title: Child Predator Flagged by Kik for Sharing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A child predator living in Tulsa was sentenced today for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Terence C. Kern sentenced Walter Zachary Treat, 31, to 135 months imprisonment, followed by ten years of supervised release. Upon his release, Treat will be required to register as a sex offender and is prohibited from looking at sexually explicit materials, such as pornography. Judge Kern further ordered Treat to pay $3,000 in restitution. In 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from Kik that a user was sharing videos that showed children being sexually abused. Tulsa County deputies began investigating the tip and discovered that Treat was the user. A search warrant was executed at his home, and several electronic devices were seized. While speaking with investigators, Treat admitted to receiving and sharing images and videos of children being sexually abused. When investigators reviewed Treat’s devices, they found 18 videos and more than 60 images, including prepubescent children being sexually abused. Additionally, investigators saw that Treat was chatting with someone on Facebook about luring children into bathrooms so he could sexually assault them. The images and videos found on his devices were sent to the National Child Victim Identification System, managed by the NCMEC, for identification. Twenty-three individuals were identified and allowed to submit victim impact statements to the court. Treat was detained in November 2025 and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and tribal resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Psychiatrist Reaches Civil Settlement of $360,000 to Resolve Allegations of False Claims to Federal Health Care Programs

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri and a Missouri psychiatrist have reached a $360,000 civil settlement that will resolve False Claims Act (FCA) allegations, U.S. Attorney Thomas C Albus announced Monday. The settlement resolves allegations that from Jan. 1, 2019, through May 31, 2024, Dr. Shazia Malik falsely indicated to both Medicare and Missouri Medicaid that she provided face-to-face psychotherapy to patients, including by submitting false claims for payment for services when she was out of town and for services that were provided by other practitioners. Dr. Malik was employed at Behavioral Health Services LLC which was owned and operated Psych Care Consultants in St. Louis, Missouri. The settlement with Dr. Malik consists of $155,000 in restitution to Medicare and $25,000 to Missouri Medicaid. The restitution amount is doubled under the FCA. The civil settlement contains no admission of liability. In December of 2025, Dr. Shazia Malik pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements related to health care matters. “Health care professionals who knowingly submit false claims to federal health care programs undermine the financial integrity of those taxpayer-funded programs,” stated Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Today’s settlement reflects HHS-OIG’s commitment to ensuring Medicare and Medicaid are billed only for services actually provided and to continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect the well-being of patients and to safeguard public funds.” Dr. Malik’s brother, Modh Azfar Malik, was part-owner of Behavioral Health Services. In July of 2025, he entered a civil settlement resolving similar conduct and paid $501,556. In April of 2025, he pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a federal health care program. In January, his medical license was revoked for four years as part of a settlement with the Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts. This investigation was a result of the combined work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, HHS-OIG Office of Investigations, the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the FBI.


title: Chinese Telecommunications Company Fined $50 Million for Conspiring To Steal Technology From Motorola Solutions

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago has fined a Chinese telecommunications company $50 million for criminally conspiring to steal proprietary technology from Illinois-based Motorola Solutions, Inc. Beginning in 2006, China-based HYTERA COMMUNICATIONS CORP. LTD. recruited and hired Motorola employees and directed them to take proprietary and trade secret information from Motorola without authorization. The stolen information related to Motorola’s digital mobile radio technology, which Motorola had developed through years of research and design. The engineers used the stolen information, including source code, to develop products for Hytera—at a fraction of the cost that it took Motorola to develop the exclusive technology—and competed with Motorola in the digital radio market through 2020. Hytera pleaded guilty last year in the Northern District of Illinois to a federal charge of conspiracy to steal trade secrets. In addition to the $50 million fine, U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. on Thursday sentenced Hytera to a five-year term of probation, which includes conditions for maintaining an effective compliance program and annual reporting of the program to the government. Judge Tharp found that Hytera caused Motorola to lose $214 million in profits, but restitution was offset in full by payments previously made by Hytera as a result of a civil judgment. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas P. Peabody and Wesley A. Morrissette of the Northern District of Illinois. Seven Hytera employees were indicted in 2021 in federal court in Chicago for their alleged roles in the thefts from Motorola. One of them—GEE SIONG KOK—pleaded guilty in 2022 to a federal charge of conspiracy to steal trade secrets. As part of a plea agreement, Kok agreed to cooperate with the government in its investigation. Kok is awaiting sentencing. Warrants have been issued for the arrests of the six other defendants.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation Into Drug Overdose While in Police Custody

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against two officers with the Metropolitan Police Department arising out of the death of a 56-year-old District resident from a drug overdose that occurred on July 22, 2025. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included a review of law enforcement and civilian accounts, Body Worn Camera footage, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, autopsy and toxicology reports, and reports from MPD. According to the evidence, on July 22, 2025, two officers arrested Darrell Cox inside of a convenience store located in the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. Cox originally followed one of the officers into the store after he had been acting erratically outside on the sidewalk. Cox’ erratic behavior continued inside. When the owner of the store requested that Cox leave, a minor altercation ensued, and Cox was placed under arrest. As the officers were waiting to transport Cox, his physical condition began to deteriorate. An ambulance, which had already been summoned to the scene, arrived and Cox was placed in the care of the medical technicians. The decision was made to take Cox to the Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center. Cox became completely unconscious shortly after arriving at the hospital. The physicians were unable to revive him, and he died on the scene. A subsequent autopsy revealed that Cox’s death was accidental and resulted from ingesting a combination of cocaine and phencyclidine (PCP). After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer willfully violated the civilian’s rights. Investigations generally The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.


title: Former St. Louis Lawyer Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for $379,900 Pandemic Fraud

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Monday sentenced a former St. Louis lawyer who committed $379,900 in pandemic fraud to 21 months in prison and fined him $50,000. John J. Diehl Jr., 60, has already repaid the loan money. Diehl applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) on behalf of his law firm, the Diehl Law Group, on March 30, 2020, and obtained $94,900. In March of 2022, Diehl requested an EIDL loan modification. In both applications Diehl pledged that Diehl Law Group would use the funds “to alleviate economic injury caused by disaster.” He received $285,000 from the second loan, for a total of $379,900. The EIDL program was designed to help struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing deferred, low interest loans for working capital, payroll and other fixed debts of businesses caused by the pandemic. “This defendant’s law practice didn’t suffer at all during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith said in court, adding that Diehl did not use any of the loan for the firm. Diehl, he said, “saw a way to make some easy and cheap money.” Diehl transferred a total of about $200,000 of the EIDL proceeds to the Diehl Law Group’s retirement plan. He was the only participant in the plan. Diehl used loan proceeds for personal Tesla, Audi and Jeep vehicle payments, personal credit card bills, residential mortgage payments, fees paid to a St. Louis law firm for a personal legal matter, a family member’s college tuition, pool maintenance, country club expenses and cash withdrawals for personal expenses. Diehl pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in September to one count of wire fraud. “Although he legitimately obtained pandemic relief loans for his law practice, Diehl diverted those funds for personal use rather than the purposes Congress intended,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. "Relief programs like these were created to help small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic—not to line someone’s pockets.” Diehl formerly served as an alderman for Town and Country, Missouri, the Chairman of the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners and the Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives. He resigned as speaker in 2015. In 2023, Diehl entered into a consent order with the Missouri Ethics Commission after improperly using $6,762.70 of campaign committee funds to pay for personal expenses unrelated to any political campaign and failing to report additional expenditures of campaign committee funds, including at least $28,700 of personal expenses. Diehl was fined $47,392. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith prosecuted the case.


title: Ohio Man Charged with Stalking, Making Threatening Communications, and Submitting False Reports to the FBI

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – A 44-year-old Hancock County man has been charged for allegedly harassing, intimidating, and threatening two men and their families over the course of four months. A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Simon Andrew Tuck, of Findlay, with the following: Stalking False Information and Hoaxes Threatening Communications According to the allegations in the indictment, beginning around November 2025 through February 2026, Tuck used several methods to carry out a course of conduct to harass and intimidate the victims. These included submitting several false reports and complaints to law enforcement, a sexual assault hotline, and the employer of one of the victims. The stalking and harassment became increasingly threatening, resulting in substantial emotional distress to the victims and their families. The investigation in this case is being conducted by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Ballard Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio is leading the prosecution. If convicted, the defendant faces up to five years in federal prison on each count. The sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violations. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Savani Group Owners and Associate Convicted of Racketeering Conspiracy

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that three individuals were convicted today at trial in connection with a racketeering conspiracy encompassing multiple fraud schemes. The defendants, charged in a 42-count indictment in January 2023, have been convicted as follows: Dr. Bhaskar Savani, age 60, of Ambler, Pennsylvania, was convicted of one count of conspiring to violate the RICO law; one count of conspiring to commit visa fraud; one count of visa fraud; one count of conspiring to obstruct justice; one count of conspiring to commit healthcare fraud; eleven counts of healthcare fraud; one count of conspiring to engage in money laundering; twelve counts of money laundering; one count of conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service; one count of wire fraud as to a false tax return; and one count of conspiring to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Arun Savani, age 58, of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, was convicted of one count of conspiring to violate the RICO law; one count of conspiring to commit visa fraud; one count of visa fraud; one count of conspiring to obstruct justice; one count of conspiring to commit healthcare fraud; eleven counts of healthcare fraud; one count of conspiring to engage in money laundering; twelve counts of money laundering; one count of conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service; and one count of wire fraud as to a false tax return. Aleksandra Radomiak, a/k/a “Ola”, age 48, of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, was convicted of one count of conspiring to violate the RICO law; one count of conspiring to commit healthcare fraud; and one count of healthcare fraud. As proven at trial, the brothers Bhaskar Savani and Arun Savani built a complex criminal enterprise (the “Savani Group”) that amassed millions of dollars through multiple fraud schemes. Defendant Bhaskar Savani was a dentist by training. Defendant Arun Savani generally controlled the finances of the Savani Group. Through their criminal enterprise, Bhaskar and Arun Savani orchestrated long-running schemes to enrich themselves, including through: A visa fraud scheme to file false H-1B visa applications and petitions with the U.S. Department of Labor and U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to exploit a workforce comprised of foreign nationals, mostly from India, who were dependent on the Savani Group and forced to kickback wages and fees to the Savani Group. A health care fraud scheme to fraudulently obtain Medicaid contracts and fraudulently bill Medicaid using nominee business owners after Savani Group dental practices were terminated from Medicaid insurance contracts. The Savani Group defrauded Medicaid of more than $30 million through the scheme. A health care fraud scheme to submit false bills to Medicaid using another dentist’s National Provider Identifier (NPI) on dates when the other dentist was physically outside of the United States and for dental services performed by uncredentialed dentists. A money laundering scheme to transfer and conceal health care fraud proceeds from the nominee-owned dental practices through a complex web of Savani group corporate entities’ bank accounts that ultimately benefited the Savani brothers and their associated corporate entities. A tax and wire fraud scheme involving false business expenses and the failure to report some taxable payroll to fraudulently decrease the amount of personal and payroll taxes due and owing. Through the scheme the Savani brothers and their companies failed to pay taxes on approximately $1.6 million of unreported personal income and $1.1 million of their employees’ unreported income. They failed to pay personal and payroll taxes and fraudulently expensed through their businesses, among other personal expenses, college tuition payments, personal property taxes, and pool and lawn maintenance costs for their personal homes. A mail fraud scheme and Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) conspiracy to place prototype dental implants, labeled “Not For Human Use,” not cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in human patients without their knowledge or consent. The defendants will be sentenced in July 2026. Bhaskar and Arun Savani, respectively, face a statutory maximum sentence of 420 years’ imprisonment and 415 years’ imprisonment, along with fines. Defendant Aleksandra Radomiak also faces a substantial sentence, with up to 40 years’ imprisonment and fines. “This sprawling investigation and prosecution meant untangling a complex web of fraudulent billing practices and sham medical entities,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Our office worked with numerous state and federal partner agencies to unravel and prove the multiple healthcare fraud schemes at the heart of this operation. It’s gratifying to dismantle this crooked enterprise and hold those responsible to account. Fraud and abuse cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars a year and rob the healthcare system of vital resources.” “This significant prosecution exemplifies the commitment of the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners to protect taxpayer-funded programs from fraudsters and corrupt healthcare professionals who seek their own personal enrichment by bilking government programs and then laundering their ill gotten gains,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva. “The Criminal Division, and all of our partners including the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, will continue using every law enforcement tool available to identify, disrupt and dismantle organized fraud and those who corruptly manipulate the worker visa and Medicaid programs. Fraudsters and money launderers like Bhaskar and Arun Savani and their associates who do so will pay a heavy price.” “This conviction demonstrates the critical importance of partnerships across law enforcement agencies when confronting complex financial and organized criminal activity,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “By leveraging our collective expertise and resources, we were able to expose and dismantle a racketeering enterprise built on deception and fraud. The FBI, working closely alongside our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, will continue to pursue those who exploit others for personal profit and bring them to justice.” “Today’s verdict sends a clear message: those who corrupt the Medicaid program for personal gain—no matter how elaborate their schemes—will be held fully accountable,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “The Savani Enterprise exploited vulnerable patients, manipulated government programs, and siphoned taxpayer dollars for their own benefit. HHS‑OIG, alongside our federal and state law enforcement partners, remains unwavering in our commitment to protect the integrity of Medicaid and to defend the public’s trust in our healthcare system.” “The defendants orchestrated a years‑long scheme to defraud Medicaid, evade taxes, and launder millions of dollars through a complex network of companies and accounts,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office. “These crimes do not just enrich wrongdoers, they drain vital public resources and erode trust in government programs. These convictions make clear that those who defraud the government will be held accountable. IRS‑CI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle financial fraud schemes and protect the public.” “Today’s convictions send a clear message that those who build criminal enterprises on the backs of vulnerable patients, exploited workers, and U.S. taxpayers will be held to account,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia, Eric McLoughlin, “For years, the Savani Group manipulated our immigration system, corrupted healthcare programs, and laundered their illicit proceeds through a maze of shell companies and accounts. This investigation and resulting prosecution reflect the strength of our partnerships with federal and state agencies and our shared commitment to dismantling complex fraud schemes wherever they take root.” “Visa fraud undermines our legal immigration system and often victimizes those seeking legitimate opportunities in the United States,” said Anthony Tortora, Resident Agent in Charge at the DSS Philadelphia Resident Office. “The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to investigating these schemes and protecting the integrity of the visa process. This conviction sends a clear message that such fraud will not be tolerated.” “The FDA’s approval process exists to protect patients from untested medical devices,” said Fernando McMillan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office. “These defendants deliberately circumvented that safeguard by implanting unapproved dental devices into unsuspecting patients. The FDA will not tolerate such disregard for public safety and federal law.” “Today’s verdict holds the defendants accountable for their criminal conduct. The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is unwavering in its commitment to protect the integrity of the Foreign Labor Certification programs. When bad actors exploit vulnerable workers or attempt to game the system, we investigate, we expose, and we hold them accountable,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “We will continue working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure these programs serve legitimate labor needs — not criminal enterprises. Fraud will not be tolerated. Accountability is not optional.” This case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony D. Scicchitano, Paul Shapiro, and J. Andrew Jenemann, and Department of Justice Money Laundering, Narcotics, and Forfeiture Section Attorneys Kenneth P. Kaplan and Chelsea R. Rooney.


title: HATTIESBURG MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO TAX OFFENSE INVOLVING OVER $2 MILLION LOSS

component: Department of Justice

body_text: Hattiesburg, MS – A Hattiesburg, Mississippi man pleaded guilty today to failing to pay over funds that were withheld from employee paychecks announced Southern District of Mississippi United States Attorney Baxter Kruger. According to court documents and information presented to the Court, Duke Kimbrell Rodgers, 68, conducted a business under the name Rodgers Family Pharmacy. From 2013 to 2020, Rodgers withheld over $1,500,828.73 from his employees’ pay for trust fund taxes. However, he failed to remit those funds to the Government. In addition, because of those withholdings and his failure to remit withholdings from his own paycheck, Rodgers submitted fraudulent personal tax forms that resulted in additional $629,831.00 loss. As part of his plea, Rodgers agreed to pay restitution of over $2 million to the Internal Revenue Service. Rodgers is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18, 2026. He faces a statutory maximum of 5 years imprisonment. The Internal Revenue Service is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner is prosecuting the case.


title: Christian County Man Sentenced to 130 Months in Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Christian County man was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Brian C. Wimes to 130 months in federal prison without parole, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Lucas Paul Robertson, 42, was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including robbery in the first degree, unlawful use of a weapon, burglary in the second degree, resisting or interfering with a felony arrest, distribution of a controlled substance, domestic assault, burglary in the first degree, robbery in the first degree, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, and burglary in the first degree. In October 2024, Robertson had an active felony warrant for unlawful possession of a firearm and domestic assault, and a second active felony warrant for trafficking drugs in the first degree. A tip allowed the United States Marshal Service’s Midwest Violent Fugitive Taskforce to locate and apprehend Robertson as he made a visit to a U.S. Post Office on Oct. 29, 2024. During a search of Robertson’s vehicle, which he drove to the post office, law enforcement located a loaded Taurus International, model G2, 9mm semi-automatic pistol, methamphetamine, alprazolam, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Christian County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshal Service, and the Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force. Project Safe Neighborhoods 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.


title: Four Houston gang members guilty of conspiracy to commit bank robberies and juggings

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – Four Houston criminal street gang members have been convicted of conspiracy and bank robbery in connection with a string of ATM robberies and “juggings” in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Charles Bernard Byrd, a/k/a “Doughboy,” 34, of Houston, was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to commit bank robbery and aiding and abetting bank robbery. Byrd’s co-defendants, Kendrick Douglas Warren, a/k/a “Bullet,” 38, Derrick Deshaun Brooks, a/k/a “D-Brooks,” 36, and Derramy Deonita Foster, 42, all of Houston, pleaded guilty prior to trial. The verdict against Byrd was reached on March 5, 2026, following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale. Byrd faces up to 25 years in federal prison at sentencing. According to evidence introduced at trial, the Beaumont Police Department and FBI were investigating a series of bank robberies targeting ATM repair technicians during 2024. On October 8, 2024, at approximately 4:45 p.m., two men wearing masks and gloves (later identified as Derrick Brooks and Derramy Foster) robbed an ATM repairman in the drive-through of PNC Bank located on Phelan Boulevard in Beaumont. The men pushed the technician out of the way and removed $153,000 of the bank’s cash before speeding away in a black sedan toward Interstate 10. The men completed the heist in less than 20 seconds. Security cameras videoed the robbery but there were no suspects or leads. A similar robbery was committed around 1:15 p.m. on December 31, 2024, when two men wearing masks and gloves (later identified as Derrick Brooks and Kendrick Warren) robbed an ATM repairman in the drive-through of the Education First Federal Credit Union located on Laurel Avenue in Beaumont. The men rushed the technician, ordered him to “move,” and took $146,000 of the bank’s cash. The men completed the heist in less than twenty seconds and sped away in a stolen red SUV. Just fifteen minutes later, BPD officer John Cross located the SUV abandoned in a nearby parking lot. Although the license plate had been removed, police were able to use license plate reader images from earlier in the day to identify the SUV. The police also found that it had caravaned from Houston to Beaumont with a black 2018 truck that was registered to Brooks. Investigators also learned that minutes after the robbery the same black truck left Beaumont travelling west on I-10 toward Houston. BPD requested assistance from the Houston Police Department Criminal Apprehension Team and were able to locate and stop the black truck as it exited I-10 in Houston, just 84 minutes after the robbery in Beaumont. At the arrest, Byrd was the get-away driver and Warren and Brooks were passengers. The officers also found a bag containing exactly $146,000 cash, the same amount that had been taken from the credit union, as well as gloves like the ones used in the robbery and a Texas paper license plate that matched the one displayed on the red SUV earlier in the day. Further investigation revealed that Byrd, Warren, Brooks, and Foster were members of the 100% Third Ward gang that operates from the Third Ward area of Houston to commit a variety of criminal acts, including juggings and robberies. “Juggings” are burglaries or robberies that target victims observed leaving a bank or other financial business in supposed possession of cash or other items of value. The 100% Third Ward gang is also known as the “103 gang.” Other evidence introduced at trial showed that the men engaged in a conspiracy from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024, during which they orchestrated multiple juggings, burglaries, auto thefts, and the two ATM bank robberies. Byrd and his coconspirators committed one of their juggings just an hour before robbing the Education First Federal Credit Union on New Year’s Eve. In that instance, the men positioned the black truck to surveil the drive-through line at Chase Bank on Dowlen Road in Beaumont. After the defendants saw a customer accept a cash pouch from the teller, they followed her truck from the bank to the HEB down the road, where the men positioned the red SUV and waited for her to enter the store before smashing her window and burgling her truck while she shopped. Warren pleaded guilty on September 15, 2025, to conspiracy and bank robbery and faces up to 25 years in federal prison at sentencing. Brooks pleaded guilty on September 16, 2025, to conspiracy and two counts of bank robbery, and faces up to 45 years in federal prison at sentencing. Foster pleaded guilty on September 15, 2025, to bank robbery and faces up to 20 years federal prison as sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department, the Houston Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Memorial Villages Police Department, the West University Police Department, the Shiner Police Department, and the FBI, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John B. Ross and Jonathan Lee.


title: Kansas City Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Fraud

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to fraudulently receiving two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans totaling $426,600. The program that was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Ashli Forbes, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays today to a federal indictment that charged her with wire fraud and money laundering. The purpose of the CARES Act was to provide emergency financial assistance due to the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized the Small Business Administration to provide PPP Loans to eligible small businesses that experienced substantial financial disruption due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. By pleading guilty today, Forbes admitted she submitted false applications and supporting documents for PPP loans for Forbes Realty Company LLC and Left Lane Motors LLC. Forbes was the owner of both companies. On April 22 and 28, 2020, Forbes submitted loan application and supporting documents stated that Forbes Reality Company, LLC, had an average monthly payroll of $82,519. As part of the application, FRC payroll records for Forbes listed 2019 Medicare wages of $240,000. In fact, Ashli Forbes’ 2019 tax return did not include any income from Forbes Reality Company LLC. Ashli Forbes did not file a 2020 tax return. On April 30, 2020, Commerce Bank sent a wire communication, the loan application, from Kansas City to the Small Business Administration in Sterling, Virginia. On May 6, 2020, Forbes Reality Company LLC received $206,200 PPP loan in its Commerce Bank account. On June 19, 2020, defendant Ashli Forbes created an application for a PPP loan under the CARES Act for a business, Left Lane Motors, LLC (LLM). The application and supporting documents submitted to Commerce Bank stated that Left Lane Motors, LLC, had an average monthly payroll of $79,836. As part of the application, a 2019 Schedule C for Left Lane Motors, LLC, was submitted which listed gross receipts of $1,376,541, wages of $958,032, and a net profit of $292,606. Forms 941 and 944 (Employer’s Quarterly and Annual Tax Reports) were provided to Commerce Bank as part of the PPP application process. The application requested a loan in the amount of $220,400. In fact, Forms 941 and 944 were never filed with the IRS and the payments listed on the Forms were never received by the IRS. On June 23, 2020, Commerce Bank sent a wire communication, the loan application, from Kansas City to the Small Business Administration in Sterling, Virgina. On June 29, 2020, LLM’s Commerce Bank account received the $220,400 PPP loan. On January 22, 2021, Ashli Forbes transferred $20,000 of the funds obtained in the fraud from the FRC Commerce Bank account to pay an insurance bill, which provided the factual basis for her guilty plea to money laundering. As part of her plea agreement, Forbes admitted submitting or assisting in fraudulent PPP loans for four other companies, totaling $1,362,133.00 in fraudulent loans. Under federal statutes, Forbes is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.


title: Illegal Alien from Guatemala Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Being an Alien in Possession of a Firearm and Felon in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Juan Carlos Contreras-Najarro will spend the next 48 months in federal prison after being convicted of being an alien in possession of a firearm and felon in possession of a firearm. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge D. P. Marshall, Jr. On March 5, 2024, Contreras-Najarro, 32, of Guatemala, but residing in Little Rock, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a two-count Indictment on being an alien in possession of a firearm and felon in possession of a firearm. Contreras-Najarro pleaded guilty on January 21, 2025, to both counts in the Indictment. Judge Marshall also sentenced Contreras-Najarro to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. An investigation revealed that on January 20, 2024, officers from the Little Rock Police Department observed a stolen Honda driven by Contreras-Najarro and conducted a traffic stop. Officers asked Contreras-Najarro if the stolen vehicle belonged to him and Contreras-Najarro told officers the vehicle was “given to him.” During a search of Contreras-Najarro’s person, officers located a bag containing a small amount of methamphetamine. In the vehicle officers located a defaced Lorcin .380 caliber firearm between the console and driver’s seat. Officers also located in the trunk of the vehicle a suitcase containing three glass smoking devices and located a bag of marijuana inside a jacket on the passenger seat, two credit cards belonging to two victims, and five individual checks belonging to five separate victims. A further investigation revealed that Contreras-Najarro was a convicted felon who entered the United States illegally approximately 13 or 14 years ago. Contreras-Najarro’s criminal history includes felony convictions for possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver, possession of fentanyl with purpose to deliver, possession of hydrocodone with purpose to deliver, and second-degree forgery. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The investigation was conducted by the United States Department of Homeland Security with assistance from the Little Rock Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shelby Shelton. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Pennsylvania Brothers Convicted of Decades Long Racketeering Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Three individuals were convicted today at trial in connection with a racketeering conspiracy encompassing multiple fraud schemes, including visa fraud to employ foreign workers unlawfully, soliciting salary kickbacks from the employed workers, and health care fraud billing schemes resulting in over $32 million in losses to Pennsylvania Medicaid. As proven at trial, Bhaskar and Arun Savani built a complex criminal enterprise they dubbed “the Savani Group” that amassed tens of millions of dollars through outright fraud at every turn. Bhaskar was a dentist by training and controlled the numerous dental practices of the Savani Group, and Arun generally controlled the finances and real property holdings of the Savani Group. Ola Radomiak was a long-term employee and executive at the Savani Group and facilitated the Savanis’ conspiracy to defraud Medicaid. Through their criminal enterprise, Bhaskar and Arun Savani substantially enriched themselves over the course of a decade. Their offenses included filing numerous false H-1B visa applications, fraudulently billing health care benefit programs in the names of non-treating dentists, obstructing a grand jury investigation, laundering fraud proceeds through a complex web of financial transactions, wire fraud, and mail fraud. By their fraud, they obtained more than $32 million from Medicaid through nominee-owned dental practices used to bill Medicaid after the Savani Group’s Medicaid contracts were terminated. “This significant prosecution exemplifies the commitment of the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners to protect taxpayer-funded programs from fraudsters and corrupt healthcare professionals who seek their own personal enrichment by bilking government programs and then laundering their ill gotten gains,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division, and all of our partners including the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, will continue using every law enforcement tool available to identify, disrupt and dismantle organized fraud and those who corruptly manipulate the worker visa and Medicaid programs. Fraudsters and money launderers like Bhaskar and Arun Savani and their associates who do so will pay a heavy price.” “This sprawling investigation and prosecution meant untangling a complex web of fraudulent billing practices and sham medical entities,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “Our office worked with numerous state and federal partner agencies to unravel and prove the multiple healthcare fraud schemes at the heart of this operation. It’s gratifying to dismantle this crooked enterprise and hold those responsible to account. Fraud and abuse cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars a year and rob the healthcare system of vital resources.” “This conviction demonstrates the critical importance of partnerships across law enforcement agencies when confronting complex financial and organized criminal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office. “By leveraging our collective expertise and resources, we were able to expose and dismantle a racketeering enterprise built on deception and fraud. The FBI, working closely alongside our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, will continue to pursue those who exploit others for personal profit and bring them to justice.” “Today’s verdict sends a clear message: those who corrupt the Medicaid program for personal gain — no matter how elaborate their schemes — will be held fully accountable,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The Savani Enterprise exploited vulnerable patients, manipulated government programs, and siphoned taxpayer dollars for their own benefit. HHS‑OIG, alongside our federal and state law enforcement partners, remains unwavering in our commitment to protect the integrity of Medicaid and to defend the public’s trust in our healthcare system.” “The defendants orchestrated a years‑long scheme to defraud Medicaid, evade taxes, and launder millions of dollars through a complex network of companies and accounts,” said Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Newark Field Office. “These crimes do not just enrich wrongdoers, they drain vital public resources and erode trust in government programs. These convictions make clear that those who defraud the government will be held accountable. IRS‑CI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle financial fraud schemes and protect the public.” “Today’s convictions send a clear message that those who build criminal enterprises on the backs of vulnerable patients, exploited workers, and U.S. taxpayers will be held to account,” said Special Agent in Charge of Eric McLoughlin of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia Field Office. “For years, the Savani Group manipulated our immigration system, corrupted healthcare programs, and laundered their illicit proceeds through a maze of shell companies and accounts. This investigation and resulting prosecution reflect the strength of our partnerships with federal and state agencies and our shared commitment to dismantling complex fraud schemes wherever they take root.” “Visa fraud undermines our legal immigration system and often victimizes those seeking legitimate opportunities in the United States,” said Resident Agent in Charge Anthony Tortora of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Philadelphia Resident Office. “The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to investigating these schemes and protecting the integrity of the visa process. This conviction sends a clear message that such fraud will not be tolerated.” “Today’s verdict holds the defendants accountable for their criminal conduct,” said Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). “The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is unwavering in its commitment to protect the integrity of the Foreign Labor Certification programs. When bad actors exploit vulnerable workers or attempt to game the system, we investigate, we expose, and we hold them accountable. We will continue working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure these programs serve legitimate labor needs — not criminal enterprises. Fraud will not be tolerated. Accountability is not optional.” Brothers Bhaskar and Arun Savani, charged in January 2023, have now been convicted by a jury of conspiracy to conduct a racketeering enterprise, conspiracy to commit visa fraud, visa fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, money laundering conspiracy, concealment and transactional money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Treasury, and wire fraud. Bhaskar Savani was also convicted of conspiracy to distribute in interstate commerce an adulterated and misbranded medical device. Bhaskar and Arun Savani, respectively, face a statutory maximum penalty of 420 years in prison and 415 years in prison. Sentencing hearings are scheduled on July 8 for Bhaskar Savani and July 9 for Arun Savani. Aleksandra “Ola” Radomiak was convicted of conspiracy to conduct a racketeering enterprise, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and health care fraud. Ola Radomiak’s sentencing hearing is scheduled before the Honorable Jeffrey L. Schmehl on July 14. This case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG, IRS-CI, HSI, DSS, Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, DOL-OIG, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and the State of Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Kenneth Kaplan and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Scicchitano, Paul Shapiro, and J. Andrew Jenemann for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations. MNF’s Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims.


title: Mexican National Found Guilty of Being an Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm after Overstaying Visa

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – A Mexican national who overstayed his visa and illegally possessed a semi-automatic pistol and ammunition was convicted by a federal jury on Feb. 26, 2026. Luis Donaldo Garcia Lopez, 31, of Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico, was found guilty of Alien in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, following a three-day trial. Sentencing is scheduled for May 21, 2026, before U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, ICE-ERO officers learned that Garcia was unlawfully present in the United States. On Feb. 21, 2025, officers pulled Garcia over. During the stop, officers asked if he had any weapons, and Garcia stated that he had a firearm in a lunchbox inside his vehicle. Officers checked the lunchbox and found a Glock semi-automatic handgun loaded with five rounds of ammunition. An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was called and took custody of the firearm while Garcia was arrested for immigration violations. At trial, federal prosecutors presented evidence that Garcia was knowingly present in the United States after his period of authorized stay expired. The expiration of his period of authorized stay made him unlawfully present in the United States, and due to that status, he was not permitted to possess a firearm. Record checks showed that Garcia had a B1/B2 Border Crossing Card visa that he used to enter the United States on 27 separate occasions. Garcia’s last lawful entry into the United States was July 26, 2020, when his Mexican passport was stamped with a one-year permit that expired July 24, 2021. In addition, Garcia’s visa expired in March 2023. Prosecutors showed that Garcia never renewed his entry permit, never applied for a new visa, and never lawfully entered the United States after his permit and visa expired. A conviction for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and a maximum term of three years of supervised release. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The Phoenix Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations; and the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-25-00339 RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-046_Garcia Lopez # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: DC Solar Attorney Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for His Involvement in the DC Solar Billion Dollar Ponzi Scheme

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: Ari J. Lauer, 61, of Lafayette, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 11 years and five months years in prison for his role in the biggest criminal fraud scheme in the history of the Eastern District of California, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. From approximately 2009 to January 2019, Lauer, an attorney licensed to practice law in California, was outside counsel to DC Solar and provided legal and business advice concerning DC Solar’s operations. Lauer’s role gave the scheme legitimacy and diminished any suspicion the investors might have had. On Oct. 14, 2025, one week before trial, Lauer pleaded guilty to all counts with no written plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, 12 counts of bank fraud, and 10 counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution. “Without the participation of Lauer, the DC Solar fraud scheme would never have been operational. Lauer used his skill as a corporate lawyer to execute a sophisticated tax scheme to that enabled the largest criminal fraud in the history of the Eastern District of California,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “As the only attorney involved, he should have been the first person to recognize the fraud and stop it. Instead, he was the last person to accept responsibility, only doing so on the eve of trial. Today’s sentence demonstrates that sophisticated fraud will be met with serious consequences.” “Ari Lauer intentionally used his position as an attorney to provide the illusion of legitimacy to DC Solar’s fraudulent scheme. He hid uncomfortable truths behind claims of confidentiality while profiting from the arrangement and mistakenly assumed that law enforcement would not catch on,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message to fraudsters and their co-conspirators. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will unravel lies, seize ill-gotten gains, and dismantle Ponzi schemes like this one to deliver justice to the victims.” “Mr. Lauer’s sentence reflects the extensive harm caused by DC Solar’s long‑running fraud scheme, which deceived investors, disrupted the clean‑energy market, and left real victims in its wake,” said Linda Nguyen, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office. “White‑collar crime is not victimless. IRS‑CI used its unmatched financial‑investigative expertise and worked closely with federal law enforcement partners to follow the money, uncover the truth, and help secure justice for those harmed.” “Mr. Lauer and his co-defendants abused the system and victimized investors to enrich themselves,” noted FDIC OIG Special Agent in Charge Ryan Korner. “We are proud to have worked alongside our law enforcement partners to hold the defendants accountable and bring justice to victims. FDIC OIG will continue to work tirelessly to help victims, keep the system uncorrupted, and ultimately protect our Nation’s Financial System.” According to court documents, between 2011 and 2018, DC Solar manufactured mobile solar generators that were mounted on trailers. The company touted the versatility and environmental sustainability of the generators and claimed that they were used to provide emergency power to cellphone towers and lighting at sporting and other events. A significant incentive for investors was generous federal tax credits due to the solar nature of the generators. Martinez residents Jeff Carpoff, 55, his wife Paulette Carpoff, 52, and their co-conspirators solicited investors to invest in the generators in large multimillion-dollar transactions using a variety of fraudulent techniques. A key part of the fraud was that investors would never actually take possession of the generators. Instead, DC Solar typically leased those generators back from the investors and claimed to sublease them to third parties to generate revenue. In reality there was very little actual third-party rental demand for the generators, yet when Lauer and the other co-conspirators learned this, they continued to represent to investors that the rental market for the generators was robust. In June 2012, Lauer, Jeff Carpoff, and others met to discuss the failure to generate third-party lease revenue sufficient to meet their financial obligations to the investors. The conspirators agreed to conceal that lack of third-party lease revenue from current and prospective investors, by, among other things, making periodic transfers of investor money from one account to another and misrepresent that the flow of funds was third-party lease revenue. Lauer and other members of the conspiracy created a circular payment system they referred to as “re-rent.” In 2014, they created a “re-rent agreement,” backdating the document to 2011, and used it to explain the large sums of money being transferred from one account to another. In fact, the real source of money was new investor money, which was being used to pay obligations to existing investors. Lauer and other members of the conspiracy prepared sublease agreements with “concealed addendums” that materially altered the terms of the contracts. They used the sublease agreements to defraud investors. Between March 2011 and Dec. 18, 2018, investors invested approximately $759.4 million, and several financial institutions and other investors transferred $152.7 million to DC Solar as part of related transactions for the purchase and lease of generators. In total, DC Solar closed transactions with investors that contributed more than $912 million to purchase generators. Those transactions were purported to involve approximately 17,000 generators, at approximately $2.5 billion in value. During the conspiracy, approximately 94% to 95% of the lease revenue on the books was actually intercompany transfers disguised as new investor money. In truth, third-party end-user demand for generators never exceeded 5% of the revenue that was claimed. On Dec. 19, 2025, the California State bar put Lauer on “involuntary inactive status” due to his conviction in this case. The FBI, IRS-CI, and the FDIC OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey B. Hemesath and Nicholas M. Fogg prosecuted the case. The status of the other seven defendants is as follows: Jeff Carpoff was sentenced on Nov. 9, 2021, to 30 years in prison and ordered to pay $790.6 million in restitution. Paulette Carpoff was sentenced on June 28, 2022, to 11 years and three months in prison. Joseph W. Bayliss, 50, of Martinez, was sentenced on Nov. 16, 2021, to three years in prison and ordered to pay $481.3 million in restitution. DC Solar CFO Robert A. Karmann, 59, of Clayton, was sentenced on April 12, 2022, to six years in prison and ordered to pay $624 million. Alan Hansen, 54, was sentenced on May 31, 2022, to eight years in prison. Ryan Guidry, 49, of Pleasant Hill, was sentenced on Jan. 31, 2023, to six years and six months in prison and ordered to pay $619,415,950 in restitution. Ronald J. Roach, 57, of Walnut Creek, pleaded guilty to criminal offenses related to the fraud scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 13, 2026. Roach faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Two Admit Roles in Scheme Involving Millions of Dollars Stolen from Victims of Online Scams

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that two men have pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court to conspiracy charges related to receiving, moving, and converting millions of dollars stolen from victims of online scams. According to court documents and statements made in court, Richard Fasanella, a U.S. citizen who resided in Venezuela, connected with others who used various online scams, including romance scams, to defraud dozens of primarily elderly victims of millions of dollars. Between approximately 2018 and 2024, Fasanella opened numerous bank accounts in his own name and in the name of various sham companies, and he directed associates, including John J. Intoci, to open bank accounts in the name of various sham companies that Fasanella ultimately controlled. Fasanella, Intoci, and others used these bank accounts to deposit nearly $9 million in checks, cash, and money orders that had been mailed to them from scam victims. Fasanella, Intoci, and others kept a percentage of these funds for themselves, and Fasanella, with the assistance of Intoci and others, moved the remaining money to other bank accounts or financial institutions, and ultimately to the cryptocurrency wallets of the scam operators. On several occasions, bank employees and law enforcement informed Fasanella that the money he received was from scammed victims, and Fasanella had several accounts closed and had money seized by law enforcement due to fraud. However, he continued to launder money for scammers he met on the internet. Fasanella, 56, was deported from Bogota, Colombia, and has been detained since January 26, 2024. On March 3, 2026, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and illegal monetary transactions, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 26. Intoci, 65, of Spring Hill, Florida, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. He was arrested on January 16, 2025, and is currently released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for May 29. This investigation is being conducted the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Global Illicit Financial Team (GIFT); and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and Migración Colombia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá provided assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Cherry and Stephanie Levick.


title: Previously Convicted Felon on Probation Sentenced for Possession of Ammunition

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Charles Washington, Jr., 34, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 27 months in prison for illegally possessing ammunition while he was on probation, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Washington pleaded guilty Nov. 12, 2025, before Judge Reggie B. Walton to one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon. In addition to the prison term, Judge Walton ordered Washington to serve three years of supervised release. According to court documents, Metropolitan Police officers responded at 4:05 p.m. on March 12, 2025, to the 2800 block of Alabama Ave. SE, for reported firearms. Multiple individuals, including Washington, were gathered near a grey car. Washington was seen leaning on the vehicle. As MPD officers arrived, Washington took off running while holding his waistband. At one point, he stopped, hunched over a sewer drain, and appeared to toss an object down the drain. The officers observed Washington was no longer holding his waistband. Shortly after discarding the item, Washington tripped and officers apprehended him. Officers went to the sewer drain, lifted the manhole cover, and recovered a black “ghost gun,” a privately made firearm with a Polymer 80 frame, with an attached Glock 23 slide and barrel, loaded with 12 rounds and one in the chamber. Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). This case was investigated by the MPD and the ATF. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole. 25cr75


title: Felon Found with Gun Fitted with Glock Switch in Hartford Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DASHAWN DWYER, 31, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 11, 2024, Hartford Police officers attempted to stop Dwyer, who had absconded from state parole and was being sought, as he drove a vehicle on Albany Avenue. Dwyer accelerated, drove recklessly down side streets, and eventually jumped from the moving vehicle and fled on foot. The vehicle came to rest against a fence on Main Street. Dwyer was apprehended a short distance away, and a search of his vehicle revealed a 9mm Glock pistol with a loaded extended magazine, and which was equipped with a machinegun conversion device (“switch”); distribution quantities of cocaine and crack; and $10,257 in cash. Dwyer’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for robbery, assault, and narcotics offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for June 3, at which time Dwyer faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. Dwyer has been detained since his arrest. This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reed Durham and Sean P. Mahard. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: District Man Pleads Guilty in Kidnapping of Two Victims at Gunpoint

body_text: WASHINGTON – Kaevon Sutton, 24, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty March 6 in U.S. District Court to federal kidnapping for leading an armed assault on two victims in Northeast Washington, forcing them at gunpoint into their own vehicles, and driving them across state lines into Maryland, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Sutton pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly to one count of kidnapping which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Judge Kelly scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17, 2026. According to court documents, about 1:44 a.m. on May 20, 2023, Sutton arrived with other individuals in a black sedan on the 4900 block of Quarles Street NE. Armed with a firearm, Sutton and his co-conspirators ordered two victims to the ground and assaulted them. Sutton visibly held his firearm as he searched the victims and struck them. Sutton then forced one victim into the victim’s Nissan Murano at gunpoint while co-conspirators forced the second victim into a GMC Yukon. Sutton coordinated the operation, guarding one victim with his weapon while co-conspirators controlled the other. Sutton and his co-conspirators then drove the victims’ own vehicles — in a convoy together with their black sedan — across state lines into Bladensburg, Maryland. In Maryland, Sutton and his co-conspirators forced both victims out of the vehicles, ordered them to remove their clothes, and directed them to walk into the nearby woods. The defendant and his co-conspirators then drove away in the victims’ vehicles, leaving the victims stranded in Maryland. The investigation in this case was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caelainn Carney and Joshua Satter of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 25cr221


title: Illegal Alien from Mexico Charged with Carjacking in Orange County and with Illegally Reentering the U.S. Following Deportation

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – A twice-deported illegal immigrant from Mexico has been federally charged with carjacking a restaurant employee in Orange County last month – assaulting both the victim and her coworker who rushed to help her and nearly hitting them with the stolen vehicle – and with illegally reentering the United States, the Justice Department announced today. Miguel Abrajan-Morales, 30, of Fullerton, is charged in a federal criminal complaint with carjacking. He also is charged in a separate federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States following deportation or removal. Abrajan-Morales is in state custody at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange. He faces a criminal charge in Orange County Superior Court of assault with a deadly weapon. He is expected to make his initial appearance on the federal charges in United States District Court in Santa Ana in the coming weeks. According to affidavits filed with the federal complaints, during the evening of February 27, two restaurant employees were leaving work in Placentia. One victim – later identified as a woman with whom Abrajan-Morales previously had a romantic relationship – walked to her 2025 Ford Bronco and sat in the driver’s seat. Unexpectedly and without her permission, Abrajan-Morales opened and entered the vehicle’s front passenger seat and struck her in the face several times. To escape, the victim left the Ford Bronco from the driver’s door and left the vehicle running. The victim’s coworker was entering his vehicle and witnessed the assault. To defend the victim, he ran toward the Ford Bronco and began fighting Abrajan-Morales. During this fight, Abrajan-Morales and he struck each other several times. After the fight, Abrajan-Morales walked around to the driver’s side of the Ford Bronco, sat in the driver’s seat, and drove away. He nearly struck both restaurant employees with the vehicle as he exited the parking lot – colliding with a parked Honda Civic near where they were standing. Both victims – who had visible injuries – told law enforcement they believed he intentionally tried to strike them with the Ford Bronco. On March 1, Abrajan-Morales was arrested in Ontario. Law enforcement reviewed his immigration status and determined that Abrajan-Morales had twice been deported from the United States to Mexico in October 2016. There is no record of any application nor permission from the Secretary of Homeland Security or the United States Attorney General granting Abrajan-Morales permission to reenter the United States. A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. If convicted, Abrajan-Morales would face a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison on the carjacking charge and up to two years in federal prison on the illegal reentry charge. The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Integrated Operations Group (IOG) and the Placentia Police Department are investigating the carjacking matter with assistance from the Ontario Police Department. IOG is a task force comprised of participation from HSI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the United States Marshals Service. HSI-OIG is investigating the illegal reentry matter. Assistant United States Attorney Aylin B. Kuzucan of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting the carjacking case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth D. Bisland of the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section is prosecuting the illegal reentry case.


title: Statement Of U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton On The Convictions Of Alon, Oren, And Tal Alexander

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Federal sex offenses are all too prevalent in our society and all too often go unreported and unpunished. The truth is sex trafficking and other federal sex offenses are present in many walks of life and we have not done enough to root it out. The abuse inflicted upon the victims is disgusting, scarring, and should not be tolerated. Our prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners, are committed to breaking these conspiracies, bringing the perpetrators to justice, and sending a message to anyone who would commit or enable these horrific acts. Today, we take an important step in our fight against sex trafficking. Moments ago, a unanimous Manhattan jury found three brothers, Alon, Oren, and Tal Alexander guilty of multiple federal sex offenses, including conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. The verdict comes after a weekslong trial where evidence and testimony from 11 brave victims demonstrated that the Alexander brothers conspired to repeatedly lure, drug, and rape young women. These are chilling, reprehensible, and unacceptable acts. We commend the victims for their courage in coming forward and testifying at the trial. They bravely overcame the pain of reliving the abuses inflicted upon them and, as a result, prevented others from becoming victims. We also commend the jury of New Yorkers for their attention, care, and commitment to our judicial system. The jury saw the Alexander’s conduct for what it was—calculated, brutal sexual abuse that, unimaginably, the defendants celebrated. This verdict cannot undo the effects of heinous abuse the Alexanders’ many victims endured, but it does send a message: New Yorkers want to bring an end to sex trafficking in all our communities. We encourage anyone who has been a victim of federal sex offenses, or suspects such conduct, to contact our office or our law enforcement partners. We also acknowledge and thank the women and men of this Office’s Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit and our valued colleagues at FBI-NYPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force for their commitment to this case. They worked tirelessly on behalf of all victims of sexual abuse and with an unwavering commitment to stopping sex trafficking. If you have been the victim of sexual abuse, or believe you have seen evidence of sexual abuse, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.


title: Georgia Man Charged with Transmitting Threat to South Florida Victim

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Georgia man made his initial appearance in federal court today after allegedly leaving a threatening voicemail for a victim in the Southern District of Florida. According to court documents, on Sept. 19, 2025, Henry Paul Demarco, 64, left a voicemail message threatening to “blow [the victim’s] head off.” The call was transmitted from Georgia to the Southern District of Florida. Demarco was granted bond with a condition that he have no contact with the victim. Demarco is charged with interstate transmission of a threat to injure. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Police Chief Michael Coleman of the Riviera Beach Police Department made the announcement. FBI Miami is investigating the case with valuable assistance from the Riviera Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Juan Albino is prosecuting the case. An indictment/complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 26-cr-80050. ###


title: Jamestown man pleads guilty to fentanyl charge and kidnapping

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a Dwayne Lowery aka Chi Chi, 31, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and kidnapping, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $5,000,000. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donna M. Duncan, Joshua A. Violanti, and Louis A. Testani, who are handling the case, stated that on December 7, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Lowery’s West Cowden Place residence, seizing approximately 59 grams of fentanyl, $1,140 in cash, and drug paraphernalia. Prior to the search warrant, investigators conducted two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Lowery at his residence. In mid-October 2023, Lowery invited an individual (Victim) to a North Union Street residence in Olean, NY. For the next approximately 22 days, the Victim was held by Lowery at various locations, including residences associated with Lowery in Buffalo and Olean, and a Buffalo hotel. When the Victim attempted to flee, Lowery physically prevented her from doing so. During this time, the defendant regularly provided the Victim with narcotics. On November 3, 2023, the Victim escaped Lowery’s Buffalo residence, went to Buffalo Police headquarters, and reported that she was being held against her will. The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Scott Forster, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone, and the Olean Police Department under the direction of Police Chief Ron Richardson. Sentencing is scheduled for July 20, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Vilardo. # # # #


title: United States Asserts New Civil Forfeiture Theory Alleging Michael J. Miske Committed Suicide to Obstruct Criminal Forfeiture Proceeding

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that the government has moved for leave to amend its civil forfeiture complaint regarding the criminal proceeds of Michael J. Miske (“Miske”). The motion is based on evidence uncovered in an ongoing criminal investigation showing that Miske and others conspired to obstruct an earlier criminal forfeiture proceeding by smuggling fentanyl into prison so that Miske could die by overdose and thereby thwart the forfeiture of his criminal proceeds, estimated at over $20 million. According to court documents, Miske was in prison pending sentencing at the time of his death on or about December 1, 2024, having been convicted by a federal jury on July 18, 2024 of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and 11 other felony charges. On July 24, 2024, in a related criminal forfeiture proceeding, the jury also found 27 assets seized from Miske forfeitable as property constituting or derived from proceeds of Miske’s racketeering activity. Miske’s death, however, resulted in the abatement of the criminal proceeding and criminal forfeiture proceeding. This abatement thwarted the government’s effort to obtain title to the assets subject to forfeiture because it terminated the criminal forfeiture proceeding. The government subsequently filed a civil forfeiture action as to those assets. As alleged in court documents, an ongoing criminal investigation has uncovered evidence that Miske conspired with others to smuggle fentanyl into the Federal Detention Center, Honolulu (“FDC Honolulu”), which Miske used to commit suicide. Miske’s motivation in committing suicide was to interfere with the government’s criminal forfeiture of Miske’s seized assets, based upon advice Miske had received from his attorney(s). Miske arranged to provide a vehicle to another inmate who had been released from federal custody on conditions of supervised release. The vehicle was payment for the inmate deliberately violating his release conditions and smuggling fentanyl for Miske into FDC Honolulu when arrested and remanded into custody. Miske used small amounts of fentanyl in the day(s) leading up to his suicide, believing it would mislead investigators into thinking his death was an accidental overdose. As noted in court filings, the criminal investigation is still ongoing. “Our criminal prosecution of Michael Miske demonstrated that he was a thug who used robbery, felony assaults, drug trafficking, fraud, chemical weapons attacks on his competitors, murder, and criminal obstruction to terrorize and intimidate Hawaii for many years,” said United States Attorney Ken Sorenson. “When he was found guilty by a brave Hawaii jury, Miske then resorted to a plan to frustrate the lawful forfeiture of his criminally derived property by scheming to kill himself while in federal custody awaiting sentencing. Today’s amended complaint demonstrates our solemn resolve to pursue criminally derived proceeds and deny criminals like Miske the power to dictate the fate of their ill-gotten gains.” The assertions in the proposed second amended civil forfeiture complaint are merely accusations, and any potential defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines. The FBI is investigating the criminal case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aislinn K. Affinito and Joseph McGinley and Trial Attorney Stephanie Williamson of the Money Laundering, Narcotics, and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the civil forfeiture case.


title: Northeast Georgia Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing CSAM

component: USAO - Georgia, Middle

body_text: ATHENS, Ga. – A Walton County man was sentenced to 11 years in prison after law enforcement discovered he was in possession of thousands of images of child sexual abuse material, also known as CSAM, including 2,754 images of previously identified victims of child exploitation and abuse from across the world. Gerald Scott Collins, 56, of Monroe, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 132 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self on March 9, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on Nov. 10, 2025. Collins will have to register as a sex offender upon release from federal custody. A sentencing date will be determined by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system. “Child sexual abuse material is evidence of real children being abused, and once online, it can be shared endlessly,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Our office will seek maximum punishment for child predators possessing CSAM. We are thankful for the efforts of our local, state and federal law enforcement and community partners who continue to do everything in their power to protect children.” According to court documents and statements referenced in court, law enforcement became aware of Collins’s possession of CSAM in 2022. Homeland Security Investigations agents obtained and executed search warrants for the seized electronic devices, including a laptop computer, tablets, USB drives, external hard drives and SD cards. Nine of Collins’ devices contained a total of 9,996 images, 19 videos and an additional 791 documents containing CSAM. The CSAM involved prepubescent females under the age of 12, including toddlers, who were subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation. Some of the images depicted violent and sadistic online exploitation. Law enforcement agents forwarded the images and videos to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for comparison using the organization’s Child Recognition and Identification System. This system, in partnership with national and international law enforcement, helps identify victims and perpetrators worldwide by compiling previously identified victims into distinct series. NCMEC determined that 2,754 images of previously identified victims were found across 226 named series from the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Latin America and Asia. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969. HSI and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Jarrett is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Seminole Resident Sentenced For Federal Firearm Crime

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Byron Keith Spencer, age 54, of Seminole, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 92 months in prison for one count of Possession of Stolen Firearm. The charges arose from an investigation by the Wewoka Police Department, the District 22 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On June 9, 2025, Spencer pleaded guilty to the charge in federal district court. According to investigators, on May 9, 2023, law enforcement conducting a traffic stop in Wewoka discovered Spencer in possession of a Walther PK380 .380 handgun previously reported as stolen. At the time of the offense, Spencer knew or had reasonable cause to believe the firearm had been stolen. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Spencer will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Edith A. Singer represented the United States.


title: Stilwell Resident Pleads Guilty To Involuntary Manslaughter In Indian Country

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tyler Morgan Doyle, age 37, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country, punishable by up to eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Indictment alleged that on December 6, 2024, Doyle unlawfully killed the victim in the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to a felony, specifically, failing to devote full time and attention to driving, failing to comply with required obedience to traffic laws, and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. The crime occurred in Wagoner County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Doyle will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.


title: Mason City Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Conspiracy and Distribution

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Kevin Knight, age 45, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced March 6, 2026, to 13 years in federal prison, after an October 8, 2025, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and three counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Evidence in the case revealed that between January 2024 and continuing through February 2025, Knight was involved in an ongoing methamphetamine distribution conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa, where law enforcement documented Knight actively engaged in drug trafficking. Knight has a lengthy criminal history. His prior convictions include numerous thefts, forgeries, and/or burglaries, a domestic abuse assault, and four prior methamphetamine-related convictions. Knight was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 156 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Knight is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-3019. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Chattanooga Man Sentenced To 10 Years For Possessing Machinegun Used In Shooting

body_text: CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On March 6, 2026, Jaquan Andre Smith, also known as “Lil Quanie,” 21 of Chattanooga, was sentenced to 120 months in prison by Chief Judge Travis R. McDonough in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following imprisonment, Smith will be on supervised release for three years. Smith earlier pled guilty to possessing a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o). According to filed court documents and proof presented at the sentencing hearing, on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at approximately 5:11 p.m., Chattanooga Police Department (“CPD”) Officers responded to reports of multiple shots fired in the parking lot of Hamilton Place Mall. Officers observed several vehicles that had sustained damage from gunfire, and they recovered 26 spent 9-millimter cartridge cases in the parking lot. Investigators reviewed video footage, interviewed witnesses, and collected physical evidence, leading to the identification of Smith as the shooter. The investigation revealed the victims were specifically targeted due to an ongoing gang feud. On May 9, 2023, with assistance from the United States Marshal Service Smoky Mountains Fugitive Task Force, investigators located and arrested Smith. Smith was in possession of a Glock, Model 17, 9-millimter pistol with an extended magazine and an installed and functioning machinegun conversion device (“MCD”), colloquially known as a “switch.” The MCD enabled the pistol to fire fully automatic, that is, fire multiple rounds by single pull of the trigger. Possession of a MCD is illegal under Federal law, as the National Firearms Act classifies the MCD itself as a machinegun. An investigator test fired the machinegun. The spent cartridge cases, along with cartridge cases collected from Hamilton Place Mall parking lot, were submitted to the National Integrated Ballistic Intelligence Network (“NIBIN”). The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) runs the NIBIN Program, which is an automated ballistic evaluation process. ATF’s NIBIN analysis resulted in ballistic evidence that the spent 9-millimter cartridge cases recovered from the Hamilton Place Mall parking lot were fired from the machinegun found in Smith’s possession. “Gang violence is a scourge on our communities, and the United States Attorney’s Office will prosecute those who perpetuate violence, illegally possess firearms, or endanger the citizens of Chattanooga,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is grateful for our law enforcement partners and their work towards our joint mission to keep Chattanooga safe for all.” “MCDs pose a significant threat to public safety. Today’s sentencing underscores the importance of holding individuals accountable who recklessly discharge an illegally possessed firearm equipped with an MCD. The ATF, along with our law enforcement partners, remains committed to pursuing these individuals who endanger our communities and ensuring they are brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamey Van Vliet of the Nashville Division of the ATF. “Our community deserves to feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods. This successful prosecution reflects the tireless efforts of CPD investigators, CPD task force officers, and our federal partners working side-by-side to dismantle violent criminal activity. We remain committed to a relentless, collaborative approach to reducing gun violence and ensuring that those who choose to harm others are held accountable at every level,” said Chattanooga Chief of Police Jon Chambers. The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the ATF Chattanooga Field Office and the CPD Gun Team. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin T. Brown represented the United States. 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). ###


title: Richmond felon returning to prison for methamphetamine

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Chesterfield man was sentenced yesterday to seven years and eight months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, on July 19, 2024, Chesterfield County Police (CCPD) officers observed Hunter Brandon Orlowski, 34, who had multiple pending arrest warrants, leave a residence with a tan backpack on his shoulder. Officers blocked the driveway before Orlowski could get on a motorcycle and flee. The backpack contained a loaded pistol, 67 rounds of ammunition, 72 needles, a digital scale, a knife, 11 suboxone packets, 9.59 grams of cocaine and fentanyl, oxycodone, 2.08 grams of marijuana, four morphine tablets, 45 amphetamine tablets, 107 Xanax tablets, and 118.49 grams of methamphetamine. Orlowski was convicted in 2013 of possession of a controlled substance, in 2014 of distributing a controlled substance and of possessing ammunition as a convicted felon, in 2017 of possession of a controlled substance, in 2020 of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a controlled substance, in 2024 of receipt of stolen goods and eluding police, and in 2025 of conspiracy by a prisoner to possess marijuana or a schedule III controlled substance. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and CCPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen H. Theisen prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-177.