title: Former Private Equity Executives Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, David Gentile, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPB Capital, and Jeffry Schneider, the former CEO of Ascendant Capital, were sentenced by United States District Judge Rachel P. Kovner to seven years in prison and six years in prison, respectively, for their roles in a multi-year scheme to defraud more than 10,000 investors by misrepresenting the performance of three GPB Capital private equity funds and the source of funds used to make monthly distribution payments to investors. Collectively, the GPB funds raised approximately $1.6 billion from investors. Both defendants were convicted by a federal jury in August 2024 following an eight-week trial of securities fraud, securities fraud conspiracy, and wire fraud conspiracy; Gentile was also convicted of wire fraud. Additional penalties of forfeiture and restitution will be imposed at a later date. 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 sentences. “The defendants built GPB Capital on a foundation of lies,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “They raised approximately $1.6 billion from individual investors based on false promises of generating investment returns from the profits of portfolio companies, all while using investor capital to pay distributions and create a false appearance of success. The sentences imposed today are well deserved and should serve as a warning to would-be fraudsters that seeking to get rich by taking advantage of investors gets you only a one-way ticket to jail. My Office is committed to protecting the investing public and the integrity of the financial markets.” Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York City Business Integrity Commission, and the New York City Police Department for their valuable assistance with the case. "For years, David Gentile and Jeffry Schneider wove a web of lies to steal more than one billion dollars from investors through empty promises of guaranteed profits and unlawfully rerouting funds to provide an illusion of success. The defendants abused their high-ranking positions within their company to exploit the trust of their investors and directly manipulate payments to perpetuate this scheme. May today’s sentencing deter anyone who seeks to greedily profit off their clients through deceitful practices," stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. As proven at trial, GPB Capital, founded by Gentile in 2013, was a New York-based registered investment advisor. Ascendant Capital, a marketing firm founded by Schneider, was the exclusive placement agent for GPB. GPB Capital’s funds offered private equity-style investments to individual investors. The GPB funds were presented to investors as “income-producing” private equity, meaning that investors would receive monthly distributions from cash flow generated by portfolio companies owned by the GPB funds, in addition to a return on their investment at the end of the fund. In total, GPB and Ascendant Capital raised approximately $1.6 billion for three funds, GPB Holdings I, LP (Holdings I), GPB Holdings II, LP (Holdings II), and GPB Automotive Portfolio, LP (GPB AP) and together with Holdings I and Holdings II, (the GPB Funds). Gentile and Schneider worked closely on the operation and marketing of the GPB Funds and were personally involved in pitching broker-dealers and registered investment advisors. They were also involved in investment decisions at GPB Capital and in the day-to-day operations of the GPB Funds. Between approximately 2015 and 2018, the defendants defrauded investors and prospective investors in the GPB Funds through misrepresentations about the performance of the GPB Funds and the source of the investors’ monthly distributions. In 2015 and 2016, the defendants, with their co-conspirators, used fraudulent, back-dated “performance guarantees” to artificially inflate the income of Holdings I and GPB AP. The performance guarantees were executed by GPB operating partner Jeffrey Lash for certain dealerships owned by the funds and falsely represented that Lash had agreed to cover a shortfall in profits at the dealerships. In or about March 2015, at the direction of the defendants, Lash executed two performance guarantees falsely representing that he had agreed to cover a shortfall in profits at two dealerships owned by Holdings I for audit year 2014. In April 2016, the defendants and Lash executed another fraudulent performance guarantee for a dealership owned by GPB AP for audit year 2015. Gentile then routed funds from another GPB-owned fund through Lash’s accounts to create the appearance that the performance guarantee had been paid. Holdings I and GPB AP booked the fraudulent performance guarantees in their audited financial statements, artificially inflating the funds’ returns as presented to investors for 2014 and 2015 respectively. After fraudulently inflating their audited financial statements, the GPB Funds raised approximately $1 billion from investors. Between approximately August 2015 and December 2018, the defendants also misrepresented the source of the monthly distributions paid to investors. Specifically, the defendants represented to investors and prospective investors that GPB would pay monthly distributions from income generated by portfolio companies when in fact they used investor capital to cover a significant share of the distributions paid by the GPB Funds. At the direction of the defendants, the GPB Funds used approximately $100 million in investor capital to cover distributions to investors and maintain the Funds’ distribution rates. Lash, the defendants’ co-conspirator, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2023 and will be sentenced at a later date. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica K. Weigel, Nick M. Axelrod, and Kate Mathews are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Madison Bates and Allison Henry. Assistant United States Attorney Claire Kedeshian is handling forfeiture matters. The Defendants : DAVID GENTILE Age: 58 Manhasset, Long Island JEFFRY SCHNEIDER Age: 56 Austin, Texas E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-54 (RPK)


title: Former State Government Employee and Her Ex-Boyfriend Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 Jobless Relief

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A former employee of the California Employment Development Department (EDD), which administers the state’s unemployment insurance (UI) program, and her former boyfriend were sentenced today to federal prison terms for fraudulently obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 pandemic-related jobless benefits. Phyllis Hope Stitt, 61, of Carson, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who also ordered her to pay $768,958 in restitution. Judge Birotte today also sentenced Kenneth Earl Riley, 64, of South Los Angeles, to 20 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $611,458 in restitution. Stitt and Riley had been in a romantic relationship for more than 10 years at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic while Stitt was employed by the EDD as an employment program representative. Her job duties included determining claimant eligibility for UI benefits and performing claim processing activities. From March 2020 to September 2021, while using the access and information available to her in her position with EDD, Stitt acquired the names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and other personal identifying information of victims that were used to submit fraudulent claims. Stitt then filed fraudulent applications for UI benefits without the victims’ knowledge or consent, and then increased the amount of UI benefits paid out by backdating the fraudulent requests to maximize the claims. Stitt certified the fraudulent applications alleging that the victims had submitted their employment history and driver’s license information, and she confirmed they were unemployed because of the pandemic and actively were searching for work. Many of the victims were ineligible to receive these benefits because they were currently employed, not unemployed because of the pandemic, or were deceased at the time. In filing the fraudulent applications, Stitt used mailing addresses to which Riley had access. Riley then used debit cards and accounts created because of these fraudulent applications. Riley then made cash withdrawals at ATMs, bank transfers and retail purchases. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolster efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly head one of the three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams . 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 (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the California Employment Development Department Investigation Division investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted case.


title: Sureños “Sur 13” Gang Member Sentenced to 20 years for Drug Trafficking in Martin County

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On May 8, 2025, documented gang member Daniel Thorr Gatlin, 40, of Jacksonville, Arkansas, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment followed by 5 years’ supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks, sitting in West Palm Beach. On Jan. 3, 2024, outside of a convenience store in Stuart, Fla., Martin County Sheriff Deputies intercepted and arrested Gatlin after Gatlin attempted to sell one pound of methamphetamine to an individual Gatlin thought was a legitimate buyer. During the investigation, law enforcement confirmed that Gatlin offered to sell a variety of drugs while living at a sober home in Broward County. According to the investigation, Gatlin traveled to Martin County for the sole purpose of distributing controlled substances. Gatlin is a member of the Sureños, also known as Sur 13, a transnational criminal street gang affiliated with the Mexican Mafia. In a recorded conversation, Gatlin referenced his gang affiliation and credited his gang connections as the reason why he was trusted to receive more than three pounds of methamphetamine to distribute in South Florida. On Feb. 19, 2025, Gatlin, a career offender, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of HSI, Miami Field Division, and Martin County Sheriff, John Budensiek, made the announcement. HSI Fort Pierce and Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Breezye Telfair prosecuted this case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 24-cr-14023. ###


title: Justice Department and City of Albuquerque Seek Termination of Consent Decree Covering the Albuquerque Police Department

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – The Justice Department and the City of Albuquerque filed a joint motion today seeking U.S. District Court approval to terminate the federal consent decree covering the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) since 2015. The joint motion follows a long record of findings that APD has maintained full compliance with the decree. “This consent decree has run its course successfully,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are proud to stand by the men and women of the Albuquerque Police Department and ask the court to terminate this consent decree. Albuquerque Police operates constitutionally. It is now appropriate to end federal oversight and return full control of local law enforcement to the city.” “The Albuquerque Police Department has made tremendous progress toward constitutional policing and a culture of accountability,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “This progress builds on nearly a decade of hard work and partnership with the community, laying a strong foundation for the future and opening the door to a new chapter of local control of law enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will stand shoulder to shoulder with the men and women of the APD to make Albuquerque a safer place to live, work, raise a family, and run a business.” The CASA, originally implemented to address concerns over excessive force and accountability within APD, allows for termination once the City demonstrates “sustained and continuing improvement” across specific outcome measures, including use of force, crisis response, officer training, supervision, and internal investigations. Recent data from 2022 and beyond confirm that APD has met those requirements. Notably: Use of Force: APD has significantly reduced the frequency and severity of force. In 2022, force incidents declined 18% from the previous year, and over 60% involved only low-level force. Only 4% of force cases were found out of policy, and each was met with appropriate corrective action. Crisis Response: Less than 1% of behavioral health and suicide-related calls involved force, and the City’s Albuquerque Community Safety department has diverted tens of thousands of calls away from police to civilian responders. Accountability and Oversight: APD reviews every use of force, sustains misconduct findings when appropriate, and has strengthened its internal and civilian oversight systems. Training and Culture: Officers are receiving consistent, CASA-aligned training, and data shows a shift toward a culture of self-correction and accountability. This progress marks a turning point for the APD. With sustained improvements across every core area of the agreement, the Justice Department and the City are confident that APD is ready to move forward independently, continuing its commitment to constitutional policing.


title: Las Vegas Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Conspiracy To Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, And Cocaine

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy to sell methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. According to court documents, from about December 11, 2023, to May 16, 2024, Abel Puebla conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine in Las Vegas. As part of the conspiracy, on January 24, 2024, Puebla sold one pound of methamphetamine; on February 14, 2024, he sold three pounds of methamphetamine and a bag containing cocaine; and on March 28, 2024, Puebla sold an ounce of heroin. Puebla pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Brister prosecuted the case. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 176 Border-Related Cases This Week

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 176 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city). In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here . A sample of border-related arrests this week: On May 8, Ismael Castro-Gonzalez, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Assault on a Federal Officer and Attempted Entry of a Removed Alien. According to a complaint, two Border Patrol agents were attacked by Castro and others when they attempted to rescue Castro, who was hanging from barbed wire on the border wall with a broken ladder nearby. The agents were pelted with rocks by other immigrants, including one who was sitting atop the wall. One agent grabbed Castro’s right hand and forced him to release the wire. Once he broke Castro’s grip, the agent was able to pull Castro from the wire and take him to the ground, where Castro continued to struggle and attempted to tackle the agent. As they fell to the ground, Castro started reaching for the agent’s gun and collapsible steel baton. The two agents were able to subdue Castro and arrest him. Castro was previously deported to Mexico on June 29, 2022, through the San Ysidro Port of Entry. On May 6, Rosa Cervantez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Cervantez attempted to cross the border in the SENTRI lane at the Calexico West Port of Entry but a Customs and Border Protection officer discovered 36 plastic-wrapped packages hidden in a spare tire well of her car containing 85 pounds of fentanyl and more than 2 pounds of cocaine. On May 7, Salvador Hernandez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Hernandez attempted to smuggle three pounds of methamphetamine through the pedestrian lanes of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Customs and Border Protection officers found three packages concealed in Hernandez’s waistline secured with Saran Wrap. On May 7, Jose Tomas Lopez-Navarro of Honduras was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, Lopez-Navarro submitted a counterfeit passport to a Customs and Border Patrol officer when asking to be admitted to the U.S. at the San Ysidro Pedestrian East Port of Entry. Lopez-Navarro had been previously removed from the U.S. to Honduras on February 4, 2025. Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases: On April 30, Abner Leon-Mote, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony Assault with a Deadly Weapon in April 2018, was found guilty by a jury of Attempted Reentry of Removed Alien for again entering the U.S. illegally. Sentencing is scheduled for July 29, 2025 and Leon-Mote faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. On May 5, Omar Laveaga-Flores, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of an illegal entry offense in Arizona in 2022, was sentenced in federal court to 60 days in custody for again entering the U.S illegally. On May 8, Juan Melgoza-Soto and Santiago Alfredo Gonzalez Hara, previously removed Mexican nationals, were sentenced in federal court to 73 days in custody for bringing an undocumented alien into the United States from Mexico. On May 9, Martin Josue Gutierrez, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced to six months in custody for Transportation of Certain Aliens. The defendant had seven undocumented individuals in a truck, including several under a tarp in the bed of the truck, and failed to yield during an attempted vehicle stop by law enforcement. Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community. The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners. Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Georgia Man Charged With Gun Trafficking Approximately 47 Firearms And Drugs To New York City

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Bryan Miller, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”); and Jessica S. Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging DAVID MORRIS with trafficking 47 firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition from Georgia to Lower Manhattan. MORRIS was arrested earlier today while following the sale of 17 firearms and cocaine to undercover officers. The defendant is expected to be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “As alleged, David Morris illegally trafficked dangerous drugs and 47 firearms from Georgia to New York City. The unchecked flow of illegal firearms is a threat to every New Yorker. Anyone who is thinking about illegally trafficking guns to New York City should know that our Office and our law enforcement partners are watching, and we will hold you accountable for jeopardizing the safety of our streets.” ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller said: “Today’s arrest serves as a notice to those who think they are above the law and can illegally traffic guns into our communities. The men and women of ATF NY will never waver in our commitment to protect the public and to aggressively target firearms traffickers. I thank our partners at NYPD and SDNY for their diligent work and tireless dedication to our shared public safety mission.” NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: “David Morris trafficked illegal firearms, ammunition, and narcotics into our city—but our brave officers were one step ahead, stopping these weapons and drugs from ever reaching the streets. Gun traffickers fuel violence in our communities, and the NYPD will never stop working to shut down these pipelines. I’m grateful to the ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their partnership in this critical case.” According to the allegations contained in the Complaint: On or about March 28, April 18, and May 9, 2025, MORRIS sold 47 firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition to undercover law enforcement officers with the New York City Police Department in the vicinity of Catherine Slip and South Street in Lower Manhattan. MORRIS transported the firearms from Georgia and stated that he works with a team of other individuals in Georgia, has been selling firearms for approximately ten years, and has access to machine gun conversion devices, which are used to convert semiautomatic pistols into fully automatic weapons. MORRIS also trafficked narcotics to the undercover officers on or about April 18 and May 9, 2025. On or about April 18, MORRIS provided one of the undercover law enforcement officers a “sample” of a substance that contained cocaine. On or about May 9, MORRIS sold to one of the undercover officers’ plastic baggies of white powder consistent with, and that MORRIS represented to be, cocaine. A photograph of the contraband seized from MORRIS is depicted below: * * * MORRIS, 31, of Georgia, is charged with one count of unlicensed dealing of firearms, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of firearms trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; and one count of using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of life and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison. The statutory maximum and minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the ATF and the NYPD’s Joint Firearms Task Force and the 5th Precinct’s Field Intelligence Office. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Wheelock is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Indian citizen charged in multi-million-dollar health care fraud scheme

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – An Indian national indicted for health care fraud will make his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Mohammed Asif, 34, was arrested on April 10, 2025, at Chicago O’Hare International Airport while attempting to board an international flight. Asif is charged with health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with the operation of American Labworks LLC, a diagnostic testing laboratory in Everett, Washington. The indictment alleges that Asif conspired with others to bill Medicare for COVID-19 tests and other respiratory illness tests that had not been ordered or performed. “Medicare provides critical funding for senior citizens’ health care needs, which makes this type of fraud all the more reprehensible,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “This case stands as an example of how federal law enforcement is working diligently to protect those critical tax dollars from fraud schemes.” According to the indictment and an earlier-filed criminal complaint, the Washington Secretary of State has American Labworks being formed in October 2021 and dissolved in March 2025. Washington Department of Health records indicate that its license as a Medical Test Site expired in December 2023. Asif is listed in filings with the state and with Medicare as the owner and director of American Labworks. Claims data from April 2024 to December 2024 show that American Labworks billed Medicare more than $8.7 million for laboratory testing services, including for COVID-19 testing. Medicare paid out over $1.1 million to the lab. Between June 2024 and March 2025, Medicare received more than 200 complaints from enrollees and others about American Labworks. Many of these complainants reported that Medicare was billed for testing that was never received. For example, one Medicare enrollee noted that Medicare paid American Labworks $545 for COVID-19 tests in August 2023 and March 2024. But the beneficiary had never had any COVID-19 tests on those dates. Multiple Medicare beneficiaries said they too had seen bills for tests that never occurred. Physicians who had allegedly ordered the tests said they had not sent patients to American Labworks, and many patients said they had never heard of the referring physician listed in the records. In some instances, the billing records indicated a beneficiary’s testing date of service occurred after other records indicated the beneficiary was dead. And in other instances, the physician who allegedly referred the patient for testing was dead at the time of the date of service. Financial records indicate Mohammed Asif received multiple checks and made withdrawals from the American Labworks bank account, which he controlled. In May 2024, he withdrew $260,000 from the American Labworks checking account. Soon after that Asif, who had been in the U.S. on a student visa, retuned to India. He came back to the U.S. in March 2025 as investigators were unraveling the fraud. Prosecutors and special agents with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) moved quickly to draft the criminal complaint and take Asif into custody. A grand jury then returned the indictment of Asif on April 23. Asif is alleged to have conspired with other people to accomplish the fraud. Those coconspirators are not named in the criminal complaint or indictment. The government’s investigation is ongoing. “By all appearances, there is nothing legitimate about Mr. Asif’s company.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Mr. Asif, along with his co-conspirators, used this apparently illegitimate company to fraudulently bill Medicare almost $9 million for tests that were never done. When we receive allegations such as these, the FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate potential fraud against the US taxpayer.” “Through this scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare for laboratory testing services never furnished, the defendant diverted taxpayer money that was meant to pay for legitimate medical services,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robb Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who exploit federal health care programs for their own personal gain.” Health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud are punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges contained in the indictment 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 HHS-OIG and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski.


title: Government Alleges San Diego County Brothers Obtained More Than $8 Million in Pandemic Loans by Lying on Applications

body_text: SAN DIEGO - The United States has filed a civil complaint alleging that two brothers fraudulently obtained more than $8 million in pandemic-related loans by lying on applications and claiming funds for three businesses that don’t exist. The loans were issued through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted in March 2020 designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP offered relief by authorizing hundreds of billions of dollars in potentially-forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The loan applications required the borrower to certify the type of business, the number of employees the business supported, and that the business was in operation as of February 15, 2020. Borrowers were eligible to seek forgiveness of the loans if they spent the loan proceeds on employee payroll and other eligible expenses. The civil complaint alleges that between March 25, 2021, and April 28, 2021, brothers Duraid A. Zaia and Kusay Karana obtained four PPP loans for four businesses, two purportedly owned by Zaia and two by Karana. The complaint alleges that the businesses were either non-existent or were grossly exaggerated in size. The complaint alleges that Zaia and Karana obtained approximately $8.3 million dollars in PPP loans through those fraudulent applications. In one example, the complaint alleges that Zaia applied for a PPP loan for a business called “Ramona Egg Ranch.” The complaint describes how Zaia certified in his application that this business employed 75 people and had annual payroll costs exceeding $9.5 million. But, according to the complaint, federal income tax returns that Zaia submitted in support of that loan reported annual payroll costs of just $62,848. In another example the complaint alleges that soon after Zaia submitted the Ramona Egg Ranch application, he submitted a second application for a business called “The Duriad A. Zaia Sole Proprietorship.” The complaint describes how Zaia certified that the business employed 137 people and that it was established in 2016. But, according to the complaint, the business could not have operated at all in 2020 because it did not have an Employer Identification Number (EIN) until March 30, 2021. As the complaint explains, without an EIN a business could not legally pay employees because it would not have a tax identification number to report employee wages, payroll taxes, or its own income taxes. The complaint also alleges that Zaia and Karana bolstered their loans by fabricating lists of employees who worked at their businesses. The complaint asserts that the lists of employees are fraudulent because they show a large percentage of employees simultaneously working at two or more different businesses on a full-time basis. In one example, the complaint describes how Zaia submitted a list of 108 employees that supposedly worked at one of Zaia’s businesses, and Karana submitted a list of 110 employees that supposedly worked at one of Karana’s businesses. But 41 people with the same name and the same full-time equivalent salary appeared on both lists. The complaint alleges that after Zaia and Karana were denied forgiveness of their loans and then defaulted on all their loans, the United States, through the Small Business Administration (SBA), repaid the lenders that issued the loans. The complaint asserts that taken together, the principal, interest, and processing fees for the brothers’ loans resulted in a loss of over $8.6 million to the United States. The United States’ complaint asserts that Zaia and Karana violated the False Claims Act (FCA). The United States filed its complaint after it intervened in a lawsuit filed by a private citizen against Zaia and the Ramona Egg Ranch. Under its so-called qui tam provisions, the FCA allows private citizens with knowledge of fraud against the federal government to sue on behalf of the government and potentially receive a portion of recovered funds. “COVID-relief programs were designed to help people and businesses under extreme financial stress during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This complaint seeks to hold accountable those who took advantage of those programs by fraud. My office will continue to pursue those who knowingly cheat taxpayers by abusing the Paycheck Protection Program and other pandemic-related programs.” “Intentional misrepresentation to gain access to SBA program funds intended for the nation’s small businesses will not be tolerated,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Huang. “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of wrongdoers who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.” This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen H. Wong of the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. 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 (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The complaint contains allegations of unlawful conduct; the allegations must be proven in federal court.


title: Bronx Feva Gang Members Charged With April 2022 Murder And Racketeering Offenses

body_text: Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Jessica S. Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging NASIA CARSON, a/k/a “Nas,” ELIJAH SANTIAGO, a/k/a “Eli,” and PHILIP MOSCA, a/k/a “90,” with participating in a racketeering conspiracy involving a Bronx-based gang known as “Feva” and committing multiple violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including the murder of a 21-year-old named Jesse Bynum on April 12, 2022. CARSON and MOSCA were previously taken into custody on related charges, and SANTIAGO was arrested earlier today. All three defendants are expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie Figueredo. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “As alleged, these three defendants brutally murdered 21-year-old Jesse Bynum, and left three others seriously wounded. New York families should not have to live in fear of gang-motivated violence. The women and men of the Southern District and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding accountable those who terrorize our communities with gang-motivated violence. We hope that commitment and the charges brought today bring some measure of comfort to the family of Jesse Bynum and others who have suffered needless losses from gang-motivated crimes.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: "These three Feva gang members allegedly engaged in violence to retaliate against their rivals, including firing a gun into a crowded street and killing Jesse Bynum. The defendants’ alleged relentless attempts to fuel a feud with a rival cost the life of a bystander caught in the crosshairs. With our law enforcement partners, the FBI remains committed to protecting our city from unnecessary gun violence and murders." NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: "These three individuals allegedly carried out a cold-blooded shooting that killed a 21-year-old New Yorker and seriously injured three others. They showed no regard for human life, and their senseless act of violence has no place in our city. We are committed to identifying and dismantling the street gangs threatening the safety of our communities. I want to thank the NYPD investigators and our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their tireless work to bring them to justice.” As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court: [1] From at least in or about 2022, through at least in or about 2023, CARSON, SANTIAGO, and MOSCA were members and associates of a criminal organization known as Feva that operated principally in the vicinity of the Pelham Parkway Houses and 2250 Wallace Avenue in the Bronx, New York. Members and associates of Feva engaged in, among other activities, drug trafficking, acts involving murder, attempted murder, and assault. On or about April 12, 2022, CARSON, SANTIAGO, and MOSCA shot into a small crowd of people gathered on a street in an attempt to retaliate against a rival gang. The shooting resulted in the murder of 21-year-old Bynum, and serious physical injury to three others. If you believe that you have additional information about this murder, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York at 1-866-874-8900 and reference this case. * * * A chart containing the names, ages, charges, and maximum penalties against the defendants is set forth below. The statutory maximum and minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ni Qian, Marguerite B. Colson, and Brandon D. Harper are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. COUNT CHARGE DEFENDANTS MAX. PENALTIES 1 Racketeering conspiracy 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) NASIA CARSON, a/k/a “Nas,” 21; ELIJAH SANTIAGO, a/k/a “Eli,” 22; PHILIP MOSACA, a/k/a “90,” 22; (“All Defendants”) Life in prison 2 Murder in aid of racketeering 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(1) and 2 All Defendants Death or mandatory sentence of life in prison 3 Conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) All Defendants 10 years in prison 4 Attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3), (a)(5), and 2 All Defendants 20 years in prison 5 Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2 All Defendants Life in prison Mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison 6 Attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3), (a)(5), and 2 All Defendants 20 years in prison 7 Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2 All Defendants Life in prison Mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison 8 Assault with a dangerous weapon and assault in aid of racketeering 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3), (a)(5), and 2 All Defendants 20 years in prison 9 Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2 All Defendants Life in prison Mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact descried therein should be treated as an allegation.


title: Two Everett residents charged federally for drug distribution activities involving multiple kilos of fentanyl powder

body_text: Seattle – The second of two defendants sought for possession of more than 7 kilos of fentanyl powder appeared today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Santana Sandoval, 21, appeared on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Co-Defendant Kevin Torres Velasquez, 45, was arrested April 11, 2025, and has been detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac. Sandoval was arrested in the Western District of Virginia on April 24, 2025, and was delivered to the Western District of Washington today. He too remains detained at the federal detention center at SeaTac. According to the criminal complaint, Sandoval came to the attention of law enforcement in early 2025 as someone distributing fentanyl in the King and Snohomish County areas. Law enforcement worked with a confidential source to purchase fentanyl from Sandoval. Law enforcement traced Sandoval to an Everett apartment and on January 24, 2025, agents and officers from the Seattle Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) served a search warrant on the apartment. In addition to the 7 kilos+ of fentanyl powder, they found cocaine, methamphetamine, scales, and more than $12,000 in cash. On the day of the search the men were arrested on state charges. They were released from the Snohomish County Jail, and law enforcement located them for the federal arrest weeks later. 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 the Seattle Police Department, DEA and HSI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.


title: Schenectady Man Sentenced to 188 Months for Distributing Methamphetamine

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Patrick Tucker, age 28, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 188 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement. As part of his guilty plea, Tucker admitted to distributing methamphetamine on three occasions between January and March 2023. While on pretrial release, Tucker absconded from supervision, led law enforcement on a high-speed chase that was called off for safety reasons, and was discovered in possession of additional drugs when he was later apprehended by the deputies of the United States Marshal Service. United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also ordered Tucker to serve a 4-year term of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia prosecuted the case.


title: Cazenovia Man Charged with Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Dean Dellas, age 40, of Cazenovia, New York, was arraigned Tuesday in federal court on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). According to the indictment, beginning no later than June 2021 through November 2023, Dellas acted as a financial advisor for the investment accounts of clients in the Syracuse area. The indictment alleges that Dellas fraudulently induced those clients to sign paperwork that authorized Dellas to take advisor fees from their accounts well in excess of what they actually agreed to. For other accounts, Dellas fraudulently induced the clients to sign paperwork granting him trading and withdrawal authority over their accounts, according to the indictment. This account-opening paperwork misrepresented Dellas’s relationship to the clients and falsely stated that Dellas received no compensation for providing investment advice. The account-opening documents that Dellas induced the client to sign also falsely stated that the client wanted to engage in high-risk forms of investment, according to the indictment. To conceal the fraud, Dellas allegedly took steps to conceal account statements from his clients and at times impersonated clients in communicating with brokerage firms. According to the indictment, Dellas stole approximately $642,000 from his victims through unauthorized withdrawals and advisor fees. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Dellas was released pending a trial to be scheduled later this year before Chief United States District Court Judge Brenda K. Sannes. The wire fraud charges filed against Dellas carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of the greater of $250,000 or twice any gain or loss determined by the court. The aggravated identity theft charges carry a sentence of 2 years’ federal prison consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed. The charges also carry a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie and Michael F. Perry are prosecuting the case.


title: Salina Sex Offender Indicted for Possessing Child Pornography

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Kenneth Martin, age 69, of Salina, New York, was arraigned last week on an indictment charging him with possession of child pornography. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. According to the indictment, Martin knowingly possessed an electronic device containing numerous graphic image and video files of children being sexually abused. This conduct follows Martin’s 2020 conviction in Onondaga County Court for Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child. The charge in the indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charge filed against Martin carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and mandatory sex offender registration. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The FBI is investigating this case with assistance from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Mobile Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Machinegun

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for illegally possessing a machinegun. According to court documents, Ty’Juan De’Andre Barnes, 21, was arrested by Mobile police during the execution of a narcotics search warrant at a house in Prichard in May 2024. Officers searched Barnes’s person and found 14 fentanyl pills in his pants pocket. Throughout the house, officers found several extended firearm magazines, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia. Barnes admitted to police that he hid a loaded .40 caliber Glock pistol in a bathroom trash can. Police recovered the Glock pistol, which was equipped with an illegal machinegun-conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch.” Barnes admitted that he knew the Glock switch converted the pistol into a fully automatic machinegun, which he claimed he needed for protection due to being the victim of a prior robbery in Prichard. Agents seized and searched Barnes’s cell phone. In the phone, agents found numerous text messages that Barnes sent in which he discussed possessing and shooting weapons equipped with Glock switches. Barnes also texted various individuals about illegally selling Glock switches for profit. In addition to the 18-month prison term, United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Barnes to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Barnes to pay $100 in special assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit justice.gov/PSN.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes Report

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the one-week period ending May 9, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 91 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326) 1 individual was charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324) 1 individual was charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) 209 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) and 50 U.S.C. 797, violation of a military security regulation, arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico. Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for alien smuggling, burglary, drug trafficking, illegal reentry, and DUI. In a significant case, Gerald Anthony Lopez fled from the I-10 U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Doña Ana County, NM, after agreeing to a secondary inspection, reaching speeds of up to 140 mph. When Lopez was finally stopped by law enforcement, agents found a handgun and ammunition in the vehicle. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process. Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.


title: Sacramento-Based Political Consulting Firm Resolves Claims Involving Paycheck Protection Program Loan

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: Lobbying organization Governmental Advocates Inc. has self‑disclosed its ineligibility for the Paycheck Protection Program loan it obtained and voluntarily paid more than $200,000 to resolve civil claims regarding the loan, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced today. Congress created the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, to provide relief to small businesses experiencing economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although many businesses were eligible for these loans, some businesses were not, including those primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, like Governmental Advocates. In September 2024, Governmental Advocates self-disclosed to the United States that, as an organization primarily engaged in lobbying activity, it was ineligible for the PPP loan it had obtained and that it had voluntarily repaid the loan principal of $183,688. Governmental Advocates applied for the loan in April 2020 and later applied for loan forgiveness. The Small Business Administration approved that application, forgiving $183,688 in principal and $2,289.81 in interest. In the settlement announced today, Governmental Advocates agreed to pay the United States a total of $239,954.87, including the repaid loan principal as well as forgiven interest, the fee paid to the lending bank by the SBA, and settlement interest. “We are pleased that Governmental Advocates chose to voluntarily disclose this conduct and make full repayment,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “We encourage any company that may have received federal program funds in error to consider self-disclosure and cooperation.” SBA’s General Counsel Wendell Davis stated, “The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies, such as the Small Business Administration working in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to pursue a fair recovery of pandemic relief funds.” The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Amin. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. 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 (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Cedar Rapids Man Involved in Two Shootings Sentenced to a Decade in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who shot at a woman and child, and later pointed a gun at someone who shot back at him, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison. David Rafael Walker, age 38, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 11, 2024 jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Evidence at trial and the sentencing hearing showed that on December 14, 2021, in Cedar Rapids, Walker shot at a woman and a child because he was mad that she went to lunch with another man. Three days later, Walker was driving a car in Cedar Rapids and noticed that he was being followed by another car. He stopped his car in the middle of the street, opened his car door, and pointed a gun at the other car. A person in the other car shot at him. This shooting was captured on doorbell cameras in the area. Walker has felony convictions for attempting to elude, manufacturing or delivering heroin, and other drug offenses. Walker was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Walker was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Walker is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Devra Hake, Emily Nydle, and Dan Tvedt, and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Marion Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-65. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Murray Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child Pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Michael Scott, 60, of Murray, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 8, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for Distribution of Child Pornography. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Scott to 300 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Scott’s release from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release. Scott was also ordered to pay $69,000 in restitution. The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) received a cybertip from Discord reporting a user had uploaded two files depicting alleged child pornography. An Investigator with NSP was able to view the images and confirm they were child pornography. The Investigator confirmed the phone number from the cybertip belonged to Scott at his address in Murray. A search warrant was executed for the Discord account from the cybertip. A review of the contents found the distribution of additional child pornography. There were at least seven images of child pornography uploaded to the Discord account, at least one of which was included in the cybertip. During a search of Scott’s residence, Investigators recovered 14 electronic devices. During a review of Scott’s cellphone, Investigators found a total of 19,807 photos of child pornography and 5,126 videos of child pornography. Among the other devices, Investigators found 200 additional photos of child pornography. Investigators also found a conversation on Discord where Scott sent at least one image of child pornography to another user on January 9, 2024. Investigators also located at least four files of child pornography that were uploaded to Discord on January 17, 2024. In a consensual interview at the residence, Scott confirmed the Discord account and username, phone number and email address all belonged to him. Scott admitted to using his cell phone for viewing and trading child pornography. 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. This case was investigated by the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Six Defendants Sentenced for their Roles in Drug Trafficking Organization

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ATLANTA – Six members of a drug trafficking organization have been sentenced for their roles in distributing deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the metro-Atlanta area. “These defendants distributed substantial amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine with no regard for the grave public safety risk,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Our Office will continue to closely coordinate with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to prosecute drug traffickers and prevent dangerous narcotics from poisoning our communities.” “These drug traffickers endangered countless lives by distributing large quantities of deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine,” Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division commented on the case. “DEA will continue to aggressively pursue the criminals that contribute to the drug crisis.” “This case highlights the critical role Homeland Security Investigations plays in dismantling transnational drug trafficking organizations operating in our communities,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “The defendants in this case were responsible for introducing massive quantities of deadly narcotics into the metro-Atlanta area—methamphetamine that was trafficked across borders, chemically altered, and distributed without regard for the devastating impact on public health and safety. Through the combined efforts of HSI and our federal, state, and local partners, we’ve disrupted a dangerous supply chain and brought key members of this organization to justice.” According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2022, federal special agents discovered that a drug trafficking organization (DTO) was distributing drugs obtained from a Mexico-based supplier throughout metro-Atlanta. These drugs included methamphetamine which arrived from Mexico in liquid form and was converted to crystal methamphetamine. During an early phase of the investigation, defendant Erik Rosales-Lopez was arrested in December 2022 at a residence used to process liquid methamphetamine that had been mixed with paint. Rosales Lopez had distributed methamphetamine on three previous occasions, including to an undercover agent. During a search of his residence, investigators seized 11 kilograms of finished crystal methamphetamine. In April 2023, agents surveilled defendants Brayan Garcia-Picasso and Bryan Pacheco-Carranza as they left a residence believed to be used as a methamphetamine lab. Local law enforcement then conducted a traffic stop of their vehicle. Police officers seized approximately 16 kilograms of methamphetamine during a search of the vehicle. Agents later searched the residence as well and, while doing so, confirmed that the location was a methamphetamine lab. The agents found approximately six kilograms of methamphetamine and methamphetamine conversion equipment on the premises. Following the arrests of Garcia-Picasso and Pacheco-Carranza, agents continued to investigate the DTO. In June 2023, defendant Alex Chamorro-Valencia was arrested after a search of a vehicle he was driving was found to contain nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine. Investigators also searched the residence from which he was seen departing and discovered a second methamphetamine lab used by the DTO. Agents recovered 15 gallons of liquid methamphetamine and 135 kilograms of finished crystal methamphetamine in the residence. Defendant Hedgarciney Gameno-Cortez was encountered in the residence and arrested. The following defendants were convicted and sentenced: Juventino Rodriguez was sentenced earlier today by U.S. District Judge Victoria M. Calvert to 54 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Rodriguez was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl after he pled guilty on December 19, 2024. Garcia-Picasso was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown to 12-and-a-half years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Garcia-Picasso was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine after he pled guilty on November 7, 2023. Pacheco-Carranza was sentenced by Judge Brown to six years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Pacheco-Carranza was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine after he pled guilty on January 18, 2024. Chamorro-Valencia was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross to eight years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Chamorro-Valencia was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine after he pled guilty on October 16, 2023. Hedgarciney Gameno-Cortez was sentenced by Judge Ross to eight years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Gameno-Cortez was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine after he pled guilty on February 28, 2024. Erik Josue Rosales-Lopez was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Rosales-Lopez was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine after he pled guilty on July 31, 2023. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, with valuable assistance from the Clayton County Police Department, Henry County Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, DeKalb County Police Department, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, and Cobb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren E. Renaud and Sandra E. Strippoli, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Howard, prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies; and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Man Sentenced to Over 30 Years in Prison for Crypto-Terror Financing Scheme

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A Springfield, Virginia, man was sentenced yesterday to 364 months in prison for his efforts to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from at least October 2019 through October 2022, Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 35, collected and sent money to female ISIS members in Syria to benefit ISIS in various ways, including by financing the escape of female ISIS members from prison camps and supporting ISIS fighters. Chhipa would raise funds online on various social media accounts. He would receive electronic transfers of funds and travel hundreds of miles to collect funds by hand. He would then convert the money to cryptocurrency and send it to Turkey, where it was smuggled to ISIS members in Syria. “This defendant directly financed ISIS in its efforts to commit vile terrorist atrocities against innocent citizens in America and abroad,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This severe sentence illustrates that if you fund terrorism, we will prosecute you and put you behind bars for decades.” “With this sentencing, this defendant will pay the price for helping finance ISIS, a brutal terrorist organization,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This is more proof that the FBI will investigate and work with our DOJ partners to hold accountable anyone who assists ISIS or other terrorist groups. Whether you are a fighter or send money, these activities are illegal and against the national security interests of the United States.” “Those who fund and facilitate terror bear the same responsibility as those who carry out attacks,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Mohammed Chhipa knowingly and persistently collected and provided a considerable amount of money to fund the violence of an organization bent on forcing their extremist ideology on others. That he did so from a nation that holds individual freedom sacrosanct is unconscionable.” His primary co-conspirator was an ISIS member residing in Syria who was involved in raising funds for prison escapes, terrorist attacks, and ISIS fighters. Over the course of the conspiracy, Chhipa sent over $185,000 in cryptocurrency. In December 2024, a federal jury convicted Chhipa of one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and four counts of providing and attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony T. Aminoff and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Andrew John Dixon and former Trial Attorney Andrea Broach of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.


title: Man Accused of Concealing Death of Disabled Veteran for Years to Reap Financial Benefits

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

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from Salem, Missouri was indicted on Wednesday and accused of concealing the death of his uncle, a U.S. Army veteran with quadriplegia, for at least five years so that he could steal at least $650,000 of his disability benefits. Brian K. Ditch, 44, is now facing four felony counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of theft of government property and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that Ditch was solely responsible for his uncle’s care beginning in 2008, and kept his uncle locked in his garage and under his control so he could fraudulently obtain his government benefits. Instead of properly caring for his uncle, Ditch trapped him in the garage for over 24 hours at a time, forcing his uncle “to sit in his own urine and feces without the ability to eat or drink,” the indictment says. After his uncle’s death around 2019, Ditch concealed his death and the body so that he could continue to receive the money, the indictment says. It says Ditch told relatives that he had moved his uncle into a nursing home. His uncle received $9,559 per month in Disability Compensation benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the indictment says. The VA would not have continued to pay had they known Ditch’s uncle was dead, the indictment says. Ditch’s uncle also received a total of $235,210 in Social Security Disability Insurance benefits and Retirement Insurance benefits from the Social Security Administration since 2008. Ditch used the money to buy exotic reptiles, fund lavish vacations and enrich himself, the indictment says. Salem police officers found the uncle’s partially frozen body in a trash can in March, as well as three shotguns, the indictment says. As a convicted felon, Ditch is barred from possessing firearms. Ditch is expected to plead not guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Friday. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. “The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General is committed to holding accountable anyone who exploits veterans or steals their VA benefits," said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley with the VA OIG’s Central Field Office. “VA’s programs and services are established to justly compensate deserving veterans and the VA OIG will bring to justice those who would defraud these programs.” The Salem Police Department, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.


title: Philadelphia County Man Sentenced To 137 Months  For Drug Trafficking And Firearm Possession In Furtherance Of Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Leon Weathersbe, age 38, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 7, 2025 to 137 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Keli M. Neary for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus and court documents, on April 12, 2022, Pennsylvania State Police troopers conducted a traffic stop on Weathersbe’s vehicle. During the stop, troopers recovered $1600 from Weathersbe’s person. Weathersbe provided consent to search the vehicle; however, he fled the stop on foot as troopers began to search the vehicle. Weathersbe was not apprehended at the time. Troopers continued their search of Weathersbe’s vehicle and recovered distribution quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana, as well as a loaded handgun under the driver’s seat. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams prosecuted the case.


title: Nurse Admits Tampering With Vials Of Fentanyl

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A Grosse Pointe Park registered nurse, Travis Eskridge, pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product, specifically the Schedule II controlled substance fentanyl. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Ronne Malham, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office. Travis Eskridge, 53, of Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, worked as a registered nurse in the emergency room at Ascension St. John Hospital. In his guilty plea Eskridge admitted that he tampered with vials containing fentanyl, a powerful narcotic pain reliever, which he knew were intended to be administered to patients in the hospital’s emergency room. Eskridge removed fentanyl from the vials, replaced fentanyl with another liquid, and returned the tampered vials to the locked drug storage system. Eskridge did this with reckless disregard for the dangerous risk to patients that resulted from such tampering. The defendant also admitted that he stole fentanyl vials as part of a pattern of thefts over several months. Nurse Eskridge was immediately removed from his position at Ascension St. John Hospital in August of 2022 when the hospital discovered the tampering and thefts. United States Attorney Gorgon stated, “Licensed medical professionals are supposed to be healers. Most are. When instead of healing they create a serious risk of harm to patients, the community must and will be protected. This Office will prosecute such cases to the fullest extent of the law.” “Patients rely on receiving the proper FDA-approved medications from those entrusted with their medical care,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronne Malham, Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, Chicago Field Office. “We must hold medical personnel accountable when they take advantage of their unique position and tamper with medications their patients need.” Travis Eskridge pled guilty before United States District Judge Susan K. DeClercq. His bond was continued under conditions that included not seeking employment as a nurse. Eskridge is scheduled to be sentenced on September 11, 2025. The maximum penalties provided by statute for this offense include up to 10 years of imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, and supervised release of up to 5 years. The actual sentence imposed upon any conviction would be decided by the Court, after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines. The case is investigated by special agents of the Food and Drug Administration.


title: St. Clair Shores Man Convicted of Importing, Possessing, and Transferring Machineguns, and Failing to Keep Proper Records as a Federal Firearms Licensee

body_text: DETROIT – A St. Clair Shores man was convicted by a federal jury this week on charges of illegally importing, possessing, and transferring machineguns, as well as failing to keep proper records as a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., announced today. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir. Chase Farmer, 26, was convicted following a week-long jury trial before United States District Judge Gershwin Drain. Evidence presented at trial established that in 2020, Chase Farmer applied for and received a license to deal in firearms. His business was called Shall Not Be Infringed LLC. Farmer did not have a license to import firearms, including machineguns. Yet from 2020 to 2021, he made four orders on a now-defunct Russian website called Silencer Sales for machinegun conversion devices, including Glock switches and drop in auto sears. Farmer paid for the devices in Rubles and used an alias to avoid detection by law enforcement. Although Farmer purchased and received approximately 30 machinegun conversion devices from Silencer Sales, when the ATF searched Farmer’s home and business in 2022, he only had two drop in auto sears in his possession. Farmer was unable to account for the 28 missing machinegun conversion devices. After deliberating for approximately an hour, the jury returned a verdict of guilty on all counts. U.S. Attorney Gorgon stated, “Machinegun conversion devices gravely endanger our community by turning semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic machineguns. Chase Farmer sought out the ability to deal and manufacture firearms, but he flagrantly ignored his responsibility to follow the law. Farmer is responsible for putting 28 machinegun conversion devices on the street and potentially in the hands of criminals.” “This wasn’t negligence – it was pure greed at its core,” said ATF Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Chase Farmer abused the trust the government placed in him as a federal firearms licensee to nefariously acquire and distribute illegal conversion devices, using fake identities and foreign currency to avoid detection by law enforcement. This is what illegal firearms trafficking looks like: An individual putting personal greed before our community’s safety. This case is representative of ATF’s core mission to protect the public. Mr. Farmer’s actions were a clear and present danger to our overall safety by knowingly putting 28 machine gun conversion devices on our streets.” Farmer will be sentenced by Judge Drain in the summer of 2025. He faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years’ incarceration. This case was investigated by the ATF and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Princ and Sarah Alsaden.


title: Three Own Every Dollar (“OED”) Gang Members Convicted Of Four Murders And 10 Attempted Murders

body_text: Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the convictions at trial yesterday of JOWENKY NUNEZ, JR., a/k/a “Juju,” BRIAN HERNANDEZ, a/k/a “Malikai,” and IYAURY RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO, a/k/a “Bricha,” for their roles as members of the violent gang Own Every Dollar (“OED”), including four murders and 10 attempted murders. NUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, and RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO were convicted by a jury of 25 counts after a five-week trial before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “Jowenky Nunez, Jr. murdered Nicolas Vargas and Hector Cruz, and all three defendants murdered Richard Dominguez and Israel Cabrera. Nunez, Hernandez, Rodriguez-Rosario, and other members of OED tried to murder many others. Public safety is one of our top priorities, and thanks to the career prosecutors of my office and our law enforcement partners, these three men have been held accountable for their senseless violence. I hope this verdict brings some measure of consolation to the victims and their families.” As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings: NUNEZ is a leader of the violent gang OED, a subset of the Trinitarios gang based in and around the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. HERNANDEZ and RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO are members of OED as well. The Indictments in this case charge 24 members and associates of OED with numerous violent crimes, including five murders and 15 attempted murders. On August 31, 2018, NUNEZ shot Nicolas Vargas in the head and killed him near an IHOP at 232nd Street in the Bronx. On April 14, 2019, NUNEZ and other OED members drove to West 135th Street in Manhattan to shoot at members of a rival gang. They shot at a rival gang member on West 135th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, but missed and instead struck bystander Hector Cruz—then age 57—in the liver. Cruz died of the gunshot wound approximately one month later. On July 2, 2020, NUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, and RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO committed an execution-style double murder of Richard Dominguez and Israel Cabrera near Sedgewick Avenue in the Bronx, shooting both victims in the head from the backseat of a parked car. NUNEZ also committed nine other attempted murders, including a stabbing at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, while he was facing charges in this case. HERNANDEZ committed three attempted murders, and RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO committed two attempted murders. Several of NUNEZ’s attempted murders were captured on video, including the following: March 30, 2020 Shooting March 4, 2022 Shooting All three defendants were also convicted of conspiring to traffic narcotics, including large amounts of fentanyl and heroin, and NUNEZ and RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO were convicted of transporting guns from Pennsylvania to New York. 17 other OED defendants have previously pled guilty in the case, including MAYOVANEX RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Menorcito,” who was sentenced to a 25-year term of imprisonment for a 2022 murder; JERRIN PENA, a/k/a “Rooga,” a/k/a “Perry, who was sentenced to a 20-year term of imprisonment for the 2019 murder of Hector Cruz; and HUGO RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Juice,” the current “Duarte,” or leader, of OED. A trial against defendants JESUS ZAPATA, a/k/a “Jeezy” and BRAYAN LLORET, a/k/a “ET,” two leaders of OED who committed multiple stabbings and slashings at Rikers Island, is scheduled for October 6, 2025. A trial against defendant JOWENKY NUNEZ SR., a/k/a “Bala,” a leader of the gang and the father of NUNEZ, is scheduled for February 2, 2026. * * * NUNEZ, 22, of New York, New York, HERNANDEZ, 25, of New York, New York, and RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO, 43, of Reading, Pennsylvania, were convicted of 25 total counts, and are each subject to mandatory terms of life in prison. A chart summarizing the counts of conviction and potential penalties is below: Count Number Charge Defendants Penalties 1 Racketeering Conspiracy NUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO Maximum of life in prison 2 Murder in Aid of Racketeering NUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO Mandatory life in prison 3 Murder through Use of a Firearm NUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO Maximum of life in prison 4 Murder in Aid of Racketeering NUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO Mandatory life in prison 5 Murder through Use of a Firearm NUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO Maximum of life in prison 6 Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon HERNANDEZ Maximum of 20 years in prison 7 Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of Violence HERNANDEZ Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison 8 Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon HERNANDEZ Maximum of 20 years in prison 9 Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of Violence HERNANDEZ Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison 10 Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon HERNANDEZ Maximum of 20 years in prison 11 Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of Violence HERNANDEZ Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison 12 Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon NUNEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO Maximum of 20 years in prison 13 Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of Violence NUNEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison 14 Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon NUNEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO Maximum of 20 years in prison 15 Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of Violence NUNEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison 16 Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon NUNEZ Maximum of 20 years in prison 17 Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of Violence NUNEZ Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison 18 Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon NUNEZ Maximum of 20 years in prison 19 Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of Violence NUNEZ Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison 20 Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon NUNEZ Maximum of 20 years in prison 21 Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of Violence NUNEZ Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison 22 Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury NUNEZ Maximum of 20 years in prison 23 Narcotics Conspiracy NUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison 24 Firearms Use, Carrying, and Possession NUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison 25 Interstate Transport of Firearms NUNEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO Maximum of 5 years in prison The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, the New York State Police, and the NYPD Task Force Officers assigned to this Office for their assistance in the investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah L. Kushner, Kevin Mead, Alexandra S. Messiter, and Ashley C. Nicolas are in charge of the prosecution.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio Recognizes National Police Week

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: CLEVELAND - In honor of National Police Week, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio will recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. This year, the week is observed May 11-17, 2025. “This week as we remember those who lost their lives in the line of duty, it’s especially tough for our District, as several communities continue to mourn the loss of two of our local police officers. We honor and pay tribute to them, and to the others throughout the country, who have paid the ultimate price while protecting our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik . “To these courageous men and women, we say thank you.” Based on data in the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) 2024 Annual Report , 148 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2024. Of those, four were from Ohio with two fatal shootings taking place in the Northern District of Ohio. The first fatality in the USAO District was Jacob Derbin, 23, who served with the Euclid Police Department. On May 11, 2024, Officer Derbin was shot as he responded to a call to assist a woman who was receiving death threats from an ex-boyfriend. The second fatality was Jamieson Ritter, 27, who served with the Cleveland Division of Police. Officer Ritter was shot while serving an arrest warrant on July 4, 2024. The names of all fallen officers in 2024 will be engraved on the wall of the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial and will be read aloud at the 37 th Annual Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 8 p.m. The vigil will be streamed live, online via the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF . Locally, the Cleveland Police Memorial Society will host a series of events to honor law enforcement including a grave marker ceremony, a candlelight vigil, and a number of gatherings. Local, county, state, and federal agencies will take part in a Police Week Parade Friday, May 16, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. Details are available at policememorialsociety.org . Police Week memorial events will also be held throughout the District in Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Toledo, Mansfield, and Elyria. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week as a way to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifice. Peace Officers Memorial Day is observed annually on May 15 and specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.