title: Florida Man Sentenced to 22 Months’ Imprisonment for Conspiracy to Pay and Receive Healthcare Kickbacks

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 29, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joseph P. Stadtmueller sentenced Michael G.V. Comino to 22 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Comino was also ordered to pay over $2 million in restitution to Medicare. According to court records, Comino and his co-defendant owned Kestrel Medical LLC, a company that supplied durable medical equipment, such as orthotic devices, including braces for ankles, knees, backs, and shoulders. Beginning in August 2019, Comino began providing “leads” or signed doctors’ orders to Kestrel in exchange for kickback payments to two companies he owned. Comino became a fifty percent owner of Kestrel in approximately February 2020, after which he continued to offer and pay kickbacks for signed doctors’ orders. Comino and his co-defendant concealed the nature of the kickback payments by paying invoices for marketing hours. As a result of the conspiracy, Medicare paid over $2 million to Kestrel. Comino personally received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Kestrel in 2019 and 2020. “The United States Attorney Office prioritizes efforts to stop healthcare fraud and will continue to hold accountable individuals who intentionally misuse Medicare and Medicaid dollars,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “The restitution order and prison sentence in this case underscore that providers of medical equipment and supplies cannot engage in unlawful schemes that put their interests ahead of those of the American taxpayer.” “Individuals like Mr. Comino must face the consequences of their actions that defrauded the American people and wasted taxpayer money. This case sends a clear message that healthcare kickback schemes won’t be tolerated,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “The FBI will continue to work vigorously with our partners to combat and prevent healthcare fraud.” “The conduct in this investigation highlights a scheme whereby the defendant prioritized profits over patient care, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working together with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to protect the integrity of federal health care programs.” The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney John Scully prosecuted. ### For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Former New Jersey Resident Sentenced To 72 Months For $4.7 Million ‘Up Front’ Fee Scheme

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Florida man who previously resided in New Jersey was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment for defrauding approximately 33 victims out of more than $4.7 million through an “upfront-fee” scheme that spanned nearly a decade, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. John Sabo, 71, formerly of Spring Lake, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud. According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: From in or around November 2014 through at least in or around August 2023, Sabo fraudulently induced his multiple victims to collectively pay millions of dollars in “up-front” or advance fees to his company, Bankers Capital LLC, in exchange for the promise to provide various forms of collateral and/or secure millions of dollars in financing for each of the victims’ business projects. However, neither Sabo nor Bankers Capital possessed or had access to the financing and collateral that Sabo promised. Instead of using the victims’ money as promised, Sabo diverted millions of dollars out of Bankers Capital, primarily for personal expenses, which included payments to Sabo’s creditors, and to pay back other victims of the scheme. Even after he was charged by complaint in November 2022 with engaging in the wire fraud scheme, Sabo continued to provide false assurances to victims that they would receive the promised collateral or financing. In total, Sabo’s scheme resulted in $4,788,325 in losses to victims. In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp ordered Sabo to pay forfeiture and restitution to the victims of his scheme, each in the total amount of $4,788,325, and sentenced Sabo to 3 years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kozar and Carolyn Silane of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Michael Robertson, Esq. sabo.information.pdf


title: Guatemalan Man with Four OUI Offenses Sentenced to Over Two Years in Prison for Unlawful Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Guatemalan man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for unlawful reentry. Edilzar Morales-Barillas, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 29 months in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In January 2025 , Morales-Barillas pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry. Morales-Barillas was charged on July 31, 2024. Morales-Barillas is a citizen of Guatemala who was deported from the United States on May 14, 2021. Sometime after his May 2021 removal, Morales-Barillas unlawfully reentered the United States. Immigration authorities became aware of Morales-Barillas’ unlawful presence in the United States on May 27, 2023, following his arrest for a fourth offense of operating under the influence of alcohol. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Three Chilean Nationals Charged with Immigration Offenses

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Jose Quezada-Villena, 30, and Kevin Bernal-Fuentes, 25, both of Chile, have been charged by criminal complaint with transporting Jeanne Marie Medel-Garay, 46, also from Chile, who had just entered the United States illegally by crossing into the country from Canada without passing through a port of entry, and who has been charged with illegal entry into the United States. According to court documents, during the evening of May 27, 2025, the United States Border Patrol received a report that a landowner near the U.S./Canada border had observed a single female crossing into the United States from Canada at a location other than a Port of Entry in Derby Line, Vermont. The female had been picked up by a silver Nissan Rogue. Based on this information a United States Border Patrol agent established surveillance a few miles south of the border where he observed the Nissan driving erratically before conducting a traffic stop. During the stop, law enforcement encountered two males in the front of the car, later identified as Quezada-Villena and Bernal-Fuentes, and a single female passenger in the back, later identified as Medel-Garay. A subsequent review of immigration records revealed that all three individuals lacked permission to be in the United States. During a post-arrest interview, Bernal-Fuentes admitted to traveling to Vermont from Long Island, New York, with Quezada-Villena for the purpose of picking up and transporting an individual within the United States. On May 29, 2025, United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered Medel-Garay detained during the pendency of her prosecution. On May 30 and June 2, Judge Doyle ordered that Quezada-Villena and Bernal-Fuentes, respectively, be released on conditions pending trial. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Quezada-Villena and Bernal-Fuentes face up to five years’ incarceration if convicted. Their actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. Medel-Garay faces up to six months’ incarceration if convicted. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Arra. Quezada-Villena is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. Bernal-Fuentes is represented by Allan Sullivan, Esq. Medel-Garay is represented by Robert Behrens, Esq. 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. 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: California Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Selling Illegal Depressant Over the Internet

body_text: BOSTON – A California man has been sentenced on May 30, 2025 in federal court in Boston for conspiracy to sell the illegal depressant, Etizolam, over the internet. One customer died as a result of ingesting Etizolam purchased from defendant’s website. Paul Z. Lamberty, 52, of Folsom, Calif., was sentenced on May 30, 2025 by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In August 2024 , Lamberty pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of the introduction of misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead. Lamberty operated websites Encern.com and Ohmod.com and used those sites to sell the drug etizolam to customers throughout the United States, including Massachusetts. Payments for etizolam through those websites could only be made through cryptocurrency and it was shipped to customers through U.S. Priority Mail. Encern.com has no corporate records in the State of California and the website did not provide a physical address for the business. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had not approved etizolam for use as a drug, and thus it could not be sold or prescribed in the United States. Despite this, Lamberty purchased drugs from suppliers in China, imported them into the United States and then sold the drugs with false labelling stating that the products were sold “For Research Purposes Only” and “Not for Human Consumption.” Based on an analysis of bank and cryptocurrency records, Lamberty and his co-conspirator conducted gross sales of over $550,000 of etizolam through the internet during the course of the conspiracy. According to court documents, in 2020, a Massachusetts customer of Lamberty’s website purchased and ingested etizolam and died as a result. According to the charging document, etizolam is a drug known as a thienodiazepine, a class of drugs chemically related to benzodiazepines, which produce central nervous system depression. Physicians may prescribe FDA-approved benzodiazepines to treat insomnia and anxiety, but benzodiazepines and thienodiazepines also carry risks of dependency, toxicity and even fatal overdose, particularly when combined with other central nervous system depressants. According to court documents, in July 2023, the DEA temporarily scheduled etizolam as a Schedule I controlled substance. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Lauren A. Graber of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Dominican National Sentenced to Federal Prison, to be Deported for Trafficking Fentanyl,  Stealing Hundreds of Individuals’ Personal Information, and Defrauding the Government

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national illegally present in the United States who trafficked fentanyl, was found to be in possession of stolen personal identifying information of nearly a thousand individuals, and filed hundreds of fraudulent tax returns to obtain tens of thousands of dollars in COVID related tax credit payments has been sentenced to four years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Juan Carlos Nunez Rodriguez, 51, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, theft of government property, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 48 months in federal prison to be followed by one year of supervised release and to pay restitution to the IRS totaling $66,112. An immigration detainer has been lodged by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to information presented to the court, in September 2023, following a two-month investigation into his drug trafficking activities, members of the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force sought and executed a court-authorized search warrant at Nunez Rodriguez’s Providence apartment, where they seized 613 grams of fentanyl. According to a DEA analysis set forth in court documents, the 613 grams of fentanyl seized represents approximately 306,500 lethal doses. In addition to seizing fentanyl from Nunez Rodriguez’s residence, agents also seized United States Treasury checks addressed to different individuals, more than three dozen fraudulent federal tax returns in envelopes addressed to the IRS, and stolen personal identifying information belonging to 976 individuals. A follow-up investigation by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation found that Nunez Rodriguez fraudulently filed at least 15 tax returns for which he received and deposited refund checks, and that he was in possession of 43 refund checks ranging in amounts from $1,400 to $1,800. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr. The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force and IRS Criminal Investigation. ###


title: Mexican National Charged with Unlawful Entry

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Juan De Dios Tena-Granados, 39, of Mexico, has been charged by criminal complaint with entering the United States at a place or time other than as designated by immigration authorities. On May 27, 2025, Tena-Granados appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, pleaded guilty, and received a time-served sentence. According to court documents, U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended Tena-Granados after he was observed walking southbound in an area of Highgate, Vermont, that is frequently traveled by persons attempting to enter the United States illegally from Canada. During a post-arrest interview, Tena-Granados admitted to entering the country illegally. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Arra. Tena-Granados is represented by William A. Vasiliou II , Esq. 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. 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: Man Admits Shooting at Undercover St. Louis Police Officer

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

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man on Tuesday admitted shooting at an undercover St. Louis Police officer who was investigating drug sales. Anthony Stallworth, 25, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count each of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Stallworth admitted selling 28 capsules containing fentanyl to an undercover officer on Oct. 10, 2019. Five days later, the officer contacted Stallworth to buy more fentanyl. Stallworth met with the officer, then had that officer follow him in his Mercedes SUV. At one point when the officer was stopped at a stop sign, Stallworth suddenly stopped, stuck a gun out of his window and fired two shots in the direction of the officer’s vehicle before speeding away. Later, in the summer of 2023, officers spotted Stallworth engaging in drug transactions in the 4700 block of Wilcox Avenue in St. Louis. Officers conducted a court-approved search of an apartment there and found Stallworth along with 450 grams of meth, 86 grams of fentanyl, a 10mm pistol and drug paraphernalia. Stallworth is scheduled to be sentenced on September 9. Due to mandatory minimum sentences, he will face at least 15 years in prison. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce 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: Passaic County Correctional Officer Admits Civil Rights Violation and Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice in Connection with an Assault of a Pretrial Detainee

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County Correctional Officer admitted his role in assaulting a pretrial detainee and conspiring to obstruct justice, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Sergeant Jose Gonzalez, 46, pleaded guilty on May 28, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court to a two-count indictment charging him with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On January 22, 2021, a pretrial detainee at the Passaic County Jail (“PCJ”) squirted a mixture containing urine onto a correctional officer. The following day, on January 23, 2021, Sergeant Gonzalez admitted that he, along with Sergeant Donald Vinales, and Correctional Officer Lorenzo Bowden, who were also charged in this case, transported the detainee through an area of the PCJ that does not have a video surveillance camera, which Correctional Officers and inmates at the PCJ have referred to as a “blind spot.” While in that “blind spot,” Sergeant Gonzalez admitted that he and Sergeant Vinales assaulted the detainee, while he was handcuffed, when they knocked him to the ground and struck him multiple times. One day after the assault, the detainee was taken to a local hospital, which documented injuries from the assault. The defendants were required to submit documentation regarding their use of force. None of them submitted any such reports. In March 2022, Sergeant Gonzalez admitted that he made false statements to federal law enforcement officers during an interview in connection with this investigation. Additionally, in April 2022, after receiving federal grand jury subpoenas in connection with this investigation, Sergeant Gonzalez, Sergeant Vinales, Officer Bowden, among others, met to discuss the federal investigation. During that meeting, the group agreed not to cooperate with the federal investigation and also agreed to say that nothing had happened to the detainee (referring to the assault). Thereafter, during an interview with federal investigators in October 2022, Bowden falsely stated that the detainee had not been assaulted and that there had not been any meeting or communication among those who participated in or witnessed the assault. Officer Bowden pleaded guilty on April 18, 2024, before Judge Farbiarz to an information charging him with conspiracy to obstruct justice and is awaiting sentencing. Sergeant Vinales pleaded guilty on May 21, 2025, before Judge Farbiarz to a two-count indictment charging him with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. He is also awaiting sentencing. The charge of deprivation of rights under color of law carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and the charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Both charges carry a fine of up to $250,000. Gonzalez’s sentencing is scheduled for October 22, 2025. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark; and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office Division of Internal Affairs, under the direction of Sheriff Thomas Adamo. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark, and R. Joseph Gribko, Senior Trial Counsel in Trenton. ### Defense Counsel: Valerie Palma DeLuisi, Esq., Clifton, New Jersey gonzalez.indictment.pdf


title: Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: California-Based Supplier Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Alejandro Gallegos, also known as “Alex,” “Rooster,” “G” and “Primo,” 42, of Hacienda Heights, California, was sentenced today to 27 years in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Gallegos admitted to a major supplier role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area. According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about February 2021 to in or about March 2023, Gallegos conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine within the Southern District of West Virginia. On March 18, 2023, Gallegos directed co-defendant Ildiberto Gonzalez Jr. to deliver approximately 196 pounds of methamphetamine and four kilograms of cocaine from California to Bluefield, West Virginia, in his 2009 Freightliner semi-truck with attached trailer. Gallegos arranged the shipment in exchange for approximately $400,000 with another co-conspirator in West Virginia. Gallegos had Gonzalez and the West Virginia co-conspirator meet in a particular parking lot in Bluefield on March 22, 2023. There, Gonzalez provided the controlled substances to the other individual in exchange for a box that Gonzalez believed contained the cash. Gonzalez Jr., 31, of San Bernadino, California, was sentenced on July 22, 2024, to 14 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. Gallegos and Gonzalez are among 31 individuals convicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash. Gallegos was found by the Court to be responsible for approximately 740 pounds of methamphetamine through his role in the drug trafficking organization. “No defendant sentenced in the Southern District of West Virginia has been responsible for the amount of methamphetamine attributable to this defendant. There is no comparison,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “While thousands of miles away from our communities, he directed methamphetamine from Mexico to West Virginia for the sake of profits, knowing that his actions would add to the devastation of the drug abuse crisis in the Southern District of West Virginia.” Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-32. ###


title: Twice convicted drug trafficker sent to prison for illegal possession of firearms

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 46-year-old Pharr resident has been sentenced for unlawful possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Rogelio Rodriguez Jr. pleaded guilty July 10, 2024. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now handed Rodriguez an enhanced sentence of 96 months after determining he possessed numerous firearms in connection with another felony offense of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His sentence will be immediately followed by a two-year-term of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard Rodriguez had a pattern of illegally possessing firearms in connection with drug trafficking. On Jan. 12, 2024, authorities responded to a call regarding an aggravated assault at Rodriguez’s residence. Law enforcement had information that Rodriguez had refused to leave the property and brandished a firearm after being confronted about carrying firearms. They conducted a search and discovered three firearms in the residence including a Glock .40 caliber pistol, a Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver and a North American Arms .22 caliber revolver. The investigation revealed Rodriguez had two prior felony convictions for drug trafficking. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms per federal law. Rodriguez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the McAllen Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods ( PSN ), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce 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: Passaic County Man Admits to Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl

body_text: Newark, N.J. – A Passaic County man admitted to distributing approximately 500 pills of fentanyl, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced. Angelo Restituyo-Garcia, 34, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to one count of conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B). According to the statements made in court and the documents filed in this case: From in or about March of 2020 through May of 2020, Restituyo-Garcia conspired with others to distribute fentanyl. On May 1, 2020, Restituyo-Garcia delivered nearly 500 pills of compressed fentanyl totaling more than 50 grams for which he accepted $2,750 in payment. The conspiracy charge and the possession with intent to distribute charge are both punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison and a maximum $5,000,000 fine. Each charge carries with it a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for October 1, 2025. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, New Jersey as well as investigators with the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Prosecutor Camelia Valdes. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the Untied States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McCarren of the Office’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Adalgiza Nunez, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark restituyogarcia.information.pdf


title: Final Defendant in Waco RICO Case Sentenced to Two Life Sentences in Federal Prison

body_text: WACO, Texas – A Temple man was sentenced in a federal court in Waco to two consecutive life sentences with two 20-year concurrent sentences in prison for crimes committed in violation of the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act and the Hobbs Act. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Demonta Daniels aka Tado aka Tato, 26, conspired with Atorius Marquis Williams aka Lil Man, 28, and Trashawn Lamar Alexander aka Mad Max, 30, to commit four murders, multiple violent assaults, extortion, drug trafficking and armed robberies in furtherance of the criminal enterprise. Specifically, the indictment alleges four overt acts to include murder—one committed by Williams on Sept. 30, 2017, in Belton; the second, committed by Williams and Alexander on Dec. 10, 2017, in Temple; the third, committed by Williams and Daniels on Jan. 16, 2018, in Temple; and the fourth, committed by Williams, Daniels and Alexander on Jan. 31, 2018, in Temple. Additionally, the defendants conspired to affect commerce by robbery, committing acts of physical violence and threatening to commit acts of physical violence to steal controlled substances and proceeds from persons engaged in illegal drug distribution. Daniels, Williams and Alexander were also convicted of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, namely robbery. A federal jury found all three men guilty in a February 2024 trial. In September, Williams and Alexander were sentenced to life in federal prison for three counts and a concurrent 20 years in prison for three additional counts. “The multiple life sentences Daniels will serve, locked away in federal prison, reflects the egregiousness of this defendant’s conduct and how important it is to keep violent criminals like Daniels and his co-conspirators off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “I extend my deepest respect and gratitude to the AUSAs who prosecuted this case and our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal levels, who committed countless hours and incredible skill to this investigation, leading to a successful trial verdict and multiple justified sentences.” Daniels is the tenth and final defendant in this case to be sentenced. Additionally, Dominic Johnson was sentenced in January 2023 to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine; Desmond Wilkerson was sentenced in September 2023 to 71 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy; James Roy Whitfield Jr was sentenced on Feb. 13 to 102 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting; Jason Mayse was sentenced on Feb. 13 to 40 months for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana; Jyaraciel Whitfield was sentenced in September 2023 to 144 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting; Christopher Meyers was sentenced in August 2022 to 144 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy; and Reginald Williams was sentenced in September 2023 to 96 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting. The FBI, Temple Police Department, Belton Police Department, Bell County Organized Crime Unit, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Cameron Police Department, and Hearne Police Department investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Killeen Police Department and Bell County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Blanton prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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: Elkton Man Pleads Guilty to Production and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Today, Mark Rice, 38, of Elkton, Maryland, pled guilty to federal charges of production and distribution of child sexual abuse material. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore, and Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP). In April 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from Reddit regarding the transmission of child sexual abuse material. Authorities traced the tip to an IP address associated with Rice’s Elkton residence. During an MSP interview, Rice denied the accusation but was observed deleting photos from his phone. When Rice showed officers his phone, investigators spotted child sexual abuse material in a thumbnail image. Through a deeper search, authorities uncovered additional material in his recently deleted folder. Then HSI discovered more than 600 child sexual abuse material images across Rice’s devices, including two showing Rice’s sexual abuse of a minor as young as 3 years old. Investigators also found that Rice used a public Reddit community to connect with people that he traded child sexual abuse material with using encrypted messaging platforms. Pursuant to his plea agreement, the parties agree that if the court accepts the plea agreement, Rice will be sentenced to no less than 27 years but no more than 32 years in federal prison, followed by a period of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for June 23, at 2:30 p.m. 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 the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc . Click the “Resources” tab on the left side of the page to learn about Internet safety education. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI and MSP for their investigative efforts and NCMEC for its valuable assistance in the case. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Gordin who is prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Illinois Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Niles, Illinois, man convicted of three counts of Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion and one count of Money Laundering. The sentencing took place on May 30, 2025. Daniel J. Kubica, a/k/a “Danny Haddreck,” 41, was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $400 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. A federal grand jury indicted Kubica for the charges in March 2023. He pleaded guilty on February 28, 2025. Starting no later than April 2021, Kubica created, organized, and maintained an illegal sex trafficking operation using multiple women in and around Rapid City. Kubica recruited women to engage in sex acts for money, which he then used to fuel his own fentanyl addiction. Kubica used multiple means of coercion and force to traffic the women. He committed acts of physical and sexual assaults and threatened to further assault the women if they tried to get out of the trafficking ring. Kubica supplied money, drugs, and alcohol to one victim to keep her engaged in trafficking even when he knew she was addicted to those substances. He also strangled and threatened to kill a victim and her 14-year-old sister and sexually assaulted another woman to get her to continue working for him. Between January 2022 and October 2023, Kubica used the currency exchange platform CashApp to conduct financial transactions related to his illegal sex trafficking operation. He would receive payments via CashApp from either the men who purchased sex with the sex trafficking victims, or from the victims themselves after they had engaged in sexual activity with the men. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, Box Elder Police Department, Rapid City Police Department, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case. Kubica was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Over 21 Years in Federal Prison  for Multiple Child Exploitation and Pornography Offenses

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced a Rapid City, SD, man convicted of Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography, and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor. The sentencing took place on May 30, 2025. William Henry Riese, 34, was sentenced to 21 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Riese was ordered to pay $400 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and to forfeit the cell phone he used to commit his crimes. A federal grand jury indicted Riese in August 2022. He was found guilty at the conclusion of a jury trial in Rapid City in February 2025. Riese was arrested following an undercover sex trafficking operation during the Sturgis Bike Rally that targeted predators on the Internet. After multiple days of sending sexually explicit messages, videos, and photos with a person Riese believed to be a 14-year-old girl, Riese negotiated a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. When Riese went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor, he was met by law enforcement agents rather than the child he intended to meet. Riese was immediately arrested and has remained in custody since his arrest. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case. Riese was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Dallas, Texas Man Sentenced to 26 Months for Making Threats of Violence Against Employees of Sikh Nonprofit Organization

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Dallas County, Texas man was sentenced to 26 months in prison for a federal hate crime and for making violent interstate threats against various individuals based on their religion, including the employees of a Sikh nonprofit organization located in New Jersey, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey announced today. Bhushan Athale, 49, of Dallas, Texas, had previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court to interfering with federally protected activities through the threatened use of a dangerous weapon and one count of transmitting an interstate threat to injure another person. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Sept. 17, 2022, Athale called the main number of an organization that advocates for the civil rights of Sikh individuals within the United States, leaving numerous messages over several hours threatening to injure or kill these individuals with a razor and other very specific acts of violence. On March 21, 2024, Athale again called the same Sikh organization and left two more voicemails. In these voicemails, Athale again used violent, sexual imagery to express his hatred toward Sikhs as well as Muslims. “The Department of Justice has no tolerance for hate-fueled threats of violence in our country, and we appreciate the strong efforts of U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and her team in working with us to bring this perpetrator to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel sentenced Athale to three years of supervised release and warned Athale not to contact any of the victims of his offenses. U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey credited the special agents of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, with the investigation The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden, New Jersey, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. 25-181 ### Defense Counsel: AFPD Maggie Moy


title: Federal Jury Convicts Michigan Man on Charges of Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS and Possessing a Destructive Device

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT — A Michigan man was convicted today by a jury on two charges of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, commonly known as ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and for being a felon in possession of a destructive device, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division. Aws Mohammed Naser, 37, formerly of Westland, Michigan, was convicted following a five-week trial. The jury unanimously found that Naser attempted to provide material support to ISIS, in the form of personnel (including himself) and services, knowing that ISIS was a designated terrorist organization, and that ISIS engages in terrorism. In addition, Naser was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a destructive device. The jury deliberated approximately six hours before returning their verdict. U.S. Attorney Gorgon stated, “Defendant Aws Mohammed Naser is a bombmaker and self-avowed ‘son of the Islamic State’—a vicious foreign terrorist organization hell-bent on murdering Americans and destroying our way of life. Naser tried to travel and fight for ISIS overseas but was turned away. So, Naser turned his fight inward on America, gathered drones, and built a bomb in his basement. But our office is dedicated to finding and applying the full force of the law against any terrorist, like Naser, plotting to harm Americans.” “The conviction of Aws Mohammed Naser highlights the FBI’s strong commitment to protecting the United States from those who wish to harm our citizens,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Anyone who associates with a terrorist organization or supports violent extremism will be identified, disrupted, and prosecuted. I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to the FBI Detroit Joint Terrorism Task Force, its partner agencies, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for their diligent investigative efforts and successful prosecution. We will continue to safeguard our community and protect our nation from those who pose a threat. Evidence presented during the trial showed that Naser became radicalized and frequently posted extreme Salafi-Jihadist ideological content on his YouTube channel. Naser developed a close relationship with Russell Dennison, an aspiring Salafi-Jihadist preacher, and the two jointly traveled to Iraq in early 2012. In August 2012, Naser returned to Michigan while Dennison traveled to Syria and joined the foreign terrorist organization Al Nusrah Front, an Islamic State of Iraq-affiliate group that was a precursor to ISIS. Once back in the United States, Naser began preparations to join Dennison, and the two continued to communicate and discussed the terror group’s urgent need for money to acquire firearms. Dennison is believed to have been killed in 2019 while with ISIS in Syria. Naser attempted to leave the United States for Syria on two occasions. First, in November 2012, but he was not permitted to board the plan at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Undeterred, Naser purchased another one-way plane ticket departing from Chicago O’Hare Airport bound for Beirut, Lebanon, in January 2013. Hours before his scheduled flight to Lebanon, Naser robbed a gas station. After the robbery, Naser took a bus to Chicago and attempted to board his flight to Lebanon with $2,000 in his possession but was again denied boarding and returned to Michigan. Naser was subsequently charged and convicted of armed robbery and served a three-year prison sentence. After being released from prison and unable to travel to join ISIS, Naser focused his attention on how to support ISIS in the United States. Naser surreptitiously created social media accounts and joined invitation-only ISIS supporters’ chatrooms, groups, and private rooms where he obtained and viewed official ISIS media reports, publications, and other jihadi propaganda. He solicited and obtained information on explosives and experimented with manufacturing explosives and operating drones. In October 2017, FBI searched Naser’s home and vehicle and recovered a readily assembleable destructive device. Naser faces up to 20 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization and up to 15 years in prison for possessing a destructive device. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., Assistant U.S Attorney Hank Moon for the Eastern District of Michigan, and Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.


title: Jacksonville Woman Pleads Guilty To Credit Scheme And COVID Relief Fraud Involving The Paycheck Protection Program

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Carnisha Maurica Rogers (30, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of false representation of a Social Security number (SSN) involving a line of credit scheme, and one count of wire fraud involving COVID relief fraud through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Rogers faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count involving wire fraud, up to 5 years’ imprisonment on the false representation of an SSN count, and payment of restitution to the victims she defrauded and to the United States government. Rogers has also agreed to forfeit $20,832, which is traceable to proceeds of the wire fraud offense involving COVID relief fraud. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, Rogers and her co-conspirators fraudulently obtained the SSNs of others. From November 2017 through September 2019, Rogers and others recruited individuals to obtain lines of credit at various businesses using the SSNs. After fraudulently obtaining the lines of credit, they obtained jewelry and other merchandise. Rogers and her co-conspirators resold some of the merchandise and lines of credit on social media platforms. In May 2021, Rogers submitted a PPP loan application to a lender authorized by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to lend funds for approved PPP loan applications. The PPP loan application falsely claimed that Rogers operated her own business. Throughout the loan application Rogers made multiple false statements regarding her purported gross income and expenses associated with operating her business. In support of her PPP loan application, she submitted a false IRS Form 1040 - Profit or Loss from Business. It contained false statements about operating expenses, gross income, and wage expenditures for her purported business. In truth, Rogers’ business did not exist. In reliance on the false statements in her loan application, her application was approved, and she received a PPP loan totaling $20,832. After receiving the PPP loan proceeds in her bank account, Rogers began making withdrawals and spending the funds on personal expenses. In October 2021, Rogers submitted a PPP loan forgiveness application to the SBA that included multiple false representations. In the application, she falsely claimed that she spent more than $18,000 on payroll costs and that the PPP loan proceeds were only used for eligible purposes. In reliance on her false statements, the SBA forgave the entire loan, plus accrued interest. In March 2025, U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger sentenced a related defendant, Crystal Denean Harvell (37, Jacksonville), to two years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving the line of credit scheme and wire fraud involving COVID Relief Fraud through the PPP. The court also ordered Harvell to pay $131,782.63 in restitution to the victims she defrauded and to the United States government. This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by contacting the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.


title: CEO of Health Care Software Company Convicted of $1B Fraud Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Note: this release has been updated to include a quote from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. A federal jury convicted the CEO of Power Mobility Doctor Rx, LLC (DMERx) for his role in operating a platform that generated false doctors’ orders to defraud Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs of more than $1 billion. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Gary Cox, 79, of Maricopa County, Arizona, and his co-conspirators targeted hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries who provided their personally identifiable information and agreed to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items through misleading mailers, television advertisements, and calls from offshore call centers. Cox and his co-conspirators owned, controlled, and operated DMERx, an internet-based platform that generated false and fraudulent doctors’ orders for these items. As part of the scheme, Cox connected pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, and marketers with telemedicine companies that would accept illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for signed doctors’ orders transmitted using the DMERx platform. Cox and his co-conspirators received payments for coordinating these illegal kickback transactions and referring the completed doctors’ orders to the DME suppliers, pharmacies, and telemarketers that paid kickbacks and bribes for the orders. The fraudulent doctors’ orders generated by DMERx falsely represented that a doctor had examined and treated the Medicare beneficiaries when in fact purported telemedicine companies paid doctors to sign the orders without regard to medical necessity, based only on a brief telephone call with the beneficiary or no interaction with the beneficiary at all. The DME suppliers and pharmacies that paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for these doctors’ orders billed Medicare and other insurers more than $1 billion. Medicare and the insurers paid more than $360 million based on these claims. According to evidence presented at trial, Cox and his co-conspirators concealed the scheme through sham contracts and by eliminating from doctors’ orders what one co-conspirator described as “dangerous words” that might cause Medicare to audit the scheme’s DME suppliers. “The defendant orchestrated a scheme to defraud government health care benefit programs on a massive scale, creating fraudulent doctors’ orders used to bill insurers over $1 billion,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Americans are all too familiar with junk mail and spam calls that target seniors to steal their personal information and promote waste, fraud, and abuse in our economy. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively prosecute health care fraud schemes to hold criminals accountable, protect the vulnerable, and recover financial losses.” “Medicare fraud undermines the integrity of our nation's most critical healthcare programs, which are relied upon by millions of patients, doctors and honest healthcare professionals.” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O'Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Fraud of this kind wastes taxpayer dollars and increases the cost of healthcare for all Americans. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will relentlessly pursue those who steal from taxpayers and exploit our healthcare system for their own personal gain.” “Fraud schemes perpetrated against veterans are abhorrent and will be thoroughly investigated,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to combat these schemes to ensure the integrity of VA’s healthcare programs for veterans and their families.” “The defendant deliberately exploited the federal health care system by prioritizing personal enrichment over the medical needs of vulnerable patients,” stated Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “By fraudulently billing the government for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, the defendant not only violated the law but also assaulted the public’s trust placed in health care providers. There is zero tolerance for those who abuse federal health care programs, and HHS-OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to ensure that individuals who engage in such egregious fraud are held fully accountable.” “Medicare fraud and other health care related frauds are, unfortunately, nothing new,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mark McCormick of the FBI Miami Field Office. “As such, the FBI and our partners devote considerable resources to investigate, arrest, and prosecute those committing this fraud. The victims are U.S. taxpayers - you and me. Our message to those who commit health care fraud and steal from U.S. taxpayers is clear: you will be caught, and you will face justice.” Cox was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, three counts of health care fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, and conspiracy to defraud the United States and make false statements in connection with health care matters. Cox faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud conviction, 10 years for each health care fraud conviction, five years for the conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks conviction, and five years for the conspiracy to defraud the United States and make false statements in connection with health care matters conviction. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. HHS-OIG, FBI, VA-OIG, and DCIS investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Darren C. Halverson and Jennifer E. Burns of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Andrea Savdie and Shane Butland assisted in the prosecution. Trial Attorney Evan N. Schlom with the Fraud Section’s Special Matters Unit provided valuable assistance. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Registered sex offender sentenced to 70 years for sexually exploiting minors

body_text: GALVESTON, Texas - A 44-year-old Manvel resident has been ordered to federal prison after his multiple convictions involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM), coercion and enticement of minors and being a registered sex offender while committing the crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Brian Jones pleaded guilty March 12 to two counts each of sexual exploitation of a child, coercion and enticement of a minor and penalties for registered sex offenders as well as one count of possession of CSAM. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown has now sentenced him to 600 months on each of the sexual exploitation charges and the coercion and enticement counts and 240 months for possessing child pornography to run concurrently. He also received 120 months for each of the penalties for registered sex offenders which will be served consecutively to each other and as to the other counts for a total of 840 months. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding two victims whom he began talking to when they were just 11 and six years of age. Their guardian prepared a victim impact statement which described how the children were seeing a therapist on a weekly basis for the trauma they endured and how they had to leave the only school and friends they had ever known. The statement also references a comment from the therapist who noted that when she thinks of these children, she just wants to cry. Jones was further ordered to pay restitution to the victims and will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to the internet. He will also again be required to register as a sex offender. “Mr. Jones’ criminal history, which includes a prior sexual offense involving a minor, demonstrates that he is beyond any hope of rehabilitation, and thus only a life sentence or the equivalent, like the one he received today, can adequately safeguard the community from his future predatory behavior,” said Ganjei. “Although we may not ever fully heal the scars that the defendant inflicted on the victims in this case, we can ensure that Mr. Jones can never harm another child again.” “Another great investigation through our partnership with Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force,” said Chief Johnny Spires of Pearland Police Department (PPD). “Our detective has been investigating these horrible crimes for more than 17 years and is considered an expert in his field. We are very proud of his work here at the PPD and his continued assistance working with other agencies throughout our area. We ask the public to please help protect our children, if you see something say something.” “With today’s sentencing we have removed a dangerous predator from the community who preyed on children as young as six years old and has shown absolutely no remorse for his heinous actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Houston. “The success of this investigation is a direct result of the unwavering support we continue to receive from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the tireless efforts of our partners at PPD, who worked closely with our special agents to ensure this individual is no longer free to victimize innocent children.” A total of 24 cybertips from the NCMEC prompted the investigation in 2023. An individual, later identified as Jones, had uploaded over 1,000 CSAM files from April 5 - May 8, 2023. The investigation revealed he was a registered sex offender. Authorities conducted a residential search warrant and seized his electronic devices. A forensic examination revealed he had over 11,000 images and over 850 videos which depicted children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including anal and vaginal penetration, masturbation, sadistic and masochistic conduct and the lewd and lascivious exhibition of genitals. Law enforcement also found images and screenshots of an adult female filming two naked children for Jones during several live chats. In some of the images, Jones’ face or genitals are included as he recorded himself watching them. Some images also included the adult female touching the minor victims. Jones had initially talked to the adult female who had a connection to the children. He first requested naked pictures of her and then of the minors. Text messages between Jones and the minor victims also revealed he had asked them to send him images of their vaginas. The abuse lasted for over three years. The investigation also identified the adult female who had also pleaded guilty to two counts of the sexual exploitation of children and is serving a 50-year federal prison sentence. This was also not the first time Jones had requested children to take pornographic pictures of themselves for him. He was sentenced in 2016 for indecency with a child by exposure in which he had requested his then girlfriend’s minor daughter to send him naked pictures of herself. PPD, ICE-HSI Galveston and the Houston Metro ICAC task force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Kimberly Ann Leo and former AUSA Brian Hrach prosecuted the case which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Fayette County Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Robert Lee Moran, 47, of Mount Hope, was sentenced today to nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 29, 2024, Moran distributed approximately 0.857 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $100 in Beckley. As part of his guilty plea, Moran admitted to the transaction and to arranging it beforehand. On April 30, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Moran’s residence and seized two bags of suspected fentanyl, multiple firearms and drug trafficking paraphernalia. Moran has a long criminal history that includes prior convictions for domestic battery, destruction of property, possession of a hoax bomb and harboring a fugitive. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-141. ###


title: Baltimore Man Sentenced to More Than 22 Years in Federal Prison for Aiding and Abetting a Murder

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Today, Ziyon Thompson, 21, of Baltimore, Maryland was sentenced to 22 years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the murder of Miguel Soto-Diaz, on May 8, 2022. Thompson was charged with using a firearm resulting in death during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD). According to the guilty plea, on May 7, Miguel Soto-Diaz traveled from California to Baltimore, Maryland, to meet with Thompson to discuss their marijuana growing/selling venture. On May 8, Thompson picked up Soto-Diaz from a Downtown Baltimore hotel and drove him to 325 Furrow Street. Then Thompson placed a FaceTime call to Soto-Diaz’s son in California and showed him that his father was duct taped, gagged, and tied to a chair. Thompson then demanded 200 pounds of marijuana and $50,000 for Soto-Diaz’s safe return. Thompson texted “Pap said send the bags and money so he can be ok and he said don’t call the police or he want [sic] be coming home.” Then at approximately 7:03 p.m., the Baltimore Fire Department responded to a house fire at 325 Furrow Street where officers found Soto-Diaz dead inside the house with multiple gunshot wounds. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD Homicide Unit for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia McLane and Alex Kalim who prosecuted the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Jacksonville Man Sentenced For Possession And  Transfer Of A Destructive Device

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Shane Allen Gibson (45, Jacksonville) to two years and six months in federal prison for possession of a destructive device and transfer of a destructive device to a convicted felon. Gibson pleaded guilty on January 29, 2025. According to court documents, on April 20, 2023, Gibson possessed and transferred an improvised explosive bomb, a destructive device under federal law, to an individual who he knew to be a convicted felon. The destructive device was one of three homemade explosive devices given by Gibson to the convicted felon. Laboratory testing revealed that the device contained explosive powder and numerous screws and fasteners within an arial shell and pyrotechnic fuse. An examiner from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives concluded that igniting the fuse would, after a short delay, cause blast, thermal, and fragmentation effects capable of causing damage, injury, and death to persons nearby. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lasry. 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: Richmond felon sentenced to five years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to five years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents, on July 21, 2023, a Richmond Police officer was patrolling the Gilpin Court neighborhood in Richmond when he observed a vehicle that had been reported stolen. The officer followed the vehicle until it stopped, then approached the vehicle and directed the driver, Timothy Garnett Covington, 39, to turn off the vehicle. Covington refused, and when the officer attempted to remove Covington from the vehicle, Covington reached under his shirt and retrieved a handgun from his waistband. The officer returned to his vehicle and Covington drove away. Covington drove down an alley before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot. Officers located Covington inside a residence and detained him. Officers later located two firearms and .5 grams of methamphetamine inside the residence. As a previously convicted felon, Covington cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gilliland, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce 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. 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. 3:23-cr-136.


title: Meth and Marijuana User Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Sawed-Off Shotgun

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: An unlawful user of methamphetamine and marijuana who possessed a sawed-off shotgun that he fired was sentenced today to five years in federal prison. Tyler Dunlap, age 33, from Bennett, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 3, 2025 guilty plea to one count of being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of a firearm. In a plea agreement, Dunlap admitted that on October 30, 2023, he was involved in a verbal dispute with another person. That person left the home but saw Dunlap with a shotgun and called law enforcement. Deputies and officers arrived at the residence. As they approached the house going down a long lane, a deputy heard Dunlap fire the shotgun out the back of the house. Dunlap did not know that law enforcement officers were on the scene at the time he discharged the gun. After an officer contacted him, Dunlap left the house unarmed. Officers found the shotgun, a used shell, and drug paraphernalia in the house. Later tests revealed that Dunlap had methamphetamine and marijuana in his system at the time. Dunlap was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Dunlap was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Dunlap is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office and the Tipton Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-85. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Texas Man Sentenced to 26 Months in Prison for Making Threats of Violence Against Employees of Sikh Nonprofit Organization

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A Dallas County, Texas man was sentenced to 26 months in prison for a federal hate crime and for making violent interstate threats against various individuals based on their religion, including the employees of a Sikh nonprofit organization located in New Jersey, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey announced today. Bhushan Athale, 49, of Dallas, Texas had previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court to interfering with federally protected activities through the threatened use of a dangerous weapon and one count of transmitting an interstate threat to injure another person. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, on Sept. 17, 2022, Athale called the main number of an organization that advocates for the civil rights of Sikh individuals within the United States, leaving numerous messages over several hours threatening to injure or kill these individuals with a razor and other very specific acts of violence. On March 21, 2024, Athale again called the same Sikh organization and left two more voicemails. In these voicemails, Athale again used violent, sexual imagery to express his hatred toward Sikhs as well as Muslims. “The Department of Justice has no tolerance for hate-fueled threats of violence in our country, and we appreciate the strong efforts of U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and her team in working with us to bring this perpetrator to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel sentenced Athale to three years of supervised release and warned Athale not to contact any of the victims of his offenses. U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey credited the special agents of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden, New Jersey, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.


title: Yucca Valley Man Charged with Threatening to Kill President Trump After Last Year’s Election

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: RIVERSIDE, California – A San Bernardino County man was arraigned today on a three-count federal grand jury indictment charging him with threatening to assassinate then-President-elect Donald Trump after last year’s election. Thomas Eugene Streavel, 73, of Yucca Valley, is charged with three counts of making threats against the President-elect. Streavel was arrested Monday and was arraigned today in United States District Court in Riverside. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and a July 28 trial date was scheduled. A federal magistrate judge ordered him released on $10,000 bond. “This defendant is charged with threatening the life of our President – a man who has already survived two deranged attempts on his life,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice takes these threats with the utmost seriousness and will prosecute this crime to the fullest extent of the law.” “The type of rhetoric and threats made by this defendant are similar to those that led to an attempt on the President’s life last year,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “There is no place for political violence or threats of violence in the United States. We will not hesitate to arrest and charge others who engage in similar criminal conduct.” According to the indictment that a federal grand jury returned on May 29 and was unsealed today, Streavel used his Facebook account before the 2024 U.S. presidential election to post multiple messages expressing his desire to harm or have others harm President Trump. After the 2024 presidential election, Streavel allegedly continued using Facebook to post about assassinating President Trump. For example, on November 6, 2024 – the day after the election – Streavel posted, “[T]rump is a dead man walking for the time being until a patriot like myself blows his [expletive] brains out in the very near future.” The indictment alleges several instances in which Streavel knowingly and willfully threatened to kill and inflict bodily harm on Donald Trump, who then was the President-elect of the United States. On November 12, 2024, Streavel posted a message on Facebook that read, in part, that he was “willing to make America great again and blow his [expletive] brains out.” On November 19, 2024, Streavel posted a Facebook message that read, in part, “Let me put a bullet right between the ears of your president-elect…That’s my purpose for living.” On November 28, 2024, Streavel wrote on Facebook, “I’m praying for a successful assassination of your president-elect” and “My life’s mission is killing the worthless LOSER [expletive] and my mission starts tonight so watch yourself trump [sic], you are a dead [expletive] and I am your assassin.” An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Streavel would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count. The United States Secret Service is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Matt Coe-Odess of the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Public Servants Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Angelo Stephen, 33, a former Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officer, and George Arestuche, 47, a former Miami-Dade County Aviation Department employee, were sentenced in separate cases after pleading guilty to defrauding COVID-19 relief programs. Angelo Stephen On May 22, Stephen was sentenced to four months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $75,513 in restitution by Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga. Chief Judge Altonaga also entered a forfeiture money judgment against Stephen in the additional amount of $71,166. The sentence follows Stephen’s conviction for wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent applications for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and one Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), as well as his participation in two bank account takeover schemes. During his change of plea hearing, Stephen admitted that on August 4, 2020, he submitted a false and fraudulent EIDL application in his own name to the Small Business Administration (SBA), claiming to be an independent contractor and the sole owner of a business that provided event planning and entertainment services with 10 employees. The EIDL application falsely certified that for the applicable 12-month period, the business had approximately $62,018 in gross revenue and a cost of goods sold of $0. Based on his false and fraudulent application, Stephen received $20,000 in EIDL proceeds from the SBA. Stephen additionally admitted to fraudulently obtaining two PPP loans. On April 24, 2021, Stephen submitted a first-draw PPP loan application, claiming to be the sole proprietor of a non-existent business with $106,554 in gross income in 2020. In support of the application, Stephen submitted a fraudulent IRS Form 1040 Schedule C. Based on his false and fraudulent application, Stephen received $20,833 in PPP loan proceeds from an SBA-approved lender. On May 11, 2021, Stephen submitted a second-draw PPP loan application, making the same false claims about his nonexistent business that was supported by submission of the identical false Schedule C. Based on his false and fraudulent application, Stephen obtained $20,833 in PPP loan proceeds from a different SBA-approved lender. Stephen also admitted to taking part in two bank account takeover schemes. On March 30, 2023, Stephen received a $20,000 wire transfer from the account of an unsuspecting victim in Virginia. Stephen quickly withdrew all illegally obtained money through a series of cash withdrawals and Zelle transfers to others. In the second takeover scheme, Stephen and his accomplices obtained new checks from the credit union account of a different unsuspecting victim. Stephen subsequently used one of those checks to obtain $8,500 in cash that he was not entitled to. George Arestuche On May 28, Arestuche was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck to five years of probation to include 210 days in home detention and ordered to pay $114,679 in restitution, plus community service. The sentence follows Arestuche’s conviction for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent application for an EIDL. According to the facts admitted at the change of plea hearing, Arestuche and a co-conspirator devised a scheme to defraud the SBA by submitting a false and fraudulent application for Arestuche to obtain an EIDL and EIDL advance. As part of the conspiracy, Arestuche agreed to pay the co-conspirator a large fee. On July 9, 2020, Arestuche’s co-conspirator submitted a false and fraudulent EIDL application to the SBA on behalf of Arestuche, claiming that Arestuche was an independent contractor and the sole owner of an automotive repair business with 10 employees. The EIDL application falsely certified that for the applicable 12-month period, the business had $600,000 in gross revenue and a cost of goods sold of $184,000. In reality, Arestuche was not an independent contractor and did not own any type of business. The EIDL application was supported by a fraudulent IRS Form 1040 Schedule C. As a result of this false and fraudulent EIDL application, Arestuche obtained $149,900 in EIDL proceeds and a $10,000 EIDL advance from the SBA. Arestuche subsequently paid his co-conspirator $17,275 for helping him fraudulently obtain the money from the SBA. Since pleading guilty, Arestuche has paid $50,000 in advance restitution payments. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; acting Special Agent in Charge Amber Howell of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General’s Fraud Detection Office (DOJ-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Eastern Region; acting Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami; and Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (MDC-OIG) made the announcement. DOJ-OIG and SBA-OIG investigated the Stephen case. SBA-OIG and the FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the MDC-OIG, investigated the Arestuche case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm prosecuted both cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling forfeiture matters in the Stephen case. In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case numbers 25-cr-20014 (Stephen) and 25-cr-20001 (Arestuche). ###


title: Boise Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Mountain Home Bank Robbery

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: BOISE – Leon Jason Fortner, 57, of Boise, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for bank robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced. According to court records, on August 20, 2024, Fortner entered the Chase Bank in Mountain Home carrying a backpack. He approached the teller station and told the teller that the backpack contained an explosive device. He then told both tellers to give him all their cash or he would detonate the device. The tellers complied by providing cash from the tills and Fortner then fled the bank and got into a nearby vehicle. Law enforcement officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but Fortner led them on a high-speed chase through Mountain Home and onto I-84. After a lengthy pursuit at high speeds, officers disabled Fortner’s vehicle and took him into custody. They discovered cash from the robbery in his pockets, and Fortner admitted that he robbed the bank. Officers later discovered that the backpack contained clothing and a water bottle, but no explosives. “Mr. Fortner threatened the lives of bank employees and endangered the lives of law enforcement officers and motorists during his dangerous attempt to avoid capture.” Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott said. “Nine years in federal prison is an appropriate punishment for this crime. I am thankful for the efforts of the Mountain Home Police Department and the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, which ensured that no one was injured by Mr. Fortner.” U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Fortner to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Fortner pleaded guilty on February 24, 2025. Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Mountain Home Police Department, who investigated the case, as well as the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, the Office of Special Investigations and the Explosive Ordinance Disposal team from Mountain Home Air Force Base, and the Elmore County Prosecuting Attorney, all of whom provided valuable assistance during the investigation and prosecution. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . ###