title: Op Sweet Silence Ends Zohannon Gang, Seizes Guns and Drugs in Columbus

component: Criminal - Violent Crime and Racketeering Section

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ga. – Federal authorities and law enforcement today announced the sweeping takedown of the Zohannon Gang and its associates in Columbus, the result of Operation Sweet Silence, a campaign targeting violent crime and drug trafficking tied to criminal organizations, including Mexican cartels, in the region. “This is what a successful operation looks like – dangerous gangs dismantled, guns and drugs off our streets,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes for the Middle District of Georgia. “Operation Sweet Silence shows the power of focused, determined law enforcement collaboration. While we celebrate this victory, our mission is far from over, and we remain committed to protecting our communities and holding criminals accountable every day.” “Criminal Street gangs were responsible for a wave of violent crime in and around Columbus,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Richard Bilson of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office. “Columbus is a safer place now that the FBI and our partners have effectively dismantled this armed drug trafficking organization. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to work together to keep our streets safe.” “This investigation represents the very best of law enforcement collaboration,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Federal, state and local partners worked side by side for years to uncover the full scope of this criminal enterprise and ensure every individual responsible faced justice. With the conviction of this defendant, we are getting closer to holding all individuals involved accountable. Our communities are safer today because of the dedication and teamwork of the investigators and prosecutors, and we are committed to bringing this case to a successful conclusion.” “We won't stop until the criminal activity stops,” said Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman. “There is strength in collaboration when we combine our resources to go after criminal enterprises involving street gangs, drug dealers and convicted felons. We will continue this fight for safer streets and a safer community.” According to court documents and statements referenced in court, federal and local law enforcement conducted Operation Sweet Silence from August 2022 until May 2024, an extensive investigation into the illegal activities of the Zohannon criminal street gang and other criminal street gangs in Columbus—including US World, the Crips, the Bloods, and the Gangster Disciples—involving armed drug trafficking with ties to two Mexican cartels. The operation dismantled the Zohannon Street Gang and severely impacted other gangs, especially US World, a hybrid criminal organization in Columbus. Connected to this operation, a total of $270 million in drugs were seized, including $20 million in cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and marijuana from the streets of Columbus and $250 million of marijuana from a California supplier. 119 firearms, including machineguns, rifles, shotguns, high-capacity magazines and stolen weapons were seized and removed from the streets of Columbus. Thirty-one defendants, all from Columbus unless otherwise indicated, were indicted across nine separate indictments, and 30 defendants have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial, with some already sentenced by the court. Operation Sweet Silence defendants are: Freddie Bowens , also known as “Profit,” 27, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the illegal possession of a machine gun. Fernando Brown , also known as “Nino,” 33, was found guilty at trial of conspiring to traffic methamphetamine, cocaine, and more than 100 pounds of marijuana and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking and is awaiting sentencing. LaBrandon Brown , 31, was sentenced to four years in prison for using a phone to facilitate a drug offense. Jantzen Carter , 40, of Waverly Hall, GA, was sentenced to ten years in prison for drug conspiracy. Ulises Cervantes , 33, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. Anthony Champion , 46, was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison for drug conspiracy. Trenton Clemons , 48, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for drug conspiracy. Dequindre Dawson , 33, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison for drug possession with intent to distribute. Nicholas Fitzpatrick , 30, was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison for drug conspiracy. Terry Gash , 54, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. Undrae Hayes , 37, was sentenced to eight years in prison for drug conspiracy. Roderick Hicks , 59, was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in prison for drug conspiracy. Christopher Hill , 36, was sentenced to two years in prison for using a phone to facilitate a drug offense. Marquez Holloway , 32, was found guilty at trial of drug conspiracy and drug distribution and is awaiting sentencing. Darius Jenkins , 24, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for drug conspiracy. Jeffrey Kimbrough , 29, was sentenced to three years of probation for drug conspiracy. Hykeem Lomax , 33, pleaded guilty to using a phone to facilitate a drug offense and is awaiting sentencing. Quadarius Lusk , 30, pleaded guilty to using a phone to facilitate a drug offense and is awaiting sentencing. Aundray Morgan , 39, pleaded guilty to using a phone to facilitate a drug offense and is awaiting sentencing. Tommie Mullins, Jr. , also known as “TJ,” also known as “Bo,” also known as “Mini,” 31, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug conspiracy. Javonta Paden , 25, was sentenced to five years and 11 months in prison for drug conspiracy. Adrian Palmer , also known as “AP,” 25, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for drug possession with intent to distribute. Adrian Pleasants , 29, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for drug conspiracy. Derrick Porter , 54, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. Dahvontay Richardson , 28, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for drug conspiracy. Trenton Thomas , also known as “Bubble,” 25, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison for drug conspiracy. Juan Carlos Torres-Arzapalo , 41, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. Corey Turner , also known as “Lito Red,” 33, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug conspiracy. Jhy’Keith Williams , 24, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison for illegally possessing a machine gun. Malik Williams , 27, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison for drug possession with intent to distribute. Leonard Campbell , 37, of Columbus, is charged by federal indictment with conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He is facing a maximum of life in prison. An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The case was investigated by FBI Georgia, the DEA, and the Muscogee County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Ofﬁce with critical assistance from the Harris County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office; the Russell County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Office; the Coweta County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office; and the Muscogee County District Attorney’s Office. Deputy Criminal Chief Veronica Hansis for the Middle District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Matthew Mattis of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Hardy, Iowa, Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Scott Devries, 57, from Hardy, Iowa, pled guilty April 20, 2026, to one count of possession of child pornography in federal court in Sioux City. At the plea hearing, Devries admitted that between January 2021 and August 2022, he possessed and received visual depictions of child pornography, which included prepubescent minors or a minor under the age of 12. While executing a search warrant, law enforcement discovered 20 electronic devices that contained child sexual abuse material. Forensic analysis of the devices found almost one million images of child pornography, some of which involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as infants and toddlers. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States 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 victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Devries remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Devries faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case was investigated by Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Charles City Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-3060. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Sioux City Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

body_text: Valon Jackson, Jr., age 40, from Sioux City, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison, after a November 5, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user. Evidence in the case revealed on June 19, 2024, at approximately 11:30 p.m., a concerned citizen reported a reckless driver, later identified as Jackson, speeding through residential neighborhoods with no headlights on. Officers located the vehicle and observed the car traveling at a high rate of speed, then abruptly stop, and park. As officers activated their emergency lights, Jackson accelerated at a high rate of speed again with the headlights off evading police. As Jackson fled law enforcement, another concerned citizen reported his reckless driving in another part of town. Law enforcement proceeded to that area and located the vehicle. As officers approached, Jackson began reversing in a reckless manner, leaving the roadway and hitting an unoccupied vehicle before again fleeing officers. Jackson continued to flee, driving through a person’s yard, through driveways, and along Broken Kettle Road, where he struck yet another vehicle ultimately incapacitating his vehicle. He then fled on foot but was apprehended a short distance away. Jackson had blood-shot and watery eyes and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. Officers located marijuana, cocaine and multiple items of drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. After he was taken into custody, Jackson began making threats against law enforcement. On June 20, 2024, a citizen walking a dog on Broken Kettle reported finding a firearm in a yard. Officers located the firearm and observed that it was on the Jackson’s flight path. Fingerprint testing confirmed the firearm and loaded magazine bore Jackson’s fingerprints. Jackson has a history of violence, a 2023 arson conviction, and a 2011 federal conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon. Jackson left a location after a verbal altercation, retrieved a gun bearing a homemade silencer, and waited outside the location to ambush his victim. Jackson repeatedly fired at his victim, hitting him once. Jackson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Jackson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-4084. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Sapulpa Resident Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing Firearm And Ammunition

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bandy Jay Linam, age 47, of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Indictment charged Linam with knowingly possessing a .22 caliber revolver and nine rounds of .22 caliber ammunition in the Eastern District of Oklahoma on September 30, 2025, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. The charge arose from an investigation by the Latimer County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Linam was released on bond with conditions of release pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edith A. Singer represented the United States.


title: Aneth Man Found Guilty on all Counts of Child Sex Crimes

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: ST. GEORGE, Utah – A federal jury in St. George returned a guilty verdict Friday, April 17, 2026, against a San Juan County, Utah, man after he received and possessed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while already on supervised release for a 2015 conviction of possession of child pornography. Johnston Blackhorse, 42, of Aneth, Utah, was charged by indictment on February 10, 2026, with receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in February 2025, while serving a lifetime of supervised release for prior child sex crimes, two probation officers conducted a home visit where Blackhorse lived alone. Pursuant to Blackhorse’s supervised release conditions, the officers conducted an examination of Blackhorse’s computer. Officers discovered that a forensic wiping program had been installed and used on the computer the day of the probation visit. Officers conducted a more thorough examination of the computer and located several files depicting child sexual abuse material in a deleted space. As a result, a search warrant was secured, and the computer was examined by a forensic examiner with Homeland Security Investigations. The examination revealed six images of child sexual abuse material all in a deleted space on the computer. An original file path also showed the file originally existed under Blackhorse’s username, in his Mozilla Firefox folders, and came from child pornography websites. Additional evidence also showed Blackhorse used the computer to access other child pornography files located on a separate electronic storage device that was not recovered during the search of his residence. Blackhorse’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 18, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. before a U.S. District Court Judge in courtroom 2B at the courthouse located at 206 West Tabernacle Street, St. George, Utah 84470. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Burton and Joseph M. Hood of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 .


title: Alleged Conspirators Arrested for Running St. Thomas Strip Club as Prostitution Ring and Harboring Illegal Aliens

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Thomas , U.S. Virgin Islands – Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper announced today that U.S. law enforcement arrested three members of an alleged conspiracy running a prostitution ring and harboring illegal aliens in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. A federal judge in the District of the Virgin Islands issued a criminal complaint and authorized arrest warrants charging Hussein Jamil, a.k.a. Hussian Jamil Suarez, a.k.a. “Tony,” 56, of St. Thomas, USVI; Magda Castro Santos a.k.a. “Tatiana,” 39, of St. Thomas, USVI; and Julio Hidaldo De Pena 65, of St. Thomas, USVI, for their alleged respective roles in a variety of criminal activities centered around an establishment known as Tootsys Gentlemen’s Club (“Tootsys”). According to court documents, Jamil owns and operates Tootsys, a strip club in St. Thomas, USVI, which he, Castro Santos, and Hidaldo De Pena are alleged to have operated as a brothel. The alleged conspirators advertised Tootsys over Instagram and other platforms to recruit women to work at the club. They are alleged to have hired both U.S. citizens and illegal aliens as dancers and sex workers. Jamil is alleged to have paid for U.S. citizens to fly from elsewhere within the United States to St. Thomas and financed smuggling operations for aliens to illegally enter the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most of the dancers working at Tootsys lived in a house on St. Thomas rented by Jamil. Hidaldo De Pena transported the dancers from the rental house to Tootsys and back for their shifts. Castro Santos managed the dancers while at Tootsys, ensuring they paid their required fees, directing clients to the dancers, and collecting payments for private dances and commercial sex, among other managerial acts. When dancers arrived on St. Thomas for the purpose of working at Tootsys, the alleged conspirators’ coercive fee scheme pushed the dancers to make more money by engaging in commercial sex, both at Tootsys and through customers “buying out” dancers to take them to an offsite premises. Jamil, Castro Santo, and Hildaldo de Pena are each charged with Conspiracy to Transport for Purpose of Prostitution, Conspiracy to Commit Interstate and Foreign Travel or Transportation in Aid of Racketeering Enterprises, and Conspiracy to Harbor Aliens for Financial Gain. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison for Conspiracy to Transport for Purpose of Prostitution and Conspiracy to Commit Interstate and Foreign Travel or Transportation in Aid of Racketeering Enterprises and 10 years in prison for Conspiracy to Harbor Aliens for Financial Gain. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Baker and Cherrisse Woods for the District of the Virgin Islands and Trial Attorneys Jessica Arco and Clayton O’Connor of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigations and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case. The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by JTFA, the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean, and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; more than 350 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets. These arrests are also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department. 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: Appleton Clinic to Pay Over $380,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to the Marketing and Use of Electric Stimulation Devices

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Apple Medical Clinic and its principal, Dr. Michael Johnson, agreed to remit a total of $382,362.95 to the United States to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (“FCA”), 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733, by causing the submission of false claims to Medicare for electrical muscle stimulation, vitamin injections, and other related services that were not medically reasonable or necessary. The settlement amount is based on their ability to pay and consists of a $175,000 payment and the United States’ retention of $207,362.95 held by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Located in Appleton, Wisconsin, Apple Medical Clinic (“Apple”) offered outpatient treatment to block pain using the RST Sanexas neoGEN-Series device (the “Sanexas”)—an electric stimulation device developed by Nevada-based RST-Sanexas, Inc. (“RST”)—in conjunction with vitamin blend injections and other ancillary services, such as epidermal nerve fiber density testing. These combined treatments, and the way they were administered, were not medically necessary and not covered by Medicare. Nevertheless, Dr. Johnson advertised them as covered by and billable to the Medicare Program. Dr. Johnson was also a major national distributor of the Sanexas and marketed the device for indications outside its FDA clearance and contrary to National and Local Coverage Determinations. In particular, National Coverage Determination 160.7.1 states that “[e]lectrical nerve stimulation treatments furnished by a physician in his/her office, by a physical therapist, or outpatient clinic are excluded from coverage . . . .” Protocols for the use of the Sanexas with vitamin injections were formulated to maximize profit without regard for medical necessity. RST previously resolved False Claims Act allegations against it, along with its owners and affiliates, in a related agreement to pay $1.5 million to the United States. More information about this settlement and the electronic stimulation National Initiative spearheaded by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania may be found here: RST-Sanexas, Inc. and Its Owners Agree to Pay $1.5 Million ; and U.S. Attorney Announces Additional Enforcement Action as Part of National Effort to Combat Electrical Stimulation Fraud . The matter was handled in the Eastern District of Wisconsin by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa Yun and Michael Carter. The overall resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Pennsylvania and the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Investigative support and assistance was provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. # # # For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: Media Advisory: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Event

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C – In commemoration of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle announces NCVRW observances planned in the Eastern District of North Carolina for the week of April 19-25, 2026. The National Crime Victims’ Rights Ceremony will be held in Raleigh. Members of the public and media are invited to attend. WHERE: State Archives Building, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601. WHEN: Tuesday, April 21, 2027, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Registration is required for this event. This event is sponsored by the North Carolina Victim Assistance Network and Members of the Victim Services Interagency Council of North Carolina. For additional information about this year’s NCVRW and how to assist victims in your own community, please visit the United States Attorney’s Office website . For more ideas on how to support victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.ojp.gov .


title: California Man Convicted at Trial of Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that John Douglas Burch, 56, of Los Angeles, California, was convicted late yesterday at trial of all charges against him: use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in prostitution, and two counts of traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. The defendant was charged with those offenses by indictment in January 2024, arising from a nearly decade-long scheme to sexually exploit children online and “train” them to be his “sex slaves.” This “training” included, among other things, the requirement that the girls listen to explicit audio recordings, watch violent pornography, create pornographic images and videos and transmit the content to Burch over the internet, and have sexual encounters and commercial sex with adult strangers, which Burch would encourage and promote. As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, Burch caused a minor female (Minor 1), starting when she was 14 years old and continuing until she was 17, to produce and transmit over the internet numerous sexually explicit videos and images depicting Minor 1 engaged in sex acts. Burch also directed Minor 1 to engage in commercial sex acts with various men in Pennsylvania and caused Minor 1 to create visual depictions of the sex acts and send them to Burch, as proof that Minor 1 engaged in the conduct. As further proven, between 2014 to 2015, Burch twice traveled from California to Pennsylvania and sexually assaulted Minor 1 at a Montgomery County hotel. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25 and faces a maximum possible term of life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum term, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, a $1,000,000 fine, and mandatory restitution. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov . The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Ashenfelter and Anthony Carissimi.


title: New York Men Sentenced For Unlawful Possession Of Firearms

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Elijah Javier Rodriguez, age 27, and Javier Justin Rodriguez, age 31, of New York, were sentenced on April 9, 2026 and April 16, 2026, respectively, by United States District Judge Joseph F. Saporito. Elijah Javier Rodriguez was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment, and Javier Justin Rodriguez to 24 months’ imprisonment, for possession of firearms by a convicted felon. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the Rodriguez brothers traveled from Bronx, New York to Dingman’s Shooting Range in Dingman’s Ferry, Pennsylvania on June 29, 2024. At the shooting range, the brothers both completed a declaration falsely representing that they had never been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. They then went on to possess and shoot six different firearms, including an AK-47. Javier Justin Rodriguez had previously been convicted of criminal possession of a weapon, and Elijah Javier Rodriguez had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses – including criminal possession of stolen property, identity theft, and grand larceny. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the New York City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Tallahassee Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: Tallahassee, Florida – Vertis McNeil Robinson, 48, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for his conviction of attempted receipt of child pornography. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Sexual predators have more ways than ever before to prey upon children online, but our excellent state and federal law enforcement partners are relentlessly pursuing those sick individuals to keep our kids safe. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute anyone who seeks to sexually exploit and victimize children through the internet and social media platforms.” Court documents reflect that Robinson was arrested as part of a joint law enforcement agency operation in the Tallahassee area to locate individuals using the internet to locate and sexually exploit minors. Robinson made contact with an individual he believed was a minor and engaged in discussions to meet the minor to engage in sexual acts in exchange for cash. Robinson asked the minor to send a sexually explicit image during the discussions. After serving his term of imprisonment, Robinson will have to register as a sexual offender. The case involved a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer. 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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Alabama Man Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon

body_text: Pensacola, Florida – Grant Bieber, 45, of Gulf Shores, Alabama, was sentenced to four years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Keeping our communities safe remains the highest priority, and removing dangerous criminals from our streets is how we will achieve that goal. I truly appreciate the excellent investigative work by our brave state and federal law enforcement partners who are on the front lines in the fight against crime, and my office will continue to back up their efforts with aggressive prosecutions to hold criminals accountable.” Court documents reflect that on October 28, 2024, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies responded to a disturbance at a residence in Cantonment, Florida. When deputies arrived, the defendant and a woman were found in the woman’s vehicle outside of the residence. The defendant’s truck was parked near the woman’s vehicle. Based on the facts of the investigation, law enforcement obtained a search warrant to search the defendant’s truck, and thereafter found a box of .22-caliber ammunition and a wallet containing his Alabama Driver License in the center console. The defendant had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, and was therefore barred from possessing firearms or ammunition. The sentence was the result of a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Albany County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Little M. Johnson, age 21, of Albany, New York, pled guilty on Tuesday in federal court to possession of child pornography. The announcement was made by First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). As part of his guilty plea, Johnson admitted that on October 9, 2025, while on probation for a 2023 conviction for Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child, in violation of New York Penal Law, he possessed numerous videos of child pornography, including some that depicted children as young as three years old being sexually abused. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Children should be protected, not exploited to satisfy the deviant sexual desires of individuals like this defendant. This is why the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners have made it our priority to root out and punish anyone engaging in such conduct to the fullest extent of the law.” Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo, stated: “This plea by a repeat offender who collected images of children being sexually abused underscores the profound and lasting harm these crimes inflict on victims and our community. Success in these cases depends on strong partnerships among HSI, prosecutors, law enforcement, and the public. We urge anyone with information about child exploitation to come forward, so together we can stop these predators and protect our most vulnerable children.” Because of Johnson’s prior state conviction, the charge of possession of child pornography carries a term of imprisonment of between 10 and 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. Johnson will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Johnson’s sentencing is currently scheduled for August 17, 2026, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino in Albany, New York. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. HSI investigated this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adrian LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Childhood. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Tallahassee Man Indicted for Armed Drug Trafficking Crimes

body_text: Tallahassee, Florida – Forrest Alan Price, 31, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession with intent to distribute synthetic cathinone and five grams or more of methamphetamine, carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge. Price appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Charles A. Stampelos in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for June 2, 2026, at 8:30 am before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Tallahassee, Florida. Price faces a minimum mandatory prison sentence of five years’ imprisonment, and up to 40 years, on the drug possession count, and a consecutive five years’ imprisonment, up to life, for carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime. He also faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon. The case is being jointly investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Former Cherokee County deputy sheriff sentenced for sexual exploitation of minors

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ROME, Ga. – Former Cherokee County Deputy Sheriff Stephen Michael Bunte has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor and receipt of child sexual abuse material. “Law enforcement officers take an oath to serve and protect, and Bunte ignored that oath by sexually exploiting children and preying on vulnerable victims overseas,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Predatory conduct will not be tolerated, and those who commit these crimes will be prosecuted and excised from the community.” “Law enforcement officers are sworn to protect the most vulnerable among us, and the public trusts them to uphold that responsibility,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Stephen Bunte failed to honor his oath and betrayed that trust by exploiting children instead of protecting them. His actions are reprehensible, and HSI is committed to ensuring that anyone who violates their oath and preys on the innocent is held fully accountable—regardless of their position or title.” “Working alongside Homeland Security Investigations to keep children in our community and communities around the world safe is always a priority,” said Calhoun Police Department Assistant Chief, Lt. Col. Ken Carson. “It gives detectives with the Calhoun Police Department great satisfaction to assist with this case and have a successful outcome for the child victims involved.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In August 2023, HSI agents conducting an expansive investigation into international child sex trafficking networks in the Philippines identified a child trafficker who offered access to sexually explicit webcam livestreams involving multiple children under the age of 12. The investigation revealed that the target offered customers hands-on access to the children, including the trafficker’s own children. In March 2024, agents discovered communication between the trafficker and Stephen Michael Bunte. At the time, Bunte lived in Calhoun, Georgia, and was employed as a deputy sheriff for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Between May 2023 and March 2024, Bunte and the target exchanged over 14,000 messages and 15 phone calls. During these conversations, Bunte received at least 35 images of child sexual abuse material involving three minor victims aged 6, 10, and 14. On April 16, 2026, Stephen Michael Bunte, 42, of Calhoun, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II, to 15 years in federal prison followed by 15 years on supervised release. Bunte was also ordered to register as a sex offender. On November 4, 2025, Bunte pleaded guilty to one count of enticement of a minor and one count of receipt of child sexual abuse material. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Calhoun Police Department. Assistant U.S Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold, III and Leanne Marek prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. 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: Former Social Security Administration Worker  Charged in Disability Funds Theft Scheme

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced today that a federal grand jury indicted a former Social Security Administration (SSA) employee in connection with a social security disability theft scheme. Najee Alexander Corbett, 37, of Baltimore, is charged with wire fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, theft of government property, and false statements. Through his position, the former SSA customer service representative could access sensitive SSA databases containing benefit claimants’ personally identifiable information. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Michael McGill, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division. According to the indictment, beginning in February 2023, and continuing through April 2023, Corbett willfully devised a scheme to defraud the SSA. Through the scheme, Corbett fraudulently obtained Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, designated for other individuals, for his and his associates’ personal use. As part of the scheme, Corbett targeted SSI claimants diagnosed with mental health disorders. Corbett then altered claimant records in the database to include bank accounts he controlled and his residential mailing address to receive their SSI benefit funds. Additionally, in furthering the scheme, Corbett changed the date of benefit eligibility payments for the selected claimants in SSA’s database which generated back payments in the claimants’ names. Corbett then caused claimants’ SSI benefit payments to be transmitted to bank accounts he controlled and mailed to his home. Through the scheme, Corbett received $116,537.62 in SSI disability payments and retained $71,304.62. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. If convicted, Corbett faces up to 20 years for wire fraud; up to 20 years for mail fraud; up to 10 years for theft of government property; up to five years for false statements; and a mandatory two years — which runs consecutive to any other sentence — for aggravated identity theft. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the SSA-OIG for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: Final Young Mob Defendant Sentenced After Trial Conviction for Fentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: WASHINGTON – Three Memphis men have been sentenced following their convictions at trial on Nov. 12, 2025. A jury convicted Darius Moore, 39 ; Mervin Anderson, 40 ; and Mario Gardner, 49 , all of Memphis, of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Yesterday, the court sentenced Moore to 210 months in prison. Anderson and Gardner were previously sentenced to 150 months and 51 months in prison respectively. Moore was designated a career offender, having been twice convicted of the sale of hydromorphone in 2005 and 2008, and was on supervised release when he committed this crime. In 2019, Moore was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl within 1000 feet of a playground and after serving his prison term was placed on supervised release. Moore was also sentenced yesterday to an additional 1 year in prison for violating the conditions of his supervised release. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants were members or associates of the Memphis street gang, Young Mob Military or Young Mob. One of the leaders of Young Mob, co-defendant Brian Lackland, was central to the running of the drug conspiracy that distributed fentanyl within the Western District of Tennessee. Evidence presented during trial included seizures of thousands of fentanyl pills that were sent through the United States Postal Service addressed to Lackland’s residence. The fentanyl pills had been designed to mimic Oxycodone with pressed symbols on the blue pills. Members of the conspiracy would refer to the fentanyl pills as “blues” or “blues clues.” Fentanyl pills The surveillance caught members of the conspiracy exchanging large quantities of pills at gas stations, grocery stores, and other locations within feet of unsuspecting citizens of Memphis. “These three defendants mailed thousands of dangerous and potentially fatal fentanyl laced pills through the United States mail and openly sold them on the streets of Memphis, ultimately endangering end users,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dangerous opiates like fentanyl are a scourge to our communities, and leave a wake of death, ruined lives, and sorrow. Dedicated work by law enforcement took this drug trafficking organization down. We will continue to stand with our partners and remove dangerous drug dealers from the streets.” “Because illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic, President Trump has designated fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction (WMD),” said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. “Its lethality is significant, and those who traffic fentanyl must be severely punished and incapacitated. This sentence will ensure that this recidivist ‘not-so-young’ mob member will grow old in a federal prison.” “ATF will not tolerate violent gangs that fuel their criminality by distributing danger drugs like fentanyl on our streets,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Office. “This sentencing underscores the collective efforts of our local, state, and federal partners and the unwavering commitment to maintaining public safety. Through persistent investigation, collaboration, and enforcement, we will continue to dismantle these criminal networks and protect the safety and security of our citizens.” While detained pending trial for the drug conspiracy, Anderson was charged and convicted at trial of possessing two sharpened, handmade knives, commonly referred to as “shanks” while at the Shelby County Detention Center. Video from the jail showed Anderson threatening another inmate while swinging and thrusting the knives. When the shanks were taken from Anderson, he stated, “God is on his side, I was about to kill that boy.” Anderson then continued to make threats against the other inmate, stating, “I’m going to kill that boy when I get out.” Anderson with shank Other alleged members of the drug conspiracy, including the leader of the Young Mob, are charged in separate indictment with racketeering conspiracy, as well as narcotics and firearm offenses. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Memphis Police Department investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Amanda J. Kotula and Cesar Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) prosecuted the case. Brian P. Leaming of VCRS and Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Neal Oldham for the Western District of Tennessee provided substantial assistance with the investigation and prosecution. This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis. ### CRM 26-370 If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.


title: Pennsylvania And Michigan Men Charged With Benefits Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Randy Welch, age 46, of Michigan, and Earnest Morant, age 58, of Harrisburg, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to commit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits fraud. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Welch and Morant engaged in a conspiracy to submit fraudulent SNAP benefits applications and then exchange the resulting electronic benefits transfer cards for cash. To further the conspiracy, Welch allegedly obtained the names, social security numbers, and personally identifiable information for numerous persons, which he placed on applications for SNAP benefits. Those applications were then submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS). As a result, PA DHS issued numerous SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards in the names of those persons to addresses Welch specified. One of those addresses belonged to Welch’s codefendant, Earnest Morant. Morant allegedly received many of the fraudulently obtained EBT cards at his home in Harrisburg and mailed them to other coconspirators, who would sell the cards for cash. The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division . The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. Conspiracy to commit SNAP benefits fraud carries a maximum penalty under federal law of up to five years in prison, plus a fine and a term of supervised release. The charge of SNAP benefits fraud has a maximum penalty under federal law up to 20 years in prison. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The United States Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Walpole Man Sentenced to Four Months in Prison for Smuggling Gold out of Colombia and Laundering Related Funds

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Walpole man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for his role in a 2018 scheme to smuggle gold, platinum and other precious metals into the United States from Colombia and then laundering the money. Thomas Cataloni, 46, was sentenced on April 15, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to four months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. In January 2026 , Cataloni was convicted of one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States, one count of international money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The defendant was charged in November 2022. In 2018, Cataloni and his co-conspirators sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to bank accounts in Colombia to pay for gold and platinum to be smuggled into the United States without being declared at U.S. customs. To facilitate the smuggling, the gold and platinum were melted in Colombia and formed to look like crude, unfinished jewelry such as chains, keychains and purse straps. The supposed jewelry was then worn by individuals who flew from Colombia into the United States without declaring the gold and platinum. Two of Cataloni’s co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty. One was sentenced earlier this year and the other is scheduled to be sentenced later this year. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs & Border Protection; Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; and the Canton and Walpole Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian J. Sullivan and Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Organizes Symposium to Kick Off National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Each April, the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). This year, NCVRW will be observed April 19-25, 2026. To commemorate NCVRW, the U.S. Attorneys’ Office for the Western District of North Carolina hosted a symposium in Charlotte this week, focused on promoting resilience for service providers and victim advocates, and on strengthening collaboration, sharing resources, and building partnerships among professionals who serve crime victims. NCVRW began in 1981 to honor crime victims, promote victims’ rights, and recognize those who work with and advocate on behalf of crime victims. The observance also highlights policies, programs, and partnerships that support victims on their path to healing and recovery. This year’s NCVRW theme is “Listen, Act, Advocate.” “Our victims and their families motivate everything we do,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “While our cases often make the news, a lot of what we do is connecting victims to services. No one expects to be the victim of a crime; no one plans for it – victims often don’t know where to turn. In gratitude to the service providers we so often rely upon, this year we focused on them – people who spend so much time caring for others, they forget to care for themselves.” U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Unit Personnel with U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson Victim Service Providers and Advocates with Area Organizations More than 50 victim advocates, health care professionals, legal services providers, mental health practitioners, non-profit organizations, and members of the faith community attended the symposium. Participants engaged in discussions on trauma-informed care and ways to enhance coordinated responses to better serve victims of crime. “When we invest in those who serve crime victims, we strengthen the safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “A coordinated, victim-centered response, not only helps us restore justice for victims of crime but also builds trust and improves a holistic response to crime.” Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim/Witness Assistance Program can be found here .


title: U.S. Trustee Program Obtains Judgment Requiring National Consumer Bankruptcy Firm to Refund Nearly $200,000 Due to Bankruptcy Code Violations and Service Deficiencies

component: U.S. Trustee Program

body_text: The Department of Justice’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently obtained a judgment requiring a nationwide consumer law firm to refund a total of $196,527 in legal fees to dozens of clients based on the firm’s deficient services and other violations of the Bankruptcy Code. On March 17, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Oregon entered a stipulated judgment against Recovery Law Group APC (RLG); its owner, Nicholas Wajda; and one of its partners, Grover Peters III. As part of the judgment, RLG agreed to refund fees to a debtor who nearly lost her home because of the firm’s poor services and to refund fees paid by 98 clients in Oregon for whom the firm had not yet filed a case. The judgment also bars RLG, Wajda, and Peters from advertising legal services or filing bankruptcy cases in the district for 18 months. “Consumer debtors’ attorneys who provide substandard services endanger their clients’ pursuit of a fresh start,” said Acting U.S. Trustee Jonas Anderson for Region 18, which includes the District of Oregon. “The USTP will continue to hold these attorneys responsible for their abusive conduct.” The Oregon judgment marks the USTP’s third successful enforcement action against RLG in about a year for their actions affecting debtors throughout the country. Last April, the USTP obtained an order from the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia imposing $48,000 in sanctions and other relief against RLG and an affiliated attorney for their deficient legal services and violations of court orders. And in September, the USTP won a judgment in the Eastern District of Michigan imposing more than $392,000 in penalties and a three-year suspension against RLG for its false and misleading disclosures in more than 200 bankruptcy cases. The USTP’s Oregon enforcement action stemmed from a case in which an elderly woman sought RLG’s help filing for bankruptcy to resolve debts she incurred as the victim of a fraud scheme. After a consultation from Wajda, who is not licensed to practice law in Oregon, the debtor paid a $1,838 fee to the firm to represent her in a chapter 7 bankruptcy case, and RLG had its non-attorney staff prepare the debtor’s bankruptcy documents. RLG filed the case as a chapter 7 liquidation despite the debtor having nonexempt equity in her house that would be at risk for sale by the private trustee overseeing the case to pay creditors. The debtor was eligible for chapter 13, which would allow her to keep the house while paying her debts through a repayment plan, but Peters did not seek to convert the case to chapter 13 until after the chapter 7 trustee took steps to sell the debtor’s house. Peters — who also acknowledged at a hearing that the case never should have been filed under chapter 7 — continued to put the house at risk by failing to file documents on time and by filing documents that required multiple amendments as they were incompetently prepared by RLG’s non-attorney staff. In November 2025, nearly two-and-a-half years after the case was filed, the bankruptcy court confirmed the debtor’s chapter 13 repayment plan. The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 82 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust .


title: Leader of Clan Del Golfo, The Colombian Drug Cartel and Terrorist Organization, Charged in Superseding Indictment With Expanded Criminal Conduct and Terrorism Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: A fifth superseding indictment was filed yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn against Jobanis de Jesus Avila Villadiego, also known as “Chiquito” and “Chiquito Malo,” which added new charges of narcoterrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and providing or attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Avila Villadiego was previously charged in multiple superseding indictments with operating a continuing criminal enterprise, international cocaine trafficking, and using firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, as well as other drug-related crimes, through his continuing leadership of the Clan del Golfo (CDG), one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world. The fifth superseding indictment extends the end-dates of the continuing criminal enterprise and multiple conspiracies from October 2021 to April 2026. Avila Villadiego remains at large. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Frank A. Tarentino, III, Associate Chief of Operations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Northeast Region (DEA); and Michael Alfonso, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the charges. “As alleged, Avila Villadiego presides over a vast narcotics empire that floods the United States with cocaine and serves as a financial lifeline for a designated foreign terrorist organization. This prosecution is about more than just seizing drugs; it is about destroying terrorist organizations while simultaneously stopping the flow of deadly drugs and associated violence into the United States,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “For the Clan del Golfo, narcotics trafficking and terrorism are two sides of the same coin of instability. This fifth superseding indictment demonstrates that we will continue to pursue Avila Villadiego until he is brought to justice before the American legal system.” Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the New York offices of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He also acknowledged the significant assistance provided by the Bogota offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as the Justice Department’s National Security Division, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá, the Colombian Attorney General’s Office, and Colombian law enforcement authorities. “Avila Villadiego allegedly runs a designated foreign terrorist organization responsible for trafficking thousands of kilograms of illicit narcotics into the United States. The FBI and our law enforcement partners on the NY Homeland Security Task Force are determined to defend the nation by stomping out these terrorist groups and holding accountable their leaders, regardless of where they’re hiding,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “Today’s superseding indictment against “Chiquito Malo”, the leader of the Clan Del Golfo, a Colombian drug cartel and terrorist organization, further exposes the ruthless violence, terror, and destruction these criminal networks inflict on our communities,” stated DEA Northeast Regional Associate Chief of Operations Tarentino. “Chiquito Malo” led one of the largest cocaine distribution networks in the world, leaving a trail of terror is his path. This is not just drug trafficking, this is narcoterrorism driven by greed, power, and complete disregard for human life. Let there be no mistake: those who lead these organizations are responsible for the poison flooding our streets, the violence in our neighborhoods, and the lives lost to addiction and overdose. The DEA, alongside our federal, state, and international partners, will continue to target, dismantle, and hold these individuals and organizations accountable, no matter where they operate in the world. The DEA will not stop, nor will we slow down. This is our global pursuit mindset; Protecting our communities and saving lives.” “These new charges against Jobanis de Jesus Avila Villadiego, the leader of Colombia’s largest transnational criminal organization and a designated foreign terrorist organization, underscore the scale and brutality of a group that fields thousands of armed members, exerts military control over Colombian territory, and, as alleged in court filings, moves multi-ton cocaine shipments ultimately destined for the United States. Under Avila Villadiego’s command, Clan del Golfo uses murders, kidnappings, and other violence to protect its profits and attack law enforcement, posing a grave drug trafficking and national security threat to our country and our global counterparts. HSI New York and our Homeland Security Task Force partners will relentlessly pursue Avila Villadiego and his criminal network, wherever they operate and wherever the evidence leads,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Alfonso. According to court filings, Avila Villadiego is the principal leader of the CDG, Colombia’s largest and most influential cartel. The CDG is one of the most violent and powerful criminal organizations in Colombia, and it is one of the largest distributors of cocaine in the world. With as many as 6,000 members at its peak, the CDG exercises military control over a vast territory in the Urabá region of Antioquia, Colombia, one of the most lucrative drug trafficking areas within Colombia due to its proximity to the Colombia-Panama border and the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. Clad in military uniforms, CDG members employ military tactics and weapons to reinforce their power and incite wars and violence against rival drug traffickers, paramilitary organizations, and Colombian law enforcement authorities who threaten the CDG’s control. The prior principal leader of the CDG, Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, also known as “Otoniel,” was arrested in October 2021 and extradited to the Eastern District of New York in May 2022. In January 2023, Úsuga David pleaded guilty to operating a continuing criminal enterprise; in August 2023, he was sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment. Avila Villadiego, who previously served as a senior commander of the CDG under Úsuga David, rose to power as the principal leader of the CDG following Úsuga David’s arrest. The CDG, with Avila Villadiego as its principal leader, has continued to be involved in multi-ton shipments of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico and Central America for ultimate importation into the United States. Throughout CDG controlled territory in Colombia, the cartel coordinates production, purchase, and transfer of shipments of cocaine and imposes a “tax” on any drug traffickers operating in these regions. Specifically, the CDG charges a set fee for every kilogram of cocaine that is manufactured, stored, or transported through areas controlled by the CDG. Profits from narcotics trafficking are reinvested into the cartel to support its activities. The CDG also engages in acts of violence and terrorism, including murders, assaults, kidnappings of law enforcement officers, and assassinations. On December 17, 2025, the United States Secretary of State designated CDG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Secretary of State also designated CDG as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 on December 17, 2025. The CDG remains a designated FTO to date. Undeterred by the designation, Avila Villadiego has continued to lead the CDG post-designation, and to carry out criminal acts including the provision of material support to the CDG. The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New York comprises agents and officers from HSI; the DEA; FBI; the New York City Police Department; IRS Criminal Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and U.S. Secret Service, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York leading this prosecution. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Lorena Michelen, Katherine Onyshko, and Rebecca Urquiola are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : JOBANIS DE JESUS AVILA VILLADIEGO (also known as “Chiquito” and “Chiquito Malo”) Age: 49 Uraba, Colombia E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 14-CR-625 (S-5) (DLI)


title: Etowah County Man Indicted for Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An Etowah County man has been indicted on child exploitation charges, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby. A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Kevin James Xiques, 54, of Altoona, Alabama, with possession of child pornography. The incident allegedly occurred in December 2025, in Etowah County, Alabama. Xiques was arrested today at his residence in Altoona, Alabama. If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. Reports can be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer is prosecuting the case. An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Mercer County Man Sentenced to 260 Months for Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County man was sentenced yesterday to 260 months’ imprisonment for possessing quantities of fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute it, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking, and for his unlawful possession of firearms as a previously convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. “Fentanyl, cocaine, and illegal firearms are a deadly combination that poisons our communities and fuels violence. This defendant trafficked in dangerous drugs, and law enforcement recovered guns from his home during the investigation—yesterday’s sentence reflects our commitment to dismantle drug trafficking operations and protect the people of New Jersey from the violence and harm they cause.” - U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer “The FBI and our partners take the responsibility of keeping guns, drugs and violent criminals off of the streets very seriously. The Trenton Safe Streets Task Force identified, investigated and presented evidence for Mr. Wilson and his associates. This sentence of over 20 years shows others who wish to perpetuate illegal operations in Trenton and New Jersey, that justice will prevail,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy. Jamal Wilson, a/k/a “Vill,” 49, of Trenton, N.J., previously pleaded guilty before the Honorable Georgette Castner, United States District Judge in Trenton federal court, to a five-count Superseding Information, charging Wilson with possession of fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute it, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of two firearms as a previously convicted felon. In August 2022, Wilson, and 12 other individuals (Theodore Meekins, Louis Williams, Clinton Rodriguez, Kai Bowman Jr., Glenn Moore, Rashied McKines, Michael Williams, Derrick Jiles, Dion Morris, Jerry Farmer, James Edwards, and Alterrick Livingston) were charged by criminal complaint with drug trafficking and/or firearms offenses. According to documents filed in this case: Beginning in or around July 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement agencies conducted a two-year investigation of individuals engaged in unlawful drug-trafficking and firearms activities in and around the area of Garfield, Cleveland, and Logan Avenues (referred to as the “GCL” area”), a Trenton neighborhood known for high levels of narcotics activity and gun violence. During the investigation, law enforcement obtained court authorization to intercept Wilson’s telephonic and electronic communications. These intercepted communications and subsequent investigation revealed that Wilson was a significant drug trafficker of fentanyl and cocaine in the GCL and greater Trenton area, including and specifically in the area of the Grand Court Villas apartment building (the “Grand Court Villas”); the intersection of East State Street and South Olden Avenue; and Garfield Avenue Playground. Those communications also revealed the scope of Wilson’s unlawful drug-trafficking activities, including Wilson’s downstream customers and co-defendants. As part of the investigation, law enforcement recovered from Wilson’s residence and his stash apartment approximately one kilogram of fentanyl, two kilograms of cocaine, four firearms (including two unserialized, privately-made firearms), high-capacity magazines, ammunition, gun parts, and two gun suppressors. In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Wilson to 5 years of supervised release. Wilson’s conviction and sentence are the result of an investigation by the Greater Trenton Safe Streets Task Force. Led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Task Force is comprised of various federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and its mission is to combine the resources and intelligence of the participating agencies to enhance the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of individuals involved in gang-related activities, violent crime, and drug distribution in and around the greater Trenton area. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the FBI Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, Trenton Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Director Steve Wilson; and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, with the investigation leading to the conviction and sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton. ### Defense counsel: David E. Schafer, Esq.


title: New York Physician Pleads Guilty To Multimillion-Dollar Covid-19 Insurance Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Attorney for the United States, Acting under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, Sean S. Buckley, announced that ALI RASHAN, a medical doctor and the CEO and founder of ClearMD LLC, a provider of COVID-19 testing services in New York City, pled guilty to fraudulently billing insurance companies for COVID-19 testing services and submitting fraudulent medical records in furtherance of his scheme, causing at least $24 million in losses. RASHAN pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer. “Ali Rashan exploited a public health crisis to bill tens of millions in fraudulent claims purportedly filed on behalf of New Yorkers—costs ultimately borne by New York residents and the public more generally,” said Deputy U.S. Attorney Sean S. Buckley. “That kind of conduct will be pursued, investigated, and prosecuted.” According to statements made in court and publicly filed documents in this case: RASHAN, an anesthesiologist, founded and ran ClearMD LLC (“ClearMD”), which operated medical clinics that offered testing for COVID-19 during the global coronavirus pandemic. From at least 2021 through 2023, RASHAN, through his ownership and operation of ClearMD, engaged in a widespread scheme to defraud healthcare benefit programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Uninsured Program, and private insurance providers (collectively, the “Insurance Providers”), which ultimately caused losses to the Insurance Providers of over $24 million. RASHAN opened ClearMD’s first medical clinic in early 2021 and went on to open several others throughout New York City during the pandemic. ClearMD clinics operated primarily as COVID-19 testing facilities. Individuals came to ClearMD for a variety of reasons, including for diagnosis after suspected COVID-19 exposure, or to obtain clearance to engage in certain activities, like returning to work or air travel. ClearMD clinics conducted—and billed for—tens of thousands of COVID-19 tests during the pandemic. Although the defendant served as ClearMD’s “laboratory director,” he rarely interacted with patients. ClearMD clinics were typically staffed not with licensed doctors or nurses, but with “medical assistants,” many of whom were college-aged and had no formal training in healthcare prior to working at ClearMD. Medical assistants swabbed patients and typically put their sample into a machine, which processed the test. Test results were then emailed to patients. Medical assistants generally took patient vitals, but there were typically no licensed doctors on site to conduct physical exams of patients, take pertinent medical history, or answer any questions a patient might have. Even so, ClearMD often advertised itself as a full-service testing clinic. Many patients who booked an appointment received an email confirmation from ClearMD, which stated that the appointment would include not only a “COVID-19 Diagnostic Test” but also a “Focused patient exam” and a “Follow up telehealth visit to discuss your results.” In practice, however, patients did not receive the level of care that was claimed in ClearMD’s email confirmations. Instead, patients typically (1) were not given a “Focused patient exam,” or any physical exam, at the time of testing; (2) were never seen by a qualified healthcare professional and instead interacted only with a medical assistant who performed a swab for a single COVID-19 test; and (3) had no such “telehealth” visit following receipt of their test results, which were instead emailed to them, with no medical guidance. In addition to advertising services that it ultimately did not provide to patients, during certain periods, ClearMD also routinely billed Insurance Providers for multiple services it did not provide. For example, RASHAN directed ClearMD to submit or cause the submission of thousands of claims that billed for evaluation and management (“E/M”) services that were never performed and for two to four COVID-19 testing codes, even though ClearMD had administered only a single COVID-19 test to patients. Insurance Providers were frequently billed as much as $5,000 for a single COVID-19 test administered by ClearMD. By in or around early 2022, Insurance Providers requested that ClearMD provide documentation, such as progress notes of patient encounters and test results, to support its claims for reimbursement. At the time, at least one Insurance Provider also requested a refund of millions of dollars that the Insurance Provider believed to have been fraudulently paid to ClearMD. In response to such requests, the defendant instructed ClearMD staff to write a software program to generate fake medical records to support ClearMD’s fraudulent billings. Specifically, the defendant instructed ClearMD staff to write software that would fabricate (1) patient progress notes that it could use to justify billing for E/M codes; and (2) test results for patient visits that it could use to justify ClearMD’s billing for COVID-19 testing codes. Thereafter, ClearMD staff wrote software that created fabricated records. The fake patient progress notes typically included both information that was collected at the time of patient visits to ClearMD ( e.g. , vitals such as heart rate, temperature, and blood oxygen saturation) and information that was never collected ( e.g. , information for physical examinations that never occurred). Similar to the fabricated progress notes, the fake test result records contained information that was fabricated by ClearMD. For example, where the full results of a patient’s panel test for COVID-19, RSV, and influenza were not available, the software was written to indicate that the results of the RSV and influenza components of the test were negative. * * * RASHAN, 42, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of false statements relating to health care matters, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. RASHAN will be sentenced by Judge Engelmayer on September 22, 2026. Mr. Buckley praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Buckley also thanked the Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration for their assistance in this investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy V. Capozzi, Jackie Delligatti, and Qais Ghafary are in charge of the prosecution. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: Auto Parts Manufacturer and General Manager Sentenced for Illegal Storage of Hazardous Waste

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: GOTEC Plus Sun LLC (GOTEC), a Delaware company, pleaded guilty today to illegal storage of hazardous waste. GOTEC was sentenced to pay a $275,000 fine and to serve a one-year term of probation. On March 30, the court sentenced Natalie Fehse, the former general manager of the GOTEC facility, to five years of probation, including a special condition of 10 months of home confinement, and a $5,000 fine for her role in the illegal storage of hazardous waste. “The illegal accumulation and storage of hundreds of containers of hazardous waste at GOTEC posed a substantial danger to plant workers, emergency responders, and the general public,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This prosecution sends the message that hazardous waste generators must properly handle hazardous wastes or potentially face felony prosecution for their illegal conduct. “Unpermitted storage of hazardous waste that endangers Kentuckians will not be tolerated,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “I want to commend the collaborative efforts of the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection and EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division on the investigation of the illegal conduct of GOTEC and its General Manager, which averted a potential disaster.” “Companies that cut corners by accumulating hazardous wastes — such the hundreds of drums of flammable and toxic solvents hidden around the site in this case — rather than disposing of them properly endanger communities, workers, and first responders,” said EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Jeffrey A. Hall. “Such dangerous neglect is precisely what the law forbids. This case demonstrates cooperative federalism in action. The Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection’s inspection program found persistent, intentional violations of the law while EPA’s criminal investigative and forensic expertise ensured that the company was held criminally accountable.” GOTEC produced parts for the use of manufacturing vehicles in Williamstown, Kentucky. As part of the production process, it applied coatings and adhesives to metal parts and generated hazardous waste, including spent solvents listed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). RCRA establishes a comprehensive cradle-to-grave program to regulate the generation, transportation, treatment, and disposal of hazardous wastes to protect human health and the environment. It prohibits the storage of hazardous waste at industrial facilities for extended periods of time without a permit. According to court documents, on June 27, 2024, the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection conducted an inspection at GOTEC’s plant and discovered semi-trailers, shipping containers, and an abandoned warehouse containing 249, 55-gallon drums of hazardous waste and approximately 27 cubic yards of hazardous waste stored in cardboard, wooden crates, and yellow totes. GOTEC admitted that between January 2022 and November 2024 it did not properly dispose of all the hazardous waste it was generating, including hazardous waste that had been accumulating at the facility since 2022. GOTEC admitted that it stopped properly disposing of hazardous due to staffing issues, and decreased revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather, it improperly accumulated and stored hazardous waste at the facility without a RCRA hazardous waste storage permit. EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Senior Trial Attorney Matthew Morris of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.


title: Maryland Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possession of a Ghost Gun

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A Baltimore man is headed to federal prison for more than seven years for possessing a loaded ghost gun and ammunition as a convicted felon. U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Sequan Branch-Green, 29, to 90 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, in connection with the charge. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD). According to court documents, on January 10, 2024, BPD officers responded to the 1900 block of Aisquith Street in connection with an individual with an outstanding arrest warrant. Upon arriving at the scene, officers identified the individual as Branch-Green. When law enforcement investigated Branch-Green’s vehicle, officers found a firearm in plain view between the driver’s seat and the center console. Officers then recovered the firearm and identified it as a Polymer 80 9mm Luger handgun loaded with nine rounds of ammunition. Polymer 80 firearms are commonly known as “ghost guns” as they do not possess a serial number and are untraceable by law enforcement. Additionally, law enforcement recovered more than 100 grams of narcotics, which were packaged for resale, from the vehicle’s center console. Branch-Green is a convicted felon, so he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. He has an extensive criminal history and was on supervised probation for separate offenses in both Carroll County and Baltimore City at the time of this incident. Branch-Green is currently pending violation-of-probation hearings in both jurisdictions. 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. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Simpkins who prosecuted this federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #