title: Wayne County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Randy Price, 52, of Wayne, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 16, 2019, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Price in Charleston. Price attempted to flee on foot but was captured. Law enforcement seized a Raven Arms MP-25 .25-caliber pistol from the vehicle. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Price knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for involuntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas on June 28, 2002. Price is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys JC MacCallum and Negar M. Kordestani have prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-97. ###


title: Personal Health Care Aide Charged with Health Care Fraud

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Amstrong Chapajong, 38, of Cheverly, Maryland, has been charged in an information with health care fraud in connection with an overlapping billing scheme that defrauded the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program. The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas of the D.C. Office of the Inspector General (DC-OIG). As alleged in the information, from March 2020 to January 2022, Chapajong, while working as both a personal care aide and community support worker, fraudulently claimed to provide in-home personal care and behavioral health services to multiple clients in different locations at the same time. Additionally, Chapajong’s Electronic Visit Verification data most often showed he was not in the vicinity of his client’s homes, where he purported to be providing services. In total, Chapajong billed and was paid $461,369 by Medicaid for his shifts with overlapping hours. This case was jointly investigated by the FBI, the HHS-OIG, and DC-OIG’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Facci, who is on detail from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.


title: Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crimes

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Rafael Cee-Erwin Solomon, also known as “Rip,” 43, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to three counts of distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, Solomon sold a quantity of fentanyl in Dunbar on March 10, 2025, and quantities of fentanyl in St. Albans on March 24, 2025, and March 27, 2025. Solomon has a criminal history that includes a prior conviction for conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on December 10, 2012. He also has prior convictions for assault and battery-domestic violence, malicious destruction of property, arson, and felonious assault. Today’s guilty pleas result from an investigation that also led to the indictment of 13 other individuals on charges alleging they participated in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Solomon is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, at least six years of supervised release, and a $2 million fine. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. This case is also part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-77. ###


title: Williamsburg man pleads guilty for sending threat to police officer that included images of child sexual abuse

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Williamsburg man pled guilty today to distributing obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. According to court documents, on Feb. 14 and 15, a police officer made contact with Xavier Joseph Stafford, 22, and asked Stafford to remove his vehicle from private property in Williamsburg. On Feb. 18, Stafford sent an email to the officer in which Stafford threatened to rape the officer’s daughter. Stafford included two animated images depicting child sexual abuse. The email also included a live photo repeatedly looping several frames of consecutive images of the officer’s home. Stafford is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 4. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Therese O'Brien is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-cr-40.


title: Fort Hall Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

body_text: POCATELLO – Abe L. Sireech, 37, of Fort Hall, was sentenced to 29 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a felon, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today. According to court records, on August 6, 2022, Fort Hall Police responded to a residence based on a report of a suspicious vehicle parked in front of the owner’s house. Police arrived and found Sireech in the driver’s seat of the vehicle. Sireech appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. While talking to Sireech, the officer saw a rifle next to Sireech’s right leg. The officer removed Sireech from the vehicle and found that the rifle was a loaded semi-automatic rifle with additional loaded magazines in the vehicle. Police determined that Sireech had an earlier conviction for felony aggravated assault and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Sireech pleaded guilty to illegal possession of the firearm on April 7, 2025. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Sireech to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Hall Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Haycock prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Former Federal Probation Officer Sentenced for Child Exploitation Charges

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: Oxford, MS – A former federal probation officer was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for receiving child sexual abuse materials. Lonnie Everill pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography on January 14, 2025. According to court documents, Lonnie Everill, 46 years old, of Water Valley, Mississippi, was initially investigated after engaging in chats with another social media user regarding their sexual interest in children. When investigators reviewed the contents of the account attributable to Everill, they found images and videos of prepubescent minors engaged in sexual conduct. Over the course of four (4) months, Everill had sent and received a number of images and videos of child sexual abuse material, as well as selfies and images of local minors not engaged in sexually explicit conduct. During his time as a probation officer, Everill had structured his career to focus on the rehabilitation and supervision of sexual offenders. Everill was employed in Utah, California, South Carolina, and Mississippi. U.S. District Judge Dan Jordan sentenced Everill to 120 months in federal prison. In handing down the prison term, the court held him accountable for over 1,400 images. Everill was further ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to the victims in the images he possessed and an additional assessment of $10,000. He will also have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet and will be ordered to register as a sex offender. The court noted that many of the images and videos he possessed were of very young children and toddlers being raped. “Everill’s betrayal of trust has been truly staggering,” stated U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “His criminal conduct affected victims, the community, and undermined the credibility of the great federal probation officers in this district. I truly appreciate the exceptional prosecution led by AUSA Parker King and FBI Supervisory Agent Ryan Berthay that uncovered his crimes and brought him to justice.” “The conduct of this former law enforcement officer was beyond shocking and a gross betrayal of public trust,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “When someone in a position of authority commits such a revolting crime, the damage extends beyond the youthful victims; it shakes the very foundation of our communities’ trust. No matter their badge or title, the FBI will always aggressively pursue those that prey on our children.” This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of the Project Safe Childhood nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Man Arrested for Assaulting a Federal Officer

component: USAO - Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A Dominican national was arrested today on criminal charges for allegedly assaulting a federal officer. According to court documents, Bernis Díaz-de la Cruz (Díaz), 20, was arrested and charged under a Federal Criminal Complaint with violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a) – Obstructing and Resisting a Federal Officer – and 111(b) – Assault of a Federal Officer through the use of a dangerous weapon, for events which took place in Puerto Rico on June 25, 2025. United States Border Patrol Agents were on duty when they encountered the subject who was engaged in suspected illegal activity inside a vehicle. Upon being confronted by the Border Patrol Agents, and instead of following commands, Díaz rapidly accelerated the vehicle toward one of the Border Patrol Agents who was in his official law enforcement uniform and standing in front of the vehicle. The Border Patrol Agent acted rapidly and moved to avoid being hit by the vehicle driven by Díaz. Díaz’s erratic driving ultimately resulted in a collision with another law enforcement vehicle which was in the vicinity of the incident. Díaz is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and does not have legal status authorizing him to be present in the United States. “The Department of Justice has zero tolerance for those criminals who assault federal or local law enforcement officers,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will prosecute those who assault the brave women and men who serve and protect our communities to the fullest extent of the law.” “Assaulting a federal agent is a grave offense that risks the safety of those who serve and protect our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Devin J. Kowalski, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Juan Field Office. “When someone chooses violence instead of compliance, they endanger lives—including their own. These agents exercised extraordinary restraint and professionalism in the face of a dangerous and deliberate threat. But let this serve as a warning: any assault against federal law enforcement will be investigated with every single resource the FBI has it its portfolio and we will not rest until justice is fully served.” “Thanks to the vigilance our agents and coordination with our federal partners, the defendant will now face justice under federal law, reinforcing that violations of U.S. sovereignty will not go unchecked,” stated Reggie Johnson, Chief Patrol Agent for Ramey Sector. “Assaults on any federal agent will not be tolerated. Those who choose to commit such acts will be held fully accountable under the law. Violence against law enforcement is an attack on the rule of law and public safety—and it will be met with swift and decisive justice.” If convicted, Díaz faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI and the United States Border Patrol Ramey Sector are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney César Rivera-Díaz is 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### complaint_diaz_de_la_cruz_0_0.pdf


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Participates in Record-Setting National Health Care Fraud Takedown

body_text: WASHINGTON – Today, United States Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the criminal charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia against defendants in multiple cases in connection with the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, an initiative aimed at alleged schemes to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and other health care programs that receive federal tax dollars. The larger, nationwide Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers. “Health care fraud costs this country billions of taxpayer dollars every year,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This office fights rigorously, every day to uncover the fraud and abuse that steal precious resources from programs like these. To the thieves who are engaging in these fraud schemes: you think you’ve discovered how to walk away with free money; but we will find you and you will walk away with a new label - ‘convicted felon’.” “This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.” Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown. Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices. "Defrauding the American health care system is not a victimless crime," said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office. "It raises health insurance premiums, exposes patients to unnecessary medical procedures, and can lead to identity theft. Every dollar stolen is one fewer that's available to pay for needed care. The FBI will continue our relentless pursuit of those committing health care fraud and hold them accountable for their crimes." “The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.” The following individuals were charged in the District of Columbia: Amstrong Chapajong , of Cheverly, Maryland, is charged with one count of health care fraud in connection with an overlapping billing scheme that allegedly defrauded the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program. As alleged in the information, from March 2020 to January 2022, Chapajong, while working as both a personal care aide and community support worker, fraudulently claimed to provide in-home personal care and behavioral health services to multiple clients in different locations at the same time. Additionally, Chapajong’s Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) data most often showed he was not in the vicinity of his client’s homes, where he purported to be providing services. In total, Medicaid paid $461,369 for Chapajong’s shifts with overlapping hours. Michelle Shropshire, of Maryland, and Harlisha Jones , of Maryland and Washington, DC, both employed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) were charged by indictment with health care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy charges for allegedly using Jones’s insurance policies with American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (AFLAC) to submit fraudulent health care and short-term disability insurance claims for injuries, medical treatments, and disability periods that did not exist. The indictment alleges that as part of the scheme defendants created fraudulent medical paperwork, including medical excuse notes and physician’s statements, and forged doctors’ signatures on those forms. Then, after AFLAC paid each claim to Jones, she paid a kickback to Shropshire using a portion of the claim proceeds. As a result of those fraudulent insurance claims, AFLAC paid Jones approximately $58,750, of which Jones paid approximately 20% back to Shropshire. Similarly, in addition to Jones, Shropshire is alleged to have assisted a number of other WMATA employees with submitting fraudulent health care and short-term disability insurance claims to AFLAC, which paid at least $362,035 in benefits based upon the false claims. Of those other WMATA employees, the following have been charged by information and have pled guilty to charges involving the scheme and paying kickbacks to Shropshire: Sharon Washington of Virginia, and Selethia Blake, Brady Turner, Lushawn Foreman, and Margot Jackson, all of Maryland. These cases, in particular, were investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The Shropshire case was also investigated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Office of Inspector General. U.S. v Chapajong was also investigated by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s (DC-OIG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. In addition to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces includes U.S. Attorneys Offices from around the nation; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department of Justice website . A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 32 Months for Using Stolen Debit Card Numbers

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Andre Hill , 25, to 32 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. Hill was also ordered to pay $13,842 in restitution. Hill pleaded guilty on February 24, 2025. According to court records and evidence from the sentencing, from January to February 2023 Hill obtained and used multiple debit card numbers without the knowledge of the account holders. Hill loaded the stolen numbers into a digital wallet application on his phone and then traveled to Maine and other locations to make purchases, request cash back, and purchase money orders payable to himself. The purchases made in Maine took place at multiple retail locations and post offices in the greater Portland area. Hill attempted over $40,000 in transactions using the stolen debit card numbers. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. ###


title: National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $14.6 Billion in Alleged Fraud

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: Largest DOJ Health Care Fraud Takedown in History More than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion Fargo : Today, Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced criminal charges against Isaac Osei Afoakwa , 55, of Bismarck, North Dakota in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. Afoakwa was charged by indictment with false statements relating to a health care benefit program, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and aiding and abetting the preparation and presentation of a false and fraudulent tax return. As alleged in the indictment, Afoakwa, as owner and principal of Bismarck Transportation Services, allegedly submitted $100,000 of false and fraudulent claims to North Dakota Medicaid on behalf of Bismarck Transportation Services for non-medical emergency transport services. Afoakwa also fraudulently obtained a Paycheck Protection Program loan, as well as eight Economic Injury Disaster Loans, to which he was not entitled, in the total amount of $1,615,944. “Today’s record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown sends a crystal-clear message to criminal actors, both foreign and domestic, intent on preying upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers: we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.” The charges announced today by Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15.6 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. In connection with the Takedown, the Government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets. The District of North Dakota in particular, worked with the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and the North Dakota Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Greenley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota. The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links: • Graphics and Resources • Case Descriptions • Court Documents # # #


title: Nearly 50 charged in Southern District of Texas as part of national health care fraud takedown

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A total of 22 cases are being announced as part of local efforts targeting health care fraud and include various schemes alleging unlawful distribution of controlled substances, some of which were diverted onto the black market, hospice fraud, kickbacks and other Medicare/Medicaid fraud schemes involving medically unnecessary genetic tests, durable medical equipment and more. The charges filed in Southern District of Texas (SDTX) federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 national health care fraud takedown. “Americans rely on Medicare for needed treatments and living-saving care. Those that bilk this fund to unlawfully enrich themselves are ultimately stealing from the taxpayer and damaging public confidence in our health system,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Today’s takedown is a reminder to would-be medical fraudsters that the Department of Justice is always standing guard over the public fisc.” “This record-setting health care fraud takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.” One of the largest cases include three individuals for their alleged roles in a $110 million hospice fraud and kickback scheme. The charges allege Dera Ogudo, 39, and Victoria Martinez, 35, both of Richmond, operated hospice company United Palliative & Hospice Company (UPHC) that misled vulnerable elderly adults about what services were being billed to their Medicare and Medicaid plans. According to court documents, UPHC Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and/or their family members believed they would be receiving palliative or home health services. In truth, these patients were enrolled in hospice services but were not actually terminally ill as Medicare and Medicaid requires, according to the charges. Ogudo allegedly paid kickbacks to several group homeowners in exchange for enrolling their beneficiaries in hospice with UPHC and bribed a physician to certify and re-certify UPHC patients as terminally ill when they were not. Ogudo also allegedly paid kickbacks to Evelyn Shaw, 52, Houston, in exchange for referrals from a local psychiatric hospital where Shaw was employed as discharge coordinator. In relation to the scheme, Carlos Munoz, 57, Richmond, is charged by information. Ogudo allegedly paid Munoz, a medical doctor, kickbacks and bribes to certify and re-certify Medicare and Medicaid patients for hospices services. In a separate case, Keilan Peterson aka Young Jay or Jay, 38, and Kimberly Martinez, 47, Houston, have been charged for their alleged participation in a scheme to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances in exchange for cash through Relief Medical Center and GroveCare clinics in Houston. As alleged in their indictment, Peterson paid three doctors to allow Peterson, Martinez and others at the clinics to use the doctors’ electronic prescribing credentials to issue prescriptions for significant amounts of hydrocodone, carisoprodol and oxycodone. Peterson also allegedly sent some of these illegitimate prescriptions to his own pharmacy, Next Level Pharmacy, and took possession of the controlled substances to sell on the black market. In total, the indictment alleges Peterson and others issued over 2 million controlled substance pills, the vast majority of which were unauthorized, issued without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice. A podiatrist and the self-proclaimed CEO of a local medical clinic were also charged in another $90 million Medicare fraud scheme. The 15-count superseding indictment alleges David Jenson, 57, and Nestor Rafael Romero Magallanes, 29, both of Spring, conspired to fraudulently bill Medicare for over $90 million for skin substitute products-often for patients who did not have qualifying wounds. They allegedly submitted claims for patients who did not have qualifying wounds, or any wounds at all, and continued billing even after a 2023 audit denied all their claims and flagged the conduct as improper. The indictment further alleges Jenson and Romero falsified medical records to make it appear patients had chronic wounds and manipulated documentation to show those wounds were improving despite no such existing conditions. Charged with wire fraud, Tyneza P. Mitchell, 43, Spring, was allegedly involved in a scheme to bill the COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured Program. The charges allege billing included in-office consultations regarding COVID diagnosis and treatment she never provided. As alleged in the indictment, Mitchell is a licensed nurse practitioner who received $9.9 million as a result of her fraudulent scheme. Daphne Johnson, 60, Stafford, was allegedly involved in a scheme to bill Medicaid $793,804 for mental health therapy services she never provided. As alleged in the information, Johnson received $331,112 as a result of her fraudulent scheme. Prosecutors with the Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force also filed charges against several more individuals in this district with assistance from SDTX. Chad Harper, 49, Pearland, is facing numerous charges in connection with a $115 Medicare fraud scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Harper owned multiple laboratories through which he billed Medicare for genetic and other diagnostic testing induced by kickbacks and bribes which were medically unnecessary or otherwise ineligible for Medicare. The indictment alleges Harper generated business through a nationwide network of marketers who directed referrals to the laboratories in exchange for illegal kickbacks that Harper paid through shell companies. Harper allegedly funded his operation through, among other ways, obtaining a fraudulent equipment loan from a local credit union. Harper allegedly laundered the proceeds of his schemes through other shell companies, which purchased and held real properties and assets and passed profits on to Harper. Dr. Maryam “Meg” Qayum, 67, New Caney, is charged with multiple counts of illegally distributing a controlled substance along with Jared Williams, 48, Pearland; and Tomi-Ko Bowers, 70, Lester “Lay” Stokes, 37, and Melvin Sampson, 55, all of Houston. The charges stem from their alleged roles in diverting more than three million opioids onto the black market. As alleged in the indictment, Qayum is a medical doctor and Bowers an advanced practice registered nurse who operated Recare Clinic in Kingwood along with Stokes. They allegedly sold oxycodone and hydrocodone prescriptions to drug traffickers in exchange for cash. Sampson is alleged to be one such individual who recruited others to pose as patients, paid cash for the prescriptions from Qayum, filled Qayum’s prescriptions at complicit pharmacies and resold the drugs on the black market. Other Strike Force cases include one charging Sacha Lashun Betts, 47, Houston, and Nicholas Aguillard, 49, Rosenberg; Lisa Darlene Durden, 60, and Jordan O. Williams, 56, both of Missouri City; Quincy Guillory, 51, Richmond; Mykel Walker, 42, Cypress, and Kaeita Rankin, 48, Houston. The indictment alleges they participated in a conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances in connection with the establishment, oversight and operation of a drug trafficking organization that controlled more than a dozen “front” pharmacies used to sell opioids and other commonly abused prescription drugs, often in bulk, to street-level drug dealers on Houston’s black market. From 2015 through 2022, the defendants’ pharmacies unlawfully distributed and dispensed more than 4.4 million doses of opioids and other commonly abused prescription drugs, with an estimated street value exceeding $75 million, according to the charges. The co-conspirators allegedly sold opioids and other commonly abused prescription drugs to street-level drug traffickers in exchange for cash. Other cases involve fraudulent schemes for kickbacks or billing Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic tests or footbath drugs, durable medical equipment, conspiracies to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances, some involving diversion onto the black market or in connection to the operation of pill-mill pharmacies. Those charged in this district also include residents of Houston, Richmond, League City, Rosharon, Sugar Land, Katy, Pearland and Manvel as well as U.S. citizens from Florida, Indiana and Georgia. All the cases are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles and other assets in connection with the takedown. Descriptions of each SDTX case and others involved in the enforcement actions are available on the Department of Justice’s website . Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (OIG), FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Federal Housing Finance Agency – OIG and U.S. Postal Service - OIG conducted the various investigations with assistance of police departments in Conroe, Dickinson and Houston. Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) Brad Gray, Kathryn Olson, Christine Lu, Alexander Alum and Thomas Carter are prosecting the SDTX cases with assistance from AUSAs Kristine Rollinson and Brandon Fyffe who are handling forfeiture matters. Counsel to the Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit Alexis Gregorian, Acting Assistant Chief Devon Helfmeyer, Senior Litigation Counsel Catherine Wagner and Trial Attorneys Adam Tisdall, Andrew Tamayo, Monica Cooper, Benjamin Smith, Yael Mash, Erika V. Suhr, Ethan Womble, Claire Horrell and Gary A. Crosby are prosecuting the Strike Force matters. SDTX and The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Rapid Response, Texas, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England and Northeast Strike Forces are prosecuting the cases as well as U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Districts of Columbia, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont; Northern and Western Districts of Texas; Central, Northern and Southern Districts of California; Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Florida; Middle District of Georgia; Northern District of Illinois; Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky; Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana; Eastern District of Michigan; Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi; Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio; Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma; Eastern District of Pennsylvania; Middle and Western Districts of Tennessee; Eastern District of Virginia; Western District of Washington; Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. A complaint, information or indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Convicted Felon Indicted, Arraigned on Federal Firearms and Drug Charges

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

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A convicted felon was arraigned in federal court in Providence today on firearm and drug charges contained in a 15-count federal superseding indictment returned by a grand jury on June 18, 2025, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. The indictment charges Luis Martinez, 46, of Providence, with three counts of sale or transfer of a firearm to a prohibited person, two counts of distribution of cocaine, three counts of distribution of cocaine base, four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Charging documents allege the following: on various dates between September 17, 2024, and March 5, 2025, Martinez sold a total of approximately 73.6 grams of crack cocaine and approximately 54.9 grams of cocaine. On March 26, 2025, he possessed 28 grams or more of cocaine base with the intent to distribute it and also possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it; Between September 17, 2024, and March 26, 2025, Martinez was a felon in possession of four firearms, three of which he sold or transferred to another person; and On March 26, 2025 while he possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it, he also possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. Court records reflect that Martinez was previously convicted in Rhode Island state courts on felony firearm and drug trafficking charges and was serving a term of state probation at the time of his initial arrest in this matter on May 7, 2025. Martinez is currently detained in federal custody. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Providence Police Department Narcotics Unit. ###


title: Two Dallas Residents Sentenced to 188 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Over $600,000 Worth of Fentanyl

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: Two Dallas residents were sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for their roles in distributing over $600,000 worth of fentanyl, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson. Christle Nadia Ruiz, 22, and Ricardo Antonio Flores, 29, both of Dallas, Texas, pled guilty in October 2024 to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. On June 26, 2025, they were each sentenced to 188 months’ confinement by United States District Judge Karen Gren Scholer. Court documents reveal Flores and Ruiz had been living together and distributing fentanyl from a home on Ezekiel Avenue in Dallas, Texas. In February 2023, Flores delivered 1,000 fentanyl pills and another 1,000 fentanyl pills in March 2023, in exchange for $2,000 on each occasion. Thereafter, in April 2023, Ruiz received a shipment of approximately 50,000 fentanyl pills that she and Flores were planning to distribute. On that same date, while officers executed a search warrant at their home, Ruiz attempted to flush several fentanyl pills down the commode. According to agents’ testimony, Ruiz had also received approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills about three to four weeks before the execution of the search warrant and that she used a social media account with the phrases “Happy vibes . . . Thug Paradise” to advertise the sale of fentanyl. Agents also testified that the street value of one fentanyl pill is $10 in the Dallas, Texas, area. The estimated street value of 60,000 pills is $600,000. “As we pointed out to the Court during the defendants’ sentencing hearings, tens of thousands of tragic overdose deaths occur each year due to fentanyl, and those who distribute it know exactly what they are doing,” said Acting United States Attorney Nancy Larson. “The staggering amount of fentanyl in this case would have caused far-reaching devastation to our families and community, but for the tremendous efforts of our law enforcement partners in apprehending these defendants and keeping this deadly poison off the streets. We are resolved to relentlessly pursue these offenders and seek the lengthy prison sentences they deserve.” “This sentence sends a clear message that those who profit from poisoning our communities with fentanyl will be held accountable,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Dallas. “Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has caused thousands of overdose deaths and devastated communities across the nation. The investigation and sentence handed down in this case reflects an unwavering resolve by law enforcement to protect public safety and pursue justice for the victims of the opioid epidemic.” The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Department, the Rockwall Police Department, the Garland Police Department, the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office, and the Flower Mound Police Department. Special assistance was provided by the Texas Department of Public safety during the execution of the search warrant. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George Leal.


title: 11 Defendants Indicted in Multi-Billion Health Care Fraud Scheme, the Largest Case by Loss Amount Ever Charged by the Department Of Justice

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: BROOKLYN, NY – Fifteen individuals, including two pharmacists, have been charged for their participation in schemes in which the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and other health care benefit programs, were fraudulently billed more than $10.6 billion. In one case, dubbed “Operation Gold Rush” by law enforcement, 11 defendants, members of a transnational criminal organization (the Organization) based in Russia and elsewhere, allegedly orchestrated a multi-billion-dollar health care fraud and money laundering scheme to steal from the Medicare program and private health insurance companies. The charges filed in the Eastern District of New York are part of the 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, a coordinated law enforcement action across the United States led by the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section Health Care Fraud Unit. United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi; Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Christian J. Schrank, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) announced the charges. “This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” stated Attorney General Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.” “As alleged, the defendants perpetrated health care frauds of staggering proportions, victimizing taxpayers and government programs that serve the most vulnerable members of our society,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “My Office is working closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and track down, here and abroad, those criminals who treat government funded programs and insurance providers like ATMs, and to hold them accountable for every dollar they brazenly stole. As for the defendants charged with submitting billions of dollars in phony Medicare claims, that is a health care fraud record they will regret setting.” Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York and Connecticut Field Offices; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York; the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces; the New York City Department of Investigation; the New York City Police Department; and the Nassau County Police Department for their invaluable assistance. “The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” stated Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.” “This case underscores the relentless commitment of HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners to protecting the integrity of federal health care programs,” stated HHS-OIG Deputy Inspector General Schrank. “Despite the scope and sophistication of this transnational criminal enterprise, our collaborative efforts helped prevent billions in fraudulent claims from being paid by Medicare. We will continue to work tirelessly across borders and agencies to identify, disrupt, and dismantle those who seek to exploit our health care system and steal from American taxpayers.” The schemes charged in the Eastern District of New York, detailed in four indictments and one information, are as follows: Operation Gold Rush : In the largest health care fraud case by loss amount ever charged by the Department of Justice, Imam Nakhmatullaev, Svjatoslav Jakovlev, Eric Juergens, Jaan Juergens, Ilja Karunas, Juri Karunas, Jason Onoufrienko, Renek Tiku, Vladislav Turaskin, Kevin Valdhans, and Vjatseslav Zogolev were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Nakhmatullaev, Jakovlev, Eric Juergens, Jaan Juergens, Onoufrienko, Tiku, Turaskin, Valdhans, and Zogolev were also charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and wire fraud, and Jakovlev, Valdhans, Jaan Juergens, and Onoufrienko were each charged with one count of health care fraud. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants were members of a transnational criminal organization based in Russia and elsewhere, that orchestrated a multi-billion-dollar health care fraud and money laundering scheme to target, exploit, and steal from Medicare. The Organization purchased dozens of durable medical equipment companies (Scheme DME Companies) that already had the ability to submit claims to Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Insurers. The Organization executed these purchases by paying foreign nationals and others to serve as nominee owners of the Scheme DME Companies. The Organization then created fictitious corporate records that falsely indicated that the nominee owners controlled the Scheme DME Companies when, in fact, they were controlled by the Organization’s foreign-based leadership. After the Organization gained control over the Scheme DME Companies, it rapidly submitted billions of dollars in false and fraudulent health care claims to Medicare. The Organization did so by stealing the identities and personal identifying information of more than one million Americans in all 50 states, including elderly and disabled Americans. The Organization submitted over $10.6 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims for DME. HHS-OIG and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services successfully prevented the Organization from receiving the vast majority of the money that it conspired to steal from Medicare. The fraudulent scheme nonetheless resulted in payments to Scheme DME Companies from Medicare Supplemental Insurers estimated to be nearly $900 million and Medicare payments to the Scheme DME Companies of approximately $41 million. As further alleged, the Organization exploited the U.S. financial system. The Organization leveraged U.S. financial institutions to deposit checks and transfer funds out of accounts. The health care fraud proceeds were particularly susceptible to laundering because they originated from legitimate sources—Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Insurers—giving the funds the initial appearance of legitimacy. The Organization deployed a range of tactics to circumvent the anti-money laundering controls at multiple financial institutions. To open financial accounts, the Organization armed its nominee owners, many of whom were not lawfully present in the United States, with false documentation reflecting that the nominee owners maintained beneficial ownership and control of the Scheme DME Companies for which they were attempting to open accounts and thereby disguised the true beneficial ownership and control of the entities and the accounts. Moreover, the use of the Scheme DME Companies’ names to open financial accounts allowed the Organization to benefit from the illusion of legitimate commercial activity within the health care market. Upon opening the financial accounts, the Organization funneled fraud proceeds from Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Insurers into the accounts as seemingly “clean” money. From there, the Organization siphoned off the funds to shell companies and various banks overseas, including banks in China, Singapore, Pakistan, Israel, and Turkey. To further conceal the money trail, the Organization leveraged cryptocurrency to launder the stolen funds. The Organization constantly evolved, recruiting new nominee owners, stealing new identities, and acquiring new Scheme DME Companies to replace those shut down by law enforcement. This evolution was made possible through the Organization’s extensive use of virtual private servers (VPSs) to execute nearly all digital aspects of the scheme. The VPSs allowed the Organization to use a cyberinfrastructure that helped conceal conspirators’ true physical locations, mask Organization IP addresses, and scale fraudulent operations internationally. Four defendants, Ilja Karunas, Juri Karunas, Erik Juergens, and Renek Tiku were arrested June 25, 2025 in Estonia on these charges, and the United States is seeking their extradition. The remaining seven defendants are at large. To date, the government has seized approximately $27.7 million in fraud proceeds as part of Operation Gold Rush, subject to criminal forfeiture and civil forfeiture in a case filed in the District of Connecticut. The criminal case is being prosecuted by Strike Force Assistant Chiefs Kevin Lowell and Shankar Ramamurthy, and Strike Force Trial Attorneys Leonid Sandlar, Sara Porter, Andres Almendarez, Monica Cooper, Thomas Campbell, Danielle Sakowski, and Matthew Belz. Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Chelsea Rooney of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Nelson of the District of Connecticut are handling civil forfeiture matters. The United States thanks the Economic Crime Bureau of the National Criminal Police of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board and the Office of the Prosecutor General for support with the investigation. United States v. Mak : Hong Yuen Mak, also known as “Joe Mak,” waived indictment and pleaded guilty to an information charging him with conspiracy to offer and pay kickbacks in an alleged scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare over $1 million for over the counter (OTC) products. As alleged, Mak, a pharmacy owner, and his co-conspirators paid pharmacy customers with gift cards in exchange for charging the customers’ OTC cards for non-existent transactions. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Vagelatos is in charge of the prosecution. United States v. Manaev : Boris Manaev is charged with health care fraud and unlawful monetary transactions in connection with an $8.2 million scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Manaev, the owner of BB Medical Equipment Inc., billed Medicare $8.2 million for medically unnecessary DME that was shipped nationwide. Hespent some of the proceeds of the fraud on improvements to his home. Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell of the Northeast Strike Force is in charge of the prosecution. United States v. Huq : Mujjahid Huq is charged by indictment with three counts of health care fraud, two counts of unlawful monetary transactions, and conspiracy to make false statements in health care matters in connection with a $2.1 million pharmacy fraud scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Huq, a licensed pharmacist, owned several pharmacies in Brooklyn, Queens, and Buffalo, New York. Through these pharmacies, Huq billed Medicare and Medicaid $2.1 million for drugs that were not dispensed. Huq also allegedly agreed with others to make false statements about his ownership of the pharmacies, and used the fraud proceeds for his personal benefit. Trial Attorneys Patrick J. Campbell and Arun Bodapati of the Northeast Strike Force are in charge of the prosecution. United States v. Brown-Arkah: Joseph Tony Brown-Arkah is charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, and narcotics distribution in connection with an alleged $85 million health care fraud and narcotics distribution scheme. As alleged in the superseding indictment, Brown-Arkah, the owner of a Suboxone clinic doing business as American Medical Centers (AMC), together with others, engaged in a scheme to bill Medicare and Medicaid fraudulently for services not provided or not provided as billed, and to prescribe narcotics pursuant to prescriptions that were not issued for a legitimate medical purpose by a provider acting in the usual course of professional practice. In particular, AMC patients received prescriptions for Suboxone (a Schedule III narcotic) after meeting with non-licensed medical providers, an excluded provider, or in some instances, no health care provider whatsoever. The prescriptions were written by a medical provider living in Florida, who did not see or speak with the patients; instead, the provider typically issued the prescriptions based on information provided by Brown-Arkah or another co-conspirator. AMC patients were also required to submit to urine drug screening, blood tests, and sometimes other diagnostic testing in order to receive their Suboxone prescriptions; the laboratory and diagnostic tests, which were typically ordered by Brown-Arkah or by a co-conspirator who had been excluded from Medicare and Medicaid, were likewise billed to Medicare and Medicaid. Trial Attorneys Miriam Glaser Dauermann of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Maggie Mortimer of the Northeast Strike Force are in charge of the prosecution. The charges in the indictments and the information are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Defendants: IMAM NAKHMATULLAEV Age: 24 Russia SVJATOSLAV JAKOVLEV Age: 29 Estonia; New York, New York ERIC JUERGENS Age: 29 Estonia; Brooklyn, New York JAAN JUERGENS Age: 32 Estonia; Brooklyn, New York ILJA KARUNAS Age: 26 Estonia JURI KARUNAS Age: 27 Estonia; Brooklyn, New York JASON ONOUFRIENKO Age: 24 Plantation, Florida RENEK TIKU Age: 34 Estonia; Brooklyn, New York VLADISLAV TURASKIN Age: 29 Estonia; Brooklyn, New York KEVIN VALDHANS Age: 27 Czech Republic VJATSESLAV ZOGOLEV Age: 33 Estonia E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-203 (RPK) HONG YUEN MAK (also known as “Joe Mak”) Age: 40 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-158 (DG) JOSEPH TONY BROWN-ARKAH Age: 78 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No: 24-CR-263 (FB) BORIS MANAEV Age: 45 Lynbrook, Long Island E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-202 (RER) MUJJAHID HUQ Age: 45 Halesite, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-213 (FB)


title: Lewiston Man Charged with Identity Theft and Fraud Charges as Part of National Health Care Fraud Takedown

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man has been charged with identity theft and fraud offenses in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicaid. Joseph Dobie , 36, of Lewiston, was charged by complaint with aggravated identity theft, false statements relating to health care matters, and unlawful use of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, in connection with an identity theft scheme. The charges filed in U.S. District Court in Portland are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets, and the government, in connection with the Takedown, seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency and other assets. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle, District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle, District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department of Justice website here . The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General led the investigation of the Dobie case, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Orange County Man Charged in Federal Complaint Alleging He Helped $270 Million Medi-Cal Scam Involving Medication Reimbursement

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man has been charged via federal criminal complaint with submitting over an 11-month span nearly $270 million in fraudulent claims to Medi-Cal for expensive prescription drugs containing generic ingredients that were not medically necessary and, in many instances, not provided to the purported recipients, the Justice Department announced today. Paul Richard Randall, 66, of Orange, is charged with health care fraud, a felony that carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Randall made his initial appearance in United States District Court in Los Angeles on Friday and was ordered jailed without bond. His arraignment is scheduled for July 17. Today’s announcement was made as part of the Justice Department’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers. Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized more than $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented more than $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown. “This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.” “Public health programs are designed to help the sick and needy, not to help unscrupulous individuals pad their pockets,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Working with our federal and state law enforcement partners, we will continue to crack down on those who cheat taxpayers via health care fraud.” According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Randall, Kyrollos Mekail, 37, of Moreno Valley, and Patricia Anderson, 57, of West Hills, took advantage of Medi-Cal’s suspension of its requirement that health care providers obtain prior authorization before providing certain health care services or medications as a condition of reimbursement. The suspension of the prior authorization requirements was part of an ongoing transition of Medi-Cal’s prescription drug program to a new payment system. Through a business called Monte Vista Pharmacy, Randall and his co-schemers exploited Medi-Cal’s prior authorization suspension by billing Medi-Cal tens of millions of dollars per month for dispensing high-reimbursement, non-contracted, generic drugs through Monte Vista Pharmacy. Some prescription medications purportedly were to treat pain and included Folite tablets, a vitamin available over the counter. Normally, these high-cost reimbursement medications would have required prior authorization under Medi-Cal’s old payment system. Medication involved in this scheme was medically unnecessary, frequently was not dispensed to patients, and procured by kickbacks. From May 2022 to April 2023, Monte Vista billed Medi-Cal more than $269 million and was paid more than $178 million for 19 expensive, non-contracted drugs containing low-cost, generic ingredients that were not medically necessary, not provided, or both. Randall and others then laundered their illicit proceeds by transferring the proceeds of the Medi-Cal fraud scheme to a third party to pay kickbacks to Anderson, to promote the fraud scheme and to conceal and disguise the transfers from detection by law enforcement. A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Relatedly, Anderson was charged in a two-count information charging her with health care fraud for her role in the scheme which was unsealed last week. Mekail pleaded guilty to criminal charges in August 2024 and awaits sentencing. The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the FBI, and the California Department of Justice are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Roger A. Hsieh of the Major Frauds Section and Assistant Chief Niall M. O’Donnell and Trial Attorney Siobhan M. Namazi of the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant United States Attorney James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling asset forfeiture matters in this case.


title: Fight Over a Hat Yields Prison Term for Chinatown Stabbing

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Tanade Warsame, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to a total of 66 months in prison for a knife attack during a fight in May 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Warsame was found guilty in September 2024, after a jury trial in Superior Court. The jury found him guilty of one count of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, an offense he committed while on release in another matter. Warsame also pleaded guilty to one count of contempt. On June 27, 2025, Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe sentenced Warsame to 48 months for assault with significant bodily injury while armed, 12 months for committing that offense while on release, and 180 days for contempt. In addition to the prison term, Judge Pipe ordered Warsame to serve five years of supervised release. According to the government’s evidence, on May 4, 2024, Warsame and the victim agreed to a fist fight over a hat. During the fight, Warsame produced a knife in his hand and made multiple striking and slicing motions toward the victim. The victim was stabbed three times. Notably, prior to this incident, Warsame had been ordered to stay away from Chinatown in a previous case. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jasmine Dohemann and former Assistant United States Attorney Katelyn Benton.


title: The Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Sanctuary City Policies In Los Angeles, California

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and the Los Angeles City Council over policies that Los Angeles enacted shortly after President Donald J. Trump’s reelection to interfere with the federal government’s enforcement of its immigration laws. Not only are Los Angeles’s “sanctuary city” policies illegal under federal law, but, as alleged in the complaint, Los Angeles’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities contributed to the recent lawlessness, rioting, looting, and vandalism that was so severe that it required the federal government to deploy the California National Guard and the United States Marines to quell the chaos. “Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level – it ends under President Trump.” “Today’s lawsuit holds the City of Los Angeles accountable for deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration law,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The United States Constitution’s Supremacy Clause prohibits the City from picking and choosing which federal laws will be enforced and which will not. By assisting removable aliens in evading federal law enforcement, the City’s unlawful and discriminatory ordinance has contributed to a lawless and unsafe environment that this lawsuit will help end.” On her first day in office, Attorney General Bondi instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations, and, where appropriate, to take legal action to challenge such laws, policies, and practices. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal sanctuary city policies across the country, including in New York and New Jersey.


title: Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for New Child Pornography Charges and Registration Violations

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – An Anthony man who had previously been convicted for aggravated sexual assault of a prepubescent child was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso today to life in prison plus 10 years for producing, possessing and exchanging child sexual abuse material (CSAM), violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), and committing a sex offense as a registered sex offender. According to court documents, Mark Martinez, 57, was found to be distributing CSAM within a group on the social messaging application Kik. Martinez was previously convicted in 1991 for the sexual assault of a child around the age of eight years old and, as of 2022, was residing at an address unknown to his registration officer. FBI agents executed a search warrant in August 2022, seizing several electronic devices containing CSAM images and videos. One of those devices contained multiple photos taken at his residence in July, depicting a female approximately five to six years old. The device also contained a folder of videos of another minor female downloaded from WhatsApp. A separate device revealed chats on the messaging app Telegram, in which Martinez admitted to sexually molesting a minor. Agents discovered approximately 2,391 CSAM images and 138 CSAM videos on one device, several of which involved prepubescent minors. Martinez’s cellphone contained approximately 50 more CSAM images. A criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued for Martinez in October 2022. Martinez had already fled to Mexico without reporting to his registration officer and was arrested at the Columbus Port of Entry in New Mexico when he returned March 3, 2023. A federal grand jury indicted Martinez March 22, 2023. He pleaded guilty to all five counts on Aug. 21, 2024. “Placing this child predator behind bars for the rest of his life makes certain this predator will never again harm another child,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “The facts of this case are incredibly disturbing, and I thank all of our law enforcement partners for their work investigating this case, which led to this repeat offender’s ultimate conviction, and life imprisonment.” "Martinez is a dangerous sexual predator who preyed on our community’s most vulnerable victims- our children. This case highlights the disturbing reality of sexual exploitation, and the sentence ensures this predator will remain behind bars and unable to continue such atrocities physically and on the web,” said FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge John Morales. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to work together to ensure no child is victimized in this way.” The FBI, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Winnebago County Sherriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Valenzuela and Lori Hughes 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Leader Of Yoga To The People Sentenced To Four Years For Tax Evasion Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that GREGORY GUMUCIO was sentenced to four years in prison for participating in a conspiracy to commit tax evasion from 2012 to 2020. GUMUCIO was the longtime leader of a prominent nationwide yoga business, Yoga to the People (“YTTP”), from which he made nearly $3.5 million in income between 2012 and 2020 yet did not file individual (or business) tax returns or pay any income taxes for at least eight consecutive years. GUMUCIO pled guilty on October 4, 2024, before U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan, who imposed today’s sentence. “Gregory Gumucio built a profitable yoga empire and lived well off its success—but he refused to pay his taxes,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Hard-working, tax-paying New Yorkers want our Office to pursue business owners who game the tax system. With today’s sentencing, Mr. Gumucio is being held accountable.” According to statements made in court and publicly filed documents in this case: In or around 2006, GUMUCIO founded YTTP in New York, New York. YTTP was originally donation-based: YTTP requested, but did not require, payment from its yoga students. YTTP started with one yoga studio on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and it became extremely popular. Over the ensuing years, YTTP opened at least approximately 20 yoga studios or affiliated entities throughout New York City and in various other places, including California, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, and Washington State. YTTP also had a teacher training program, which earned substantial income from aspiring yoga teachers. YTTP operated from at least approximately 2006 until 2020. From 2010 to 2020, YTTP and its affiliates generated gross receipts of more than $20 million. Despite those substantial revenues, YTTP never filed a corporate tax return with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). GUMUCIO was YTTP’s founder, principal owner, and functional chief executive officer, as he directed and made decisions for the YTTP enterprise. From approximately 2012 through 2020, GUMUCIO received nearly $3.5 million in income and owed taxes to the IRS exceeding $1 million, but never filed a personal tax return with the IRS or paid any income taxes. During the charged period, GUMUCIO repeatedly represented his annual income to be six figures to third parties not associated with the Government (e.g., a bank, a car financing company, and a real estate entity). In one such instance, GUMUCIO submitted a fabricated tax return to a third party, which a co-defendant prepared for GUMUCIO at GUMUCIO’s request. During the charged period, GUMUCIO enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle, which included frequent foreign travel; expensive hotels, meals, and clothing; NFL season tickets; and country club payments. * * * In addition to the prison term, GUMUCIO, 64, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced to three years of supervised released. GUMUCIO was also ordered to pay the IRS restitution in the amount of $2,729,407.10. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s New York and Dallas Field Offices; the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s New York Regional Office; and Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rushmi Bhaskaran and Michael Neff are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Pittsburgh Felon Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Possession of Firearm and Violating Conditions of Supervised Release

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 65 months of prison on his conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm and violating the conditions of his supervised release, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Raymond Young, 23, on June 27, 2025. According to information presented to the Court, on August 7, 2024, Glassport patrol officers stopped Young in a vehicle he was driving without a license. In preparation for towing Young’s vehicle, officers observed a firearm in the vehicle and attempted to remove Young, who then shifted the vehicle into gear and sped off, running over one officer’s feet and nearly striking another officer. Young’s vehicle came to a stop after hitting a parked vehicle. Young exited the vehicle and attempted to flee the scene on foot, but was apprehended by police. In the defendant’s flight path, the officers recovered a Glock pistol with an extended magazine loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition and one round in the chamber. The firearm had been reported as stolen. Young is precluded under federal law from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted of a felony for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Young was still on federal supervised release for that offense when he was arrested by the Glassport Police on August 7, 2024. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Glassport Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Young. 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.


title: FOUR PENSACOLA WOMEN CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL DRUG DIVERSION

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Today, United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced criminal charges against 4 defendants with an alleged scheme to unlawfully divert oxycodone, hydrocodone, and amphetamine. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. All the cases are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles and other assets in connection with the takedown. The following individuals were charged in the Northern District of Florida: Alexandra M. Christensen, 31, Lindsay N. McCray (also known as Lindsay Rogers), 41, Heather T. Bradley (also known as Heather Thomas), 36, and Jennifer E. Purves, 39, all of Pensacola, Florida. According to court records, Christensen and McCray are charged with conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances, McCray, Bradley, and Purves are charged with distribution of controlled substances, and McCray is charged with identity theft in connection with a scheme to unlawfully divert oxycodone, hydrocodone, and amphetamine. As alleged in the indictment, between 2015 and 2024, McCray, while employed by a medical practice, forged controlled substance prescriptions using the names, signatures, and Drug Enforcement Administration registration numbers of the practice’s two physicians without their knowledge or authorization. As a result of the conspiracy, McCray, Christensen, and others caused to be unlawfully distributed and dispensed over 300,000 hydrocodone pills and over 30,000 oxycodone pills. McCray is further charged with distributing and aiding and abetting the distribution of amphetamine with Bradley and Purves. Trial for all defendants is currently set for August 18, 2025, at 9 a.m. before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell II. If convicted, McCray faces a maximum of 80 years’ imprisonment, and Christensen, Bradley, and Purves each face up to 20 years’ imprisonment. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/2025-national-health-care-fraud-takedown . The Northern District of Florida, in particular, worked with the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Control Division, with assistance from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: East Conemaugh Man Sentenced to 11.5 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of East Conemaugh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 138 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his convictions of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Kari Ameen Wheeler, 38. According to information presented to the Court, on or about August 21, 2024, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Wheeler distributed and possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Further, on or about August 23, 2024, Wheeler possessed two firearms and ammunition after previously having been convicted of a felony. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force and Cambria County Drug Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Wheeler.


title: Bensalem Woman Charged in Home Care Fraud Kickback Scheme That Caused Loss to Medicaid of Nearly $1.1 Million

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced criminal charges today against a Bucks County woman in connection with the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. Hemal Patel, 59, of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, has been charged by information with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, in connection with a home care fraud scheme, where Patel is alleged to have received kickbacks to refer home care patients to home care agencies. Patel and others devised a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicaid for home care services that were never provided, resulting in a loss to Medicaid of approximately $1,069,384.38. As alleged in the information, Patel forged doctor signatures on forms required to certify individuals as eligible for home care services, and unlawfully used individuals’ personally identifiable information without their knowledge to enroll them for home care services they were not entitled to while those individuals were living out of the country. The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alisa Shver. The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Metcalf are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets, in connection with the takedown. “Health care fraud hurts us all, heightening the cost of services and threatening their availability to people in need,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “My office will continue to target fraud, waste, and abuse within our federal health care programs and ensure that individuals stealing taxpayers’ money answer for their crimes.”