title: Violent Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 262 Months in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: United States Attorney Brad D. Schimel announced today that United States District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller sentenced Morrell D. Johnson (35), a.k.a. “Money,” a notorious human trafficker on Milwaukee’s south side, to 262 months in prison. The sentence followed Johnson’s guilty pleas on November 5, 2025, to Sex Trafficking involving six adult survivors, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. According to court records, Johnson was a drug trafficker who sold heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl. Johnson recruited addicted women to perform commercial sex acts, promising them housing, protection, and reliable access to the drugs upon which they were dependent. Johnson then used the women’s addictions as leverage over them, taking all of the proceeds from the commercial sex acts while adding the cost of the drugs to an ever-mounting debt he claimed they had to repay. If a victim refused to work, tried to leave, or broke Johnson’s rules, he used physical violence and the forcible administration of Narcan as punishments. Prosecutors argued at sentencing that Johnson used every weapon available to manipulate and terrorize these women, from lies and false promises, to hands, fists, feet, threats, needles, and guns. He even killed a dog to intimidate them. Most infamously, Johnson punished one woman by stripping her naked, beating her, having her sexually assaulted by multiple men, and imprisoning her in a dog cage. At the time of these crimes, Johnson was on community supervision after serving a prison sentence for a prior Kenosha County heroin distribution conviction. U.S. Attorney Schimel observed that, “Human trafficking is modern-day slavery and is among the most damaging and dehumanizing of any crime. It is also the most difficult for which to hold offenders accountable due to the intense manipulation, fear, and violence inflicted on the survivors. Several survivors came forward in this case, and some even were present for sentencing. Our community is free from a truly evil predator thanks to the courage and strength of these survivors and the remarkable work of the FBI Human Trafficking Task Force agents and the incredible prosecutors and crime victim advocates who made such a successful conclusion possible.” During the sentencing hearing, Judge Stadtmueller repeatedly underscored the “despicable and wild” nature of Johnson’s conduct. He described the “unspeakable manner in which the victims were treated and preyed upon,” finding that Johnson “treat[ed] them like dirt—literally dirt.” Judge Stadtmueller declared that he intended Johnson’s sentence to “ring like a clarion bell across this community and every other,” informing the public that those who engage in this conduct will face “a day of reckoning and it will fall hard.” "Today's sentencing comes on the heels of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. This case is an example of the exploitation and abuse that occurs in trafficking situations. Mr. Johnson's crimes were egregious and the substantial sentence he received holds him to account for preying upon vulnerable people for his own profit," said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr. "The FBI will continue to work tirelessly to seek justice for victims of human trafficking by joining forces with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to protect our Wisconsin communities.” “Human trafficking is something that impacts our communities more than we realize. This case was particularly heinous, and no one should be subjected to such violence. We worked together with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure Johnson answered for his crimes” said Chief David Stecker, Oak Creek Police Department. “We are grateful for the survivors’ strength to help secure a lengthy sentencing, and hope this will help the survivors heal and move on from this. We will continue to combat these crimes and ensure our communities remain safe.” “Human trafficking is a serious problem across the country, including here in our community. We value our partnership with federal agencies, which is essential to holding those responsible for these crimes accountable. These investigations can be complex, and collaboration is essential to successfully bringing these cases forward," said Chief Chris Davis, Green Bay Police Department. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oak Creek Police Department with assistance from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the Green Bay Police Department. # # # For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: Department of Defense Employee Indicted for Moonlighting as a Money Mule and Laundering Millions of Dollars for Overseas Scammers

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Samuel D. Marcus, 33, of Oreland, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, six counts of illegal monetary transactions, and one count of money laundering – illegal concealment, arising from his alleged role as a money mule for a group of Nigerian-based scammers, in which he received, concealed, and laundered millions of dollars in fraud proceeds. The indictment alleges that, from approximately July 2023 to December 2025, while employed as a Logistics Specialist with the Department of Defense, the defendant was in direct and regular contact with a group of Nigeria-based fraudsters, who operated under the aliases “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray,” among others. These fraudsters engaged in a variety of wire fraud schemes that targeted victims based in the United States, including romance fraud, cyber fraud, tax fraud, financing fraud, and business email compromise schemes, to which victims lost millions of dollars. The fraudsters employed a network of money mules in the United States to help launder the fraud proceeds, and instructed victims to transfer funds to financial accounts opened and operated by various money mules, including those controlled by Marcus. The indictment alleges that, under the direction of fraudsters, the defendant and other money mules conducted a series of rapid financial transactions to convert fraud victim funds deposited into their accounts into cryptocurrency and to move those funds into foreign accounts. Marcus personally deposited and transferred millions of dollars of fraudulently obtained money into and through his personal and business accounts, while fully aware that “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray” were scammers who carried out sophisticated fraud schemes. Marcus also affirmatively misled and lied to his financial institutions and law enforcement officers about the laundered funds, to include sending fraudulent invoices to make the transactions appear legitimate. In fact, the indictment alleges that the defendant continued to work as a money mule for the fraudsters after being informed by FBI agents that the money passing through his accounts had been stolen from other people and that his monetary transfers were consistent with money laundering. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 100 years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and a $2 million fine. The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samuel S. Dalke. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.


title: Pair Plead Guilty to Conspiring with Annandale-Based Doctor to Illegally Distributing Oxycodone and other Controlled Substances

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – A pair of Maryland men who conspired with Dr. Rotimi Iluyomade, an Annandale-based doctor convicted of distributing more than 7,000 oxycodone pills, 34,000 milliliters of hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution (also known as “tussionex”), and 107,000 milliliters of promethazine-codeine solution (“also known as lean”), pled guilty recently in U.S. District Court in Abingdon. Obioma Alozie Ndubuka, 32, a.k.a. “Bank Roll” of Derwood, Maryland, and Raymono Alfonzo Russell II, 25, of Bowie, Maryland, pled guilty recently to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute Schedule II controlled substances and to acquire promethazine-codeine solution by fraud. In addition, Russell was ordered to forfeit $40,000 to the United States. Also charged in the conspiracy are Cameron Isaiah Lewis, 23, of Bowie, Maryland; Elhadj Malick Diallo, 31, of Silver Spring, Maryland; Zion Oluwademilade Adeduwon, 24, of Bowie, Maryland; Kenechukwu Brian Okwara, a.k.a. “Kene,” 29 of Bowie, Maryland; and Yared Michael Tesfaye, a.k.a. “Yar,” 28, of Montgomery Village, Maryland. Adeduwon pled guilty in 2025 and has been ordered to forfeit $100,000 to the United States. According to court documents, in at least 2023 and 2024, Iluyomade and the co-conspirators entered into an agreement to distribute more than 7,000 oxycodone pills and more than 34,000 milliliters of hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution to pharmacies in multiple states, including California, Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, Missouri, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Georgia, Wisconsin, Texas, West Virginia, and in the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia. At least 70 of the illegal controlled substance prescriptions were transmitted to and/or filled at pharmacies in the Western District of Virginia. As part of the conspiracy, multiple individuals visited Iluyomade’s medical clinic to obtain fraudulent prescriptions. The individuals provided Iluyomade with lists of multiple “patients” with fake identifying information or different variations of names and false addresses, and requested prescriptions be sent to pharmacies throughout the United States for the “patients” on the lists. Ndubuka traveled to various pharmacies to pick up fraudulent prescriptions written by Iluyomade, which he then distributed for profit, often posting pictures on his social media accounts to facilitate drug sales. Iluyomade transmitted at least 134 fraudulent prescriptions using variations of patient names using the “Ndubuka” surname. The prescriptions listed 56 different residential addresses but the same patient home phone number. Russell visited Iluyomade’s clinic to obtain fraudulent prescriptions, paying approximately $300 per fraudulent prescription and often using the personal information of homeless individuals to obtain the prescriptions. He paid these individuals cash, or provided them drugs, to go inside the pharmacy and pick up the fraudulent prescriptions. Russell then distributed the drugs he obtained for profit. The investigation began on September 2, 2023, when Russell attempted to pick up a fraudulent promethazine-codeine solution prescription transmitted by Dr. Iluyomade at TigerX Pharmacy in Honaker, Virginia. Russell was arrested and a search of his vehicle revealed multiple controlled substance prescription bottles in various ‘patient’ names, all from Dr. Iluyomade, filled at pharmacies in Roanoke, Radford, Tazewell, and Floyd, Virginia. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Virginia State Police, Russell County Sheriff’s Office, Salisbury, Maryland Police Department, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Police, HHS-OIG, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lena Busscher and Randy Ramseyer are prosecuting the case. Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci, Christopher C. Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge DEA Washington Division, and Darren B. Cox, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.


title: Toledo Man to Spend 20 Years in Prison After Being Found Guilty of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Charges

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – A 53-year-old Lucas County man who was convicted of child sexual abuse and exploitation charges has been sentenced to federal prison. Derran Reebel, of Toledo, Ohio, has been sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick, after federal juries convicted him of the following charges at two separate trials: November 2024 trial: Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography Possession of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct March 2025 trial: Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (Production) Coercion and Enticement He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment. According to court documents, from Oct. 10-15, 2020, Reebel communicated with a minor, namely, an undercover agent purporting to be a 14-year-old girl, through a social media application. Evidence presented at the March 2025 trial included the sexually explicit communications that Reebel sent through the application's messaging function in repeated attempts by him to persuade the minor to send him sexually explicit photos and commit sexual acts. At an earlier trial held in November 2024, Reebel was convicted of receiving and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) for nearly eight years, from about Jan. 1, 2014, through Aug. 17, 2022. During the execution of a federal search warrant at his residence, investigators found CSAM that included visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in his possession. Law enforcement officials also discovered that for years, Reebel was contacting minors and sending them sexually explicit messages and photos of himself through social media platforms. This case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency’s Violent Crimes Against Children Taskforce. The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC . To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org , or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


title: Two Lenior County Men Arrested for Conspiring, Selling Crystal Methamphetamine

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Law enforcement officers arrested two Lenoir County men on federal charges of conspiring to sell crystal methamphetamine, or “Ice,” and possession with intent to sell. According to court documents, Kenji Chiba Jerkins, 31, and Tyquil Jermal Yates, 31, entered into an agreement dating back as early as August 2024 to sell, and possess with intent to sell, fifty grams or more of methamphetamine, and possessed fifty grams or more of methamphetamine on August 11, 2025. Jerkins and Yates face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison if convicted. W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Khari L. Cyrus is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:26-cr-00003-FL-RN. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: WEST PALM BEACH MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE MARIJUANA AND POSSESSION OF MACHINEGUN

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

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Justin Lombard, 22, of West Palm Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court, to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a machine gun. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the plea. United States Attorney Heekin said: “This is yet another successful prosecution under Operation Take Back America, which was launched by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to deploy the full might of the Department of Justice toward protecting our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime and drug trafficking. This defendant and other would-be traffickers will find that running drugs and illegal firearms through the Northern District of Florida is a one-way ticket to federal prison.” Court documents reflect that on the night of February 11, 2025, the defendant was stopped by a Tallahassee Police Department officer for driving with his headlights turned off. During the traffic stop, law enforcement detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and confirmed that the defendant did not have a medical marijuana card. During the search of the defendant’s vehicle, law enforcement located a backpack containing three mason jars of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia consistent with the distribution of marijuana. They also located a bag containing a privately made firearm (PMF), specifically a 9-millimeter pistol that had been modified to fire as a machinegun. Sentencing is scheduled for March 26, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. in Tallahassee, Florida before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker. The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. Ravelo is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, human and drug trafficking. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: TALLAHASSEE MAN SENTENCED FOR MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Norman John Horner, II, 43, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to serve one year in prison followed by three years of supervised release for making a false statement to a federal agency. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentencing. United States Attorney Heekin said: “This defendant tried to evade accountability by lying to a federal officer. Lying to federal law enforcement isn’t just wrong, it’s a crime. I appreciate the excellent investigative work by our law enforcement partners to ensure this defendant is held accountable for his criminal activity.” On July 13, 2024, a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Officer attempted to issue the defendant a citation. The defendant falsely identified himself to the officer using the name and date of birth of someone else, therefore a citation and summons were issued in the wrong name. On September 6, 2024, the person who received the citation appeared at the Tallahassee Federal Courthouse to contest the citation. A law enforcement investigation revealed that the defendant had falsely provided the incorrect name and date of birth to avoid the citation. The case involved an investigation by the USDA Forest Service. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. Ravelo prosecuted the case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Former La Crosse Mail Carrier Sentenced for Opening and Destroying Mail

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Ashley Straub, 25, Onalaska, Wisconsin, was sentenced February 5, 2026, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita M. Boor to one year of probation and a $500 fine for opening and destroying mail. Judge Boor also ordered Straub to pay restitution to the known victims. Straub worked as a mail carrier at the La Crosse Post Office. In February 2025, Straub opened numerous items of mail and stole $350 in cash and several gift cards. At the sentencing, Judge Boor noted that theft by mail carriers erodes trust in the United States Postal Service. In selecting an appropriate sentence, Judge Boor balanced Straub’s harm to the community with her lack of criminal history. The charge against Straub was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the La Crosse Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Samuel and Megan Stelljes prosecuted this case.


title: Former Driving School Owner Sentenced for RMV Bribery Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Brockton man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for bribing a road test examiner to issue driver’s licenses to individuals who did not pass or, in some cases, even take road tests at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in Brockton. Carlos Cardoso, 72, was sentenced on Feb. 6, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to time served (one day in prison) to be followed by two years of supervised release with the first six months to be spent in home incarceration. He was also ordered to pay a $5,500 fine. In June 2025 , Cardoso pleaded guilty to one count of honest services mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud. In May 2024 , Cardoso was indicted by a federal grand jury. Cardoso, the former owner of a driving school, paid cash bribes totaling more than $20,000 to a road test examiner at the Brockton RMV service center to misrepresent that certain driver’s license applicants had passed their road test when, in fact, they had not. Some of the applicants did not even show up to take the test. As a result of the fraud, the RMV mailed driver’s licenses to unqualified applicants. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Brian C. Gallagher, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.


title: First Week of February Brings Over 240 New Immigration Cases to Western District of Texas

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 242 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for child sexual assault, violent crimes, DWIs, and multiple prior removals. Among the new cases, a Mexican national with multiple felonies was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Val Verde. Juan Bernardo Cardenas-Ledesma , who has been deported three times, is charged with illegal re-entry and has previously been convicted of grand theft auto, lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, and hit and run resulting in injury or death. Mexican national Andres Campos-Martinez was detained by ICE after being booked in the Williamson County Jail in November. In March 2020, Campos-Martinez was put on ten years of deferred adjudication after committing the offense of aggravated sexual assault of a child in Travis County. He was removed to Mexico six months later in September 2020. On Tuesday, a motion to revoke his probation was denied by a Travis County district judge. USBP agents arrested Honduran national Jose Mario David-Sauzo aka Raymundo Martinez near Maverick. David-Sauzo is also charged with illegal re-entry, having been deported five times, the last being in September 2024. His prior felony convictions include possession of a bludgeon and obstruction of justice, burglary of a dwelling with an explosive, and second-degree forgery of a public record. On Wednesday, Mexican national Juan Gabriel Amezquita-Fabian attempted to enter the U.S. via the pedestrian lane at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry and allegedly presented a counterfeit State of Texas Birth Certificate along with a valid Texas ID card bearing the name, date of birth and photo of a different individual. A criminal complaint alleges Amezquita-Fabian stated he was a U.S. citizen and was returning home to El Paso after visiting family in Juarez, Mexico. Further inspection allegedly led to Amezquita-Fabian admitting to having lived in the U.S. illegally for approximately 30 years and that he paid $600 for the birth certificate and ID card. Amezquita-Fabian has been removed from the U.S. three times, the most recent being Dec. 15, 2025, following his fourth DUI conviction. An El Paso man with five prior convictions was arrested at the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry and charged with alien smuggling. A criminal complaint alleges that Ronnie Oswaldo Carreon claimed he was the sole occupant of a vehicle that belonged to his sister, he had been living in Mexico, and he was traveling to visit his mother in El Paso. The complaint alleges that an X-ray of the vehicle depicted a person laying down between the back seat and trunk area, and during a secondary inspection, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered a female concealed in the cargo area underneath the floor panel. Victor Eduardo De La Fuente , who was convicted of conspiracy to transport aliens in 2024, is again charged with alien smuggling after he was arrested Tuesday by USBP agents in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges De La Fuente is the owner of a vehicle depicted in a TikTok video which showed the transfer of individuals from another vehicle to his. The complaint alleges that De La Fuente claims to be a U.S. citizen but lives in Juarez and that he had previously transported 10 illegal aliens for a fee of $100 per alien. Jesus Emanuel Zendejas-Ovalle , also a Mexican national, was released to ICE Enforcement Removal Operations custody from the Bexar County Jail on Thursday. Zendejas-Ovalle had been serving a three-year sentence after being convicted of felon in possession of a firearm in 2023. He was previously removed from the U.S. in November 2014. Mexican national Alberto Guebara-Urbina was also released to ICE ERO on Thursday. He was encountered at the Comal County Jail on Sept. 1, 2025, after he was arrested for a DWI. Guebara-Urbina was last removed from the U.S. to Mexico in 2007. In 2003, he was convicted of assault in the first degree and sentenced to five years of confinement. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Madera Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Possessing a Firearm and Counterfeit Postal Keys

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: Brian Stan Hindman, 50, of Madera, was sentenced today to three years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for possession of counterfeit postal keys, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court records, on July 25, 2025, during a traffic stop, law enforcement officers arrested Hindman for an outstanding state warrant for burglary. Hindman was found to be in possession of a 9 mm Ruger pistol. Hindman is prohibited from possessing firearms due to several prior felony convictions for which he spent more than four years in state prison. Hindman was also found with at least six counterfeit U.S. Postal Service keys that are commonly used by thieves to steal mail, and several driver’s licenses and debit cards in other individuals’ names. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph D. Barton and Arelis M. Clemente prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes Report

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the two-week period ending February 6, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 124 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326) 13 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324) 122 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) 58 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico. Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for domestic violence, drug trafficking, aggravated assault, and prior immigration offenses. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process. Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.


title: Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Filing $1.5 Million in False Tax Returns

body_text: Marice Curry, 35, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to filing false federal income tax returns, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, in 2023, Curry filed more than 50 false tax returns for businesses claiming more than $1.5 million in fraudulent refunds. He did so by claiming refundable fuel tax credits for the businesses while knowing that they were not entitled to the credits. The credits are supposed to allow businesses to recover excise taxes that they pay on fuel used for nontaxable, off-highway purposes such as farming and fishing. IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case. Curry is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on May 26, 2026. Curry faces a maximum statutory penalty of three years in prison and a $100,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Convicted Felon from Boston Charged with Leaving a Residential Re-Entry Center

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man has been arrested and charged for allegedly leaving a residential re-entry center where he was serving the remainder of his federal sentence for being a felon in possession of ammunition. Tyreek Hall, 23, of Boston, was charged by criminal complaint with escape. Hall remains detained following an initial appearance on Feb. 5, 2026 before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley. According to the charging documents, in May 2024 , Hall was sentenced in the District of Massachusetts to 46 months in prison for illegally possessing ammunition while on parole as a convicted felon. In July 2025, Hall was transferred from a correctional institution to a residential re-entry center in Boston to serve the remainder of his confined sentence. As part of the reentry program, Hall was employed as a “part-time vehicle cleaner.” It is alleged that, at approximately 11 p.m. on Sept. 7, 2025, when Hall returned to the residential re-entry center from work, staff conducted a breathalyzer test as part of their standard security screening. It is alleged that Hall tested positive, refused a subsequent breathalyzer test and refused to submit to a urinalysis test. After his refusals, Hall was allowed to go to his living quarters. It is alleged that, at approximately 11:56 p.m., Hall returned to the front desk and walked out of the front door. Hall did not return to the residential re-entry center and was considered an active escape from federal custody until his apprehension. The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts Dennis Matulewicz made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Dominican citizen extradited to the United States from the British Virgin Islands to Face Drug Trafficking Charges

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – British Virgin Islands authorities extradited Francis Hidalgo-Cedano to the United States to face drug trafficking charges filed in the District of Puerto Rico, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Hidalgo-Cedano was arrested in the British Virgin Islands pursuant to a provisional arrest request by the United States on Nov. 5, 2025, and extradited to Puerto Rico on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. “This extradition is another important step in our fight against drug trafficking and transnational organized crime. This prosecution demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Justice, and our law enforcement partners, and the cooperation of international authorities to work together to bring drug traffickers to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We will continue to maximize our multi-agency efforts to disrupt and dismantle international drug cartels that smuggle drugs into Puerto Rico and the continental United States.” On January 28, 2026, the British Virgin Islands extradited Francis Hidalgo-Cedano, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, to the United States to stand trial in the District of Puerto Rico on charges related to the possession, importation, and distribution of cocaine. According to court documents, in September 2023, law enforcement authorities in Puerto Rico observed a vessel being hauled out of the water by Hidalgo-Cedano and his co-conspirators. Concealed within the floor of the vessel were approximately 258 brick-shaped packages of cocaine with a gross weight of 305.4 kilograms. During the interaction with law enforcement authorities, Hidalgo-Cedano absconded, but left his boating license with law enforcement. British Virgin Islands authorities arrested Hidalgo-Cedano on immigration offenses and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) worked closely with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, and the Department of State to submit a provisional arrest request, in order to ensure the continued detention of Hidalgo-Cedano pending extradition. On January 12, 2026, following Hidalgo-Cedano’s consent to extradition, the Governor of the British Virgin Islands issued an order granting Hidalgo-Cedano’s extradition to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked closely with the United States Marshals Service and provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition to the United States of Hidalgo-Cedano. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney María Cristina Semanaz Ojeda under the supervision of Chief Myriam Y. Fernández-González and Deputy Chief María L. Montañez-Concepción from the Money Laundering & Transnational Organized Crime Section. Francis Hidalgo-Cedano is charged with six counts of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspiracy and importation of cocaine, and conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Minnesota Man Indicted for Filing and Conspiring to File False Tax Returns Requesting Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in Undeserved Tax Refunds from the IRS

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Caesar Munir Wilson made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on Thursday, in response to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to file false claims for tax refunds, filing a false claim for a tax refund, money laundering, and bank fraud from 2022 to 2023. He was released subject to conditions on an unsecured bond pending disposition of the case. The indictment alleges that the defendant’s tax returns falsely requested refunds of more than $ 90 million and that he conspired in the filing of additional false tax returns requesting tax refunds totaling more than $ 210 million. Wilson’s fraudulent claims allegedly totaled more than $ 350 million and resulted in the United States Treasury paying out more than $ 19 million in undeserved tax refunds. Wilson also allegedly used his fraudulent proceeds to purchase a $ 2.6 million house in Prior Lake, to invest in cryptocurrency and other projects, and for personal expenses. During the course of the conspiracy, Wilson allegedly advised a group of sovereign citizens regarding trusts and taxes. He also provided them with tax forms and documents for tax filings. Sovereign citizens wrongly believe that certain laws, such as the federal income tax, do not apply to a person’s sovereign persona. “Individuals who file false claims for tax refunds and who conspire with others to violate the laws of the Unites States must be held accountable for their criminal conduct,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. The case is being investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Forbes and Matthew D. Evans are prosecuting the case. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent.


title: Former National Guardsman sentenced for child enticement

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ROME, Ga. - William Eric Cooper has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to produce sexually explicit images. “Cooper is a predator who deserves this significant sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Through quick and excellent work, our law enforcement partners rescued an exploited child, exposed Cooper’s deviant conduct, and brought a sex offender to justice.” “William Cooper is a dangerous predator who attempted to exploit a vulnerable child,” said Peter Ellis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Georgia. “Thanks to swift law enforcement action, we ensured that he will face the full consequences of his horrific actions.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges and other information presented in court: In February 2025, FBI agents in North Carolina rescued a 15-year-old girl who had been abducted and raped. The FBI’s investigation revealed that, prior to her kidnapping, the minor child and Cooper exchanged more than 1,000 text messages in which Cooper discussed plans to meet the girl for sex and encouraged her to create sexually explicit videos of herself to send to him. After arresting Cooper and searching his home in March 2025, agents found more than 250 images and videos depicting child sex abuse on his cell phone. At the time of his offense, Cooper was employed by the Georgia National Guard. Following his arrest, he was separated from the military with an Other than Honorable discharge. William Eric Cooper, 46, of Adairsville, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II to ten years in federal prison, ten years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Cooper was convicted of attempted enticement of a child on August 25, 2025, after he pleaded guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office. U.S. Attorney Hertzberg and Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin A. Leipold, III prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. 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: Annville Man Sentenced To 30 Months’ Imprisonment For Selling Ghost Guns

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Hector Colon, age 35, of Annville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to serve 30 months’ imprisonment, 12 months’ supervised release, and $100 in financial penalties based upon his guilty plea to conspiracy to engage in the business of selling firearms without a license. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, from August 5, 2021 through January 5, 2022, Colon and Samuel Snader sold 28 Privately Made Firearms (PMFs), commonly referred to as ghost guns, and 420 rounds of ammunition without a federal firearms license. Colon negotiated the sales and Snader built the firearms using kits purchased over the internet. The firearms were sold for cash and provided in person by Snader in the parking lot of a Walmart. The Court found that under the circumstances, Colon had a reason to believe the firearms would be possessed by a prohibited person or used in a felony offense and exhibited, “a blind indifference to public safety.” All 28 firearms and ammunition were recovered by law enforcement. PMFs are firearms, including a frame or receiver, that was completed, assembled, or otherwise produced by a person other than a licensed manufacturer. PMFs may be manufactured using a 3D printing process or any other process and require a serial number or register to be added to legally sell the firearm for livelihood or profit. The licensee must mark PMFs with a unique serial number within seven days or prior to disposition. PMFs are commonly referred to as “ghost guns” because of the difficulty in tracking them. From 2016 to 2021, approximately 45,240 suspected PMFs were recovered by law enforcement from potential crime scenes. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Scott F. Ford prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Two Houston-area women indicted for kidnapping, abuse, and forced labor of minor

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – Two Conroe residents have been charged for their roles in the kidnapping and forced labor of a minor child, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Tania Evette Garcia, 37, is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo at 2 p.m. Brenda Mariana Garcia, 39, previously made her appearance and remains in custody pending further criminal proceedings. A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment Jan. 14. The charges allege that between March and September 2025, both women kidnapped and abused the minor victim. According to the indictment, the sisters physically abused and restrained the victim with zip ties. They repeatedly beat and forced the child to provide labor and services through force, threats of force, physical restraint and physical abuse, the indictment alleges. If convicted, each faces up to life in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Batarse is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Two German-owned companies pay $2.1 million to resolve allegations of fraudulent PPP loans

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Kemper Systems America, Inc. and Thermacut, Inc. agreed to pay $2.1 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations of improperly obtained Paycheck Protection Program loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration for which they were not eligible to receive. In March 2020, Congress created the Paycheck Protection Program to provide emergency financial assistance to American small businesses suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the program, eligible small businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the SBA provided they met various eligibility requirements. One such requirement limited the total number of employees an applicant company could employ, which included employees associated with the applicant company’s foreign affiliates. The United States contends that in 2021, Kemper and Thermacut obtained forgiven PPP loans that they were not eligible for because they exceeded the PPP size requirement. When Kemper and Thermacut obtained the loans, they were wholly owned subsidiaries of Industrie-Beteilugungs-Gesellschaft mbH & Co. (IBG), a German-based conglomerate that owned numerous subsidiaries worldwide. IBG and its affiliates, including Kemper and Thermacut, had over 300 employees at the time the applications were submitted, thereby exceeding the total number of employees the companies could have. “The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to support small business during the COVID-19 Pandemic, but too often large businesses took advantage of the program by having their subsidiaries obtain loans,” said U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “This settlement, and others like it, demonstrate that this office is committed to holding those who improperly took government aid accountable.” The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party—known as a relator—can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Verity Investigations, LLC v. Kemper System America, Inc.; Thermacut, Inc., 25-cv-405 (W.D.N.Y.). The relator will receive a share of the settlement. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Coriell and USAO Investigator Margaret McFarland, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel. Individuals with information about allegations involving fraud, waste and abuse associated with COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability. # # # #


title: United States Attorney’s Office Collects $8,601,498 In Civil And Criminal Actions In Fiscal Year 2025

body_text: HARRISBURG – United States Attorney Brian D. Miller announced today that the Middle District of Pennsylvania collected $8,601,498 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2025. Of this amount, $7,245,806 was collected in criminal actions and $1,355,692 was collected in civil actions . The Middle District of Pennsylvania also worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $599,066 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $13,065 was collected in criminal actions and $586,001 was collected in civil actions. The United States Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. Examples of the civil and criminal debts collected for the Middle District are: General Dynamics Ordnance Tactical Systems, Inc. (GD-OTS) (both as successor in interest to Medico Industries, and as the owner of GD-OTS-WB) submitted vouchers/invoices, and related documents and statements for payment for production of 60mm, 81mm, and 120mm shell bodies that did not receive phosphate tests with the frequency required by the contracts. After it discovered the problems, GD-OTS took prompt corrective action and disclosed the matter to United States government contracting personnel. A settlement agreement was entered in which GD-OTS paid $838,125. Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania, PC paid $790,000.00 to resolve False Claims Act allegations of civil liability for submitting claims to Medicare for Evaluation & Management (E&M) services that violated Medicare rules and regulations. Defendants Adam Rashwan and former spouse Mervat Gharib owned and operated a small food market and convenience store, Capital City Family Market, in Harrisburg, PA. The store was approved to participate in SNAP. The defendants traded SNAP benefits in exchange for cash. The defendants diverted approximately $1,091,922.05. The Defendants were ordered to pay that amount in restitution to the USDA SNAP program. Rashwan paid a total of $680,523.57 thus far. This includes Gharib’s payment of $100. Florentina Mayko conspired to defraud Medicare by submitting payment for medically unnecessary urine drug tests for chronic opioid patients at medical clinics where she was the chief executive officer. Mayko was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,409,076.48 and to forfeit to the United States several properties. Mayko paid a total of $859,139.79 thus far. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $1,488,197 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2025. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. ###


title: Two Queens Men Charged with $120M Adult Day Care and Pharmacy Fraud on Medicare and Medicaid

component: Criminal Division

body_text: On Friday, a complaint was unsealed in Brooklyn charging two Queens men with defrauding Medicare and Medicaid by paying illegal kickbacks and bribes and submitting claims for services that were never provided. “The defendants allegedly turned a pharmacy and social adult day care centers meant to help senior citizens into a $120 million dollar Medicare and Medicaid fraud scheme,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s complaint targets those who prey upon the vulnerable so they can steal from American taxpayers and defraud government programs meant to help the public.” “The defendants charged today allegedly stole $120 million from federal health care programs by luring the elderly to their businesses with illegal cash payments,” stated U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “These charges are part of this Office’s commitment to protecting federal programs and prosecuting those who steal from them.” “Pharmacies and social adult day care centers exist to serve and support seniors — not to siphon off taxpayer resources and operate as engines for fraud,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Schemes like this, which allegedly drained more than $120 million from Medicare and Medicaid, erode trust in our health care system. HHS-OIG will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit federal health care programs to ensure they are held fully accountable.” “Today’s complaint demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to pursue those who defraud taxpayer funded health care programs,” said Acting Assistant Director Gregory Heeb of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “Scheming against programs like Medicare impacts those who need it most. Together with our partners, the FBI will continue to hold accountable criminals who threaten access to critical care.” “Using the backdrop of an adult day care center, it’s alleged the two charged today had devised an elaborate scheme filled with bribery, kickbacks and good old-fashioned deception,” said Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis Jr. of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) New York. “In this decade-long scam, Inwoo Kim and Daniel Lee are alleged to have stolen $120 million from the Medicare and Medicaid system through fraudulent prescription drug and adult day care service claims. IRS-CI special agents worked closely with our federal partners in this investigation, following the money trail and charting out the multi-million dollar fraud that led to today’s arrests. Both Kim and Lee must now answer for their alleged crime.” “Medicaid fraud threatens the health and safety of beneficiaries, wastes taxpayer dollars, and drains essential resources from the health care delivery system,” said Acting Medicaid Inspector Frank T. Walsh Jr. “This joint effort sends a clear message that the Empire State is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the Medicaid program, hold wrong doers fully accountable, and preserve precious health care resources.” According to the complaint, Inwoo Kim, also known as “Tony Kim” and “Long Jin,” 42, of Flushing, owned a pharmacy and two social adult day care centers — Z & W Empire Enterprise Inc. doing business as Royal Adult Daycare (Royal) and Happy Life Inc. (Happy Life). Daniel Lee, also known as “Daniel Yang” and “Donghee Yang,” 56, of Flushing, served as the program director at Happy Life. Between 2016 and 2026, Kim and Yang paid illegal bribes in the form of cash and supermarket gift certificates to Medicaid recipients and Medicare beneficiaries to induce them to fill prescriptions at Kim’s pharmacy. The defendants also allegedly paid illegal cash kickbacks to Medicaid recipients to induce them to enroll with Kim’s social adult day cares. According to the complaint, Kim discussed the illegal payments by text message, writing to a co-conspirator, “Please give the $10,000 to the Korean members first.” Yang similarly texted about the payments, writing to a co-conspirator, “I gave the payment,” and “I left the envelope [for a patient] with Tony [Kim].” At times, Kim and Yang allegedly submitted claims for day care services that exceeded Royal and Happy Life’s permitted capacity. To generate the cash needed to pay kickbacks and bribes, Kim and Yang withdrew significant cash from bank accounts they controlled. In total, Medicare and Medicaid paid approximately $120 million for prescription drugs and social adult day care services that were medically unnecessary, not provided, or induced by kickbacks and bribes. Law enforcement executed numerous search warrants and seized several bank accounts in connection with the arrests. Kim and Yang are both charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. HHS-OIG, FBI, IRS-CI, and OSC are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit . A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Floyd County felon sentenced for threatening to assassinate President Trump and murder federal agents

body_text: ROME, Ga. - Jauan Rashun Porter has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for transmitting threats to kill the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. “Threatening to kill the President of the United States is an abhorrent crime that cannot be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Because the Constitution affords no protection to political violence, we will continue to work closely with our federal partners to identify and prosecute criminals who make such threats.” “When free speech devolves into threats against the President of the United States or any of our protectees, you can expect the United States Secret Service to bring those criminals to justice,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office, Robert Donovan. “We appreciate the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as our local law enforcement partners for their assistance in this case.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On July 26, 2025, Porter joined a TikTok livestream about President Trump captioned “Alligator Alcatraz,” commenting: “So there’s only one way to make America great and that is putting a bullet in between Trump’s eyes.” Over the next few minutes, Porter further stated: “I’m gonna kill Donald Trump. I’m gonna put a 7.62 bullet inside his forehead.” “I’m gonna watch him bleed out and I’m gonna watch him die.” “It’ll be on the news . . . his rally is coming up pretty soon and I’m going there and I’m going to put a bullet in his head.” “I’mma load up a rifle [and] sit inside . . . an abandoned building . . . and when he approaches the rally . . . I’m gonna put one . . . if not the face then . . . in his chest.” When asked by the livestream host about federal agents coming to his door, Porter stated, “I’m gonna kill them too . . . and then kill myself[.]” During the investigation, U.S. Secret Service agents, Floyd County police officers, and State of Georgia probation officers conducted searches of Porter’s apartment and found two pipes, pistol ammunition, and Tannerite (an explosive). They did not locate a gun. Porter has multiple prior felony convictions in Floyd County, including for terroristic threats and acts in 2018 and 2019, influencing a witness in 2019, and unlawful act of violence in a penal institution in 2023. He is currently on probation for a 2023 conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and battery domestic violence. Jauan Rashun Porter, 30, of Rome, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II to three years and five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Porter was convicted on October 7, 2025, after he pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting interstate threats. Porter was detained in this case on August 8, 2025. This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. The Floyd County Police Department, Floyd County District Attorney’s Office, and Troup County Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Pearce prosecuted the case. 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: Over Six Million Dollars in Taxpayer Funds Recovered

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Timothy Courchaine, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, today announced that, through a court-ordered judgment in a civil asset forfeiture action, the government has secured approximately $6,550,729 in stolen taxpayer money. Through diligent investigation and the effective use of civil forfeiture, federal agents and prosecutors recovered the taxpayer funds stolen through pandemic-related schemes. As set forth in the civil complaint, COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance funding was distributed through several federal programs, including the CARES Act, the Continued Assistance Act, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. This funding was administered through state workforce agencies, including the Arizona Department of Economic Security (ADES). Fraudsters, using stolen personal information of U.S. citizens and fabricated employment information, applied for and obtained unemployment insurance payments through ADES. The fraudsters routed the payments to bank accounts they opened using the stolen personal information, then withdrew the funds or transferred them to other accounts. Investigators identified over 2,000 fraudulent accounts that contained over $6 million in payments obtained from ADES. Using civil forfeiture authority, federal prosecutors and investigators were able to seize and recover the funds. The District of Arizona brought this civil forfeiture case in cooperation with the broader national DOJ-led COVID Fraud Task Force–a multi-agency collaboration among prosecutors and law enforcement from various agencies that has, to-date, charged numerous individuals and entities who exploited COVID fraud relief programs and seized and forfeited over $1.4 billion in COVID fraud proceeds. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Secret Service. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted in the seizure and forfeiture. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Bozdech and LaTanya Wateland. CASE NUMBER: CV-24-00331-PHX-SHD RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-024_over $6million in US Currency


title: New York Man Sentenced for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky. – A Sunnyside, New York, man, Wilson Molina, 33, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Rober Wier to 120 months for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, beginning in February 2024 and continuing through December 2024, Molina conspired with others to distribute controlled substances, including counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. The fentanyl pills were manufactured to appear as if they were legitimate oxycodone 30mg pills; similarly, the methamphetamine pills mimicked the appearance of legitimate amphetamine and dextroamphetamine pills (commonly known by the brand name, “Adderall”. On multiple occasions, Molina supplied one of his co-conspirators with controlled substances that they then shipped into the Eastern District of Kentucky. Molina and his co-conspirators coordinated distribution of the fentanyl and methamphetamine from Queens, New York, maintaining massive quantities of the counterfeit pills in a storage unit close to Molina’s residence. On February 10, 2025, DEA executed a search warrant at a storage unit used to hold the drugs Molina was trafficking, and agents seized more than 3.4 million counterfeit pills. Under federal law, Molina must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years. Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; jointly announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the DEA. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosenberg. — END —


title: Political Operative Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Acting as Covert Agent of People’s Republic of China

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including while serving as the campaign advisor for a political candidate who was elected to the city council of a Southern California city. Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, of Chino Hills, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner. Sun pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. “Federal law enforcement will not allow hostile foreign nations to infiltrate the governance of our nation’s political bodies,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “The relentlessness of PRC intelligence operations in our country must be met by equal relentlessness on our part to secure, protect, and defend the United States.” “When Americans vote for elected officials, they expect them to represent the interests of their constituents – not those of a foreign adversary like the Chinese government,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “By exploiting his position as a campaign advisor, Yaoning Sun attempted to undermine our political processes and democratic institutions for the benefit of the Chinese Communist Party. Today’s sentencing underscores the unwavering commitment of the FBI and our partners to defending the homeland and holding accountable anyone who tries to subvert the will of American voters at the behest of our adversaries.” According to court documents, from at least 2022 to January 2024, Sun knowingly acted within the United States as an agent of the PRC and officials of its government – without notifying the Attorney General, as required by U.S. law. At the direction and control of PRC government officials, Sun coordinated with U.S.-based individuals to promote the PRC’s interests by, among other things, “orchestrat[ing]” a team to help elect a politician identified in court documents as “Individual 1” to political office and promoting pro-PRC propaganda in the United States. Sun also closely surveilled the then-President of Taiwan during her April 2023 visit to Southern California, reporting directly to PRC officials on her movements. At the direction of PRC officials, from 2020 through 2023, Sun and Individual 1 worked together to operate a purported news website for the local Chinese American community. Sun and Individual 1 received and executed directives from PRC government officials to post pro-PRC content. Throughout 2022, Sun also worked as the campaign advisor for Individual 1 who was running for a city council seat in a Southern California city. Individual 1 was elected to that city council in November 2022. In December 2022, Sun attended a meeting in Southern California with a group of other people, including Individual 1, whom PRC officials were told was a “team dedicated” to PRC interests, according to Sun’s plea agreement. In February 2023, Sun drafted a report for PRC officials to solicit additional money and taskings from the PRC government. Sun’s report summarized his personal experience, including his past service in the People’s Liberation Army, China’s military. In the report, Sun stated that he had worked in the United States to lead “delegations of U.S. dignitaries and cultural workers to China,” “persist in resisting any hostile forces that undermine the friendship of U.S.-China relations, and Chinese secessionist forces,” and, “most of all, during the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, I orchestrated and organized my team to win the election for city council” for Individual 1, whom Sun called a “new political star,” Sun’s plea agreement states. Sun’s report described various issues concerning “anti-China forces” overseas, including opposition to independence for Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang as well as issues involving Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned in China. The report further proposed “using part of our Los Angeles organization’s professional core team,” to seek to counteract those forces, according to court documents. To that end, Sun’s report requested $80,000 from the PRC government to fund a pro-PRC demonstration at a Fourth of July parade in Washington, D.C. Throughout 2023 and 2024, Sun communicated with an official at the consulate general of the People’s Republic of China in Los Angeles regarding activities in Southern California related to Taiwan. In April 2023, President Tsai Ing-Wen of Taiwan visited Southern California. Sun sent real-time updates on President Tsai’s movements to a Los Angeles-based PRC consular official and sought approval from this official to publish an article about President Tsai’s visit on the website he operated with Individual 1. Sun also took photographs of individuals protesting in support of and opposition to President Tsai and sent those photographs to the consular official. “As an agent for the PRC, [Sun] worked covertly in the United States with his primary co-conspirator John Chen, a/k/a ‘Chen Jun,’” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “Chen was a high-level member of the PRC intelligence apparatus, who regularly attended elite [Chinese Communist Party] functions, including military parades…[and] met personally with PRC President Xi Jinping… Per his own report, and other communications between Chen and PRC officials, [Sun] served as Chen’s right-hand man in the United States for decades.” Chen was sentenced in November 2024 to 20 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in the Southern District of New York to acting as an illegal agent of the PRC and conspiracy to bribe a public official. The FBI investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Amanda B. Elbogen of the National Security Division prosecuted this case with assistance from Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.


title: Colombian leader of international drug money laundering organization convicted

body_text: ATLANTA – Valentina Forero Álvarez has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Forero Álvarez led a sophisticated transnational criminal organization responsible for laundering more than $31 million in illegal narcotics proceeds through the United States financial system. “Forero Álvarez presided over an international network that exploited our financial system to launder millions of dollars of drug proceeds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Narco-terrorists and their associates who believe they can hide their crimes through complex laundering schemes or residency abroad will be found, brought to the United States, prosecuted, and held accountable.” “This case demonstrates the relentless commitment of Homeland Security Investigations to dismantle transnational criminal organizations that threaten the integrity of our financial system and the safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama Steven N. Schrank. “The successful disruption of this sophisticated money laundering network was the result of outstanding collaboration between HSI, our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Together, we will continue to pursue those who seek to profit from illegal narcotics and ensure they are brought to justice.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Valentina Forero Álvarez directed a network of couriers who traveled from Colombia and laundered proceeds of illegal narcotics sales through the United States banking system. As part of the criminal operation, Forero Álvarez instructed non-citizens—primarily from Colombia—to travel to the United States on tourist visas, conduct multiple pickups of bulk cash in cities across the country, and deposit the money into bank accounts held in the names of shell companies or U.S.-based businesses operating in the unregulated currency exchange market. The couriers, at the direction of Forero Álvarez and her associates, made counter deposits into bank accounts while in Georgia and at least 14 other states, including Michigan, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Virginia, Massachusetts, Illinois, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. During the investigation, agents seized more than $4.8 million of suspected drug money. Agents also determined that accounts opened by Forero Álvarez’s couriers received more than $31 million in cash deposits, including approximately $2.9 million deposited in the Northern District of Georgia. Valentina Forero Álvarez, 33, of Armenia, Colombia, pleaded guilty on February 9, 2026. She remains in federal custody and will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg at a later date. Her conviction carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to twice the value of the laundered funds, up to three years of supervised release, and forfeiture of property involved in the offense. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Brown and Nicholas L. Evert are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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: Georgia Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud as Part of a Jury Duty Scam

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Ciara Gay (36, Austell, GA) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. As part of her plea, Gay has agreed to forfeit $19,500, which represents the proceeds of her criminal offense. Her sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court records, a victim in Sarasota County received a phone call from a scammer who falsely and fraudulently represented himself as a law enforcement officer with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. The scammer told the victim she was in contempt of court for missing jury duty and had to pay a fine and instructed the victim to withdraw $19,500 in cash from her bank account and drive to the courthouse in Sarasota County, where a government official would meet her to collect the fine. Gay, a Georgia resident, traveled from Georgia to Sarasota, met the victim in person, and collected the cash from her. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Tampa Division) – Sarasota Resident Agency, the Sarasota Police Department, and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts. Assistant United States Attorney James Muench is handling the forfeiture.


title: Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 90 Months for Distribution of Child Pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Stephen Kline, 40, of Pennsylvania, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 90 months in federal prison in connection with sending child sexual abuse materials to an undercover FBI task force officer, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Kline pleaded guilty Aug. 5, 2025, before Judge Royce C. Lamberth to one count of distribution of child pornography. In addition to the prison term, Judge Lamberth ordered Kline to serve 10 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. According to court documents, on June 26, 2025, an FBI detective was monitoring a fetish website when a user using the screen name, “sk87p” initiated a private message chat. Later identified as Stephen Kline, the user moved the conversation to another messaging platform. Kline stated he had a sexual interest in children and indicated that he had access to a 15-year-old minor child. When asked what ages he preferred, Kline stated, “7-15, 9-10 being my fav.” During the course of the conversation Kline sent the undercover detective materials that depicted adults sexually abusing young prepubescent children, including images of adults engaged in sadistic acts by tying children up to abuse them. Kline also detailed his access to and abuse of a real minor child. Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office. This case was investigated by the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, Allentown Resident Agency. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengar. This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . 25cr209


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison and Co-Defendant Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Tiwan Robert Bailey was sentenced to 25 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for leading a sex trafficking conspiracy that operated in the Charleston and Rand areas of Kanawha County and Carrie Roy was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for her role in the conspiracy. Bailey, also known as “Quick,” 49, and Roy, also known as “Carrie Ash,” 52, both of Charleston, were found guilty by a federal jury after a five-day trial. Evidence at trial showed that between November 2023 and July 2024, Bailey trafficked four different female victims, including a 17-year-old girl, requiring each to engage in commercial sex acts and provide all the money they received to him. Bailey also obstructed the federal investigation of the sex trafficking conspiracy by seeking to interfere with any potential cooperation and testimony by the minor female victim. Bailey coerced his adult victims through repeated acts of violence, including sexual assaults and physical beatings. Bailey reinforced this control through threats he issued to his victims in person and through voice messages, texts, and Facebook Messenger. Bailey supplied drugs to the victims suffering from addiction and withheld drugs from them as punishment. “This defendant inflicted pain, violence, and abuse upon his victims to dehumanize and control them. He raped them. He beat them. He threatened them,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “Bailey went beyond exploiting their vulnerabilities with a sustained campaign of terror. Accountability should reflect that reality. Our office agreed with the Sentencing Commission guidelines that Bailey’s egregious crimes warranted life in prison. While this community will be protected from this thug for at least 25 years, in our view this sentence does not fully reflect the gravity of that harm or the years of suffering inflicted by the defendant’s actions.” Roy aided and abetted Bailey and conspired with him in the trafficking of the minor female. Roy also transported the three adult victims to and from meetings for commercial sex acts and collected money from these acts for Bailey. Bailey became a fugitive after a warrant for his arrest was issued in the case on July 23, 2024. The United States Marshals Service (USMS) captured Bailey on January 17, 2025, in Lexington, Kentucky. Bailey has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for the manufacture and delivery of narcotics and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base. The jury found Bailey and Roy guilty of one count each of sex trafficking of a minor and conspiring to commit sex trafficking of a minor. The jury also found Bailey guilty of three counts of sex trafficking by force or coercion and one count of obstruction of justice. Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Charleston Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office for their investigative work in this case, and the assistance provided by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the West Virginia Fusion Center. “This case demonstrates the serious harm caused by human trafficking and the deliberate actions of Bailey and Roy to exploit vulnerable individuals, including a minor,” said Eric Weindorf, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C. “Through close collaboration with our law enforcement partners, HSI conducted a thorough investigation that led to their arrest and conviction. Upholding our mission to protect the public and dismantle criminal organizations, HSI remains committed to pursuing justice for victims and holding offenders accountable.” United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Jennifer D. Gordon prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-118. ### Video of the press conference held on February 9, 2026, to announce the sentencings is available on the YouTube channel of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyMRwynjRVU


title: Felon who robbed a Fort Oglethorpe restaurant sentenced to 11 years in prison

body_text: ROME, Ga. - Mario Merriweather, a repeat offender with a 30-year criminal history, has been sentenced to federal prison for robbing a fast-food restaurant in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia and forcing restaurant staff into a walk-in freezer. “Undeterred by multiple stints in state prison, Merriweather repeatedly terrorized victims who were simply trying to go about their jobs,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “His most recent attack on a Burger King restaurant has resulted in a significant sentence that demonstrates that criminals who try to ‘have it their way’ by robbing citizens in this District will be held accountable and removed from the community.” “No one should ever be terrorized physically or emotionally, like the victims in these violent armed robberies were,” said Mitchell Jackson, Special Supervisory Resident Agent of FBI Georgia’s Cartersville office. “The FBI is proud to work with our local law enforcement partners in helping to convict these repeat offenders at the federal level, where they face stiffer penalties and no opportunity for parole.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On October 26, 2023, Merriweather entered a Burger King restaurant just two miles south of the Tennessee-Georgia state line and brandished what appeared to be a pistol. He ordered one employee to empty the register and ordered all the employees into a walk-in freezer. One employee used his foot to stop the freezer from locking, and another employee immediately called 911. One of the employees who escaped from the freezer was lawfully armed and chased Merriweather outside. When Merriweather turned and pointed what appeared to be a firearm at the employee, the employee fired two shots at Merriweather but did not hit him. Merriweather fled but passed out next to his vehicle. Responding officers found Merriweather flat on his back in the road near an air pistol and also recovered a Burger King bag stuffed with cash. Merriweather has a long history of prior robberies, including convictions for robbing a Wendy’s and a Burger King in 2001, robbing two people in 2005, and robbing two banks in 2013. Merriweather was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II to 11 years in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Merriweather was convicted on charges of interference with interstate commerce by robbery on August 14, 2025, after he pleaded guilty. This case was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin A. Leipold, III prosecuted the case. 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: Former Commodities Trader Sentenced to 151 Months for Engaging in Multi-Mullion Dollar Wire and Commodities Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Chicago man was sentenced to 151 months in prison and five years of supervised release for engaging in a wire and commodities fraud scheme that caused losses of more than $4 million to over a dozen victims, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced. Philip Galles, 59, of Chicago, Illinois, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with wire and commodities fraud. Judge Salas imposed the sentence on February 5, 2026. At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, Judge Salas remanded Galles to the custody of the U.S. Marshal to begin serving his sentence. Galles was also ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution to victims of the scheme. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Galles, a former commodities trader, defrauded his victims by falsely claiming that he would invest their money in commodity futures through his purported investment company, Tyche Asset Management, based in Chicago, Illinois. As part of the scheme, Galles and those working for him falsely told prospective investors that Tyche had a history of success using proprietary trading strategies, with extraordinary annual rates of return exceeding 100%. But in reality, Galles made virtually no legitimate investments in commodity futures or otherwise. Galles instead ran Tyche like a Ponzi scheme and used investor money to pay back other investors and to pay his own personal expenses—including high-end clothing, rent on a luxury apartment, and luxury automobiles. During the investigation, Galles met with an undercover agent in New Jersey purporting to be an investment manager looking to make a large investment. Galles repeatedly lied during those meetings about Tyche and his personal history. Galles falsely claimed that Tyche had annual returns of 336%, raised over $2 billion within 60 days of starting the fund, and had prominent investors, including a Kuwaiti sovereign fund and a well-known owner of a professional sports team. Galles also falsely claimed that he graduated from a prominent university in the Midwest. Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the United States Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Maltese in Newark, and the inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, with the investigation. He also thanked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the National Futures Association for their role in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Michael Koribanics, Esq.


title: Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Alante Omar Allen, also known as “Suey,” 33, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 31, 2022, Allen sold approximately 20.5 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in exchange for $1,300 while at a business on U.S. Route 60 in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Allen admitted to conducting the transaction and to arranging it beforehand. Allen is scheduled to be sentenced on May 26, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-159. ###


title: Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Running $9 Million Real Estate Ponzi Scheme

body_text: Matthew Campbell, 43, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in connection with a $9 million real estate investment fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, since 2012, Campbell operated two real estate investment companies, Preferred Property LLC and Ampez Rehab Investments LLC, which he used to buy and sell real estate, build, renovate properties, and solicit investor money to fund operations. Starting in 2018, Campbell began using his businesses to conduct a Ponzi scheme. He knowingly made false representations about his company’s finances, the return on investment, and distributions to attract new investors, and then he used the funds to pay returns to earlier investors. Between January 2018 and October 2025, Campbell obtained more than $9.1 million in investor funds that he used in unauthorized ways. At least $2,293,000 in new investor funds went to pay old investors and continue the scheme. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Arelis M. Clemente are prosecuting the case. Campbell is scheduled to be sentenced on May 11, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Campbell faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. 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.