title: Beloit Man Sentenced to 5 ½ Years for Fentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jerry Tate, 52, Beloit, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 5 ½ years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl and for possessing 50 grams or more of fentanyl and methamphetamine intended for distribution. Tate pleaded guilty to these charges on October 28, 2024. From September 2022 through May 2023, Tate traveled to La Crosse County, Wisconsin, where he stayed at various hotels for days at a time. During that time, he sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to a confidential informant (CI). Over the course of five controlled purchases, Tate sold the CI over 33 grams of fentanyl and over 13 grams of methamphetamine. On May 5, 2023, law enforcement arrested Tate and searched the hotel room where he was staying in Onalaska, Wisconsin. Law enforcement found over 100 grams of fentanyl and methamphetamine, items for drug distribution, and over $1,500 in U.S. currency. Following Tate’s arrest for trafficking fentanyl, he was out on bond for state charges and was arrested again for continuing to traffic fentanyl. At sentencing, Judge Peterson found that a lengthy sentence was warranted given the duration of Tate’s fentanyl trafficking and fentanyl’s known toxicity. Judge Peterson also noted that the quantity Tate was dealing went beyond just supporting his own substance abuse, and that Tate’s criminal history demonstrated a potential to reoffend. The charges against Tate were the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse, Campbell, and Onalaska Police Departments, as well as the La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala prosecuted this case.


title: Savage Woman Pleads Guilty for Her Role in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Savage woman pleaded guilty for her role in the fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to court documents, Ayan Farah Abukar, 43, and her co-defendants participated in a massive scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program by obtaining, misappropriating, and laundering millions of dollars in program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to children. The defendants exploited changes in the program intended to ensure underserved children received adequate nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than feed children, the defendants enriched themselves by fraudulently misappropriating millions of dollars in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. According to court documents, Abukarwas the founder and executive director of Action for East African People, a non-profit which she enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Sponsor A. Between October 2020 through 2022, Abukar falsely claimed to be serving as many as 5,000 children a day at her various sites in Bloomington, Minneapolis, Savage, and St. Paul. In total, Abukar fraudulently received approximately $5.7 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme to defraud, Abukar also paid more than $330,000 in kickbacks to a Feeding Our Future employee. Abukar spent millions on real estate, including a 37-acre commercial property in Lakeville and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase an aircraft in Nairobi, Kenya. Abukar pleaded guilty today in U.S District Court before Chief Judge Schiltz to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.


title: Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: HAMMOND – Oscar Valdivia-Salas, age 35, a citizen of Mexico and resident of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to a felony charge of Illegal Reentry, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. Valdivia-Salas was sentenced to 10 months in prison, 1 year of supervised release and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. According to documents in the case, Valdivia-Salas has a previous felony conviction for Illegal Reentry out of the Western District of Missouri and was removed from the United States in 2018. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.


title: Delaware Man Sentenced to 135 Months in Federal Prison for Second Conviction Involving Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – Melvin Janvier, 37, of Newark, Delaware was sentenced on January 23, 2025, to 135 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”), announced Shannon T. Hanson, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. Following his time in prison, he will spend 15 years on federal supervised release. U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika pronounced the sentence. According to court documents, the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Unit, with the assistance of State of Delaware Probation and Parole, arrested Janvier after an FBI Child Exploitation Task Force investigation indicated Janvier was in possession of and sending CSAM from Janvier’s cellphone through the Internet in July 2021. Law enforcement later found over 2,000 files containing CSAM on Janvier’s phone. The files found on the device included images and videos of prepubescent minors, to include infants and toddlers, and materials portraying bondage and bestiality. Janvier had previously been convicted in 2016 in the State of Delaware for possession of and dealing in CSAM and served four years in prison. Acting U.S. Attorney Hanson stated, “Our office is committed to protecting children and prosecuting those engaged in the sexual exploitation of minors through the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. I wish to thank the FBI and our Delaware law enforcement partners who tirelessly pursed this case.” "There is nothing that can excuse Melvin Janvier’s sick behavior. Every one of the more than 2,000 images he possessed re-victimizes a child," said FBI Baltimore SAC William J. DelBagno. "FBI Baltimore’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force is committed to putting predators like Janvier behind bars where they can no longer hurt others." The FBI Baltimore Field Office, with the assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office and the State of Delaware Probation and Parole, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel S. Frey and Briana Knox prosecuted 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 22-CR-78-MN. 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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Colombian Narco Trafficker Sentenced to 78 Months for Conspiring to Import Thousands of Kilos of Cocaine into the U.S.

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Aldemar Soto-Charry, 64, a highly ranked member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 78 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute thousands of kilos of cocaine for importation into the United States. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. for the District of Columbia, DEA Special Agent in Charge Eugene L. Crouch of the DEA Andean Division, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Veltri of the FBI’s Miami Field Office. Soto-Charry, aka “El Ingeniero” (“the Engineer”), pleaded guilty on October 11, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine for importation into the United States and aiding and abetting in the same. As part of the plea agreement, Soto-Charry acknowledged he was accountable for engaging in a conspiracy on behalf of the FARC to transport over 1,000 kilos of cocaine on a regular basis to a Mexican cartel, ultimately knowing that the cocaine would be transported into the United States. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered Soto-Charry to serve four years of supervised release. According to court documents, in 2018 the DEA commenced a targeted operation against large-scale drug traffickers in Colombia, including those connected to the FARC. In July 2018, the DEA learned that Soto-Charry had claimed that FARC leadership was exploring opportunities to launder proceeds of drug sales, including through the purchase of real estate in Panama. The DEA enlisted confidential sources (CS) to meet with Soto-Charry and his co-conspirators. In October 2018, Soto-Charry was introduced to the CSs, one who posed as an individual with business connections in Panama and the other as a facilitator for large-scale drug transactions with the Mexican Gulf Cartel, which sought thousands of kilograms of cocaine for exportation abroad, including the United States. Soto-Charry detailed the FARC’s illicit business ventures, including laundering $10 million of cocaine proceeds through the construction of a medical clinic in Panama. Soto-Charry said he could organize drug deals using cocaine that was being processed at FARC-controlled cocaine laboratories in the jungles of Colombia. During a later meeting, Soto-Charry said the FARC could provide up to 2,000 kilograms of cocaine every few weeks. Between October 3, 2018, and July 25, 2019, the CSs regularly met with Soto-Charry and his co-conspirators to discuss the details of a potential deal for significant quantities of cocaine. During the meetings, Soto-Charry discussed FARC-related drug trafficking activities, cocaine pricing, cocaine purity, drug trafficking routes out of Colombia, and other logistical matters related to large-scale cocaine sales. As part of these discussions, Soto-Charry’s co-conspirators ultimately helped deliver a five-kilogram sample of cocaine and discussed how to transport it to the United States. Soto-Charry was arrested in Colombia on August 8, 2019, at the request of the United States, and extradited to the United States on August 8, 2024. In his plea agreement, he accepted responsibility for conspiring to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of cocaine. He has been in custody since the date of his arrest in Colombia. His co-defendant Mauricio Mazabel-Soto was sentenced to 73 months in prison. Co-defendant Alfredo Molina-Cutiva received a sentence of 70 months in prison. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI. The Colombian Attorney General’s Office, specifically the Dirección Especializada contra el Narcotráfico and Dirección de Asuntos Internacionales, also provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Soto-Charry. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Iris McCranie and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernesto J. Alvarado of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section. Valuable assistance was also provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin L. Rosenberg, who indicted and previously handled the case. 19cr233


title: Law Enforcement Cooperation Between United States and Mexico Leads to Mexican Takedown of Significant Fentanyl Trafficker

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2025-110_Heriberto Jacobo Perez, et al.

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced today that extensive bilateral cooperation between the United States and Mexico resulted in Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) , conducting a significant enforcement operation last week in Nogales, Sonora to dismantle a prolific transnational drug trafficking organization operating along the U.S.-Mexico border. The operation resulted in the arrest of two individuals in Mexico including the leader of the organization, Heriberto Jacobo Perez, and another member of the organization, Jesus Bernardo Rodriguez. Mexican authorities also seized four vehicles, two buildings, two firearms currency, a large number of fentanyl pills, and other controlled substances. Six U.S.-based coordinators and operators with alleged ties to the same drug trafficking organization have been indicted. Rafael Alonso Arriaga, Fernando Garcia-Ibarra, Socorro Rascon, Emmanuel Sotelo-Salazar, Jostan Nathanae Vega-Ochoa, and Rosa Elena Peralta-Marrufo, were indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges on July 24, 2024. Sotelo-Salazar was also indicted for the possession and distribution of a foreign pill press to fabricate fake pills. Garcia-Ibarra and Vega-Ochoa remain fugitives. Another member of the organization, Eva Angelina De La Torre, was arrested on November 19, 2024, after she was caught attempting to smuggle fentanyl pills into the United States at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona. “Dismantling transnational crime requires cross-border cooperation,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “This is simply tremendous work by career civil servants with the Department of Justice in coordinating efforts with Mexican prosecutors to take down this criminal organization on both sides of the border.” This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) - Nogales led the investigation in the United States, working in concert with Homeland Security Investigations – Nogales, the United States Marshals Service, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Support by DEA-Mexico City, and FGR’s Agencia de Investigación Criminal was critical in providing coordination between United States and Mexican law enforcement agencies. Through funding support from the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the Justice Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training provided valuable assistance. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is prosecuting the seven individuals named above. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-04681-TUC-JGZ RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-110_Heriberto Jacobo Perez, et al. # # # 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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Feeding our Future Defendant Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison For His Role in $250 Million Fraud Scheme

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Bloomington man has been sentenced to 210 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,920,514. “The defendant committed a brazen fraud that shamelessly stole taxpayer money intended to feed children during a global pandemic. He lined his pockets, here and abroad, with millions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick. “As the Court found, he doubled down on his crimes by obstructing justice. This significant sentence should serve as a clear warning to anyone who would seek to exploit and defraud government programs. You will be held accountable.” As proven at trial, Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff, 34, and his co-defendants devised and carried out a multi-million fraud scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program. As the chief executive officer of Afrique Hospitality Group, Shariff obtained, misappropriated, and laundered millions of dollars in program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to children. Their scheme was accomplished by exploiting changes in the nutrition program intended to ensure underserved children received adequate nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shariff and his co-defendants created and submitted fraudulent meal count sheets purporting to document the number of children and meals served at each site and false invoices purporting to document the purchase of food to be served to children at the sites. The conspirators also submitted fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names and ages of the children receiving meals at the sites each day. These rosters were fabricated and created using fake names. The Federal Child Nutrition Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a federally funded program designed to provide free meals to children in need. The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers the program throughout the nation by distributing federal funds to state governments. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) administers and oversees the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Meals funded by the Federal Child Nutrition Program are served by “sites.” Each site participating in the program must be sponsored by an authorized sponsoring organization. Sponsors must submit an application to MDE for each site. Sponsors are also responsible for monitoring each of their sites and preparing reimbursement claims for their sites. The USDA then provides MDE federal reimbursement funds on a per-meal basis. MDE provides those funds to the sponsoring agency who, in turn, pays the reimbursements to the sites under its sponsorship. The sponsoring agency retains 10 to 15 percent of the funds as an administrative fee. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDA waived some of the standard requirements for participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Among other things, the USDA allowed for-profit restaurants to participate in the program, and it allowed for off-site food distribution to children outside of educational programs. Following a seven-week trial in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel in June 2024, Shariff was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of money laundering. In handing down the sentence today, Judge Brasel commented that Shariff’s conduct showed a “staggering lack of respect for the law,” and that taxpayers were “outraged by the brazenness of the crime.” The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.


title: Miami-Dade County Woman Pleads Guilty To Providing Contraband To A Coleman Prisoner

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Janai Chanel Stephens (38, Opa Locka) entered guilty pleas to an indictment charging her with making a materially false statement or representation to a federal agency and providing contraband to a federal prisoner. Stephens faces up to five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. A federal grand jury indicted Stephens on May 28, 2024. According to court records, on March 10, 2024, Stephens entered the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County with a bag containing tobacco cigarettes that she intended to give to a federal inmate. Federal inmates are prohibited from possessing tobacco in prisons, as it threatens the order, discipline, and security of the prison. When entering the facility, Stephens falsely claimed to a corrections officer that she did not have any tobacco products in her possession. Stephens was then permitted to meet with a federal inmate in a visitation room. During that meeting, surveillance footage showed Stephens throwing the bag with the cigarettes that she had smuggled into the prison to the inmate. This case is being prosecuted as part of a United States Department of Justice (DOJ) task force aimed at rooting out contraband and misconduct in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The task force was led by the BOP and the DOJ - Office of the Inspector General, with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. This case was investigated by the BOP and the DEA. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.


title: Former CEO of Startup Software Company Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Tax Scheme

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Bedford man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for his scheme to willfully fail to pay more than $14 million in payroll taxes owed to the IRS and failing to file and pay his personal taxes, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division announce. Andrew Park, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 30 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. She also ordered Park to pay $639,821.78 in restitution, the amount of tax and interest not repaid at the time of sentencing, to the United States. She also ordered Park pay a fine of $15,000. In July 2024, Park pleaded guilty to willful failure to pay over payroll taxes and willful failure to file a tax return. Park was the co-founder and CEO of a startup technology company. Park was responsible for all financial matters related to the company, including for filing the company’s quarterly payroll tax returns and collecting and paying over Social Security, Medicare and income taxes withheld from the employees’ wages to the IRS, as well as the matching Social Security and Medicare taxes the company owed. Park was also responsible for collecting and paying over state and local taxes to those respective governments. From the company’s founding in 2014 through the third quarter of 2021, Park withheld federal, state and local taxes from the wages of the company’s employees but did not pay them over to the IRS and state and local tax authorities as required by law. He also did not pay over the portion of the payroll taxes that the company owed. Park did so even though a payroll service company that he hired to process the employees’ payroll notified him hundreds of times that the taxes were due, and four employees of the company complained that the Social Security Administration reported no withholdings had been paid over by the company on their behalf. From 2013 through 2020, Park also did not file individual tax returns as required by law, despite the fact that he paid himself a salary of approximately $250,000 each year. In total, Park caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $14.7 million. “For many years, the defendant took elaborate steps to defraud the IRS by not filing or paying his personal income taxes and by using his employees’ payroll taxes as free capital to grow his business. Then, when matters got out of hand, he falsely told his investors that his company was tax compliant to secure the funds to try to make the problem disappear,” said Acting United States Attorney Jay McCormack. “The substantial sentence imposed by the court reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct and his disregard for our nation’s tax laws and sends a message to deter other would-be tax fraudsters who might seek to enrich themselves at the expense of honest taxpayers.” “Yesterday’s sentencing of Andrew Park is a strong reminder that payment of individual and business taxes is an obligation, not a choice,” said Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “When Andrew Park made the decision not to pay taxes for himself and his business, he also made the decision to cheat his employees and other honest taxpayers. Investigations of employment tax fraud is a priority for Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation as our system of taxation depends on everybody paying their fair share.” IRS-Criminal Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter and Assistant Chief Eric Powers of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Kapolei Woman Indicted for Scheme to Defraud Unemployment Insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Programs

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU, Hawaii – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that on January 23, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a twelve-count indictment against Phoebe Trinh, also known as Phuong Trinh Ngoc Vo, 31, of Kapolei, Hawaii, charging Trinh with nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft in connection with fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance and pandemic unemployment assistance. The charges in the indictment pertain to both the unemployment insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) programs. In 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act created the PUA program to provide emergency unemployment payments to certain workers whose livelihoods were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but who were ineligible for traditional state unemployment insurance benefits. The indictment alleges that Trinh submitted a false claim for unemployment insurance benefits to the Hawaii Department of Industrial and Labor Relations (DLIR) using its website, and that she repeatedly falsely certified under penalty of law that she was unemployed and not receiving income, despite knowing that her certifications were false, in order to receive benefit payments that she was not entitled to receive. The indictment further alleges that Trinh also submitted a claim to the Hawaii DLIR for PUA benefits on behalf of another individual, using that individual’s personal identifiable information, including name and social security number, without that individual’s knowledge and consent, in order to obtain additional benefit payments to which she was not entitled. Trinh then allegedly repeatedly certified to Hawaii DLIR that the individual remained eligible for PUA benefit payments in order to receive the payments, without the individual’s knowledge and consent. The indictment alleges that Trinh directed Hawaii DLIR to transmit the benefit payments that were intended for the individual to her own bank account. According to the indictment, Trinh fraudulently obtained at least approximately $36,265 in unemployment insurance and PUA unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled. Each of the wire fraud counts carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Each of the aggravated identity theft counts carries a sentence of two years in prison. An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 866-720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm . This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates.


title: Louisiana man to spend nearly two decades in prison for sex trafficking runaway child

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 39-year-old resident of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been sentenced for transportation of a child to engage in criminal sexual activity and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. Isiah Lee Campbell Jr. pleaded guilty July 26, 2024. Senior U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Campbell to serve 235 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by 10 years of supervised release. During a three-week span in 2019 over the course of several different trips, Campbell drove the then 16-year-old victim from Louisiana to Houston to engage in commercial sex with adult men. Campbell also posted the victim on a website advertising prostitution. Law enforcement stopped Campbell in Harris County driving a reported stolen vehicle during the early morning hours of June 6, 2019. They found a handgun under Campbell’s seat. The victim was a passenger in the car whom authorities identified as a runaway child from Lousiana. She described how Campbell threatened to kill her so that she would continue to engage in commercial sex at his direction. Campbell took all the money that the victim earned and also sexually assaulted her several times. Campbell will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. FBI and Precinct 4 Harris County Constable’s Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bauman prosecuted the case.


title: Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Throwing Methamphetamine into Federal Prison Yard

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO , Calif. — Garrett Scott Wheelen, 33, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to possessing more than 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, on May 1, 2024, Wheelen arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution Mendota wearing a facemask, baseball cap, and hoodie to conceal his identity. In broad daylight, Wheelen ran to the prison fence and tossed four packages into the prison’s recreation yard. He was quickly apprehended after attempting to flee. The packages contained more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine. Wheelen was on supervised release from a prior federal felony charge at the time. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mendota Police Department, and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Dhruv M. Sharma are prosecuting the case. Wheelen is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Dena M. Coggins. Wheelen faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Man Sentenced to Over 17 Years in Prison for Shooting at Louisville Mayor

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY — A Louisville man was sentenced today to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for firing shots at current Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg during Greenberg’s 2022 mayoral campaign. Acting Assistant Attorney General Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement. According to court documents, on February 14, 2022, Quintez Brown, 24, walked into Greenberg’s campaign office and fired multiple shots at Greenberg while he was meeting with four staffers. The staffers were able to close and barricade the door, and Brown was apprehended several blocks from the shooting, carrying the firearm he used in a backpack. As part of his guilty plea, Brown admitted that he acted because Greenberg was running for mayor. In July 2024, Brown pleaded guilty to interfering with a federally protected activity and using and discharging a firearm in relation with a crime of violence. Brown’s term of imprisonment will be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. The FBI, ATF, and Louisville Metro Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Barry Disney of the Criminal Division’s Mental Health Litigation Unit and Trial Attorney Jolee Porter of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section provided substantial assistance to the prosecution. ###


title: Fort Bliss Soldier Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – A former soldier stationed at Fort Bliss was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 100 months in prison for sexual abuse of a minor. According to court documents, Carlos Humberto Richard Walsh, 23, of Washington, was involved in a romantic relationship with a minor under 16 years old from approximately Oct. 1, 2022 to approximately Jan. 24, 2023. Walsh, who was an Army specialist at the time, was subjected to barracks inspections, through which his command reported finding the minor victim in Walsh’s vehicle, along with several of the victim’s personal items in Walsh’s barracks room. The minor victim admitted to federal and local law enforcement that she had been living with Walsh in the Barracks and had engaged in sexual intercourse there on several occasions. Walsh was arrested May 25, 2023 and has remained in federal custody. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the El Paso Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Valenzuela prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. ###


title: Husband Pleads Guilty to Gunning Down Wife in D.C. Parking Lot

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Wyatt Swan, 48, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder while armed for the 2024 murder of Teresa Francisco, 52, in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The Honorable Jason Park of the D.C. Superior Court scheduled sentencing for March 21, 2025. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:00 p.m., on October 1, 2024, the defendant shot and killed his wife, Teresa Francisco, in and around their apartment complex in the 900 block of Eastern Avenue, Northeast. The defendant first shot his wife with a pistol in their shared apartment. When she ran for her life and hid in a nearby work van, the defendant pursued her and fired numerous shots into the van killing her. The defendant then fled the scene evading police. The defendant was arrested on October 2, 2024, with the assistance of the Prince George's County Police Department. The defendant has remained in custody since his arrest. In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr. and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Prince George's County Police Department. This case was investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Evans.


title: Career Offender from Fort Dodge Sentenced to  Federal Prison for 16 Years

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it was sentenced on January 23, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Jordan Taylor, 35, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on April 11, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. Taylor had been convicted of two prior drug trafficking offenses which made him a career offender. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on multiple occasions in August 2023, Taylor distributed methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement. In September 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a hotel in Fort Dodge where Taylor was staying. During the execution of the search warrant on the room, law enforcement found Taylor in the bathroom attempting to flush methamphetamine down the toilet. In the room, law enforcement seized about one pound of pure methamphetamine, along with psilocin mushrooms, pharmaceutical tablets, over $1,100 in cash, and drug distribution paraphernalia. Further investigation showed Taylor was responsible for the possession and distribution of approximately three pounds of methamphetamine. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Taylor was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Taylor remains in U.S. Marshals custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, and the Fort Dodge Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-3041. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: James C. Thompson Sentenced To Twenty Years For Transportation Of A Minor In Interstate Commerce With The Intent To Engage In Sexual Activity

body_text: CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On January 24, 2025, James C. Thompson, 72, formerly of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, was sentenced to 240 months by the Honorable Travis R. McDonough, District Court Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Tennessee. Thompson was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and to serve three years on supervised release. In addition, Thompson will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release. As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Thompson agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with four counts of transportation of a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in sexual activity in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(a). According to court filed documents, in 2000, Thompson traveled on separate occasions with three different boys and sexually molested them. Thompson was 48 years old at the time and the young boys were less than 18 years old. Thompson drove them from the community where they lived, Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, to different out-of-state locations. When Thompson’s conduct was discovered, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation confronted Thompson and he confessed. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico, made the announcement. The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Jackson County Alabama Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Samuel Moore. Assistant United States Attorney James T. Brooks and Special Assistant United States Attorney Charlie Minor represented the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.” ###


title: Casper man sentenced to 10 years for transportation of a minor for sex

body_text: James Warren Martin, 38, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, with a lifetime of supervised release, for transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. This sentence is to run concurrently with his 37-to-45-year sentence imposed in Wyoming’s Seventh Judicial District state court for his victimization of the same minor. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Jan. 23, in Casper. According to court documents, the defendant was brought to the attention of law enforcement in October of 2022 when the minor victim’s family member and guardian reported to the Casper Police Department that a male, identified as James Warren Martin, was grooming the girl. Detectives began investigating Martin. Then, on Nov. 16, 2022, Martin picked up the girl from school and fled the state with her. An Amber Alert was issued in Wyoming. Investigators determined that Martin and the minor victim may have been in Arizona. An Amber Alert was also issued in Arizona. A deputy with the La Paz County (Ariz.) Sheriff’s Office located Martin and the minor victim in Arizona. Law enforcement arrested Martin and rescued the girl. Electronic evidence showed Martin intended to take the girl to Mexico. Evidence also proved Martin had sexual intercourse with the girl after taking her from Wyoming. Martin was interviewed and ultimately confessed to having sexual intercourse with the girl numerous times in Natrona County, Wyoming in the years before taking her to Arizona. Martin was indicted on Jan. 11, 2023, and entered federal custody on July 15, 2024. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 29, 2024. The Casper Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and La Paz County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the federal crime. The Natrona County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted the accompanying state crimes. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Case No. 23-CR-00005


title: Lincoln County Man Convicted of Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Waynesburg, Ky., man Steven Fellmy, was convicted on Thursday, by a federal jury sitting in Lexington, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to the evidence at trial, on August 8, 2023, a Simpsonville Police Department Detective relayed an anonymous tip to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, which concerned the transport of a large quantity of methamphetamine from Anderson County into Mercer County. As a result, Fellmy was traffic stopped in Mercer County, by a Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputy. At the scene, a Harrodsburg Police Department K9 positively alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. Law enforcement then searched the vehicle, which led to the recovery of 193.5 grams of 95% pure methamphetamine. On his person, Fellmy also had 9.439 grams of methamphetamine and 22.529 grams of heroin. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Chief Scott Elder, Harrodsburg Police Department; Chief Thomas Brummer, Simpsonville Police Department; and Sheriff Ernie Kelty, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the jury’s verdict. The investigation was conducted by DEA, Harrodsburg Police Department, Simpsonville Police Department, and Mercer County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Baker is representing the United States in the case. Fellmy is scheduled to appear for sentencing on April 17, 2025. He faces up to life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment because he has a prior felony conviction for a crime of violence. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence. — END —


title: Florida Resident Charged In Scheme To Submit Fraudulent Asylum Applications

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has indicted Carlos Adolfo Haeckermann Cardenas on charges of aiding and abetting false statements on asylum applications. According to an indictment filed Nov. 13, 2024, and unsealed Jan. 23, 2025, Haeckermann, 62, of Doral, Florida, held himself out to provide individuals with assistance in applying for immigration documents and benefits, including asylum. Between 2019 and 2021, Haeckermann submitted or assisted in the submission of more than 100 asylum applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and charged his clients, including some who resided in the Northern District of California, thousands of dollars to help them apply for asylum. The indictment further alleges that it was Haeckermann’s practice to draft his clients’ personal statements, which frequently included stories of political persecution that formed the basis for the asylum claims. In so doing, Haeckermann allegedly included false and embellished details that were intended to substantiate his clients’ asylum claims and increase the chances that his clients would be granted asylum. It was Haeckermann’s practice to send completed applications back to his clients for them to sign and submit rather than to list himself as a third-party preparer and to submit the applications himself. At times, the indictment says, Haeckermann solicited his clients for additional payments in exchange for falsified documents that Haeckermann told his clients were necessary to support their asylum claims. Haeckermann made his initial appearance in San Francisco on Jan. 22, 2025. He is next scheduled to appear in federal court on Mar. 26, 2025, before the Hon. Vince Chhabria, U.S. District Judge. United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Criminal Fraud Investigations Branch Chief Jeff Rusinek made the announcement. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment on each count, as well as a maximum fine of $250,000 on each count. Any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by a court only upon consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Parker is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DSS and USCIS, with significant assistance from USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate. Haeckermann Indictment


title: Oahu Man Sentenced to Over 16 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking And Illegal Gambling Charges

body_text: HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that Maliu Tauheluhelu, 40, of Honolulu, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake to 200 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, and conspiring to operate illegal gambling businesses. Tauheluhelu pleaded guilty to two counts of an Indictment on February 15, 2024. Tauheluhelu admitted to conspiring with his co-defendants, Maafu Pani, Touanga Niu, and Desmond Morris, to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine between 2020 and 2022. Tauheluhelu obtained multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine and cocaine on Oahu and arranged for its distribution throughout Hawaii, including to Maui. Tauheluhelu admitted that during this same time period, he, Pani, and Niu also conspired to operate illegal gambling businesses on Oahu and Maui. Tauheluhelu operated multiple illegal gambling businesses on Oahu, including one at 980 Queen Street, and a “VIP room” operating out of Tauheluhelu’s Staxx Sports Bar & Grill location in Waianae. Pani, Niu, and Morris each pled guilty to federal felonies and were sentenced earlier in 2024 for their roles in the conspiracy. Pani was sentenced to 192 months of imprisonment, Niu was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment, and Morris was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment. “This sentence demonstrates that those who traffic dangerous drugs and operate illegal game rooms will face serious consequences,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Sorenson. “We are committed to holding criminal enterprises accountable and protecting our community from the destruction caused by drugs like methamphetamine. Illegal game rooms, like those run by Tauheluhelu, are magnets for violence and criminal activity. This outcome is the result of exceptional coordination and effort by our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.” “Yesterday’s sentencing reflects years of collaboration among multiple law enforcement agencies to dismantle a dangerous criminal organization,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “The FBI—in coordination with our partners across all levels of government—will continue to use every available resource to protect our communities and bring these criminal enterprises to justice.” “Our collective efforts send a clear and decisive message: criminal enterprises that exploit and endanger our communities should think twice, as there is zero tolerance for such actions,” said Maui Chief of Police John Pelletier. “We are deeply grateful to our federal partners—FBI Honolulu and the DEA—and to the dedicated MPD officers and personnel who worked tirelessly to bring this operation to a successful conclusion. This achievement was made possible by the unwavering commitment, shared resources, and intelligence of all the involved agencies, reaffirming our dedication to keeping our communities safe for residents and visitors.” This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Task Force Officers from the Maui Police Department, with assistance from the Maui Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Nammar prosecuted the case.


title: Wapato Man Sentenced to Prison for Making Unlawful Sexual Contact with a 13-Year-Old Child

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Yakima, Washington – United States Attorney Vanessa Waldref announced that on January 24, 2025, United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Geordell Devon Arthur, age 23, of Wapato, Washington, to 12 months in federal prison on one count of unlawful sexual contact. Judge Dimke also imposed 5 years of supervised release. Arthur will be required to register as a sex offender. At sentencing, Arthur faced a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment, and he was sentenced within the applicable sentencing guidelines range for his offense. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, Arthur, who was 19 at the time, made unlawful sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl at a location on the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation on or around May 10, 2021. The victim explained to investigators that Arthur’s friends confronted the victim and threatened her with harm if she spoke to law enforcement. “The harm to victims in cases like these cannot be understated,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “It takes courage for victims to come forward, especially when an abuser attempts to silence them. My office is committed to prioritizing offenses against our community’s youngest and most vulnerable victims.” “Mr. Arthur assaulted and then tried to intimidate his victim into silence.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “However, she displayed courage instead of fear and now her attacker is headed to prison. I applaud her actions as well as those of the investigators who seek justice for victims of these appalling crimes.” The FBI and the Yakama Nation Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Murphy prosecuted the case. 1:24-CR-2050-MKD


title: Tulsa Resident Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Charges

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Mark Galen Putnam, age 41, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea of one count of Distribution of Fentanyl, one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, and one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Indictment alleged that on September 6, 2023, Putnam knowingly and intentionally distributed fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. The Indictment also alleged that on September 14, 2023, Putnam knowingly and intentionally possessed 40 grams or more of fentanyl intending to distribute it. The Indictment further alleged that on September 14, 2023, Putnam knowingly and intentionally possessed 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, with the intention to distribute it. The charges arose from an investigation by the District 27 Drug Task Force, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Putnam was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.


title: 24-Year-Old Sentenced to 21+ Years for Soliciting Sexual Photos from 8-Year-Old

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: A 24-year-old who solicited sexually explicit photos from an eight-year-old online was sentenced to more than 21 years in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham. Geovanny Davila Cisneros, of Las Vegas, was indicted in January 2024 and pleaded guilty in April 2024 to enticement of a child. He was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 262 months in federal prison followed by 25 years of supervised release. The defendant will also have to register as a sex offender. According to plea papers, Mr. Cisneros admitted he used text messaging and social media to communicate with an 8-year-old girl. He told her she had a nice body and asked her to send him sexually explicit photos. The U.S. Secret Service’s Dallas Field Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Special Investigations Unit conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Secret Service’s Las Vegas Field Office and the Las Vegas Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem prosecuted the case.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Gun Crime

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

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon has been sentenced for illegal possession of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson. United States District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Robert Daneil Terry, 47, of Gadsden, to 45 months in prison. In October, Terry pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Terry is prohibited from having a firearm because of multiple previous felony convictions. According to the plea agreement, on March 26, 2022, a Gadsden Police Officer responded to a disturbance at a business in Gadsden. Upon arrival, the officer observed a vehicle quickly exiting the parking lot. The officer tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Terry led the officer on a high-speed chase. The chase ended after Terry lost control of the vehicle and wrecked in a ditch. Terry exited the vehicle and was taken into custody. The officer recovered a Taurus 9mm handgun. On June 5, 2022, a Gadsden Police officer observed Terry standing outside of a Waffle House and, knowing he had outstanding warrants, approached him. Terry was taken into custody. The officer recovered a different Taurus 9mm handgun from the rear waistband of his pants. ATF investigated the case along with the Gadsden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Camp prosecuted the case.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to Over 5 Years in Prison for Gun Crime

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon has been sentenced for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples. United States District Court Judge Annemarie Carney Axon sentenced Curtoine Lamar Jackson, 35, of Bessemer, to 64 months in prison. Jackson previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. On December 30, 2023, Jackson possessed a Taurus 9mm pistol. Jackson is prohibited from having a firearm because of multiple previous felony convictions. Jackson was convicted on March 15, 2012, in the Circuit Court of the Bessemer Division of Jefferson County, Alabama, of the offenses of Robbery, First Degree; Burglary, First Degree; and Robbery, First Degree. He was convicted in the same court on or about December 4, 2017, of the Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance. FBI and Bessemer Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Lee Gilmer prosecuted the case.


title: Omaha Men Sentenced For Pharmacy Burglaries and Possession of Firearms

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Latjor Gony and Jal Thong, both age 29, of Omaha, Nebraska, were sentenced on January 23, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for burglarizing pharmacies and Gony was also sentenced for possessing firearms by a prohibited person. United Sates District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced both Gony and Thong to 100 months’ imprisonment. Gony was also ordered to pay $42,489.01 in restitution to the victims and Thong was ordered to pay $46,929.53 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system. After Gony’s release from prison, he will begin a 6-year term of supervised release. After Thong’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Between October 23, 2021, and December 22, 2021, pharmacies in central Nebraska towns were burglarized. Pharmacies in Ravenna, Holdrege, Minden, Alma, and Loup City were victimized. During each burglary, one to three individuals, dressed head to toe in hoodies, sweatpants, gloves, and masks, broke through the front door, entered the pharmacy, stole narcotics, then left within a few minutes. Evidence gathered by law enforcement agencies showed that Gony and Thong were the burglars. Several different controlled substances were taken during the burglaries, to include hydrocodone, oxycontin, oxycodone HCL, oxycodone acetaminophen, Adderall, hydromorphone, and promethazine syrup. A distribution quantity of narcotics was stolen during the course of these burglaries. Gony’s and Thongs phone records were examined by law enforcement. The records showed that Gony and Thong communicated with one another as well as with customers about the sale and distribution of controlled substances taken from the pharmacies. Data from the burglars’ iCloud, cell phone, and social media accounts included photos and videos of controlled substances taken from the pharmacies. Investigators found cell tower data showing that Gony’s and Thong’s phones were located in some of the towns at, or around the time that burglaries took place. Investigators also found images of Gony possessing firearms. From these images, investigators identified at least two different firearms, one of which came from a shooting range, and another was retrieved by Omaha Police officers several months later during a traffic stop. Investigators also found images of the burglars consuming controlled substances stolen in the burglaries. Gony, who was on parole at the time of these crimes, had felony convictions from Nebraska preventing him from possessing firearms. His sentence in this case was enhanced because he had a prior conviction for drug distribution in Nebraska. “When someone steals from a pharmacy, they’re hurting people who are often already in pain and in need of medicine. This is unconscionable,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “The DEA and our state, local and federal law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to bring down the individuals responsible for causing fear and destruction in our Nebraska communities as noted in today’s sentencing.” This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Omaha Police Department, the Nebraska State Patrol, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, The Kearney Police Department, the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, the Harlan County Sheriff’s Office, the Ravenna Police Department, the Holdrege Police Department, and the Sherman County Sheriff’s Office


title: Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned six (6) unsealed Indictments charging eight (6) defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Brett A. Richardson , age 55, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged in a ten-count Indictment with failure to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service payroll taxes throughout calendar years 2018 to 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment on all counts. Walter James Hulit , age 37, of Walthill, Nebraska, is charged with failure to register as a sex offender from at least on or about October 2024, and continuing to on or about November 18, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, not less than 5 years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Jal Chuar , age 29, of Omaha, Nebraska is charged with bank robbery on or about December 4, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Joshua M. Meyer , age 44, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count 1 charges Meyer with distribution of child pornography with a prior conviction beginning on or about June 27, 2023, and continuing until on or about July 17, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, not less than 5 years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count 2 charges Meyer with distribution of child pornography with a prior conviction beginning on or about June 1, 2024, and continuing until on or about August 7, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, not less than 5 years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Doob Tut , age 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a five-count Indictment. Count 1 charges Tut with conspiracy to distribute 10 grams or more of fentanyl beginning on or about October 18, 2023, and continuing to on or about October 16, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, not less than 4 years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count 2 charges Tut with distribution of 10 grams or more of fentanyl on or about November 21, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, not less than 4 years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Counts 3 charges Tut with distribution of 10 grams or more of fentanyl on or about June 26, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, not less than 4 years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count 4 charges Tut with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about November 1, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, not less than 4 years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count 5 charges Tut with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about November 2, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, not less than 4 years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Rodolfo Urieta-Barba , age 33, of Bellevue, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count 1 charges Urieta-Barba with conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine beginning on or about November 13, 2024, and continuing to on or about November 21, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than 5 years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count 2 charges Urieta-Barba with possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about November 21, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than 5 years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Contact Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Lecia E. Wright at 402-661-3700 for further information.


title: Pfizer agrees to pay nearly $60 million to resolve false claims allegations relating to improper physician payments by subsidiary

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. (Pfizer), on behalf of its wholly-owned subsidiary Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. (Biohaven), has agreed to pay $59,746,277 to resolve allegations that, prior to Pfizer’s acquisition of the company, Biohaven knowingly caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs by paying kickbacks to health care providers to induce prescriptions of Biohaven’s drug Nurtec ODT. “Patients deserve to know that their doctor is prescribing medications based on their doctor’s medical judgment, and not as a result of financial incentives from pharmaceutical companies,” said U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross for the Western District of New York. “This settlement reflects our commitment to hold those who violate the laws accountable, regardless of their status or prestige.” “Through this settlement and others, the government has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring that drug companies do not use kickbacks to influence physician prescribing,” said Brett A. Shumate the Acting Assistant Attorney General from the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will use every tool at its disposal to prevent pharmaceutical manufacturers from undermining the objectivity of treatment decisions by health care providers.” The anti kickback statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and other federal health care programs. The statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that from March 1, 2020 through September 30, 2022, Biohaven paid improper remuneration, including in the form of speaker honoraria and meals at high end restaurants, to health care professionals to induce them to prescribe the migraine medication Nurtec ODT in violation of the anti-kickback statute. The United States alleged that Biohaven selected certain health care providers to be part of the Nurtec speaker bureau and provided them paid speaking opportunities with the intent that the speaker honoraria and meals would induce them to prescribe Nurtec ODT. The government further alleged that certain prescribers who attended multiple programs on the same topic received no educational benefit from attending repeat programs and that certain Biohaven speaker programs were attended by individuals with no educational need to attend, such as the speakers’ spouses, family members, or friends, or colleagues from the speakers’ own medical practice. The United States contends that this conduct persisted until October 2022, when Pfizer acquired Biohaven and terminated the Nurtec speaker programs. “Violations of the anti-kickback statute, such as those alleged in this settlement, can unduly influence prescribers and negatively impact taxpayer-funded health care,” said Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to collaborate with law enforcement partners to ensure that providers and corporations are held accountable if they attempt to bypass laws meant to protect the integrity of federal health care programs.” “Investigating schemes that undermine the integrity of TRICARE, the health care system for military members and their families, is a top priority for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to work with our partner agencies and the Department of Justice to pursue corporations that attempt to corrupt the TRICARE system.” The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Patrica Frattasio, a former sales representative at Biohaven. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Patricia Frattasio v. Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd., No. 6:21-CV-06539 (W.D.N.Y.). Approximately $50.2 million of the settlement constitutes the federal portion of the recovery and approximately $9.5 million constitutes a recovery for State Medicaid programs. Ms. Frattasio will receive approximately $8.4 million as her share of the federal recovery in this case. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York. Trial Attorney Jessica Sarkis of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Coriell for the Western District of New York handled the matter. The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. # # # #


title: Pain-Management Doctor and Medical Practice to Pay $3.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act and Control Substances Act Allegations

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – Dr. Kamal Kabakibou and his medical practice, Kamal Kabakibou, M.D., P.C., doing business as “The Center for Pain Management,” have settled claims under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) and the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) arising from their alleged billing for medically unnecessary testing and for pre-signing opioid prescriptions to be dispensed by a nurse practitioner while Dr. Kabakibou was out of the country. As part of the settlement, they will jointly pay $3.5 million to the United States and have agreed to submit regular monitoring reports to the Drug Enforcement Administration for the next five years. Dr. Kabakibou and his medical practice have also entered into a three-year integrity agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), which includes an annual claims review by an independent review organization. “Our office will continue to insist that dangerous opioids be properly dispensed and that federal healthcare dollars be wisely spent,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “On behalf of those healthcare providers who correctly bill for medical procedures, and for the patients who rely on the safety net of federal healthcare programs, our office will continue to work vigorously with our federal agencies and law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable those providers who engage in misconduct.” “Health care professionals are entrusted with accurately billing federal health care programs and prescribing controlled substances responsibly,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly J. Blackmon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG remains committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who engage in fraud schemes that exploit federal health care programs and jeopardize patient safety.” “Medical providers who submit false claims to the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) for medically unnecessary services place illegal profits above patient safety,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and OWCP to protect the integrity of DOL’s worker compensation programs.” “This settlement should serve as a strong deterrent to healthcare practitioners who abandon their Hippocratic Oath while seeking to exploit and defraud TRICARE, the military healthcare system relied on by our servicemembers, retired military members, and their families,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski, Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “DCIS, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of healthcare fraud that affect the Department of Defense and put its personnel at risk.” “Dr. Kamal Kabakibou had a responsibility to issue controlled substance prescriptions for a legitimate medical purpose, while acting in the usual course of his professional practice, in order to prevent the diversion of dangerous prescription drugs, especially opioids,” said Jae Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “The moment he decided to carelessly distribute drugs and ignore his corresponding responsibility, he became nothing more than a dangerous drug trafficker.” “Medicare beneficiaries should never have to question whether treatment recommendations are based on their doctors’ best financial interests rather than their best medical advice,” said FBI Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke. “This case is further proof that the government will vigorously pursue those who attempt to cheat the taxpayer-funded system that pays for medical care for millions of Americans.” Dr. Kabakibou operates pain-management clinics in Atlanta and Blue Ridge, Georgia. The clinics use an in-house laboratory to conduct urine drug tests. The government alleges that Dr. Kabakibou performed medically unnecessary and duplicative laboratory testing on patients and submitted claims for those tests to federal health insurance (including Medicare, TRICARE, and the Department of Labor). The government further alleges that when Dr. Kabakibou travelled abroad, which he did regularly, he pre-signed prescriptions and left them for his nurse practitioners to dispense. Many of these prescriptions were for Schedule II controlled substances, including opioids, which could not be dispensed by unsupervised nurse practitioners. The CSA was enacted by Congress to deter the illegal importation, manufacture, distribution, possession, and improper use of controlled substances, including prescription medications. The CSA prohibits DEA registrants from issuing prescriptions outside the usual course of professional practice. State law prohibited pre-signing prescriptions. DEA registrants who issue improper prescriptions are subject to civil monetary penalties for each violation. The case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque. The civil case was also investigated by former Assistant U.S. Attorney David O’Neal. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmail@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Gucci Store Burglars Sentenced in Theft from Northwest Store

body_text: WASHINGTON – Husan Thurston, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to two years in prison and Alton Pernell, 28, also of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to two years in prison, with six months suspended, yesterday, for the burglary of a Gucci store in Northwest D.C. on September, 9, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). On January 22, 2025, the Honorable Judge Andrea Hertzfeld sentenced Husan Thurston to 24 months’ incarceration followed by three years of supervised release, and Alton Pernell to 24 months’ incarceration, with six months suspended, followed by three years of supervised release suspended and one year of supervised probation. Pernell and Thurston pleaded guilty on November 19, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second-degree burglary. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 11:00 p.m., on September 9, 2024, law enforcement officers observed a large group of individuals attempting to force entry into the Gucci store, located at the 1000 block of I Street, NW, while it was closed for business. Surveillance camera footage from inside of the Gucci store showed the defendants kicking the store’s doors and forcing their way inside. Both defendants were also captured on the store’s surveillance camera, running inside the store and grabbing handbags off of the display stands. One of the officers approached the front entrance of the store and then observed Thurston and Pernell inside. When officers entered the store and approached Pernell and Thurston, both men attempted to the flee but were prevented by the incoming officer. Both defendants fled to the rear of the store, where they were apprehended. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hannah Skopicki and Elizabeth Ginsburg, who prosecuted the case.


title: C.R. Bard, Inc. and Affiliates Pay $17 Million to Resolve Allegations of Healthcare Kickbacks

body_text: ATLANTA – C.R. Bard, Inc. (“Bard”) and its affiliates, Liberator Medical Supply, Inc., Liberator Holdings and Rochester Medical Corporation (collectively the “Liberator Defendants”), have agreed to pay $17 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act and various state false claims act statutes by providing free samples and discounts to encourage urology practice groups to use Bard’s prescription form for prescribing intermittent catheters for their patients. “The use of inducements to influence a physician’s medical decisions undermines the important physician-patient relationship and interferes with the goal of doing what is best for the patient,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Our office will coordinate with our federal and state partners to hold accountable those companies who violate federal law for financial gain.” “Patients should be able to trust the recommendations they receive from their physician are what’s best for their health, not what’s financially beneficial to another provider,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “We’re committed to putting a stop to any type of fraud or abuse within our healthcare system while protecting taxpayer dollars no matter the amount.” “Kickback schemes undermine the trust patients place in our health care system,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly J. Blackmon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Our office will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to safeguard federal health care programs.” “Illegal kickbacks in any form pervert our health care system, which is designed to ensure that health care providers make decisions based solely on what is best for the patient,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This settlement is part of the FBI and our partners’ on-going effort to eliminate the payment of illegal kickbacks to health care providers.” “This settlement sends a strong message to healthcare practitioners who blatantly disregard patient-centered care for their own personal enrichment and potentially harm TRICARE, the military healthcare system relied on by our servicemembers, retired military members, and their families,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “DCIS, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of healthcare fraud that affect the Department of Defense and put our personnel at risk.” The Government alleges that, between 2016 and February 2020, the Liberator Defendants provided discounts, excessive free samples, and cost savings for in-office supplies to urology practice groups to persuade those practice groups to use Bard’s own “Link” prescription form to prescribe intermittent catheters to their patients. The provision of remuneration – anything of value – to induce a physician to prescribe certain devices over others is prohibited by the Anti-Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b. Bard began marketing intermittent catheters in 2013, after it acquired Rochester Medical, Inc., a developer and supplier of urological products. Intermittent catheters are single-use catheters provided to persons suffering from urinary retention to drain the bladder several times a day. They are typically prescribed by the patient’s physician. The patient then takes the prescription to a medical equipment supplier (“DME supplier”) to purchase the intermittent catheters. The Government alleges that soon after the acquisition of Rochester, Bard sales representatives began leveraging discounts on and free samples of in-office urological products to convince urology practice groups to make Bard’s “Link” prescription form – which listed the various Bard intermittent catheters – the standard catheter prescription form for its group. The patients would then take the Link prescription to a DME supplier to purchase the catheters. Two years later, Bard announced its acquisition of Liberator Medical and Liberator Holdings to create its own medical equipment subsidiary for the sale of intermittent catheters directly to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The Government alleges that after this acquisition, Bard used the Link prescription form to encourage urology practices to prescribe intermittent catheters through Liberator Medical rather than other DME suppliers. The settlement resolves allegations filed by Dirk Etheridge, a former employee of 180 Medical, under the qui tam , or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which authorizes private parties to sue for false claims on behalf of the United States and share in the recovery. The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of Georgia and is captioned United States, ex rel. Dirk Etheridge, et al. v. Liberator Medical Holdings, Inc., et al. , No 1:17-cv-05187-LMM (N.D. Ga.). Mr. Etheridge will receive a share of the settlement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Georgia State Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Division investigated this case. The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeli Ben-David, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Akash Desai, and Georgia State Assistant Attorney General Sara Vann. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Florissant Man Sentenced to 26 Months in Check Washing Scheme

component: USAO - Illinois, Southern

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A Florissant, Missouri, man was sentenced to federal prison after he participated in a scheme to deposit counterfeit checks at an Illinois bank. Quentin T. Gandy, Jr., 22, pleaded guilty in October to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. “When criminals steal checks from the mail, commit fraud by washing the check and print fake copies, real people are victimized,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate the efforts by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to disband this organized effort to defraud banks.” According to court documents, Gandy obtained checks from uncharged conspirators who stole authentic checks from the mail. Using the authentic checks, the conspirators created counterfeit checks using the account name, number and routing information. Gandy knew the checks were counterfeit with forged signatures and admitted to trying to deposit $48,200 into his bank account in O’Fallon, Illinois. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to defending the nation’s mail system from criminal activity, preserving the integrity of the U.S. Mail, and protecting United States Postal Service employees. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service values our law enforcement partners for supporting our mission to protect the integrity of the U.S. Mail,” said Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard prosecuted the case.


title: Money Launderer for Chicago-Based Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A money launderer for a Chicago-based drug trafficking organization has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison. COSME CHACON, 55, pleaded guilty in 2023 to a money laundering conspiracy charge. U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. imposed a 100-month prison sentence during a hearing on Tuesday in federal court in Chicago. Chacon was among four defendants indicted in Chicago in 2007. The defendants participated in a drug trafficking organization that transported heroin to Chicago from New York, Florida, and Texas. After the drugs were sold in the Chicago area, Chacon laundered the illicit proceeds through wire transfers to Colombia and other overseas locations. Chacon’s three co-defendants pleaded guilty and were sentenced to federal prison terms of 16 years, 12 years, and one year. Chacon was free on bond in 2009 when he failed to appear for status hearings in the weeks leading up to his scheduled trial. Chacon remained a fugitive until 2022, when he was arrested in Panama and returned to the United States. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations, and Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian F. Williamson represented the government. Valuable assistance in securing Chacon’s arrest and return to the U.S. was provided by IRS Criminal Investigation Panama City, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, and other alleged criminal offenders that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against alleged criminal networks.


title: Kalamazoo Man Sentenced To Over 27 Years In Federal Prison For Trafficking Methamphetamine And Fentanyl

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge announced that Michael Warren Smith, Jr., 38, of Kalamazoo, was sentenced to 327 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and cocaine. Smith previously pleaded guilty in October 2024. According to the plea agreement, on October 11, 2023, investigators searched Smith’s house on Elmwood Street and his apartment on West Main Street, both in Kalamazoo. When investigators searched the house on Elmwood Street, Smith was present and had over 185 grams of fentanyl in his pants. Inside Smith’s bedroom, investigators found 388.5 grams of 99 percent pure methamphetamine, and other evidence of drug trafficking. In Smith’s apartment on West Main Street, investigators found approximately five pounds of 99 percent pure methamphetamine, over 500 grams of fentanyl, over 470 grams of cocaine, and five loaded firearms. Smith admitted that he possessed these drugs and intended to sell them. “We are pleased with this sentence,” said Mike Ferguson, Captain of the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team. “Mr. Smith possessed a large amount of drugs and guns. Drugs and guns that would’ve hit the streets of Kalamazoo if not for the hard work of KVET and our federal partners.” “Mr. Smith’s sentencing should serve as a reminder that the DEA will relentlessly pursue those responsible for the distribution of illicit drugs accountable,” said Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Detroit Field Division . “Methamphetamine has devastating effects on communities, and fentanyl is responsible for the loss of tens of thousands of lives. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who profit from this illegal and dangerous trade.” “Michael Smith, Jr. sold poison in our community while armed with five illegal firearms. This sentence should serve as a clear warning to every illegally armed drug dealer operating in our community: If you pack an illegal firearm in furtherance of peddling your poison, you need to pack your bags for prison,” said James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Detroit Division . The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET), and Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) investigated this case. # # #