title: Marathon Man Charged with Seaman’s Manslaughter

body_text: MIAMI – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Daniel Gavin Couch, 52, with one count of seaman’s manslaughter. According to the indictment, Couch was employed as a captain by Lighthouse Parasail, Inc., in Monroe County, Florida, and operated a commercial parasailing vessel, the M/V AIRBORNE, on the company’s behalf. The AIRBORNE was an inspected commercial vessel regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard and primarily used for parasailing charters. On May 30, 2022, Couch engaged in misconduct, negligence, or inattention to his duties as captain, causing the death of a passenger. If convicted, Couch faces up to 10 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Josh W. Packer of the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) Southeast Field Office made the announcement. CGIS Southeast Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Lake Worth and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Office of Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller and Coast Guard Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl are prosecuting the case. An indictment contains mere allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-CR-10036. ###


title: First two members of violent drug trafficking organization sentenced to prison

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – Two Seattle area men who were significant members of a violent drug trafficking organization were each sentenced to six years in prison today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Khaliil Ahmed, aka “Bossup,” 27, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for two counts of illegally possessing firearms. Yohannes Wondimagegnehu, aka “Jon,” 36, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. To each defendant U.S. District Judge John H. Chun noted that, “These are serious offenses.” To Ahmed Judge Chun added, “These offenses carry a maximum of 15 years – serious stuff.” Judge Chun ordered that each man serve three years of supervised release following prison. Over the course of the year-long investigation law enforcement seized more than 19 kg of fentanyl, 12 firearms, and more than $130,000 in cash. In the arrest operation targeting the group in October 2024, law enforcement seized over 50 firearms to include fully automatic weapons and handguns with Glock switches; thousands of rounds of ammunition, including high-capacity drum magazines, and armor-piercing rounds; several hundred thousand dollars of bulk cash and jewelry; 1 kilogram of fentanyl and 4 kilograms of cocaine. Each of the defendants sentenced today played different roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy. Khaliil Ahmed, of Kent, Washington, was identified as a member of a drug trafficking conspiracy. One of the charges relates to guns he possessed on August 20, 2023, at the time of a fatal shooting at a hookah bar in South Seattle. Ahmed was injured in the shooting and three others were killed. Ahmed was also involved in a shooting on May 4, 2024, at a First Hill neighborhood apartment. Surveillance video captured Ahmed pointing a gun at the victim. Ahmed is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2022 conviction for illegally possessing and publicly discharging a firearm in a drive-by shooting. When law enforcement served search warrants in this case, they seized two additional Glock firearms from Ahmed’s residence. Yohannes Wondimagegnehu, aka “Jon,” was identified as a member of the conspiracy and helped to staff an apartment on the edge of Seattle’s University District that was a known drug distribution location. One of the leaders of the conspiracy was gunned down at that location in June 2024. Nevertheless, Wondimagegnehu continued to distribute drugs from that location after the fatal shooting. The murder is still under investigation. When law enforcement searched Wondimagegnehu’s residence on October 30, 2024, they found eight firearms, various narcotics and drug proceeds. Wondimagegnehu also had a money counting machine for handling his drug proceeds. In all 14 defendants were arrested in connection with this drug trafficking organization and these are the first two to be sentenced. Seven additional defendants have pleaded guilty and have sentencing hearings in the months ahead. One defendant remains a fugitive. Trial for the lead defendant Ali Kuyateh, aka “Pops,” 50, of Seattle, is expected to be continued to the spring of 2026. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with significant participation by Seattle Police Department (SPD), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington State Patrol (WSP), FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Bellevue Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Everett Police Department, Renton Police Department, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Washington State National Guard, Washington State Gambling Commission, Yakima County Law Enforcement Against Drugs (L.E.A.D) Narcotics and Gang Task Force, and Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Jensen and Joseph Silvio.


title: Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of Minors

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: Raymond James Cornett, 53, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to sexual exploitation of a child, United States Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, Cornett requested and received from a woman in Canada videos and images of a six-year-old victim and a 7-year-old victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, Cornett admitted to requesting images and videos of sexually explicit conduct from two other minor victims. This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S Attorney Roger Yang is prosecuting the case. The Canadian woman was prosecuted by Canadian authorities. Cornett is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on Dec. 8, 2025. Cornett faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.


title: Human Smuggling Coordinator Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy after Illegal Alien Dies

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Nathan Jr. Espinoza, 23, of Avondale, Arizona pleaded guilty on August 6, to one count of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit. Sentencing is scheduled for October 16, 2025, before United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez. In his plea, Espinoza admitted that for a period of time leading up to March 2024, he recruited human smuggling drivers and coordinated the transportation of illegal aliens from areas near the Mexico border to places further in the interior of the United States. Espinoza’s involvement in the conspiracy was for personal financial gain and led to at least 25 illegal aliens receiving transportation. Espinoza also admitted that on March 6, 2024, he coordinated an event in which a driver and a front seat passenger picked up two illegal aliens near Lukeville, Arizona. At some point while they were being transported, the aliens were told to get out of the vehicle. The two aliens then jumped, fell, or were pushed from the vehicle while it was still moving. As a result, one of the aliens hit his head on the ground, suffered serious injury, and died at the hospital two days later. A conviction for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit carries a maximum penalty of ten years of imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000,000. The investigation of this case is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs (OIA), among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 405 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 350 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-05407-TUC-AMM RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-133_Espinoza # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Career Offender Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Threatening a Federal Judge and a Federal Prosecutor

component: USAO - Idaho

body_text: COEUR D’ALENE – Nathanael Michael West, 28, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release on July 31, 2025, for, with the intent to retaliate, threatening to murder, assault, or kidnap a federal judge and a federal prosecutor, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon. The court ordered the sentence to be served consecutively to two prior sentences in 2020 and 2022 for similar convictions in the District of Idaho. According to court records, in October 2022, West was sentenced to federal prison for mailing threatening communications to three state prosecutors. In February 2023, while serving a state sentence for burglary at an Idaho state prison, West sent a threatening letter to Assistant United States Attorney David Robins, who prosecuted the two cases that led to West’s incarceration. The letter contained graphic descriptions of West’s threat to assault, kidnap, torture, mutilate, and murder the prosecutor. Less than two weeks later, in March 2023, West sent another threatening letter to Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye, who sentenced West in October 2022. That letter vividly described West’s threat to assault and murder the judge. On August 14, 2024, a federal grand jury in Idaho returned a four-count indictment, charging West with mailing threatening communications, threatening to assault, kidnap, or murder a federal law enforcement officer with intent to retaliate, and threatening to assault or murder a United States Judge with intent to retaliate. On July 31, 2025, West pleaded guilty to all four counts of the indictment. “The 96-month sentence in this case is appropriate and justified, reflecting the seriousness, brazen, and violent nature of the defendant’s persistent threats,” said Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “The defendant’s deliberate actions were not only incredibly personal to the victims in this case, but they were also an assault on the integrity of the criminal justice system.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho was recused from this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas H. Edmonds from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon was appointed as Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General to prosecute the case. He reports to and acts under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, or his delegee, or U.S. Attorney Bradford in the case. U.S. Attorney Bradford commended the work of the FBI, which conducted the investigation.


title: Previously Identified MS-13 Gang Member Convicted of Illegal Reentry after an Aggravated Felony Conviction

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

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Roberto Lamadrid Campuzano, 38, of Mexico, was sentenced on August 8, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for illegal reentry to the United States following an aggravated felony conviction. Chief Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Lamadrid Campuzano to 24 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Lamadrid Campuzano’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Lamadrid Campuzano came to the attention of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) after agents received information from a traffic stop in Bellevue, Nebraska, conducted by Bellevue Police Department on April 4, 2025. Lamadrid Campuzano had previously been identified by law enforcement as a member of Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13. On April 10, 2025, special agents from HSI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) observed Lamadrid Campuzano exit his residence and arrive at a construction site in Elkhorn, Nebraska. Lamadrid Campuzano was arrested while leaving the work site for his lunch break. Lamadrid Campuzano was then taken in for administrative processing where his identity was confirmed. Lamadrid Campuzano is a citizen and national of Mexico. Lamadrid Campuzano had been previously ordered removed from the United States on October 6, 2006, and was physically removed from the United States pursuant to that order on May 30, 2014. When he was encountered in the United States on April 10, 2025, Lamadrid Campuzano did not have the permission of the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to have returned to the United States. On August 1, 2006, Lamadrid Campuzano was convicted of numerous felonies in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, which included Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon, Criminal Gang Participation, and Reckless Use of a Firearm with Serious Injury. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.


title: Sioux City, Iowa Man Sentenced to 24 months’ for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Walter James Hulit, 37, of Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on August 7, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for failing to register as a sex offender. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Hulit to 24 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Hulit’s release from prison, he will begin a six-year term of supervised release. On June 12, 2020, in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, Hulit was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor. Hulit was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment and placed on a five-year term of supervised release. He was released from prison and began his supervision term on June 28, 2022. Hulit is required to register as a sex offender. On November 18, 2024, Hulit was arrested in Winnebago, Nebraska, after Winnebago Children and Family Services received information that Hulit was residing in a home on the Winnebago Reservation. A U.S. Marshals Service investigation revealed that Hulit was registered at an address in Sioux City, Iowa and not where he was residing in Winnebago. Hulit is aware of his duty to register as a sex offender. Hulit did not register or attempt to register from between approximately October 2024 to November 2024, when he was arrested. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.


title: Chinese national pleads guilty to exporting protected turtles

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, NY — U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo and Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) announced today that Wei Qiang Lin, of Brooklyn, NY, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to falsely labeling live turtles as fake toys prior to exporting them in delivery boxes on a weeks-long journey to Hong Kong. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. As part of his plea, Lin agreed to abandon any property interest in the reptiles seized during the investigation. According to court records, between August 2023, and November 2024, Lin exported to Hong Kong approximately 222 parcels containing around 850 turtles, but he labeled the boxes as containing “plastic animal toys,” among other things. The approximate market value of the turtles was $1.4 million. Law enforcement intercepted the turtles during a border inspection and observed them bound and taped inside knotted socks within the shipping boxes. Lin also exported 11 other parcels filled with reptiles including venomous snakes. Lin primarily shipped eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles, native U.S. species which feature colorful markings — a prized feature in the domestic and foreign pet market, particularly in China and Hong Kong. Both are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) as a result of the illegal export of tens of thousands of box turtles every year during the 1990s. Lin was investigated and charged as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Operation Terrapene, which is an ongoing operation coordinated with other federal and local law enforcement agencies to detect turtle smugglers and dismantle highly organized syndicates. Federal agencies include Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. Trial Attorney Rachel Roberts and Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango for the Western District of New York are prosecuting the case. Lin is scheduled to be sentenced on December 23, 2025, before Judge Vilardo. # # # #


title: Batavia man pleads guilty to sex trafficking conspiracy

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Joseph Barsuk, 67, of Batavia, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caitlin M. Higgins and Louis A. Testani, who are handling the case, stated that in 2015, Barsuk met a woman (Victim) at Pharaoh’s Gentlemen’s Club. At that time, the Victim was heavily addicted to cocaine and heroin, which was well known to PGC staff and customers, and became known to Barsuk. Between 2015 and 2016, Barsuk engaged in sexual contact with the Victim, renting an apartment month-to-month for her, providing her with a vehicle, and providing funds for drugs when the Victim needed them. When the Victim began experiencing withdrawal symptoms, Barsuk would coerce her to have sex with him before taking her to get more drugs. He repeatedly provided money and drove the Victim to purchase heroin and cocaine. Barsuk conspired with Pharaoh’s employees to allow him to engage in sex acts with the Victim, including paying employees when he was engaging in such sex acts with the Victim. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm. Sentencing is scheduled for December 23, 2025, before Judge Vilardo. # # # #


title: PRC Citizen Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Preventing Immigration Removal

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: Saipan – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that ZHANG Aimin, age 55, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sentenced on August 7, 2025, in the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to eight months imprisonment for Preventing or Hampering Removal, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1253(a). The Court also ordered one year of supervised release, 50 hours of community service, and a $100 special assessment fee. Zhang must report to immigration officials for deportation proceedings upon release from prison. Zhang’s conviction was also a violation of his supervised release for a prior conviction for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens and Conspiracy to Defraud the United States. Zhang was therefore sentenced to an additional 6 months, to run consecutive to his term of imprisonment for Preventing or Hampering Removal. On April 30, 2025, during the immigration removal process at Saipan International Airport, Zhang refused to exit a vehicle operated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Zhang’s departing flight was awaiting his boarding. He eventually agreed to exit the car but then became physically uncooperative with the immigration officer. Zhang grabbed onto a nearby light pole and attempted to insert his hand into an uncapped electrical port, posing a serious safety hazard. Once officers succeeded in removing Zhang from the light pole, he immediately grabbed onto a nearby signpost and refused multiple lawful commands to release his grip. Furthermore, as officers attempted to remove him, one officer’s arm was briefly pinned between the post and Zhang’s body. The officer was able to free his arm without serious injury. Zhang was then placed in handcuffs and transported back to the CNMI Department of Corrections. “The enforcement of immigration laws is our highest priority,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Zhang showed no respect for the law or the officers working to uphold it. This case demonstrates the federal government’s ongoing commitment to removing illegal aliens from our country.” This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Garth Backe prosecuted the case in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.


title: PRC National Sentenced to 55 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Saipan, MP – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that YANG Liang, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sentenced on August 8, 2025 by Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona in the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to 55 months imprisonment for Conspiracy to Possess Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1). Yang was also ordered to report to immigration officials for deportation proceedings upon release from prison. In September 2023, Yang facilitated the shipment of methamphetamine concealed inside lava lamps, which were sent by mail from California to Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The suspicious packages were intercepted by the CNMI Customs Service. In collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, authorities executed a controlled delivery operation that led to the arrest and conviction of Yang and co-conspirator Ye Fang, also known as "Batu," a PRC national who was unlawfully present in the United States. The operation resulted in the seizure of approximately eight pounds of liquid methamphetamine. “Methamphetamine is a poison in our communities,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Although commonly trafficked in solid or powder form, liquid methamphetamine presents a unique danger to aviation workers during cargo handling operations. The quantity of drugs seized during this investigation magnifies that concern. Regardless of the form, our federal and local law enforcement partners are skilled in detecting this contraband in our mail system. Our office will continue to aggressively prosecute drug traffickers and their sources of supply.” “As demonstrated by this case, drug criminals will go to extreme lengths to cash out on their product. Be it using lava lamps or other packaging to conceal methamphetamine, drug syndicates are relentless, resourceful, and boldly inventive. But our skilled DEA investigators and law enforcement partners are just as unswerving in their determination to intercept drug traffickers and seize dangerous drugs, before they reach our communities,” said Anthony Chrysanthis, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Saipan. “We will continue to work with vehemence to ensure that those who contribute to this country’s drug crisis are held accountable.” “Liang Yang's sentencing demonstrates HSI's dedication to protecting our communities, “said HSI Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “HSI remains focused on preventing drug smuggling and ensuring everyone follows our immigration laws.” “The FBI, along with our partner agencies, works relentlessly every day to protect our communities from the dangers of drug trafficking organizations,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “This sentencing sends a strong message – the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to use every available resource to confront and disrupt these dangerous criminal organizations, wherever they operate.” “USPIS is proud of our work bringing drug traffickers to justice in CNMI and keeping methamphetamine out of the mail,” said U.S. Postal Inspection Service San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen Sherwood. “I want to extend my gratitude to CNMI Customs, the CNMI Department of Public Safety, and the members of the Guam Interdiction Anti-Narcotics Trafficking Task Force (GIANT TF), including the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, Guam Police Department, and the Guam Army National Guard Counterdrug Program. I would also like to acknowledge our federal law enforcement partners for their invaluable collaboration in this case.” This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshal Service, CNMI Customs, CNMI Department of Public Safety, and in collaboration with the CNMI Attorney General’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Albert S. Flores, Jr., and former Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Kost prosecuted this case in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).


title: New Charges Filed Against Brothers in Case Involving Death of a Shreveport Man during Robbery in Walgreens Store Parking Lot

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment against two brothers adding a new charge against them for causing death to a Shreveport man. Kevin Terrell Lewis a/k/a “Kelvin Lewis,” 38, of Arlington, Texas, and his brother, Larry Dewayne Lewis , 44, of Shreveport, were both charged last month with robbery and conspiracy to use, carry, brandish and discharge firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence. This superseding indictment adds another count charging both Kevin and Larry Lewis with causing the death of victim B.J. by using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted of this charge, both defendants face a sentence of up to life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. The superseding indictment alleges that on or about January 22, 2025, Kevin Lewis and Larry Lewis, each aided and abetted by the other, committed robbery of personal property consisting of prescription drugs and a work van that was in the care, custody and control of victim B.J. as he was making a delivery from the Hackbarth Company to Walgreens located at 3124 Line Avenue in Shreveport. In addition, it is now alleged in the superseding indictment that on January 22, 2025, Kevin and Larry Lewis, each aided and abetted by the other, knowingly used and discharged a firearm during and in relation to robbery causing the death of B.J. through the use of a firearm, and the killing constituted murder. The superseding indictment further alleges that on or about December 23, 2024, Kevin Lewis and Larry Lewis, each aided and abetted by the other, committed robbery of personal property consisting of approximately $500 in United States currency from the victim owner/manager of the Pull-Up Liquor located at 5619 Hearne Avenue in Shreveport, as he was closing the store and walking to his car in the parking lot. Kevin Lewis is charged in the superseding indictment with using, carrying, and brandishing semi-automatic firearms during and in relation to these crimes of violence. The superseding indictment also alleges that the Lewis brothers conspired to use, carry, brandish and discharge a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely, robbery. This investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by the FBI. We are seeking additional information regarding other individuals who are believed to have participated in these crimes. If you have further information concerning this case, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), your local FBI office, or you can submit a tip online at https://tips.fbi.gov . The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and William C. Gaskins. An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. # # #


title: Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins Indicted for Alleged Extortion

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins, who serves as the Sheriff for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, has been charged with extortion involving the purchase of an equity interest in a Boston-based cannabis company. Tompkins, 67, of Boston, Mass, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of Extortion Under Color of Official Right. He was taken into custody this morning in the Southern District of Florida and will have an initial appearance at 11:00 a.m. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. “Mr. Tompkins is a sitting Sheriff, responsible for over 1,000 employees, who was elected by the good people of Suffolk County. Today, he is alleged to have extorted an executive from a cannabis company, using his official position as Sheriff to benefit himself. Elected officials, particularly those in law enforcement, are expected to be ethical, honest and law abiding – not self-serving. His alleged actions are an affront to the voters and taxpayers who elected him to his position, and the many dedicated and honest public servants at the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. The people of Suffolk County deserve better,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Public corruption remains a top priority for my administration and we will continue to investigate and prosecute anyone who uses their position of trust and power for their own gain.” “From his very first day as Suffolk County Sheriff, Steven Tompkins sought to portray himself as a man of the people – a principled public servant and reformer, devoted to the cause of justice. That’s why it’s beyond disappointing that he’s now accused of gaming a system instituted in the interests of public safety and fair play. The FBI took Sheriff Tompkins into custody today for allegedly extorting $50,000 from the owner of a national cannabis retailer seeking to do business in Boston. We believe what the Sheriff saw as an easy way to make a quick buck on the sly is clear cut corruption under federal law,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The citizens of Suffolk County deserve better, not a man who is accused of trading on his position to bankroll his own political and financial future. Public servants must be held to the highest of ethical standards, and those falling short will be rooted out.” Tompkins currently serves as the Sheriff for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department (SCSD). He was first appointed Sheriff in 2013, elected as Sheriff in a special election in or about 2014, and thereafter elected to successive six-year terms. As Sheriff, Tompkins oversees approximately 1,000 correctional officers and other employees responsible for operating and maintaining correctional facilities in Boston at the House of Correction and the Nashua Street Jail. According to court documents, in 2019, the cannabis company, Company A, sought to open a retail cannabis dispensary in Boston and applied to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) for a dispensary license. To satisfy the Positive Impact Plan (PIP) requirement of the CCC, Company A entered into a partnership with the SCSD whereby the SCSD would help screen and refer graduates of its re-entry program to apply for work at Company A’s retail store. Company A’s partnership with the SCSD was memorialized in a September 2019 letter signed by Tompkins and submitted to the CCC in its completed dispensary license application in or about March 2020. In or about March 2021, the CCC approved a license for Company A to operate a cannabis dispensary in Boston. The CCC later approved license renewal applications for Company A in 2021, 2022 and 2023. In each of the renewal applications, Company A included its ongoing partnership with the SCSD as part of its fulfillment of the PIP requirement. According to court documents, one of Company A’s goals was to raise capital to launch an initial public offering (IPO) and then continue its growth as a publicly traded company. Company A officials, including a company executive identified as Individual A, sought multimillion-dollar investments from institutions or other high net-worth, sophisticated investors in order to raise capital. Company A officials, including Individual A, were not looking to raise capital from the general public or small, individual investors. Beginning in or about mid-2020, Company A began preparing for an IPO of Company A stock, which included producing audited financial statements, hiring attorneys to ensure compliance with securities laws and obtaining additional financing from large scale and high net-worth investors, among other things. It is alleged that Tompkins pressured Individual A for stock, reminding Individual A that Tompkins had helped Company A in its Boston licensing efforts. It is alleged that Individual A believed and feared that Tompkins would use his official position as Sheriff to jeopardize Company A’s partnership with the SCSD and thus imperil both the dispensary license for Company A, as well as the timing of the IPO. In fact, in October 2020, Company A asked Tompkins for an updated partnership letter to submit to the CCC for its yearly renewal of Company A’s Boston license. Within one month of signing the October 2020 SCSD partnership letter with Company A, and after increased pressure on Individual A, Tompkins allegedly obtained a pre-IPO interest in Company A stock after Individual A relented to Tompkins’s demands. In November 2020, Tompkins allegedly wired a $50,000 payment from his retirement account to an account controlled by Individual A. Tompkins paid a pre-IPO price of approximately $1.73 per share of Company A stock (equity equivalent to 28,883 shares) and after a reverse stock split, Tompkins held approximately 14,417 shares at a price of approximately $3.46 per share. According to court documents, in or about mid-2021, when Company A launched its IPO, the stock had a value of approximately $9.60 per share. Thus, Tompkins’s $50,000 purchase of 14,417 shares of Company A stock had appreciated to an approximate value of $138,403. In May 2022, Company A stock decreased in value such that Tompkins’s equity interest in Company A stock was worth several thousand dollars less than the $50,000 he originally invested. However, Tompkins demanded a refund of $50,000 and, despite the decrease in the value of Tompkins’s investment, Individual A agreed to Tompkins’s demands for full repayment of $50,000. Subsequently, from approximately May 2022 to July 2023, Individual A refunded Tompkins $50,000 investment by issuing Tompkins five checks. Allegedly in accordance with Tompkins’s wishes, Individual A wrote memos on certain checks that read “loan repayment” and “[company] expense” to disguise the nature of some of the payments: The charges of extortion under color of official right each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI SAC Docks made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorneys John Mulcahy of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Dustin Chao, Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Mother and Son Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Thousands of Fentanyl Pills in Sioux Falls Area and for Money Laundering

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that United States District Judge Karen Schreier has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, SD, and a woman from Luverne, MN, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Sean Swiftbird, 27, was sentenced on April 22, 2025, to 11 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Laurie Swiftbird, age 67 and Sean’s mother, was sentenced on August 4, 2025, to two years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The two were indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering in December 2023. Sean Swiftbird pleaded guilty on February 4, 2025. Laurie Swiftbird pleaded guilty on September 6, 2024. Sean Swiftbird worked with others in Sioux Falls to distribute thousands of fentanyl pills over the course of 2023. Eventually, his mother Laurie became involved and assisted the conspiracy by accepting pill-laden packages at her home and dealing pills to customers. Both Sean and Laurie utilized the electronic payment system Cash App to accept proceeds related to the sale of fentanyl pills and to send those proceeds to their source. Throughout the Swiftbirds’ involvement, the conspiracy trafficked thousands of fentanyl pills in the Sioux Falls area. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigations, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case. Sean Swiftbird was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Laurie Swiftbird was ordered to turn herself in by January 2026.


title: Local man charged with committing 5 armed robberies in 6 days, gun shop thefts, illegally possessing firearm as convicted felon

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged a Columbus man with committing five armed robberies at local businesses within six days in January 2025. He and a co-defendant also allegedly stole firearms from a gun shop. Dequan M. Keys, 30, is charged with crimes related to seven total robberies and one attempted robbery during January 2025. Keys allegedly possessed a firearm during five of the robberies. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms. Marwan H. Muhammad, 33, also of Columbus, is charged with taking part in one of the robberies. According to the 14-count indictment, Keys committed the robberies between Jan. 12 and Jan. 26. In the first two alleged incidents, Keys stole a handgun from federal firearms licensee Vance Outdoors on Jan. 12 and Jan. 17. Muhammad allegedly participated in the Jan. 17 robbery. Between Jan. 21 and Jan. 26, it is alleged Keys brandished a firearm and robbed Little Caesars Pizza on Harrisburg Pike in Columbus, Turkey Hill on South Hamilton Road in Whitehall, Turkey Hill on Stringtown Road in Grove City, Dollar General on West Broad Street in Columbus and Turkey Hill on Morse Road in Columbus. He allegedly attempted to rob the Turkey Hill on Cleveland Ave. in Columbus on the same day as the Little Caesars Pizza armed robbery. Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Thomas A. Greco, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case. An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Illegal aliens sentenced for drug trafficking and possession of firearms

body_text: The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming announced today that a drug trafficking case involving two illegal aliens in possession of firearms resulted in lengthy sentences for both defendants. Oscar Espinoza-Duarte (Espinoza) , 32, of Chihuahua, Mexico was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release to follow for two counts of distribution of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting that offense; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. German Ortiz-Esparza (Ortiz) , 35, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, was sentenced to 120 month’s imprisonment with three years of supervised release to follow for the distribution of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting that crime and being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. During an investigation into drug trafficking activities in the District of Wyoming, including the Wind River Indian Reservation (WRIR) and surrounding communities, Agents of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) received information that Espinoza and Ortiz were known to supply methamphetamine to multiple distributors on the WRIR. Through the investigation, agents learned that Espinoza and Ortiz were frequently driving to Denver to pick up large quantities of methamphetamine and returning to the area of the WRIR where they sold it to distributors. According to court documents, on Feb. 25, agents arrested both men at Espinoza’s trailer. Ortiz had 8 grams of cocaine and a 9mm pistol on his person and Espinoza had a .45 caliber pistol. In the trailer agents found a pound of methamphetamine, three additional firearms, including a pistol with an obliterated serial number, and over $5,000 in cash. Espinoza and Ortiz were indicted on March 20. Espinoza pleaded guilty on May 14 and Ortiz pleaded guilty on May 15. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced Ortiz on Aug. 5 and Espinoza on Aug. 7 in Casper. This crime was investigated by the DCI, FBI and the Safe Trails Task Force, and assisted by state and local law enforcement, BIA and ICE. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist. This conviction 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 transactional criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime . Case No. 25-CR-00050


title: Brandon, SD Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison  for Possessing and Distributing Methamphetamine in the Sioux Falls Area

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a woman from Brandon, SD, who was convicted of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute. The sentencing took place on August 4, 2025. Wendy Faye Stricherz, 49, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Stricherz was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute by a federal grand jury in January 2024. She pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025. Investigators with the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force learned that Stricherz was traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada, to pick up methamphetamine that she then trafficked to others out of her home and at a local bar in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In October 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Stricherz’s home and found methamphetamine and distribution materials in both her home and in a vehicle in which she was traveling. Altogether, Stricherz is believed to have trafficked more than four pounds of methamphetamine in the Sioux Falls area. This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Brandon Police Department, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case. Stricherz was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Parkersburg Man Pays Restitution and Fine for Immigration Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – John Robert Coe, 66, of Parkersburg, paid $54,740 in restitution and a $500 fine for continuing to employ a known illegal alien. According to court documents and statements made in court, from early 2011 until May 12, 2021, a foreign national from Madagascar worked without monetary compensation at the business that Coe co-owned with Frederick Sayre Anderson. Coe admitted that, at some point in 2011, he learned the foreign national’s presence in the United States was unlawful. Coe further admitted that the foreign national continued to work at the business until May 12, 2021, despite her illegal immigration status. The foreign national was also housed at the business, sleeping in an office converted into a bedroom. The business is a laboratory that provides water quality testing kits to state and local governments across the country. Coe admitted that the foreign national performed work for the business including shipping supplies to customers, receiving customer service calls, and handling the company’s accounts receivable. Coe further admitted that he also had the foreign national perform side jobs for him during this time period. These side jobs included cleaning his residence and editing history book manuscripts that he was preparing for publication. Coe compensated the foreign national in cash for these side jobs. On May 7, 2021, Coe learned from Anderson that federal immigration agents were at the business and searching for the foreign national. Coe admitted that Anderson suggested later that day that they move the foreign national into Coe’s residence. Coe further admitted that he did not want the foreign national moving into his residence. They discussed moving the foreign national into a motel before agreeing that the foreign national should remain at the business. On May 12, 2021, the foreign national permanently left the business with the assistance of federal authorities. Anderson, 65, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty on January 4, 2024, to concealing, harboring, and shielding an alien from detection. Anderson admitted that the foreign national entered the United States on a 90-day fiancée K-1 nonimmigrant visa that he obtained. Anderson further admitted that he knew the visa required him to marry the foreign national within 90 days, that he never married her, and that he knew her presence in the United States became unlawful once her K-1 visa expired on April 8, 2011. Anderson was sentenced on May 13, 2025, to three years of federal probation and ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police, and the Parkersburg Police Department. Coe paid the $500 fine on August 7, 2025, and the $54,740 in restitution on March 17, 2025, after pleading guilty on January 22, 2025. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-178. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Immigration Enforcement Actions

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced immigration enforcement actions in the Northern District of Ohio. These are separate cases and not related. Edin Oneil Carrillos-Rodriguez, 36, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with one count of illegal reentry in violation of Title 8 U.S. Code (USC) 1326. He was previously removed from the United States on at least two occasions with the most recent being Dec. 11, 2014. On July 25, 2025, he was found in Vickery, Ohio, without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission. This case was investigated by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Crawford . Additionally, Vicente Lopez-Gomez, 37, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States Oct. 3, 2016. Lopez-Gomez remains detained pending deportation from the United States. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Al-Sorghali . Aurelio Mariscal-Chavez, 37, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States Feb. 3, 2016. Mariscal-Chavez remains detained pending deportation from the United States. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Tangeman . An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Lubbock Cardiologist Agrees to Pay $1.2 Million to Resolve Alleged Controlled Substance Act Violations

body_text: Dr. Juan Kurdi, M.D., a cardiologist in Lubbock, Texas, has agreed to pay $1,200,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by issuing prescriptions for opioids and other powerful drugs outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson. Dr. Kurdi is an interventional cardiologist who co-owned and co-operated a group medical practice based in Lubbock, Texas. “Prescribing opioids and other dangerous narcotics outside the usual course of professional practice betrays the trust placed in physicians by society and threatens public safety,” said Nancy E. Larson, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. “This settlement demonstrates our office’s commitment to holding doctors accountable for violating their obligations to properly prescribe these powerful drugs.” Acting Special Agent in Charge, Joseph B. Tucker stated, “This case should serve as a strong warning to all physicians who knowingly prescribe controlled substances without a legitimate medical need or a proper doctor-patient relationship. The DEA will continue to aggressively target and hold accountable physicians who, like Dr. Kurdi, contribute to the poisoning crisis in our communities by improperly distributing these controlled substances.” In settlement documents, the government contends that Dr. Kurdi—previously a registered DEA practitioner—violated the CSA’s dispensing requirements by issuing numerous prescriptions for controlled substances, including Oxycodone, Alprazolam, Tramadol, Dextroamp-Amphetamine, Vyvanse, and others, in the names of family members and friends—but that were often intended for his own personal use. Dr. Kurdi issued these prescriptions without establishing a legitimate physician-patient relationship, performing physical examinations, or creating medical records that documented the rationale for the purported treatment. Dr. Kurdi routinely filled these prescriptions at Lubbock area pharmacies even though some of the purported recipients lived hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of miles away. In many instances, Dr. Kurdi would personally pick up the prescriptions from these pharmacies to obtain controlled substances for his own personal use. In the settlement documents, Dr. Kurdi publicly acknowledges and admits that he issued certain prescriptions in the names of family members and friends to obtain controlled substances, including Oxycodone, for his own personal use. The balance of the conduct outlined in the settlement agreement is merely alleged; the agreement does not constitute an admission of liability by Dr. Kurdi. In addition to this settlement, Dr. Kurdi previously agreed to voluntarily relinquish his DEA registration. This matter was investigated by the DEA’s Fort Worth Diversion Squad and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Robbins, with oversight from the Northern District of Texas Civil Chief, Kenneth Coffin, and Deputy Civil Chief, Brian Stoltz.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Firearm Charge

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of a Firearm while Under Indictment. The sentencing took place on August 7, 2025. Terrance Drapeaux, 31, was sentenced to one year and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Drapeaux was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Receipt of a Firearm while Under Indictment by a federal grand jury in March 2025. He pleaded guilty on May 19, 2025. On December 4, 2024, Drapeaux was found by law enforcement with an active warrant for his arrest. Drapeaux resisted arrest and was discovered to have a firearm in his pocket. Before this date, Drapeaux had been charged elsewhere with a felony crime, which charge was still pending at the time he possessed the firearm. It is illegal for a person charged with a crime punishable beyond a year in prison to receive a firearm. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. This case was investigated by the ATF, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case. Drapeaux was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: MEXICAN MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO  ILLEGALLY REENTERING THE COUNTRY

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Elpidio Abelardo Perez-Perez, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal reentry by a removed alien. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Enforcing our nation’s immigration laws and removing violent illegal aliens from our communities has been a top priority defined by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenses to deter future violations of our national immigration laws and to keep our communities safe from violent illegal aliens.” Court documents reflect that Perez-Perez was first encountered by immigration officials following his arrest for aggravated assault with a weapon and discharging a firearm in Escambia County, Florida. Perez-Perez was determined to be in the United States illegally and was removed to Mexico in August 2010. He was removed and deported again in June 2012 and January 2013. He was most recently found in the country on February 17, 2025. Perez-Perez faces up to two years in prison followed by removal from the United States. The case involved an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes. Sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2025, at 1:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 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 http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Mobridge Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison  for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in Central South Dakota and within the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Mobridge, South Dakota, who was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on August 5, 2025. Eric Traversie, age 28, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Traversie was indicted for by a federal grand jury in February 2025. He pleaded guilty on April 30, 2025. The conviction stemmed from a drug conspiracy that ran between April 2024 and February 2025 in which Traversie and other individuals conspired to distribute methamphetamine in and around the central South Dakota area, including within the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. As part of the conspiracy, Traversie was involved in distributing between 1.5 and 5 kilograms of methamphetamine. Traversie was also involved in a traffic stop where law enforcement seized 237 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). This case was investigated by the FBI, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, BIA, and Dewey County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case. Traversie was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Billings woman sentenced to 10 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine

body_text: BILLINGS – A Billings woman who trafficked methamphetamine in the Billings area was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Julia Renee Arvizo, 47, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that beginning in September 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated several methamphetamine dealers in the Billings area, one of whom was identified as Julia Arvizo. In September and October of 2023, the DEA used confidential sources to purchase just under a pound and a half of pure methamphetamine from Arvizo. In November 2023, Arvizo told one confidential source it was no problem to provide three pounds of methamphetamine at one time. During the investigation, law enforcement learned Arvizo traded methamphetamine for firearms, and a co-defendant estimated distributing between a quarter of a pound and a half a pound of methamphetamine for Arvizo every day. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Patten prosecuted the case. The DEA conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . XXX


title: Winner Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison  for Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Shulte has sentenced a man from Winner, South Dakota, who was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child. The sentencing took place on August 5, 2025. Clayton Spotted Calf, age 30, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Spotted Calf was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. He pleaded guilty on April 14, 2025. The conviction stems from conduct that occurred between approximately April 2015 and June 2017 in Todd County, South Dakota, within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On more than one occasion during that period, Spotted Calf engaged in sexual contact with a child who was then between the ages of six and eight years old. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . Spotted Calf was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Lakeland Nurse Sentenced To Over Five Years In Prison For Tampering With And Stealing Fentanyl At Five Hospitals In The Tampa Bay Area

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Eric Brewer (30, Lakeland) to five years and three months in federal prison for tampering with a consumer product and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Brewer pleaded guilty on April 28, 2025. According to court documents, Brewer was a Florida-licensed registered nurse who worked at various hospitals in the Tampa Bay area. Brewer tampered with fentanyl intended for patients by removing a portion of the controlled substance from its container, at times diluting it with another substance, and using the drug for his own personal use. By tampering with the fentanyl, Brewer acted with reckless disregard for the risk that patients would be in danger of death or bodily injury and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to such risk. On seven occasions between June 2 and September 12, 2023, Brewer repeatedly took needles, syringes, and saline flushes from the supply room, entered the treatment room of another nurse’s patient who was receiving intravenous fentanyl, and stole the patient’s fentanyl by redirecting it into a Styrofoam cup. At other times, Brewer stole fentanyl directly from a secure medication locker or started and stopped the patient’s intravenous (IV) pump of fentanyl to steal it. After stealing the drugs, Brewer injected them into himself in a restroom. Brewer’s criminal conduct came to the attention of hospital administrators on September 12, 2023. Although he was not assigned to care for any patients receiving fentanyl, Brewer volunteered to change the fentanyl IV drip bag for another nurse. Brewer acquired a 100mL fentanyl IV bag and tubing from the secured medication locker and disbursed it to the patient. Shortly thereafter, Brewer entered a restroom. When he left the restroom, nurses observed Brewer stumbling, slurring his speech, and falling asleep. An inspection of the restroom revealed a bloody needle and paper towel, which Brewer had used to inject himself with fentanyl. A hospital employee reported Brewer to a manager who requested he take a drug test. Brewer refused and was fired. Subsequent lab testing of the fentanyl IV bag he had administered that morning revealed that fentanyl had been removed from the drip bag and diluted approximately 50% with saline. This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.


title: Colby accountant pleads guilty to defrauding clients

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN, – A Kansas businessman pleaded guilty to various charges related to defrauding clients of his accounting firm by falsely claiming money he had stolen was being used to pay business expenses. According to court documents, Quintin Flanagin, 45, of Colby pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of false statements, and one count of money laundering. Flanagin, a certified public accountant (CPA), used his status as a signatory on the accounts of his clients’ business, Diamond M. Farms, to make unauthorized transactions between December 2021 and August 2022. He wrote multiple checks and initiated wire transfers totaling approximately $409,710 to Middle Finger Ranch under the guise of being payments for farm operations. Middle Finger Ranch is a fictitious business name that Flanagin connected to his personal bank account. Flanagin actually used the illegally obtained funds to pay for the construction on his new home. Flanagin is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30, 2025. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Federal Prison  For Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on August 7, 2025. Dorian Lester, 29, was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Lester was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in April 2025 and later pleaded guilty on May 19, 2025. Lester is required to register as a sex offender for life because he was previously convicted of sexual abuse of a minor, where the victim was 12 years old. Federal law requires a sex offender to update his residence to the sex offender registry within three days of changing residence. Lester was released from custody from a separate sentence and failed to update the sex offender registry with his current residence. It is a violation of federal to fail to register as a sex offender. This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case. Lester was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Cleveland Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

body_text: CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking fentanyl and illegally possessing firearms. Gerald M. Cook Jr., 38, was sentenced to 248 months (over 20 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after he pleaded guilty in March to the following charges in an indictment: One count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm; previous convictions for drug trafficking in 2018, 2014, and 2011. Three counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances. One count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Cook was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment and to forfeit all firearms seized by federal agents. The sentence was imposed by Judge Barker Aug. 6, 2025. “We have no tolerance for dangerous drug traffickers who make illegal profits by harming others. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will persist in our goal to end fentanyl’s grip on so many of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District Ohio. “I would especially like to commend the efforts of the DEA, the Willoughby Police Department and our other local partners for their hard work and dedication to protecting the public.” According to court documents, on Aug. 16, 2020, Willoughby Police Officers observed a black Porsche Cayenne run a red light and then pull into the parking lot of a nearby hotel. The driver of the Porsche, later identified as Cook, got out of the vehicle and walked into the hotel’s lobby. Officers who were in pursuit of the vehicle followed it to the parking lot. As they looked through the window of Cook’s parked Porsche, they observed a loaded Taurus PT 1911 pistol in the center console area in plain view. Cook was prohibited from possessing firearms based on prior felony convictions for drug trafficking. In September 2020, as part of a separate investigation, detectives with the Suburban Police Anti-Crime Network (SPAN) received information that a drug dealer nicknamed “JR” was selling fentanyl from a house in Euclid, Ohio. SPAN detectives subsequently identified “JR” as Cook, who had multiple outstanding arrest warrants. SPAN detectives then conducted two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Cook at the house. On Oct. 2, 2020, SPAN detectives and investigators with the Cleveland DEA executed a search warrant at Cook’s residence, resulting in the seizure of more than 100 grams of fentanyl analogue mixtures, two handguns, ammunition, and various tools of the drug trade, including digital scales and mixing materials. “Mr. Cook’s days of distributing poison in our communities has come to an end. This sentence will further protect our community and should serve as a warning to anyone willing to cash-in on suffering for profit,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Lawton for the DEA Detroit Division. “Partnerships, such as with Willoughby PD and SPAN, are crucial in our efforts to keep communities safe from drugs.” This case was investigated by the DEA Detroit Division's Cleveland Field Office, the Willoughby Police Department, and the Suburban Police Anti-Crime Network (SPAN). SPAN is a law enforcement partnership whose members include the Lyndhurst, Mayfield Heights, Mayfield Village, Richmond Heights, and Highland Heights Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James P. Lewis and Kevin E. Bringman for the Northern District of Ohio. National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day is observed later this month on Thursday Aug. 21, 2025. For more information about this and other resources, visit dea.gov/fentanylawareness .


title: Federal Indictment Charges Woman With Defrauding FEMA After Tropical Storm Helene

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal grand jury in Asheville returned a criminal indictment charging Peggy Lee Cantrell, 40, of Marion, North Carolina, with defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) following Tropical Storm Helene, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. “Disaster relief resources were intended to help Western North Carolina get back on its feet after the devastation left by Helene,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Knowing that federal funding is often followed by federal fraud, my office is committed to ferreting out such fraud and our work is far from over. We will continue to bring to justice those who fraudulently used taxpayer money for personal gain because full recovery from Helene is going to take every available dollar.” On September 27, 2024, Tropical Storm Helene struck the Western District of North Carolina, causing massive devastation, including extensive property damage and loss of life. On September 28, 2025, Tropical Storm Helene was declared a major disaster, and federal agencies were able to provide relief to affected individuals and entities in the impacted areas through financial assistance for repairs of impacted properties. FEMA made financial assistance and benefits available to individuals and families who were affected by the storm (victims). Victims, including renters and property owners, who lost the use of their residences could qualify for FEMA benefits. Specifically, victims could seek relief for home repair, personal property damage, transportation, medical expenses, and housing assistance, among other benefits. According to allegations in the indictment, on or about February 22, 2025, Cantrell filed an application for disaster assistance with FEMA for a dwelling she claimed was located at 193 Beaver Creek Road, in Marion, and was damaged by Tropical Storm Helene. The indictment alleges that, in the application, Cantrell asserted that she rented the property and that the damaged dwelling was her primary residence. On or about February 27, 2025, Cantrell allegedly amended her FEMA application’s residential status from renter to owner of the damaged dwelling. Contrary to her claims, the indictment alleges that Cantrell never lived at, rented or owned a residence or structure at that location. In fact, no dwelling existed at that location at the time the storm struck the area, and Cantrell was residing in Wake County, well outside the effects of Tropical Storm Helene. Then on February 28, 2025, Cantrell falsely represented to a FEMA inspector that she owned the residential trailer that was destroyed, but not the land where the trailer was placed. According to allegations contained in the indictment, on or about March 8, 2025, Cantrell submitted a handwritten letter to FEMA attesting that the information she provided was “true and correct.” She allegedly wrote that she had purchased the dwelling from J.W. of South Carolina for $8,500 and that she had lived at 193 Beaver Creek Road for 25 years. She also falsely attested that that all of her important personal documents “got washed away by Hurricane Helene.” In connection with her application, and as part of her fraudulent scheme, Cantrell also allegedly filed a falsified “Residential Property And Owner’s Association Disclosure Statement,” to support her claim that she had purchased 193 Beaver Creek Road in 2005, from an individual identified as R.E., knowing that was not a true statement. The indictment alleges that, in the Disclosure Statement, Cantrell used the name and signature of R.E., without R.E.’s consent or knowledge, in order to convince FEMA of the validity of her claim for benefits. On March 12, 2025, FEMA paid Cantrell’s false claim and wired $30,631.59 to Green Dot Bank in Pasadena, California. It is alleged that Cantrell withdrew funds from a credit union in Marion, North Carolina. Cantrell appeared in federal court this morning. She is charged with fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency benefits and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison for the disaster benefits fraud charge and two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft charge, to be served consecutive to any other prison term imposed. The charges against Cantrell are allegations and she is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General and FEMA’s Fraud Investigations and Inspections Division for their investigation of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina is committed to protecting federal disaster relief programs from waste, fraud and abuse. To report suspected disaster-related fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 1-866-720-5721, or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm .


title: Honduran National Sentenced to 5 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: HAMMOND – Yesterday, Herlin Yovany Guerrero-Zelaya, 53 years old, of Honduras residing in Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to felony reentry of removed alien, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. Herlin Yovany Guerrero-Zelaya was sentenced to 5 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Guerrero-Zelaya’s criminal history includes two prior driving under the influence convictions, and multiple other driving related offenses. He was previously removed from the United States on four separate occasions in 1999, 2015, and twice in 2017. “Herlin Yovany Guerrero-Zelaya illegally reentered the country after already having been removed on four separate occasions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor. “Illegal reentry of this kind is a federal crime, and just like any other federal crime, it will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted in this District. My thanks go out to the law enforcement professionals who brought this case to a just end.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.


title: Islesford Man Pleads Guilty to Providing False Information to a Firearms Dealer

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: An Islesford man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland on Wednesday to providing false information to a federal firearms dealer. According to court records, William Heutz , 32, purchased a Glock Model 19 9mm pistol from a licensed federal firearms dealer in February 2023. In filling out a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473 required for the purchase, Heutz indicated that he was the firearm’s actual buyer. However, according to electronic messages obtained by investigators, he straw purchased the pistol for another individual, who provided money for the purchase. Heutz kept the money left over from the exchange and transferred the firearm to that individual. Heutz faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. ATF investigated the case. Straw Purchasing: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her. Project Safe Neighborhoods : This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. To learn more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, visit www.justice.gov/psn . ###


title: Allentown-Area Pharmacy and Its Owner Agree to Pay $825,000 to Resolve Allegations of False Claims Act Liability

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that West End Services, Inc. will pay $825,000 to resolve liability allegations under the False Claims Act. West End Services, Inc. (“WES”) and its owner-pharmacist, Christopher Leon, have agreed to pay $825,000 to the federal government, based on their ability to pay, to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare for prescription medications that were not actually dispensed. During the period of January 1, 2014, to February 24, 2019, WES billed Medicare for prescription drugs that were not actually dispensed to Medicare beneficiaries. These medications included, but were not limited to, Latuda, Humira, Abilify, Invega Sustenna, Seroquel, Acyclovir, Flovent, and Truvada. “Pharmacy fraud remains a priority for our office and taxpayer dollars should be spent on needed medications, not wasted on fraud and abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Pharmacies and pharmacists have a responsibility to serve as gatekeepers of a closed system of prescription drug distribution. That responsibility was allegedly used for profit here. This investigation and resolution illustrate this District’s continued emphasis on combatting healthcare fraud, including pharmacy fraud. One of the most powerful tools to combat this type of waste, fraud, and abuse is the False Claims Act, and this District maintains one of the most active affirmative civil dockets in the country.” Other similar pharmacy fraud settlements include: Pennmark Pharmacy (2024) Future Pharmacy Inc. and JJ Pharmacy (2023) Fountain Hill Pharmacy (2023) Northeast Discount Pharmacy (2022) Murray-Overhill Pharmacy, Inc. (2022) LAN Apothecary, Inc. (2021) G&A Somerton Pharmacy LLC (2019) “As U.S. Attorney Metcalf said, this investigation further solidifies this District’s focus on holding pharmacies and healthcare providers accountable for their handling of controlled substances, and the importance of maintaining on honest inventory balance, instead of putting profits at the forefront,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Regional Office of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Pharmacies are integral partners in patient care, and they are expected to act with integrity. We take allegations of pharmacy fraud seriously, and today’s settlement reflects our commitment to working with our partners to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent in an appropriate manner — on needed services, not wasted on fraud and abuse.” This investigation was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Service Office of Inspector General. For the United States Attorney’s Office, Assistant United States Attorney Alfred J. Vogt and former Assistant United States Attorney Deborah W. Frey handled the investigation, with contributions from auditor George Niedzwicki. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.


title: Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to Years-Long Scheme to Defraud the IRS and for Operating a Multi-Million Dollar Investment Fraud Scheme

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Colorado man pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to defraud the United States and tax evasion related to his promotion and use of an illegal tax shelter. He also pleaded guilty to wire fraud related to his operation of a fraudulent investment scheme. The following is according to court documents and other statements made in court: from 2018 through 2023, Timothy McPhee, of Estes Park, promoted a fraudulent tax shelter to taxpayers across the country. The tax shelter was made up of a private family foundation and three trusts called a business trust, family trust, and charitable trust. McPhee taught clients who purchased the tax shelter how to use the trusts and foundation to evade paying federal income taxes on nearly all their income. Among other directions, McPhee instructed clients to assign nearly all their business income to the trusts and to file false tax returns that made it seem as if that income belonged to the trusts, not the client. He also told clients to spend the money in the trust bank accounts on their own personal expenses and to fraudulently claim those expenses as deductions on the trust tax returns. As a result, clients who used the tax shelter paid taxes on only about 2% of their income. But because the clients funded the trusts, controlled the money in the trusts, and benefitted from the trust funds, the income funneled to the trusts was taxable to the clients themselves. In pleading guilty, McPhee acknowledged that he gave directions to clients that he knew directly contradicted IRS guidance and that he deliberately ignored warnings from accountants and attorneys that the tax shelter was fraudulent and illegal. In total, use of the tax shelter caused a loss to the United States of about $45 million in unpaid federal income taxes. McPhee also personally used the tax shelter to conceal from the IRS more than $5 million in income earned from 2016 through 2021. In so doing, McPhee did not pay approximately $1.8 million in federal income taxes he owed those years. From January 2023 through May 2024, McPhee also operated and promoted a fraudulent investment scheme called the “ROI Cash Flow Fund.” McPhee promoted the ROI Cash Flow Fund as an opportunity for investors to earn a 3% monthly payout on a principal investment. He falsely told investors that the ROI Cash Flow Fund would generate monthly returns by sending the investors’ funds to a third-party borrower who would engage in foreign exchange currency trading. In total, based on McPhee’s false representations, investors sent more than $8 million to bank accounts he controlled. In reality, however, McPhee did not send the investors’ funds to a borrower as promised. Instead, he used investor funds to make monthly 3% payouts to investors. He also spent investor funds on his own personal expenses and investments, including by sending more than $2 million in investor funds to a bank account he held in the name of one of his trusts. McPhee is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 23. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Lauren K. Pope and Amanda R. Scott of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Virginia Man Sentenced in Sex Tourism, Distribution of Child Pornography

body_text: WASHINGTON – Randall Meck, 52, of Virginia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 188 months in federal prison in connection with possessing 180 videos and 560 images depicting the sexual abuse of children. The files were recovered on his phone following his arrest at Dulles International in December 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Meck pleaded guilty Apr. 2, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton to distribution of child pornography. In addition to the 188-month prison term, Judge Walton ordered Meck to serve a lifetime of supervised release, to register as a sex offender, and to pay $5,000 in restitution. “Children are our most precious resource and those who seek to exploit and harm them—whether online or overseas—will be hunted down, prosecuted, and face the full weight of justice. We will not allow predators to hide behind screens while committing the most heinous acts imaginable.” Joining in the announcement were FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the Washington Field Office Criminal Division and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. According to court documents, in September 2024, law enforcement obtained Facebook messages between Meck and another individual in connection with a sex tourism investigation. On Sept. 26, 2024, an undercover agent with the Washington D.C. Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force contacted Meck. Meck shared a video with the undercover officer depicting prepubescent boys being sexually abused by adult men. Meck also provided the undercover agent with a contact in the Philippines who he said could provide children to abuse. In addition, Meck provided travel tips, transportation and hotel recommendations, and made efforts to coordinate a trip to the Philippines for the purpose of sex with minors. On Dec. 21, 2024, law enforcement arrested Meck after landing at Dulles International Airport and seized Meck’s iPhone 13 Pro which contained approximately 180 videos and 560 still images depicting the sexual abuse of children. Following his arrest, Meck waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with law enforcement. In an interview, Meck confirmed that he had traveled to the Philippines on multiple occasions between 2021 and 2024 for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity with minors and provided details of the encounters. This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parron and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Bond. 24cr43