title: Florida Man Pleads Guilty To Multi-Million-Dollar Investment Fraud Schemes And Conspiracy To Launder Money

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Thomas Aaron Signorelli pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of bank fraud, two counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of theft of government property, one count of destruction of records, and one count of conspiracy to launder money. Signorelli, 46, of West Palm Beach, Fla., was charged by information on Sept. 19, 2024. In pleading guilty to all seven counts in the information, Signorelli admitted that beginning in January 2021 to around December 2023, he falsely claimed he could assist individuals and entities in need of capital by raising funds, obtaining loans, and securing profitable investments through his company WS Capital, which was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In fact, Signorelli did not raise capital, obtain loans, or secure profitable investments, and instead used the victims’ funds to pay his personal and living expenses, as well as to pay back other victims. Signorelli engaged in one of the fraud schemes with his co-conspirator David Scott Cacchione. As part of that scheme, Signorelli and Cacchione convinced investors that their money would be used to purchase accounts receivables that did not exist. Rather than use the funds as promised, Signorelli typically shared a portion of the funds with Cacchione and used the remainder to pay personal and living expenses and repay other victims. Through his various schemes, Signorelli defrauded individuals and entities of more than $2,500,000. Signorelli further admitted that he conspired with an attorney in Florida to launder fraud proceeds through the attorney’s client trust account in order to disguise the source and nature of the fraud proceeds. The plea agreement also describes that, in December 2021, Signorelli was introduced to an individual who claimed to be looking for someone to launder large sums of drug trafficking proceeds. Signorelli offered to use WS Capital accounts to launder the supposed drug trafficking proceeds and accepted approximately $150,000 in government funds from an undercover government agent. Instead of laundering those funds, Signorelli stole the money and used it to pay his personal expenses. Signorelli further admitted that he caused applications for a Paycheck Protection Program loan and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan to be submitted to the Small Business Administration (SBA) on behalf of a Napa real estate venture that he had formed. Signorelli made false representations about the venture’s revenues, payroll, and employee count in order to obtain over $50,000 in disaster relief loans. Finally, in August 2022, Signorelli learned that the FBI had obtained a warrant to search his mobile phone. As detailed in his plea agreement, prior to turning in his mobile phone, Signorelli deleted electronic communications on his device in order to obstruct the government’s investigation. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp, IRS-CI Oakland Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley, and Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) Special Agent in Charge of the Western Region Weston King. Signorelli remains free on a $200,000 appearance bond imposed on Sept. 20, 2024. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Mar. 24, 2025 before the Honorable James Donato, U.S. District Court Judge. The maximum statutory penalty for each count is set forth below. OFFENSE STATUTE MAXIMUM PENALTY Bank Fraud 18 U.S.C. § 1344 30 years’ imprisonment; $1,000,000 fine; 5 years’ supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture and restitution Wire Fraud 18 U.S.C. § 1343 20 years’ imprisonment; $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater; 3 years’ supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture and restitution Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud 18 U.S.C. § 1349 20 years’ imprisonment; $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater; 3 years’ supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture and restitution Theft of Government Property 18 U.S.C. § 641 10 years’ imprisonment; $250,000; 3 years’ supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture and restitution Destruction, Alteration, and Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations 18 U.S.C. § 1519 20 years’ imprisonment; $250,000; 3 years’ supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture and restitution Conspiracy to Launder Money 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h) 20 years’ imprisonment; $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater; 3 years’ supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture and restitution However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Signorelli’s co-conspirator Cacchione pleaded guilty on Aug. 14, 2024, and was sentenced by Judge Donato on Nov. 4, 2024, to a 40-month term of imprisonment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garth Hire is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS-CI, and SBA OIG.


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Robert Vincent Harris, age 57, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 25, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Harris to 240 months’ imprisonment on each count to run concurrently (together). There is no parole in the federal system. After Harris’ release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Harris was convicted on both counts by Judge Gerrard in August of 2024 after a non-jury trial. The United States presented evidence at trial showing Harris and the victim were at a social gathering on February 14, 2024, and decided to walk to a nearby convenience store to purchase alcoholic beverages. Harris had offered to sell the victim some heroin about a week before this incident. On the way to the convenience store, the victim asked Harris if he still had heroin available. He said he did, and they stopped at his Lincoln apartment, where Harris drew out a line of a powder substance and both he and the victim snorted some of the powder. Harris and the victim then walked to the convenience store where the victim bought some alcohol while Harris waited outside. After purchasing the alcohol, the victim and Harris left the store to return to the social gathering, but the victim passed out. Lincoln Fire & Rescue responded after being called by a clerk at the convenience store and they administered Narcan to the victim. The victim woke up in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and was interviewed by investigators after her release from the hospital. On February 15, 2024, a search warrant was obtained for Harris’s apartment. During the search, investigators found powder on a mirror and cut off straws matching descriptions given by the victim. Harris ultimately admitted he provided the fentanyl powder to the victim. Harris said after the victim’s overdose, he went home and used the rest of the fentanyl powder. On February 15 th , he bought more of what he believed was heroin from his source and said the powder found during the search of his apartment was what remained from that quantity. Harris’s phone contained text messages from February 15 th in which he talked about the victim’s overdose the night before and in which he agreed to obtain and sell drugs to a third person on that date. Testing at the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab later showed fentanyl in the victim’s urine sample. Powder seized from Harris’s apartment tested positive for fentanyl, meth, cocaine, and heroin. A medical expert reviewed the case, determined the victim suffered an overdose due to the use of fentanyl, and stated it was likely that the victim would have died or would have suffered serious debilitating injury without the prompt administration of Narcan. This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force, the Nebraska State Patrol, and Lincoln Fire & Rescue.


title: Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: NEWNAN, Ga. – Oscar Waters has pleaded guilty to trafficking multi-kilogram quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other illegal narcotics through Georgia. His co-defendant, Keisha Jackson-Murchison pleaded guilty to the concealment of a felony. “Fentanyl and heroin pose extraordinary dangers to public safety and have destroyed countless lives,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Individuals who seek to profit from distributing these deadly drugs in and through our communities will be brought to justice through the collaborative work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.” “Stopping traffickers who attempt to bring their poison into our communities is one of the most impactful missions we undertake,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta, which covers Georgia and Alabama. “HSI will continue to work with our partners to identify, apprehend, and prosecute individuals involved with these deadly, illicit drugs.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: On September 18, 2023, a police officer in Grantville, Georgia stopped a vehicle for speeding on Interstate 85. Keisha Jackson-Murchison, a convicted felon, was identified as the driver. Oscar Dominick Waters, a convicted drug dealer, was a passenger in the vehicle. During an initial search of the vehicle, the officer found several bags of marijuana. As officers attempted to detain Waters for the marijuana, Jackson-Murchison retrieved a backpack and large duffel bag from the car and ran barefoot across three lanes of traffic before disappearing into a wooded area. Numerous vehicles swerved to avoid hitting Jackson-Murchison. Coweta County, Georgia Sheriff’s officers and a K-9 unit located Jackson-Murchison in the woods and found the bags she removed from her car. In addition to the marijuana, officers discovered nearly three kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue, more than 2.5 kilograms of powder cocaine, more than a quarter-kilogram of crack cocaine, and approximately five ounces of heroin. Further investigation revealed that Waters hired Jackson-Murchison to drive him to Alabama, where Waters intended to distribute the drugs. Sentencing for Oscar Dominick Waters, 39, of Roanoke, Virginia, is scheduled for February 25, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. before Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. Sentencing for Keisha Jackson-Murchison, 36, of Springfield, Massachusetts, is also scheduled for February 25, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Batten. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Grantville Police Department, Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore S. Hertzberg and Noah R. Schechtman are 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. The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia recommends that parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following websites: www.justthinktwice.gov ; www.operationprevention.com ; and www.dea.gov/onepill . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Nine Individuals Arrested on Federal and State Charges

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – As part of an investigation into the transnational criminal organization 18th Street Gang operating in and around the North Shore area of Boston, four men were arrested and charged yesterday with federal drug offenses. Five individuals were also arrested for various state crimes including drug trafficking, child abuse crimes (including rape of a child, posing a child in a state of nudity and possession of child pornography) and unlawful possession of ammunition. The following individuals have been charged in U.S. District Court in Boston with distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl: Orlando Mancia, a/k/a Intruso, 22, of Everett, who is an alleged member of the 18th Street Gang; Tony Cartegena-Chacon, 46, of Chelsea; Hector Luis Santana Guzman, a/k/a “DJ Black,” 33, of Lawrence; and John Angel, 31, of Nantucket “Fentanyl continues to devastate lives across Massachusetts, and the defendants arrested yesterday allegedly pumped this poison into North Shore communities for a profit,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “These charges represent the continued close working relationship across federal, state and local law enforcement to relentlessly investigate, identify and disrupt criminal organizations and our efforts to protect our communities from lethal narcotics.” “With this operation, the FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force has removed alleged drug traffickers accused of pushing deadly poison onto our streets, hoping to avoid detection,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “This case highlights how the FBI and our partners at every level are working together to target criminals wreaking havoc and mayhem, just to make money and a name for themselves on the street.” “The arrest of these individuals, including a known 18th Street gang member, for dealing fentanyl in the North Shore of Boston is a critical step in combating the devastating impact of illegal drugs in our communities,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. “Fentanyl continues to claim lives at an alarming rate, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to holding accountable those who profit from this deadly substance. By working collaboratively with our federal, state, and local partners, we are sending a clear message: we will not tolerate the distribution of dangerous narcotics that endanger the lives and safety of our citizens.” According to the charging documents, on Oct. 15, 2024, Mancia sold approximately 500 pressed fentanyl pills to a cooperating witness in Everett. Later, on Oct. 23, 2024, it is alleged that Mancia again sold another 500 pressed fentanyl pills along with cocaine to the cooperating witness in Everett. According to the charging documents, Cartegena-Chacon distributed and possessed with intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl. It is alleged that approximately 100 grams of suspected cocaine and approximately $25,000 cash were recovered from Angel’s residence on Nantucket during a search at the time of his arrest. Additionally, as part of the investigation, the following additional individuals were arrested and charged in state court with various crimes including drug trafficking (including fentanyl and cocaine), child abuse crimes (including rape of a child, posing child in a state of nudity and possession of child pornography) and unlawful possession of ammunition: Elvin Martinez, 23, of Everett; Marlon Eduardo Varela, 20, of Everett; Fidel Alexis Orellana, 21, of Cheslea; Bryan Molina, 21, of Chelsea; and Luis Borja, 20, of Chelsea. The federal charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life, of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen and ATF SAC Ferguson made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Falmouth, Lynn, Medford, Nantucket and Revere Police Departments; Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations; and the Suffolk County and Middlesex County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Hoefle and Timothy Moran of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case. This effort 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 United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal Judge Sentences Charlotte Licensed Clinical Social Worker To 11+ Years In Prison For Medicaid Fraud, COVID-19 Fraud, And Money Laundering

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte behavioral health services provider was sentenced yesterday to 135 months in prison for Medicaid fraud, COVID-19 fraud, and money laundering, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Ashley Nicole Cross, 42, of Charlotte, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $481,436.08 in restitution. On May 17, 2024, following a nine-day trial, a federal jury found Cross guilty of healthcare fraud, making false statements and writings relating to a healthcare matter, promotional money laundering, wire fraud, and conspiracy. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Stephanie G. Opet, Director of the South Carolina Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents, evidence presented at trial, and witness testimony, Cross owned and operated Odyssey Health Group (OHG), a Charlotte-based company, which was enrolled with the South Carolina Medicaid Program (SC Medicaid) to provide outpatient behavioral health services to eligible Medicaid beneficiaries. Under SC Medicaid rules, beneficiaries are allowed to use providers within 25-miles of the South Carolina border, including Charlotte. From 2016 to 2021, Cross’s company submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims to SC Medicaid and its contracted managed care organizations for rehabilitative behavioral health services that were never provided. To carry out the scheme, Cross used the personal identifying information (PII) of qualified SC Medicaid beneficiaries to file reimbursement claims totaling more than $1.2 million. In some instances, Cross billed SC Medicaid more than 11 hours and up to 19 hours for one-on-one counseling services in a 24-hour period. To further the scheme and to give the appearance that OHG’s fraudulent claims were legitimate, Cross instructed OHG employees to create fake clinical service notes after she filed fraudulent claims in the names of Medicaid beneficiaries. Court documents show that, in the course of the investigation, FBI agents identified and interviewed 21 Medicaid beneficiaries whose names, Medicaid numbers, and PII were used to file claims on behalf of Cross and OHG. Each of those beneficiaries stated that neither they nor their children received mental health services from Cross. Many beneficiaries stated that the information written about them in OHG’s assessments and clinical notes were not true, while others said that their signatures had been forged. Cross engaged in money laundering and used some of the fraudulent proceeds to promote the scheme by paying for Medicaid beneficiary names and PII. According to court documents in September 2019, Cross was informed of audits of OHG’s Medicaid claims. To cover up the fraud, Cross submitted fictitious patient medical records and made false statements to auditors. Court records show that, the fraud at OHG was so pervasive, it was impossible for investigators to distinguish the fraudulent claims from legitimate ones. In addition to the Medicaid fraud scheme, from April 3, 2020, to May 14, 2022, Cross executed a scheme to obtain fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of her companies, including OHG, and Gucci International Inc. (Gucci), a purported event planning business owned by Cross’s boyfriend and co-conspirator. To obtain the PPP loans, Cross submitted loan applications and supporting documents that contained false statements regarding Cross’s companies and Gucci’s payroll expenses, number of employees, and other misrepresentations. Cross obtained more than $287,000 in COVID-19 relief funds for her companies and Gucci. At the time of Gucci’s loan application, Cross’s boyfriend was under indictment for a federal offense. During the trial, the Court heard testimony that Cross contacted prospective witnesses in violation of the conditions of her bond. One witness identified a recording of a call in which Cross suggested that the witness falsely testify that Cross had provided mental health services to the witness’s children. The court noted Cross’s attempt to obstruct justice when announcing sentence. Cross remains in federal custody. She will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. The FBI investigated the case with substantial assistance from the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Savage and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Fleisch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Justice Department's Procurement Collusion Strike Force Commemorates Fifth Anniversary with Law Enforcement Partners

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: Yesterday, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) commemorated the PCSF’s fifth anniversary in Washington with a celebration involving law enforcement partners and key stakeholders from across the government. Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Jonathan Kanter, PCSF Director Daniel Glad and other department officials were joined by representatives from among the PSCF’s 12 national law enforcement partners and 25 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and other key stakeholders from the law enforcement and oversight community. The PCSF fifth anniversary event featured remarks from AAG Kanter, who noted the PCSF’s growing impact and the importance of criminal antitrust enforcement. Director Glad offered welcome remarks recounting the PCSF’s history, mission and future. Department of Interior Inspector General and Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency Chair Mark Greenblatt highlighted the effectiveness of the PCSF’s collaborative model and that, even in light of its substantial gains over the last five years, more of the PCSF’s work is needed to combat the growing risks in contract and grant oversight. The anniversary featured several panels composed of PCSF partner agency representation. Acting Department of Commerce Inspector General Jill Baisinger and U.S. Postal Service Inspector General Tammy Hull discussed present and near-future procurement oversight threats that their agencies are facing, and the mitigation tools they have deployed to address those threats. Expert panelists from Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the U.S. Agency for International Development OIG discussed global and international considerations. The anniversary concluded with a panel discussion featuring expert panelists from the Department of Transportation OIG, General Services Administration OIG and Environmental Protection Agency OIG, who discussed data, analytics and collaboration driving future PCSF enforcement efforts. The PCSF is the Justice Department’s coordinated, joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. Since its inception in November 2019, the PCSF has opened more than 145 criminal investigations and trained more than 39,000 people. In that time, the PCSF and Antitrust Division have obtained over 60 guilty pleas and trial convictions and have investigated and prosecuted over 85 companies and individuals involving over $575 million worth of government contracts and contract kickbacks. AAG Kanter’s remarks can be viewed here. Director Glad’s remarks can be viewed here. Chair Greenblatt’s remarks can be viewed here. AAG Jonathan Kanter delivers remarks at the Justice Department’s PCSF Fifth Anniversary U.S. Postal Service Inspector General Tammy Hull and Acting Department of Commerce Inspector General Jill Baisinger speak during the Justice Department’s PCSF Fifth Anniversary Department of Interior Inspector General and Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency Chair Mark Greenblatt delivers remarks at the Justice Department’s PCSF Fifth Anniversary Representatives from the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the U.S. Agency for International Development OIG discuss global considerations during the Justice Department’s PCSF Fifth Anniversary Representatives from the Department of Transportation OIG, General Services Administration OIG, and Environmental Protection Agency OIG, discuss data, analytics, and collaboration during the Justice Department’s PCSF Fifth Anniversary PCSF Director Dan Glad delivers closing remarks at the Justice Department’s PCSF Fifth Anniversary


title: Mexican national sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violation

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in the United States, has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Francisco Santana Herrera, 42, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. crone on November 21, 2024. According to information presented in court, on April 10, 2024, Herrera was stopped for speeding in a construction zone on Interstate 10 in Beaumont. During a search of the vehicle, officers discovered approximately 16 kilos of cocaine. This case was investigated by Beaumont Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations/Customs Enforcement. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove. ###


title: Brooklyn Business Owner Convicted of Multi-Million Dollar Real Estate Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: A federal jury in Brooklyn returned a guilty verdict yesterday against Avraham Tarshish for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, and related wire fraud counts, in connection with a scheme to defraud mortgage loan holders, including the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and other mortgage lending businesses. The verdict followed a 12-day trial before Chief United States District Judge Margo K. Brodie. When sentenced, the defendant faces up to 30 years in prison. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Robert Manchak, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region (FHFA-OIG), Vicky Vazquez, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region (HUD-OIG) and Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI) announced the verdict. “The defendant defrauded taxpayer-funded mortgage loan holders out of millions of dollars and took advantage of programs designed to help distressed property owners in need,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Short sale mortgage fraud not only harms lending intuitions, it also depresses real estate values throughout our neighborhoods and prevents community members from gaining fair access to housing. Today’s guilty verdict should serve as a reminder that my Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to vigorously prosecute those who corruptly line their pockets at the expense of mortgage lenders and borrowers.” Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York Field Office (HSI), and the HSI El Dorado Financial Crimes Task Force for their work on the case. “The defendant and his co-conspirators corrupted a process meant to assist homeowners facing foreclosure. By undermining the integrity of this process, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and other lenders were deprived of millions of dollars,” said Robert Manchak, Special Agent-in-Charge of FHFA-OIG’s Northeast Region. “Today's verdict demonstrates the resolve of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General and its law enforcement partners to pursue those who defraud the government-sponsored enterprises.” “Tarshish and other co-conspirators engaged in a $2.4 million scheme to cause FHA-insured mortgage lenders to approve short sale transactions at fraudulently depressed prices by misrepresenting material information for his own enrichment,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Vicky Vazquez with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “No one is above the law. HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to investigate individuals who jeopardize the integrity of FHA mortgage programs.” “In this elaborate scheme to prey on people facing foreclosure and manipulating the mortgage loan system, Tarshish’s fraud resulted in a multi-million dollar loss to his victims. With this conviction, Tarshish now faces time behind bars where he can longer line his pockets at the expense of his community and their lenders,” said Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI New York. The defendant was an employee of My Ideal Property Inc. and an owner of Exclusive Homes Realty Group, Inc., Exclusive Homes NY, LLC and Homeowners Solutions Group LTD, Queens- and Brooklyn-based companies formed to buy and sell real property. As proven at trial, between March 2013 and November 2018, the defendant and others conspired to defraud mortgage lenders, misleading them into approving short sale transactions at fraudulently depressed prices. In a short sale, with the approval of the mortgage lender or servicer, a mortgage loan borrower sells his or her property for less than the outstanding balance of the mortgage loan. The proceeds from the short sale, less approved closing costs, are applied to the outstanding mortgage loan balance owed to the lender, who typically agrees to forgive the borrower’s remaining mortgage loan balance. Here, the defendant fraudulently manipulated the short sale process and immediately flipped properties for prices well above the short sale prices. Among other things, the defendant and his co-conspirators paid homeowners in foreclosure to lock them in to conducting short sales with them; took steps to preclude other prospective purchasers from making higher offers for properties by failing to market properties as required by the lenders; placed fraudulent liens on properties; and further depressed the properties’ values by removing toilets and plumbing, and causing other forms of property damage—a process that the defendant and his co-conspirators referred to as making the homes “pretty.” In furtherance of the scheme, the defendant and his co-conspirators also provided the mortgage lenders and servicers with false and misleading information in transaction documents and failed to disclose either payments made to the borrower and others related to short sale or contemporaneous agreements to transfer the properties at inflated prices. Many of the affected mortgage loans were insured by the Federal Housing Administration, or owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. At trial, the government introduced evidence that the defendant participated in a conspiracy spanning years that involved dozens of fraudulent short sale transactions. From among those dozens of transactions, the government introduced specific evidence relating to eleven examples of Brooklyn short sales through which the defendant and his co-conspirators defrauded lenders and servicers of more than $2.4 million. When sentenced, Aronov, Konstantinovskiy and Dafna face up to a 30-year max sentence. Herskowitz faces up to a 5-year sentence. Anyone with information concerning similar mortgage-related fraud can report it by contacting the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General Hotline at 800-793-7724 or via the web at: https://www.fhfaoig.gov/ReportFraud#hotlineform . In July 2022, Mr. Peace was selected as the Chairperson of the White Collar Fraud subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) . As the leader of the subcommittee, Mr. Peace plays a key role in making recommendations to the AGAC to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of various financially motivated, non-violent crimes including bank fraud and wire fraud. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Shannon C. Jones, John Vagelatos, Joshua B. Dugan and Russell Noble are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett . Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha Payne of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters. The Defendant : AVRAHAM TARSHISH (also known as “Avi Tarshish”) Age: 45 Queens Village, New York Co-Defendants Who Previously Pleaded Guilty : ISKYO ARONOV (also known as “Isaac Aronov”) Age: 37 Miami, Florida MICHAEL KONSTANTINOVSKIY (also known as “Michael Kay”) Age: 38 Rego Park, Queens TOMER DAFNA Age: 53 Great Neck, New York MICHAEL HERSKOWITZ Age: 45 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-408 (MKB)


title: Fugitive Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Fraud Scheme to Pay Alleged Kickbacks

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI - Yesterday, Celestine “Skip” Aniekwu, 65, of Sunrise, Fla., who had been a fugitive for 15 years and surrendered earlier this year, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith to the top of the guidelines, 16 months in prison, for participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the court filings in support of Aniekwu’s plea in September of this year, undercover FBI agents posed as asset managers who offered to help Aniekwu obtain construction contracts with local governments entities in 2008. Aniekwu told the undercover FBI agents that he needed to pay a total of $150,000 in cash to public officials with the City of Miramar for supporting the bid of Gulf Building Corporation on two projects, the Ansin Sports Complex and the Miramar Regional Service Center, in Miramar, Fla. The money was to come from a sub-contractor as part of a pre-arranged deal. The subcontractor was a subsidiary of a publicly traded company and would have difficulty drawing out the amount of cash to finance the bribe payments. Aniekwu went to the undercover FBI agents requesting their assistance with a scheme for the subcontractor to provide false invoices for work that was never performed in order to obtain cash to allegedly pay the Miramar public officials. Aniekwu and an officer of the subcontractor conspired to prepare the fraudulent invoices and submit them and thereby obtained authorization to issue two checks totaling $50,000 which were provided to the undercover FBI agents. At the request of Aniekwu, the undercover FBI agents cashed the checks and provided the cash to Aniekwu, who was to use the funds to pay the public officials in Miramar. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri for the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement. The FBI investigated this matter. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey N. Kaplan. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 09-cr-60317.


title: Five People Indicted and Arrested on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Gary M. Restaino, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona, announces indictments and arrests for multiple violent felony offenses, all of which occurred on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Defendants arrested are: Termaine Billy Celaya, 19, of Whiteriver; CR-24-8095-PCT-DWL; Donovan Skidmore, 25, of Whiteriver; CR-24-8096-PCT-GMS; Eagle Tail Ron Tointigh, 21, of Whiteriver; CR-24-8146-PCT-DJH; Maurissa Marie Edwards, 34, of Cibecue; CR-24-8101-PCT (MTL); and Donovan Wayne Declay, 29, of Whiteriver; CR-24-8113-PCT-SMB. Celaya was indicted for Second Degree Murder for an April 24, 2024, homicide with a motor vehicle. Skidmore was indicted for Robbery for the February 7, 2024, armed robbery of the 7-Mile Store. Tointigh was indicted for Assault by Strangling and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury for an August 11, 2024, domestic assault. Edwards was indicted for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon for the February 6, 2024, stabbing of another individual. Declay was indicted on two counts of Sexual Abuse, and one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse for the December 24, 2022, sexual assault of a family member. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. These arrests were made on November 20, 2024 as part of a joint law enforcement operation, including the White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Drug Enforcement Administration to locate and arrest defendants that had been indicted but not yet apprehended. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Church, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecutions. CASE NUMBERS: CR-24-8095-PCT-DWL CR-24-8096-PCT-GMS CR-24-8146-PCT-DJH CR-24-8101-PCT-MTL CR-24-8113-PCT-SMB RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-158_Celaya, Skidmore, Tointigh, Edwards, Declay # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Indian National Charged with Conspiring to Illegally Export U.S. Aviation Components to Russia

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: On Nov. 20 in the District of Oregon, Sanjay Kaushik, 57, of India, was indicted for conspiring to export controlled aviation components with dual civilian and military applications to end users in Russia, in violation of the Export Control Reform Act. Kaushik is also charged with attempting to illegally export a navigation and flight control system from Oregon to Russia through India, and with making false statements in connection with an export. He was arrested in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 17, pursuant to a criminal complaint and arrest warrant issued by the District of Oregon. According to the court documents, beginning as early as March 2023, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kaushik conspired with others to unlawfully obtain aerospace goods and technology from the United States for entities in Russia. The goods were purchased under the false pretense that they would be supplied to Kaushik and his Indian company, when in fact they were destined for Russian end users. In one such instance, Kaushik and his co-conspirators purchased an Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS), which is a device that provides navigation and flight control data for aircraft, from an Oregon-based supplier. Components such as the AHRS require a license from the Department of Commerce to be exported to certain countries, including Russia. To obtain an export license for the AHRS, Kaushik and his co-conspirators falsely claimed that Kaushik’s Indian company was the end purchaser and that the component would be used in a civilian helicopter. Kaushik and his co-conspirators obtained the AHRS – which was ultimately detained before it was exported from the United States – on behalf of and with the intention of shipping it, through India, to a customer in Russia. If convicted, Kaushik faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison and up to a $1 million for each count in the indictment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and U.S. Attorney Natalie K. Wight for the District of Oregon made the announcement. BIS Portland is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory R. Nyhus for the District of Oregon and Trial Attorneys Joshua E. Kurland and Dallas J. Kaplan of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. This case was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two Defendants Sentenced for Fraudulent Check Scheme Targeting Pittsburgh-Area Businesses

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Rodney Blake, 39, of Baltimore, Maryland, and Robert Morrisey, 32, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were sentenced in federal court on November 20, 2024, on their convictions for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and multiple counts of possessing forged securities, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan sentenced Blake to 146 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and Morrisey to 85 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Both defendants also were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $329,632.96. Blake and Morrisey were convicted of the crimes following a four-day trial in late July 2024 (read the verdict news release here ). Evidence at trial established that Blake and Morrisey orchestrated a fraudulent check scheme in which they and their conspirators stole mail to obtain valid business checks, which were then used to create large numbers of forged checks drawing on the businesses’ bank accounts. The fraudulent checks were made payable to individuals—many of whom were homeless or struggling with addiction—who had been recruited by Blake and Morrisey to cash the checks in exchange for a small share of the proceeds. At sentencing, the government introduced evidence concerning fraudulent checks with a combined value of $329,632.96, drawn on the bank accounts of approximately 25 Pittsburgh-area businesses and organizations. To carry out the scheme, Blake and Morrisey worked with co-conspirators Steven Baldwin and Tariiq Simmons, both of Baltimore, who each pleaded guilty before trial and was sentenced to 46 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Prior to imposing the sentences on Blake and Morrisey, Judge Horan emphasized that the defendants preyed on vulnerable members of the community to cash checks in furtherance of the conspiracy and noted the harm done to area small businesses. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey R. Bengel and William B. Guappone prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Secret Service, and Richland Township Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Blake, Morrisey, Baldwin, and Simmons.


title: Colombia-Based Alien Smuggling Coordinator Indicted for Smuggling Colombian Nationals Into the United States

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Janine Torres-Centeno, a Colombian national, was indicted on November 6, 2024, by a federal grand jury on charges of Conspiracy to Encourage and Induce an Alien to Unlawfully Enter the United States and Bringing an Illegal Alien to the United States for Profit. According to the criminal Complaint and subsequently-filed Indictment, in approximately 2022, United States Border Patrol Sector Intelligence and Homeland Security Investigations began investigating Torres-Centeno after arresting numerous Colombian nationals who identified her as their smuggling coordinator. The smuggled individuals contacted Torres-Centeno after learning from others who had successfully crossed into the United States illegally that she could coordinate their illegal entry into the United States. Torres-Centeno informed the Colombian nationals they would need to travel to Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico and pay a fee between $1,200.00 USD to $2,000.00 USD per person to cross into the United States. Once the Colombian nationals were in Sonoyta, Torres-Centeno coordinated their transportation to local stash houses, while others ultimately crossed illegally into the United States. Conspiracy to Encourage and Induce an Alien to Unlawfully Enter the United States carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Bringing an Illegal Alien to the United States for Profit carries at least a three-year mandatory minimum prison sentence and a fine of up to $250,000. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol, Alien Smuggling Unit – Tucson Sector and Homeland Security Investigations – Casa Grande conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart Zander and Matthew Doyle, District of Arizona, Phoenix, are handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-007816-TUC-SHR RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-159_Torres-Centeno # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Dual U.S. and Albanian Citizen Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS and Distributing Instructions Regarding Homemade Explosives

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: A former New York man and dual citizen of the United States and Albania was arrested yesterday in New York on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and distributing instructional information regarding the making of explosives. According to court documents, Erald Alimehmeti, 33, of Tirana, Albania, is a former resident of the Bronx, New York, and moved to Albania in 2014. Alimehmeti was arrested by Albanian authorities and imprisoned in late 2015 to 2019 and again from late 2020 to 2022 for weapons and assault offenses. Between prison terms, Alimehmeti created and used numerous online accounts on encrypted messaging applications and social media websites to communicate with others about planning and training for attacks on behalf of ISIS. For example, in 2019, Alimehmeti expressed interest in “DC sniper” style attacks and referenced an “op” for which he sought the participation of confidential sources, writing, among other things, “Do you know sniping akhi? The formulas and ballistics?” and “I will brief you brothers right before the op, not here akhi. Do you both know how to use red dot optics and how to zero them?” Alimehmeti also requested what he described as “tactical” equipment and “gear” for “training” and “operations” in support of ISIS, including particular models of vests capable of holding “ballistic plates,” “magazine pouches,” and “knives,” and described modifications he intended to make to his “AKM,” an apparent reference to an assault rifle. In addition, in 2019 and 2020, Alimehmeti regularly posted pro-ISIS propaganda online, praising specific ISIS leaders and promoting ISIS-issued publications and videos. For example, Alimehmeti’s social media posts included praise of the ISIS propagandist Shaykh ul-Haqq Musa Cerantonio and the Libyan terrorist and high-ranking al Qaeda official Abu Yahya al-Libi; photographs of various jihadist publications, such as “The Islamic Ruling of the Permissibility of Self-Sacrificial Operations: Suicide, or Martyrdom?” and “The Book of Jihad”; and a video depicting the killing of U.S. Special Forces in Niger and an accompanying comment in Albanian, which translates to: “The Islamic State in Africa killing crusaders, American and French special forces. Look at how the US special forces scream before they die!!! Hahaha!” Alimehmeti also described his work compiling resources on mixing dangerous chemicals and making explosives to a confidential source and discussed how to make specific types of incendiaries to spray at innocent bystanders in a terrorist attack. On an encrypted messaging channel, Alimehmeti posted dozens of links and downloadable documents on topics such as explosives-making, firearms-handling, defensive tactics, and outdoor survival, with comments encouraging the use of these resources. For example, he posted a video and described it as “a video release from the official media of the Khilafa, explaining how YOU O Muwahid can make TATP explosives in your own home ... SO FIGHT THEM O MUWAHID,” an apparent reference to a well-known ISIS video titled, “You Must Fight Them O Muwahhid,” which provides step-by-step instructions for constructing a TATP-based explosive device and attacking a human target with a knife. Alimehmeti is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and one count of distribution of information pertaining to explosives, destructive devices, and weapons of mass destruction in furtherance of a federal crime of violence, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists principally of agents and analysts from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department, is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, and law enforcement partners in Albania and Australia, including the Australian Attorney-General’s Department, provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Jane Y. Chong for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Jessica K. Fender of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Co-Founders of Paycheck Protection Program Lender Service Provider Charged for COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: An indictment was unsealed yesterday in the Northern District of Texas charging two co-founders of Blueacorn, a lender service provider, in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. According to court documents, Nathan Reis, 45, and Stephanie Hockridge, 41, also known as Stephanie Reis, both of Puerto Rico and previously of Arizona, allegedly submitted false and fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of themselves and their businesses, including by fabricating documents that they submitted in their loan applications in order to receive loan funds for which they were not eligible. The indictment also alleges that Reis and Hockridge, who are married, co-founded Blueacorn in April 2020, purportedly to assist small businesses and individuals in obtaining PPP loans. In order to obtain larger loans for certain PPP applicants, Reis and other co-conspirators allegedly fabricated documents, including payroll records, tax documentation, and bank statements. Reis and Hockridge allegedly charged borrowers illegal kickbacks based on a percentage of the funds received. As part of the alleged scheme, Reis, Hockridge, and others expanded Blueacorn’s operations through lender service provider agreements (LSPAs) with two lenders. Under the LSPAs, Blueacorn collected and reviewed PPP applications from potential borrowers on behalf of the lenders and worked with the lenders to submit applications to the SBA in exchange for a percentage of the fees that the SBA paid to the lenders for approved PPP loans. Blueacorn also had a program called “VIPPP” in which Hockridge and others offered a personalized service to help potential borrowers complete PPP loan applications. Reis and Hockridge allegedly recruited co-conspirators to work as VIPPP referral agents and coach borrowers on how to submit false PPP loan applications. In order to obtain a greater volume of kickbacks from borrowers and percentage of lender fees from the SBA, Reis, Hockridge, and their co-conspirators submitted PPP loan applications that they knew contained materially false information. Reis and Hockridge are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas; Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Chris Altemus of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office; Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) Brian Miller; Special Agent in Charge John Ellwanger of the Western Division, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-OIG); and Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) made the announcement. FBI, IRS-CI, SIGPR, FRB-OIG, and SBA-OIG investigated the case. Acting Assistant Chief Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Carr and Ryan McLaren of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. MLARS’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud . In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department 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, visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office and HSI Collaborate to Charge Albuquerque Student Doctor in Child Exploitation Case

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A student doctor from Albuquerque was charged by indictment with production and possession of child pornography following his arrest as part of a multi-agency investigation into child exploitation. Kevin Weiss , 28, appeared before a federal judge today and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. According to the indictment, between approximately June 2020 to February 9, 2024, Weiss allegedly used a minor under 18 years of age to produce child pornography of the minor. The indictment further alleges that from December 30, 2023, to March 25, 2024, Weiss knowingly possessed child pornography involving prepubescent minors. If convicted, Weiss faces a minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison followed by a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime term of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Jason T. Stevens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today. Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Jaymie L. Roybal and Meg Tomlinson are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Tulare Man Sentenced to Over Five Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: Aaron Iribe, 35, of Tulare, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to five years and 10 months in prison and for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on July 27, 2020, Iribe coordinated the delivery of 16 pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover officer. The methamphetamine was seized from a vehicle driven by Iribe’s co-defendant, Daniel Lopez. The undercover officer arranged to purchase 20 pounds of methamphetamine for $80,000 from Iribe’s Mexico-based co-conspirator. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT). Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case. Co-defendant Daniel Lopez pleaded guilty on Aug. 8, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 19, 2024. This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.


title: Indiana Man Pleads Guilty in Twin Cities Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – An Indiana man has pleaded guilty in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl throughout the Twin Cities and surrounding areas, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, between August 2022 through December 2023, Da’Shawn Natori Domena, 25, conspired with his co-defendants to distribute fentanyl in Minnesota. The co-conspirators frequently traveled to Phoenix to obtain fentanyl pills from suppliers, hid the pills inside stuffed animals, and mailed them to addresses in and around the Twin Cities. Law enforcement in Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties became aware of the trafficking and initiated a joint investigation, which resulted in the seizure of six packages containing over 30,000 grams of fentanyl pills. Domena pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court before Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Washington County Drug Task Force, and the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.


title: Husband and Wife Receive Combined 45 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in Death

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Terry Wayne Franklin and his wife, Mary Danielle Sheppard, will spend a combined 45 years in prison after selling fentanyl to a victim who then overdosed and died from the drug. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentences, which were handed down this week by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr. Judge Moody sentenced Franklin, 39, of Conway, who had prior felony drug convictions, to 25 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release on Wednesday. Sheppard, 36, of Conway, received a 20-year sentence, also followed by three years of supervised release, on Thursday. There is no parole in the federal system. “This couple made the decision to sell pills containing a deadly, illegal drug, unfortunately resulting in yet another loss of life from the use of fentanyl,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Let this sentence serve as a warning to those who sell fentanyl in any form, that you will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and the penalty is severe.” The pair were charged on July 5, 2023, in a two-count indictment for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Sheppard pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death on March 21, 2024, and Franklin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death on April 1, 2024. A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation revealed that on May 15, 2022, the Greenbrier Police Department was dispatched to a possible overdose at a residence. The victim of the overdose later died at a hospital in Conway. On the scene, officers located several blue, round pills scored “M30”. Subsequent investigation by the DEA and the Conway Police Department discovered numerous text messages between the victim and Franklin discussing the victim’s purchase of fentanyl pills. Franklin directed the victim to make payment to Sheppard’s CashApp account and directed the victim to obtain the pills from Sheppard. Surveillance video also showed the victim and Sheppard meeting the night the victim obtained the pills and died. Following the victim’s death, on September 16, 2022, a Nacogdoches, Texas, police officer conducted a traffic stop on Franklin and Sheppard, who were heading north toward Arkansas out of south Texas. During the stop, officers located numerous pills containing fentanyl. This case was investigated by the DEA with assistance from the Greenbrier Police Department, the Conway Police Department, and the Nacogdoches, Texas, Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Gordon and Reese Lancaster. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Parker Man Sentenced to Over 13 Years in Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Raymond Gene Aspa, Sr., 72, of Parker, was sentenced on November 5, 2024, by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi to 166 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Aspa pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child on October 31, 2023. Between May 18, 2012, and May 18, 2013, Aspa engaged in abusive sexual contact with the minor victim at his residence in Parker. Both the victim and Aspa are members of the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) and the abusive sexual contact occurred on the CRIT Indian Reservation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina J. Reid-Moore, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00473-PHX-JJT RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-160_Aspa # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Co-founder of Medical Charity in St. Joseph Sentenced for $8 Million Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A co-founder of a so-called Christian health care sharing ministry in St. Joseph, Mo., has been sentenced in federal court for his role in an $8 million wire fraud conspiracy that cheated hundreds of members, and for making false statements on a personal tax return. James L. McGinnis, 78, of St. Joseph, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Thursday, Nov. 21, to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered McGinnis to pay restitution of $7,758,908 to the victims, $143,141 to the Internal Revenue Service, and $10,787 to the Missouri Department of Revenue. The Court also ordered McGinnis to forfeit to the government a 2021 Ford F-250 truck. On April 2, 2024, McGinnis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of making false statements on a tax return. McGinnis co-founded Medical Cost Sharing, a tax-exempt organization, and served as its chief operating officer from 2014 through December 2022. Another co-founder, Craig Anthony Reynolds, 62, of St. Joseph, has pleaded guilty and been sentenced on the same charges. Reynolds incorporated and ran Medical Cost Sharing as its president and chief executive officer from 2014 through December 2022. McGinnis and Reynolds each admitted that he and his co-conspirators used false and fraudulent promises to market Medical Cost Sharing as a “Health Care Sharing Ministry” to defraud hundreds of “ministry members.” They collected more than $8 million in member “contributions,” yet paid only 3.1 percent in health care claims so that they could personally profit and take most of the members’ contributions for themselves. McGinnis and Reynolds pocketed at least $5,168,268 from the member contributions from December 2015 through December 2022. Thus, McGinnis and Reynolds took at least 64 percent of total member contributions for their personal profit. McGinnis and Reynolds marketed Medical Cost Sharing as a “Christian Health Care Sharing Ministry” through insurance brokers, radio stations, social media, and its website. Medical Cost Sharing sales materials promoted its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt designation, advertising that it was different from for profit health insurance. The Medical Cost Sharing website claimed, “while we are not an insurance company, many think of us as a Christian Health Insurance, or Christian Medical Insurance because, like conventional insurance plans, we help you pay your healthcare costs. We help you protect your family. But unlike these corporate, profit based plans, we are a healthcare sharing ministry … your healthcare costs are shared with other Christians enrolled in our medical sharing plans.” Medical Cost Sharing promised its member that if they paid monthly “contributions,” Medical Cost Sharing would pay claims after the members’ “personal responsibility” (deductible) was met. In reality, McGinnis and Reynolds admitted, Medical Cost Sharing rarely paid members’ health care claims. Sometimes Medical Cost Sharing would pay a part of a claim if the member filed a complaint with their state attorney general and/or hired an attorney to represent them against Medical Cost Sharing. Medical Cost Sharing paid no claims at all for nearly two years from Feb. 22, 2021, through December 2022, although it collected a total of nearly $1.2 million in dues in 2021 and 2022. On Dec. 13, 2022, federal agents served search warrants on the Medical Cost Sharing business location and the residences of McGinnis and Reynolds and seized property generated from Medical Cost Sharing proceeds. Medical Cost Sharing continued to try to collect membership dues after the search and seizure warrants. On Dec. 27, 2022, the court entered a temporary restraining order that prohibited Medical Cost Sharing, McGinnis, and Reynolds, from continuing to perpetrate a fraudulent scheme and from processing Medical Cost Sharing member payments, among other actions. In addition to the wire fraud conspiracy, McGinnis also admitted that he filed a federal income tax return that claimed he had no taxable income in 2019. McGinnis actually received at least $140,881 in taxable income in 2019. Reynolds was sentenced, in a separate but related case, on June 26, 2024, to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Reynolds to pay $7,758,908 in restitution to the victims, $253,474 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, and $46,550 in restitution to the Missouri Department of Revenue. The court also ordered Reynolds to forfeit to the government $462,771, which includes proceeds from the sale of a St. Joseph residence, cash representing his interest in another St. Joseph residence, the values of a Lincoln Navigator, and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle which will all be sold, and the contents of several bank accounts. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen D. Mahoney, Patrick Daly, and John Constance. It was investigated by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation. FBI Website for Victims of Medical Cost Sharing Fraud Those who believe they are victims of this fraud and wish to receive restitution for any losses suffered as a result may provide their information through the MCS Victim Information Page that has been established by the FBI. https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/mcs-victim-information-page


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Plea in Zuni Pueblo Armed Standoff Case

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from an armed standoff with law enforcement on tribal lands. According to court documents, on July 7, 2024, Eric Bowannie , 26, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, assaulted two federal officers by firing multiple rounds of ammunition at them while they were performing their official duties within the boundaries of the Zuni Pueblo. In his plea agreement, Bowannie admitted to intending to cause bodily harm to the officers. Bowannie will remain detained pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Bowannie faces up to 10 years imprisonment. Upon his release from prison, Bowannie will be subject to up to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Ry Ellison and Kirk Williams are prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Illegal Possession of Ammunition Leads to 15-Year Prison Sentence for North Little Rock Man

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Terell Davis, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Thursday by United States District Judge Billy Roy Wilson. On February 20, 2024, Davis, 40, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. Judge Wilson also sentenced Davis to three years supervised release. Davis was indicted on February 7, 2023, in a superseding indictment on one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. An investigation revealed that while investigating a shooting incident, on August 9, 2022, officers from the North Little Rock Police Department executed a search warrant on Davis’s residence in North Little Rock, Arkansas. During the search, officers recovered .45 caliber, .40 caliber, .410 caliber, .38 caliber, .357 caliber, 7.62x39 caliber, .223 caliber, and 9mm ammunition, along with multiple 50-round drum magazines. Davis was on parole at the time of the offense and has prior convictions for manslaughter, possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, battery in the first degree, fleeing in a vehicle causing danger, and possession of cocaine with purpose to deliver. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the North Little Rock Police Department. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Home Repairmen Plead Guilty To Tax Fraud For Failing To Report Income Earned From Elderly Clients

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A pair of repairmen that earned more than $1.5 million from elderly customers for home repair services appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to tax fraud, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. David Angelo Quick, 43, of Charlotte, and Tony Joshua Christo, 33, formerly of Charlotte, now residing in Florida, pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return. Jason Krizmanich, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to plea documents and the court hearing, from 2018 to 2021, Quick and Christo provided home repair and improvement services, as well as car repair services, to elderly clients. During that time, the defendants collectively received more than $1.5 million from elderly customers but failed to report any of this income on their federal income tax returns filed with the IRS. Quick, who was not a licensed contractor, owned and operated David Quick Home Improvements, which provided roofing, painting, driveway construction and other home services. Christo worked with Quick on home repair projects. Filed documents and statements made in court show that the defendants defrauded some of the elderly clients by overcharging them for repairs. Court records also show that the defendants received payment for their services, but they failed to report their income to the IRS. Both defendants pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return. The charge carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The defendants were released on bond following the plea hearings and will be sentenced at a later date. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked IRS-CI and USPIS for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Verdict in Robbery Case

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Following a three-day trial and less than two hours of deliberation, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict against a previously convicted felon from Albuquerque on three counts of robbery for a series of incidents at Ross clothing stores in Albuquerque. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jason Pete Roper, 45, robbed three separate Ross locations between August 14 and September 8, 2022. In each incident, Roper approached the checkout counters with small items before brandishing a silver and black handgun and demanding money from multiple registers. The total amount stolen across the three robberies was approximately $1,800. At the time of these offenses, Roper was on federal probation for a previous armed bank robbery conviction. Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Roper remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Roper faces up to 20 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and Albuquerque Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jon Stanford and Samuel Hurtado are prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Large Scale Drug Trafficker from the Tri-Cities Sentenced  to 7 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Richland, Washington – U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref announced that on November 19, 2024, United States District Judge Edward F. Shea sentenced Dwight Norwood, Jr., age 27, of Kennewick, Washington, to 84 months in federal prison on fentanyl distribution charges. Judge Shea also imposed 5 years of supervised release. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, in November 2021, members of the Safe Streets Task Force developed information that Norwood was distributing large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl pills in Eastern Washington. Investigators also learned that Norwood lived and sold drugs out of a fifth wheeler in Benton City, Washington. Early on the morning of February 24, 2022, Norwood’s girlfriend called Benton County Sheriff’s Office and told deputies that Norwood had given her a black eye, was chasing her in a blue Mustang, and was trying to shoot her. A short time later deputies spotted Norwood driving the Mustang near a gas station in Benton City. Deputies activated their emergency lights and attempted to arrest Norwood, but he took off running. Deputies used a K-9 to track Norwood, located him hiding near his trailer in Benton City, and arrested him. Deputies obtained a search warrant for the Mustang. Inside, deputies found a fully loaded .45 caliber pistol, over 800 hundred fentanyl laced pills, and two additional cell phones. Norwood’s DNA was later confirmed to be on the firearm; Norwood is a confirmed felon. Agents also obtained a search warrant for Norwood’s trailer. Inside, they located a drug scale with residue, additional fentanyl-laced pills, drug ledgers, and several cell phones. “Illicit fentanyl has a devastating impact on our community, including a close nexus with violent crime and poisoning deaths. Mr. Norwood was distributing a significant amount of these poison pills in the Tri-Cities region,” stated United States Attorney Waldref. “My office will continue to fight the fentanyl epidemic by working closely with our law enforcement partners to target those who contribute to this deadly crisis.” “This was not Mr. Norwood’s first run in with the law” said Gregory L. Austin, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office. “His decision to distribute Fentanyl is now landing him in federal prison. Combatting the scourge of this deadly drug, which devastates communities across our country, is a priority for the FBI and our partners.” This case was investigated by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI’s Southeast Washington Safe Streets Task Force, which includes additional officers and detectives from the Kennewick Police Department, Pasco Police Department, Richland Police Department, Border Patrol and Department of Corrections. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter. 22-cr-06009-EFS


title: Slidell Man Sentenced for Misappropriation of Postal Funds

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DARREN PHILLIP COLER, JR. (“COLER”) , age 35, pled guilty on August 7, 2024 to misappropriation of postal funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1711. COLER was sentenced on November 20, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk. According to court records, COLER, an employee of the United States Postal Service (USPS), beginning in July 2021 and continuing until November 2021, did knowingly and willfully use money and property, totaling $62,033, belonging to the USPS. COLER was sentenced to six months in prison, two years of supervised release, mandatory restitution in the amount of $62,033 and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González of the General Crimes Unit was in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former Detective Sentenced More Than 24 Years In Prison For Sexually Exploiting A Minor

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Josue Garriga (35, St. Augustine), a/k/a “Sway,” to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison for enticing a child to engage in sexual activity. Following his release from prison, Garriga is also required to register as a sex offender and serve a term of supervised release of 10 years. The court also ordered Garriga to forfeit two cellphones that Garriga had used to commit the offense. Garriga entered a guilty plea on July 16, 2024. He was remanded into custody following the sentencing hearing. According to court documents, Garriga, who at the time was a detective with the gang unit of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), met the minor victim, who was 17 years old, at church in 2023. Garriga pursued a sexual relationship with the child victim until approximately March 7, 2024. This included reaching up the victim’s skirt while she worked serving coffee before church service. At some point, Garriga used his JSO-issued cellphone and an undercover social media account to reach out to the victim and obtained her phone number. Garriga then used his personal cellphone to communicate with the victim, directing their messages to an encrypted app set to automatically delete the messages after 24 hours. Garriga requested nude photos from the victim and sent her nude photos of himself. On at least two occasions, Garriga used his JSO work vehicle to travel to the victim’s neighborhood in Clay County to meet up with her and engage in sexual contact that was illegal under Florida law. On another occasion, Garriga met up with the victim at a coffee shop in Clay County and enticed her to his JSO work vehicle where he engaged in sexual activity with the victim and physically restrained her from leaving the vehicle until she relented and performed a sex act on him. “This individual violated his position of trust in the community and sought to take advantage of a child for his own satisfaction,” said Tim Hemker, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) in Jacksonville. “This conviction stands as a testament to the commitment of HSI and our law enforcement partners with the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, including the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. HSI is committed to identify and bring to justice those who exploit the vulnerability of our children.” This case was investigated by the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, to include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and Kelly S. Milliron. 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI Charge Former Emergency Dispatcher with Making Terroristic Threats

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A former emergency dispatcher for the Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority (MVRDA), faces charges for making multiple terroristic threats against county facilities and employees via Facebook posts. Jason Rivera , 53, of Las Cruces, appeared before a federal judge and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, which has been set for Tuesday, November 26, 2024. According to court records, Rivera 's posts on April 11 and April 25, 2024, included alarming claims of explosives at MVRDA and direct threats to specific employees. One post stated there was a bomb at the MVRDA, prompting a lockdown and bomb sweep by the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office. Rivera also registered a website titled "killdonaanacounty.org" and tagged county officials in his threatening messages. The investigation revealed Rivera used a public Facebook account to make these threats, with an IP address linked to his residence. After being taken into custody on April 25, Rivera acknowledged his account and the threatening posts during an interview with law enforcement. Rivera worked at MVRDA for eight years until September 2020, during which he exhibited troubling behavior, including harassment of former colleagues and erratic incidents leading to disciplinary actions. Following his resignation, Rivera intensified his threats towards former coworkers and their families. If convicted of the current charges, Rivera faces up to 10 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Ry Ellison is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Calumet City Man Sentenced to 12+ Years in Prison for Carbondale Mail Theft and Bank Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Illinois, Southern

body_text: BENTON, Ill. – A district court judge sentenced a Calumet City man to 154 months’ imprisonment for engaging in a bank fraud scheme using mail stolen from blue collection boxes in Carbondale. Isaiah Jordan, 31, pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of theft of mail and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. “Communities depend on the U.S. Postal Service to communicate with loved ones and pay bills, but when thieves target collection boxes to steal checks and disrupt the public mailing system, the effects are evident throughout the region,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I commend the Carbondale Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for leading this complex investigation and ultimately holding these criminals accountable.” Charged co-conspirators Brian R. Nevils, 25, of South Holland, and Quentin S. Abrams, 25, of Charleston, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of mail theft. The federal judge sentenced Abrams to time served in April and sentenced Nevils to 18 months’ imprisonment in September. According to court documents, the defendants used a stolen master key to gain access to mail collection boxes throughout Carbondale. The conspiracy involved altering the payees and amounts of stolen checks, depositing the checks into bank accounts of co-conspirators and then transferring the funds into their own accounts or of their associates. “This sentencing illustrates that individuals who engage in mail theft will be held accountable for their actions. The Postal Inspection Service will continue to partner with other law enforcement agencies to collectively pursue criminals who victimize postal customers,” stated Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office. Nevils, Jordan and Abrams stole and altered more than 100 checks sent by more than 50 individuals through USPS from March through July 2020. The total estimated loss is $396,971.83. “Our success as law enforcement officers relies in part on the strong partnerships between local and federal agencies in investigating complex crimes that affect our community,” said Carbondale Police Chief and Interim City Manager Stan Reno. “The collaboration between the Carbondale Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service was key in bringing these offenders to justice. Together, we are committed to ensuring the safety and integrity of our city, protecting both our residents and our institutions from fraudulent schemes.” Following imprisonment, Jordan was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. In addition, the Court ordered Jordan to pay $396,971.83 in restitution to the affected banks. Demarius L. Flakes, 31, of Blue Island, was also charged in the indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of mail theft, six counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is in custody in Cook County on separate charges. An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury. The Carbondale Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service jointly investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Verseman prosecuted the case.


title: Orlando Man Indicted For Committing Multiple Sexual Exploitation Offenses Against Minors

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Brandon Laverne Parsons (30, Orlando) with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, attempted production of child sexual abuse material, attempted unlawful transfer of obscene material to a minor, and two counts of distributing, and one count of possessing child sexual assault material. If convicted, Parsons faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for the attempted enticement offense, a minimum penalty of 15, up to 30, years for the attempted production offense, a minimum penalty of 5, up to 20, years for each distribution offense, up to 20 years for the possession offense, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the attempted transfer of obscene material. According to court documents, between October 1 and 17, 2024, Parsons communicated with an individual whom he believed to be a 13-year-old child via a social media platform. The individual was an uncover law enforcement officer. During the course of that conversation, Parsons requested that the “child” send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM), attempted to set up a meeting with the 13-year-old, and sent the child explicit images of himself. In addition, Parsons distributed CSAM in March and April 2024. Parsons also possessed CSAM in October 2024, including videos and images where the victim was under 12 years of age. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Orlando Police Department, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Jury Convicts Man of March 2024 Armed Carjacking

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Maurice Edwards, 20, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty on November 21, 2024, by a Superior Court jury, of armed carjacking and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for his role in a March 2024 traffic-accident-turned-carjacking in the Deanwood neighborhood of Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled sentencing for January 22, 2025. Armed carjacking carries a mandatory minimum term of fifteen years of incarceration. According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of March 11, 2024, Edwards drove a car through a stop sign and struck the victim’s vehicle at the intersection of 48 th Pl. NE and Lee St. NE, as the victim was driving home from work. After Edwards and his co-conspirator got out of their car, Edwards pulled a gun on the victim, causing the victim to retreat from his driver’s side door. Edwards’ co-conspirator got into the victim’s car and drove away, and Edwards chased after the victim and held him down, allowing his co-conspirator to make off with the victim’s car. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was investigated, prosecuted, and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Cocuzza and Mark Levy.