title: Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to Assault

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man pleaded guilty to federal charges for assaulting a woman and causing severe injuries. According to court records, on June 27, 2024, Myron Edward Blake, Jr. , 40, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, assaulted Jane Doe with a cinder block and a 2x6 board, causing substantial bodily injury. Blake pleaded guilty to one count of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury. At sentencing, Blake faces up to 5 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Blake will be subject to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. The United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.


title: Farmington Man Faces Federal Drug and Firearms Charges While on Supervised Release

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man is facing federal charges following the discovery of methamphetamine, firearms, and ammunition during a search of his residence while he was on supervised release for a prior federal firearms conviction. According to court documents, on June 13, 2025, Stephen Dye , 43, was arrested after agents from the Region Two Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant at his residence in Farmington, New Mexico. During the search, agents seized approximately 177 grams of methamphetamine, suspected fentanyl pills, digital scales, packaging materials, $816 in cash, and multiple firearms and ammunition—including a loaded handgun reported stolen and a modified rifle with high-capacity magazines. Dye has multiple felony convictions in New Mexico and Texas for firearm and drug trafficking offenses. As a result, Dye was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. At the time of his arrest, Dye was on federal supervised release for a 2019 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On July 22, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment chargin g Dye with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of fentanyl, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Dye will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Dye faces 10 years and up to life in prison. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case as part of Summer Heat, the FBI’s nationwide initiative targeting violent crime during the summer months. As part of this effort, the FBI has launched a multi-pronged offensive to crush violent crime. By surging resources alongside state and local partners, executing federal warrants on violent criminals and fugitives, and dismantling violent gangs nationwide, we are aggressively restoring safety in our communities across the country. View the Indictment (Dye).pdf An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Exploiting Minors via Social Media

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man pleaded guilty to federal charges involving the exploitation of minors using social media platforms. According to court records, between June 2021 and March 2023, Adrian Puentes , 25, used Instagram and Snapchat to coerce and entice two minors under the age of 18 to engage in illegal sexual activity. Puentes admitted that he threatened one victim, demanding sexually explicit photographs and stating he would share them publicly if she did not comply. He used Snapchat to persuade the second victim to meet in person for sexual activity, including sending her money for transportation. Puentes knew both victims were minors at the time of the offenses. Puentes pleaded guilty to two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor. At sentencing, Puentes faces not less than 10 years and up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, Puentes will be subject to not less than five years and up to life of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.


title: Former Correctional Officer Sentenced to Five Years for Plan to Smuggle Drugs and Contraband into North Carolina Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Kenansville man was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. On May 7, 2025, Dawan Dontra McKinzie pleaded guilty to the charges. “This case is a reminder that when those entrusted with public safety break the law, the damage runs deep – inside our prisons and throughout our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable anyone who undermines that trust, especially when it involves trafficking dangerous drugs into a correctional facility.” “Illicit drugs and contraband endanger the health, safety and security of our employees, those in our custody and the public at large,” said Leslie Dismukes, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. “We will not hesitate to investigate and take action against anyone — including a compromised staff member — that brings illicit drugs or contraband into our facilities. I am grateful to our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina for working with us to bring Dawan McKinzie to justice.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, McKinzie, 31, was a Correctional Officer at Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro when he began working with inmates to smuggle contraband into the prison. On November 14, 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration received information that McKinzie was bringing contraband into Neuse Correctional. After receiving this information, law enforcement agents went to McKinzie’s house to confront him. McKinzie told law enforcement that he received a recent package from an inmate’s wife, then showed agents where he was storing the drugs and contraband. Agents located 53 grams of methamphetamine, 30 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, two grams of cocaine, seven pounds of tobacco, suboxone, a cellphone, and nude photographs that McKinzie planned to smuggle inside the prison. The investigation further revealed that McKinzie began smuggling contraband into Neuse Correctional sometime between July and October of 2023. McKinzie would place the contraband on his person and smuggle it inside Neuse Correctional. Agents located multiple messages on McKinzie’s cellphone that provided further details of the conspiracy. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the NC Department of Adult Correction Internal Investigations and Apprehension Division, and the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Lester and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Peaden prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-CR-5-M-BM


title: Honduran National Sentenced for Dealing Fentanyl

body_text: BOSTON – A Honduran national, who is an associate of the transnational criminal organization 18th Street Gang, was sentenced yesterday on drug charges in federal court in Boston. Elvin Martinez-Flores, 23, unlawfully residing in Everett, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Martinez-Flores is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In May 2025, Martinez pleaded guilty to distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams and more of fentanyl. During an investigation into the 18th Street Gang targeting the communities of Everett, Chelsea, Revere, East Boston, and Lynn, Martinez was identified as a gang associate and a sophisticated wholesaler fentanyl dealer. On Sept. 20, 2024, Martinez sold approximately 400 pressed fentanyl pills to a cooperating witness. Later, on Oct. 28, 2024, Martinez sold another 500 pressed fentanyl pills to the cooperating witness. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations; Suffolk County and Middlesex County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Falmouth, Lynn, Medford, Nantucket and Revere Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy E. Moran and Fred Wyshak of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: APRN and Medical Practice to Pay Over $600k and Cease Connecticut Medicaid Participation to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ARMAND NTCHANA and his various entities have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments and agreed to pay more than $600,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the federal and state False Claims Acts by causing false claims to be submitted to Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid. Ntchana currently resides in Alexandria, Louisiana. Ntchana, who is licensed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Connecticut, is the principal member and owner of INTEGRATED PROCARE SERVICES, LLC (“IPS”), a psychiatric medication management practice located in Wethersfield. He is also the principal member and owner of BROOKSIDE RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME, LLC (“Brookside”) and 134 FRANKLIN STREET EXTENSION, LLC (“Brookside Property”), which formerly operated a state-funded residential care home in Danbury, and the principal member and owner of RIVERVIEW RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME, LLC (“Riverview”) and 92 LEXINGTON AVENUE, LLC (“Riverview Property”), which formerly operated a state-funded residential care home in New Haven. Ntchana ceased control of the operations of Brookside and Riverview in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and sold the Brookside Property and the Riverview Property in August 2023. The federal and state governments allege that from January 2016 through October 2020, Ntchana and IPS violated the federal and state False Claims Acts by improperly billing Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid for services not rendered, the services of an unlicensed provider, and for upcoded or duplicative claims. Ntchana and IPS caused false claims to be submitted that listed Ntchana as the rendering provider when, in fact, those services were not actually provided. This included claims billed by Ntchana for impossible numbers of hours per day; when Ntchana was not physically present, including when he was out of the country, on vacation, or not in the office; for patients who were hospitalized or deceased; and for having a staff member call in a medication refill without Ntchana’s interacting directly with the patient or the patient’s medical record. Ntchana and IPS created false medical records or had no medical records for such visits. In addition, Ntchana and IPS caused false claims to be submitted that listed Ntchana as the rendering provider when, in fact, the patients were seen by an individual with no qualified health professional license or medical qualifications. Ntchana and IPS also caused false claims to be submitted for both evaluation and management visits and psychotherapy during the same visit when, in fact, Ntchana had only provided evaluation and management services during that visit. To resolve their liability, Ntchana and his related entities agreed to pay $614,427.51, plus interest, which was based on their ability to pay. Ntchana and IPS have also entered into a Suspension Agreement and Consent Order with the Connecticut Department of Social Services (“DSS”) to be suspended from participating in all programs administered by DSS for two years, and to not reapply for reinstatement in Connecticut Medicaid or any state-funded program thereafter. This matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, and the Connecticut Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Gruber, and by Assistant Attorney General Rick Porter of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. The allegations resolved by today’s settlement stem from an investigation based on a critical analysis of Medicare claims data. People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.


title: Liberian National and Convicted Sex Offender Arrested for Naturalization Fraud

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment in June charging Cyril Domaquik Clemens, 71, a U.S. citizen born in Liberia, with naturalization fraud. The indictment alleges that Clemens lied about his criminal conduct on his application to obtain U.S. citizenship. Clemens had his initial appearance before a federal judge last week. According to the indictment and previously issued court documents, Clemens is alleged to have knowingly and materially made false statements under penalty of perjury on his naturalization application and during a naturalization interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In response to the questions “Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following:…[f]orcing or trying to force, someone to have any kind of sexual contact or relations?” and “Have you EVER committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were NOT arrested?” he answered “No.” Clemens took the oath of citizenship and naturalized on February 19, 2021. On April 3, 2023, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Durham County, Clemens pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent liberties with a child. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment between 16 and 29 months and ordered to register as a sex offender. Clemens confessed to having sexually molested the child for more than a decade, from November 1, 2011, through March 7, 2022. The victim was four years old when the abuse began. Clemens was not arrested until after he had naturalized, so immigration officials were unaware of his crimes when they granted him citizenship. Clemens is charged in a three-count indictment with naturalization fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison as well as the automatic revocation of his U.S. citizenship. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. ICE ERO officers and HSI agents assigned to the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven , an ongoing initiative designed to aggressively target child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship. USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security Division is assisting the initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick is prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-151-FL-RN. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Convicted Felon Federally Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining  More Than $800,000 in COVID Funds by Hiding Criminal History

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he fraudulently obtained more than $800,000 in taxpayer funded COVID-19 relief funds by concealing his recent federal mail fraud conviction. Justin Konikow, 38, of Ontario, is charged with wire fraud. He is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, in April 2020 Konikow applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), a program which provided low-interest funding to small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The application was submitted on behalf of an entity called “Trendsetters” and listed Konikow as its sole owner. The April 2020 application contained representations that neither Konikow nor the business had ever been criminally charged or convicted of a crime. In fact, Konikow had been convicted in January 2020 of mail fraud in Los Angeles federal court for scheming to defraud the United States, the State of California and its Employment Development Department out of more than $250,000 by filing false unemployment and disability insurance claims using synthetic identities and fake companies. Konikow was sentenced in January 2021 to 35 months’ imprisonment and began serving his sentence in February 2022. The affidavit alleges that between 2021 and 2022, three EIDL modifications to increase the total proceeds were submitted, each identifying Konikow as Trendsetter’s sole owner. Each application contained a certification that all representations in the loan application (including in the original application) were true, correct, and complete, under penalty of perjury. None of the modification applications provided any information that Konikow was a convicted criminal. The Small Business Administration (SBA) approved the EIDL and each modification application and wired the loan proceeds totaling approximately $805,000 into Konikow’s bank account. Konikow then quickly wired substantial amounts of the COVID funds out of his bank account to pay off his credit card debt, car payments, and a transfer of approximately $47,000 to his Robinhood stock trading account. A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Konikow would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The SBA Office of Inspector General is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Gregg Marmaro of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Leader of $68M Adult Day Care Fraud Scheme Pleads Guilty

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A New York woman pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud Medicaid and pay health care kickbacks at her two Brooklyn social adult day cares. “The defendant orchestrated a massive scheme to defraud Medicaid, bribing patients to bill a federal health care program for over $68 million,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Americans will not stand for these schemes that target government programs intended to help society’s most vulnerable members and steal from the public fisc. As demonstrated by today’s announcement, we will continue to aggressively prosecute those who take part in these crimes.” “With today’s guilty plea, Khan stands convicted of acting as the ringleader of a scheme responsible for stealing millions of dollars dedicated to the government’s health care safety net,” stated U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Our office and the Justice Department take seriously our responsibility to protect government funds from the clutches of fraudsters and will vigorously prosecute corrupt health care operators like the defendant.” “Social adult day care and home health services are intended to support seniors, not serve as vehicles for fraud,” stated Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The defendant’s actions are an affront to hardworking taxpayers and undermine the integrity of our nation’s health care system. HHS-OIG will continue to relentlessly pursue anyone who illicitly exploits Medicaid enrollees and the program itself to ensure they are held fully accountable.” “Zakia Khan has admitted her involvement in a sweeping scheme that defrauded the U.S. government of $68 million in welfare funds meant for one of our country’s most vulnerable populations,” stated Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. “Today’s guilty plea underscores not only the lengths criminal opportunists often take, but also the state-of-the-art skills and procedures utilized by HSI New York to stop them in their tracks.” “Zakia Khan stole $68 million from the Medicaid program through bribes and kickbacks—money meant to support the most vulnerable,” stated NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “This fraudulent cash grab exploited a federal health care system that people depend on, and the NYPD will keep holding accountable anyone who tries to take advantage of it. Today’s guilty plea is another step towards justice, and I am thankful to the NYPD investigators, all our law enforcement partners, and the prosecutors for their meticulous work on this case.” According to court documents, Zakia Khan, 54, of Brooklyn, owned two social adult day cares: Happy Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc. and Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc., Responsible Care Staffing Inc., a home health care fiscal intermediary, and Tanwee Services Inc., an entity used to receive and disguise fraud proceeds. Beginning in approximately October 2017 and continuing through approximately July 2024, in exchange for kickbacks and bribes, Khan and marketers whom she employed referred Medicaid recipients to the social adult day cares that she owned, and Khan and the marketers in turn paid kickbacks and bribes to Medicaid recipients for social adult day care services that the day cares billed to Medicaid, but were not provided or that were induced by kickbacks and bribes. Khan and her co-defendants used multiple business entities to launder the fradulent proceeds and generate the cash used to pay kickbacks and bribes. In connection with her plea, Khan agreed to forfeit $5 million, including two properties, cash, and gold jewelry seized during a search of her home. Khan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive health care kickbacks. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 28, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. HHS-OIG, HSI, and the NYPD are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Patrick J. Campbell and Leonid Sandlar of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Castiglione for the Eastern District of New York, who assisted with forfeiture matters. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Long-Time Fugitive Admits to Orchestrating Mail Fraud Scheme Defrauding Elderly and Vulnerable Victims of Over $10 Million

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A German man admitted today to orchestrating a massive mail fraud scheme targeting elderly and otherwise vulnerable victims with false and fraudulent psychic solicitations, Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today. Georg Ingenbleek, 58, a citizen of Germany, was indicted in 2020 and has been a fugitive. He was apprehended in Bolzano, Italy in 2024 and extradited in May 2025 to face an indictment charging him with two counts of mail fraud. Ingenbleek pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to two counts of mail fraud. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From at least 2011 through 2016, Ingenbleek created numerous direct mail solicitations supposedly from world-renowned psychics, falsely and fraudulently claiming to offer recipients individual psychic services and objects that would result in great fortune. Many of the letters falsely promised that the psychic services being offered were free of charge. Ingenbleek directed co-conspirators to send fraudulent billing notices to the same victims that stated that the victims owed money for psychic services, which in many cases had been offered free of charge. The fraudulent billing notices falsely represented that the victims owed fees and threatened to take legal action if the victim did not send a check, usually for $20 to $50. Through his fraudulent psychic mailing campaign, Ingenbleek obtained more than $10 million dollars from victims. The mail fraud charges each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for December 17, 2025 at 10:30 A.M. Acting U.S. Attorney Habba credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; and special agents of HSI New York, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to the charges, and HSI Rome and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for providing significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Italy. The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Fayer and Olta Bejleri of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Daniel Rashbaum, Esq., Miami, Florida. ingenbleek.indictment.pdf


title: BRISTOL MAN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF FEDERAL AGENTS

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

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – John Caleb Allen, 26, of Bristol, Florida, who was previously arrested on July 24, 2025, has been indicted for two counts of attempted murder of a federal employee, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a federal law enforcement officer, two counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of illegal possession of a machine gun, and one count of false statement to a federal firearm licensee in connection with a firearms purchase. The charges were announced today by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. Court documents allege that, on July 24, 2025, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, with the assistance of the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, were executing a federal search warrant at the subject’s residence when Allen opened fire on law enforcement. After firing multiple rounds at the agents, Allen was arrested without the agents discharging their weapons. Agents suffered minor, non-critical injuries as a result of the assault. Allen is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick August 8, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at the Federal Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida. If convicted, Allen faces a maximum possible penalty of life imprisonment. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( 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: Nathan Hunter Whitaker Sentenced To Over 24 Years For Fentanyl Distribution Related To An Overdose Death

body_text: GREENEVILLE, TENN. – Today, Nathan Hunter Whitaker, 27, of Bristol, Tennessee, was sentenced to 292 months by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Following his incarceration, he will be on supervised release for a term of three years. As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Nathan Hunter Whitaker agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with one count of distributing a quantity of N-phenyl-N-[1-(2- phenylethy1)-4-piperidinyl] propanamide (Fentanyl), which resulted in the death of another person in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). According to the filed plea agreement, in July of 2020, local, state, and federal law enforcement began an investigation into the distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Tennessee. During the investigation, law enforcement learned of an overdose death that occurred in early February of 2023, in Sullivan County, Tennessee, which was attributed to fentanyl toxicity. Days after the victim’s death, Whitaker made several, controlled sales of fentanyl-laced, counterfeit Roxicodone 30mg pills to a confidential informant. On April 1, 2024, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the 2 nd Judicial District Drug Task Force (2 nd DTF), as well as deputies of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office located Whitaker, along with others, at a residence in Johnson City, TN. When law enforcement attempted a traffic stop to serve an arrest warrant on Whitaker, he fled in a vehicle but eventually returned to the residence. After he returned, law enforcement made entry into the residence, where they located Whitaker in possession of a significant quantity of fentanyl-laced, counterfeit Roxicodone 30mg pills and $13,754 in cash, as well as more than 130 firearms, some of which were stolen, including two silencers and a short-barreled rifle. One of the stolen firearms was from the Tennessee Valley Authority Police. During an interview, Whitaker admitted that he provided fentanyl-laced, counterfeit Roxicodone 30mg pills to the victim that caused their death. “Fentanyl-related deaths across the district, state, and our nation are far too common,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III. “The United States Attorney’s Office, along with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, will use all available resources to investigate and prosecute those who traffic in fentanyl and bring them to justice.” “The Drug Enforcement Administration is committed to working alongside our local, state, and federal partners to bring to justice criminals who willfully distribute dangerous drugs within eastern Tennessee and throughout the country. Today’s sentence highlights the serious risks fentanyl poses to our communities, and we are proud of the results achieved because of this collaboration,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott. “Arresting and prosecuting criminals like Nathan Whitaker, who prey upon and poison their communities for profit and fund cartels and international criminal organizations, is a top priority for our agency.” said Homeland Security Investigations Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “This sentence sends a clear message that HSI and our law enforcement partners in Tennessee are dedicated to preventing the illicit importation, sale and distribution of fentanyl while bringing those that perpetrate this deadly crime to justice.” The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the DEA, HSI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the 2 nd DTF, and Johnson City Police Department (JCPD). This investigation was led by DEA Special Agent Cullen Conerly, HSI Special Agent John Bulla, and TBI Special Agent Thomas Garrison, who is also an FBI Task Force Officer. Assistant United States Attorney B. Todd Martin represented the United States. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods . ###


title: Former U.S. Embassy Employee Extradited To Face Charges For Cocaine Importation Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Michael McCarthy, announced today that JAIRO ELIEZER ARIAS CACERES, a former employee of the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was extradited from the Dominican Republic in connection with the unsealing of an Indictment charging ARIAS CACERES with conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States. ARIAS CACERES will make his initial appearance later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods. “Jairo Eliezer Arias Caceres allegedly orchestrated a cocaine smuggling scheme while employed as a security officer at our U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic and as a former security officer at the airport in Santo Domingo,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “While Arias Caceres was supposed to be protecting our diplomats and embassy staff from danger, he was allegedly busy endangering New Yorkers by pumping illegal drugs into our community. Abuse of a position of national trust to traffic in deadly narcotics shocks the sensibilities of New Yorkers and the women and men of our office are committed to bringing those who abuse that trust to justice.” “The charges against Jairo Arias Caceres are the result of an extensive investigation into a significant narcotics importation conspiracy, led by our Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST),” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. “In coordination with HSI Santo Domingo and multiple federal partners, this investigation successfully dismantled a sophisticated trafficking network responsible for moving dangerous narcotics from the Dominican Republic into the United States. HSI remains committed to protecting the American public by targeting and disrupting the transnational criminal organizations that seek to bring illicit drugs into our communities.” As alleged in the Indictment and other court filings: [1] Since at least in or about April 2023 through at least in or about December 2023, ARIAS CACERES—while employed as a security officer by the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic—operated a transnational conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States. ARIAS CACERES devised a scheme through which couriers smuggled cocaine into various airports in the New York area by disguising the cocaine in the packaging of items purchased from the Santo Domingo Airport Duty Free store. Photographs of some of the several cocaine seizures linked to ARIAS CACERES are below: Before working for the U.S. Embassy, where he was employed from 2018 through 2025, ARIAS CACERES also worked for at least seven years as security officer at the Santo Domingo Airport. ARIAS CACERES exploited his former positions of authority at the Embassy and the Airport in order to operate this narcotics importation scheme. The defendant was in charge of several aspects of the scheme. He helped to recruit couriers, paid for and arranged their travel to and from the Dominican Republic, and organized the logistics of the couriers’ receipt of cocaine from other airport employees. For each of the couriers, the defendant was their main point of contact before, during, and after their smuggling trips to and from the Dominican Republic. * * * ARIAS CACERES, 35, of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is charged with one count of conspiracy to import narcotics into the U.S., which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI New York; the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration; HSI Santo Domingo; the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) Strategic Partnership for Enforcement and Analytical Response Port of New York/New Jersey; CBP’s Air & Marine Operations; and the U.S. Marshals Service Office of International Operations, Dominican Republic Foreign Field Office. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition to the United States of CACERES. This prosecution is part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations 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 case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jackie Delligatti and Katherine Cheng are in charge of the prosecution. The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. u.s._v._caceres_indictment.pdf [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Brooklyn Woman Pleads Guilty to Leading a $68 Million Social Adult Day Care and Home Health Care Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: BROOKLYN, NY – Zakia Khan pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn today to conspiring to defraud Medicaid of approximately $68 million through the payment of kickbacks and bribes at two Brooklyn social adult day care centers that she owned in Coney Island. When sentenced, Khan faces up to 15 years in prison. As part of her plea agreement, Khan agreed to forfeit $5 million, including several properties, and more than $300,000 in cash and gold jewelry seized by law enforcement during a search of her home. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Natasha C. Merle. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew R. Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Christian J. Schrank, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the guilty plea. “With today’s guilty plea, Khan stands convicted of acting as the ringleader of a scheme responsible for stealing millions of dollars dedicated to the government’s health care safety net,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office and the Justice Department take seriously our responsibility to protect government funds from the clutches of fraudsters and will vigorously prosecute corrupt health care operators like the defendant.” “The defendant orchestrated a massive scheme to defraud Medicaid, bribing patients to bill a federal health care program over $68 million,” stated Acting Assistant Attorney Galeotti. “Americans will not stand for these schemes that target government programs intended to help society’s most vulnerable members and steal from the public fisc. As demonstrated by today’s announcement, we will continue to aggressively prosecute those who take part in these crimes.” “Social adult day care and home health services are intended to support seniors, not serve as vehicles for fraud. The defendant’s actions are an affront to hardworking taxpayers and undermine the integrity of our nation’s health care system,” stated Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Schrank of the HHS-OIG. “HHS-OIG will continue to relentlessly pursue anyone who illicitly exploits Medicaid enrollees and the program itself to ensure they are held fully accountable.” “Zakia Khan has admitted her involvement in a sweeping scheme that defrauded the U.S. government of $68 million in welfare funds meant for one of our country’s most vulnerable populations,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Patel. “Today’s guilty plea underscores not only the lengths criminal opportunists often take, but also the state-of-the-art skills and procedures utilized by HSI New York to stop them in their tracks.” “Zakia Khan stole $68 million from the Medicaid program through bribes and kickbacks—money meant to support the most vulnerable,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “This fraudulent cash grab exploited a federal health care system that people depend on, and the NYPD will keep holding accountable anyone who tries to take advantage of it. Today’s guilty plea is another step towards justice, and I am thankful to the NYPD investigators, all our law enforcement partners, and the prosecutors for their meticulous work on this case.” As set forth in court filings, Khan owned two social adult day care centers, Happy Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc. (Happy Family) and Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc. (Family Social), a home health care fiscal intermediary, and Tanwee Services Inc., an entity used to receive and disguise fraud proceeds. Beginning in approximately October 2017 and continuing through approximately July 2024, Khan and marketers she employed referred Medicaid recipients to Happy Family and Family Social. Khan and the marketers in turn paid kickbacks and bribes to Medicaid recipients for social adult day care services that Happy Family and Family Social billed to Medicaid, but were not provided or were induced by kickbacks and bribes. Khan and her co-defendants used multiple business entities to launder the health care fraud proceeds and generate the cash used to pay kickbacks and bribes. Co-defendants Seema Memon and Amran Hashmi, who were employees of Khan, previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Eleven additional co-defendants are awaiting trial. Trial Attorneys Patrick J. Campbell and Leonid Sandlar of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Castiglione of the Eastern District of New York who is handling forfeiture matters. The Defendant : ZAKIA KHAN Age: 54 Brooklyn, New York Defendants Who Previously Pleaded Guilty: SEEMA MEMON Age: 30 Brooklyn, New York AMRAN HASHMI Age: 54 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 24-CR-409 (NCM)


title: Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Man with Impersonation of a Federal Officer

component: USAO - Louisiana, Western

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jason Beau Dark , 42, of New Orleans, with two counts of false impersonation of a federal officer and one count of possession of counterfeit seal of an agency of the United States. The indictment alleges that on or about July 7, 2025, on two separate occasions in both West Monroe and Ruston, Louisiana, Dark knowingly and willfully falsely assumed and pretended to be an officer and employee of the United States, that is, a Special Agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). It is alleged in the indictment that Dark first displayed a counterfeit DEA special agent badge to a motorist in an attempt to intimidate the victim. Following the encounter, when officers with the Ruston Police Department confronted Dark, he identified himself as a Special Agent with the DEA, displayed a counterfeit DEA badge to them, and also presented counterfeit DEA credentials in an attempt to the investigation. If convicted, Dark faces a sentence of 3 years in prison, 1 year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, for false imprisonment of a federal officer. Dark faces a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for possession of a counterfeit seal of an agency of the United States. An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The case is being investigated by the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, and Ruston Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth D. Reeg. If anyone has information concerning a similar incident involving this defendant, please report to DOJ-OIG by going to: https://oig.justice.gov/hotline . # # #


title: Lafayette Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison

body_text: HAMMOND- Yesterday, Christopher Burdine-Davies, 24 years old, of Lafayette, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. Burdine-Davies was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, between September 26, 2022, and October 20, 2022, Defendant, a convicted felon, sold fentanyl on six separate occasions. He also sold three privately made firearms to law enforcement. His criminal history showed previous felony convictions for possessing a controlled substance, criminal recklessness, and intimidation, which were felonies that disqualified him from possessing any firearm or ammunition. “Illicit fentanyl is a deadly poison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor. “Christopher Burdine-Davies chose to sell it anyway. Thanks to the efforts of the many partner agencies participating in the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force, Mr. Burdine-Davies can no longer ply his trade in this District. I applaud their efforts, and the just outcome to which they led.” This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force, Tippecanoe Drug Task Force, and the Lafayette Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Nozick.


title: Interim United States Attorney Thomas C. Albus Sworn In

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Interim United States Attorney Thomas C. Albus was sworn in Friday, becoming the new head prosecutor for the Eastern District of Missouri. U.S. District Judge John A. Ross performed the ceremony at about 11:30 a.m. Mr. Albus was appointed by Attorney General Pamela Bondi. He replaces former Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Drake, who will now resume his previous post as First Assistant U.S. Attorney. Mr. Albus is a veteran prosecutor. From 2002-2019, he prosecuted white collar, tax, public corruption and other cases at the U.S. Attorney's Office. In 2019, he joined the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, becoming First Assistant to then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt. In 2020, Mr. Albus was sworn in as a St. Louis County Circuit Judge, having been appointed by Missouri Gov. Michael Parson. Mr. Albus is a native of St. Louis County, Missouri. He graduated from Georgetown University in 1994 and the University of Missouri School of Law in 1997. He then clerked for the late Lawrence G. Crahan on the Missouri Court of Appeals and for Judge John C. Holstein on the Missouri Supreme Court. Following that, he worked in the litigation department of what is now Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in St. Louis. The Eastern District of Missouri includes 49 counties and is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States. The Eastern District of Missouri leads the nation in prosecuting gun crimes, including cases involving carjackings, armed robberies and murders, and is third in the nation in prosecuting crimes against children.


title: Active-Duty Soldier Arrested and Charged with Espionage and Export Violations

body_text: Taylor Adam Lee, 22, of El Paso, Texas, was arrested today on charges of attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign adversary and attempted export of controlled technical data without a license. “According to the criminal complaint, the defendant sought to transmit sensitive national defense information to Russia regarding the operation of the M1A2 Abrams, our Nation’s main battle tank,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will continue to work with our law enforcement and military partners to ensure that such serious transgressions are met with serious consequences.” “National security has long been one of the highest priorities of the Justice Department, and here in the Western District of Texas, we remain alert for those who wish to help our adversaries and harm the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Our enemies, both foreign and domestic, should be aware that we diligently investigate and aggressively prosecute these cases. I appreciate the investigative work by our partners in the FBI and the Army Counterintelligence Command, and I look forward to continuing our work with them as we proceed with the prosecution of this important case.” “The FBI’s investigation revealed Taylor Lee allegedly attempted to provide classified military information on U.S. tank vulnerabilities to a person he believed to be a Russian intelligence officer in exchange for Russian citizenship,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Today’s arrest is a message to anyone thinking about betraying the U.S. – especially service members who have sworn to protect our homeland. The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to protect Americans and safeguard classified information.” “This arrest is an alarming reminder of the serious threat facing our U.S. Army,” said Brigadier General Sean F. Stinchon, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command. “Thanks to the hard work of Army Counterintelligence Command Special Agents and our FBI partners, Soldiers who violate their oath and become insider threats will absolutely be caught and brought to justice, and we will continue to protect Army personnel and safeguard equipment. If anyone on our Army Team sees suspicious activity, you must report it as soon as possible.” “Lee allegedly violated his duty to protect the United States in favor of providing national defense information to the Russian government,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to protect U.S. national security and bring to justice those who seek to undermine it.” According to court documents, Lee is an active-duty service member in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Bliss, and holds a Top Secret (TS) / Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance. From approximately May 2025 through the present, Lee sought to establish his U.S. Army credentials and send U.S. defense information to Russia’s Ministry of Defense. In June 2025, Lee allegedly transmitted export-controlled technical information on the M1A2 Abrams Tank online and offered assistance to the Russian Federation, stating, “the USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses,” and added, “At this point I’d even volunteer to assist the Russian federation when I’m there in any way.” In July, at an in-person meeting between Lee and who he believed to be a representative of the Russian government, Lee allegedly passed an SD card to the individual. Lee proceeded to provide a detailed overview of the documents and information contained on the SD card, including documents and information on the M1A2 Abrams, another armored fighting vehicle used by the U.S. military, and combat operations. Several of these documents contained controlled technical data that Lee did not have the authorization to provide. Other documents on the SD card were marked as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and featured banner warnings and dissemination controls. Throughout the meeting, Lee stated that the information on the SD card was sensitive and likely classified. During and after the July meeting, Lee discussed obtaining and providing to the Russian government a specific piece of hardware inside the M1A2 Abrams tank. On July 31, 2025, Lee delivered what appeared to be the hardware to a storage unit in El Paso, Texas. After doing so, Lee sent a message to the individual he believed to be a representative of the Russian government stating, “Mission accomplished.” The FBI Washington and El Paso Field Offices are investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command. Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Brown and Mallory Rasmussen for the Western District of Texas and are prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Monroe County Man Sentenced To 180 Months For Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Pernell Riddick, age 36, a resident of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Julia K. Munley, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to the Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on or about September 2, 2022, Riddick, possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. In furtherance of his drug trafficking endeavor, Riddick possessed a 9-millimeter Smith & Wesson handgun and a 9-millimeter Taurus G2C handgun. 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 investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson. # # #


title: Jefferson City Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictments  Against Three Individuals

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A federal grand jury sitting in Jefferson City returned indictments against three individuals charging a range of federal offenses. Arizona Woman Charged with Two Counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Cocaine Joanna Fabian Rivera, 33, Arizona, was charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. The indictment alleges that during a traffic stop on May 3, 2025, packages of cocaine and heroin were found within Rivera’s vehicle. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Iowa Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses Alex Mills Zoll, 42, Cedar Rapids, Ia., was charged with three counts related to child exploitation offenses. The indictment alleges that between May 11, 2025 and June 1, 2025, Zoll enticed a minor to engage in sexual activity, attempted to produce child pornography, and transferred obscene material in interstate commerce. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Turner. It was investigated by Boone County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office, Callaway County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Columbia Man Indicted for Illegally Possessing Firearms Aaron James Kipper, 34, Columbia, Mo. was charged with unlawfully possessing two firearms. The indictment alleges that on June 27, 2025, Kipper, knowing he had previously been sentenced for a term exceeding one year on a felony, possessed a Taurus .357 revolver and a Jennings .22 caliber semi-automatic firearm. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cecily L. Hicks. It was investigated by Boone County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The charges contained in these indictments are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. Operation Take Back America The Fabian Rivera and Kipper 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 (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). Project Safe Childhood The Zoll case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: U.S. Attorney Office to present senior fraud prevention seminar in Sparta

component: USAO - Illinois, Southern

body_text: SPARTA, Ill. – To educate seniors in southern Illinois on the latest scams targeting them online and over the phone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with the Sparta Senior Center to present a fraud prevention seminar. “Fraudsters inundate us with calls, texts, and emails making deceitful claims—like posing as federal agents—to manipulate individuals into handing over their money,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Unfortunately, we have prosecuted cases where scammers have defrauded seniors out of most of their life savings. To educate the public on the current fraud schemes and tips to avoid becoming a victim, our office will be in Sparta to give an interactive and informational presentation.” The presentation highlights information on online scams, fraud schemes targeting seniors and details on federal cases prosecuted in the Southern District of Illinois. The event will start at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at the Sparta Senior Center, located at 500 W. 2nd St. in Sparta. Attendees will receive tips to help detect scams and advice on how to contact law enforcement if they think they may have been victimized by a scam. The event is free and open to the public.


title: U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro Joined the Community and Law Enforcement Partners for National Night Out

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro joined our law enforcement partners, neighbors, and communities for last night’s National Night Out event at Emery Height’s Community Center in the District’s Petworth neighborhood. “National Night Out is about celebrating successes when community and law enforcement work together,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “Tonight, we join together in unity to make this a place where it’s safe to raise our children, to live and to work and that’s what National Night Out is all about.” National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country. National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization. Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe. For more information, visit https://natw.org/ .


title: CEO of Hawaii Shipbuilding Company Sentenced to 13 Years for $29M Investment Fraud Scheme, President Received Two Year Sentence

body_text: A formerly married couple was sentenced yesterday for their roles in a more than decade-long scheme to defraud hundreds of investors out of millions of dollars in connection with Semisub Inc. (Semisub), a Hawaii-based company. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Curtiss E. Jackson, 72, of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Jamey Denise Jackson, 62, currently of Cochester, Conneticut, and formerly of Honolulu, who were respectively Semisub’s CEO and President, falsely told investors for years that the prototype vessel, Semisub One, was “weeks” or “months” away from beginning operations. The defendants also solicited funds based on false statements that Semisub had entered into agreements or developed relationships with government agencies and a private investment firm to build and sell a fleet of Semisubs for tens of millions of dollars — among other misrepresentations. As a part of the scheme, the defendants used investor funds to pay for luxury residences in Hawaii and California, a Mercedes-Benz automobile, luxury vacations, psychics, and marijuana. Curtiss Jackson also sent a death threat to Jamey Denise during the investigation, in the form of a link to an online video entitled “Death of FBI Informants” containing graphic clips from The Sopranos television series depicting the deaths of several characters who had cooperated with the FBI. Curtiss Jackson further obstructed an official proceeding by attempting to flee the United States’ territorial waters aboard the Semisub One, which was subject to criminal forfeiture proceedings, on the day before his bond revocation hearing. In May 2024, Curtiss Jackson was convicted of securities fraud, conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, witness tampering, and obstructing an official proceeding while on pretrial release. In January 2023 Jamey Denise Jackson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. Curtiss Jackson was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Jamey Denise Jackson was sentenced to two years in prison. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson for the District of Hawaii; Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group; and Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Seattle Field Office made the announcement. The USPIS and IRS-CI investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Matthew Reilly and Jennifer Bilinkas of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Nammar and Aislinn Affinito for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.


title: Jersey City Man Charged with Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Jersey City, New Jersey man was charged today with possession of child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Matthew Ozol, 39, of Jersey City, New Jersey is charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Ozol made his initial before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and was detained. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Law enforcement reviewed messages sent via a messaging application from an account associated with an IP address registered in Ozol’s name at Ozol’s residence. The account participated in a chat group named “Baby Rapist,” and sent multiple communications referencing, among other things, a desire to rape babies and exchange child pornography, and distributed a video containing child pornography. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ozol’s residence, and recovered at least 26 images and/or videos of child pornography depicting infants or toddlers. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Acting U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, with the investigation leading to the charge. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc . The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division. ### Defense Counsel: Robert Ebberup, Esq., Toms River, New Jersey ozol.complaint.pdf


title: Three People Sentenced to Prison for Distributing  Methamphetamine, Fentanyl and Nitazenes

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Three South Florida residents have been sentenced to federal prison for distributing methamphetamine, fentanyl and nitazenes, after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiring to distribute fentanyl and N-Pyrrolidino Protonitazene. On July 30, Josue David Balaguer, 35, of Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced to 141 months in federal prison. On July 31, Marcos Geovanny Beltre Olivo, 39, of Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced to 141 months in federal prison. And on August 1, 2025, Joel Medina, 36, of Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison. Beginning in early 2024, the defendants conspired amongst themselves and with others to distribute pressed pills through the mail for on-line, open web and dark web, drug distributors. The pills were distributed throughout the United States. The pressed pills were marketed as pharmaceuticals, but contained nitazenes, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, among other controlled substances. On September 11, 2024, agents executed a residential search warrant and recovered hundreds of thousands of pressed pills, a pill press, a packaging machine, and numerous mailing supplies. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, Acting Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG), Acting Special Agent in Charge Maximillian Pagano of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Miami Field Office, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement. FBI Miami, DEA Miami, HSI Miami, USPIS Miami, USPS-OIG, FDA-OCI, and PBSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Funk prosecuted the case. According to the DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment , nitazenes are synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, but some nitazenes can match or surpass the potency of fentanyl. Different nitazenes have been appearing in fentanyl mixtures in the United States since 2019. When combined with fentanyl, the effects of both drugs are heightened, which significantly increases the chance of a fatal drug poisoning. Synthetic drugs such as fentanyl are poisoning the nation. Fentanyl has proven to be a deadly poison that does not discriminate. Its victims include every gender, race, age, and economic background, and its debilitating effects are the same across all demographics. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even in small doses, fentanyl can be deadly. Just one fentanyl pill can kill, as noted in DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign. As little as two milligrams, about the size of 5 grains of salt, can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The State of Florida has also seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl. In 2022, more than 5,622 people died from overdoses involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogs in Florida. For more information visit: https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MEC/Publications-and-Forms/Documents/Drugs-in-Deceased-Persons/2022-Annual-Drug-Report-FINAL-(1).aspx ; https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html# ; and https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl . You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 24-cr-80112. ###


title: In Landmark Sentence, Feeding Our Future Scheme Leader Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Today, United States District Judge Nancy E. Brasel sentenced Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, age 36, to 28 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for his role in a $300 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Farah was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,920,514. Farah played a leading and role in the Feeding Our Future case, the largest Covid-19 fraud scheme in the United States. According to public documents, Farah and his co-defendants stole more than $47 million in program funds by claiming to serve 18 million meals to kids at more than 30 food distribution sites. In June 2024, after a seven-week trial before Judge Brasel, a federal jury convicted Farah of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, false statements in a passport application, conspiracy to commit money laundering, two counts of federal programs bribery, six counts of wire fraud, and 11 counts of money laundering. Farah was the co-owner of Empire Cuisine & Market, an entity that he enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program in April 2020, during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Farah was among the very first defendants to see an opportunity for fraud and exploit it. Farah immediately opened a number of fraudulent program sites and began falsely claiming to serve meals to thousands of children per day. Many of the purported “sites” served no meals at all and were nothing more than parking lots or vacant commercial spaces. Farah and his co-defendants “papered-up” the fraudulent scheme, including by creating and submitting fraudulent meal counts and invoices. Farah was likewise involved in the scheme’s use of phony rosters with fake children’s names. Few of the names on the rosters matched the names of real students attending the local school districts, and many of the names used by Farah were absurd and obviously fake, names like “Serious Problem” and “Britishy Melony.” In addition, Farah routinely directed the flow of fraudulent funds so that his co-conspirators got their “cuts” of the stolen taxpayer money. To keep the fraud going, Farah engaged in a corrupt “pay-to-play” system, where he paid thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks to personnel at Feeding Our Future and Partners in Nutrition. Farah profited handsomely from his role in the scheme—he personally pocketed more than $8 million during his 18 months of involvement in the fraud. As presented at trial, Farah sent text messages to his co-defendants about their ill-gotten gains, stating “in 7 months if things stay the same you are a multi millionaire with 0 debt” and “Bro the next multi legit millionaires will be me and you.” Using the taxpayer money meant for needy kids, Farah purchased five luxury vehicles for himself in about six months, including over $300,000 for a Porsche, a GMC truck, and a Tesla. Farah used approximately $4.2 million in fraudulently-obtained taxpayer funds to purchase real estate throughout the Twin Cities and in Kentucky, which included buying two lakefront lots with the aim of building himself a multi-million-dollar home. Farah further sent the taxpayer money he stole overseas, purchasing real estate in Kenya and a high-rise apartment building in Nairobi. Farah laundered the fraud proceeds through China. This overseas money is beyond the reach of American law enforcement—neither these funds nor Farah’s international real estate holdings have been, or can be, seized or forfeited. In January 2022, when the Feeding Our Future search warrants were executed, federal agents seized Farah’s U.S. passport from his home. In the wake of those searches, Farah retained an attorney and was told he was a target of the federal investigation. Two months later, on March 22, 2022, Farah went to the Minneapolis Passport Agency in downtown Minneapolis to apply for a new U.S. passport. Farah lied on his passport application, falsely claiming his passport was lost, rather than seized by federal agents. Farah obtained a new U.S. passport that day. Less than two weeks later, Farah attempted to leave the country, purchasing a one-way ticket to Kenya, where he owned property paid for by the taxpayer money he stole. Law enforcement acted quickly to charge Farah with passport fraud and take him into custody. In June 2024, at the conclusion of his 7-week trial, Farah and others attempted to bribe a juror with $120,000 in cash in exchange for a not guilty verdict. Farah and four others were indicted in a separate federal case for the juror bribery scheme. Farah has pled guilty in the juror bribery case and is pending sentencing in that case before Judge David S. Doty. Today’s sentence does not reflect Farah’s attempt to bribe a juror; he will face an additional sentence in that case at a later date. In imposing the 28-year sentence, Judge Brasel explained the defendant “came to this country as a refugee” and that “many of the opportunities” in Farah’s life came through public agencies and non-profit organizations, noting that Farah received housing, school, a full-tuition college grant, and worked in the public sector. “Given that background, it is ironic at best that, as the government aimed no child went hungry during the pandemic, you saw the opportunity to fraudulently make money.” Judge Brasel continued, “You achieved successes here in the United States and yet you’ve shown utter and flagrant disregard for the laws of the United States.” Judge Brasel found that Farah’s crime was “breathtakingly elaborate” and that he acted out of “pure unmitigated greed.” She told the defendant, “The repercussions of your crime will be felt in Minnesota and in your community—the refugee community—for a long time.” In arguing for a long sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said, “This country gave Farah everything. A home. Citizenship. A free college education. After that he went on to public employment with the state of Minnesota. And how did he repay this country and this state? By robbing us blind. He has gotten every opportunity, and this is how he used it. Farah didn’t want the American dream. He wanted to be rich. He wanted to be wealthy. He thought he was entitled to it. He won the lottery of life, he was given everything by this country, and he repaid us with a life of crime. He has done untold damage to this state.” “Abdiaziz Shafii Farah’s conviction serves as a stark reminder of the moral decay that can arise when individuals exploit systems designed to protect the most vulnerable among us,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The egregious actions of Farah, who misappropriated over $28 million meant to nourish underserved children during a critical time, exemplify a betrayal of societal trust. Today’s sentence not only underscores the legal repercussions of such greed, but also sends a resounding message: Justice will not only be swift, but also unyielding. The FBI, in concert with our law enforcement partners and the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to holding accountable those who prey on the most defenseless in our communities.” The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Participated in Eastern North Carolina National Night Out Events

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina joined law enforcement partners, neighbors, and communities on Tuesday for National Night Out events in cities across the state. “National Night Out is about more than public safety – it’s about community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “It was a privilege to join our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners as we visited neighborhoods across Raleigh, connected with residents, heard their feedback, and strengthened our ties with the community. We were particularly excited to welcome Associate Deputy Attorney General Aakash Singh—an alumni from our office— who joined us at Raleigh-area events and met with many of our law enforcement partners from across Eastern North Carolina.” “For me, community engagement isn’t just part of the job—it’s a calling. Events like this are about more than showing up; they’re about bridging gaps and building real relationships. That’s why we started Cops on the Block—to be more than uniforms, more than badges. To be neighbors. I always say, National Night Out is our Super Bowl—it’s our moment to connect, to be present, and to celebrate what brings us together,” said Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country. National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization. Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe. For more information, visit https://natw.org/ .


title: Justice Department Files Two Civil Forfeiture Actions to Recover Nearly $11 Million in Health Care Fraud Proceeds

body_text: MIAMI – The United States has filed civil forfeiture complaints in the Southern District of Florida against two purported durable medical equipment (DME) companies accused of fraudulently billing Medicare more than $33 million combined. According to allegations in the complaints, Vida Med Center LLC and Med-Union Medical Center, Inc., both enrolled Medicare providers, submitted false and fraudulent claims for DME that were medically unnecessary and not provided as represented. Vida Med submitted $14,110,820.00 in claims to Medicare and received $8,759,036.68 in reimbursements. Med-Union submitted $19,044,516.07 in Medicare claims and received $14,167,792.92 in payments. Notably, all of Med-Union’s paid Medicare claims were based on prescriptions issued by a single provider. The civil forfeiture actions seek to recover $967,760.37 and $10,014,325.40, respectively, in proceeds from the fraudulently obtained taxpayer dollars. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office; and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office made the announcement. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG are investigating the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marx P. Calderón and Joshua Paster for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting these civil actions. A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation that money or property was involved in or represents the proceeds of a crime. These allegations are not proven until a court awards a judgment in favor of the United States. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case numbers 25-cv-23345 and 25-cv-23340. ###


title: Hardin County felon charged with carjacking, firearms violations

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Silsbee convicted felon has been charged with carjacking and firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Justin Keith Colley, 37, was named in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with carjacking, brandishing a firearm during a violent crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that on June 20, 2025, Colley used a firearm to forcefully commit carjacking. Further investigation revealed Colley had been previously convicted of a felony and prohibited from owning or possessing firearms. 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). If convicted, Colley faces up to life in federal prison. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Silsbee Police Department, and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin. A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Jasper County man indicted on federal drug trafficking violations

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Jasper man has been charged with federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Steven Wade Earle, 30, was named in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that on January 2, 2025, Earle was found in possession of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Then again on February 25, 2025, Earle was found in possession of at least another 50 grams of methamphetamine. If convicted, Earle faces up to life in federal prison. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Jasper County Sheriff’s Office; Texas Department of Public Safety-Criminal Investigations Division; Texas DPS-Highway Patrol; and U.S. Marshals Service. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Lee. A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Fort Bliss Soldier Arrested, Charged with Espionage and Export Violations

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – An active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Bliss was arrested today in El Paso on criminal charges of attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign adversary and attempted export of controlled technical data without a license. According to court documents, Taylor Adam Lee, 22, holds a Top Secret (TS) / Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance. From approximately May 2025 through the present, Lee sought to establish his U.S. Army credentials and send U.S. defense information to Russia’s Ministry of Defense. In June 2025, Lee allegedly transmitted export-controlled technical information on the M1A2 Abrams Tank online and offered assistance to the Russian Federation, stating, “the USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses,” and added, “At this point I’d even volunteer to assist the Russian federation when I’m there in any way.” In July, at an in-person meeting between Lee and who he believed to be a representative of the Russian government, Lee allegedly passed an SD card to the individual. Lee proceeded to provide a detailed overview of the documents and information contained on the SD card, including documents and information on the M1A2 Abrams, another armored fighting vehicle used by the U.S. military, and combat operations. Several of these documents contained controlled technical data that Lee did not have the authorization to provide. Other documents on the SD card were marked as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and featured banner warnings and dissemination controls. Throughout the meeting, Lee stated that the information on the SD card was sensitive and likely classified. During and after the July meeting, Lee discussed obtaining and providing to the Russian government a specific piece of hardware inside the M1A2 Abrams tank. On July 31, 2025, Lee delivered what appeared to be the hardware to a storage unit in El Paso. After doing so, Lee sent a message to the individual he believed to be a representative of the Russian government stating, “Mission accomplished.” Lee was arrested Wednesday morning and made his initial appearance in federal court the same day. “National security has long been one of the highest priorities of the Justice Department, and here in the Western District of Texas, we remain alert for those who wish to help our adversaries and harm the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Our enemies, both foreign and domestic, should be aware that we diligently investigate and aggressively prosecute these cases. I appreciate the investigative work by our partners in the FBI and the Army Counterintelligence Command, and I look forward to continuing our work with them as we proceed with the prosecution of this important case.” “Lee allegedly violated his duty to protect the United States in favor of providing national defense information to the Russian government,” said Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to protect U.S. national security and bring to justice those who seek to undermine it.” “The men and women of the United States military work hard to defend American citizens at home and abroad,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Britton Boyd for the FBI El Paso Field Office. “Today the men and women of the FBI were able to help protect our brave soldiers from future threats with the arrest of Taylor Adam Lee. I would like to thank our partners from the Department of Defense and FBI Washington Field Office.” “This arrest is an alarming reminder of the serious threat facing our U.S. Army,” said Brigadier General Sean F. Stinchon, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command. “Thanks to the hard work of Army Counterintelligence Command Special Agents and our FBI partners, Soldiers who violate their oath and become insider threats will absolutely be caught and brought to justice, and we will continue to protect Army personnel and safeguard equipment. If anyone on our Army Team sees suspicious activity, you must report it as soon as possible.” The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command and the FBI El Paso Field Office. Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Brown and Mallory Rasmussen for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Aiken Woman Convicted of Collecting Dead Mother’s Social Security Benefits

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. —A federal jury has convicted Cynthia Delores Holland, 61, of Aiken, formerly the county director of voter registration and elections, of fraudulently obtaining Social Security benefits. A guilty verdict was returned following a day and a half of trial. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Holland improperly obtained her mother’s retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) after her mother’s death in 2013. Those benefits continued to be paid by mistake into a joint account held by Holland and her mother. Rather than notify the SSA of the error, Holland moved the money into her personal account and spent it. Her theft took place until December 2022, when the error was discovered by the SSA, and the benefits were terminated. During that near-decade long span, Holland received over $168,000. The discrepancy was identified in 2021 by the SSA during its Death Match Project. As part of the project, the SSA requested death verifications from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control going back to 2005, then compared those records with the list of SSA retirement beneficiaries. Holland’s mother’s name was on the list, which initiated the investigation. “Holland’s actions showed a decade of deception as she continued receiving and spending benefits intended for her deceased mother,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We are committed to protecting our taxpayer-funded systems from fraud and abuse.” “Cynthia Holland exploited her own mother’s death to steal from a program meant to support the most vulnerable,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Acting Inspector General for SSA. “As a former public official, her deception is especially troubling. We will continue to pursue those who abuse Social Security for personal gain.” Holland faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. She also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. presided over the trial and will sentence Holland after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Scott Matthews are prosecuting the case. ###