title: Calexico Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Smuggle Unapproved Pesticides and Veterinary Drugs into the United States

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO — Ruben Montes, of Calexico, California, was sentenced today in federal court to 16 months in prison and ordered to pay $12,710 in forfeiture for conspiring to smuggle and distribute more than $3 million worth of Mexican pesticides and veterinary drugs that are not approved for use in the United States. “Bringing in and selling pesticides and veterinary drugs illegally puts both people and the environment at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “These unregulated products can be harmful to animals, insects, and humans. Our office is committed to holding accountable anyone who chooses profit over public safety.” “A secure border is vital to ensuring the health and safety of Americans,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting those who violate our environmental and customs laws and jeopardize the health and safety of our citizens.” According to filings and evidence presented in court, Montes coordinated the smuggling of pesticides and veterinary drugs from Mexico into the United States since 2020. The primary pesticides involved were Taktic and Bovitraz, which are not registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in the United States. The smuggled veterinary drugs included Tylocet, Terramicina, Tetragent Ares and Catarrol, which are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the United States. Montes requested that his co-conspirators bring pesticides and veterinary drugs — unavailable for purchase in the United States — from Mexico into the United States. Montes and his co-conspirators brought them into the United States without declaring them at the border. He and his co-conspirators then hid the pesticides and veterinary drugs in storage units in Calexico and retrieved them for distribution throughout the United States. Specifically, Montes and his co-defendant Gutierrez, who remains at large, supplied most of the pesticides and veterinary drugs to individuals charged in another case, United States v. Toledo , et. al., (case number 22-cr-1965-JAH, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California). Montes was also involved in shipping about 150 packages of unapproved products to another co-conspirator in Texas. According to the EPA, the active ingredient in the pesticides Taktic and Bovitraz is amitraz, which is toxic to bees if released into hives, and then ultimately to humans when it ends up in honey, honeycomb, and beeswax. Misuse of amitraz-containing products in beehives can result in exposures that could cause neurological effects and possibly reproductive effects in humans from the consumption of contaminated honey. Signs of neurotoxicity from exposure to amitraz have been documented in multiple animal species and include central nervous system depression, decrease in pulse rate, and hypothermia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabet Brown for the Southern District of California and Assistant Section Chief Stephen Da Ponte of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case. DEFENDANT Case Number 23CR2377 Ruben Montes Age: 60 Calexico, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C. Section 371 Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Homeland Security Investigations U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigations Division U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations California Department of Toxic Substances Control


title: Atlanta Attorney Sentenced in Syndicated Conservation Easement Tax Scheme

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Georgia attorney was sentenced today to 16 months in prison for obstructing the IRS in connection with his participation in the promotion of abusive syndicated conservation easement tax shelters. The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Vi Bui was an attorney and partner at Sinnott & Co., an Atlanta-based company. Beginning at least in 2012 and continuing through at least May 2020, Bui participated in a scheme to defraud the IRS by organizing, marketing, implementing, and selling illegal syndicated conservation easement tax shelters created and organized by co-conspirators Jack Fisher, James Sinnott, and others. Fisher and Sinnott were convicted at trial for their involvement in the scheme, and in January 2024, they were sentenced to 25 and 23 years in prison, respectively. The scheme entailed the creation of partnerships that purchased land and land-owning companies and then donated conservation easements over that land or the land itself. Appraisers generated fraudulent and inflated appraisals of the conservation easements. The partnerships then claimed a charitable contribution tax deduction based on the inflated value of the conservation easement, resulting in a fraudulent tax deduction flowing to the wealthy clients who purchased units in the partnership. Many of these clients joined the tax shelters after the donation of the interest in land and after the end of the relevant tax year. Bui knew that in order to make it appear that the participants had timely purchased their units in the tax shelters, Fisher, Sinnott, and others backdated and instructed others to backdate documents, including subscription agreements, checks, and other documents. Bui anticipated that the syndicated conservation easement transactions would be audited. In order to deceive the IRS, Bui and others took steps to make the partnerships appear as legitimate real estate development companies. They created and disseminated lengthy documents disguising the true nature of the transaction, instituted sham “votes” for what to do with the land that the partnership owned despite knowing that outcome was predetermined, and falsified paperwork such as appraisals and subscription agreements. In one instance, when investigators conducted an undercover operation in 2018, Bui, believing that the IRS was auditing an individual’s tax returns, prepared false documents related to a 2014 syndicated conservation easement tax shelter with the intent to make it appear that the documents were executed before the purported donation of the conservation easement in 2014 and before the 2014 tax returns had been filed. Bui earned substantial income for his role in the illegal scheme. He also used the fraudulent tax shelters to evade his own taxes, filing false personal tax returns from 2013 through 2018 that claimed false tax deductions from the illegal syndicated conservation easement tax shelters. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Timothy C. Batten Sr. for the Northern District of Georgia ordered Bui to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $8,250,244 in total restitution to the IRS. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia made the announcement. They also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina for their assistance in the investigation of this matter. IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Richard M. Rolwing, and Trial Attorneys Parker Tobin, Jessica Kraft, and Nicholas Schilling of the Tax Division prosecuted the case, with support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal for the Northern District of Georgia.


title: Honduran National Guilty of Re-Entry of Removed Alien

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – EDGARDO AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ (“AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ”) , age 29, a native of Honduras, pled guilty on May 13, 2025, to an indictment charging him with re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. His sentencing is set for June 17, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long. According to court documents, AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ re-entered the United States after being previously deported on June 8, 2018. On December 22, 2024, AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ , was booked into the Orleans Justice Center after being arrested for several state charges. Thereafter, on March 5, 2023, The Pacific Enforcement Response Center issued a detainer for AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ , after he was arrested in Jefferson Parish on municipal and traffic attachments. Enforcement and Removal Operations New Orleans picked up AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ, on March 7, 2025, after his release from local custody and turned him over to immigration authorities. EDGARDO AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. 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). Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Second Former High-Ranking FDNY Official Sentenced To Prison For Role In Bribery Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ANTHONY SACCAVINO was sentenced to 36 months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to solicit and receive bribes in his role as the Chief of the New York City Fire Department (“FDNY”) Bureau of Fire Prevention (“BFP”). SACCAVINO previously pled guilty on January 29, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who also imposed today’s sentence. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “Anthony Saccavino undermined the New York City Fire Department, an institution he swore to serve. Chief Saccavino led a pay-to-play bribery scheme that would offend the sensibilities of every hard-working New Yorker. Public officials who violate the public trust for financial gain will be pursued vigorously by our Office and our law enforcement partners.” According to the Indictment, plea agreement, and statements made in court: From 2021 to 2023, SACCAVINO was the leader of a conspiracy to solicit and receive $190,000 in total bribe payments from a former FDNY firefighter named Henry Santiago, Jr. In exchange for those bribe payments, SACCAVINO and another high-ranking official at the FDNY, Brian Cordasco, used their authority within the BFP to improperly “expedite” BFP inspections and plan reviews for Santiago’s customers. SACCAVINO personally profited $57,000 as part of this scheme. To carry out this conspiracy, SACCAVINO lied to his BFP subordinates to justify otherwise improper expediting requests. SACCAVINO also lied to law enforcement when interviewed about his involvement in the scheme. * * * If you believe you have information related to bribery, fraud, or any other illegal conduct by FDNY or BFP employees, please contact squad6complaint@doi.nyc.gov or (212) 825-2402. If you were involved in such conduct, please consider self-disclosing through the SDNY Whistleblower Pilot Program at USANYS.WBP@usdoj.gov. * * * In addition to the prison term, SACCAVINO, 61, of New York, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay forfeiture of $57,000 and a fine of $150,000. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Department of Investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Greenwood, Matthew King, and Daniel H. Wolf are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Canadian Man Illegally In The United States Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Smuggle Handguns Into Canada

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Durante King-Mclean, age 26, of Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, pled guilty today before United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to a single count of a multi-count indictment charging him with conspiring with others to illegally traffic in firearms. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the charges stem from a September 2, 2023, traffic stop by the Pennsylvania State Police in Franklin County of a rental vehicle operated by King-Mclean who was the only occupant of the vehicle. During the stop King-Mclean fled on foot and was apprehended after a brief foot chase. A subsequent search of the rental vehicle led to the recovery of 65 handguns in the vehicle’s trunk that were all individually concealed in socks. Of the 65 handguns that were recovered, two were fully automatic, 11 were stolen, and one had an obliterated serial number. King-Mclean had been in communication with his co-conspirators from April of 2023 until his arrest on September 2, 2023, and had been staying at an Airbnb in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, until he rented the vehicle at the end of August 2023 and headed north towards Canada with the illegally purchased handguns. Sometime after his arrest and incarceration on September 2, 2023, King-Mclean was charged by Canadian authorities for his alleged participation in the April 17, 2023, heist of approximately $22.5 million dollars in gold bars and foreign currency from the Air Canada cargo terminal at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. It was shortly after this heist that King-Mclean illegally entered the United States where he remained until his arrest on September 2, 2023, as he was headed back to Canada with the 65 handguns. “King-Mclean’s international firearms trafficking scheme had 65 guns destined for the hands of violent criminals and other prohibited people who threaten their communities,” said Eric J. DeGree, Special Agent in Charge (SAC) for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Philadelphia Field Division. “ATF’s highest priority is reducing violent gun crime, and thanks to our cooperative efforts, this action kept dozens of crime guns off the street — preventing them from being used in any number of killings and other crimes.” "This guilty plea highlights the serious consequences of international arms trafficking and the dangers it poses to public safety. By illegally moving firearms across borders, criminal networks fuel violence and threaten communities,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward V. Owens. “HSI remains dedicated to working with our domestic and international partners to disrupt these illicit operations and ensure that those who engage in trafficking are held accountable." “This case is the result of outstanding pro-active enforcement by our Patrol Troopers, which led to a larger successful inter-agency investigation,” said Major Serell Ulrich, Director, Pennsylvania State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation. “Illegal firearm trafficking has no boundaries, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners both federally and internationally to mitigate this worldwide problem. Anytime illegal firearm trafficking affects our Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania State Police will strive to identify, investigate, and arrest those responsible.” King-Mclean faces a potential sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000.00 fine, and a three-year term of supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Harrisburg Office, the Pennsylvania State Police, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe is prosecuting 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. This prosecution is also part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Springfield Man Pleaded Guilty to Burglary of a United States Post Office and Theft of Mail Matter

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to burglarizing a local post office building and stealing mail from this facility. Zachary M. Walker, 38, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie Epps, Jr., to a federal information charging him with one count of burglary of a post office building and one count of theft of mail matter. Walker, a former United States Postal Service employee, used his knowledge of building security to gain unauthorized access to a local post office, stealing mail matter and selling those items over the internet. According to the plea agreement, Walker was observed on secretly installed video cameras within a local post office building. Walker was able to burglarize the post office because he had previously worked at that facility and knew the authorization codes that allowed him to circumvent building security. While in the United States Post Office building, Walker would examine letters and mail matter, stealing those items that he could easily sell. Under federal statutes, Walker is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Springfield, Missouri, Police Department


title: Father and Son Sentenced for Role in International Market Manipulation Scheme Related to New Jersey Deli

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A father and son were sentenced on May 13, 2025, for their roles in orchestrating a large-scale market manipulation scheme related to two publicly traded companies, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Peter Coker, Sr., 82, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Peter Coker, Jr., 56, formerly of Hong Kong, China, had pleaded guilty, on December 19, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Coker, Sr. was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, including six months’ home detention, and fines totaling $500,000. Coker, Jr. was sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and fines totaling $250,000. James Patten, 65, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina also previously pleaded guilty to the same charges and is awaiting sentencing. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2014 through September 2022, Peter Coker Sr., Peter Coker Jr., and Patten conspired to enrich themselves through a scheme to manipulate securities prices via a pattern of coordinated trading, which injected inaccurate information into the marketplace, creating false impressions of supply and demand for these securities. As part of the securities fraud scheme, the defendants targeted two publicly traded companies—Hometown International Inc. and E-Waste Corp.—which both traded on the OTC Link Alternative Trading System, also known as the OTC Marketplace. The OTC Marketplace is an alternative trading system that contains three tiers of markets, which are largely based on the quality and quantity of the listed companies’ information and disclosures. Coker Sr., Coker Jr., and Patten took steps to gain control of both entities’ management and stock with the ultimate intention of entering reverse mergers, a transaction through which an existing public company merges with a private operating company. A successful reverse merger would allow the defendants to sell shares of each entity at a significant profit. In or around 2014, two New Jersey residents began the process of opening a local deli in Paulsboro, New Jersey. One of the individuals discussed his interest in opening the deli with Patten, a long-time friend, who suggested the creation of Hometown International, an umbrella corporation, under which the deli would operate as a wholly owned subsidiary. Unbeknownst to the deli owners, after Hometown International was formed, Patten and his associates began positioning Hometown International as a vehicle for a reverse merger that would yield substantial profit to them. Around October 2019, Hometown International began selling shares on the OTC Marketplace. Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. furthered their scheme by gaining control of Hometown International’s management and its shares from the deli owners. Coker Sr., Coker Jr., and Patten took similar actions to gain control of E-Waste Corporation’s stock and management. The defendants also arranged for the transfer of millions of shares of stock to a number of nominee entities, including entities controlled by Coker Jr., in an effort to mask their control of the shares. In addition, the defendants transferred shares to family members, friends, and associates and gained control over their trading accounts by obtaining their log-in information to conceal the defendants’ involvement. The defendants then used those accounts to commit a number of coordinated trading events, often referred to as match and wash trades, to trade in Hometown International and E-Waste Corp.’s stock on both sides of the transaction. These tactics artificially inflated the price of Hometown International and E-Waste’s stock by giving the false impression that there was a genuine market interest in the stock. Their scheme had the ultimate impact of artificially inflating Hometown International’s stock by approximately 939 percent and E-Waste’s stock by approximately 19,900 percent. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked special agents from FBI Charlotte, FBI Los Angeles, FBI San Francisco, FBI Denver, and FBI Knoxville, for their assistance. The government is represented by Lauren E. Repole, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit. ### Defense counsel: Peter Coker, Sr.: John Azzarello, Esq. (Morristown, New Jersey), William McGovern, Esq. (New York, New York) Peter Coker, Jr.: Zach Intrater and Marc Agnifilo (New York, New York)


title: Chicago Woman Pleaded Guilty in Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud Targeting United States Service Men & Women

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Chicago, Il., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today for her role in a wire fraud conspiracy that targeted United States Service men and women who had recently joined the military. Jetauwn T. Griffin, 31, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie Epps, Jr., to a federal information charging her with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Griffin conspired with others that sought to defraud United States military service men and women through the use of social media. According to the plea agreement, Griffin conspired with others that employed a scheme to defraud United States military service men and women. Service members who had recently joined the United States military were contacted through various social media platforms. Upon communicating with each military member, a person within the conspiracy would use the information obtained from the social media platform and then contact the service member claiming to be a senior military official. As a senior military member, they would tell each service member that they were receiving the wrong salary, and they were owed more money than they were being paid. The perpetrators of the scheme who advise the service member that they needed to return their prior pay using a cash application and then they would receive the higher pay once the other money was returned. If a service member followed these instructions, the members of this scheme would take the monies transferred and would never return any monies to the victim. Griffin conspired with others in this scheme by taking the cash application transfers and conducted financial transactions that transferred the victim’s money to accounts that were accessed by all members of the scheme. Under federal statutes, Griffin is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Maryland Man Previously Arrested for Coercing 18-Year-Old to Travel Interstate for Commercial Sex Charged in Superseding Indictment with Massachusetts Man for Conspiring to Sex Traffic Minor

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A superseding indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Boston charging two men with conspiring to engage in the sex trafficking of a minor victim. On April 16, 2025 , David Kaufman, 44, was arrested on an indictment charging him with one count of knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing and coercing an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and aiding and abetting. The superseding indictment adds Darren Zaldivar, 19, of Ludlow, Mass., charging him with transporting an individual with intent the individual engage in prostitution. Both defendants are also charged with conspiring to engage in sex trafficking of a minor. The superseding indictment also adds the charge of sex trafficking of a minor against Kaufman. Zaldivar will appear in federal court in Boston later today. Kaufman remains detained in federal custody. According to the detention brief previously filed, Kaufman had allegedly been victimizing minor males and young adults ranging in ages from 14–20 by paying the minors for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and coercing and enticing some of them to travel to his penthouse condominium at the Four Seasons in Baltimore, and elsewhere, to engage in sex acts with him, which he video recorded. Zaldivar is alleged to have conspired with Kaufman in the sex trafficking of a minor victim in 2024. Zaldivar is also alleged to have transported the minor victim with the intent that the victim engage in commercial sex. According to court filings, Kaufman coerced an 18-year-old victim to travel from Massachusetts on two occasions to visit his penthouse condominium at the Four Seasons in Baltimore, paying for the plane tickets. While there, Kaufman allegedly provided the victim with alcohol and drugs, including cocaine, until the victim was intoxicated. It is alleged that Kaufman would then persuade the victim to engage in sex acts, which Kaufman videotaped so that he could watch them later in order to get pleasure for himself. In exchange for the sex acts, it is alleged that Kaufman paid the victim with cash, electronic money transfers and gifts. For example, after he engaged in sex acts in February 2024, Kaufman allegedly bought the victim a Louis Vuitton bag. If you have information or questions about this investigation, or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov . The charge of coercing a person to travel for purposes of prostitution provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of sex trafficking a minor provides for a sentence of up to life, up to life and no less than five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.The charge of transporting an individual with intent the individual engage in prostitution provides for up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.The charge of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor provides for a sentence of up to life, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Maryland; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and the Baltimore Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings and Craig E. Estes of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Fentanyl, Firearm, and Unemployment Insurance Fraud Charges

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

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – Today, Vincent Ford, 22, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and oxycodone; possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon; and wire fraud, in connection with fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG); and Chief Malik Aziz, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD). According to the guilty plea, on February 17, 2023, PGPD officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with heavily tinted windows. During the traffic stop, officers detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The driver acknowledged there was marijuana in the car. Ford was the passenger in the vehicle and officers noticed that he was wearing an unzipped gray satchel. After searching the vehicle, officers found a loaded Taurus G3C semi-automatic firearm under the passenger seat where Ford had been sitting. It was loaded with 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition in the magazine and one round of 9mm ammunition in the chamber ready to be fired. The firearm was previously reported stolen from a vehicle in Baltimore County. Law enforcement also searched Ford’s satchel and person, recovering 46 30mg blue pills that contained fentanyl, a 20mg white pill that contained oxycodone, three 15mg green pills that contained oxycodone, and more than $1,000 in cash. Ford admitted to possessing the fentanyl and oxycodone pills with the intent to distribute them. He also acknowledged that he possessed the loaded Taurus firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking. Due to a previous felony conviction, Ford is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Additionally, a subsequent investigation revealed that Ford also engaged in COVID-19 UI fraud. According to the plea, between at least June 13, 2020, and November 19, 2020, Ford participated in a scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor of at least $17,000 in UI benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several federal programs expanded UI eligibility and increased UI benefits to provide emergency assistance to struggling Americans. Ford fraudulently took advantage of that program and filed at least six false UI claims, using stolen identities of real persons. Two of the fraudulent claims resulted in the disbursement of $17,000 in funds in the names of two of the identity theft victims. He obtained $2,580 of that amount from a bank card in the name of one of the victims. Ford faces a maximum sentence of 15 years for the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge; a maximum of 20 years for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and oxycodone; and a maximum of 20 years for wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent COVID-19 unemployment insurance scheme. Judge Deborah L. Boardman scheduled sentencing for Monday, November 3, at 2 p.m. 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. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF, DOL-OIG, and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick D. Kibbe and Nicholas F. Potter who are prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Two Foreign Nationals Plead Guilty to Illegal Entry into the United States

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on May 9, 2025, Adrian Santos-Miranda, 31, and Yanela Guerra-Matamoros, 36, citizens of Cuba, pleaded guilty to a criminal complaint charging them with illegally entering the United States at a time or place other than designated for entering the country by immigration authorities. According to court records, on May 8, 2025, at approximately 3:40 p.m., U.S. Border Patrol received an image of two individuals, later identified as the defendants, walking south from the Canadian Border in the area of Mud Creek, approximately two miles east of the village of North Troy, VT. Border Patrol agents responded to the area, followed foot signs through the woods and mud, and at approximately 7:00 p.m., located the two defendants, who fled further into the woods when approached. The agents apprehended the two defendants, who appeared to be the same individuals in the image they had received. The agents then conducted an immigration inspection. Neither defendant was able to provide Border Patrol with the necessary documents that would allow them to stay or remain in the U.S. legally. Both defendants were placed under arrest. Border Patrol conducted further record checks, which identified the defendants as citizens of Cuba with no current legal status in the United States. Santos-Miranda and Guerra-Matamoros had their initial court appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on May 9, 2025, where they pleaded guilty and received a time-served sentence. Santos-Miranda and Guerra-Matamoros had faced up to 6 months’ imprisonment. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Gilman. Santos-Miranda is represented by Mark D. Oettinger, Esq. and Guerra-Matamoros is represented by Jason J. Sawyer, Esq. 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).


title: Long-Time Fugitive Extradited to the United States to Face Charges for Orchestrating Mail Fraud Scheme Defrauding Elderly and Vulnerable Victims of Over $10 Million

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A German man was extradited from Italy and arrested for orchestrating a massive mail fraud scheme targeting elderly and otherwise vulnerable victims with false and fraudulent psychic solicitations, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Georg Ingenbleek, 58, a citizen of Germany, was indicted in 2020 and has been a fugitive. He was apprehended in Bolzano, Italy in 2024 and returned yesterday via Newark International Airport to face an indictment charging him with two counts of mail fraud. Ingenbleek made his initial appearance and arraignment on May 9, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded without bail. According to the Indictment and statements made in court: From at least 2011 through 2016, Ingenbleek created numerous direct mail solicitations supposedly from world-renowned psychics, falsely and fraudulently claiming that the recipients were being contacted because they had been the subject of specific visions by the psychics, including visions that the recipients were going to receive large sums of money and good fortune. Many of the letters falsely promised that the psychic services being offered were free of charge. In fact, the letters were mass-produced using software and information provided by Ingenbleek to a direct mail marketing services company, Company-1, located in Piscataway, New Jersey, which Ingenbleek retained to print and mail the solicitations. Ingenbleek directed a second company, Company-2, to send fraudulent billing notices to the same victims that stated that the victims owed money for psychic services, which in many cases had been offered free of charge. The fraudulent billing notices were labeled “collection notices” and “invoices,” falsely representing that the victims owed late payment fees, and falsely stating that a psychic or astrology organization would refer the victim to a “collection agency” and take legal action if the victim did not send a check, usually for $20 to $50. Through his fraudulent psychic mailing campaign, Ingenbleek obtained more than $10 million dollars from victims. In September 2016, Ingenbleek directed representatives of Company-1 and Company-2 to destroy all materials related to his fraudulent psychic mailings in response to federal criminal investigations into his conduct and the conduct of other participants in the scheme. In one email, dated September 23, 2016, Ingenbleek told a representative of Company-2, “You cannot wait! I advise you urgently to get rid of the material! Use your own car, rent a truck, start today, work all weekend.” The mail fraud charges each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. U.S. Attorney Habba credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; and special agents of HSI New York, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonzo, with the investigation leading to the charges, and HSI Rome and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for providing significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Italy. The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Fayer and Olta Bejleri of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### Defense counsel: Daniel Rashbaum, Esq., Miami, Florida. ingenbleek.indictment.pdf


title: Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession with Intent to Distribute Marinjuana

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Trevion Dickson, a multi-convicted felon who again illegally possessed guns and drugs, will spend the next 30 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the 360-month total sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller. A federal grand jury indicted Dickson, 43, of Pine Bluff, in an indictment on December 5, 2023. On February 6, 2025, Dickson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Judge Miller sentenced Dickson to 30 years on the firearm charge and five years on the drug charge, with the sentences to run concurrently. On January 6, 2023, law enforcement officers from the White Hall Police Department were dispatched to an immobile vehicle revving its engine in the roadway. Dickson was standing next to the vehicle and upon questioning, Dickson fled from police on foot. He was later apprehended in a shed hiding behind a lawn mower and had to be physically restrained when officers attempted to take him into custody. At the time, Dickson had active felony warrants pending and was a parolee with a search waiver on file. Officers searched Dickson’s person and located methamphetamine, synthetic marijuana, marijuana, and alprazolam. During a search of Dickson’s vehicle officers located two sets of digital scales, marijuana, and a Smith & Wesson 9mm firearm. Dickson has five previous felony cocaine convictions and two prior felony firearm convictions, as well as numerous other convictions. His criminal history classified him as an armed career criminal and enhanced his sentence. Judge Miller also sentenced Dickson to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by DEA with assistance from the White Hall Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacy Williams. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Florida Equipment Manufacturer Sentenced for Tax Evasion

body_text: A Florida man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for evading nearly $2.4 million in taxes on income he earned from his business. The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Roger Whitman manufactured and sold Rife machines, devices that use energy waves to purportedly treat a wide range of medical conditions. Between 2002 and 2018, Whitman generated millions of dollars in gross receipts from the sale of such equipment. Whitman also has a long history of non-compliance with his tax obligations, having not filed an individual income tax return since 1997 and not made any tax payments since 2000. In 2012, the IRS assessed nearly $800,0000 in taxes against Whitman for 2002 through 2009 and then began trying to collect these taxes from him. To thwart the IRS’s collection efforts, Whitman formed a trust with his girlfriend serving as the trustee. Whitman then directed his income from the business into the trust’s bank accounts and used the funds from these accounts to pay personal expenses. In approximately July 2019, to further thwart IRS efforts, Whitman formed a new entity to operate his business. Through his actions, Whitman caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $2.4 million. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge John Antoon II for the Middle District of Florida ordered Whitman to serve one year of supervised release and pay $2,314,220.15 in restitution to the IRS. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorney Melissa Siskind of the Tax Division prosecuted the case, with assistance and support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.


title: Russian National Charged with Smuggling Biological Material Into Boston

body_text: BOSTON – A Russian national has been arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to smuggle clawed frog embryos and embryonic samples into the United States. Kseniia Petrova, 31, a Russian citizen, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of smuggling goods into the United States. Petrova was taken into immigration custody on Feb. 16, 2025. She was arrested earlier today on the criminal charge. According to the charging documents, on Feb. 16, 2025, Petrova arrived at Logan International Airport in Boston via an inbound flight from Paris. Upon her arrival, Petrova was stopped by Customs & Border Protection agents after a law enforcement canine allegedly alerted its handler to the defendant’s checked duffel bag on the baggage carousel. Per protocol, law enforcement removed the bag from the carousel and brought it to an agricultural secondary inspection area for further screening. There, an officer inspected the contents of the bag and allegedly discovered the biological items: a foam box containing clawed frog embryos in microcentrifuges, as well as embryonic samples in paraffin well stages and on mounted dyed slides. All biological products require a permit for entry and require the individual to make a declaration to Customs & Border Protection at the port of first arrival. It is alleged that, when approached by law enforcement, Petrova initially denied carrying any biological material in her checked baggage. However, when asked again, Petrova allegedly admitted that she was carrying biological material. During an interview under oath, Petrova allegedly claimed to be unsure that she was required to declare biological material when entering the United States. According to the charging documents, however, Petrova’s phone revealed text messages from an individual identified as one of Petrova’s colleagues informing Petrova that she was required to declare the biological material: “if you bring samples or antibody back, make sure you get the permission etc. Like that link I sent to leon-/group chat about frog embryos because TSA went through my bags at customs in Boston;” and “What is your plan to pass the American Customs with samples? This is the most delicate place of the trajectory.” It is alleged that in another text message conversation with an individual identified as her principal investigator, Petrova was asked how she planned to get through customs with the biological samples, to which she replied: “No plan yet. I won’t be able to swallow them.” Petrova was thereafter advised that she was ineligible for entry to the United States. It is alleged that, when asked if she wished to willingly withdraw her application for admission, Petrova responded in the affirmative before being taken into custody by immigration officials. According to the charging documents, the defendant was recently employed by the Institute of Genetic Biology in Moscow from 2023 to 2024 and previously served as a bioinformatician of genetic disorders at the Moscow Center for Genetics from 2016 to 2023. The charge of smuggling goods into the United States provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service in Louisiana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadine Pellegrini, Chief of the National Security Unit, is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Texas Company Charged with Aiding and Abetting Fraudulent Transactions Related to False Ethanol Sales

component: Office of the Inspector General

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –Today, Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced the filing of a bill of information charging Plano, Texas-based MUREX MANAGEMENT, INC. (“ MMI ”), with aiding and abetting transactions that defrauded financial institutions, including the failed New Orleans-based First NBC Bank. According to the bill of information, MMI was the management company of an affiliate that engaged in ethanol marketing and logistics services. Additionally, Company A was the U.S.-based subsidiary of a foreign, publicly traded, company that operated ethanol production plants. According to the bill of information, beginning in 2013, Company A and its parent companies began to experience financial stress. In order to ameliorate cash flow issues and to manufacture additional financing for its debts, Company A initiated a strategy called “buy/sells” and targeted MMI to assist in this strategy. Company A’s plan called for both companies to create fictitious invoices purporting to be sales of ethanol between the two companies, which could then be sold as accounts receivable to unwitting buyers via a New Orleans-based online marketplace. This would provide cash flow for Company A and a profit to MMI . The unwitting buyers of these accounts receivable included financial institutions like First NBC Bank. The bill of information alleges that, between October 28, 2013 and September 18, 2015, Company A and MMI conducted approximately $1.2 billion in fraudulent “buy/sell” transactions, with MMI making a profit of approximately $6,073,049. Company A eventually defaulted on paying financial institutions for the accounts receivable that had been posted for auction by MMI . The defaulted auctions caused a loss of approximately $73,073,683.05 to First NBC Bank, and a loss of approximately $8,330,427.02 to a North Carolina bank. If convicted, MMI faces a maximum fine of $1,000,000.00, or twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss to any victim. It also will be required to pay restitution and a mandatory special assessment fee of $400.00. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the FDIC Office of Inspector General, Dallas Field Office, and the Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, Houston Resident Office, that investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew R. Payne of the Financial Crimes Unit and Nicholas D. Moses, Health Care Fraud Coordinator, handled this prosecution.


title: Florida Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Participating in Violent Danbury Kidnapping

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY PENA, also known as “Tony,” 24, of Miami Gardens, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 132 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for participating in a violent kidnapping in Danbury last summer. According to court documents and statements made in court, in the late afternoon of August 25, 2024, Danbury Police received multiple 911 calls from witnesses who observed several males assaulting another male and forcing him into a white work van. Responding officers encountered the van on Clapboard Ridge Road, near the intersection of East Gate Road, and attempted to stop it. The van accelerated at a high-rate of speed and crashed approximately one mile away on Cowperthwaite Street. Pena, Angel Borrero, and two associates, all dressed in black, exited the van and fled on foot. Officers arrived at the location of the disabled van and located a male and female victim, both bound with duct tape, in the back of the van. The male victim had significant injuries to his face and arm. Both victims were transported to the hospital for further evaluation. The victims reported that the Lamborghini Urus they were operating was rear-ended by a Honda Civic on Damia Drive in Danbury, and a white work van cut in front of their vehicle. The victims were then forcibly removed from their vehicle, dragged into the van, and bound with duct tape. When the male victim resisted, he was punched in the face and hit repeatedly with a baseball bat, both outside and inside the van, by Pena and others. The victims were told several times that they would be killed. Pena, Borrero, and the two associates were apprehended in various locations within a quarter-mile radius from where the van crashed. Two other associates, and the Honda Civic, were located at a short-term rental home in Roxbury. A baseball bat was found inside the car. The victims’ Lamborghini, with a blood-stained baseball bat inside the car, was found abandoned in the woods off the roadway on East King Street. The kidnapping was intended to facilitate the extortion of the victims’ son, who is suspected of participating in the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. Pena has been detained since his arrest. On January 10, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and kidnapping. Borrero and three others involved in the offense also pleaded guilty and await sentencing. This matter is being investigated by the FBI New Haven Violent Crimes Task Force and the Danbury Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the Connecticut State Police and several local police departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and John T. Pierpont, Jr. U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Danbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.


title: Former CEO of Healthcare Services Company Admits Role in Elaborate Investment Fraud Scheme

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – The former chief executive officer of a publicly traded healthcare services company admitted his role in a conspiracy to defraud investors in connection with the purchase or sale of the company’s securities, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Parmjit Parmar, a/k/a “Paul Parmar,” 55, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to conspiracy to commit securities fraud. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From May 2015 through September 2017, Parmar and his conspirators, including Sotirios Zaharis, a/k/a “Sam Zaharis,” and Ravi Chivukula orchestrated an elaborate scheme to defraud a private investment firm and others out of hundreds of millions of dollars in connection with the funding of a transaction to take private a healthcare services company (Company A) traded publicly on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market. To fund the transaction, the private investment firm put up approximately $82.5 million and a consortium of financial institutions put up another $130 million, for a total of approximately $212.5 million. The scheme utilized fraudulent methods to grossly inflate the value of Company A and trick others into believing that Company A was worth substantially more than its actual value. Parmar and the conspirators sought to raise tens of millions of dollars in the public markets, purportedly to fund Company A’s acquisitions of various operating subsidiaries. In actuality, a number of those entities either did not exist or had only a fraction of the operating income attributed to them. The conspirators funneled the proceeds of these secondary offerings through bank accounts they controlled and used the money for a variety of purposes that had nothing to do with acquiring the purported targets. The conspirators went to great lengths to make it appear that these funds were revenue, concocting phony customers and altering bank statements to make it appear as if the funds were coming from customers. To perpetuate the scheme, Parmar and his conspirators also falsified and fabricated bank records of subsidiary entities in order to generate a phony picture of Company A’s revenue streams and made material misrepresentations and omissions to the private investment firm and others. Parmar and his conspirators’ actions caused victims to value Company A at more than $300 million for purposes of financing the transaction to take Company A private. The scheme was uncovered in September 2017, when Parmar and his conspirators resigned from their positions with Company A or were terminated. On March 16, 2018, Company A and numerous of its affiliated entities filed for bankruptcy, attributing the company’s financial demise, in large part, to the fraud scheme. The conspiracy to commit securities fraud charge to which Parmar has plead guilty, carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Pursuant to the terms of his plea agreement, Parmar has also agreed to forfeiture of certain properties and the contents of several bank accounts, and the Court must order that Parmar pays restitution to any victims of his offense. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Driscoll, with assistance from FBI Headquarters Forensic Accountant Support Team. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vinay S. Limbachia, George M. Barchini, and Kelly M. Lyons of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment with respect to Parmar’s co-defendants, Zaharis and Chivukula, are merely accusations, and Zaharis and Chivukula are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### Defense counsel for Parmar: John H. Hemann, Esq., San Francisco, CA; Andrew D. Goldstein, Victoria R. Pasculli, Alessandra V. Rafalson, Esqs., New York, NY; Anuva V. Ganapathi, Esq., Palo Alto, CA parmar.indictment.pdf


title: Federal Jury Convicts Prison Inmate of Murder and Hate Crime in Death of Fellow Inmate

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ROCKFORD — An inmate at Thomson Penitentiary in Thomson, Ill., has been convicted of murder and hate crime in the death of a fellow inmate. After a seven-day trial, the jury in U.S. District Court in Rockford on Tuesday found BRANDON SIMONSON, also known as “Whitey,” 41, of Moorhead, Minn., guilty of all four counts against him, including second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, hate crime, and assault relating to the death of Matthew Phillips. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston set sentencing for Aug. 22, 2025. According to evidence presented at trial, Simonson conspired with a co-defendant, KRISTOPHER MARTIN, to beat Phillips because he was Jewish. Simonson and Martin assaulted Phillips to gain recognition and membership into a white supremacist anti-semitic prison gang called the Valhalla Bound Skinheads. Evidence showed Simonson punched and kicked Phillips in the face and head, despite Phillips being knocked unconscious and unable to defend himself. The assault on March 2, 2020, led to Phillips’ death three days later. Martin, also known as “No Luck,” 43, of Brazil, Ind., pleaded guilty earlier this year and is awaiting sentencing. The convictions were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincenza L. Tomlinson and Ronald DeWald. “We are grateful to the jury for delivering justice in a very difficult case for Mr. Phillips’ family and the people of the Northern District of Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The significant convictions in this case are the result of the extraordinary dedication and commitment of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners. We will not tolerate criminal acts such as these anywhere in our district, including in our prison system.” “The FBI and our law enforcement partners hold those accountable who compromise the safety or lives of others, even those serving sentences in prison,” said FBI SAC DePodesta. “We continue to ask the public to help keep our communities safe from any acts of violence like those detailed in this case by reporting threatening or suspicious behavior immediately to local law enforcement or the FBI.”


title: Ecuadorian National Convicted of Illegal Reentry and Failure to Notify of a Change of Address

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Sebastian Saquinga-Topanta, an Ecuadorian national, pleaded guilty to Illegal Reentry into the United States, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326, and Failure to Notify of a Change of Address, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1306(b), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to court documents, Sebastian Saquinga-Topanta, 31, did not have a lawful immigration status to enter the United States. On September 1, 2022, Saquinga-Topanta was discovered by the U.S. Border Patrol and was removed from the United States as an undocumented alien. He was returned to Ecuador but, soon after, the defendant knowingly, voluntarily, and unlawfully returned to the United States in December 2022. According to court documents, Saquinga-Topanta was previously apprehended for driving while intoxicated in June 2023. The defendant was arrested twice on warrants in December 2023 and January 2024 for the DUI case. Saquinga-Topanta was questioned about his residence following his arrest. Law enforcement went to the purported address but discovered that the defendant no longer lived there. During a period from January to May of 2024, the defendant failed to register his change of address with the Attorney General. In addition, he was not approved by the Attorney General or the Security of Homeland Security to re-apply and remain in the United States. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda A. Williams prosecuted the case.


title: Oakton doctor sentenced to 13 years in prison for running urgent care center as opioid pill mill

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Oakton doctor was sentenced today to 13 years in prison for conspiring to distribute oxycodone and amphetamines, maintaining drug premises, and false statements relating to health care matters. According to court documents, David Allingham, 65, was the owner of and sole medically licensed practitioner at Oakton Primacy Care Center (OPCC), an urgent care center. His practice advertised on his website that Allingham specialized as an “Addiction Medicine Family Doctor” with “special training and skill in preventing, diagnosing, and treating patients with addiction.” Between at least April 2019 and January 2024, Allingham wrote prescriptions for opioids and amphetamines for numerous patients without properly assessing the individual needs of those patients, which was outside the usual course of professional practice and regulations and without legitimate medical purpose. During that time, Virginia pharmacies filled approximately 7,330 prescriptions for oxycodone prescribed by Allingham, totaling approximately 405,164 pills. All of Allingham’s patients were instructed to pay out of pocket for office visits at Allingham’s practice, which cost $300-$550 per patient, typically paid via cash, credit card, or Venmo. An extra $700 was required if the patient wanted a doctor’s letter. Allingham required his chronic pain patients to pay for an office visit at least every 21 days, though he allowed a significant number of these “office visits” to be conducted via a phone call to employees who were not medically trained. Allingham authorized renewals of opioid medication without physically examining patients or without medical indication other than the uncorroborated information the patients provided. Multiple pharmacies investigated Allingham’s opioid prescribing practices and thereafter refused to fill prescriptions for controlled substances issued by Allingham. After a national pharmacy chain informed Allingham that its stores would no longer fill prescriptions written by him, Allingham instructed his employees to phase out all brand pharmacies in favor of “mom and pop” pharmacies to avoid further scrutiny of his patients and so he could continue to prescribe high-dose opioids for them. Allingham typically required a urine drug screen (UDS) at each in office appointment but failed to act on them in a medically appropriate way. Allingham consistently excused or ignored failed UDSs, which were then withheld from patient files or falsely documented in his medical records. One patient failed 40 drug tests between 2019 and 2023. Allingham’s medical record falsely documented that the patient had tested positive for cocaine in his urine merely from handling currency contaminated with cocaine residue. Allingham nevertheless continued to prescribe oxycodone to the patient. Allingham also prescribed amphetamines to multiple chronic pain patients to assist them in weight loss in contravention of regulations. Allingham prescribed amphetamines for weight loss purposes regardless of whether the patient was obese. During the conspiracy, Allingham distributed at least 527 prescriptions for amphetamines for this purpose, totaling over 13,500 pills. Allingham also unlawfully used and directed his employees to use another doctor’s identity without authorization to prescribe medications for himself and his family. Allingham instructed his employees to provide the OPCC phone number for prescriptions purportedly written by that doctor and directed them how to respond if pharmacists called inquiring about the prescriptions, because at that time the doctor was not an employee of OPCC. Multiple of Allingham’s patients died of drug overdoses within hours, days, or weeks of receiving an oxycodone prescription from Allingham. In July 2023, law enforcement conducted a search of Allingham’s residence and medical practice. When interviewed by law enforcement, Allingham made false statements regarding his prescribing practices and directed at least one of his employees to delete records of her text message communications with him. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Col. Matt Hanley, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. The Fairfax County Police Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather D. Call prosecuted the case. 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. 1:25-cr-2.


title: Houston custom home builder heads to prison for misusing construction funds

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 40-year-old Houston man has been sentenced for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Brett Michael Detamore pleaded guilty Aug. 23, 2024. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks has now ordered Detamore to serve 51 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a total of $2.3 million in restitution to over 10 victims. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony from several victims who described how Detamore had abused their trust and devastated them financially. Detamore, operating as a custom home builder under Detamore Development LLC, fraudulently obtained at least $1.5 million for his personal use as a result of misusing funds intended for the construction of private residences. Detamore submitted false and fraudulent invoices to banks holding construction loans for single-family residences he was contracted to build. The false invoices caused the banks to send funds to bank accounts Detamore controlled. He then used the funds for his personal benefit. He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the West University Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Lansden and Suzanne Elmilady prosecuted the case.


title: Pediatric Physician Sentenced to 25 Years for Producing Child Pornography

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Overland Park, Ks., pediatric physician was sentenced in federal court today for producing child pornography and possession of child pornography. Brian Aalbers, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian C. Wimes to 25 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Aalbers to serve supervised release for Life following his incarceration. Aalbers, a pediatric neurologist at Overland Park Regional Hospital in Overland Park, Ks., had pleaded guilty to using concealed video cameras to secretly record 13 child victims for the purpose of producing child pornography over a three-year period. Aalbers also had admitted that he was in possession of child pornography. Concerns were received by both the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office regarding the potential victimization of patients of Aalbers’s pediatric practice. During the investigation, it was determined there was no evidence to indicate any current or former patients were victimized by Aalbers. To protect and maintain the privacy of Aalbers’s victims, no additional information regarding the victims will be released. According to the plea agreement, Kansas City, Mo., police officers investigated a report regarding concealed video cameras that had been found on Oct. 28, 2023. A witness later contacted officers to report that Aalbers was sending suicidal text messages. Lenexa, Ks., police officers located Aalbers and transported him to a local hospital to obtain voluntary mental health treatment. The hospital took possession of two laptop computers, two iPad tablets, and a cell phone that were inside a backpack Aalbers brought with him when he entered the facility. Investigators obtained search warrants for those devices, as well as other cameras and electronic devices owned by Aalbers. Investigators found more than 50,000 video files associated with the hidden video cameras used by Aalbers, including more than 1,000 videos that contained pornographic depictions of the 13 child victims. Investigators also obtained a search warrant for Aalbers’s iCloud account, which contained 1,000 additional images and 163 additional videos of child pornography, which included videos of the identified child victims that had been produced by Aalbers. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, and Lenexa, Kansas Police Department. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Minnesota Man Pleads Guilty to Harboring Fugitive

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A Minnesota man who harbored and concealed a fugitive in 2022 pled guilty on May 13, 2025, in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Jay Anthony Tapper, age 56, from Rosemount, Minnesota, was convicted of one count of harboring a fugitive. At the plea hearing, Tapper admitted that, in August and September 2022, he knew there was a federal warrant outstanding for the arrest of Mary Kate Nguyen. Tapper harbored and concealed Nguyen during those two months. Tapper intended to prevent Nguyen’s discovery and arrest on then-pending felony charges. U.S. Marshals ultimately arrested Nguyen, and she was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment on fraud and contempt charges in January 2025. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Tapper remains free on bond pending sentencing. Tapper faces a possible maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation-Special Enforcement Operations Bureau. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Woodbury (Minnesota) Police Department, U.S. Marshal’s Service, Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement, and Iowa Division of Intelligence assisted in the investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file numbers are 25-CR-4024 (Tapper) and 21-CR-3037 (Nguyen). Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: South Los Angeles Man and Woman Arrested on Federal Charge for Impeding Federal Agents Engaged in Immigration Enforcement

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Two South Los Angeles residents were arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging they caused a car chase earlier this year in which they deliberately blocked and impeded immigration agents during the performance of their official duties. Gustavo Torres, 28, and Kiara Jaime-Flores, 34, are charged with conspiracy to impede or injure officer. The defendants are scheduled to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. “These defendants are charged with knowingly and recklessly putting federal agents’ lives in danger,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Anyone who deliberately gets in the way of immigration officers doing their job will face criminal prosecution and the prospect of doing time in a federal prison cell.” According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, on the morning of February 28, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and United States Border Patrol agents executed four search warrants at separate residences in Los Angeles, one of them occurring at an address in South Los Angeles. A small crowd began to concentrate outside the residence and some bystanders in the crowd directed hostile remarks at the agents, who later got in their government vehicles and left the area. At the intersection of 61st Street and Broadway in South Los Angeles, Torres and Flores – driving a Honda Fit – allegedly pulled in front of one of the government vehicles and blocked its pathway at the intersection. The defendants also drove westbound on 61st Street in an opposing lane, passing another two government vehicles. The defendants allegedly pulled in front of one of the vehicles and slammed on the brakes, which the agents believed was an attempt to cause a collision. Torres and Flores aggressively followed one of the government vehicles for two miles, attempting to cross multiple lanes of traffic as it followed it and the other cars. A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Torres and Flores would face a statutory maximum sentence of six years in federal prison. HSI is investigating this matter. The investigation was conducted by the HSI-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Tako of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Kansas City Felon Sentenced to 11 Years for Illegal Firearm

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo. man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm. Devon D. Martin, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to eleven years in federal prison without parole. On Nov. 14, 2024, Martin pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Martin admitted he was in possession of a Smith and Wesson, SD9 VE, 9mm pistol on June 19, 2024. On June 19, 2024, detectives with the Independence, Mo. Police Department Street Crimes Unit and SWAT team were conducting surveillance to locate Martin, who had a felony warrant and a parole violation warrant. Officers located Martin and attempted to apprehend him. Martin fled from the officers on foot and the officers engaged in a pursuit. During the foot pursuit, Martin dropped the pistol, which investigators later determined was stolen. The pistol was loaded with twelve live rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one live round in the chamber. Martin also possessed approximately seven grams of methamphetamine and two grams of fentanyl powder. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Martin has three prior felony convictions for resisting an arrest by fleeing, two felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, two prior felony convictions for stealing, and prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle and distribution of an opiate, opium, narcotic, or certain stimulant, and unlawful tampering with electronic monitoring equipment. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Independence, Missouri Police Department. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Criminal illegal alien gets 48 months for unlawfully reentering United States

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 27-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally reentering the country without permission for a second time, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Hector Castillo-Molina pleaded guilty Sept. 13, 2024. U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Castillo-Molina to serve four years in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court called Castillo-Molina’s extensive record “concerning,” noting that if he kept coming back, he would just be spending all his time jail. Castillo-Molina has a lengthy criminal history to include five felonies including burglary, drug possession, felon in possession of a firearm and illegal reentry into the United States. He has been previously removed from the United States on multiple occasions. He was last removed in August 2022. However, authorities discovered him again April 27, 2024, at the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint. He was one of 59 individuals being transported in a tractor-trailer. Castillo-Molina will remain in custody pending transfer a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith prosecuted 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood .


title: Florida Financial Advisor Sentenced for Promoting Illegal Tax Shelter and Stealing Client Funds

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Florida financial advisor was sentenced today to eight years in prison for orchestrating a nearly decade-long scheme to promote an illegal tax shelter and to steal client funds. The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Stephen T. Mellinger III, of Delray Beach, was a financial advisor, insurance salesman, and securities broker operating in Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, and elsewhere. Beginning in late 2013, Mellinger conspired with others to promote an illegal tax shelter whereby clients would claim false tax deductions for so-called “royalty payments” to fraudulently reduce their taxes. In reality, the “royalty payments” were merely a circular flow of money designed to give the appearance of genuine business expenses. Typically, a client would send money to bank accounts controlled by Mellinger and his co-conspirators, who then sent the money, minus a fee, to a different bank account that the client controlled. Tax shelter participants retained control of the money they transferred, while falsely deducting the transfers as business expenses on their tax returns. In total, Mellinger and his co-conspirators helped clients prepare tax returns that claimed over $106 million in false tax deductions, which caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $37 million. Mellinger and a co-conspirator, who was a relative, collectively earned approximately $3 million in fees from the scheme. In January 2016, Mellinger learned that several of his clients were under investigation and that the United States had started seizing their funds. Mellinger and the relative subsequently stole more than $2.1 million from some of the clients, a portion of which Mellinger used to buy a home in Delray Beach. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett for the Southern District of Mississippi ordered Mellinger to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $37 million in restitution to the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi, Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Atlanta Field Office, and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations and Director of DCIS Kelly P. Mayo made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation and the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Richard J. Hagerman, William Montague and Matthew Hicks of the Tax Division, Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Jasmin Salehi Fashami of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.


title: Vallejo Man Convicted of Being a Felon in Possession of Ammunition

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: After a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins, a jury found Jeffrey Caldwell, 36, of Vallejo, guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to evidence presented at trial, law enforcement officers responded to the Super 8 Motel on 2070 Solano Avenue in Vallejo after multiple callers reported hearing gunshots from inside the building. By the time the officers arrived, Caldwell had barricaded himself in his hotel room and refused commands to surrender. A multi-hour standoff ensued, which ended when Caldwell finally left the room and attempted to flee. A subsequent search of the room discovered a privately manufactured firearm containing one round of ammunition. Caldwell is prohibited from possessing ammunition due to more than 10 prior felony convictions in California and Arizona, including for assault, burglary, and stalking. This case is the product of an investigation by the Vallejo Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Campbell and Alexander Cárdenas are prosecuting the case. Caldwell is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Coggins on Aug. 22, 2025. Caldwell faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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 U.S. Postal Service employee sentenced to 10 years for attempting to coerce a minor

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A former Anchorage U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison and will serve 20 years on supervised release for attempting to entice and coerce a minor. On Aug. 22, 2024, William Feltovic, 37, messaged an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old boy on a social media application. The conversation was immediately sexual in nature, and they switched their communication to text messages. Feltovic texted him and continued the conversation, requesting the “boy’s” age and pictures. He told Feltovic he was 13 years old. Feltovic then requested to meet with him to engage in sexually explicit conduct. The “boy” said he was at a motel in downtown Anchorage and that his parents were leaving soon. Roughly an hour later, Feltovic arrived at the motel’s parking lot and texted that he was there. Feltovic entered the motel through a backdoor that was propped open and went to the room number sent to him. Law enforcement officers arrested Feltovic as he waited at the doorway and peered into the room. Law enforcement searched Feltovic’s cell phone and discovered over 110 images and over 50 videos of child sexual abuse material, some depicting infants, toddlers and prepubescent children. “Mr. Feltovic used an online messaging service to groom and prey on what he thought was a 13-year-old boy to fulfill his perverse desire for sexual gratification with a minor,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “My office will work with law enforcement to find every perpetrator who exploits - or even attempts to exploit - the most vulnerable among us for sexual purposes.” “This sentencing reflects HSI’s commitment, in coordination with our partners, to target and identify those who prey on children,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy. “Protecting children from abuse is a responsibility that we share as a community to hold individuals who victimize children accountable for their actions, while also working together to prevent abuse.” “The Alaska State Troopers are committed to protecting Alaska’s children from those who seek to exploit them,” said Colonel Maurice Hughes, Director of the Alaska State Troopers. “This case is a stark reminder that predators will go to great lengths to target our vulnerable youth—but we will go farther to stop them. We’re proud to stand with our federal partners to ensure offenders like this are held accountable for their actions.” The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers and USPS Office of Inspector General, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Schroeder prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Drive-By Shooters Who Sprayed Bullets Near a Southeast Washington D.C. Elementary School Sentenced to Federal Prison

body_text: WASHINGTON – Rasheed Mullins, 27, and Josiah Warfield, 24, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 90 months and 100 months in prison, respectively, for participating in an April 2024 daylight drive-by shooting near an elementary school in Southeast D.C. The sentencings were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Mullins and Warfield both pleaded guilty on January 27, 2025, to single counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. In addition to the prison terms, Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered them each to serve five years of supervised release. According to court documents, Mullins was at the wheel of a red Kia SUV as it drove near the 2800 block of Bruce Place, SE. Warfield and another male conspirator were passengers in the vehicle. About 11:25 a.m., Mullins began to chase a grey Mercedes. Warfield, armed with a Glock 19, and the other man, wielding a Draco assault rifle, leaned out of the SUVs windows and fired multiple shots at the Mercedes, hitting it three times. Mullins continued to chase the Mercedes until losing control of the SUV and crashing it near where two PGPD detectives were standing as they were investigating an unrelated case. The three men bailed out of the SUV and ran into a nearby wooded area where the officers arrested them. This case was investigated by the ATF and MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Martin and Jared English. 24cr193