title: Auto Parts Manufacturer and General Manager Sentenced for  Illegal Storage of Hazardous Waste

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – GOTEC Plus Sun, LLC (GOTEC), a Delaware company, pleaded guilty on Friday before Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning to illegal storage of hazardous waste. GOTEC was sentenced to pay a $275,000 fine and to serve a one-year term of probation. On March 30, 2026, the Court sentenced Natalie Fehse, the former General Manager of the GOTEC facility, to five years of probation, including a special condition of 10 months of home confinement, and a $5,000 fine for her role in the illegal storage of hazardous waste. GOTEC produced parts for the use of manufacturing vehicles in Williamstown, Kentucky. As part of the production process, it applied coatings and adhesives to metal parts and generated hazardous waste, including spent solvents listed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). RCRA established a comprehensive cradle-to-grave program to regulate the generation, transportation, treatment, and disposal of hazardous wastes to protect human health and the environment. It prohibits the storage of hazardous waste at industrial facilities for extended periods of time without a permit. According to court documents, on June 27, 2024, the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection conducted an inspection at GOTEC’s plant and discovered semi-trailers, shipping containers, and an abandoned warehouse containing 249, 55-gallon drums of hazardous waste and approximately 27 cubic yards of hazardous waste stored in cardboard, wooden crates, and yellow totes. GOTEC admitted that between January 2022 and November 2024 it did not properly dispose of all the hazardous waste it was generating, including hazardous waste that had been accumulating at the facility since 2022. GOTEC admitted that it stopped properly disposing of hazardous due to staffing issues, and decreased revenue during the COVID shutdown. Rather, it improperly accumulated and stored hazardous waste at the facility without a RCRA hazardous waste storage permit. “The illegal accumulation and storage of hundreds of containers of hazardous waste at GOTEC posed a substantial danger to plant workers, emergency responders, and the general public,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This prosecution sends the message that hazardous waste generators must properly handle hazardous wastes or potentially face felony prosecution for their illegal conduct. “Unpermitted storage of hazardous waste that endangers Kentuckians will not be tolerated,” said Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “I want to commend the collaborative efforts of the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection and EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division on the investigation of the illegal conduct of GOTEC and its General Manager, which averted a potential disaster.” “Companies that cut corners by accumulating hazardous wastes—such the hundreds of drums of flammable and toxic solvents hidden around the site in this case—rather than disposing of them properly endanger communities, workers, and first responders,” said EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Jeffrey A. Hall. “Such dangerous neglect is precisely what the law forbids. This case demonstrates cooperative federalism in action. The Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection’s inspection program found persistent, intentional violations of the law while EPA’s criminal investigative and forensic expertise ensured that the company was held criminally accountable.” EPA-CID-CID and Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield and Senior Trial Attorney Matthew Morris of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case. — END —


title: Former Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Nasdaq-Listed Company Charged With Operating a Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise in Multi-Year Scheme to Defraud Investors and Lenders

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, a ten-count indictment was unsealed charging Puthugramam “Harish” Chidambaran, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of iLearningEngines, Inc. (iLearning), and Sayyed Farhan Ali “Farhan” Naqvi, iLearning’s former Chief Financial Officer, with running a continuing financial crimes enterprise, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud. The charges arise from the defendants’ years-long scheme to defraud retail and institutional investors in iLearning, a technology company that claimed to provide artificial intelligence (AI)-driven business automation solutions, and to obtain financing for iLearning through materially false and misleading statements about the company’s financial performance. Chidambaran was arrested this morning in Potomac, Maryland, and will appear this afternoon in federal court in the District of Maryland. Naqvi was arrested this morning in San Jose, California, and will appear this afternoon in federal court in the Northern District of California. Both defendants will appear in federal court in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James Barnacle, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the charges. “As alleged, the defendants exploited investor excitement over the AI boom and presented a rosy financial outlook to investors and lenders that was built on lies. While the defendants pitched iLearning as a way to revolutionize training and education through AI, the truly artificial part of the defendants’ story was iLearning’s customers and revenues,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office is committed to protecting investors and holding accountable corporate executives who undermine the integrity of our financial markets for personal gain.” As alleged in the indictment, iLearning was a Bethesda, Maryland-based technology company founded in 2010 by Chidambaran. iLearning marketed itself as “an out-of-the-box AI platform that empowers customers to ‘productize’ their institutional knowledge and generate and infuse insights in the flow-of-work to drive mission critical business outcomes.” iLearning claimed to earn revenue primarily by selling licenses for its platforms to customers, and the company reported rapidly growing revenues that reached $421 million in 2023. In April 2024, iLearning became a publicly traded company. In connection with its going-public transaction, iLearning also obtained $40 million in loan proceeds from the New York City branch of a financial institution. Shortly thereafter, iLearning obtained an additional $20 million in loan proceeds from another New York City branch of a financial institution. Following its going-public transaction, iLearning’s shares began trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol “AILE,” and the company quickly achieved a market capitalization of approximately $1.5 billion. Unbeknownst to investors and lenders, however, iLearning fabricated virtually all its customer relationships and revenues. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants inflated iLearning’s revenues through an intricate web of sham contracts with purported customers—often purportedly worth tens of millions of dollars per year. The agreements were often signed by iLearning employees or family members of iLearning employees posing as senior executives of the purported customers. The defendants and others at iLearning then created fake information about those purported customers, including, for example, creating a website for a shell entity, to deceive investors and lenders into believing that iLearning’s customers were real. In other cases, the defendants convinced friends and associates of iLearning executives to enter into sham contracts with iLearning and to lie to iLearning’s auditor, potential investors, and lenders on iLearning’s behalf. To make it appear as though iLearning was generating revenues from its sham contracts, the defendants “round tripped” money that iLearning received from lenders and investors—sending those funds to purported customers, who, in turn, would send that money back to iLearning. For example, at Chidambaran’s direction, an associate of Chidambaran, who previously worked as an iLearning vice president, incorporated and opened bank accounts in the names of several purported iLearning customers. Over the course of several years, the defendants transmitted millions of dollars from iLearning to an account controlled by this individual. This individual then sent those funds to other accounts he controlled in the names of other entities, before ultimately sending the money back to iLearning. The aggregate value of these round-trip transactions exceeded $144 million. In August 2024, an investment research firm issued a report alleging that iLearning had materially misrepresented its revenue, including by attributing a significant portion of its reported income to undisclosed related-party transactions. Following the publication of that report, iLearning’s stock price declined precipitously, erasing a substantial portion of its market value. When questioned about the contents of the short-seller report, the defendants repeatedly lied to their investors and lenders about the nature of iLearning’s relationship with its largest customers—including by repeatedly denying that its largest purported customer was actually an entity controlled by the defendants and others at iLearning—and directed representatives of their purported customers to lie on their behalf. iLearning ultimately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the District of Delaware in December 2024, and the proceedings were later converted to a Chapter 7 liquidation in 2025, marking the collapse of the company. Prior to iLearning’s collapse, both Chidambaran and Naqvi profited handsomely from their scheme. In connection with iLearning’s going-public transaction, Chidambaran received more than $500 million worth of iLearning common stock and subsequently received approximately $12.5 million in iLearning restricted stock units. Likewise, Naqvi was awarded iLearning common stock worth approximately $11.2 million, and iLearning paid out nearly $4.5 million in cash to cover his tax liabilities. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the continuing financial crimes enterprise charge, the defendants each face a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum term of life. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Dugan and Kamil R. Ammari, along with Paralegal Specialist Timothy Migliaro. The Defendants : PUTHUGRAMAM CHIDAMBARAN Age: 57 Potomac, Maryland SAYYED FARHAN ALI NAQVI Age: 44 Houston, Texas E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-97 (LDH) ilearningengines_indictment.pdf


title: Illegal Alien Previously Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Identity Theft Indicted for Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national who unlawfully resided in Dorchester has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally reentering the United States after having been deported on three separate occasions. The defendant has previously been convicted of drug trafficking, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud dating as far back as 1997. Wilson Radhames Peguero Brea, a/k/a Jose Perez Antonio, 56, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien with a prior felony conviction. The defendant was previously charged by criminal complaint in February 2026 . He is currently in ICE custody. According to the charging documents , Peguero has illegally entered the United States at least four times, and used numerous aliases, including aliases belonging to U.S. citizen victims. In 1997, under an alias associated with a U.S. citizen victim, Peguero was convicted of drug trafficking. He was removed from the United States in 2005 and thereafter illegally reentered the country. In 2016, Peguero was arrested and charged by the state for possession of a fraudulently obtained driver’s license. That criminal case remains in default status. He was removed from the U.S. a second time in 2016. After Peguero allegedly illegally entered the U.S. a third time, he was charged in Dorchester District Court with trafficking cocaine and fentanyl in a criminal case that remains in warrant status. According to court documents, his Massachusetts criminal history is associated with his alias Jose Perez Antonio. In 2021, Peguero was arrested and charged with his true name in federal court for aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. He was convicted of both charges on Jan. 11, 2023, and sentenced to more than two years in federal prison. In 2023, Peguero was removed from the United States a third time. Peguero then illegally reentered the United States a fourth time and was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on Feb. 5, 2026, while using a false identity document. The charge of illegal reentry by an alien with a prior aggravated felony conviction provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: Five Arrested in Kentucky and Colorado for Scheme to Fraudulently Obtain $1.6 Million in COVID-19 Relief Funds

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: Louisville, KY – Five people were arrested today in Kentucky, Indiana, and Colorado on federal charges for their role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $1.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Colin McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division, U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Kelly Moening of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) Great Lakes Field Division made the announcement. On April 8, 20216, a federal grand jury in Louisville returned an indictment, which charges two individuals— Kaelynn Greene , 31, and Camden Newton , 32—with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering, all related to fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 financial assistance program funds. The indictment also charges Betty Walker a/k/a Betty Bailey , 39, Breanna Patterson , 32, and Jordan Greene , 34, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the indictment, for over two years, Kaelynn Greene and Camden Newton engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans through fraudulent statements on applications, either in their own names, through entities they created, or through stolen identities. Greene also conspired with Betty Walker , Breanna Patterson , and Jordan Greene , and others to recruit borrowers who were ineligible for PPP loans to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. In the applications, they falsely claimed the borrowers operated businesses that did not exist and that would have otherwise qualified them for loans, or over inflated minimal business activity. To bolster their applications, the defendants created fake tax forms that were also submitted as part of the loan process. As a result, Greene and others obtained PPP loan proceeds to which the borrowers were not entitled. Greene was further compensated by receiving kickbacks from the borrowers. In total, the defendants combined caused more than 20 EIDL applications and more than 50 PPP applications to be filed on behalf of ineligible borrowers. The fraudulent applications resulted in disbursement of more than $850,000 in fraudulently obtained federal funds and attempts to obtain an additional more than $750,000 in such loan proceeds that were declined. As the indictment alleges, these fraudulent schemes took advantage of federally funded programs created through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) for the purpose of assisting individuals and small businesses who struggled financially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those funds were generally administered by the Small Business Administration through two programs. First, the SBA provided PPP loans designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses who were in operation on February 15, 2020, to keep their workers on the payroll. PPP loan proceeds were required to be used by the business on certain permissible expenses. Interest and principal on PPP loans could be entirely forgiven if the business spent the loan proceeds on the allowable expenses within a designated period and used a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses. Second, the SBA provided Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA. “As part of the Department of Justice’s new National Fraud Enforcement Division, this indictment begins the process of holding five fraudsters accountable for their theft of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. These defendants allegedly took advantage of two federally funded programs designed to carry our country and its small businesses through unprecedented economic uncertainty by lying, cheating, and stealing. Their conduct will not be tolerated, and they will be aggressively prosecuted by this Office,” said U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner. Kaelynn Greene , Breanna Patterson , and Betty Walker made their initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky yesterday. Jordan Greene and Cameron Newton’s initial appearance has not yet been scheduled by the Court. This case is being investigated by TIGTA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Elver is prosecuting the case. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Two Bridgeport Men Charged with Robbing Jewelry Store in Clinton

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI today announced that KELIJAH RICHARDSON, also known as “KeKe,” “Keek,” and “Lijh,” 28, and ANIBAL RIVERA, also known as “Go,” “Greenlight Go,” and “greenlightgo.1,” 27, both of Bridgeport, have been charged by indictment with robbing a jewelry store in Clinton earlier this year. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, the FBI New Haven Violent Crimes Task Force, together with state and local law enforcement agencies, has been investigating at least 20 robberies and burglaries, and attempted robberies and burglaries, of jewelry stores and kiosks that occurred between September 2025 and February 2026 in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. In each instance, the suspects, wearing dark clothing, masks, and gloves, entered the jewelry stores and kiosks, used hammers or other tools to break jewelry showcases, and stole jewelry. They then fled in vehicles that had no license plates or stolen or obstructed license plates. The indictment, which was returned by a grand jury in Bridgeport on March 18, 2026, alleges that on February 3, 2026, Richardson and Rivera robbed the KAY Outlet in Clinton. The retail value of items stolen during the theft is approximately $184,000. The indictment charges Richardson and Rivera with interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Richardson, who was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on March 9, 2026, appeared today in Bridgeport federal court and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. He is released on a $250,000 bond. Rivera has been detained since his arrest on February 3, 2026, on a state warrant stemming from an alleged robbery of approximately $259,000 in jewelry from a location in the Buckland Hills Mall in Manchester on September 17, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI New Haven Violent Crimes Task Force with the assistance of state and local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck. 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.


title: Metro Detroit Surgeon Was Sentenced to a Year in Prison in $7 Million Dollar Medicare Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT –– A surgeon from Metro Detroit was sentenced yesterday for his involvement in a scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for psychotherapy services, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan of the FBI Detroit Field Division, and Mario Pinto Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). Mustafa Hares, 79, of West Bloomfield was sentenced by U.S. District Court Gershwin A. Drain to 12 months in federal prison. Hares was also ordered to pay $4.8 million in restitution and to serve a three-year term of supervised release following his incarceration. According to court records, between 2019 and 2023, Hares and others joined in a scheme to submit more than $7 million in fraudulent claims for psychotherapy services which were never rendered. Hares joined with Mohammed Kazkaz in signing purported patient progress notes, which were actually written by employees in Mexico rather than by actual medical providers. Kazkaz was previously sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison for his role in this fraud scheme. United States Attorney Gorgon stated, “This physician abused his medical license and position of trust as a doctor to facilitate a massive health care fraud scheme at the expense of the American taxpayer. We must eradicate fraud.” “Medicare fraud is theft from the American people, and physicians who exploit it for personal gain will be held responsible for their actions,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The defendant’s sentencing for this multimillion-dollar healthcare fraud scheme reflects the significant impact of his actions, which drained critical resources from a program designed to serve those in need and undermined trust in the medical professionals who follow the law. I commend the dedicated members of FBI Detroit, alongside our partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, whose work ensured those involved were brought to justice. Together, we remain committed to protecting the integrity of our healthcare system and those who depend on it.” “Patients place enormous trust in their medical providers, and schemes like this not only defraud Medicare but also betray that trust in deeply harmful ways,” said Mario Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “When practitioners misuse their credentials to authorize false services, they jeopardize the care and well-being of the very people these programs are designed to protect. HHS-OIG, together with our law enforcement partners, remains firmly committed to uncovering such misconduct and ensuring that those who put patients at risk for personal gain are held accountable.” The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. The case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Regina R. McCullough and Philip A. Ross.


title: DOJ and FTC Extend Deadline for Public Comment on Guidance on Business Collaborations

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (Agencies) hereby extend the period for receiving public comments on their inquiry for consideration of guidance on collaborations among competitors , that was announced on Feb. 23, 2026. The Agencies are extending the comment period deadline from April 24, 2026 to May 21, 2026 to give all stakeholders more time to provide fulsome input on the development of up-to-date guidance to the business community, building on the previous 2000 Antitrust Guidelines for Collaborations Among Competitors . Interested parties, including attorneys, economists, academics, consumer groups, industry stakeholders or other members of the public, may now submit public comments no longer than 18 pages to Regulations.gov until May 21, 2026. The information submitted will be used by the Agencies to consider updated guidance.


title: Lakewood Sex Offender Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation and Sexual Abuse Charges

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CLEVELAND – A 34-year-old, previously convicted sex offender, was sentenced to prison for producing child pornography and hosting a server dedicated to trafficking in child pornography. Gareth S. Schakel, of Lakewood, was sentenced to 312 months (26 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese, after pleading guilty Jan. 8, to the following charges in the indictment: Sexual Exploitation of Children, Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct, and Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $52,000 in restitution to victims. Judge Calabrese imposed sentence on April 16. In 2023, Schakel produced CSAM on a server he hosted out of his Lakewood home. He created an “invite only” platform to share explicit content with other child predators. In April 2023, agents located hundreds of CSAM files when executing a search warrant of Schakel’s electronic devices. These files included sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, torture and rape of prepubescent children, and bestiality. The investigation also revealed a 15-year-old victim whom Schakel was sexually exploiting in the spring of 2023. Schakel enticed the minor into sending him sexually graphic content of herself. He also sent her sexually explicit photos of himself. Investigators learned that Schakel had a previous state conviction for pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor in 2011 as well as convictions for failing to register as a sex offender. The investigation was led by the FBI Cleveland Division and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution. 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: In One Week, National Fraud Enforcement Division Announces More Arrests, Convictions and Sentences Representing Over $340 Million In Taxpayer Fraud

body_text: The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division announced the following actions from across the country to hold individuals accountable for schemes that attempted or succeeded in defrauding the American taxpayers out of over $340 million. “The National Fraud Enforcement Division is committed to prosecuting anyone who steals from American taxpayers. Over the past seven days the Department of Justice has taken enforcement action in fraud schemes totaling over $340 million, with loss or intended loss amounts in individual cases ranging from $54,000 to over $100 million. No matter the amount, we are steadfast in our effort to eliminate fraud,” said Colin McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division. Five people were arrested yesterday in Kentucky, Indiana, and Colorado on federal charges out of the Western District of Kentucky for their role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $1.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The indictment charges two individuals—Kaelynn Greene, 31, and Camden Newton, 32—with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering, all related to fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 financial assistance program funds. The indictment also charges Betty Walker a/k/a Betty Bailey, 39, Breanna Patterson, 32, and Jordan Greene, 34, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Thursday, April 16 A former teacher pleaded guilty in federal court in San Diego admitting that she conspired with others to launder millions of dollars of health care fraud proceeds and paid $3.7 million in unlawful kickbacks. In total, Valenzuela and her co-conspirators billed Medicare nearly $51 million and were paid approximately $20 million, ultimately laundering at least $14 million dollars of Medicare proceeds A federal grand jury in the District of Maryland jury indicted a former Social Security Administration (SSA) employee in connection with a social security disability theft scheme. Through the scheme, Corbett received $116,537.62 in SSI disability payments. Wednesday, April 15 In St. Louis, Missouri a chiropractor who committed healthcare fraud and issued fraudulent prescriptions for powerful pain medication (including 94,971 oxycodone pills) and other drugs with no legitimate medical purpose was sentenced to more than eight years in prison and ordered to repay $4.7 million to Medicaid, Medicare and Tricare. A Seaside, Oregon, woman was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $581,283 in restitution for submitting fraudulent pandemic unemployment applications, falsely claiming over two dozen employees, and causing the government to pay her over half a million dollars in benefits. In Arizona, Leslie Victor Gentry, a Peoria man pleaded guilty to submitting 14 false Form 941 tax returns claiming false COVID-related tax credits based on fictitious wages paid to fictitious employees. Through the false filings, Gentry fraudulently sought and received more than $1.8 million. On Wednesday, a New Mexico man was sentenced to 41 months in prison for submitting 21 fraudulent unemployment insurance applications using stolen identities during the pandemic. As a result of his fraudulent activities, he received more than $177,000. https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/belen-man-sentenced-unemployment-fraud-scheme In Alabama, a Pennsylvania woman was sentenced to nearly 14 years in prison for her role in a $2 million tax fraud scheme. An Orlando, Florida man was sentenced to over six years in federal prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft involving pandemic unemployment assistance. The court also ordered him to forfeit $549,375.50 in proceeds from his bank fraud scheme. Tuesday, April 14 A Florida nursing assistant was sentenced to nine years in prison and two years of supervised release for his role in an $11.4 million health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy in which hundreds of Medicare beneficiaries were sent thousands of orthotic braces they did not need. An illegal alien from Mexico residing in Houston has admitted to theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft. Using a stolen identity, she submitted immigration petitions on behalf of family members and obtained disability and Medicare benefits, receiving more than $278,000 in benefits from 2013 through February 2026. Monday, April 13 A Detroit resident pleaded guilty for his role in an extensive unemployment insurance and Paycheck Protection Program fraud scheme, involving $1.9 million in losses. A Naples, Florida, tax preparer pleaded guilty to defrauding the IRS of more than $65,000 Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, man was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $352,155 for misappropriating covid relief funds and wire fraud related charges. Friday, April 10 A Slidell, Louisiana, man was sentenced for conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary cancer genetic tests. This scheme resulted in over $6.6 million in false and fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare. Federal law enforcement arrested West Bloomfield, Michigan resident who is charged by complaint with wire fraud and money laundering for allegedly defrauding financial institutions and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), by applying for more than $5 million in loans across six applications submitted to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) A federal judge sentenced a Robeson County, North Carolina woman, to 10 months in prison for her role in submitting a false application to the Small Business Administration’s to receive a $150,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan. Thursday, April 9 A Minneapolis man was sentenced to 43 months in prison for his role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two more defendants—Suleman Yusuf Mohamed and his brother Gandi Yusuf Mohamed—have pleaded guilty for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. The conspirators received over $10 million meant to feed children. A Columbia, South Carolina woman pleaded guilty to theft of public money by collecting pension benefits of a dead relative that she was not entitled to collect. The investigation determined that she collected $54,450 in pension payments after the death of her relative. A Lynn, Massachusetts man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to receiving stolen Social Security benefits and making false statements. He received approximately $63,959 in stolen Social Security benefits from June 2019 through June 2025 that were intended for a beneficiary that had died. A Florida Certified Public Accountant pleaded guilty to evading payment of more than $2.2 million of income tax liabilities. An Iowa farmer was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for cheating federal taxpayers out of more than $1.7 Million. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: Presque Isle Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Presque Isle man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material. According to court records, Joseph Ebner , 32, began communicating online with an undercover agent posing as the father of a nine-year-old girl. Ebner sent multiple videos containing child sexual abuse material to the undercover agent and indicated he wanted to have sexual contact with his daughter. Based on this information, investigators executed a search warrant at Ebner’s residence. He agreed to be interviewed and admitted to communicating with the undercover agent and sending multiple images of child sexual abuse material to the agent. A subsequent forensic examination of Ebner’s electronic devices revealed multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse material. Ebner faces a minimum term of five years and maximum term of 20 years for distributing child sexual abuse material, a maximum term of 20 years for possessing child sexual abuse material, a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count, and a maximum supervised release term of life for each count. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI, Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, and Bangor Police Department investigated the case. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ###


title: Middlesex County Woman Sentenced to 20 Months for Defrauding Multiple COVID-19 Relief Programs

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, woman was sentenced to 20 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”), Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), and pandemic unemployment insurance benefits, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Damaris Valerio, a/k/a Damaris Tineo Abreu, 42, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to an information charging her with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Judge Kirsch, on April 14, imposed the sentence in Trenton federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From April 2020 through December 2021, Valerio fraudulently obtained $194,212 in COVID-19 emergency relief funds, which included loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL program and PPP, and pandemic unemployment insurance benefits meant for unemployed workers, by submitting false and fraudulent applications inflating her business’s revenues, payroll expenses, and number of employees. After receiving the fraudulent funds, she diverted proceeds from the relief programs for her personal gain. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kirsch sentenced Valerio to 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $194,212 in restitution. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy in Newark; Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito, and special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General’s Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin D. Bleiberg and Fatime Meka Cano of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. The Department of Justice has established the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . ### Defense Counsel: John Russo, Esq, of New York.


title: Lexington Man Arrested and Federally Charged with Threatening to Assault and Murder President Trump and Law Enforcement Officers

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky.- A federal criminal complaint was unsealed in the U.S. District Court in Lexington on Wednesday charging Kadrioan Serainity Santiago, 23, with interstate threatening communication. According to the criminal complaint, on April 1, 2026, FBI received information that Santiago, under the username “kadi_skating,” had been posting a series of politically violent threats and statements on Instagram between January 2026 and late March 2026. Among other things, Santiago threatened to cut President Donald Trump’s face with a razor blade, pull his skin off and feed the skin to stray dogs; threatened to kill the next member of law enforcement who interacted with him; encouraged others to shoot at ICE agents; and threatened to kill ICE agents himself. The criminal complaint alleges that Santiago began posting the threatening communication in January 2026, posting, “im filled with political violence.” “Threatening violence against the President and federal law enforcement officers strike at the core of our nation’s safety and the rule of law,” said Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “These actions will not be tolerated and will be met with swift and decisive prosecution. Through the FBI’s diligence and swift action, we moved quickly to address this threat and will pursue prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.” "To those who choose to hide behind the anonymity of a screen to unleash threats against the President of the United States, other government officials, and law enforcement, the FBI will find you,” said Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office. “It is against the law to post threatening communications online, and the FBI and our partners will use every available resource to identify, locate, and arrest those who choose to do so." Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the criminal complaint. The case is being investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Greenfield is representing the United States in this case. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations. The Defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law. — END —


title: New Sweden Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing, Receiving, and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A New Sweden man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to distributing, receiving, and possessing child sexual abuse material. According to court records, investigators identified Dustin Davenport , 30, as the user of a cloud-based instant messaging service account that was trading child sexual abuse images. Based on this information, investigators executed a search warrant at Davenport’s residence. During the warrant’s execution, investigators interviewed Davenport, who admitted that he was actively trading child sexual abuse material over the internet. A subsequent forensic examination of Davenport’s cellular telephones revealed multiple images and video of child sexual abuse material. Davenport faces a minimum term of five years and maximum term of 20 years for distributing and receiving child sexual abuse material, a maximum term of 20 years for possessing child sexual abuse material, a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count, and a maximum supervised release term of life for each count. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI, Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, and Bangor Police Department investigated the case. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ###


title: Oregon Man Convicted of Possessing and Transporting Child Pornography

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Newberg, Oregon man was convicted of possessing and transporting child pornography after a multi-day trial, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Jayson Setera, 51, of Newberg, Oregon, was convicted by a federal jury of one count of possession of prepubescent child pornography and one count of transportation of child pornography following a multi-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jamel K. Semper in Newark federal court. Sentencing is scheduled for August 17. “The sexual exploitation of children is a grave crime that fuels ongoing abuse, and it will not be tolerated in this District. This defendant possessed and transported material that victimized some of the most vulnerable among us, and this conviction reflects our unwavering commitment to find, prosecute, and hold accountable those who traffic in child sexual abuse material and to protect victims of these heinous crimes.” - U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On January 22, 2024, Setera returned from an international trip aboard a flight that landed at Newark Liberty International Airport. Law enforcement searched Setera’s cellular phone and found approximately 170 photographs and 8 videos depicting child sexual abuse material, including material involving pre-pubescent minors. Law enforcement also found messages from Setera soliciting child pornography and referring to the sexual abuse of young children. In addition, law enforcement found payments from Setera to the individuals sending him child pornography. The charge of transportation of child pornography carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The charge of possession of prepubescent child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy and officers from Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), under the direction of New York Director of Field Operation Frank Russo, with the investigation leading to the conviction. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Toll and Matthew Specht of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Tyler Newman, Esq.


title: Suspected murderer and homeless man charged with federal firearms offenses

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Olaolukitan Adon Abel, a convicted felon, and Damon Marquis Yarns, an Atlanta-area homeless man, face federal firearms charges based on their possession and purchase, respectively, of a handgun allegedly found at the scene of the murder of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security employee in DeKalb County, Georgia this week. “The defendants allegedly violated federal law to put a firearm in the hands of a convicted felon with tragic consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “I have expressed to DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston that I have full confidence in her office’s ongoing investigation and anticipated prosecution of Monday’s heinous attacks in Brookhaven and Decatur. My office and federal law enforcement agencies will continue to provide any requested support.” “Through strong partnerships and proactive efforts, we are making measurable progress in reducing crime. These charges reinforce our commitment to holding offenders accountable and protecting our communities,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd. According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the criminal complaints, and other information presented in court: in the early morning of April 13, 2026, DeKalb County Police Department officers responded to an alleged homicide in a residential neighborhood in Decatur, Georgia. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security later identified the victim as one of its employees, Lauren Bullis. DeKalb County police officers allegedly found a loaded 9mm pistol and five 9mm cartridge casings on the ground near the murder victim. Based on a National Tracing Center analysis of the firearm, Damon Marquis Yarns allegedly purchased the 9mm pistol at a federally licensed firearms dealer in midtown Atlanta on February 20, 2026. Yesterday, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives interviewed Yarns. Yarns explained that he has been residing in homeless shelters since relocating to Atlanta last year. He allegedly admitted that he purchased a firearm for a Nigerian or British man he knew only as “Abdul or Obie,” who he identified in a photo array as Abel. Yarns stated that Abel paid for him to travel by rideshare to purchase the firearm for Abel and admitted that, when he purchased the firearm, he lied by indicating on an ATF form that he was the actual buyer of the firearm. After the purchase, Yarns allegedly gave the firearm to Abel and never possessed the firearm again. On April 13, 2026, Georgia State Patrol Troopers stopped Abel’s car in Troup County, Georgia. Troopers searching the car found a box of 9mm ammunition and shell casings matching the same brand of ammunition found at the murder scene in Decatur, Georgia. Law enforcement arrested and transferred Abel to DeKalb County, where he is facing numerous felony charges, including for malice murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Abel was previously convicted of a felony for Assault of a Police Officer with a Deadly Weapon on January 2, 2025, in the Superior Court of San Diego County, California, and he was sentenced to probation in June 2025 for four counts of misdemeanor sexual battery in the Recorders Court of Chatham County, Georgia. Damon Marquis Yarns, 35, appeared in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher C. Bly and was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings. Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, remains incarcerated at the DeKalb County Jail. Members of the public are reminded that the complaints only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the DeKalb County Police Department, Brookhaven Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General. U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 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: Mexican National Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Illegally Re-entering the United States

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An illegal alien has been sentenced for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation as a convicted felon, announced Acting United States Attorney Catherine L. Crosby. On April 15, 2026, U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Ramon Rodriguez-Gonzalez, 43, a citizen of Mexico, to 24 months in prison. In September 2025, Rodriguez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry after deportation after a felony conviction. According to court records, Rodriguez-Gonzalez was deported on April 29, 2019, after he was convicted of false claim of citizenship in March 2019 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Rodriguez-Gonzalez came to law enforcement’s attention again on May 30, 2019, after illegally re-entering the United States. He was removed again on June 1, 2019. After having been found illegally in the United States a third time, Rodriguez was arrested on June 27, 2025, by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. He entered ICE custody on June 30, 2025. Rodriguez-Gonzalez is also currently facing state charges of homicide and abuse of a corpse in Bibb County. 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. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison J. Garnett prosecuted the case.


title: Duo Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Meth Concealed in Cheetos Bags

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: EVANSVILLE- Goldie Flenor, 37, and Natasha Garner, 47, both of Los Angeles, California, have each been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, on March 5, 2025, Evansville Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force and the DEA Evansville Resident Office were notified by UPS about a suspicious, damaged package en route from West Chester, Ohio. In accordance with company policy, UPS employees opened the package and discovered five Cheetos bags containing 20.97 pounds of plastic‑wrapped, vacuum‑sealed bags of crystal methamphetamine. A second suspicious package addressed to the same Evansville residence was located shortly afterward. It also contained five Cheetos bags filled with approximately 19.5 pounds of vacuum‑sealed crystal methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers took control of both packages and delivered them to their intended address. Investigators observed Garner and Flenor arrive in a white van, retrieve the packages, and drive away heading west. When officers attempted a traffic stop, the pair refused to comply, swerving and nearly striking a marked police vehicle. They fled at a high rate of speed before crashing head‑on into a fully marked Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office patrol car. Both Flenor and Garner exited the van and attempted to flee on foot but were quickly apprehended by law enforcement. “The defendants brazenly disguised 40 pounds of meth in Cheetos bags and used a commercial delivery company to transport it for them,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Their scheme failed, these drugs were interdicted, and they will spend years in federal prison. We will continue to work with our partners to dismantle trafficking operations that attempt to poison our communities with devastating drugs like meth, no matter how they are disguised.” “This investigation highlights the innovative and unique methods Drug Trafficking Organizations use to import drugs into our communities. DEA along with our state and local counterparts are equally innovative in our steadfast approach to bringing those responsible for flooding our communities with these drugs to justice,” said Gerald C. Dooley, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Indianapolis District Office. The DEA Evansville Resident Office, Evansville Police Department, Evansville Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force, and Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young. U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Wheatley, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Former Leader of a Violent Transnational Criminal Organization Pleads Guilty to Engaging in a Continuing Criminal Enterprise as Part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF)

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

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 14, 2026, José Julio Rodríguez-Cumba, a.k.a. “Chambi/Chembi/Josué/Chambo/Patrón,” pleaded guilty to running a continuing criminal enterprise. Rodríguez-Cumba was charged by way of information. The Information charged the defendant with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise from 2011 through May 2024. Rodríguez-Cumba was arrested in the District of Puerto Rico on October 4, 2021. When sentenced, he will face a mandatory minimum term of 20 years in prison and up to life in prison. According to court documents, Rodríguez-Cumba directed a large-scale drug trafficking organization (the Enterprise), that utilized land and sea transportation assets to import and distribute multi-hundred-kilogram shipments of cocaine from South America into Puerto Rico and the continental United States. The defendant admitted that he was responsible that more than 2,000 kilograms of cocaine that were going to be unlawfully imported into the United States and distributed as part of the Enterprise. Rodríguez-Cumba made millions of dollars in profit from drug trafficking. This defendant directed members of the enterprise to use violence, possess firearms, including machine guns for protection and in furtherance of the Enterprise. From on or about July 2023 and continuing up to and until May 22, 2024, while in the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Guaynabo, Rodríguez-Cumba caused other individuals to introduce buprenorphine into MDC. As part of the plea agreement, Rodríguez-Cumba agreed to forfeiture of various properties, including a luxury yacht - “El Ancla”, a 2014 Pershing, 62-foot vessel, and other assets including cash, real property, and personal property, as well as firearms. This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Pedro A. Delgado-Hernández. Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Ryan R. McCabe of the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering and Transnational Organized Crime Section is prosecuting the case. 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. ###


title: Northwest ISD teacher indicted for child pornography violations

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – A Denton man has been indicted and charged with federal child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Kyle Lee Roy Francis, 24, was named in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with receipt and possession of child pornography. Francis has voluntarily resigned from his position with Northwest Independent School District. If convicted, Francis faces up to 20 years in federal prison. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Dallas Child Exploitation Group and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Calli Bailey. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Chicago Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Conspiring To Provide Material Support to Foreign Terrorist Organization

body_text: CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) by using social media to encourage attacks on ISIS’s enemies and recruit ISIS members. ASHRAF AL SAFOO was a leader of Khattab Media Foundation, a sophisticated online organization that swore allegiance to ISIS and created and disseminated threats and ISIS propaganda on social media and other online platforms. Al Safoo and other members of Khattab created and posted pro-ISIS videos, articles, essays, and infographics at the direction of, and in coordination with, ISIS. Much of Khattab’s propaganda promoted violent jihad on behalf of ISIS, which has been designated by the United States government as a foreign terrorist organization. In one posting, Al Safoo encouraged Khattab members to post pro-ISIS information “to cause confusion and spread terror within the hearts of those who disbelieved.” In another posting, Al Safoo wrote, “Work hard, brothers, edit the issue into short clips, take the pictures out of it and publish the efforts of your brothers in the pages of the apostates. Participate in the war, and spread terror, the [Islamic] State does not want you to watch it only, rather, it incites you, and if you are unable to, use it to incite others.” Many of Khattab’s postings included images of violence, celebrations of terrorist attacks and mass shootings in the United States, and encouragement for “lone wolf” attacks in western countries. Al Safoo, 41, has been in federal custody since his arrest in Chicago in 2018. After a bench trial last year in U.S. District Court in Chicago, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey found Al Safoo guilty of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate commerce, conspiracy to intentionally access a protected computer without authorization, providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and intentionally accessing a protected computer without authorization. Judge Blakey imposed the 25-year prison term during a hearing on Thursday in federal court and ordered that it be followed by ten years of court-supervised release. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Department of Justice, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas P. Peabody of the Northern District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Andrew J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.


title: SDTX continues efforts to secure southern border with 443 more cases filed

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – Another 446 people have been charged in support of Operation Tack Back America from April 10-16, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. A total of 169 individuals face illegal entry charges, while 242 allegedly re-entered the United States after prior removal. An additional 33 people are accused of engaging in human smuggling, while the remaining three cases relate to firearms crimes. Many also have prior convictions for narcotics, violent crime, sexual offenses, other immigration violations and more. Among the new cases in recent days are two men from the McAllen area who are allegedly involved in human smuggling. The charges allege Yahaniel Somoza, Houston, picked up illegal aliens on at least two occasions, transporting some to a local mechanic shop. Somoza had allegedly taken some of their cell phones and/or instructed them to eat only twice a day. Law enforcement executed a subsequent search warrant and discovered 15 illegal aliens at the mechanic shop, according to the criminal complaint. In a separate case, Edinburg resident Fidel Cantu-Mendez had allegedly picked up several illegal aliens near the Rio Grande in Escobares. The charges allege he drove recklessly and told the occupants to run once the vehicle stopped. A foot chase ensued, according to the complaint. Authorities allegedly apprehended Cantu-Mendez as well as 13 illegal aliens near the vehicle. Somoza and Cantu-Mendez face up to 10 and five years in federal prison, respectively, upon conviction. Also charged this week are Andrei Eduardo Mayorga Oliva and Julian Flores-Molina who allegedly reentered the United States without authorization. Oliva is a Honduran male found near Alamo, according to his charges. The criminal complaint alleges he has a prior conviction for carnal knowledge of a child and had been sentenced to three years in prison before his removal in May 2025. Law enforcement encountered Mexican national Julian Flores-Molina near Donna, despite having been previously removed in June 2024, according to the allegations. The charges allege Oliva has prior convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated robbery, unauthorized use of a vehicle and illegal reentry and had served substantial time in prison. If convicted, they both could receive up to 20 years in federal prison. In addition to the new cases, Operation Pick-Off efforts have continued with more people taken into custody in the Houston area. This SDTX initiative began as a multi-agency immigration and violent crime enforcement effort targeting criminal illegal aliens on state probation or supervision. It was originally announced in August 2025 in the Rio Grande Valley with federal charges against nearly 70 illegal aliens. Most had allegedly returned to the country after being previously removed, only to commit other crimes. The overall effort has since expanded to all divisions and resulted in numerous arrests of foreign nationals from countries including Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and more with various convictions, including murder. Operation Pick-Off operates on a continuous basis, with authorities engaging in rolling arrests and prosecutions. Also of note this week was the sentencing of Mexican national Francisco Gerardo Garcia-Arzola. He was ordered to serve a 30-month sentence in Brownsville after illegally reentering the country for a third time. He was first removed in 2012, then again in 2024. However, authorities discovered him in the country illegally and took him into custody in June 2025. Garcia-Arzola has multiple previous convictions for possession of and manufacturing/delivering a controlled substance. The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners. The 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Three Accused of More than $2 Million Fraud Targeting Cruise Line

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Three people have been accused of defrauding a cruise ship company out of more than $2 million. Thomas Markwell, 53, and Nathan Boyd, 50, were indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in October with seven counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Joanna Dettman, 50, of St. Louis was indicted on the wire fraud charges. Markwell, originally from near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, appeared in court Friday. A motion seeking to have Markwell held in jail until trial says he was fired by the cruise line in September of 2023. According to the motion, Markwell was in Argentina when his indictment was filed, did not return as scheduled and was planning to marry an Argentinian citizen. Markwell was arrested in Argentina on an Interpol Red Notice on Feb. 23. Markwell agreed to waive extradition and was surrendered to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs secured the arrest and yesterday’s extradition of Markwell. Dettman appeared in court in October and Boyd, of Deschutes County, Oregon, appeared in November. Both have pleaded not guilty. The indictment says that from June 2021 to September 2023, Markwell misused his position as senior director of events at the cruise line company. Markwell approved numerous fraudulent invoices totaling more than $1 million from a company in the St. Louis area that assists corporate clients with procuring gifts for their employees, customers and business partners, the indictment says. Boyd co-owned the gifting company and Dettman, also known as Joanna St. Gemme, worked for them as a contractor. Boyd and Dettman either inflated legitimate invoices or created fictitious invoices, some of which contained the personal expenses of Markwell, Dettman, Boyd or Markwell’s romantic partners. They also issued numerous fraudulent invoices to the cruise line that included their personal expenses and the personal expenses of Markwell’s romantic partners that had been charged to the gifting company's corporate credit cards. Dettman also owned GEM Consulting LLC, which issued $100,000 in fraudulent invoices to the cruise line, the indictment says. Markwell approved GEM as a vendor and approved a fictitious business that was associated with one of his romantic partners, which then billed the cruise line $500,000, the indictment says. The indictment says that Markwell issued fraudulent invoices totaling $180,000 to the gifting company from a fictitious business associated with another of his romantic partners to get his share of the proceeds. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting the case.


title: New Hampshire Man Charged With Enticing a Minor

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on April 17, 2026, Jared Marcus Hutchins, 22, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was charged with Enticement of a Minor and Travel With Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Minor. Hutchins was arrested yesterday in Montpelier, Vermont. His initial appearance in court is scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller. According to court records, Hutchins began communicating via social media with the 13-year-old victim in late December of 2025. During the messaging, Hutchins requested that the minor victim send a video of herself engaging in sexual behavior, and the two also exchanged nude photos. On April 10, 2026, Hutchins and the minor victim met in a park in the area of Montpelier, Vermont and engaged in sexual intercourse. Afterward, Hutchins accused the minor victim of having other male contacts on social media. Hutchins searched through her phone, became angry, and physically assaulted the minor victim. Hutchins’ physical assault of the minor victim included choking, striking her in the face with his hand, pointing a loaded firearm at her, striking her on the back of the head with the firearm, and stabbing her in the stomach with a screwdriver. After the assault, Hutchins drove off with the minor victim still in his car, reaching high rates of speed, before returning to Montpelier due to mechanical issues with his car. On April 16, 2026, after the minor victim had reported the abuse to law enforcement, Montpelier Police noticed Hutchins’ vehicle in the City of Montpelier, located Hutchins nearby, and took him into custody. At the time he was apprehended, Hutchins was in possession of a firearm. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint contains allegations only and that Hutchins is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted of Enticement of a Minor, Hutchins faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life imprisonment. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the swift and collaborative investigatory efforts of the Montpelier Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Manchester, New Hampshire Police Department. “I am extremely grateful for the partnership of these law enforcement agencies, and I am immensely proud of their work so far on this case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont will continue to prioritize protecting children from harm and holding accountable those who victimize them.” The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill. Hutchins has not yet retained or been appointed counsel. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . 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.


title: Former Lewiston Man Sentenced for Cyberstalking

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A man formerly from Lewiston was sentenced on April 16 in U.S. District Court in Portland for stalking his victim using facilities of interstate or foreign commerce. U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Brent Ouellette , 34, to 18 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Ouellette pleaded guilty on August 20, 2025. According to court records, Ouellette engaged in a course of conduct against his victim that included posting sexually explicit videos or pictures of his victim online without consent, contacting his victim posing as other people, and obtaining his victim’s social media login information. The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. ###


title: Sinaloa Cartel driver carrying over two million lethal doses of fentanyl sentenced to life imprisonment

body_text: VICTORIA, Texas – A 51-year-old Harlingen resident has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before convicting Jimenez James Love following a two-day trial Jan 21. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Love to serve the rest of his life in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony that included how he used at least 10 young women to distribute drugs and bragged about putting the meth inside their bodies. Evidence also revealed he had his own distribution ring and had beaten at least one witness, brutally knocking out two teeth and leaving him with a torn retina. In handing down the life sentence, the court noted the large amount of meth and fentanyl involved and the use of young women in his criminal conduct. The investigation began June 30, 2021, when law enforcement discovered Love was transporting meth and fentanyl concealed in the gas tank of his girlfriend’s vehicle. At trial, the jury heard how authorities conducted a traffic stop and discovered approximately 11 kilograms of meth and 5.32 kilograms of fentanyl. Testimony and evidence revealed Love was hired as a driver to transport drugs for the Sinaloa Cartel. Love's cargo was one of many shipments this arm of the organization had made. The number of shipments was so vast that an accurate number of shipments could not be fully determined. However, evidence showed the single load of fentanyl that Love was carrying contained over two million potential lethal doses. The defense attempted to convince the jury Love was not involved in an ongoing drug trafficking operation. The jury did not believe the claims and found him guilty as charged. Love will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Texas Department of Public Safety and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patti Hubert Booth prosecuted the case.


title: Church’s Chicken Franchisee in Georgia Settles ADA Service Animal Allegation

component: Civil Rights - Disability Rights Section

body_text: MACON, Ga. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia announced today that it has come to a resolution with Askar Management Group, QSR Group Holdings, LLC, and QSR Southern Group, LLC (collectively, QSR, the owners and operators of Church’s Chicken #749 at 1801 Watson Boulevard, Warner Robins, Georgia), involving an allegation that it improperly excluded an individual with a disability accompanied by a service animal. The investigation began after the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia received a complaint from a veteran with a disability who uses a service animal. The complaint alleged that an employee at the Watson Boulevard location refused to serve the veteran unless his service animal was removed from the restaurant dining room, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. “Ensuring access for individuals with disabilities, including permitting service dogs, is required by the ADA. Our office is dedicated to protecting these rights and ensuring proper accommodation for all,” said U.S. Attorney Will Keyes. “We appreciate the cooperation by the owners of this Church’s Chicken franchise in Warner Robins in resolving this matter and demonstrating their commitment to customer accessibility.” Under the Letter of Resolution, QSR has agreed to: adopt, maintain, implement and enforce a service animal policy; not discriminate against or provide unequal treatment to persons with disabilities who use service animals; provide training on the service animal policy to employees and managers; post the policy in public areas; and pay a $2,000 civil penalty to the United States. QSR cooperated with the government throughout the investigation. Under federal law, private entities that own or operate places of “public accommodation,” including restaurants and bars, are required to modify their policies, practices or procedures—such as a no pet policy—to permit the use of a service animal by an individual with a disability. A service animal generally may go wherever the public is allowed, and a public accommodation may not require documentation about the service animal. ADA complaints may be made by contacting the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia at (478) 752-3511. More information about the ADA is available at the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY) and on the ADA website at www.ada.gov . This matter was handled by Civil Chief W. Taylor McNeill and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Simon, in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Civil Rights Investigative Specialist Danyelle D. White led the investigation for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.


title: Former High School Teacher Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for  Sexually Abusing a Minor Student

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Mark Williams, 59, of Virginia, was sentenced today in D.C. Superior Court, to 16 years in prison for sexually abusing one of his minor students in 2014, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Williams was found guilty on February 12, 2026, of four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a secondary education student and four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor. Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan ordered Williams to serve a total prison term of 16 years, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. William is also required to register as a sex offender for 10 years. “Mark Williams groomed and sexually abused an underage student. It took years for the victim to gain the courage to come forward and disclose the abuse she suffered. Williams even left the country, but justice ultimately caught up with him,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who exploit vulnerable individuals, especially children. This sentence is well deserved.” According to the government’s evidence, in the spring of 2014, Williams was the victim’s high school teacher at Duke Ellington School for the Arts. Williams began an independent study with the victim, who was 17 years old at the time. Their independent study met in a locked, windowless room in the basement of Duke Ellington. Williams then initiated a romantic and sexual relationship with the victim, during which they participated in sexual acts while on campus. Williams was arrested on November 21, 2023, and has been in custody since he failed to appear for trial on February 2, 2026. Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones, Investigative Analyst Lucas Jetson, and Victim Witness Coordinators Guisela Castillo and Katina Adams. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Hyde and Sarah Roessler, who investigated and prosecuted the case, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Platt, who assisted with investigating the case. 2023 CF1 008583


title: Jury Convicts Northampton Felon of Robbing 4 Gas Stations in Pitt and Martin Counties

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal jury convicted Timarcus Lavonnte Britt, 29, on four charges of robbery and four charges of brandishing a gun during these robberies. “This thuggish crew terrorized hard working, normal folks as they marauded around Eastern NC in July 2023. This antisocial terrorism has no place in polite society, and our civic minded jury righteously rejected his bogus excuses. This man can expect to spend decades in prison regretting his crimes. Eastern North Carolina will be safer for it.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. Three individuals including Britt, Jaliek Grant, and a juvenile, engaged in a spree of five attempted armed robberies on July 11, 2023, between 1 and 4 a.m. in Greenville, Williamston, and Robersonville. Britt’s crew first drove over 50 miles from their homes in Northampton County to Greenville and robbed a woman at gunpoint in the parking lot outside of a Speedway on Highway 264. The victim described how two masked men ran up on each side of her car, pointed guns at her, and took her keys, purse, and cell phone. Next, they drove to a Speedway in Greenville. At that store, two masked men burst into the store aiming guns with extended magazines. They pushed behind the counter, shoved the guns into the cashier’s face, and demanded money. After emptying the register and stealing the cashier’s phone, they ran out of the store. Then the crew drove to a Speedway on NC 33 in Greenville, wearing the same outfits and armed with guns. Again, they shoved their guns upside the cashier’s head, emptied the register, and stole cigarettes and Backwoods cigarillos. They repeated the same pattern at Speedway stores in Williamston and Robersonville—two suspects, same outfits, same guns, shoved in the cashiers’ faces, and stole money, cigarettes, and Backwoods cigarillos. Britt’s gang ended their spree at a Speedway in Oak City. After the spate of other robberies, Martin County Sheriff’s Deputies had thankfully called ahead to employees at the Oak City store warning: lock the doors. When the criminals arrived at the Oak City store at 4:15 a.m., they could not figure how to open the locked doors, so they just ran away. Multiple law enforcement agencies across the two counties met to discuss the similarities. The case broke open when they identified and tracked the same car from several stores using license plate readers and city camera footage. Grant owned it. Officers executed a search warrant on Grant’s car finding the distinct clothes from one robber, Grant’s phone, and a pile of Backwoods cigarillos. Searching Grant’s phone, they identified the juvenile and Britt as the other two villains seen on surveillance footage: two who entered each store and one getaway driver. A search of Britt’s residence revealed the gun Britt used during the robberies along with multiple extended magazines. Britt faces a mandatory minimum of 28 years’ imprisonment when the Court sentences him. W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The FBI, ATF, Greenville Police Department, Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, Williamston Police Department, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, and Robersonville Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Dixon and Khari Cyrus prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-00068-C-2.