title: Tulsan Sentenced for Two Counts Related to Receiving, Sharing, and Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced today for two counts related to possessing, receiving, and sharing child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Robert Nicholas Long, 27, for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. Judge Hill ordered Long to serve 262 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Long will also be required to register as a sex offender. Law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The investigation revealed that Long was receiving and sharing child sexual abuse material through the application, Discord. Law enforcement served a search warrant on his home and found more than 215 images and one video that showed children being sexually abused. Court records show that many of the files depicted infants, toddlers, and prepubescent minors being sexually exploited by adult males. Additionally, Agents found messages between Long and minor children where he solicited sexually explicit content and discussed traveling to meet for sex. In one chat, Long coerced a 15-year-old victim to share sexually explicit images and requested to meet in person for sex. Court records show that in 2016 and 2017, Long was convicted of several counts of indecent exposure after being caught masturbating in public and exposing his penis. He was also convicted in 2024 for failing to register as a sex offender. Long will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema Onias prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Department of Justice Agents Seize $8.5 Million in Cryptocurrency and Disrupt Investment Fraud Scheme

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Adobe Stock Image RALEIGH, N.C. – Federal agents seized nearly $8.5 million worth of Tether, a cryptocurrency pegged to the U.S. dollar. Investigators traced the seized funds to a cryptocurrency address allegedly linked to money stolen from victims of cryptocurrency investment scams, commonly known as a “pig butchering scheme." “By seizing these stolen funds, we strike at the heart of organized criminals who use scams to prey on hardworking, innocent citizens,” said E.D.N.C. U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Our office will continue working with the FBI and other law enforcement partners to disrupt fraud schemes, protect victims, and hold bad guys who exploit the promise of new technologies to commit old crimes accountable.” “This substantial cryptocurrency seizure is an example of the FBI’s commitment to fight for victims in this ever changing cyber-fraud landscape,” said FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. “One victim dipped into a child’s college savings and a spouse's retirement fund before being locked out of the account, losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in an instant. This seizure helps claw back the money that rightly belongs to victims.” According to court filings, criminal actors approached and recruited victims by disguising themselves to build trust through a business or romantic relationship. Fraudsters typically sent victims an innocuous and misleading text message or an unsolicited message to a social media account or online dating profile. Once they established contact, scammers claimed they could help victims make large profits trading cryptocurrency. Then the criminals steered victims to fictitious cryptocurrency trading platforms that gave the false appearance of being legitimate. These fake platforms displayed fabricated investment portfolios with abnormally large returns to entice victims to invest more money. When victims later attempted to withdraw funds, the fraudsters refused and froze the accounts. In some cases, the criminals demanded victims pay a “tax” or “penalty” before accessing their money. Some fraudsters even posed as a “cryptocurrency recovery firm,” offering to retrieve lost investments for an upfront fee, further compounding the injury. Victims unknowingly sent their investments to wallets controlled by these scammers rather than to accounts in their own names. Scammers immediately transferred those funds to several other wallets to hide the nature, source, and ownership of the money. Agents and analysts from the FBI traced those funds into and through several cryptocurrency wallets used as a part of the fraud and money laundering scheme, recovering all funds subject to seizure. Since 2024, the FBI has partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina to seize over $15 million on behalf of victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud. Other seizures include: $2.6 million seized on behalf of multiple victims, including a 61-year-old man in Spring Hope and a 50-year-old man in Raleigh. Each victim believed he was in a romantic relationship with the fraudster, exchanging messages via the WhatsApp platform. $4.99 million seized on behalf of multiple victims, including a 67-year-old man from Angier. This victim also believed he was in a romantic relationship with the fraudster, using the WhatsApp and Telegram platforms to communicate. Avoid falling victim to cryptocurrency or romance scam fraud by following these steps: If someone you don’t know contacts you online or by phone, never give any personal information. In fact, the FBI advises you should always ignore a random stranger’s attempt to connect or befriend you, if you don’t already know them in real life. Do not invest money based on advice from someone you’ve met solely online. Verify the validity of any investment opportunity or cryptocurrency investment with your own independent research, separate and apart from what the unknown scammer tells you. If you already invested funds and believe you are or may be a victim of a scheme, do not pay any additional fees or taxes to withdraw your money. Just cap your losses. Do not pay for services that claim to recover lost funds. It’s a trap. Be on the lookout for domain names that impersonate legitimate financial institutions, especially cryptocurrency exchanges. Misspelled URLs, often with just a slight deviation, like an extra letter or missing one letter, from the actual financial institutions’ real website, may be, indeed almost certainly are, fake. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. There is no such thing as a get-rich-quick scheme. Certainly not from a random stranger you never met in person who targeted you on the internet. The Department of Justice acknowledges Tether for its assistance in effectuating the transfer of these assets. If you are a victim of a cryptocurrency scam, or other scam involving the use of the Internet, please file a report with the IC3 at www.ic3.gov and with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov .


title: Little Rock Woman Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for COVID Relief Fraud

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Chandler Carroll will spend 24 months in federal prison after admitting to fraudulently obtaining nearly $2.1 million in federal loans designed to assist businesses during the COVID pandemic. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Alica D. Corder, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Little Rock Field Office, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr. On July 8, 2025, Carroll, 33, of Little Rock, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging her with one count of wire fraud. The single count was in reference to a fraudulently obtained $1.6 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. In her plea agreement, Carroll admitted to receiving federal payments from a total of four fraudulent loans totaling $2,087,623.00. Of that total, $159,572.62 has been recovered and Carroll has been ordered to pay the remaining restitution in the amount of $1,928,050.38. Judge Marshall also sentenced Carroll to two years’ supervised release. Enacted in March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act federal law provided economic relief to individuals and businesses impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. Economic relief under this law included the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which are forgivable business loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA also administered a program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), that provided low-interest financing to small businesses impacted by declared disasters. An investigation revealed that Carroll was the owner of Wilson Carroll Research Services, LLC (WCRS), a Texas-based limited liability company, and WilCarr Ventures, LLC (WilCarr Ventures), an Arkansas-based limited liability company. On April 6, 2020, Carroll applied for an EIDL loan for WCRS, listed herself as the CEO and represented that she owned 100% of the company. On the application, Carroll certified “that all information in [your] application and submitted with [your] application is true and correct to the best of [your] knowledge, and that [you] will submit truthful information in the future.” Based on the fraudulent representation, Carroll received $149,900 for this loan. From April 2020 through March 2021, Carroll submitted applications to various financial institutions under the PPP loan program, with deposits to her totaling more than $1.9 million. On May 28, 2020, Carroll, the sole owner of WilCarr Ventures, applied for a PPP loan and it was approved, with $1,600,000 deposited into an account she represented to belong to WilCarr Ventures. Two other PPP loans totaling $337,723 on behalf of WCRS were deposited into Carroll’s accounts. Carroll made various fraudulent purchases using the proceeds of the loans made to WCRS and WilCarr Ventures. The fraudulent purchases include two vehicles (2020 Ford F-150 Raptor and a 2020 Ford Explorer), two watches, (Patek Philippe Manual Watch and a Crocodile Brown Rolex Cellini Moonphase), jewelry (diamond earrings and a diamond), 1.5 acres of land, and a home on the White River in Baxter County. “What a tangled web she wove,” United States Attorney Ross said. “A web of lies and deceit to steal emergency relief funds from the American treasury in order to line her pockets with more than $2,000,000—not for her employees’ sake but for trucks, jewels, and a second home with a river view. But now that the FBI has untangled her web and brought her to justice, she can go to her new second home—a federal prison. “If you know of anyone else who defrauded the Pandemic Relief Fraud, please report it online to the federal government’s Pandemic Oversight ( www.pandemicoversight.com ) website. Because Congress lengthened the statute of limitations for this type of crime to 10 years through the year 2031, our office still has plenty of time to hold more of these thieves accountable.” “When fraud is perpetrated against federal programs intended for the public good, we all lose,” Special Agent in Charge Corder said. “It undermines public confidence, deprives those in need of resources, and misuses taxpayers’ money. This sentence affirms our commitment to accountability and the protection of federal funds.” This investigation was conducted by the FBI, with assistance from the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Small Business Administration, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Rochester drug kingpin going to prison for more than 21 years

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Brandon Washington a/k/a B Mack, 40, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to serve 262 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas E. Gregory, who handled the case, stated that between at least May 2021 and July 21, 2022, Washington operated an armed drug trafficking organization that sold significant quantities of marijuana from various drug houses located in the city of Rochester. In addition to selling from drug houses on St. Paul and Sixth Streets in Rochester, he also maintained stash locations, including one at 52 Laser Street, also in Rochester. Washington employed several individuals to supply, package and sell marijuana 24 hours a day, generating thousands of dollars per shift. Other men were hired to provide protection for his operation. As part of the investigation, law enforcement executed numerous search warrants resulting in the seizure of significant quantities of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, $21,644 in cash, and nine firearms. At Washington’s residence located at 55 Laser Street, officers seized marijuana, packaging materials and over 100 rounds of ammunition. Washington’s prior criminal history prohibited him from possessing any firearms or ammunition. Gun traces on several of the seized firearms connected them to multiple shootings and homicides in Rochester in the summer of 2022. While investigating one of the homicides, Rochester Police Department Tactical Unit Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz and Investigator Sino Seng were conducting surveillance from a van when Kelvin Vickers discharged numerous rounds into their van, killing Mazurkiewicz and injuring Sang. Kelvin Vickers was later convicted of that murder and sentenced to life in prison. “Today’s sentencing brings an end to the stranglehold of drugs and violence that Brandon Washington and his co-conspirators had on the Rochester community,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “A total of 23 defendants filled the streets with poisonous narcotics and inflicted violence that led to the murder of Police Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners, each of these defendants is now being held accountable for their criminal behavior, including Washington, who is going to prison for a very long time.” Rochester Police Chief David Smith said, “the Rochester Police Department would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF, DEA, and all of our law enforcement partners for their assistance in bringing the successful apprehensions and prosecutions of Brandon Washington, and his co-conspirators, who brought a reign of terror to our community and took the life of Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz.” ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo stated, “Today’s sentencing marks an important measure of justice in a case that laid bare the devastating toll of armed drug trafficking on our communities and on the law enforcement officers sworn to protect them. We honor their courage and service, and we extend our deepest respect and sympathy to their families. Together with our partners, we remain relentless in dismantling violent criminal organizations and reducing gun violence across Rochester.” DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino stated, “Today’s sentencing of Brandon Washington held a key member of a Rochester drug organization accountable for fueling an illegal marijuana distribution network, while arming himself to protect his profits.” The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division. # # # #


title: Federal Inmate Sentenced to Life Term in Connection with Murder of Fellow Inmate

body_text: ROCKFORD — A federal prison inmate has been sentenced to a term of life imprisonment in connection with the murder of his cellmate. HOUSTON CLYDE, 28, formerly of the Navajo Nation in Arizona, stabbed his cellmate to death while the pair were incarcerated in November 2020 at the United States Penitentiary in Thomson, Ill. The fatal stabbing occurred while Clyde was serving a 17-year sentence for a 2016 murder in Tuba City, Ariz. Clyde pleaded guilty earlier this year to a second-degree murder charge. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the life sentence during a hearing on Wednesday in federal court in Rockford. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. “Nothing is more abrupt or final than the taking of another’s life by a violent act,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Maveus argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “This murder extends beyond the taking of a life—it shattered the lives of those expecting the victim to return home from prison.”


title: Ceratizit USA LLC Agrees to Pay $54.4M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Evaded Customs Duties

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT — Ceratizit USA LLC (Ceratizit), a Charlotte, North Carolina-based distributor of tungsten carbide products, has agreed to pay $54.4 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly and improperly failing to pay duties owed on tungsten carbide products imported from the People’s Republic of China (China). Tungsten carbide is a hard, wear-resistant material used in the manufacturing of cutting tools and other components. “Import duties are a powerful tool for protecting American industry,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement once again demonstrates that the Department of Justice will zealously pursue those who seek an unfair advantage in U.S. markets by evading customs duties.” “We need customs duties to protect our industries and to raise money,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan. “We will use the law to support our companies and to make cheaters pay.” “Attempts at duty evasion have always existed, regardless of the tariff environment,” said Commissioner Rodney S. Scott of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). “These schemes are vast and complex, but CBP professionals are well-trained and positioned to detect, deter, and disrupt tariff evasion schemes to ensure that duties are paid.” To enter goods into the United States, an importer must declare, among other things, the country of origin of the goods, the classification of the goods, whether the goods are subject to duties, and the amount of duties owed. CBP collects applicable duties, including Section 301 tariffs imposed by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Section 301 tariffs protect U.S. industry by imposing trade sanctions on foreign countries that violate U.S. trade agreements or engage in other unreasonable acts that burden U.S. commerce. During the relevant time period, Chinese-manufactured tungsten carbide products were subject to Section 301 tariffs. The settlement resolves allegations that, from August 2020 through March 2024, Ceratizit knowingly misrepresented the country of origin on Chinese-manufactured tungsten carbide products. More specifically, the United States alleged that Ceratizit knew these products had been manufactured in China and transshipped to Taiwan before being shipped to the United States. Ceratizit allegedly misrepresented to CBP that the products originated in Taiwan rather than China to avoid paying applicable Section 301 tariffs. The settlement also resolved allegations that from June 2015 through March 2024, Ceratizit knowingly misclassified tungsten carbide products using the incorrect Harmonized Tariff Schedule code to further reduce the duties owed to CBP. Finally, the settlement resolves allegations that certain of the merchandise imported by Ceratizit was not marked with the country of origin, and the company failed to pay marking duties owed to CBP before distributing the unmarked products to consumers within the United States. The settlement with Ceratizit resolves a civil lawsuit filed by Mark Stover under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of Michigan and is captioned United States ex rel. Stover v. Ceratizit USA, et al. No. 2:22-cv-12291 (E.D. Mich.). As part of today’s resolution, Mr. Stover will receive approximately $9,750,000 of the settlement proceeds. On Aug. 29, 2025, the Department of Justice launched a cross-agency Trade Fraud Task Force to enhance efforts to combat and prevent trade fraud that deprives the government of vital revenue, threatens critical domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and weakens national security. The Task Force augments existing coordination mechanisms within the Department of Justice, leveraging expertise from both the Civil and Criminal Divisions, as well as the Department of Homeland Security, to aggressively pursue enforcement actions against any parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy. The Justice Department encourages whistleblowers to utilize the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act to alert the government to credible allegations of fraud. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, with assistance from CBP’s Office of the Associate Chief Counsel. The matter was handled by Trial Attorney James Nealon and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonny Zajac for the Eastern District of Michigan. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. ###


title: Chief Executive Officer Of Tax Preparation Firm Charged With Federal Tax Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Harry T. Chavis, Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging STEVEN HOLTZ, ISRAEL PELLOT, and ALTON SCOTT with conspiracy to defraud the United States and aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false federal tax returns. The charges relate to a tax fraud scheme operated by several tax return preparers of The Holtz Group, Inc. and Zirin Tax Company, Inc., doing business as SL Tax Centers (together, “The Holtz Group” or “Holtz Group”). HOLTZ is the owner and chief executive officer of The Holtz Group and was the leader of the fraudulent scheme in which tax preparers at The Holtz Group, including HOLTZ, PELLOT, and SCOTT, falsified information on Holtz Group clients’ federal income tax returns in order to fraudulently reduce the tax liability of the clients and improperly increase the tax refunds they claimed from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). This, in turn, allowed HOLTZ to charge tax preparation fees that were, at times, tens of thousands of dollars and, in some instances, more than one hundred thousand dollars for certain clients. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil. “As alleged, Steven Holtz led a massive tax fraud scheme that deprived the American people of significant tax revenue,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The false tax returns Holtz and other tax preparers at the Holtz Group are alleged to have filed generated substantial refunds to which clients were not entitled and enormous fees for the firm. According to the indictment, Holtz funded a lavish lifestyle, including homes in Manhattan and East Hampton, at the expense of the tens of millions of honest, hardworking American taxpayers. Our Office will have zero tolerance for fraudsters who steal from the public to enrich themselves.” “For more than a decade, Holtz used the backdrop of a successful and legitimate tax business to hide a fraud that concealed significant income from the IRS,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. “Holtz and his cohorts were creative in their alleged scheme, using various deductions and expenses to evade taxes for their clients. While Holtz told his clients they should be happy to pay him rather than pay the government, he failed to remind them that the money to the government means benefits for the American people. Now is the time that they each face justice for their alleged criminal acts.” As alleged in the Indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court: [1] From at least in or about 2014 through at least in or about 2025, HOLTZ, PELLOT, SCOTT, and other co-conspirators executed a fraudulent scheme led by HOLTZ in which they falsified information on Holtz Group clients’ federal income tax returns. Each year, Holtz Group clients—at least some of whom have professional degrees and annual income of hundreds of thousands of dollars—met with Holtz Group personnel at one of the Holtz Group’s offices (or, at times, remotely by videoconference and/or telephone). At these meetings, and during the course of any necessary follow-up discussions, HOLTZ, PELLOT, SCOTT, or other Holtz Group personnel, prepared the clients’ tax returns. HOLTZ, PELLOT, SCOTT, and others included materially false and fraudulent information on the Holtz Group clients’ tax returns in order to reduce the clients’ tax liabilities or increase their refunds. The false items included on income tax returns for Holtz Group clients included inflated and fictitious deductions, including but not limited to: itemized deductions, such as charitable contributions and unreimbursed employee expenses; business expense deductions; capital losses, such as deductions for bad debt; losses and expenses from rental real estate businesses and unreimbursed partnership expenses; casualty and theft losses; losses from sales of business property; and losses from sales and other dispositions of capital assets. These false items were reported on Schedules A, C, D, and E as well as other tax forms. At times, the defendants also inflated and falsified clients’ income in order to improperly qualify clients for refundable Earned Income Tax Credits and/or fraudulently elected “head of household” filing status for married clients and other clients who did not qualify for that filing status, among other things. As the owner of The Holtz Group and its affiliated entities, HOLTZ trained PELLOT, SCOTT, and others on how to falsify tax returns to carry out the scheme. For example, HOLTZ instructed PELLOT, SCOTT, and others to urge clients to set up business entities, such as partnerships and S Corporations, through the Holtz Group, for which clients paid additional fees. HOLTZ then directed the return preparers to use these business entities to fraudulently claim additional tax deductions, such as deductions for unreimbursed partnership expenses, meals, travel, gifts, and other expenses. The Holtz Group based the fees charged to the clients on the amount of purported “tax savings” the firm supposedly generated for clients. HOLTZ used these purported “tax savings” to justify The Holtz Group’s fees, which were as high as tens of thousands or even more than one hundred thousand dollars for certain clients. For example, after billing a fee of $175,000 for preparing a client’s 2021 return, HOLTZ emailed the client explaining that the fee charged “is 25% of the tax savings. Always has been . . . I realize the bill is very high but honestly you sou [sic] should be happy to pay me that rather than paying the government what you owed them . . . [T]he fee is determined by the tax savings, not by your earnings.” In the same exchange, HOLTZ later went on to state: “You really aren’t paying my fee. The IRS is.” By filing fraudulent returns on behalf of numerous Holtz Group clients, HOLTZ, PELLOT, SCOTT, and others defrauded the IRS of tax revenue and generated significant revenue for The Holtz Group. This significant revenue facilitated HOLTZ’s lavish lifestyle, including use of homes in Manhattan and East Hampton. * * * Steven Holtz, 63, of New York, New York, and East Hampton, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and 30 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent U.S. individual income tax returns, each of which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. Israel Pellot, 50, of Ormond Beach, Florida, is charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and 9 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent U.S. individual income tax returns, each of which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. Alton Scott, 33, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and 13 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent U.S. individual income tax returns, each of which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the investigative work of the IRS-CI. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit and the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Tax Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weinberg, Southern District of New York, and Assistant Deputy Chief Jorge Almonte and Trial Attorney Alexandra K. Fleszar of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Father and Son Tax Preparers Indicted on 24 Counts in Defrauding the IRS

component: Criminal Division

body_text: WASHINGTON – Vincent Larry Phillips, Sr., 60, and Vincent Michael Phillips, Jr., 36, a father and son who operated a tax return preparation business in the District of Columbia, were charged in an 24-count indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in connection with an alleged yearslong scheme that defrauded the Internal Revenue Service, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. The indictment charges one count of conspiracy, 14 counts of aiding in the preparation of false returns, four counts of false statements, and four counts of aggravated identity theft. Phillips Sr. surrendered today to federal authorities. Phillips Jr. was arrested this morning in the District. Since 1995, Vincent Larry Phillips Sr. has owned and operated Tax Express LLC on the 1300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Phillips Jr. occasionally worked for his father’s business, which was alternatively named Nubian Tax Service, Nubian Tax Express, Nubian Tax Express 1, Express Tax, and Express Tax. “Phillips Sr. has done this before, he pleaded guilty to a similar offense in 2010,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Rest assured after this he will not do it again. My office and President Trump are intent on cutting fraud, waste, and abuse and will prosecute those offenses wherever we find it.” According to the indictment, father and son each prepared false and fraudulent tax returns that in various ways either improperly inflated the client’s claimed refund or resulted in the client claiming a refund when they should have owed taxes. The Phillips allegedly often did this without the knowledge of their clients and allegedly would skim part of the refund for their personal use. In March 2022, IRS Special Agents conducted an undercover operation at Tax Express. Father and son allegedly prepared separate false returns for the undercover agents. Each preparer allegedly claimed expenses for a fictional “geothermal heat pump” that reduced the tax burden. The agents had not reported the purchase of a heat pump. A correctly prepared return would have showed that the undercover agents were either getting a small refund or owed a small tax. Instead, the documents that the Phillips submitted to the IRS claimed a more substantial refund. The Phillips did not tell the undercover agents that they had added heat pump expenses to their tax returns. Among other allegations included in the indictment, the elder Phillips allegedly used the identity of a female associate to disguise the fact that the returns were prepared and electronically filed by a business he operated. The IRS had previously expelled Phillips from the IRS’s e-file program and revoked his business’s EFINs as a consequence of his criminal conviction in 2010 for tax crimes. This case is being investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the Department of Justice Criminal Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Ranney and Criminal Division Trial Attorney Emerson Gordon-Marvin. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Belton Man Sentenced for Treasury Check Theft

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Belton, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in the theft of government property, Treasury checks. Julian King, 32, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 6 months imprisonment based upon his guilty plea to theft of government funds relating to stolen United States Treasury checks. According to court documents, King and his co-defendants cashed a $72,236 U.S. Treasury check on Aug. 9, 2023, which was subsequently altered to indicate co-defendant, Sierra McCall, as the payee. McCall then deposited this altered check into her bank account and subsequently obtained two cashier’s checks for $36,000 each which were provided to King and Jalen Koonce. Koonce was employed by the U.S. Postal Service at the sorting facility where government checks are processed. On Sept. 6, 2023, King and Koonce deposited another stolen and altered Treasury check in the amount of $30,264.56. This check was held by the bank and did not clear. “My office has a very low threshold whenever a government employee is involved in criminal conduct and violates the public trust,” said R. Matthew Price, United States Attorney Western District of Missouri. “In those cases, we will hold not only those individuals accountable, but also those who help them during the commission of a crime.” “This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.” Koonce and co-defendant McCall have both pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing in 2026. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and TIGTA.


title: Armed Methamphetamine Traffickers Appear In Federal Court On Drug And Gun Charges

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jonathan Grant Fox, 44, and his daughter, Nevaeh Elizabeth Fox, 19, both of Hickory, appeared in federal court yesterday on drug trafficking and firearms charges, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jonathan and Nevaeh Fox are each charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Jonathan Fox is also charged with trafficking in firearms. U.S. Attorney Ferguson is joined in making today’s announcement by Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Bryan Adams of the Hickory Police Department. According to allegations in the indictment, Jonathan and Nevaeh Fox conspired with each other and other individuals to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine in and around Catawba County. The indictment further alleges that Jonathan and Nevaeh Fox did knowingly possess firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes. It is also alleged that Jonathan Fox, in August 2025, did engage in the trafficking of nine firearms: Springfield, model XD, 9mm pistol Glock, model 19M, 9mm pistol Glock, model 11, .40 caliber pistol Bersa, model Thunder380, .380 caliber pistol Mossberg, model 500 tactical 12-guage shotgun Romarm Draco 9S, 9mm pistol Sig Sauer, model P320C, 9mm pistol Rock Island Armory, model 1911A1, .45 caliber pistol Hi-Point, model 1095TS, 10mm rifle The defendants were arrested on December 16, 2025. While executing the arrest warrants, law enforcement seized additional fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, 18 firearms, and $11,139 in U.S. Currency. The defendants are in federal custody. If convicted, they face up to a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the ultimate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The charges against the defendants are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF and the Hickory Police Department for their investigative efforts and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, the Catawba Count Sheriff’s Office, the Newton Police Department, the Maiden Police Department, and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office for their invaluable assistance in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) William Wiseman is prosecuting the case. Mr. Wiseman is a state prosecutor with the office of the 26th Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Spencer Merriweather to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. Mr. Wiseman is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 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: VA Hospital Nurse Sentenced to 10 Years for Child Pornography

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A nurse at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 10 years’ imprisonment and 15 years of supervised release. Paul Robert Wyatt, 57, pleaded guilty to a three-count indictment, charging him with distribution of child pornography over the internet, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography (which involved a victim under the age of 12). At the time of these offenses, Wyatt was employed as a nurse at the Kansas City Veteran Affairs Medical Center on Linwood Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri. Wyatt will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation-Child Exploitation Task Force. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”


title: Rockford Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses

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

body_text: ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine and possessing firearms to protect his drug trafficking operation. CORNELL FINLEY, 48, pleaded guilty earlier this year to knowingly and intentionally possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute and possessing two handguns in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Finley admitted in a plea agreement that he possessed the loaded guns in Rockford for the purpose of protecting his drug supply and his drug trafficking proceeds. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Finley to 156 months in federal prison. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson.


title: Richmond identity thief sentenced to over three years in prison for hundreds of fraudulent unemployment benefits claims

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to three years and six months in prison for a multi-state scheme designed to steal COVID-19 pandemic benefits slated for unemployed workers. “At a moment of national urgency, Makka Garba and other fraudsters took advantage of the government programs designed to be a lifeline for American families in need,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “My office will vigorously pursue anyone who defrauds governmental programs to line their own pockets.” “During an unprecedented time when so many Americans struggled with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Makka Garba and his co-conspirators callously exploited the unemployment insurance system by filing over 300 fraudulent claims with several states across the country, including the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “Today’s sentencing affirms the continued commitment of the Office of Inspector General, working in close collaboration with our many federal and state law enforcement partners, to vigorously protect the integrity of unemployment insurance programs and hold accountable those who seek to unlawfully enrich themselves.” According to court documents, Garba, 36, and his co-conspirators filed at least 346 false claims for pandemic-related unemployment benefits in the names of identity theft victims. Garba and his co-conspirators filed false claims with at least seven different state workforce agencies throughout the United States, including the Virginia Employment Commission, with which Garba and his co-conspirators filed at least 162 false claims for unemployment insurance benefits between October 2020 and February 2021. These false pandemic unemployment applications falsely represented that the victims were filing these claims and falsely represented the victims’ eligibility for pandemic-related unemployment benefits. In many cases, the victims were employed during the pandemic and were not eligible for such funds. Garba and his co-conspirators received at least $619,442 in funds to which they were not entitled. Garba and his co-conspirators designated electronic payment cards to be mailed to Garba with fraud proceeds, at which point Garba withdrew those funds from Richmond-area ATMs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth prosecuted the case. U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General investigated this case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-45.


title: Former Principals of “Pre-IPO” Fund Plead Guilty to $65 Million Fraud and Money Laundering Schemes

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, John Cangialosi, Peter Girgis, and Gene Sarabella, also known as “Jerry,” pleaded guilty to all counts of a five-count indictment charging them with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, securities fraud, investment adviser fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. The proceedings were held before United States District Judge Carol Bagley Amon. When sentenced, the defendants each face up to 60 years in prison. The defendants had been scheduled to go to trial on January 12, 2026. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the guilty pleas. “The defendants were the architects of a vast fraud scheme targeting investors here in the Eastern District of New York and all throughout the country,” stated United States Attorney Joseph Nocella. “They hid excessive fees, concealed their identities, and lied about the securities they sold to investors. They then used investor funds to enrich themselves, principally through the purchase of millions of dollars in luxury watches. The Office is committed to protecting the public from predatory fund managers who get rich deceiving investors out of their hard-earned savings.” Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Washington, D.C. Home Office, for its significant cooperation and assistance during the investigation. As set forth in court filings and during court hearings, the defendants operated Max Infinity Management LLC, Elder Fund Management LLC, and a related series of funds (collectively, Max Infinity), which operated as a boiler-room style call center. Max Infinity marketed investments in securities of privately-held companies that were purportedly planning to go public through an initial public offering (IPO) in the immediate future. The defendants made numerous material misrepresentations and omissions about the terms and structure of their investments and Max Infinity itself. For example, among other things, the defendants and their employees falsely claimed that Max Infinity would make money only when its investors made money through a 20% share of the profits upon an eventual IPO. In truth, Max Infinity secretly charged investors a significant mark-up, at times more than 95% of the value of an investment, and paid commissions to sales agents from investor capital, sometimes 15% of the value of each investment, all of which the defendants hid from investors. The defendants also lied to investors about when and how Max Infinity acquired interests in pre-IPO companies, the use of investor funds, Max Infinity’s track record of performance, and the returns they could expect on their investments. For instance, the defendants and their employees told investors that Max Infinity acquired shares directly from the issuers and from the issuers’ employees. In fact, Max Infinity acquired the majority of the interests that it sold from other investment funds or through online platforms that were widely available to the investing public. The defendants and their employees told investors that “shares” were “in inventory,” and that investor money would be held in escrow. In truth, in many cases the share interests had not yet been purchased and the defendants comingled and spent nearly all investor capital, including through secret distributions to themselves totaling millions of dollars. The defendants and their employees also falsely claimed to investors that Max Infinity had conducted extensive due diligence and had a history of similar, successful transactions. For instance, Max Infinity employees claimed that Max Infinity had invested in, among other companies, Palantir, Facebook, and Airbnb. In truth, all of these companies went public before Max Infinity was even founded, and Max Infinity had never returned a profit to any investor. The defendants further misled investors about Max Infinity itself and their involvement in the company. Max Infinity employees claimed to investors that Max Infinity was “registered” with the SEC and filed regular reports with the SEC. To lull prospective investors, the defendants and their employees sent clients a link to a website that purported to show that Max Infinity was registered with the SEC when it was not. They also took steps to hide Girgis’s and Cangialosi’s roles at Max Infinity from regulators, investors and prospective investors, because the two were subject to staggered, nine-month suspensions imposed by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and had lengthy disciplinary histories. As part of their criminal scheme, the defendants used scripts with high-pressure sales tactics and solicited investments from elderly victims who were particularly susceptible to their lies. Among other false claims, scripts used by the defendants promised “triple digit returns,” that securities sold marketed by Max Infinity were “dirt cheap,” and that the company spent “millions of dollars, sometimes tens of millions on research before we ever recommend an investment to a client.” The defendants received millions of dollars of profits from their scheme, which they laundered through various purchases, including dozens of high-end watches. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section and the General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah M. Evans, Nicholas M. Axelrod and Eric Silverberg are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Castiglione of the Office’s Asset Forfeiture Section is handling forfeiture matters. Defendants : JOHN CANGIALOSI Age: 44 Manalapan, New Jersey PETER GIRGIS Age: 44 Staten Island, New York GENE SARABELLA (also known as “Jerry”) Age: 37 Monroe, New Jersey Defendants Who Previously Pleaded Guilty : ENRICO CARINI (also known as “Ed”) Age: 40 Staten Island, New York CANER OTAR (also known as “John”) Age: 38 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-363 (CBA)


title: Shelton Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Offense

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BURNEST GEYER, JR., 32, of Shelton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 150 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release for engaging in a pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of minors, including attempting to produce child pornography. According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement began investigating Geyer after learning he had told an individual that he possessed child pornography videos, and that he had communicated with a second individual through Telegram, an encrypted phone messaging application, about his child pornography collection. During a Telegram communication in July 2024, Geyer shared his laptop screen and showed pictures and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Geyer was arrested on October 8, 2024. On that date, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of his residence and seized his iPhone and other items. Analysis of the Telegram app on the iPhone revealed more than 3,000 images and videos depicting child pornography, including the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers. The investigation further revealed that Geyer engaged in numerous conversations with others on Telegram and WhatsApp, including more than 50 adult content creators, regarding his interest in the sexual abuse of minors. Geyer offered to pay the content creators to sexually exploit their children over video calls with him. In certain conversations, Geyer said he had engaged in the sexual abuse of minors. On July 28, 2025, Geyer pleaded guilty to receipt and distribution of child pornography. He has been detained since August 5, 2025, when his bond was revoked. This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Watertown, Bridgeport, Shelton, and Westport Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Highs Gang Members Convicted of RICO Conspiracy and Using a Firearm to Murder Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

body_text: Highs gang member Dantrell Johnson was sentenced today to life imprisonment for his role in a racketeering conspiracy and gang-related murder. On Dec. 16, Highs gang member Gregory Hamilton was also sentenced to life imprisonment. Following a federal jury trial, both defendants were convicted of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy and using a firearm to cause death. “The defendants orchestrated a calculated campaign of violence that included ruthless shootings and murders,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “They armed themselves, enlisted others – including juveniles – and hunted down perceived rivals, demonstrating the extreme danger posed by violent gangs. These life sentences reflect the Criminal Division’s unwavering commitment to holding gang leaders accountable and restoring safety to communities terrorized by gang violence.” “These life sentences reflect our unwavering commitment to hold the most dangerous offenders accountable and remove violent gang networks from our communities,” said Assistant Director of Field Operations Brent Beavers of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) “ATF dedicated hundreds of hours to this investigation alongside our law enforcement partners. We are proud of the meticulous work that brought this ruthless gang to justice.” “The people of Minneapolis deserve to feel safe and protected in their neighborhoods. The defendants took that right away from them by unleashing violence and terror in their streets,” said Acting Assistant Director Rebecca Day of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who threaten and terrorize innocent community members with violence will be held accountable by the FBI and our partners." After a two-week trial in April, a federal jury found Gregory Hamilton, 29, and Dantrell Johnson, 32, both of Minneapolis, guilty for their roles in the Highs, a violent Minneapolis street gang, and for a gang-related murder on Aug. 8, 2021. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hamilton and Johnson were members of the Highs, a criminal enterprise that controlled territory north of West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis. The evidence established that Hamilton, Johnson, and other Highs members committed murders, narcotics trafficking, weapons violations, burglaries, assaults, and robberies to further the enterprise. As a member of the Highs, the defendant was expected to retaliate against the rival Lows gang, which operated south of West Broadway Avenue. Trial evidence showed that, on Aug. 7, 2021, a prominent Highs member was shot and killed by a Lows member at the Winner gas station, a known Highs hangout. The following day, Aug. 8, 2021, Highs members organized a memorial at the gas station, where firearms were distributed and members encouraged one another to retaliate against Lows members for the murder. Hamilton, Johnson, and other Highs members were present at the memorial. Later that same day, Hamilton and Johnson drove to a Lows hangout, Wally’s Foods, and shot a Lows associate (Victim 1), who survived his injuries. Approximately two hours later, Hamilton, Johnson, and other Highs members drove to Skyline Market, another known Lows hangout, intending to shoot another Lows member. Hamilton and Johnson followed Victim 2 into the store, where surveillance cameras captured them shooting him. The defendants mistakenly believed Victim 2 was a member of the Lows. Victim 2 fled the store and into the street, where another Highs member, Keon Pruitt, who was driving a stolen Porsche with two juvenile Highs members inside, stopped the vehicle and let the juveniles out. The juveniles chased Victim 2 into a nearby alley and fired additional shots. Victim 2 was shot at least eight times and died at the scene. On Nov. 16, 2025, Highs gang member Keon Pruitt was sentenced to a 451-month term of imprisonment after a federal jury trial found him guilty of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy and using a firearm to cause death. These cases against the Highs resulted from an investigation conducted by the ATF; the FBI; the Minneapolis Police Department; IRS Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office; the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; and the Minnesota Department of Corrections, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to this investigation through reports or evidence control. Trial Attorney Brian W. Lynch of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Lopez-Calhoun, Albania Concepcion, and Rebecca Kline for the District of Minnesota prosecuted the case.


title: Baltimore Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison in Connection With Carjacking, Kidnapping Charges

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson sentenced Dennis Allen Hairston, 35, of Catonsville, Maryland, to 40 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role as the leader of two violent carjackings. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler, Harford County Sheriff’s Office; and State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey, Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office. In June 2024, after a three-week trial, a federal jury convicted Hairston and co-conspirator Donte Davon Stanley, 34, of Rosedale, Maryland, in connection with the carjackings. The jury convicted Hairston of kidnapping and robbery conspiracies; two counts of kidnapping; two counts of carjacking; two counts of robbery affecting commerce, and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Additionally, the jury convicted Stanley of kidnapping and robbery conspiracies, kidnapping, and carjacking. Evidence at trial established that from May 3, through August 26, 2021, Hairston planned and organized the kidnapping of two victims. One of the victims was an employee of a check cashing business. According to trial testimony, Hairston planned and committed the crimes with the goal of robbing the check cashing businesses where the victim worked, and to steal cash and other items of value from the other victim. Evidence also established that the co-conspirators planned and organized the carjackings of the two victims’ vehicles. According to trial testimony, the co-conspirators surveilled the victims prior to the abductions, including by attaching tracking devices to their vehicles. The co-conspirators then abducted the victims by posing as police officers — as they wore police vests, police badges — and using a police-style light bar to stop the victims and their vehicles. Then the co-conspirators brandished firearms, bound and blindfolded each victim, and then forcibly put them into a vehicle. At trial, victims testified that the co-conspirators used a blowtorch to burn them during the kidnappings. Evidence established that from May 5 to May 6, the co-conspirators followed one victim from the check cashing business where she worked. The co-conspirators then posed as law enforcement officers and used the police-style light bar to pull her over. Hairston and Stanley, who were wearing police vests and badges, brandished firearms to remove the victim from her vehicle. They then handcuffed the victim’s hands behind her back, zip-tied her feet, blindfolded her by placing a mask and duct tape around her face, and forcibly placed her into the rear of a vehicle. While driving with the victim, Hairston and Stanley burned the victim with a blowtorch to obtain information from her to access the check cashing business where she worked with the intent to remove all the cash from the business. From May 15 to 16, Hairston and others approached the second victim in his vehicle in Edgewood, Maryland. Hairston again used a police-style light bar to pull him over. Wearing police vests and badges, Hairston kidnapped the second victim and forcibly placed him into the rear of a vehicle operated by co-conspirators. After placing a mask over his face, duct taping his face, and stealing his vehicle, co-conspirators burned the second victim with a blow torch to obtain cash and other items from him. Judge Hurson scheduled Stanley’s sentencing for Monday, February 2, 2026, at 1 p.m. Two other co-defendants were previously convicted and sentenced for their role in the conspiracy and some of the kidnappings. Franklin Jay Smith, 34, of Catonsville, Maryland, received a nine-year sentence, followed by four years supervised release, for carjacking and using a firearm in connection with a crime of violence, and Davon Tramont Dorsey, 30, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland, received 15 years, followed by and three years of supervised release, for carjacking and using, carrying and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. 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. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, BPD, BCPD, Harford County Sheriff’s Office, and Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Spencer L. Todd, Major Crimes Section, who are prosecuting this case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Farmington Man Who Threatened to Kill Public Officials is Sentenced

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KASEY CHARLES HAWORTH, 30, of Farmington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to approximately 25 months of imprisonment, time already served, and three years of supervised release for threatening to kill members of Congress and other public officials. According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2023, the U.S. Capitol Police reviewed a series of posts on the social media platform X explicitly threatening to kill and maim various public officials, including two members of Congress. Investigators determined that Haworth was the user of the X account and, on October 24, 2023, the U.S. Secret Service and Farmington Police interviewed him at his residence and confirmed that he had written the posts. On October 30, 2023, Haworth made additional threatening X posts, including one stating “Anyone working in law enforcement in the USA that tries to shoot me will be killed by me, if you see me trying to take back my government don’t try to stop me or you will be the one who dies and thats it!” Haworth was arrested on November 2, 2023, and has been detained since his arrest. On October 20, 2025, he pleaded guilty to making threatening communications. Judge Hall ordered, as part of his supervised release, that Haworth continue mental health treatment, not have any contact with victims, and allow his electronic devices to be monitored by the U.S. Probation Office. This matter was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police with the assistance of the U.S. Secret Service and the Farmington Police Department.


title: Justice Department Sues Four States for Failure to Produce Voter Rolls

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced it has filed federal lawsuits against four jurisdictions — District of Columbia , Georgia , Illinois , and Wisconsin — for failure to produce their full voter registration lists upon request. This brings the Justice Department’s nationwide total to 22. In addition, three states — Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee — today announced to the Justice Department their intent to voluntarily provide their full registration lists, pursuant to the Department's request. This brings the number of states that are either in full compliance or in the process of compliance to 10. “The law is clear: states need to give us this information, so we can do our duty to protect American citizens from vote dilution,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Today’s filings show that regardless of which party is in charge of a particular state, the Department of Justice will firmly stand on the side of election integrity and transparency.” According to the lawsuits, the Attorney General is uniquely charged by Congress with the enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which were designed by Congress to ensure that states have proper and effective voter registration and voter list maintenance programs. The Attorney General also has the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA) at her disposal to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of the statewide voter registration lists.


title: Indian National Indicted for Threatening to Kill a Victim Living in Canada

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO , Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Jasmeet Singh, 30, an Indian national who had been living in Fresno, charging him with transmitting threats to injure another person, United States Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, on May 27, 2024, Singh sent multiple threats to a victim living in Canada, threatening to kill the victim because of that victim’s prior cooperation with Indian law enforcement. Singh sent the victim a picture of the victim’s car in front of the victim’s residence, told the victim he knew the victim’s daily habits, including the type of coffee the victim drank, and that the victim could not run because Singh and his associates would kill him/her. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Langley Detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case. Singh is currently detained in federal custody while awaiting trial. If convicted, Singh faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Former Voice of America Employee Pleads Guilty to Making Threats Against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Seth Jason, 64, of Edgewater, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making anonymous, telephonic threats against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene between October 2023 and January 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and United States Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan. Jason pleaded guilty to one count of Interstate Communications with a Threat to Kidnap or Injure and one count of Anonymous Telecommunications Harassment. U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan set a sentencing date for June 18, 2026. “Seth Jason repeatedly threatened to assault and kill Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and did so from inside Voice of America where he was employed. No one should have to live their life in fear wondering if those threats are about to be fulfilled,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message—my office will not take these threats lightly—think twice because we will find you and we will convict you.” According to court documents, Jason made eight calls between Oct. 11, 2023, and Jan. 21, 2025, to the congressional offices of a member of the House of Representatives. In those calls, Jason repeatedly threatened the Representative, the Representative’s family, and the Representative’s staff. The threats escalated over time, culminating with two threats coinciding with the Presidential Inauguration. Specifically, on Jan. 8, 2025, just 12 days before the Inauguration, Jason left a voicemail with the Representative’s office stating that the Representative would not “see the inaugural,” and that the Representative, the Representative’s staff, and the Representative’s family would be dead. Then, on Jan. 21, 2025, Jason left another threatening voicemail with the Representative’s congressional office, stating the Representative and the Representative’s staff “were as good as dead,” and to “make your last will ready, because we are coming after you, and the only thing you’re going to hear is bang…I’m yearning to hear you cry for your last breath.” The investigation revealed that Jason, a former Voice of America employee, placed each of the eight calls while he was working inside of the VOA headquarters, which is in the District of Columbia. Jason faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison on the charge of Interstate Communications with a Threat to Kidnap or Injure and two years in prison on the charge of Anonymous Telecommunications Harassment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case was investigated by the United States Capitol Police and Department of State Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan Horan and Travis Wolf. ### 25cr191


title: Two Kanawha County Residents Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Charleston Drug Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Quanda Kiev Wilborne, also known as “Quan” and “Queso,” 29, of Charleston, was sentenced to ten years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and Taylor Faith Walke, 23, of St. Albans, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, each for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Wilborne and Walke participated in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. According to court documents and statements made in court, Wilborne obtained methamphetamine from co-conspirator Amanda Marie Mace and fentanyl from multiple sources and distributed both controlled substances in and around Charleston between June 2024 and May 2025. As part of his plea agreement, Wilborne admitted that he obtained and re-distributed approximately 24 pounds of methamphetamine from Mace. Wilborne also admitted that on March 4, 2025, he sold a quarter pound of methamphetamine to co-conspirator Walke in exchange for $700 and that Walke had contacted him by phone beforehand seeking to purchase the methamphetamine for a third party. Law enforcement officers stopped Walke later that day and seized the methamphetamine. Wilborne further admitted that he possessed a firearm in connection with the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and/or fentanyl on February 29, 2024, December 9, 2024, and January 15, 2025. Wilborne, Walke, and Mace are among 16 individuals indicted as the result of a federal investigation on charges alleging they participated in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. Five defendants in the main indictment pleaded guilty, including Wilbourne, Walke, and Mace, also known as “A,” 42, of South Charleston. Four defendants pleaded guilty in separate cases that resulted from the investigation. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-78.


title: Two Lake City Men Plead Guilty To Possessing Pure Methamphetamine With Intent To Distribute

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Terry Alonza Brown (54) and Doug Bradley (46), both of Lake City, have pleaded guilty to possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. They each face a mandatory minimum term of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. According to their plea agreements, on June 23, 2025, law enforcement officers conducting surveillance at Brown’s residence in Lake City observed Bradley enter the residence, exit a short time later with a bag, place the bag in a vehicle, and then drive away. After Bradley was stopped for a traffic infraction, his vehicle was searched and officers found a vacuum-sealed plastic bag that contained a large amount of a white crystalline substance. The substance was later determined to be 100% pure methamphetamine weighing 1,340.2 grams. Later that same day, officers observed Brown leave the residence with a multi-colored bag, place the bag in a vehicle, and then drive away. After Brown was stopped for a traffic infraction, his vehicle was searched and officers found the multi-colored bag in the backseat area. The bag contained two separate vacuum-sealed plastic bags, inside of which were additional bags containing a white crystalline substance. The substance was later determined to be 99% pure methamphetamine weighing 2,694 grams. Subsequently, officers obtained a search warrant for Brown’s residence. During the search, they found two black bags containing packages of a white crystalline substance, $12,000 in a safe, and $1,000 in one of the bedrooms. The substance was later determined to be 99% pure methamphetamine weighing 1,786.8 grams. Before committing these offenses, Brown and Bradley had previously been convicted of federal drug trafficking charges. In April 2013, Brown was convicted of five counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine). In November 2008, Bradley was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine). This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.


title: Maryland Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to Over 22 Years in Prison for Attempting to Coerce and Entice Minors Using WhatsApp and Kik Applications

body_text: Registered sex offender Scott Lee Dye, 47, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced today to 270 months imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release for attempted coercion and enticement after he used multiple messaging applications — including WhatsApp and Kik — to attempt to meet and have sexual intercourse with individuals he believed to be minors. Dye pleaded guilty to the charge on June 16, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. He was also ordered to lifetime supervised release and to continue to register as a sex offender. According to court documents, in October 2022, law enforcement learned that Dye was engaging in sexual communications with a minor after the minor’s parents reported the communications to the school, who in turn notified the police. Around the same time, local law enforcement in New Jersey notified Maryland law enforcement that Dye had been communicating with an individual Dye believed to be a 13-year-old girl, but was actually law enforcement. Dye’s communications with the purported minor included graphic descriptions of the sexual acts he wanted to perform with the minor. Dye’s accounts and devices were searched and found to contain images and videos of child sexual abuse material. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security with substantial assistance from the Maryland State Police and Evesham Police Department in New Jersey. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Angelica Carrasco of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Aubin for the District of Maryland. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Two Pharmacists Sentenced to Years in Prison for Illegal Distribution of Oxycodone

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, pharmacist Mohamed Hassan was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Ann M. Donnelly to 18 years’ imprisonment. Also today, co-defendant Anthony Mathis, a street narcotics dealer involved in the scheme, was sentenced by Judge Donnelly to 36 months’ imprisonment. On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, Judge Donnelly sentenced pharmacist co-defendant Yousef Ennab to 30 months’ imprisonment. As part of their sentences, Mathis and Ennab were ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $535,989.12 and $13,472.76, respectively, and Hassan was ordered to pay forfeiture in an amount to be determined at a future date. Ennab and Hassan were convicted after trial in February 2025 on all counts of a superseding indictment charging them with conspiracies to dispense and distribute oxycodone, as well as distribution and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone. Mathis previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA); Naomi Gruchacz, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York); Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI); and Dr. James V. McDonald, Commissioner, New York State Department of Health, announced the sentences. “The opioid epidemic has caused incalculable harm in our communities, and this criminal ring fueled the proliferation of pills on the street,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “The corrupt pharmacists who filled illegitimate oxycodone prescriptions to supply drug dealers, acted out of pure greed and complete disregard for the harm they were causing. The prison sentences meted out, and my Office’s prosecution of the scheme, demonstrates the Office’s and law enforcement’s commitment to hold accountable all the actors for their roles in this scourge.” Mr. Nocella expressed his thanks to the additional law enforcement partners that assisted with the case, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the New York State Comptroller, the New York Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the New York National Guard. “Pharmacists swear an oath to protect lives, not endanger them,” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “By illegally distributing oxycodone, these individuals betrayed their profession, their communities, and the public’s trust. The DEA will not distinguish between those who wear a white coat and those who traffic drugs. Anyone who fuels addiction for profit will be held accountable.” “Today’s sentences send a clear message that those who exploit their positions of trust to fuel the opioid crisis will be held accountable,” stated HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Gruchacz. “HHS-OIG will continue working with our law enforcement partners to safeguard federal health care programs and protect the beneficiaries who depend on them.” “Using their positions as pharmacists to scheme and cheat the system, Ennab and Hassan dispensed oxycodone to their vulnerable clientele with full knowledge of its addictive qualities. The pair cared more about lining their pockets with dirty money than the safety and well-being of their customers. Today’s sentencing was made possible with the collaborative efforts of our federal and local partners, and now each will finally see the full consequences of their criminal behavior,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis. DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber stated, “The prison sentences imposed this week hold the defendants, including two pharmacists, accountable for a criminal scheme that sent more than 1.6 million pills of highly addictive oxycodone into our City’s streets. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and all of our law enforcement partners involved in this investigation for their unwavering commitment to bring to justice those who distribute dangerous drugs in our communities.” “The illegal distribution of opioids carries the devastating cost of broken families, lives lost and communities left shattered,” stated New York State Health Commissioner McDonald . “When a pharmacist entrusted to care for patients betrays that trust, the damage can be irreparable. The New York State Department of Health ‘s Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement will continue to remain vigilant and collaborate with law enforcement agencies to safeguard the public health of New Yorkers by combating illegitimate use of controlled substances in health care. We remain committed to supporting prevention, harm reduction and recovery efforts and ensuring people struggling with substance use have access to quality treatment and a path toward healing.” As proven at trial and set forth in court filings, Hassan and Ennab were licensed pharmacists who participated in a scheme to use illegal medical prescriptions to obtain oxycodone for sale on the streets of New York City. Hassan held ownership stakes in approximately 20 pharmacies, which were located in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, and some of which did business under the names Nile RX, Nile Ridge, Nile City, Sunset Corner, Prospect Care, Downtown RX and Forest Care, among others. Ennab was the supervising pharmacist at Forest Care, one of Hassan’s pharmacies in Staten Island. The scheme relied on filling illegally issued prescriptions for 30-day supplies of oxycodone 30 mg that were written out of a Brooklyn medical practice operating as a pill mill, often for patients that the resident doctor at the practice had never examined. Oxycodone 30 mg pills are high in strength and are usually prescribed to patients facing serious diagnoses, like cancer patients. In some cases, the prescriptions were for individuals whose identities had been stolen and were not patients of the practice. The prescriptions were then filled at pharmacies controlled by Hassan, including the pharmacy where Ennab worked. Hassan and Ennab conspired with other drug dealers to distribute the illegally obtained oxycodone. One of the drug dealers picked up the oxycodone from the pharmacies in exchange for cash payments to Hassan and Ennab. Hassan and other pharmacist co-conspirators also billed insurance companies for the pills, even though they had no legitimate medical purpose. Mathis was a drug dealer who picked up oxycodone from pharmacies in exchange for payment. Mathis recruited dozens of individuals to serve as nominal patients, in whose name oxycodone prescriptions were issued. Mathis also stole the identities of some individuals, and those identities were used—without their knowledge or approval—on oxycodone prescriptions that co-defendant Michael Kent picked up. In total, the scheme resulted in the illegal distribution of more than 1.6 million pills of oxycodone, worth more than $48 million in retail street value. Seven co-defendants, including Kent, Dr. Somsri Ratanaprasatporn, her receptionist Leticia Smith, and pharmacists Bassam Amin and Omar Elsayed, previously pleaded guilty based on their involvement in the scheme. Three of these co-defendants are awaiting sentencing. Kent was previously sentenced to 108 months’ incarceration, and Raymond Walker, another street dealer, was previously sentenced to 84 months’ incarceration. Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Zuckerwise, Victor Zapana and Gilbert M. Rein are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from former Paralegal Specialists Rachel Friedman and Nadya Osman. Assistant United States Attorney Claire Kedeshian of the Office’s Asset Forfeiture Section is handing forfeiture matters. The Defendants : YOUSEF ENNAB Age: 28 Brooklyn, New York MOHAMED HASSAN Age: 35 Brooklyn, New York ANTHONY MATHIS Age: 58 New Windsor, New York Co-Defendants Who Pleaded Guilty and Are Awaiting Sentencing: LETICIA SMITH Age: 57 Brooklyn, New York BASSAM AMIN Age: 62 Brooklyn, New York OMAR ELSAYED Age: 31 Hackensack, New Jersey Co-Defendants Who Were Previously Sentenced: MICHAEL KENT Age: 52 Brooklyn, New York DR. SOMSRI RATANAPRASATPORN Age: 78 Staten Island, New York RAYMOND WALKER Age: 73 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-464 (S-1) (AMD)


component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl CONCORD – A Dominican man pleaded guilty today in federal court to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Marcos Alcantara Hernandez, 30, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled Hernandez’s sentencing for April 6, 2026. According to the charging documents and statements made in court, in May 2021, Hernandez conspired with Kevin Rodriguez and others to sell approximately 500 grams of fentanyl to a customer in New Hampshire. On May 19, 2021, a DEA cooperating source (“CS”) negotiated the sale of fentanyl with an individual the CS knew as “NH Dude.” After the CS and “NH Dude” reached an agreement on the quantity, price, and location of the sale, Hernandez coordinated with Rodriguez and others to obtain the drugs from a supplier. After Rodriguez obtained the fentanyl, Hernandez texted Rodriguez the meet location in Portsmouth and followed Rodriguez to New Hampshire where Rodriguez sold the drugs to the CS. The charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance carries a sentence of up to 20 years’ incarceration, not less than 3 years of supervised released, and a fine up to $1,000,000. 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. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: United States Settles Suit for Misclassification of Chinese Automotive Components

component: Civil Division

body_text: The United States collected over $53 million in settlement of a civil penalty lawsuit against Wanxiang America Corporation, a domestic importer for Wanxiang Group Corporation, a multinational conglomerate in the People’s Republic of China that manufactures and sells automotive components. The settlement marks the conclusion of nearly 10 years of contentious litigation, with the United States collecting all the lost revenue it sought and over $30 million in civil penalties. “The Department of Justice is committed to pursuing those individuals and companies who evade customs and antidumping duties or otherwise engage in unfair trade practices that harm U.S. manufacturers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to employ all of our tools to ensure that U.S. manufacturers are competing on a level playing field.” “Misclassification and other illicit methods used to evade the payment of lawfully-owed duties undermine the American economy by harming legitimate U.S. businesses,” said Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Susan S. Thomas for U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Trade. “Various CBP employees from Trade Regulatory Audit, and staff at the Automotive and Aerospace Center of Excellence and Expertise, worked closely with the Department of Justice on this matter to ensure the U.S. Government collected the revenue owed. I am proud that our CBP trade personnel worked alongside our Department of Justice colleagues to achieve this result.” The lawsuit brought by the United States against Wanxiang alleged that, for a period of five years, Wanxiang committed multiple violations of 19 U.S.C. § 1592 by making false statements to customs officials when importing automotive components, including tapered roller bearings and wheel hub assemblies incorporating tapered roller bearings. During that time, wheel hub assemblies were covered by a Department of Commerce antidumping duty order for tapered roller bearings from China, and except for specifically identified Chinese exporters, the China country-wide liquidation rate for goods covered by the antidumping duty order was 92.84%. Although it was aware of the antidumping duty order, Wanxiang falsely classified its imported wheel hub assemblies and failed to disclose that those importations were covered by the antidumping duty order. Wanxiang also misclassified multiple categories of automotive components, parts, and accessories under incorrect tariff provisions. These misrepresentations resulted in Wanxiang vastly underpaying the amount of customs and antidumping duties owed on its merchandise. CBP’s Trade, Regulatory Audit (Ken Bingham and Amy Johnson) conducted the investigation with assistance from CBP’s National Threat Analysis Center and CBP’s Automotive and Aerospace Center for Excellence and Expertise (Detroit), the CBP’s Fines, Penalties, and Forfeitures Office (Chicago), and CBP’s Office of Regulations and Rulings. CBP is the agency responsible for enforcing U.S. laws related to the importation of merchandise into the United States, including the collection of duties and assessment of penalties. This case was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Mikki Cottet of the Commercial Litigation Branch (National Courts Section) of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, with investigative support from CBP’s Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Great Lakes Region) and CBP’s Trade, Regulatory Audit. The case, which was filed in the Court of International Trade, is captioned United States v. Wanxiang America Corporation , No. 22-00205. Following the settlement, the parties stipulated the dismissal of the civil action. To combat trade fraud, including avoidance of import duties, the Justice Department created a Trade Fraud Task Force. The Task Force partners with CBP and other law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance with United States trade laws. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.