title: Clinton Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Identity Theft and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A Clinton man was sentenced on January 16, 2026, to three years in federal prison for falsely using a social security number, aggravated identity theft, and firearms offenses. According to public court records, Rusty Todd Johnston, 46, was convicted of a felony drug offense in Brooks County, Texas in 2005. He was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence with community supervision. Within months, Johnston absconded from his Texas probation and Texas authorities issued an arrest warrant. By approximately 2008, Johnston stopped using his real name, date of birth, and social security number. Instead, Johnston assumed the identity of Adam Preston Duriga—a real person from the state of Nevada, who died in 2013. In early 2020, Johnston moved to Clinton, Iowa. Johnston obtained an Iowa Commercial Driver’s License using Duriga’s identifiers. In 2021, Johnston purchased a handgun in Davenport from a federally licensed firearms dealer using Duriga’s identity and falsely certified he was not a felon. In December 2024, law enforcement officers searched Johnston’s residence and found the handgun that Johnston had illegally purchased. Over the approximate 15 years that Johnston falsely used Duriga’s identity, he fraudulently acquired state-issued driver’s licenses in Iowa, Nevada, Utah, Louisiana, and West Virginia. Johnston applied for and received replacement Social Security cards five times in Duriga’s identity. Johnston married at least twice using his false name and identity. After completing his term of imprisonment, Johnston will be required to serve a two‑year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau, and the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Kerndt prosecuted the case.


title: Biotech CEO Sentenced in Securities Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Nader Pourhassan, 62, of Lake Oswego, Oregon, was sentenced Friday to 30 months in prison for misleading investors about his company’s development of a new drug, then selling his personal stock in the company at artificially inflated prices. “The defendant lied to investors about a drug to treat HIV and COVID-19 so he could engage in insider trading,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This type of fraud exploits vulnerable Americans, undermines the integrity of our financial markets, and erodes the trust that investors place in public companies. The Criminal Division remains committed to prosecuting corporate executives who deceive investors.” “Pourhassan exploited a deadly public health crisis to intentionally deceive investors and the public out of millions – all so that he could enrich himself,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “As this sentence makes clear, executives who mislead investors and manipulate the truth for personal gain will be held accountable. Our office will continue to aggressively pursue those who put greed ahead of honesty and the rule of law.” “Nader Pourhassan lied and schemed to selfishly line his own pockets. He betrayed the trust placed in him as a corporate executive by deceiving and misleading investors,” said Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “Not only are his actions illegal, but they also serve to undermine public confidence in our financial institutions. This sentencing shows the FBI’s commitment to rooting out fraudsters seeking to manipulate the market.” “Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder that fraud related to medical products will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Los Angeles Field Office. “The FDA will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who place profits above public health.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Pourhassan was the Chief Executive Officer of CytoDyn, a publicly traded company based in Vancouver, Washington, that was developing an investigational drug to treat HIV and COVID-19. Between 2018 and 2021, Pourhassan intentionally misled investors about the drug’s prospects for FDA approval to artificially inflate the price of CytoDyn’s stock and attract new investors. He then sold his 4.8 million shares of CytoDyn stock after making false announcements to investors and pocketed $4.4 million. In December 2024, Pourhassan was convicted at trial of four counts of securities fraud, two counts of wire fraud and three counts of insider trading. At sentencing, he was ordered to pay more than $5.3 million in restitution and to forfeit more than $4.4 million. FBI, FDA-OCI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Acting Deputy Chief Vasanth Sridharan, Acting Assistant Chief Matthew Reilly and Senior Counsel Lauren Archer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adeyemi Adenrele for the District of Maryland prosecuted the case. Law Clerk Kerstin Abolnik and Paralegal Specialists Selam Wehabe and John Lee of the Fraud Section provided substantial assistance.


title: Des Moines Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Threatening a United States Probation Officer

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced on January 23, 2026, to six years in federal prison for threatening to assault and murder a United States Probation Officer, while on supervised release. According to public court records, Rodger Dawayne Gardner, Jr., 41, was convicted in 2020 for failing to register as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. In late 2022, Gardner was released from federal prison and began a seven-year term of supervised release. In December 2024, probation officers discovered Gardner was purchasing and distributing synthetic marijuana in Des Moines. The officers directed Gardner to report to the U.S. Probation Office. Gardner failed to report as directed, fled to Missouri, and made multiple threats to assault and murder the U.S. Probation Officer. After completing his six-year prison term for the threats, Gardner will be required to serve an additional two‑year term of imprisonment for violating his supervised release conditions in his prior federal case. When his prison terms are complete, he will serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by United States Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Kerndt, along with retired Assistant United States Attorney Laura M. Roan.


title: United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama Recognizes  National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Today the Middle District of Alabama observes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and joins the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) in reaffirming the administration’s commitment to combating all forms of human trafficking and protecting victims and survivors. Human Trafficking Prevention Month presents an opportunity for DHS and DOJ, through Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) to intensify operational efforts, raise public awareness, and strengthen partnerships across federal, state, and local agencies to disrupt trafficking networks, protect vulnerable individuals, and ensure traffickers are brought to justice. “This Department of Justice is working tirelessly alongside our partners to dismantle human trafficking networks, help survivors, and protect vulnerable populations from being exploited,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under this administration we have seen an increase in human trafficking prosecutions, and during Human Trafficking Prevention Month we reaffirm our commitment to prosecuting traffickers and encourage Americans to report instances of human trafficking in their communities.” “Through the Homeland Security Task Force, President Trump is taking the fight directly to human trafficking networks and disrupting their modern-day slave trade while seizing their assets and arresting their kingpins and foot soldiers. The American people should not have to live in fear of cartels, gang bangers, and foreign terrorists preying upon the most vulnerable among us,” the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement. “The Homeland Security Task Force is the largest coordinated campaign against transnational criminal organizations in U.S. history, and I’m proud to co-lead it with Attorney General Bondi.” “During Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the FBI reiterates our work with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and national victim-based advocacy groups in joint task forces to protect our communities across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The horrifying reach of human trafficking spreads far and wide. Homeland Security Task Forces are fighting back to disrupt these perilous networks and put a stop to that reach. The FBI will continue our investigations and bring justice to those exploited by human traffickers. “Human trafficking is a brutal crime that preys on the most vulnerable members of our communities, and this office is committed to using every available tool to hold traffickers accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson. “Through close coordination with our federal, state, and local partners, the Middle District of Alabama will continue to aggressively pursue traffickers, protect victims and survivors, and ensure that those who profit from exploitation are brought to justice.” In January 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. Section 6 of this order directed the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to jointly establish HSTFs in every state nationwide. The HSTF objective is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) throughout the United States; dismantle cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks; end the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking, with a particular focus on such offenses involving children; and ensure the use of all available law enforcement tools to faithfully execute the immigration laws of the United States. Since January 20, 2025, the Middle District of Alabama has made protecting victims from the scourge of human and sex trafficking a top priority. In one recent example, in November 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama, working with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, secured the convictions of two Montgomery men for operating a multi-year sex trafficking enterprise involving multiple victims, including minors. The defendants used physical and sexual violence, threats against victims and their children, firearms intimidation, and the manipulation of victims’ drug addictions to coerce victims into engaging in commercial sex acts for their financial benefit. Both defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. In January 2026, DHS and DOJ are surging resources to fight and raise awareness about human trafficking, including: Identifying ongoing investigations and prioritizing featured operations across 45 federal locations and 10 state locations with an emphasis on border states. Coordinating with FBI Human Trafficking Squads and multi-agency Human Trafficking Task Forces to conduct victim recovery. Partnering with AMTRAK and FAMS to increase law enforcement resources and distribute posters with QR codes for reporting human trafficking in all station bathrooms and trains. Running advertisements related to $250 million recovery from Backpage to distribute to victims and additional victim restitution efforts by DOL-OIG. Organizing Human Trafficking seminars and outreach events with DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking at high schools and colleges to highlight the role of HSTFs in addressing human trafficking. On August 25, 2025, HSTF officially launched its effort to protect the Homeland with a September Surge encompassing 400 operations nationwide. In just 43 days, HSTF nationwide operations resulted in 3,266 arrests and seizures including: 1,041 Sinaloa members, 856 Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (“CJNG”) members, 641 MS-13 members, 456 Tren de Aragua members, 1,067 weapons More than $3,250,000 in currency Approximately 91 metric tons of narcotics If you believe you or someone else are the victim of human trafficking or have information about a potential trafficking situation, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline for confidential help by calling 1-888-373-7888, or texting “HELP” to 233733 (BEFREE), or start a live chat at humantraffickinghotline.org/chat . Information on the Justice Department’s work to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking .


title: Montgomery Man Sentenced to Prison for Gun Crime Committed While on Federal Probation

body_text: MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced that a Montgomery, Alabama, man has been sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to a federal gun charge. On January 22, 2026, 36-year-old Jeremy Dionne Smiley received a sentence of 60 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Previously, in February 2025, a judge ordered a 24-month sentence for violating the terms of his federal supervised release. The sentences are related to the same incident and were ordered to run consecutively, for a total sentence of 84 months. At the January 2026 sentencing hearing, the court also ordered Smiley to serve an additional three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. According to Smiley’s plea agreement and other court records, in late 2024, Smiley was residing in Montgomery while on federal supervised release after completing a 71-month prison sentence for a prior federal firearms conviction. On December 20, 2024, law enforcement officers responded to a domestic disturbance call at Smiley’s residence, which included a report that shots had been fired. Following the incident, Smiley admitted to his federal probation officer that he possessed an AR-15-style rifle and had discharged the firearm into the air during the disturbance. Smiley’s possession of the firearm violated the conditions of his supervised release and resulted in a new federal charge. On October 20, 2025, Smiley pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Montgomery Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Probation Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle R. Turner and J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted this case.


title: Investigation into International “ATM Jackpotting” Scheme and Tren de Aragua results in Additional Indictment and 87 Total Charged Defendants

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: [UPDATED] OMAHA – A federal grand jury in the District of Nebraska has returned an additional indictment last week charging 31 individuals for their roles in a large conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs in the United States, a crime commonly referred to as “ATM jackpotting.” Fifty-six others have already been charged. Many of the defendants charged in this Homeland Security Task Force operation are Venezuelan and Colombian nationals including illegal alien Tren de Aragua (TdA) members. This indictment alleges 32 counts including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, bank fraud, bank burglary, and damage to computers. “Tren de Aragua is a complex terrorist organization that commits serious financial crimes in addition to horrific rapes, murders, and drug trafficking,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice has already prosecuted more than 290 members of Tren de Aragua and will continue working tirelessly to put these vicious terrorists behind bars after the prior administration let them infiltrate our country.” “A large ring of criminal aliens allegedly engaged in a nationwide conspiracy to enrich themselves and the TdA terrorist organization by ripping off American citizens. After committing bank robbery, fraud, and other serious crimes, they will be vigorously prosecuted and held accountable for their crimes,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Justice Department’s Joint Task Force Vulcan will not stop until it completely dismantles and destroys TdA and other foreign terrorists that import chaos to America.” “This latest indictment demonstrates the Criminal Division’s commitment to dismantling cartels, including when they attack our nation’s financial systems with sophisticated malware,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The announcement of charges against a total of 87 defendants underscores both the massive scale of these alleged conspiracies and the strength and skill of our investigators and prosecutors who dismantle them. As cartels level up their criminal game, so will we.” “Tren de Aragua uses ATM jackpotting crimes committed all across America to fund its terrorist organization which is responsible for horrific crimes such as human trafficking (to include sex trafficking of children in Nebraska), kidnapping, murder and other unspeakably evil and violent acts, said U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods for the District of Nebraska. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska will fight TdA directly by taking every action at our disposal to shut down their financial pipeline and handicap their ability to terrorize American communities.” “TdA grew from a prison gang to a transnational criminal organization to a foreign terrorist organization. Using sophisticated malware to empty ATMs and damage U.S. financial institutions that also fund TdA’s terrorist activity will not be tolerated,” said Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) Co-Director Chris Eason. “The charges against certain TdA members are directly in line with JTFV’s mission: a collaborative, whole of government effort to destroy TdA. We are grateful for our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to investigate and bring these important charges.” The following photographs depict just a few of the alleged ATM jackpotting scheme in progress and equipment used: “A dedicated team of FBI Omaha agents and analysts are working shoulder to shoulder with our local, state, and federal partners to disrupt and dismantle an international criminal conspiracy ultimately funding a foreign terrorist organization,” said Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office. “The wide variety of sophisticated criminal tactics employed by Tren de Aragua (TdA) poses a direct threat to communities across our country. This case highlights TdA's plot to deploy malware to steal vast funds from financial institutions across the United States. We will never stop following the money and surging resources to arrest and apprehend TdA members and leadership.” The alleged conspiracy developed and deployed a variant of malware known as Ploutus, which was used to hack into ATMs and force ATMs to dispense cash. The conspiracy relied on the recruitment of a number of individuals to deploy Ploutus malware nationwide. Members of the conspiracy and TdA would travel in groups, using multiple vehicles, to the locations of targeted banks and credit unions. These groups would conduct initial reconnaissance and take note of external security features at the ATMs. Following this reconnaissance, the groups would open the hood or door of ATMs and then wait nearby to see whether they had triggered an alarm or a law enforcement response. The groups would then take steps to install malware on the ATMs, by removing the hard drive and installing the malware directly, by replacing the hard drive with one that had been pre-loaded with the Ploutus malware, or by connecting an external device such as a thumb drive that would deploy the malware. The Ploutus malware’s primary purpose was to issue unauthorized commands associated with the Cash Dispensing Module of the ATM in order to force withdrawals of currency. The Ploutus malware was also designed to delete evidence of malware in an effort to conceal, create a false impression, mislead, or otherwise deceive employees of the banks and credit unions from learning about the deployment of the malware on the ATM. Members of the conspiracy would then split the proceeds in predetermined portions. The most recent indictment follows a previous one returned on December 9, 2025, that alleged that TdA, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, conducted jackpotting attacks across America. The December 9, 2025 indictment charged 22 individuals with offenses for their roles in the conspiracy: 13 individuals are charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank burglary and fraud and related activity in connection with computers, and 22 with conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment also alleges that TdA used jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in the United States and then transferred the proceeds among its members and associates to conceal the illegally obtained cash. The indictment alleged a national conspiracy to commit these offenses with crimes committed all over the United States in furtherance of these conspiracies that generated millions in illegal proceeds for the combined defendants and the TdA organization. A related indictment returned on October 21, 2025 charged 32 individuals and alleged 56 counts including one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, 18 counts of bank fraud, 18 counts of bank burglary, and 18 counts of damage to computers. If convicted, the defendants face maximum terms of imprisonment ranging between 20 and 335 years. According to court documents, TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities range from drug trafficking and firearms trafficking, to commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other violent acts to advance the organization’s criminal activities. TdA has also developed an additional source of revenue stream through financial crimes that target financial institutions throughout the United States, including using jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in cash. In the past six months, the Justice Department has charged a total of 87 TdA members and leaders with a range of federal offenses that include material support to a designated foreign terror organization, bank burglary, money laundering, damage and unauthorized access to protected computers, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit the same offenses. FBI’s Omaha Field Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Omaha is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Denver, Houston, Miami, Oklahoma, Sacramento, Seattle, and Springfield Field Offices, and the United States Secret Service, United States Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General, Financial Deposit Insurance Corporation, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office, Bates County Sheriff’s Office, Sheridan Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg Police Department, Sterling Heights Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Warrant Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Colombus Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory, Bluff City Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Lincoln Police Department, Gothenburg Police Department, Loudon Police Department, Alcoa Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Milford Police Department, Grand Island Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Papillion Police Department, Central City Police Department, Holdrege Police Department, New York State Police, Berkeley Police Department, Cook County Electronic Monitoring Unit, Aurora Police Department, Austin Police Department, United States Capitol Police, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, City of Rome Police Department, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, McCook Police Department, Nebraska DMV Crime Analysts, Rantoul Police Department, Olathe Police Department, North Platte Police Department, Walla Walla Police Department, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Missoula Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department, Denver Police, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Glendale Police Department, Columbia Police Department, Brookfield Police Department, Wauwatosa Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Grafton Police Department, South Milwaukee Police Department, Dubuque Police Department, Fargo Police Department, and Paducah Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, and Joint Task Force Vulcan. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, Eastern District of California, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, Eastern District of Oklahoma, District of New Mexico, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the District of Colorado, as well as the Larimer County Attorney’s Office, Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 9th District Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 5th District Attorney General’s Office and the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General provided significant assistance. This Operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Omaha comprises agents and officers from the FBI and HSI. Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target TdA is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and the District of Nevada, as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, USMS, and the Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV. An indictment or a complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal Jury finds Armed Career Criminal Guilty of Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – After a three-day trial, a federal jury found Derrick Wilson , 48 , of Memphis, guilty of one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and made a special finding that Wilson had previously been convicted of three violent felonies on different occasions. As a result, Wilson faces a mandatory statutory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and being an Armed Career Criminal (ACC). United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the verdict today. According to information presented in court, on November 3, 2023, officers with the Memphis Police Department arrested Wilson after Wilson tossed a Ruger .380 caliber pistol to the ground in plain view. Sentencing is set for April 30, 2026, before United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker. There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "We continue to provide targeted prosecution of the worst of the worst violent offenders in order to improve public safety in Memphis. This jury verdict demonstrates that the community is fed up with repeat offenders who live a lifestyle of lawlessness and embrace a culture of criminality." This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. F. Moore and Special Assistant United States Attorney Yosef Hochheiser of the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Philipsburg Woman Charged With Social Security Fraud

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Misti Weld, age 51, of Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on January 22, 2026, by a federal grand jury for theft of government property, Social Security fraud, and making false statements to the Social Security Administration. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that from January 2016 through June 2023, in Centre County, Pennsylvania, Weld claimed Social Security benefits as a representative payee for the support of her children, while knowing that she was not entitled to claim such benefits because her children did not live in her household. Additionally, Weld made a false statement in an application to the Social Security Administration in which she falsely claimed that her children were members of her household. The Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 35 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. ###


component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A federal grand jury in the District of Nebraska returned an additional indictment charging 31 individuals for their roles in a large conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs in the United States, a crime commonly referred to as “ATM jackpotting.” Fifty-six others have already been charged. Many of the defendants charged in this Homeland Security Task Force operation are Venezuelan and Colombian nationals including illegal alien Tren de Aragua (TdA) members. This indictment alleges 32 counts including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, bank fraud, bank burglary, and damage to computers. “Tren de Aragua is a complex terrorist organization that commits serious financial crimes in addition to horrific rapes, murders, and drug trafficking,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice has already prosecuted more than 290 members of Tren de Aragua and will continue working tirelessly to put these vicious terrorists behind bars after the prior administration let them infiltrate our country.” “A large ring of criminal aliens allegedly engaged in a nationwide conspiracy to enrich themselves and the TdA terrorist organization by ripping off American citizens," said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. "After committing bank robbery, fraud, and other serious crimes, they will be vigorously prosecuted and held accountable for their crimes. The Justice Department’s Joint Task Force Vulcan will not stop until it completely dismantles and destroys TdA and other foreign terrorists that import chaos to America.” “This latest indictment demonstrates the Criminal Division’s commitment to dismantling cartels, including when they attack our nation’s financial systems with sophisticated malware,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The announcement of charges against a total of 87 defendants underscores both the massive scale of these alleged conspiracies and the strength and skill of our investigators and prosecutors who dismantle them. As cartels level up their criminal game, so will we.” “Tren de Aragua uses ATM jackpotting crimes committed all across America to fund its terrorist organization which is responsible for horrific crimes such as human trafficking (to include sex trafficking of children in Nebraska), kidnapping, murder and other unspeakably evil and violent acts,” said U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods for the District of Nebraska. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska will fight TdA directly by taking every action at our disposal to shut down their financial pipeline and handicap their ability to terrorize American communities.” “TdA grew from a prison gang to a transnational criminal organization to a foreign terrorist organization. Using sophisticated malware to empty ATMs and damage U.S. financial institutions that also fund TdA’s terrorist activity will not be tolerated,” said Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) Co-Director Chris Eason. “The charges against certain TdA members are directly in line with JTFV’s mission: a collaborative, whole of government effort to destroy TdA. We are grateful for our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to investigate and bring these important charges.” “A dedicated team of FBI Omaha agents and analysts are working shoulder to shoulder with our local, state, and federal partners to disrupt and dismantle an international criminal conspiracy ultimately funding a foreign terrorist organization,” said Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office. “The wide variety of sophisticated criminal tactics employed by TdA poses a direct threat to communities across our country. This case highlights TdA's plot to deploy malware to steal vast funds from financial institutions across the United States. We will never stop following the money and surging resources to arrest and apprehend TdA members and leadership.” The following photographs depict just a few of the alleged ATM jackpotting scheme in progress and equipment used: The alleged conspiracy developed and deployed a variant of malware known as Ploutus, which was used to hack into ATMs and force ATMs to dispense cash. The conspiracy relied on the recruitment of a number of individuals to deploy Ploutus malware nationwide. Members of the conspiracy and TdA would travel in groups, using multiple vehicles, to the locations of targeted banks and credit unions. These groups would conduct initial reconnaissance and take note of external security features at the ATMs. Following this reconnaissance, the groups would open the hood or door of ATMs and then wait nearby to see whether they had triggered an alarm or a law enforcement response. The groups would then take steps to install malware on the ATMs, by removing the hard drive and installing the malware directly, by replacing the hard drive with one that had been pre-loaded with the Ploutus malware, or by connecting an external device such as a thumb drive that would deploy the malware. The Ploutus malware’s primary purpose was to issue unauthorized commands associated with the Cash Dispensing Module of the ATM in order to force withdrawals of currency. The Ploutus malware was also designed to delete evidence of malware in an effort to conceal, create a false impression, mislead, or otherwise deceive employees of the banks and credit unions from learning about the deployment of the malware on the ATM. Members of the conspiracy would then split the proceeds in predetermined portions. The most recent indictment follows a previous one returned on Dec. 9, 2025, that alleged that TdA, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, conducted jackpotting attacks across America. The Dec. 9, 2025 indictment charged 22 individuals with offenses for their roles in the conspiracy: 13 individuals are charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank burglary and fraud and related activity in connection with computers, and 22 with conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment also alleges that TdA used jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in the United States and then transferred the proceeds among its members and associates to conceal the illegally obtained cash. The indictment alleged a national conspiracy to commit these offenses with crimes committed all over the United States in furtherance of these conspiracies that generated millions in illegal proceeds for the combined defendants and the TdA organization. A related indictment returned on Oct. 21, 2025 charged 32 individuals and alleged 56 counts including one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, 18 counts of bank fraud, 18 counts of bank burglary, and 18 counts of damage to computers. If convicted, the defendants face maximum terms of imprisonment ranging between 20 and 335 years. According to court documents, TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities range from drug trafficking and firearms trafficking, to commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other violent acts to advance the organization’s criminal activities. TdA has also developed an additional source of revenue stream through financial crimes that target financial institutions throughout the United States, including using jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in cash. In the past six months, the Justice Department has charged a total of 87 TdA members and leaders with a range of federal offenses that include material support to a designated foreign terror organization, bank burglary, money laundering, damage and unauthorized access to protected computers, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit the same offenses. FBI’s Omaha Field Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Omaha is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Denver, Houston, Miami, Oklahoma, Sacramento, Seattle, and Springfield Field Offices, and the U.S. Secret Service, United States Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General, Financial Deposit Insurance Corporation, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office, Bates County Sheriff’s Office, Sheridan Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg Police Department, Sterling Heights Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Warrant Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Colombus Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory, Bluff City Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Lincoln Police Department, Gothenburg Police Department, Loudon Police Department, Alcoa Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Milford Police Department, Grand Island Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Papillion Police Department, Central City Police Department, Holdrege Police Department, New York State Police, Berkeley Police Department, Cook County Electronic Monitoring Unit, Aurora Police Department, Austin Police Department, U.S. Capitol Police, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, City of Rome Police Department, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, McCook Police Department, Nebraska DMV Crime Analysts, Rantoul Police Department, Olathe Police Department, North Platte Police Department, Walla Walla Police Department, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Missoula Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department, Denver Police, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Glendale Police Department, Columbia Police Department, Brookfield Police Department, Wauwatosa Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Grafton Police Department, South Milwaukee Police Department, Dubuque Police Department, Fargo Police Department, and Paducah Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, and Joint Task Force Vulcan. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, Eastern District of California, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, Eastern District of Oklahoma, District of New Mexico, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the District of Colorado, as well as the Larimer County Attorney’s Office, Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 9th District Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 5th District Attorney General’s Office and the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General provided significant assistance. This Operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Omaha comprises agents and officers from the FBI and HSI. Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target TdA is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and the District of Nevada, as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, USMS, and the Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV. An indictment or a complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Rapid City Gymnastics Coach Pleads Guilty  to Receiving Child Pornography

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Hayden Sengua, age 25, of Rapid City, South Dakota, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on January 21, 2026, and pleaded guilty to receiving child sexual abuse material. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum term of five years up to 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a mandatory minimum of five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. Beginning in 2018 and continuing into January 2025, Sengua knowingly downloaded image and video files containing sexually explicit visual depictions of young children. Sengua saved the files on his cell phone, in his Google account, and on an external hard drive. When he was arrested last year, Sengua was in possession of approximately 15,000 total media files depicting child sexual abuse. Some of the imagery Sengua collected depicts the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, as well as the bondage and torture of minors. Sengua also used a virtual machine to attempt to hide his collection of child pornography. At times, he used the IP address associated with a local Rapid City gymnastics center, to search for and download child pornography. 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 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . The investigation was conducted by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation - Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox. A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for May 4, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.


title: Vermillion Man Convicted of Child Pornography Charges  Following Federal Jury Trial

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a jury has convicted Nicholas Keitges, age 33, of Vermillion, South Dakota, of Attempted Production of Child Pornography, two counts of Receipt and Transportation of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography, following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls. The verdict was returned on January 22, 2026. The charge of Attempted Production of Child Pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a possible maximum of 30 years. Receipt and Transportation of Child Pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in federal prison and a possible maximum of 20 years in prison. Possession of Child Pornography carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Each count is also subject to a fine of up to $250,000, and at least five years and up to life of supervised release, and $400 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Keitges was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023. In April 2022, Keitges used several online platforms, Omegle and Snapchat, to befriend a 14-year-old girl in the Sioux Falls area. He sexually groomed her and attempted to coerce her into producing sexually explicit images of her genitalia. The minor got scared and law enforcement was called. Through a thorough investigation by the Sioux Falls Police Department, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations, Keitges was identified as the online perpetrator. He was later arrested, charged, and now stands convicted. Then in April 2023, the South Dakota ICAC Task Force received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Law enforcement’s investigation into that CyberTip discovered that Keitges had been using his Dropbox and Google Gmail accounts to transport multiple files of child pornography. Again, Keitges was identified as this online perpetrator. “Thanks to the efforts of this incredible team of law enforcement officers, this defendant now stands convicted of federal charges associated with his reprehensible and illegal activities,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “We will do everything we can to ensure he stays in federal prison and away from your children for as long as possible under the law.” This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, South Dakota DCI, South Dakota ICAC Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for April 13, 2026. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Couple Charged in COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A couple who purportedly owned two New Jersey businesses were indicted on charges that they fraudulently obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced. Sabrina Mitlo, 41, and Joseph Mitlo, 40, both formerly of Piscataway, New Jersey, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. They made their initial appearances on January 20, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and were released on $100,000 unsecured bond. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From May 2020 through July 2020, Sabrina and Joseph Mitlo engaged in a scheme to illegally obtain over $715,000 in PPP loans on behalf of businesses located in New Jersey that they purportedly owned but which had no employees or payroll. To do so, the Mitlos submitted fraudulent loan applications falsely representing that their businesses had employees and payroll obligations, which included falsified tax documents purporting to show that the businesses had paid wages in prior years. Once the PPP loans were issued into the business bank accounts, in order to obtain the loan proceeds while keeping the scheme a secret, the Mitlos arranged for a payroll service to issue payroll checks to purported employees of the businesses that did not, in fact, work for the businesses. Once the Mitlos obtained those payroll checks, Sabrina Mitlo personally cashed them at a check cashing facility and kept the proceeds. The count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. Senior Counsel Lamparello credited with the investigation special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; and special agents and attorneys of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Eastern Regional Office in New York. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud & Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark. The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 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 . The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### mitlo.indictment.pdf


title: Two Home Health Providers Agree to Pay $702,541 to Resolve Self-Referral Allegations

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Medical Services of America, Inc. and Traditional Home Care, Inc., doing business as Community Home Health Services, have agreed to pay $702,541.20 to resolve allegations that they violated the Physician Self-Referral Law, commonly known as the Stark Law, by making bonus payments to an employee based on the number of patient referrals made by the employee’s spouse, a physician. “The Stark Law exists to ensure that medical decisions are driven by patient need — not financial relationships,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “When providers violate that principle, they undermine trust in the Medicare system and unfairly profit at the expense of taxpayers. This resolution reinforces our commitment to protecting the integrity of federal healthcare programs.” The Stark Law prohibits entities from submitting claims to Medicare for certain designated health services that result from referrals by a physician who has a financial interest with the entity, unless a specific exception applies. Here, the physician’s spouse was employed by Community Home Health Services, and the alleged conduct did not meet any Stark Law exception. The alleged misconduct occurred from February 2017 through February 2025 and involved a physician referring Medicare beneficiaries to Community Home Health Services for designated health services. Community Home Health Services then allegedly furnished those services and submitted claims to Medicare for reimbursement. Of the $702,541.20 settlement amount, $379,752 will be paid as restitution. The allegations arose from a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower, Javier Figueroa, under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private individuals to bring lawsuits on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. Figueroa will receive approximately $126,457 from the settlement announced today. U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and 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, announced the settlement. HHS-OIG Miami investigated the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney H. Ron Davidson and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Cheek handled the litigation. Note: See the settlement agreement here . 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 23-cv-81328. ###


body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – An Oregon man is headed to federal prison for insider trading in connection with COVID-19 and HIV drugs. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Nader Pourhassan, 62, of Lake Oswego, Oregon, to 30 months for misleading investors about his company’s development of a new drug and then selling his personal stock in the company at artificially inflated prices. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, Justice Department – Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI – Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki, Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Los Angeles Field Office. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Pourhassan served as the Chief Executive Officer of CytoDyn, a publicly traded company based in Vancouver, Washington. The company was developing an investigational drug to treat HIV and COVID-19. Between 2018 and 2021, Pourhassan intentionally misled investors about the drug’s prospects for FDA approval to artificially inflate the price of CytoDyn’s stock and attract new investors. He then sold his 4.8 million shares of CytoDyn stock after making false announcements to investors and pocketed $4.4 million. “Pourhassan exploited a deadly public health crisis to intentionally deceive investors and the public out of millions – all so that he could enrich himself,” Hayes said. “As today’s sentence makes clear, executives who mislead investors and manipulate the truth for personal gain will be held accountable. Our office will continue to aggressively pursue those who put greed ahead of honesty and the rule of law.” “The defendant lied to investors about a drug to treat HIV and COVID-19 so he could engage in insider trading,” Duva said. “This type of fraud exploits vulnerable Americans, undermines the integrity of our financial markets, and erodes the trust that investors place in public companies. The Criminal Division remains committed to prosecuting corporate executives who deceive investors.” “Nader Pourhassan lied and schemed to selfishly line his own pockets. He betrayed the trust placed in him as a corporate executive by deceiving and misleading investors,” Paul said. “Not only are his actions illegal, but they also serve to undermine public confidence in our financial institutions. This sentencing shows the FBI’s commitment to rooting out fraudsters seeking to manipulate the market.” “Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder that fraud related to medical products will not be tolerated,” Iwanicki said. “The FDA will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who place profits above public health.” In December 2024, a federal jury convicted Pourhassan of four counts of securities fraud, two counts of wire fraud and three counts of insider trading. Judge Xinis also ordered Pourhassan to pay more than $5.3 million in restitution and to forfeit more than $4.4 million. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, FDA-OCI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adeyemi Adenrele; Acting Deputy Chief Vasanth Sridharan, Acting Assistant Chief Matthew Reilly; and Senior Counsel Lauren Archer, Criminal Division – Fraud Section, who prosecuted this federal case, along with Law Clerk Kerstin Abolnik and Paralegal Specialists Selam Wehabe and John Lee, Fraud Section, who provided substantial assistance. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: FRAUDSTER SENTENCED TO EIGHTEEN YEARS IN PRISON AFTER TAKING AND LAUNDERING MILLIONS FROM ELDERLY VICTIMS

body_text: GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Atharva Shailesh Sathawane, 23, of India, was sentenced to 18 years in prison after a jury previously found him guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Elder fraud schemes like this one are taking place every day in every state, but especially in Florida due to our large population of retirees, so it is of critical importance that we educate the public of these threats to prevent these fraudsters from continuing to victimize our seniors. I applaud the excellent investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to uncover and dismantle this complex, international fraud scheme, which was made possible by the brave victims who came forward to report the fraud in the first place. Our hope is that these elder fraud schemes never occur, but the talented prosecutors in my office will aggressively pursue the heinous fraudsters, like this defendant, and seek maximum punishments when we catch them.” Trial evidence and court documents showed that the defendant, an illegal alien who had overstayed his student visa, was a courier in an international fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims. As part of the scheme, multiple elderly victims were convinced to liquidate their retirement accounts to obtain cash, gold, or both. The defendant would travel to each victim to take possession of large quantities of their cash and gold, and he would then deliver those fraudulently obtained proceeds to his co-conspirators, some of whom were orchestrating the fraud scheme from India. After an elderly victim suspected he was being defrauded, he notified law enforcement who coordinated an undercover operation. The defendant was arrested upon his arrival at the elderly victim’s residence to pick up more gold. A subsequent search of the defendant’s cellular phone confirmed his involvement in the extensive elder fraud scheme. Over a 4-month period, the defendant made at least 33 trips to retrieve gold and cash from the elderly victims. Forensic analysis of the defendant’s phone revealed that he primarily operated in Florida, but he also traveled to Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York to retrieve cash and gold from elderly victims of this fraud scheme and deliver those proceeds to other co-conspirators. As a result of the fraud scheme, numerous elderly American citizens lost their entire life savings or experienced substantial financial hardship. The defendant personally took, and then laundered, $6,615,484.66 in cash and gold from the elderly victims. The defendant attempted to pick up an additional $1,363,395.98 in gold from two elderly victims, but was foiled by the intervention of a concerned friend of a victim in one instance, and by his arrest by law enforcement on the second attempt. “I commend our detectives for their tireless work in stopping scammers,” said Chief Nelson Moya, Gainesville Police Department. “We will not tolerate criminals who prey on our vulnerable citizens.” “If anyone tells you to buy gold and hand it over to a stranger, it is not an investment, it is a scam,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “Mr. Sathawane preyed on his victims’ trust and fear, convincing them to turn over their life savings in gold. Unfortunately, this is a growing trend. In Florida alone, victims lost more than 33 million dollars last year just to gold bar scams. This sentencing is just one step toward justice for the victims in this scheme and the FBI’s efforts to stop this from happening over and over again.” “This case underscores the devastating impact of international fraud schemes targeting our elderly citizens,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office. “The defendant’s actions robbed victims of their life savings and financial security. This case highlights the benefits to everyday Americans when local and federal law enforcement work hand in hand to bring criminals to justice and disrupt a network that preyed on the most vulnerable.” The case involved a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice . For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, at www.ovc.gov . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Pinehurst Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of Firearms

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

body_text: COEUR D’ALENE – Michael William Luma, 48, of Pinehurst, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. According to court records, in November 2023, law enforcement was notified about gunshots coming from Luma’s Pinehurst residence on multiple nights. Luma is prohibited from possessing firearms based on a prior felony conviction for aggravated assault. After securing a search warrant, law enforcement searched Luma’s residence and found a large drill press, a 3-D printer, several “ghost gun” components, thousands of rounds of ammunition, large capacity magazines, and sixteen firearms, including multiple machine guns and silencers. When contacted at his home, Luma was in possession of a loaded handgun magazine as well as eleven fentanyl pills, half a gram of methamphetamine, and a methamphetamine pipe. Chief District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered that Luma be placed on 3 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Luma will continue to be prohibited from possessing firearms following his conviction. U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Johnson prosecuted this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: District of Arizona Charges 150 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Jan.17 through Jan. 23, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 150 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 87 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 45 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 15 cases against 17 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one defendant for assaulting a Border Patrol agent. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Recent matters of interest include: United States v. Pablo Gomez-Luvanos. Gomez-Luvanos was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Jan. 19, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on June 11, 2019, after being convicted of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Gomez Luvanos was sentenced to three-and-a-half years of imprisonment. 26-8044MJ, Phoenix. United States v. Efrain Gutierrez-Perez . Gutierrez-Perez was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Jan. 19, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on Dec. 11, 2019, after being convicted of Aggravated Driving under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor or Drugs, a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Gutierrez-Perez was sentenced to four months of incarceration and two years of probation. 26-8043MJ, Phoenix. A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-007_January 26 Immigration Enforcement # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: North Miami Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Kidnapping and Firearm Offenses Following Violent Home Invasion

body_text: MIAMI – A North Miami man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after committing a violent home invasion and kidnapping. U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks imposed the sentence on Alphonso Gainer, 37, on Jan. 6, following his jury trial conviction on one count of kidnapping and three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition. “This defendant used a firearm to invade a home, terrorize a victim, and commit a kidnapping—conduct that strikes at the heart of community safety,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Under Operation Take Back America, violent offenders who bring guns into our neighborhoods will be identified, prosecuted, and removed from our streets. A 15-year federal sentence sends a clear message: there is no tolerance for violent gun crime in South Florida.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on July 11, 2023, at approximately 6 a.m., Gainer broke into the victim’s North Miami residence and opened fire inside the home, nearly killing the victim. A 911 call placed by the victim captured the sound of Gainer firing three additional rounds as the victim sought cover. Responding officers arrived within minutes, but Gainer fled before law enforcement could locate him. Hours later, after officers had completed their initial investigation and left the scene, Gainer returned to the residence, kidnapped the victim at gunpoint, and forced the victim into his rental vehicle. The victim managed to escape unharmed but photographed the vehicle’s license plate, which law enforcement traced back to Gainer. Ballistics evidence introduced at trial linked a firearm recovered from Gainer’s residence to shell casings found at the scene of the shooting. U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, made the announcement. ATF Miami Field Office is investigating the case, with substantial assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Mikulic and Altanese P. Phenelus are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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 25-cr-20226. ###


title: United States Obtains False Claims Act Judgment Against California Rehabilitation Center and Owner Relating to Improper Paycheck Protection Program Loan

component: Civil Division

body_text: The United States District Court for the Central District of California granted summary judgment to the United States against JMG Investments Inc., a California corporation which runs a rehabilitation center, and its owner, Jeffrey Schwartz, on Jan. 15, finding that they violated the False Claims Act when they knowingly received and retained more than one Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan prior to Dec. 31, 2020, in violation of PPP rules. The District Court ordered Schwartz and his company to pay the United States a total of $1,565,294.38 in damages and penalties. “PPP loans were intended to provide critical relief to small businesses,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to pursuing those who knowingly violated the requirements of the PPP and obtained relief funds to which they were not entitled.” “Every pandemic relief dollar improperly used was money other businesses needed to stay afloat,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “My office will continue tracking down individuals and companies who unlawfully took advantage of COVID-19 government aid.” “The favorable ruling in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the Department of Justice and other Federal law enforcement agencies to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis. The PPP, an emergency loan program established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), was intended to support small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. A borrower applying for a PPP loan was required to make multiple certifications relating to its eligibility and compliance with program rules. Among other things, PPP loan applicants in 2020 were required to certify that they would not receive more than one PPP loan prior to Dec. 31, 2020. In August 2024, the United States filed a complaint against JMG Investments and Schwartz alleging that they violated the False Claims Act when Schwartz, on behalf of JMG Investments Inc., improperly received two PPP loans in 2020 in violation of PPP rules, and thereafter knowingly and improperly retained the proceeds of the duplicate loan. According to the government’s complaint, Schwartz and JMG Investments Inc. failed to repay the duplicate loan as they were required, which resulted in a loss to the SBA when it purchased the loan guaranty on the duplicate loan. The District Court ruled that the United States had shown it was entitled to judgment on all claims asserted against the Defendants and, accordingly, awarded the United States summary judgment. This judgment against JMG Investments Inc. and Jeffrey Schwartz resolves claims brought in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The United States may intervene in the action, as it did in this case. The amount of the whistleblower share in this case has not yet been determined. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Quesenberry v. JMG Investments, Inc., et al , No. 20-cv-8497-MWF (ASx) (C.D. Cal.). The judgment obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel and Office of the Inspector General. This matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Jared S. Wiesner and Paden R. Gallagher of the Civil Division, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul La Scala of the Central District of California. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by visiting the webpage of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, which can be found here . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can also report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Former Brundidge Police Chief Ordered to Forfeit Three Properties Connected to Federal Rental Assistance Fraud

body_text: MONTGOMERY, Ala, – A former Brundidge Police Chief has been ordered to forfeit three residential properties connected to a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal pandemic assistance funds. On January 21, 2026, a federal judge entered a final order of forfeiture against Samuel Cornelius Green, 51, requiring him to forfeit his interest in three rental properties located in Troy, Alabama. The forfeiture follows Green’s guilty plea to illegally receiving funds through the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). The federal government implemented ERAP in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide financial assistance to households unable to pay rent or utilities, as well as to landlords seeking reimbursement for tenants’ unpaid rent during the pandemic. According to Green’s plea agreement and other court records, beginning in March 2021, Green submitted multiple ERAP applications containing false and misleading information regarding tenants, rental arrangements, and payment histories in order to obtain funds to which he was not entitled. In some of the fraudulent applications, Green submitted counterfeit and altered utility bills. The scheme continued through November 2021. In October 2025, Green pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His co-conspirator, Schemillia Levera Fenn, of Troy, Alabama, pleaded guilty to wire fraud for her role in the scheme. At sentencing hearings held on January 14, 2026, the court ordered Green and Fenn to pay $118,175 in restitution to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The court also imposed a $1,000 fine against Green. The Department of the Treasury's Office of Inspector General investigated this case, with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle R. Turner, Russell T. Duraski, and J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted the case.


title: Byron Center Resident Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: James Scholten has agreed to pay $868,707 in taxes due to the United States GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that James Phillip Scholten, age 51, of Byron Center pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion. Scholten is scheduled to be sentenced by the Honorable Jane M. Beckering, United States District Judge, on May 12, 2026, and faces a maximum of five years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney VerHey stated, “Everyone must pay the full amount of income tax they owe. Those who evade the assessment or payment of taxes by willfully and intentionally not complying with their legal responsibility pose a threat to proper tax administration and impede the prosperity of our nation.” According to court documents, Scholten was charged with one count of tax evasion, a felony offense. Scholten admitted that, between 2011 and 2024, he regularly sold scrap metal that netted him approximately $3.4 million of additional income. Scholten used a Certified Public Accountant to prepare his federal tax returns. The tax returns that Scholten filed from 2011 to 2023 were false because Scholten never told his accountant that he annually sold scrap material that generated substantial additional income. Scholten admitted that he intentionally failed to provide his CPA with recycling payment records and the amounts of his recycling income to evade assessment of tax due and owing on that income. For example, in 2021, Scholten reported that he only owed $2,465 in federal income tax. In fact, Scholten obtained an additional $610,818 in taxable income from recycling payments resulting in an additional tax due and owing of $172,618. “Tax evasion is not a victimless crime, as it is the American public who is affected when tax dollars—money that funds essential public services like defense, roads, and education—are dodged. Scholten deliberately withheld income so he didn’t have to pay his fair share. Now he will not only pay his taxes but will face the consequences of willfully not doing so from the start,” said Karen M. Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI Detroit. This matter was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation, the law enforcement arm of the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris O’Connor is prosecuting it.


title: Paducah Woman Convicted at Trial on Nine Federal Charges for False Claims and Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Paducah, KY – A Paducah woman was found guilty of nine federal charges for false claims and wire fraud on Friday. U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office made the announcement. Natasha Harris-Johnson, 52, of Paducah, filed eight tax returns for the 2018 and 2019 tax years on behalf of trusts she created, altogether demanding nearly $30 million in tax refunds she was not entitled to. Harris-Johnson also filed a fraudulent application with the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) for Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in Harris-Johnson receiving approximately $160,000 in SBA funds she was not entitled to. Harris-Johnson used the EIDL funds for personal expenses and has not paid back any portion of the loan. On Friday January 16, 2026, Harris-Johnson was found guilty of all nine counts she was charged with at the conclusion of a week-long jury trial in Paducah, Kentucky. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “Our office along with our law enforcement partners will vigorously pursue fraud against the federal government. I am particularly proud of the strong advocacy on behalf of the United States by Assistant United States Attorneys Corinne Keel and Josh Judd.” “The criminal who perpetrated this scheme systematically defrauded the government and the taxpaying public,” said Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office. “At the IRS, protecting taxpayer money is a matter we take very seriously and keep at the forefront of our mission every day. IRS-CI will continue to actively pursue those who steal from the hardworking taxpayers of the United States by preparing false claims for refunds to which they are not entitled.” Harris-Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison for each of eight false claims counts and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the single wire fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the Bowling Green Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, which is a branch of the Detroit Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corinne E. Keel and Joshua Judd prosecuted the case with the assistance of paralegal Cristy Crockett. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . ###


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced to 11 years in Prison for Discharging a Firearm During a Business Robbery

body_text: Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Roberto Juan Morales , 49 , of Mexico, to 132 months in federal prison for discharging a firearm during a business robbery. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today. According to information presented in court, in March 2025, Morales robbed the Supermercado Guatemala store located on Winchester Road in Memphis, Tennessee. He threatened the store clerk with an AR-style rifle and fired a round into the floor next to the clerk when she hesitated to open the cash drawer. The incident was recorded on store surveillance video. Investigators located the suspect vehicle on license plate readers in the area and found an address associated with the vehicle where Morales resided. Investigators also located items the suspect was wearing in the video in his vehicle. Call detail records from his cell phone placed him at the scene. The investigation revealed that Morales had entered the United States illegally and been returned to Mexico on at least four prior occasions. In September 2025, Morales pled guilty to robbery of a business, discharging a firearm during in and relation to the robbery, and being an illegal alien in possession of ammunition. On January 22, 2026, United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Morales to 132 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Criminal aliens not only threaten the sovereignty of our nation, but also threaten the safety of our communities. This case demonstrates our commitment to immigration enforcement and our focus on those violent and dangerous criminal aliens who continue to violate our laws after illegal entry.” "This sentence should send a clear message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners make it a priority to bring to justice those who resort to robbery for ill-gotten gain," said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "We are stronger when we work together to combat violent crime and will continue to combat these issues through strong partnerships." The FBI and the Memphis Police Department’s Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case. This case is part of the Safe Streets Task Force’s efforts to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee and surrounding areas. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Musselwhite prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Venezuelan Man Posing as High School Teen Sentenced to Prison

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – A 24-year-old Venezuelan man residing unlawfully in Perrysburg, Ohio, who was enrolled as a student at a local high school, has been sentenced for lying on immigration forms and on applications to purchase a firearm. Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra, was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp after pleading guilty in September to the following charges in an indictment: Possession of a Firearm by an Alien Unlawfully in the United States Making a False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm Making or Using False Writings or Documents. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. Labrador-Sierra is subject to a detainer from the United States Border Patrol and will be taken into administrative immigration custody following the completion of his sentence. Judge Knepp imposed the sentence Jan. 23. According to the indictment, the defendant submitted a false date of birth to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on federal applications for Temporary Protective Status and Employment Authorization documents in 2024 and 2025. In the original criminal complaint and underlying affidavit filed in May 2025, investigators learned that Perrysburg Schools made a report to local police that they received information indicating that Labrador-Sierra was posing as a student attending Perrysburg High School. Upon further investigation, agents found that he was not a minor but was instead a 24-year-old man who had enrolled under false pretenses. This case was investigated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection−Sandusky Bay Station, FBI Toledo Resident Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the City of Perrysburg Police Department, with valuable assistance from the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office. The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Melching and Tracey Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio. 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 communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Puerto Rico Woman Sentenced for Interfering with Flight Attendants by Assault and Intimidation

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Jennifer Rodriguez (37, Puerto Rico) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Mizelle to five months in federal prison for interfering with flight attendants by assault and intimidation. Rodriguez pleaded guilty on July 17, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, on April 21, 2024, Rodriguez was a passenger on a commercial flight departing Tampa International Airport headed for San Juan, Puerto Rico. After the plane had pushed back from the gate, a flight attendant repeatedly requested that Rodriguez end her cellphone call. Instead, Rodriguez began arguing with the flight attendants. Rodriguez began yelling at the flight attendants and threatened to hit, slap, “beat up,” pull their hair, and drag them down the plane’s aisle by their scarves. She also interfered with their ability to provide medical assistance to a nearby passenger and to prepare the cabin for takeoff. The pilot was forced to return to the gate, and the passengers were required to disembark so that Rodriguez could be escorted off the plane by law enforcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa International Airport Police. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler, III.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches Settlement with Portland Mental Health Clinic for Alleged Controlled Substances Act Violations

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: Riverbird, LLC, a Portland-based mental health clinic, and its providers Matthew Stevens, DO and Selma Holden, MD, have agreed to pay $20,000 to resolve claims they violated the civil provisions of the Controlled Substances Act through reporting and recordkeeping violations. The settlement announced resolves allegations that Riverbird and its providers improperly failed to report the diversion of controlled substances; failed to keep appropriate records of controlled substances stored, dispensed, or destroyed; and did not conduct regular inventories. As alleged, following a November 2024 audit of Riverbird by diversion investigators employed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the following alleged violations were identified: Clinic practitioners were aware of drug diversion committed by Matthew Stevens, DO, yet failed to report the theft to DEA. Clinic practitioners failed to take an initial inventory of controlled substances after a change in ownership of the clinic. Clinic practitioners failed to maintain complete and accurate records related to controlled substances possessed by the clinic. Clinic practitioners admitted to investigators that a Schedule IV controlled substance (lorazepam) in the practice’s possession was disposed of, however, the only record of the disposal was a handwritten note on a slip of paper rather than a completed mandatory DEA form. “DEA registrants are responsible for handling controlled substances responsibly and ensuring that complete and accurate records are being properly kept and accounted for in compliance with the Controlled Substance Act,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. “Failure to do so increases the potential for diversion and jeopardizes public health and public safety. We are committed to working with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure that these rules and regulations are followed.” “Maintaining complete and accurate records is a baseline obligation of all DEA registrants, required to prevent controlled substances from being diverted from the legitimate drug supply,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Benson. “Investigations such as this—where investigators discovered undisclosed instances of actual drug diversion—reinforce the need to timely record and report such instances to the DEA.” DEA diversion investigators conducted the investigation. As part of the settlement, Riverbird and its providers have also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the DEA, to further ensure compliance with applicable Controlled Substances Act laws and regulations. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. Riverbird and its providers cooperated with the DEA throughout the investigation. ###