title: Two Georgia Men Charged in National Health Care Fraud Takedown

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Today, United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg announced criminal charges against two defendants for health care fraud schemes that exploited Medicare, Medicaid, and health care providers. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from services not rendered and services misrepresented that were billed to health care programs, including Medicare and the Georgia Medicaid program. In total, the defendants in the two cases are alleged to have obtained $2.7 million through fraud. “These defendants exploited our health care system to enrich themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Not only did they steal from taxpayers, but they also harmed Medicare and Medicaid’s ability to provide critical health care benefits to patients in need. We will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice criminals who prey on government health care programs.” “We’re prosecuting fraud in all its forms, and we’re fighting to protect taxpayer dollars,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “Let me be clear – if you steal from our Medicaid program, you will be held accountable and forced to pay back all the money you stole. This is a nationwide effort, and we’re proud to work with all of our state and federal partners to ensure the integrity of our publicly funded healthcare programs.” “Medicare and Medicaid funds are intended to provide essential services to some of our most vulnerable populations. When individuals exploit these programs for personal gain, they not only steal taxpayer dollars but also compromise the integrity of these programs,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working with our federal and state partners, we will continue to hold accountable those who defraud the Medicare and Medicaid programs.” The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Hertzberg are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. This Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: charges in 56 federal districts and involving 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a $1.2 billion telemedicine scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; seize over $182 million in cash, houses, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and provide full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms. This coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including: Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers. 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers. Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million. 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025. The two individuals charged in the Northern District of Georgia in connection with the nationwide Takedown are Murrell Carnel Rutledge, Jr. and Lonnie Releford. Murrell Carnel Rutledge, Jr. On June 17, 2026, the United States moved to unseal a federal indictment charging Murrell Carnel Rutledge, Jr., 52, of Atlanta, Georgia, with 40 counts of health care fraud. According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Rutledge established Rutledge Medical Associates, a medical practice located in East Point, Georgia, in May 2014. Beginning in or about January 2017 and continuing for at least six years, Rutledge billed Georgia Medicaid for thousands of wound care, cyst removal, psychotherapy, and allergy testing services that were never performed: Between in or about February 2019 and in or about June 2022, Rutledgesubmitted and caused to be submitted nearly 900 false and fraudulent claims for purportedly excising and removing complex pilonidal cysts. Between in or about January 2018 and in or about June 2022, Rutledge submitted and caused to be submitted nearly 1,500 false and fraudulent claims for purportedly completing the incision and drainage of deep abscesses or hematomas. Between in or about July 2017 and in or about March 2023, Rutledge submitted and caused to be submitted nearly 7,900 false and fraudulent claims for extended, face-to-face psychotherapy sessions. Between in or about January 2017 and in or about June 2022, Rutledge submitted and caused to be submitted over 1,000 false and fraudulent claims for purportedly completing medically unnecessary percutaneous allergy tests. These false and fraudulent claims sought $4.3 million from Georgia Medicaid, with approximately $2.6 million actually being paid out. Lonnie Releford On June 11, 2026, Lonnie Releford, 57, of Atlanta, Georgia, was charged in a federal criminal information with one count of concealment of material facts related to health care matters. According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: From August 2021 to April 2025, Releford allegedly applied for and obtained nursing jobs at hospitals and nursing homes around metro Atlanta by lying about his educational and professional qualifications, submitting fraudulent documents, and stealing the identity of a real licensed practical nurse. Releford did not have a nursing degree, nor was he qualified to practice as a licensed practical nurse in Georgia. When asked about his criminal history, Releford allegedly falsely stated he had none, despite his prior convictions for identity theft and fraud. Based on these alleged misrepresentations, numerous health care providers paid Releford’s salary and billed Medicare and Medicaid for services Releford could not legally perform. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here . Assistant U.S. Attorney Cathelynn Tio and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Mooney are prosecuting the case against Rutledge, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Robinson Jr. is prosecuting the case against Releford. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia worked with the Georgia Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the Takedown. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment against Rutledge and information against Releford only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges until they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt or admit guilt in a court of law. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Former Army soldier pleads guilty to child exploitation crimes committed in Alaska and Texas

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A former Army soldier pleaded guilty today to child exploitation crimes he committed while living in Alaska and Texas, including attempted production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting minors known to him and trafficking of CSAM. According to court documents, beginning in March 2021, Seth Herrera, 36, previously of El Paso, Texas, started using The Onion Router (TOR) and multiple encrypted and/or privacy-enhancing applications to access, possess, receive and transport CSAM on his cell phones. Herrera would use his phones to browse the dark web, searching for CSAM and use encrypted messaging applications like Telegram and Potato Chat to seek out, access and receive CSAM. He created his own publicly accessible group on one of the platforms where he stored his preferred CSAM files. In six weeks, he uploaded over 100 files to this group. Across various applications, Herrera participated in hundreds of groups and channels dedicated to CSAM. At the time, the defendant belonged to over 400 Telegram groups and over 1,400 Telegram channels alone. Some groups focused on CSAM involving bestiality, incest and infants/toddlers. Law enforcement seized Herrera’s devices in May 2024 and discovered tens of thousands of CSAM videos and images, depicting sadistic and masochistic content of boys and girls ranging in age from infant through pubescent. Starting in December 2022, Herrera also used various AI chatbots on Telegram and other websites to create morphed CSAM. In some instances, Herrera would take non-explicit images of children, some known to him personally, and use AI to undress and morph bodies, and make it appear as if they were engaging in sexually explicit conduct. While fueling his desire for online CSAM, beginning in March 2021, Herrera started taking surreptitious photos and recordings of minors known to him in El Paso, Texas. In December 2022, Herrera captured screenshots of minors via security cameras around his home. In one instance, Herrera used AI chatbots to enhance and improve the quality of an explicit screenshot. In total, Herrera secretly produced at least 28 photos and two videos of one minor from security cameras. Herrera moved to Alaska in August 2023 and transported all his CSAM files across state lines because they were stored in password protected photo vaults on his phones. On Aug. 23, 2024, Herrera was arrested at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, where he served as a Specialist, after a federal grand jury indicted him on transportation, receipt and possession of child pornography. On May 14, 2025, a grand jury in the Western District of Texas indicted Herrera on production and receipt of child pornography related to his conduct in El Paso. Herrera entered his plea under a global plea agreement after the Western District of Texas transferred their case to the District of Alaska on June 15, 2026. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 29 and faces between 15 and 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska, U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons of the Western District of Texas, Acting Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle Special Agent in Charge April Miller and Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s (Army CID) Western Field Office made the announcement. HSI Seattle and the Army CID investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson and Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case. CEOS Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg and Western District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory J. Rasmussen prosecuted the case in Texas. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . ###


title: Federal Prosecutors Dismantle Four Major Drug Trafficking Organizations Flooding South Dakota with Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: “Behind every ounce of methamphetamine and every fentanyl pill in these cases is a South Dakota family that has suffered and felt the damage. That is who this work is for. We have proven that no link in the chain is beyond our reach—not the local dealer, not the out-of-state supplier, and not the cartel hiding in the shadows behind them. Working with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners, we will keep following that chain, defendant by defendant and case by case, until our communities are no longer a market these traffickers believe they can exploit.” — U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced the results of four landmark federal prosecutions in the past year that have systematically dismantled major drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) connected to the Mexican cartels responsible for flooding South Dakota communities with methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other deadly narcotics. Through coordinated, long-term investigations involving federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota has secured federal convictions against 54 members of these four organizations, with eight cases still pending and one case dismissed due to the defendant’s death, and has obtained substantial federal prison sentences—including multiple sentences exceeding 20 and 30 years—against their leaders, lieutenants, suppliers, and sub-distributors in the past year alone. Conservatively estimated, these four DTOs together trafficked more than 1,000 pounds— over half a ton —of methamphetamine and multiple kilograms of fentanyl pills and powder into South Dakota over the course of recent years. The defendants ranged from out-of-state suppliers connected to Mexican cartels to local distributors operating from short-term rental properties, hotels, and private residences across Sioux Falls, Rapid City, the Pine Ridge Reservation, and surrounding communities. As the capstone of those efforts, U.S. Attorney Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Las Vegas, Nevada, man convicted by a federal jury of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, as well as an additional three of his subordinates for similar drug-related crimes. On June 24, 2026, Quantiae Harris, 49, was sentenced to 33 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Harris was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2024. He was found guilty by a federal jury following a four-day trial on March 27, 2026. Harris was the leader of a California and Nevada-based drug trafficking organization responsible for bringing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl to the Sioux Falls area. More than anyone else, Harris was responsible for the introduction and distribution of fentanyl powder — the most potent, deadly and destructive form of that illicit substance — into the Sioux Falls illegal drug market. At his sentencing, Judge Schreier noted that the drug quantity involved in the prosecution of the Quantiae Harris drug trafficking organization was one of the highest she had seen in more than 25 years on the federal bench. "The actions of Quantiae Harris and his associates made detrimental and lasting impacts on communities across South Dakota. Fentanyl and methamphetamine carry potentially lethal consequences, and some families may never recover from the poisons Harris knowingly brought into the state and sold. Today’s sentencing sends a strong message to drug traffickers looking to make their mark in our state. DEA, alongside state, local, tribal and fellow federal partners will work non-stop to bring individuals peddling these illicit drugs to justice.” — Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Field Division “This is an amazing win for the people of South Dakota. The damage Harris and his associates have done to communities by introducing fentanyl powder to Sioux Falls is immeasurable. IRS-CI special agents are committed to working alongside our federal law enforcement partners to trace the money trails that lead to the disruption of dangerous drug trafficking organizations such as this.” — Special Agent in Charge William Steenson IRS-Criminal Investigation Three additional sentences for members of the Quantiae Harris DTO were also announced by U.S. Attorney Parsons today: On June 15, 2026, Faily Chavez, 31, from California City, California, was sentenced by Judge Schreier to 24 years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Chavez was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in October 2024. She pleaded guilty on March 24, 2026. On June 22, 2026, Kyle Schryvers, 33, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange to 16 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on March 17, 2026. Also on June 22, 2026, Nicole Kritz, 48, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was sentenced by Chief Judge Lange to five years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She pleaded guilty on March 16, 2026. Chavez, Schryvers, and Kritz were all members of the Quantiae Harris DTO. These sentences are the latest results from the systematic takedown of four major drug trafficking operations in South Dakota over the past year: Quantiae Harris DTO Juan Sertuche DTO Matthew Shade DTO Darrel Devorce DTO By the Numbers Combined results across just these four discrete prosecutions: Total defendants charged or convicted federally: 63 charged, 54 convictions to date Methamphetamine trafficked (combined estimates): More than 1,000 pounds Fentanyl pills trafficked (combined estimates): Tens of thousands Fentanyl powder: Multiple kilograms Money laundering proceeds traced: Several million dollars Federal prison sentences to date: More than 660 years Federal jury trials: Three to date (Quantiae Harris, Juan Sertuche, and Gregory Henderson convicted at trial) Importantly, the prosecutions of the four drug trafficking organizations detailed in this report represent only a portion of the drug trafficking convictions and sentences secured by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota over the past year. QUANTIAE HARRIS DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION 26-Defendant California- and Nevada-Based Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Conspiracy Overview of the Organization From late 2023 through September 2024, a California- and Nevada-based drug trafficking organization led by Quantiae Harris, age 49, of Las Vegas, Nevada, transported large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to South Dakota for distribution in the Sioux Falls area. The organization is the first known to have introduced powder fentanyl to the Sioux Falls drug market—a development of grave public health and public safety concern given fentanyl’s extreme lethality even in microscopic amounts. The organization initially shipped drugs through the U.S. Mail to addresses in Sioux Falls, where members would collect packages and distribute the contents to local sub-distributors. Operations were originally conducted out of local hotels, but eventually transitioned to short-term rental properties, including Airbnbs. Once the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began intercepting their packages, the organization shifted methods, using rental vehicles equipped with hidden compartments to drive narcotics from California to Sioux Falls. Customers contacted members for brief meetups at public locations to purchase drugs, with payments made in cash or through electronic payment platforms such as Cash App. Bulk cash proceeds were transported back to California in rental vehicles, while large amounts of currency were also deposited in local banks into accounts belonging to Quantiae Harris. The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation linked Harris to over $1.2 million in money laundering transactions related to the organization. Scope of Trafficking (Conservative Estimates) More than 100 pounds of methamphetamine Tens of thousands of fentanyl pills (estimated 50,000) Approximately 2 kilograms of fentanyl powder More than $1.2 million in money laundering transactions linked to the DTO leader Indictments and Prosecutions Four rounds of federal indictments charged a total of 26 defendants in connection with the Harris organization. Convictions for 22 of the 26 defendants have been secured so far. Harris, the DTO leader, was convicted following a four-day federal jury trial in Sioux Falls, returning a guilty verdict on every count on March 27, 2026. Currently, four remaining defendants are scheduled for trials. Regarding those four defendants, as with any pending criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation, and they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Federal Defendants Defendant Role Status Sentence Quantiae Harris Las Vegas, NV Leader of the DTO Convicted at trial on 3/27/26; sentenced on 6/24/26 400 months (33 years) Stephonn Walton Las Vegas, NV Alleged co-conspirator Pleaded not guilty; pending trial — Dejuan Croom Los Angeles, CA Third in command; managerial role Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 4/6/26 280 months (over 23 years) Alonzo Green California City, CA Fourth in command Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 1/5/26 240 months (20 years) Faily Chavez California City, CA California-based source of supply Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/15/26 292 months (over 24 years) Hailey Schneiderman Sioux Falls, SD Major local sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 8/4/25 192 months (16 years) Amanda Acosta Prairie Village, KS Major sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 9/29/25 240 months (20 years) Alysia Peneaux Sioux Falls, SD Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 4/13/26 120 months (10 years) Rodney Rohrbach Jr. Sioux Falls, SD Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty on 4/6/26 Sentencing on 6/29/26 Rodney Rohrbach Sr. Chamberlain, SD Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 1/26/26 70 months (over 5 years) Isaiah Croom Los Angeles, CA Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 3/16/26 30 months (over 2 years) Brett Berglund Sioux Falls, SD Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 11/17/25 135 months (over 11 years) Brandy Christman Aberdeen, SD Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 9/29/25 6 months Heather Downey Sioux Falls, SD Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 8/25/25 120 months (10 years) Alexis Mertens Slayton, MN Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 9/22/25 92 months (over 7 years) Ashley Mortimer Lennox, SD Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 1/16/26 92 months (over 7 years) Kenneth Johnson Los Angeles, CA Distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 11/24/25 159 months (over 13 years) Jeffrey Skannal Las Vegas, NV Distributor Pleaded guilty on 6/11/26 Sentencing on 8/31/26 Jordon Harris Sioux Falls, SD Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 11/17/25 87 months (over 7 years) Morgan Mentele Sioux Falls, SD Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 4/20/26 30 months Kyle Heinemann Sioux Falls, SD Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/8/26 120 months (10 years) Kyle Schryvers Sioux Falls, SD Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/22/26 192 months (16 years) Nicole Kritz Sioux Falls, SD Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/22/26 70 months (over 5 years) Jordan Reese Sioux Falls, SD Alleged co-conspirator Pleaded not guilty; pending trial — Allen Shropshire Sioux Falls, SD Alleged co-conspirator Pleaded not guilty; pending trial — Joshua Weisser Sioux Falls, SD Alleged co-conspirator Pleaded not guilty; pending trial — “This was a major bust of a significant figure in the lurid underworld of illegal drugs. The Trump Administration has designated fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality in extremely small amounts. In its pure powder form, it truly is a chemical weapon. If a member of your family used fentanyl in Sioux Falls over the past few years, this defendant is one of the primary drug dealers likely to have brought it here.” — U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons (following Harris jury verdict) Investigating Agencies Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force (SFADTF); Sioux Falls Police Department; South Dakota Highway Patrol; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Each of these cases has been prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen handled the investigatory stage of some of the prosecutions. JUAN SERTUCHE DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION Two-Decade Cartel-Sourced Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Pipeline into Western South Dakota Shut Down Overview of the Organization Juan Sertuche, age 43, of Denver, Colorado, led a drug distribution conspiracy spanning more than two decades from approximately 2002 through September 2023. Sertuche was sourced by a Mexican cartel and brought between 30 and 50 pounds of methamphetamine into South Dakota every other week, providing hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and tens of thousands of fentanyl pills to multiple sub-distributors for further distribution in the Rapid City area and the Pine Ridge Reservation. Investigators linked Sertuche to a traffic stop that uncovered 19 pounds of methamphetamine intended for distribution in western South Dakota. He was arrested in September 2023 after another traffic stop in Jackson County, where officers found approximately 1,500 fentanyl pills. Even after his arrest, Sertuche continued coordinating drug deals from custody and directed others to collect firearms to trade for drugs. Law enforcement recovered several weapons, including two fully automatic machine guns, before they could be exchanged. Scope of Trafficking Hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine over the duration of the conspiracy Tens of thousands of fentanyl pills Source of supply traced to Mexican cartel Continued drug coordination and firearms trafficking after arrest Indictments and Prosecutions The investigation produced parallel federal and state prosecutions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the top tier of the organization, resulting in 10 convictions and federal prison sentences, while additional DTO members were prosecuted in state court. Federal Defendants Defendant Role Status Sentence Juan Sertuche Denver, CO Leader of the DTO; cartel-sourced supplier Convicted at trial on 1/8/26; sentenced on 5/22/26 540 months (45 years) Veronica Ortega Box Elder, SD Main local distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 7/11/25 292 months (over 24 years) Shauntel Shangreaux Pine Ridge, SD Key lieutenant Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 4/6/26 230 months (over 19 years) Paige Sierra Rapid City, SD Distributor; transportation assistance Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 7/11/25 140 months (over 11 years) Jackie Corean Black Hawk, SD Distribution hub host, sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 9/2/25 135 months (over 11 years) Jenna Lee Holzer Box Elder, SD Major sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 10/28/25 360 months (30 years) Darin Wherley Black Hawk, SD Major sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 11/1/24 320 months (over 26 years) Monique Merrival Greeley, CO Major sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 10/11/24 224 months (over 18 years) Shelina Martinez Denver, CO Sub-distributor, courier Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 8/8/25 60 months (5 years) Daniel Sandoval Denver, CO Sub-distributor, courier Indictment dismissed when defendant died — “We may never know the true depths of the devastation, suffering, and loss inflicted on our communities by the methamphetamine, fentanyl, and automatic weapons trafficked and sold by this defendant. But we will do our best to hold this profiteer of misery fully accountable and ensure he receives a federal prison sentence that will put him out of that business for a long time.” — U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons (following Sertuche conviction at trial) Investigating Agencies South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI); Pennington County Sheriff’s Office; Rapid City Police Department; South Dakota Highway Patrol; Wyoming State Highway Patrol; North Metro Denver Drug Task Force; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety (OSTDPS); and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). These cases were prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson, Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen, Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges. MATTHEW SHADE DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION Arizona-Sourced Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Operation Trafficking 200 Pounds into Sioux Falls Area Dismantled Overview of the Organization Matthew Shade, age 34, of Tea, South Dakota, served as the local leader of a drug trafficking organization that obtained methamphetamine and fentanyl from sources in Mexico who then arranged for the drugs to cross the border and be delivered to co-conspirators in Arizona for distribution throughout the Sioux Falls area. The organization received drugs both through the U.S. Mail and through cross-country car deliveries by a supplier traveling from Arizona to South Dakota. In December 2024, investigators seized a package containing over four pounds of methamphetamine. Postal Inspectors, working with the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, also seized two parcels sent from Sioux Falls to Arizona that contained over $26,000 in cash, as well as a separate package bound for Sioux Falls containing 144 grams of fentanyl powder. After identifying that Shade’s supplier was traveling by car to South Dakota, investigators arranged for the South Dakota Highway Patrol to conduct a traffic stop during which a trooper located approximately 26 pounds of methamphetamine and over 2,000 fentanyl pills concealed in the vehicle. At Shade’s residence in Tea, investigators found 80 grams of methamphetamine, 22 fentanyl pills, and other narcotics. Scope of Trafficking Approximately 200 pounds of methamphetamine trafficked to the Sioux Falls area Significant quantities of fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder Multiple seizures of bulk cash being routed back to Arizona suppliers Indictments and Prosecutions To date, 13 defendants have been indicted in connection with the Shade organization, including Matthew Shade himself, nine South Dakota members operating beneath him, and two Arizona-based defendants representing the supply chain. Nine defendants have been convicted, with two of those defendants still awaiting sentencing; four additional defendants have pending trial dates. Regarding those four defendants, as with any pending criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation, and they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Federal Defendants Defendant Role Status Sentence Matthew Shade Tea, SD Local leader of the DTO Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 5/4/26 260 months (over 21 years) Sean David Blanchfill Tea, SD Distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 3/2/26 202 months (over 16 years) Damian Roy Webster Glendale, AZ Distributor, coordinator of shipments from Arizona Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 8/18/25 168 months (14 years) Alex Geoffrey Lang Sioux Falls, SD Distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 12/1/25 160 months (over 13 years) Carey Adam Ludens Crooks, SD Distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 5/18/26 160 months (over 13 years) Robert Duane Kent, Jr. Sioux Falls, SD Distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 5/18/26 92 months (over 7 years) Michael Lee Terveen Sioux Falls, SD Distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 10/27/25 60 months (5 years) Kourtney Leigh Lang Sioux Falls, SD Distributor Pleaded guilty on 3/2/26 Sentencing on 7/6/26 Lorenzo Portillo Sioux Falls, SD Distributor Pleaded guilty on 5/5/26 Sentencing on 8/24/26 John Stanford Roth Phoenix, AZ Alleged co-conspirator Pleaded not guilty; pending trial — Julia Diane Pewo Sioux Falls, SD Alleged co-conspirator Pleaded not guilty; pending trial — Cory Wayne Nohava Sioux Falls, SD Alleged co-conspirator Pleaded not guilty; pending trial — Ryan Richard Tulio Tea, SD Alleged co-conspirator Pleaded not guilty; pending trial — “This was another skillfully managed takedown of a serial drug dealer and his operation by the dedicated officers on the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, with a strong assist from the Criminal Investigations Unit of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. In all likelihood, the fentanyl and methamphetamine seized from this criminal’s operation would have killed some people who are alive right now in Sioux Falls. This investigation, prosecution, and substantial federal prison sentence has given them another chance at life. I will never stop being grateful for that.” — U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons (following Shade sentencing) Investigating Agencies Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force (SFADTF); Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office; South Dakota Highway Patrol; U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges, Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce. DARREL DEVORCE DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION Five-Year California-to-South Dakota Methamphetamine Pipeline Dismantled Overview of the Organization Darrel Devorce, age 57, of San Jacinto, California, ran a large methamphetamine trafficking organization for approximately five years, sourcing methamphetamine from California to co-conspirators in Sioux Falls beginning around 2018 and continuing into 2023. Devorce arranged for methamphetamine from California to be delivered to co-conspirators in South Dakota using various couriers and directed others to conduct financial transactions involving the proceeds using Cash App, Western Union, and Zelle. The money transfers were designed to conceal both the source of the proceeds and Devorce’s involvement in the conspiracy. Scope of Trafficking Approximately 200 pounds of methamphetamine trafficked into South Dakota Over $700,000 laundered through the organization Five-year operational period (approximately 2018–2023) Indictments and Prosecutions The Devorce investigation has resulted in convictions and sentences of 14 defendants in federal court. Federal Defendants Defendant Role Status Sentence Darrel Devorce San Jacinto, CA Leader of the DTO Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 11/3/25 400 months (33 years) Maurice Logan Corona, CA Distributor and transporter Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/9/25 132 months (11 years) Katrina Marie Green Sioux Falls, SD Main local distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 12/18/23 128 months (over 10 years) Janet Denise Mallet Sioux Falls, SD Distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on11/27/23 120 months (10 years) Frank Cortez Baker Sioux Falls, SD Distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/2/25 132 months (11 years) Tara Dionne Clayton Sioux Falls, SD Distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 2/12/24 132 months (11 years) Amber Louise Justus Sioux Falls, SD Distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 7/29/24 168 months (14 years) Gregory Henderson Sioux Falls, SD Money launderer Convicted at trial on 12/4/25; sentenced on 3/16/26 60 months (5 years) Billy Dickinson Sioux Falls, SD Sub-distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 5/15/23 34 months (over 2 years) Gregory Lamar Bell Sioux Falls, SD Unlawful drug user in possession of firearm Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 8/19/24 57 months (over 4 years) Kurtis Duke Sioux Falls, SD Distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/12/23 58 months (over 5 years) Julia Precious Ballansaw Decatur, GA Distributor Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/3/24 70 months (over five years) Destiny Canty Riverside, CA Money launderer Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 2/9/26 34 months (over 2 years) Nicole Dorrough San Jacinto, CA Money launderer Pleaded guilty; sentenced on 1/26/26 34 months (over two years) “Devorce is a longtime meth dealer responsible for shipping that poison into South Dakota since at least 2018. He will now be separated from the rest of society for most of the rest of his life.” — U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons (following Devorce sentencing) Investigating Agencies Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force (SFADTF); South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). These cases were prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb. Why This Matters These four organizations represent fundamentally different models of drug trafficking: a long-running, cartel-sourced pipeline from Mexico through Colorado (Sertuche); a multi-year California-to-South Dakota methamphetamine operation (Devorce); a sophisticated, multi-method California- and Nevada-based operation that introduced powder fentanyl to Sioux Falls (Harris); and an Arizona-sourced operation moving narcotics into the Sioux Falls suburbs (Shade). Together they illustrate how out-of-state suppliers, usually with cartel ties, continue to target South Dakota communities, and how federal prosecutors and law enforcement partners are responding. Fentanyl in particular poses a grave and growing threat. The Harris organization was the first known to introduce powder fentanyl to the Sioux Falls market, a substance lethal in microscopic amounts. The dismantling of these organizations and the substantial federal prison sentences obtained have meaningfully disrupted the flow of these drugs into South Dakota and saved lives. These results, however, mark the beginning of a sustained effort, not the end of it. Additional defendants in these four prosecutions remain pending trial or pending sentencing. New investigations and new indictments are ongoing, and the work done in taking down these four drug trafficking organizations reflects only a portion of the total felony drug convictions secured by this office over the past year. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota intends to continue its aggressive use of federal prosecution against any drug trafficking organization that targets South Dakota communities, and to do so until the supply networks reaching into this State have been dismantled. A Coordinated, Multi-Agency Effort These prosecutions were the product of sophisticated, long-term investigations conducted by federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, many of which collaborate through long-standing drug task forces operating throughout South Dakota. The cases reflect the strength of the multi-agency model in which federal and state investigators, prosecutors, postal inspectors, financial crimes specialists, state troopers, tribal law enforcement, and local police and sheriff’s offices each contributed to building cases capable of holding the highest-level traffickers accountable. Task Forces and Agencies Involved Across the Four Prosecutions Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Bureau of Indian Affairs-Division of Drug Enforcement (BIA-DDE) South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) South Dakota Highway Patrol (SDHP) Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force (SFADTF) Sioux Falls Police Department Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET) Pennington County Sheriff’s Office Rapid City Police Department Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety (OSTDPS) North Metro Denver Drug Task Force Wyoming State Highway Patrol Part of a National Strategy: South Dakota and the Nationwide Effort to Eradicate Cartels and Drug Trafficking These four DTO takedowns are not isolated victories. They are part of the most comprehensive, whole-of-government campaign to dismantle drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations in modern American history. Beginning on his first day back in office, President Trump set in motion a sweeping series of executive actions, designations, task force structures, and policy directives intended to do what no prior administration has attempted at this scale: achieve the total elimination of the cartels and the eradication of illegal drug trafficking on American soil. To accomplish this directive, the United States government is utilizing every tool at its disposal: law enforcement, addiction treatment and counseling, border security, trade, the banking system, international diplomacy, and, where authorized, military action. South Dakota’s prosecutions of the Harris, Devorce, Sertuche, and Shade organizations are an integral part of that national strategy. Each of these cases reaches back, ultimately, to out-of-state and often cartel-connected sources of supply. Each illustrates how the national framework set in Washington translates into convictions, prison sentences, and lives saved in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, the communities of the Pine Ridge Reservation, and across all of South Dakota. We Are Only Getting Started New indictments are being returned by federal grand juries on a routine basis. New investigations, including investigations targeting the out-of-state and cartel-connected suppliers above the local distribution networks already dismantled, are underway. Every prosecution that produces a cooperator opens a door to the next organization. At the national level, the trajectory is the same. The Homeland Security Task Force model, the FTO designation regime, and the consolidated Operation Take Back America framework are all permanent fixtures of federal law enforcement. The Administration has made clear, repeatedly and at the highest level, that the goal is not the disruption of cartels and trafficking organizations, but their total elimination. That work will continue, in South Dakota and across the country, until that goal is achieved. To the traffickers, distributors, money launderers, and out-of-state suppliers still operating in or targeting South Dakota: the message from this U.S. Attorney’s Office and its federal, state, local, and tribal partners is direct. The cases described in this report are not the end of the work. They are the beginning. Anyone who continues to bring methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, or other deadly drugs into South Dakota communities should expect the same fate as the defendants identified above: federal indictment, federal conviction, and a substantial federal prison sentence. About Operation Take Back America Many of these prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the U.S. 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 Neighborhoods (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.


title: Brooklyn Man Charged with Coercing and Raping a 14-Year-Old Delaware Resident

component: USAO - Delaware

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Brooklyn, New York, man with coercion and enticement of a minor and for traveling to Delaware to rape his victim. According to court documents, Claude Lennon, 24, communicated with a 14-year-old victim via an online messaging platform and engaged in sexually-charged conversations. Through those conversations, Lennon learned the victim’s age and nevertheless arranged to meet the victim in Wilmington, Delaware. Lennon then traveled by train from New York to Wilmington and took an Uber to an agreed-upon location, after which Lennon and the victim engaged in sexual conduct constituting rape in the fourth degree under Delaware law. Lennon also brought condoms with him and provided the victim with approximately $80 and marijuana edibles. Lennon is charged with one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), and one count of travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b). If convicted, Lennon faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace made the announcement. The FBI Baltimore Field Office’s Wilmington Resident Agency, the Wilmington Police Department, and the New York City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Claudia L. Pare and Bryan C. Williamson are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-cr-104. The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Horry County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Guns and Drugs

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Quentin Raymar Price, 32, of Longs, has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl and possession of firearms by a felon. In late 2024 and early 2025, the Horry County Police Department (HCPD) conducted three controlled purchases of fentanyl from Price during a drug trafficking investigation. In total, Price sold 60 grams of fentanyl to the HCPD. On March 24, 2025, members of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force went to an apartment on Polo Rd. in Columbia to arrest Price on warrants related to the HCPD investigation. While arresting Price, officers observed marijuana in the apartment and obtained a search warrant. During the search warrant, officers recovered two firearms, 53 grams of cocaine, 20 grams of crack cocaine, $7,250 in cash and personal items belonging to Price. Price has a prior federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine which prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. During the investigation, the FBI determined Price was an active gang member. United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Price to 80 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Price was also required to forfeit $7,250.00 in cash and over $90,000.00 worth of jewelry. This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Horry County Police Department, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall prosecuted the case. ###


title: Charlotte Man Charged with Defrauding the North Carolina Medicaid Program Out of Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars; Announcement Made as Part of Justice Department’s National Health Care Fraud Takedown

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, United States Attorney Russ Ferguson announced that Ronnie Lorenzo Robinson, Jr., 56, of Charlotte, is charged with health care fraud, making false statements relating to health care matters, and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicaid by submitting claims for psychotherapy services that were never provided to Medicaid recipients. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown announced today . As alleged in the indictment, Robinson, the beneficial owner of a company called The Fisher of Men Project, LLC, obtained the personal identifying information of medical professionals and Medicaid recipients, then used that information to submit to Medicaid approximately $735,000 in false reimbursement claims for psychotherapy services, without the knowledge, authorization, or approval of those medical professionals or the Medicaid recipients. Robinson’s company received approximately $440,000 as payment from Medicaid as a result of the fraudulent reimbursement claims. As further alleged, Robinson concealed his ownership of the company because he had previously been excluded from Medicaid and instead held out another individual as the owner of the company. “Part of the reason healthcare costs are out of control is because of fraud like this,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Every dollar spent on healthcare should go toward healthcare—not lining the pockets of criminals. We will work night and day to uncover fraud like this and recover the money that is needlessly being paid in both taxes and healthcare costs.” “Healthcare fraud schemes drain taxpayer-funded government programs designed to help those in need and raise healthcare costs for all Americans. The FBI and our partners work diligently to hold criminals accountable who defraud the government and to protect the integrity of the programs for those who truly need them,” said FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis. “I’m grateful for the state and federal partnerships that help us find fraud and prosecute criminals,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “Our Medicaid Investigations Division is one of the best in the country, and we’re going to protect taxpayer dollars so they can go where they’re intended – to taxpayers’ health care.” * * * The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Ferguson are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms. Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including: Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers. 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers. Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million. 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here . The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina worked with the FBI, and the North Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division to investigate and prosecute the case filed during the Takedown. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Armstrong and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Fleisch of the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Mexican Identity Thief Pleads Guilty to Passport Fraud,  Theft of Government Funds

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: HARRISONBURG, Va. – An immigrant from Mexico, who lied about her identity for more than 30 years to obtain immigration documents and other benefits, pled guilty to a pair of federal charges. Candy Lazo, a.k.a. “Candida Jimenez Lazo” a.k.a. “Natalia Perez de Cruz” a.k.a. “Natalia Perez,” 53, pled guilty to one count of passport fraud and one count of theft of government funds. According to court documents, the defendant was born Candia Jimenez Lazo in 1973 in Oaxaca, Mexico. However, beginning at least as early 1993, Lazo began impersonating a Mexican woman named Natalia Perez de Cruz, whom she knew as the former spouse of her ex-husband. Lazo used the victim’s name and date of birth to obtain a U.S. visa in April 1993, according to the statement of facts filed in the case. She went on to use the victim’s identity on applications to procure various U.S. government benefits between 2011 and 2024, including: naturalization and U.S. citizenship, U.S. passports and passport cards, driver’s licenses, and REAL ID Act-compliant documents. Further, Lazo used the Social Security number she obtained by impersonating the victim to apply for Social Security Administration disability benefits. By stealing the victim’s date of birth, Lazo effectively raised her age by approximately eight years, allowing her to fraudulently receive over $89,340 in disability benefits to which she was not entitled. First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci, Special Agent in Charge David Richeson of the Department of State- Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration- Office of the Inspector General, and Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne is prosecuting the case.


title: Mobile Woman Sentenced to More Than One Year in Prison for Tax Fraud

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: Mobile, AL – Aylesha Maria Allen of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced on June 22, 2026, to one year and one day in federal prison for filing fraudulent tax returns. According to court documents, Allen, 42, prepared and assisted in preparing at least 21 false tax returns that included fraudulent Sick and Family Leave Credits related to the COVID-19 pandemic, false Schedule C business losses, and false Fuel Tax Credits. Internal Revenue Service records show that Allen’s conduct resulted in a tax loss of $371,412. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Allen to one year and one day in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. Allen was also ordered to pay $371,412 in restitution. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division investigates and prosecutes individuals who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government initiative chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance that seeks to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in federal benefit programs. “Tax preparers who falsify returns and exploit government programs and benefits established during the COVID-19 pandemic to enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers can expect to be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Sean P. Costello, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama. “As a tax preparer, Aylesha Allen had a duty to file truthful and accurate returns on behalf of her clients,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Atlanta Field Office. “Individuals who abuse that responsibility by making false claims or fabricating losses undermine the integrity of our tax system. IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue these fraudsters and hold them accountable.” U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Gaillard Ladd prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Child Sex Offender Sentenced to 18 months for  Violating Federal Registration Requirements

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A South Carolina man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for failing to comply with federal sex offender registration and notification laws. According to court documents, Will Taite, 63, was convicted for Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor in August of 2018 out of Berkeley County, South Carolina. Taite was sentenced to 5 years’ incarceration. Taite was required to wear a GPS location monitor after being released from state prison. In September of 2025, Taite left South Carolina and traveled by Greyhound bus to Mobile, Alabama. When he arrived in Mobile on September 27, 2025, he cut off his ankle monitoring device. Law enforcement began looking for him in the last known location of the monitor. Ultimately, he was found to be residing in downtown Mobile and apprehended on October 15, 2025. He never notified his South Carolina probation officer or the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office of his relocation as required by federal law. When Taite is released from the Bureau of Prisons, he will be on supervised release for five years. Taite is also required to participate in mental health and sex offender treatment. He is prohibited from having contact with minors. U.S. Attorney Sean Costello of the Southern District of Alabama the announcement. The United States Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tandice H. Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources.


title: Gun Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting Straw Purchasing and Failing to Report Cash Payments Over $10,000

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Alejandro Montemayor, 33, of Chandler, Arizona pleaded guilty earlier this month to Aiding and Abetting a False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm and Failure to File a Report Related to Currency. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 17, 2026, before United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich. Montemayor admitted that between Jan. 6, 2022 and May 29, 2024, he operated and ran AV AZ Firearms, a Federal Firearms Licensee in Phoenix. During that time, he facilitated the straw purchase of firearms and later transferred at least 72 of those firearms to other individuals. One example of Montemayor’s criminal acts took place on May 22, 2024, when he allowed and encouraged an individual to commit the crime of False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm by showing them how to fill out the forms required for purchasing a firearm. Montemayor directed the individual to attest he was the true purchaser of the firearm, even though Montemayor knew that was false. Montemayor then gave the firearm to a third individual. Montemayor also failed to file reports with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network for sales greater than $10,000. In total, Montemayor admitted that he failed to file 15 such reports between Feb. 23, 2024 and May 14, 2024, accounting for over $258,000 in proceeds. A conviction for False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. A conviction for Failure to File Forms 8300 Relating to Cash Received in Trade or Business carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Goldberg and Sheila Phillips, District of Arizona, are handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: 26-CR-00501-PHX-SMB RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-102_Montemayor # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Foreign National Indicted in Multimillion Dollar Healthcare Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, United States Attorney Ellis Boyle announced criminal charges against James Thomas Foley, 45, an Irish citizen residing in Youngsville, North Carolina, in connection with a multimillion-dollar health care fraud conspiracy on Medicare and other health insurance programs involving unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME). The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. “We will focus on exposing and stopping any scheme to bill Medicare for fake services or products that beneficiaries don’t actually need especially when provided in exchange for illegal kickbacks,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “When fraudsters treat Medicare like a personal ATM, the American taxpayers foot the bill. Our partners will not tolerate this criminal activity. Cheaters. Never. Win.” The charges against Foley emanate from a scheme to bill Medicare, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA), TRICARE, and other insurance programs for medically unnecessary DME. As alleged in the indictment, Foley and others partnered with purported marketing entities which solicited Medicare beneficiaries to accept DME, such as braces and pneumatic compression devices, by illegally waiving copays and deductibles, and pressuring beneficiaries to accept the equipment without verifying that the equipment was medically necessary. The marketing entities sold the beneficiary information and the prefilled orders to Foley and other DME supply companies, who developed and implemented a “doctor chase” model to pressure physicians into signing or altering orders so that they could be billed in full. The DME supply companies owned by or affiliated with Foley allegedly received over $14 million in reimbursements from Medicare alone. Another defendant, Randal Fenton Wood, pleaded guilty in connection with the same conspiracy last year in EDNC. Court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on Pacer by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-128-FL. “Safeguarding the integrity of federal health care programs is central to our mission, and the results of this year’s National Health Care Fraud Takedown reflect the strength of our collective commitment. The cases announced today demonstrate not only the scale, but the seriousness of the misconduct uncovered, ranging from patient harming schemes to multibillion dollar fraud operations,” said Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General T. March Bell. “HHS-OIG will continue to pursue those who engage in such conduct and hold them accountable. I am grateful for the tireless work of our special agents and for the partnership we share with our federal, state, and local law enforcement colleagues as we work together to protect patients and preserve public funds.” “Safeguarding TRICARE is essential to ensuring that resources remain available for our service members, retirees, and their families,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Allison Russo of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “This indictment demonstrates DCIS’s commitment, together with our law‑enforcement partners, to identifying and addressing conduct that threatens the integrity of the Department of War’s health care programs.” “Healthcare schemes steal taxpayer dollars and divert critical resources away from the veterans who depend on them,” said Inspector General Cheryl L. Mason, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA OIG). “The VA OIG will vigorously investigate anyone who seeks to defraud VA programs. We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this investigation.” On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. Department Health & Human Services Office of the Inspector General investigated the case with assistance from Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General and Defense Criminal Investigative Services. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit . A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:26-CR-104-UA. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Jury finds Arizona man guilty of leading bulk cocaine, money laundering conspiracies tied to Cincinnati

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A federal jury found an Arizona man guilty on all counts for his role in leading narcotics and money laundering conspiracies. The government has seized more than 162 kilograms of cocaine, three kilograms of fentanyl and $1.4 million of bulk cash in total. Cesar Cervantes, 52, of Tucson, Arizona, was convicted of participating in drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies and of distributing five kilograms or more of cocaine. He faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison. The verdict was announced following a trial that began on June 9 before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. According to court documents and trial testimony, for several years, Cervantes supplied between 25 and 50 kilograms of cocaine bi-weekly to coconspirators. Cervantes used a network of couriers to deliver the drugs that originated from Mexico to multiple locations, including to designated couriers in Cincinnati. The drug trafficking conspiracy operated from at least July 2018 until August 2023. Cervantes used Colombian and Chinese money launderers to funnel the drug proceeds back to Mexico. For example, in July and August 2023, Cesar had other coconspirators deliver approximately $300,000 in drug proceeds to two separate money launderers, one who worked for a sophisticated China-based money laundering organization, and the other who worked for a separate sophisticated Colombia-based money laundering organization. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Joseph O. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit, announced the verdict. Assistant United States Attorneys David P. Dornette and Frederic C. Shadley are representing the United States in this case. These cases are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Cincinnati comprises agents and officers from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. # # #


title: Fresno Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Through the U.S. Mail and at Trolley Creek Park in Fresno

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Isaac James Ocejo, 22, of Fresno, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 15 years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, between July 2023 and October 2024, Ocejo mailed several packages containing methamphetamine and fentanyl, through the U.S. Mail from post offices in Fresno to addresses in other states. In total, Ocejo and others shipped more than 10 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than a kilogram of fentanyl through the mail. Ocejo and others also distributed significant quantities of methamphetamine in Fresno. In August 2024, Ocejo sold 10 pounds of methamphetamine to an individual in Fresno. The following month, Ocejo and co‑defendant Isaac Estrada sold an additional 10 pounds to an individual at Trolley Creek Park in Fresno in broad daylight. On Jan. 26, 2026, Ocejo pleaded guilty. Estrada pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and distributing methamphetamine in August 2025 and was sentenced to 46 months in prison on Nov. 7, 2025. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.


title: National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 455 Defendants Charged in Fraud Scheme Totaling Over $6.5 Billion

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Today, United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced criminal charges against two defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE, and other health care benefit programs. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from schemes to submit claims for medically unnecessary respiratory pathogen panel (“RPP”) testing and fraudulent claims for care that a provider did not provide to patients. Additionally, arrests were announced by the State of Louisiana’s Attorney General’s Office pursuant to criminal charges against three defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicaid. “The charges announced today include some of the largest and most complex cases that the Department has prosecuted and reinforces the combined missions of the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. “Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute alleged perpetrators of fraud, and seek justice for those impacted by Health Care Fraud schemes.” “The men and women of Louisiana get up and go to work every single day to provide for their families. Their tax dollars are intended for those in need. Nothing is more offensive than those who manipulate the system for their own benefit,” said Louisiana State Attorney General Liz Murrill. The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Courcelle are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms. Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including: Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers. 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers. Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million. 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025. The following individuals were charged in the Eastern District of Louisiana federal court: Holly Broussard, 44, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and other health care benefit programs for medically unnecessary respiratory pathogen panel (“RPP”) testing. As alleged in the indictment, Broussard, a sales representative for a diagnostic laboratory based in Louisiana, solicited orders for unnecessary RPP tests, to be bundled with COVID-19 tests, in order to maximize reimbursement from health care benefit programs. Broussard targeted providers in rural areas who had limited or no other options for treatment, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities that only needed COVID-19 testing. In total, Broussard caused the submission of over $51.7 million in claims for respiratory panel testing, of which the laboratory was reimbursed over $28.4 million. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney James McHale of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Gulf Coast Strike Force. Dr. Christopher Whipple, 41, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged by indictment with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit at least $5,900,000 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. As alleged in the indictment, Whipple, a licensed physician, submitted claims on behalf of patients for care he did not provide, including billing for in-person care despite being outside the state of Louisiana. Whipple also submitted claims using the identities of other providers without their permission and caused the submission of claims for care allegedly rendered after a patient had died. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Zakeria Haidary and Acting Assistant Chief Sara Porter of the Gulf Coast Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Knight of the Eastern District of Louisiana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Giavotella of the Eastern District of Louisiana is handling asset forfeiture. Criminal actions in Louisiana State Court include: Jaquala Robertson, 36, of Hammond, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Robertson was the employer of Kirstan Wells as part of the Medicaid Self Direction Program and approved false claims for personal care services allegedly provided to Robertson’s child who was a Medicaid recipient while the child was actually present in a day care facility. The amount of money paid by Medicaid for these fraudulent claims was $5,532.95. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District. Kirstan Wells, 33, of Hammond, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid Fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Wells submitted false claims for providing personal care services to a Medicaid recipient for times when the recipient was actually in a day care facility. The amount of money paid by Medicaid for these fraudulent claims was $5,532.95. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District. Asha Clark, 23, of Mount Hermon, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Clark was employed as a direct service work through the Medicaid Self Direction Program to provide personal care services for a Medicaid recipient. During her employment, Clark submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for services that were not rendered during two separate time periods when the recipient was incarcerated. The total amount paid by Medicaid for these fraudulent claims was $6,610.79. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here . The Eastern District of Louisiana, in particular, worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division and the following law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the Takedown: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Federal Bureau of Investigation; IRS-Criminal Investigations; Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Newtonville Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Cocaine Distribution

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Newtonville man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a drug distribution offense involving cocaine. Trevor Headley, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In April 2026 , Headley pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Headley was arrested and charged in October 2025. In August 2025, Headley distributed cocaine to an undercover law enforcement officer on multiple occasions. On Aug. 12, 2025, after arranging the first transaction through a series of communications, Headley met the undercover officer at a pre-arranged location and sold approximately 112 grams of cocaine. On Aug. 27, 2025, Headley conducted a second controlled transaction, this time distributing approximately 451 grams of cocaine. Additionally, on recorded phone calls with the undercover officer in September 2025, Headley discussed obtaining an additional kilogram of cocaine for sale and expressed interest in obtaining firearms and machinegun conversion devices – stating that the firearms would be included as part of the negotiation, in exchange for the cocaine. During a search of Headley’s residence following his arrest in October 2025, approximately three kilograms of cocaine packaged for distribution, along with more than $32,000 in cash and other items consistent with drug trafficking were recovered. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit 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: New Jersey Woman Pleads Guilty to Depositing Counterfeit Treasury Check

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A New Jersey woman, formerly of Westbrook, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to presenting a counterfeit government check to her credit union. According to court records, Palwasha Shir , 35, was the sole owner of the Selfie Room LLC, a business Shir registered in Maine. Shir opened a checking account for the Selfie Room at a credit union in Maine. In July 2024, Shir deposited a counterfeit Treasury check made payable to the Selfie Room in the amount of $291,203. In August 2024, Shir deposited a counterfeit Treasury check made payable to the Selfie Room in the amount of $193,107. The serial numbers and amounts on the checks matched those of genuine tax refund checks issued by the IRS to entities other than the Selfie Room and unrelated to Shir. The counterfeit checks changed the payee and address to make the checks payable to the Selfie Room. When a representative of the credit union called Shir to discuss the checks, Shir falsely claimed that she received the checks from the IRS. Shir faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. ###