at the direction of North Korean government officials, who wired him approximately $2 million for his efforts. Shenghua Wen, 42, of Ontario, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Wen has been in federal custody since his arrest in December 2024. According to his plea agreement, Wen is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China who entered the United States in 2012 on a student visa and remained in the U.S. illegally after his student visa expired in December 2013. Prior to entering the United States, Wen met with officials from North Korea’s government at a North Korean embassy in China. These government officials directed Wen to procure goods on behalf of North Korea. In 2022, two North Korean government officials contacted Wen through an online messaging platform and instructed him to buy and smuggle firearms and other goods – including sensitive technology – from the United States to North Korea via China. In 2023, at the direction of North Korean government officials, Wen shipped at least three containers of firearms out of the Port of Long Beach to China en route to their ultimate destination in North Korea. Wen took steps to conceal that he was illegally shipping firearms to North Korea by, among other things, filing false export information regarding the contents of the containers. In May 2023, Wen purchased a firearms business in Houston, paid for with money sent through intermediaries by one of Wen’s North Korean contacts. Wen purchased many of the firearms he sent to North Korea in Texas and drove the firearms from Texas to California, where he arranged for them to be shipped. In December 2023, one of Wen’s weapons shipments – which falsely reported to U.S. officials that it contained a refrigerator – left the Port of Long Beach and arrived in Hong Kong in January 2024. This weapons shipment was later transported from Hong Kong to Nampo, North Korea. In September 2024, Wen – once again acting at the direction of North Korean officials – bought approximately 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that he intended to ship to North Korea. In furtherance of the conspiracy and at the direction of North Korean officials, Wen also obtained sensitive technology that he intended to send to North Korea. This technology included a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver that detects known, unknown, illegal, disruptive or interfering transmissions. Wen also acquired or offered to acquire a civilian airplane engine and a thermal imaging system that could be mounted on a drone, helicopter, or other aircraft, and could be used for reconnaissance and target identification. During the scheme, North Korean officials wired approximately $2 million to Wen to procure firearms and other goods for their government. Wen admitted that at all relevant times he knew that it was illegal to ship firearms, ammunition, and sensitive technology to North Korea. He also admitted to never having the required licenses to export ammunition, firearms, and the above-described devices to North Korea. He further admitted to acting at the direction of North Korean government officials and that he had not provided notification to the Attorney General of the United States that he was acting in the United States at the direction and control of North Korea as required by law. United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson scheduled an August 18 sentencing hearing, at which time Wen will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison on the count of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and up to 10 years in federal prison on the count of being an illegal agent of a foreign government. The FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; DCIS; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah E. Gerdes of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Fourth Alleged Conspirator in 2023 Armored Truck Robberies Arrested in San Antonio

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

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was arrested Sunday on criminal charges related to his alleged role in two armored truck robberies that occurred in 2023. According to court documents, Achanti Christopher Tyrese Gunn aka Bonzi, 25, allegedly conspired with three co-conspirators in an armed robbery scheme in which the co-conspirators would rob armored trucks at gunpoint, taking United States currency and other items before fleeing in a getaway vehicle. Gunn was indicted May 7 and arrested June 8. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted, Gunn faces up to 20 years on the conspiracy and the Hobbs Act robbery charge and seven years to life on the brandishing charge consecutive to any other sentence imposed. Co-defendants Daquwan Reshay Richardson, 30, Jeremiah Jerome Richardson aka Juice, 22, and Jordan Raekwon Jones aka Murda Maxx, 30, were already in custody and named in a previously filed indictment. Daquwan Richardson was arrested Aug. 21, 2023; Jeremiah Richardson was arrested July 11, 2023; and Jones was arrested Nov. 5, 2024. All four defendants face various combinations of the same charges. U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the San Antonio Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Nowinski is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Leader of Multi-State Polydrug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Nearly Two Decades in Prison for Drug Conspiracy, Illegal Possession of Firearms and Money Laundering

body_text: BOSTON – A Lawrence man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for leading a large-scale drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine. Joseph Correa, 35, was sentenced by on Friday, June 6, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley to 18 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In November 2024 , Correa pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and other controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Correa was a target of a long-term investigation into a network of fentanyl and cocaine distributors based in and around Lawrence. The investigation showed that Correa obtained fentanyl from local suppliers, and that he and co-defendants and brothers Jose Martinez and Luis Martinez regularly traveled to Puerto Rico to purchase wholesale quantities of cocaine, which they mailed to addresses in New England for redistribution in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Correa employed co-defendants, as well as an uncharged co-conspirator, to store and process drugs at their residences and to distribute drugs on his behalf. Correa was regularly intercepted over court-authorized wiretaps discussing distribution of fentanyl and cocaine and obtaining, possessing and using firearms. He and co-defendant Mayi Rosario conspired to launder drug proceeds via various financial transactions and purchases. During the course of the investigation, fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, cocaine and drug proceeds were seized from Correa and his associates and from packages mailed by or for Correa. On Dec. 15, 2021, Correa was arrested in Caguas, Puerto Rico. At the time of his arrest, Correa was holding a loaded firearm that had a Glock slide and a privately manufactured grip, and that had been converted into a fully automatic weapon. In May 2024, Jose Martinez was sentenced to 90 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In February 2025, Luis Martinez was sentenced to five years in prison and four years of supervised release. In August 2024, Rosario was sentenced to 30 months in prison, to be followed by one year of home detention and 26 months of supervised release. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lawrence Police Department; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Essex County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Ferguson and J. Mackenzie Duane of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case. This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Former CEO of Crescenta Valley Investment Firm Sentenced to Over  3 Years in Federal Prison for Fraudulently Charging Clients Millions of Dollars

body_text: LOS ANGELES – The founder and former CEO of an investment firm that specializes in debt instruments was sentenced today to 40 months in federal prison for falsifying financial records to fraudulently inflate the value of the funds he managed, allowing him to charge investors millions of dollars in unauthorized fees. Brendan Ross, 52, of La Cañada Flintridge, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who also ordered him to pay $5.9 million in restitution. Ross pleaded guilty in August 2022 to one count of wire fraud. In 2012, Ross founded Direct Lending Investments LLC (DLI), a La Cañada Flintridge-based investment firm. He served as the firm’s sole owner and CEO until his resignation in March 2019. By the summer of 2017, the firm had more than $1 billion in assets under management. According to the indictment, Ross directed DLI to invest the funds’ assets in, among other things, a company that loaned money to small businesses and retailers. The DLI funds made money when the loans performed, meaning that the borrowers made timely payments. Rather than disclose some of the loans were not performing, Ross falsified monthly reports to make it appear borrowers were making payments. The “payments” came from fee rebates given by the company originating the loans. By lying about the true status of the loans, Ross caused DLI to overstate the value of these loans on the funds’ books and fraudulently inflate the funds’ value. Specifically, Ross caused the monthly asset values of the funds to be cumulatively inflated by more than $300 million over the course of about four years. By fraudulently inflating the value of the funds, Ross was able to collect millions of dollars in fees he otherwise would not have been able to charge to clients. To further his scheme and help conceal it, Ross arranged for the sale of approximately $55 million of the loans to a third-party buyer in the summer of 2017. Ross once again inflated the value of these loans by lying about their status, falsely telling the buyer that borrowers had been making payments on many of these loans. “These losses reflect intense financial hardships, including the decimation of retirement and investment accounts, as well as negative professional and reputational consequences suffered by many of the investors…and even DLI employees who were defrauded by [Ross],” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. The FBI investigated this matter. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed a civil complaint against Ross in August 2020, provided substantial assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Scott Paetty of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.


title: Northridge Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Meth-Caked Clothes – Including a Cow Pajama Onesie – in Suitcases Checked at LAX

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for possessing two suitcases containing more than a dozen clothing items – including a cow pajama onesie – caked in methamphetamine while preparing to board a flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Australia late last year. Raj Matharu, 31, of Northridge, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He remains free on $10,000 bond. According to his plea agreement, on November 6, 2024, Matharu attempted to travel from Los Angeles to Sydney via airplane. He carried with him two suitcases filled with clothing that had been coated with nearly 1.1 kilograms (2.4 pounds) of methamphetamine. After arriving at LAX, Matharu tried to check his bags but was told they were overweight. He then opened both his suitcases and transferred contents from one to the other, all of which was captured by airport surveillance cameras. He then successfully checked his luggage containing the meth-soaked clothes. X-ray screening revealed abnormalities in Matharu’s suitcases, and they were flagged for secondary review. Officers inspected one suitcase and felt stiff clothing. A K9 unit was called, and Matharu was intercepted by officers after he crossed the jet bridge to board his Australia-bound flight. He was brought to the screening area, where he confirmed the two bags were his and that he packed them himself. Officers opened the bags in front of Matharu, where they found stiffly dried white clothing caked in a powdery substance, as well as loose white residue on the lining and throughout both cases, all of which tested positive for methamphetamine. Further extraction of the substance from six of a total of 17 items in the suitcases and additional laboratory testing revealed that those items contained nearly 1.1 kilograms of methamphetamine. Matharu admitted in his plea agreement that, at the time he possessed the suitcases, he knew he was transporting methamphetamine or some other federally controlled substance and that he intended to distribute it in Australia. United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer scheduled an October 20 sentencing hearing, at which time Matharu will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter. United States Customs and Border Protection provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas G. Purcell of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Founder of Cryptocurrency Payment Company Charged with Evading Sanctions and Export Controls, Defrauding Financial Institutions, and Violating the Bank Secrecy Act

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, a 22-count indictment was unsealed charging Iurii Gugnin with wire and bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, failing to implement an effective anti-money laundering compliance program, failing to file suspicious activity reports, money laundering, and related conspiracy charges. Gugnin, a resident of New York and citizen of Russia, allegedly used his cryptocurrency company “Evita” to funnel more than $500 million of overseas payments through U.S. banks and cryptocurrency exchanges while hiding the source and purpose of the transactions. Gugnin was arrested this morning and arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl. The defendant was ordered detained pending trial. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General, the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Harry Chavis, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI); and Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (BIS-OEE) announced the arrest and charges. “As alleged, Gugnin came to the United States and set up a money laundering operation under the guise of a cryptocurrency start-up, which he then used to evade sanctions and export controls and defraud U.S. financial institutions,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s arrest demonstrates that this Office will vigorously prosecute those who abuse the U.S. financial system in furtherance of criminal activity, particularly when it undermines national security.” Mr. Nocella also expressed his appreciation to the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section for their assistance with the investigation. “The defendant is charged with turning a cryptocurrency company into a covert pipeline for dirty money, moving over half a billion dollars through the U.S. financial system to aid sanctioned Russian banks and help Russian end-users acquire sensitive U.S. technology,” stated Assistant Attorney General Eisenberg. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to bring to justice those who imperil our national security by enabling our foreign adversaries to sidestep sanctions and export controls.” “Iurii Gugnin, a Russian national, allegedly served as a financial intermediary to sanctioned Russian entities by covertly laundering more than $500 million in illicit transactions through U.S.-based accounts and cryptocurrency exchanges,” stated FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “Gugnin’s alleged scheme manipulated our nation’s financial infrastructure to benefit our nation's adversaries. The FBI remains committed to apprehending any individual who seeks to circumvent export controls, defraud our country, and jeopardize our national security.” “It’s alleged Gugnin used deception and fraud to cover up a financial trail that showed him moving more that $500 million through U.S. banks on behalf of foreign clients. He supposedly evaded U.S. sanctions, lied to banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, manipulated invoices to hide Russian contacts, and violated the Bank Secrecy Act – all while leaving an internet search trail to show he knew he was breaking the law. Through a complex investigation conducted by federal law enforcement, Gugnin now faces prosecution for this multi-million-dollar scheme and its impending consequences,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Chavis. “Export control violations are often intertwined with a range of serious criminal activities, including illicit finance and transnational organized crime. The Office of Export Enforcement remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who compromise our national security by violating U.S. export laws,” stated Special Agent in Charge Carson.” As alleged in the indictment, Gugnin is the founder, President, Treasurer, and Compliance Officer of U.S-based Evita Investments, Inc. (Evita Investments) and Evita Pay, Inc. (Evita Pay) (collectively, Evita). Gugnin used both companies to enable foreign customers—many of whom held funds at sanctioned Russian banks—to provide him with cryptocurrency, which he then laundered through cryptocurrency wallets and U.S. bank accounts. Gugnin ultimately converted the funds into U.S. dollars or other fiat currencies and then made payments through bank accounts in Manhattan on behalf of his foreign customers. In the process, the sources of the funds were obscured, disguising the audit trail and hiding the true counterparties to the transactions. Between June 2023 and January 2025, Gugnin used Evita to facilitate the movement of approximately $530 million through the U.S. financial system, most of which he received in the form of a cryptocurrency stablecoin known as Tether, or “USDT.” To effectuate the scheme, Gugnin defrauded various banks and cryptocurrency exchanges through which he converted funds and made wire transfers. Gugnin repeatedly lied to these banks and exchanges, telling them that Evita did not conduct business with entities in Russia and did not deal with sanctioned entities. In fact, many of Gugnin’s customers were located in Russia, and he facilitated payments in funds held at sanctioned Russian banks, including PJSC Sberbank, PJSC Sovcombank, PJSC VTB Bank, and JSC Tinkoff Bank. Gugnin maintained personal accounts at two sanctioned Russian banks, JSC Alfa-Bank and PJSC Sberbank, with which he transacted while residing in the United States. Gugnin also facilitated payments by foreign customers to procure sensitive electronics, including an export-controlled server designed by a U.S. technology company, and laundered funds from a Moscow-based supplier to purchase parts for Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear technology company. To conceal his activities, Gugnin regularly obfuscated invoices by digitally “whiting out” the names and addresses of his Russian customers. Gugnin also failed to implement Evita’s own purported anti-money laundering program and failed to file suspicious activity reports, as required under the Bank Secrecy Act. Although Gugnin represented to banks and cryptocurrency exchanges that Evita followed rigorous anti-money laundering and know-your-customer requirements, in practice he flouted those requirements, as well as the requirement to file reports of suspicious activities with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Gugnin ultimately registered Evita Pay as a money transmitter with FinCEN and the state of Florida but did so by making materially false statements to the state of Florida about Evita Pay’s business. Gugnin used that fraudulently obtained state license to induce a cryptocurrency exchange to process transactions on his behalf. In the course of his scheme, Gugnin conducted web searches that confirmed his awareness that he was breaking the law, including searches for “how to know if there is an investigation against you”; “evita investments inc. criminal records search”; “Iurii Gugnin criminal records”; “money laundering penalties US”; and “penalties for sanctions violations EU luxury goods.” He also visited website pages titled, respectively “am I being investigated?”; “signs you may be under criminal investigation”; and “what are the best ways to find out if you’re being investigated and what can someone do when they think they might be under investigation.” The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Gugnin faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment on the bank fraud counts; 20 years’ imprisonment for the wire fraud, IEEPA, money laundering, and related conspiracy counts; 10 years’ imprisonment for failure to implement an effective anti-money laundering program and failure to file suspicious activity reports; and 5 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to defraud the United States and operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business. Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Skurnik is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from paralegal specialist Emma Tavangari, along with Trial Attorney Dallas Kaplan of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Assistant United States Attorney Laura Mantell of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters. The Defendant : IURII GUGNIN (also known as “Iurii Mashukov” and “George Goognin”) Age: 38 New York, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-191 (NRM)


title: Metairie Resident Sentenced for Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that CARSON RIESS (“RIESS”) , age 41, of Metairie, Louisiana, was sentenced on May 27, 2025, to 60 months imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey after previously pleading guilty to receipt of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1). Additionally, RIESS was ordered to pay $172,500 in restitution to numerous victims as well as a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, the case against RIESS stemmed from an online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). On May 20, 2024, HSI special agents, along with members of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, executed two federal search warrants at RIESS’ Metairie home. HSI agents seized a computer from RIESS’ residence during the search, confirmed this laptop contained Child Sexual Abuse Material, and subsequently arrested RIESS and charged him with the receipt of CSAM. HSI’s investigation revealed RIESS received images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. 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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Just Over Ten Years in Federal Prison  for Voluntary Manslaughter

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on June 6, 2025. Vincent Boesem, age 32, was sentenced to ten years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. A federal grand jury indicted Boesem in March 2023. He pleaded guilty on March 14, 2025. Between July 3, 2022, and July 4, 2022, Boesem and his elderly uncle had been drinking together at the uncle’s home within the Pine Ridge Reservation. While intoxicated with alcohol and methamphetamine, Boesem became enraged and beat the victim about his head, face, and body. Although Boesem ultimately called 911 to get medical help, the victim succumbed to his injuries. Boesem acted in the heat of passion, that is, in an uncontrollable rage and with an extreme emotional disturbance. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case. Boesem was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Huntington Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Mark Radford, 33, of Huntington, was sentenced today to time served and 15 years of supervised release, including six months on home detention, for possession of child pornography. Radford must also register as a sex offender. According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about November 3, 2020, law enforcement officers seized Radford’s cell phone. A forensic examination of the cell phone revealed approximately 22 images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Radford admitted to downloading the images from the internet. Radford further admitted that some of the images depicted prepubescent children engaged in sexual conduct. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley C. Shamblin and Julie M. White prosecuted the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . 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. 3:22-cr-61. ###


title: Memphis Man Sentenced to Seventeen Years for Trafficking 17-Year-Old Female to Perform Commercial Sex Acts

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DOMINIQUE PEEPLES (“PEEPLES”), age 28, from Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced on May 28, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to Sex Trafficking of a Minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1), 1591(b)(2), 1594(a), and 2. According to court documents, PEEPLES brought a seventeen-year-old female (“Minor Victim”) from Memphis, Tennessee to New Orleans, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and Houston, Texas, and required her to engage in commercial sex acts. During this time, PEEPLES was aware of Minor Victim’s age. PEEPLES advertised Minor Victim on websites commonly used to advertise sexual services in exchange for money and kept all or most of the proceeds from her work. PEEPLES waited in a vehicle and watched Minor Victim while she solicited commercial sex “dates.” Minor Victim worked under PEEPLES’ supervision between August of 2020 and her escape in mid-January 2021. After Minor Victim ran away, PEEPLES posted a video on social media in which he boasted about exploiting Minor Victim and pointed firearms at the screen. U.S. District Court Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced PEEPLES to seventeen (17) years in prison. PEEPLES was also sentenced to ten (10) years of supervised release after release from prison. Judge Vance further ordered PEEPLES to pay $120,000 in restitution to Minor Victim, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. PEEPLES will also have to register as a sex offender. This case was part of a broader investigation involving defendants JEREMY TALBERT and MACEO ROBERTS , both of whom have pleaded guilty for related sex trafficking crimes. In February 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan sentenced ROBERTS to 22.5 years of imprisonment for conspiring to traffic three minors and two adults. In March 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Lance Africk sentenced TALBERT to 18 years for trafficking a fourteen-year-old minor to New Orleans. These cases were 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Memphis Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria M. Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit and Jordan Ginsberg, Supervisor of the Public Corruption Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Box Elder Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison  for Committing an Assault within the Pine Ridge Reservation

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Box Elder, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on June 2, 2025. Samatha Wright, 27, was sentenced to one year and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Wright was indicted for Discharge of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon by a federal grand jury in June 2024. She pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025. The charges stemmed from a domestic dispute between Wright and the victim, her then-husband, while they lived within the Pine Ridge Reservation. Wright shot the victim with a handgun, hitting him three times and causing serious bodily injury. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case. Wright was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Mexican commercial fishermen plead guilty to illegal red snapper harvesting

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Four members of a Mexican fishing crew have admitted they unlawfully transported fish taken from the Gulf of America, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jose Daniel Santiago-Mendoza, 22, has now pleaded guilty, while Miguel Angel Ramirez-Vidal, 32, Jesus David Luna-Marquez, 20, and Jesus Roberto Morales-Amador, 27, all citizens of Mexico, previously entered their pleas. All have admitted to knowingly transporting approximately 315 kilograms of illegally taken red snapper. On April 16, the four-man crew left Playa Bagdad, Mexico, at night in a 25-foot open fishing vessel without running lights. They then traveled into the Exclusive Economic Zone in U.S. waters, ultimately deploying about four miles of longline containing approximately 1,200 hooks. The gear was set approximately 18 miles north of the Maritime Boundary Line with Mexico and about 25 miles east of South Padre Island (SPI). When authorities apprehended the crew, they were in possession of approximately 693 pounds of red snapper and four sharks. The men knew the catch would be seized if they were caught in U.S. waters but chose to take the risk due to the limited supply of red snapper in Mexican waters. They intended to sell the catch once they returned to Mexico. The snapper they unlawfully took from U.S. waters have an estimated retail value of over $9 thousand. Ramirez-Vidal, the captain of the boat, had been arrested on 28 prior occasions for illegal fishing. The others also have similar previous arrests. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing for Ramirez-Vidal Aug. 13. Santiago-Mendoza, Luna-Marquez and Morales-Amador pleaded guilty and are also pending sentencing. At their respective hearings, each faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. They have been and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, Coast Guard Investigative Services, Coast Guard Station SPI, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Texas Parks and Wildlife and South Padre Island Police Department conducted the joint investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hagen is prosecuting the case. The arrest and prosecution of Mexican commercial fisherman marks a change in policy concerning the protection of U.S. marine resources. In past instances, authorities would seize the catch and destroy the vessel but release violators back to Mexico. Any commercial fisherman now apprehended in U.S. waters caught violating the Lacey Act face potential fines and imprisonment.


title: Founder of Sexual Wellness Company “OneTaste” and Former Head of Sales Convicted of Forced Labor Conspiracy

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a federal jury convicted Nicole Daedone, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of OneTaste, Inc. (OneTaste), a sexual wellness education company, and Rachel Cherwitz, the company’s former head of sales, of forced labor conspiracy in connection with their coercive scheme to obtain the labor and services of certain OneTaste employees. To achieve their goal, the defendants and their co-conspirators subjected the victims to economic, sexual, emotional, financial, and psychological abuse, as well as surveillance, indoctrination, and intimidation. The verdict was returned after a five-week trial before United States District Judge Diane Gujarati. When sentenced, Daedone and Cherwitz each face up to 20 years in prison. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict. “The jury’s verdict has unmasked Daedone and Cherwitz for who they truly are: grifters who preyed on vulnerable victims by making empty promises of sexual empowerment and wellness only to manipulate them into performing labor and services for the defendants’ benefit,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “I commend the witnesses who testified at trial notwithstanding the trauma that they experienced at the defendants’ direction. It is my hope that the just conclusion of this process will bring them closure, and that future charlatans think twice about exploiting human beings in this manner.” “Today's verdict sends a clear message— controlling your labor force by relying on lies, manipulation, and abuse is a crime. The victims in this case were offered sexual empowerment and wellness as a pathway to healing past trauma, but instead received various forms of abuse and manipulation on behalf of Daedone and Cherwitz for the financial benefit of OneTaste. The FBI will continue to ensure those responsible for forced labor schemes are made to answer for their crimes,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. OneTaste was a privately held company founded by Daedone in 2004. Its principal place of business was San Francisco, California, and it operated at various locations within New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Austin, and London. OneTaste promoted itself as a sexually focused wellness education company that offered hands-on classes on “orgasmic mediation” (OM), which involved stroking a woman’s genitals for 15 minutes. OneTaste generated revenue by providing courses, coaching, OM events, and less-publicized courses in other sexual practices in exchange for a fee. As proven at trial, between 2006 and May 2018, Daedone and Cherwitz obtained the labor and services of multiple young women who had turned to OneTaste for healing and spirituality by coercing them to perform labor, including sexual labor, for the defendants’ benefit. OneTaste advertised that its courses and teachings could heal past sexual trauma and dysfunction. Daedone and Cherwitz used abusive and manipulative tactics designed to control OneTaste members by making them emotionally and psychologically dependent on OneTaste, including encouraging them to incur debt by opening lines of credit to finance the expensive courses, subjecting them to constant surveillance in communal homes, collecting sensitive information about their prior trauma and sexual histories, depriving them of sleep, and subjecting them to sexual abuse. Once they had secured the loyalty and indebtedness of certain OneTaste members, Daedone and Cherwitz engaged in abusive employment practices. They directed OneTaste members to work long hours seven days per week with little or no compensation; that work included manual labor and the provision of sexual services. For example, Daedone and Cherwitz coerced their victims to sexually service OneTaste’s current and prospective investors, clients and employees for the financial benefit of the company. Three witnesses testified about how they were coerced into becoming a “handler” for OneTaste’s initial investor, who was also Daedone’s boyfriend, which required them to live with him, perform demeaning sex acts at his direction, and cook for him. Multiple other witnesses testified that they were coerced under threat of termination, demotion, ostracism, and financial and spiritual ruin by Daedone and Cherwitz into performing various sex acts with OneTaste’s potential clients and investors. In 2017, Ms. Daedone sold OneTaste—a company built on the backs of coerced and unpaid or substantially underpaid labor—for $12 million. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Kayla C. Bensing, Kaitlin T. Farrell, Nina C. Gupta, and Sean Michael Fern are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Liam McNett and Marlane Bosler. The Defendants : NICOLE DAEDONE Age: 57 New York, New York RACHEL CHERWITZ Age: 44 Philo, California


title: Nigerian citizen sentenced in million-dollar stolen mail credit card fraud scheme

body_text: HOUSTON – A 64-year-old man who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for his role in a large-scale mail theft and credit card fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Omokehinde Muyiwa Oyegoke-Tewogbade pleaded guilty Feb. 19. U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered him to serve 24 months in federal prison and to pay restitution in the amount of $839,555.75. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment as Oyegoke-Tewogbade had overstayed his visa and was unlawfully present in the United States. Over a six-month period between November 2022 and May 2023, Oyegoke-Tewogbade and co-conspirators schemed to steal U.S. mail containing new credit cards and bank statements intended for account holders. They contacted financial institutions to activate the stolen cards, increased credit limits and altered account information. They then used the cards to purchase goods, services, gift cards, cash and merchandise at retail stores. In total, they fraudulently activated at least 120 stolen credit cards, causing an estimated $1 million in losses to Chase Bank. Four others had also previously pleaded guilty to the same charges - Christopher McGee, 43, Daniel Sanchez, 37, Bradley Kane Zarco, 39, and Travis Castaneda Qawasmeh, 28, all of Houston. Sanchez has already been sentenced to 41 months, while the others are pending their hearings. Oyegoke-Tewogbade will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Lansden prosecuted the case.


title: Former President of Allentown Title Company Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Title Insurance Underwriter, Clients, and U.S. Government

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Louis Belletieri, 43, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl on two counts of wire fraud, charges arising from his scheme to defraud a title insurance underwriter and clients and his fraudulent application to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”). In May of this year, the defendant was charged with those offenses by information. As detailed in court documents, Belletieri was the president of Allentown-based Security Settlement Services of Pittsburgh d/b/a Legacy Title (“Legacy Title”), which he purported to operate for the purpose of providing title and real estate closing services to clients in connection with real estate transactions. In or about November 2013, the defendant, as Legacy Title’s president, entered into a contract with a title insurance underwriter, in which the underwriter appointed Legacy Title as its agent for the purpose of issuing title insurance commitments, policies, endorsements for Pennsylvania properties. Legacy Title and Belletieri maintained an escrow account to receive funds in connection with these and other client real estate transactions. The money from customers, mortgage lenders, and others was typically transferred electronically into Legacy Title’s escrow account. Belletieri should have maintained the funds in the escrow account for the purpose of conducting real estate transactions and disbursing funds as appropriate and for the purpose for which they were entrusted, such as to pay off mortgages, pay taxes, obtain title insurance, and pay for other expenses in connection with real estate transactions. As further detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, he instead used the funds in the escrow account for personal reasons, including, among other things, to place online sports bets. During the course of the scheme, Belletieri regularly made and caused to be made electronic transfers of funds to and from the escrow account to, from, and among Legacy Title’s business operating account, his personal bank account, his credit card account, and online sports betting platforms. From in or about March 2020 through in or about September 2023, Belletieri made electronic transfers of funds from the escrow account to his personal account totaling approximately $6,434,500, and from the escrow account to the business operating account totaling approximately $2,460,190, many of which were not for legitimate business purposes. Belletieri took numerous steps to conceal his fraud upon his clients and the title insurance underwriter, including by submitting a fraudulent application to the SBA on behalf of Legacy Title to defraud the SBA and obtain funds via the EIDL program. In connection with this application, the defendant entered into fraudulent loan agreements with the SBA, falsely agreeing that he would use the proceeds of the loan solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury related to the Covid-19 pandemic. When the SBA disbursed the EIDL funding to Legacy Title and Belletieri pursuant to his fraudulent application, Belletieri used significant portions of the proceeds for personal uses, rather than as working capital for Legacy Title. As a result, the defendant caused the SBA to disburse a total of approximately $825,000 due to his fraud. Belletieri is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12 and faces a maximum possible sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency with assistance from the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Boscia and Rebecca J. Kulik.


title: New Orleans Woman Guilty of Wire Fraud for Fraudulent Vehicle Purchase Scheme

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that KENDRA WALKER (“WALKER”) , age 41, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on June 5, 2025 before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe on June 5, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349. According to court documents, in 2022, WALKER conspired with her father, Kenneth Richmond, to use fake and stolen personal identifying information to make fraudulent vehicle purchases from a local car dealership. The vehicle purchases were financed through a financial institution, and several of the loans went into default. WALKER also made three vehicle purchases in her own name using a fake Social Security Number in Georgia. In total, WALKER caused the financial institution to approve approximately $216,939 in loans for fraudulent applications. Richmond was also charged in this case and pled guilty for his role in this scheme in May 2025. In pleading guilty, WALKER faces up to twenty (20) years in prison and up to three (3) years of supervised release. WALKER also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Judge Ashe set sentencing in this matter for September 25, 2025. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Secret Service, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana Department of Public Safety. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Former state worker pleads guilty in scheme to steal nearly $900,000 in state tax dollars

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – A 48-year-old Olympia resident pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to wire fraud in connection with his scheme to steal nearly $900,000 from his former employer – the State of Washington – announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Matthew Randall Ping pleaded guilty to wire fraud and making and subscribing a false tax return. Ping is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright on September 9, 2025. According to the charging information and the plea agreement, Ping began working for the Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) in 2009. By 2017 he had been promoted to the role of Management Analyst and served as the department’s credit card custodian. Between 2019 and 2023, Ping used a sophisticated scheme to abuse his credit card access so he could embezzle at least $878,115 from the state agency. The plea agreement and charging information detail how Ping hid the fraud from his employer. Ping opened accounts with payment processors and gave the accounts display names that indicated the accounts were associated with legitimate OAH business vendors. Between 2019 and 2021, Ping secretly charged more than $330,000 to OAH credit cards as purported payments to these vendors. In fact, the money went to accounts Ping controlled. In 2021, Ping set up an account via a different payment processor and continued the fraud, stealing approximately $530,000 in additional funds from OAH. Ping also used OAH credit cards to buy $17,359 in personal items from Verizon and Walmart. Ping also circumvented state procedures designed to detect credit card fraud. For example, OAH required that Ping’s co-workers review and approve Ping’s credit card transactions, but Ping would provide false or incomplete lists of transactions during that review process. After the review, Ping would add in his fraudulent charges and upload and approve payment himself without the required oversight on his fraudulent transactions. He also took steps to manipulate the accounting data to make it more difficult to determine that he had violated protocol by uploading, reviewing, and approving his own transactions In all Ping secretly executed 210 transactions with the phony vendors he created for a total loss to the state of $860,756. The improper charges on his state issued credit card total $17,359, bringing the total loss to the State of Washington to $878,115. The embezzlement was first discovered by the Washington State Auditor’s Office. Ping resigned his position in 2023 when the theft was discovered. Even as he was embezzling, Ping failed to report the stolen funds on his income tax returns. For tax years 2020-2023, the resulting tax loss totals $240,247. Ping has agreed to pay full restitution to the state and to the IRS for his tax obligation. The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) worked with the Auditors Office on the criminal investigation. The case is being Prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer.


title: Mexican National charged with assaulting federal officers

body_text: Update: on January 9, 2026, Victor Vivanco-Reyes was acquitted by a federal jury of four counts of assaulting a federal officer. Seattle – A citizen of Mexico residing illegally in Stanwood, Washington, appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle today charged with two counts of assault on a federal officer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Victor Vivanco- Reyes, 25, was being sought by a team from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, and Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations (CBP AMO) due to his criminal convictions and lack of status in the United States. Vivanco-Reyes remains detained pending a hearing scheduled for June 13, 2025. According to the criminal complaint, on May 22, 2025, HSI Special Agents attempted to locate Vivanco-Reyes in the Mount Vernon, Washington area. When his vehicle was located in a residential area, HSI agents activated the lights and sirens on their cars to get Vivanco-Reyes to stop. After pausing briefly at a driveway, Vivanco-Reyes accelerated away from the officers, driving at a high rate of speed in a residential area. Because of the reckless driving and risk to the community, the agents ended their attempt to arrest him. On June 6, 2025, the agents again attempted to locate Vivanco-Reyes. Just after 9:30 am, agents with HSI, ERO, the U.S. Border Patrol, and CBP AMO were able to locate a work truck associated with Vivanco-Reyes’s apparent employer. The work truck was towing a trailer on Cascade View Drive on Camano Island, Washington. Using three different vehicles, the federal agents attempted to block the north and southbound lanes so that Vivanco-Reyes could be taken into custody. When the agents activated their lights, the truck and trailer accelerated right at the one of the vehicles, hitting it on the front passenger side. Ultimately the truck and trailer crashed head-on into another government car that was a short distance down the road. The truck continued on, driving into a ditch and hitting a power pole. Vivanco-Reyes tried to flee on foot but was taken into custody. Two of the agents who were injured in the collisions were taken to area hospitals. Assault on a federal agent with a deadly weapon is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years and a $250,000 fine. The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M. Ly.