title: Man Found Guilty of 6 Counts of Child Exploitation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – After a five-day jury trial, Lionel Albino Galindo was found guilty of six counts of child exploitation. United States District Court Judge Maria Antongiorgi-Jordan presided over the trial. According to court documents, from February 2024 throughout March 19, 2024, Lionel Albino Galindo sexually exploited a 13-year-old female minor. The defendant used a cellular phone as well as internet instant messaging services, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a 13-year-old female minor, to engage in sexual activity, which includes the production of child pornography. During trial, the government presented evidence to prove that Albino Galindo knowingly transported the female minor to engage in sexual activity on several occasions and produced visual depictions of such conduct. The defendant also received child pornography from the female minor and sent obscene material to the minor. The jury found Lionel Albino Galindo guilty of one count of coercion and enticement of a minor; one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; one count of sexual exploitation of children; one count for receipt of child pornography; one count for possession of child pornography; and one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor. The defendant faces the following possible sentences: for coercion and enticement and transportation of minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life; for sexual exploitation of children he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years up to 30 years; for possession of child pornography and transfer of obscene material to a minor he faces up to 10 years; and for receipt of child pornography he faces five to 20 years in prison; all charges followed by a term of supervised release of no less than 5 years up to life. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2025, at 9:30 am. The defendant was ordered to remain under the custody of the Bureau of Prisons pending sentencing. “I commend the prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners for their hard work and dedication in bringing this child predator to justice,” said United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico. “The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting our most vulnerable—our children,” said Devin Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “This verdict underscores the seriousness of crimes against minors and reinforces our dedication to holding offenders accountable. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who prey on children face the full force of justice.” The FBI investigated the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Jenifer Y. Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit and AUSA Emelina Agrait Barreto prosecuted the case. 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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. ###


title: Bibb County Jail Escapee Sentenced to Life in Prison for Armed Drug Trafficking

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A Macon man who broke out of the Bibb County Jail in 2023 as he was awaiting federal sentencing for armed drug trafficking and who was later captured in Augusta, Georgia, allegedly possessing kilograms of fentanyl and methamphetamine plus firearms was sentenced to life plus five years in prison today. Johnifer Dernard Barnwell, aka “Whoop,” aka “Malixe,” 38, was sentenced to serve life in prison after he was found guilty at trial of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base; and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on Oct. 2, 2023, in Case No. 5:22-CR-00009. In addition, Barnwell was sentenced to serve the statutory maximum of five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of escape from custody in Case No. 5:23-CR-62-001 on July 18, 2024. U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal handed down the sentences on March 11. There is no parole in the federal system. “Despite his attempts to escape justice, Johnifer Barnwell has been held accountable for his criminal actions,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Law enforcement officers risked their lives to ensure that a repeat felon was brought to justice and to prevent the distribution of some of the deadliest drugs in our state. I commend them, and our federal prosecution team, for their bravery and the excellent work in this case.” “Gangs wreak havoc on local residents, engaging in violence and peddling dangerous drugs that devastate communities and families," said Senior Supervisory Special Agent Robert Gibbs of FBI Macon. "As this case demonstrates, cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement is vital to dismantling violent criminal enterprises and keeping our communities safe." “The successful resolution of this case demonstrates the importance of our professional partnerships,” said U.S. Marshal Stephen D. Lynn. “Each agency played a specific and vital role in helping to bring Johnifer Barnwell to justice.” “This sentence illustrates the penalty that repeat and dangerous felons face when they continue to cause havoc in our community,” said Bibb County Sheriff David Davis. “We can be grateful for the investigative work of the Bibb County investigators and our federal partners in bringing Johnifer Barnwell to justice after his jail escape and his attempt to return to a life of crime.” According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Barnwell was tried and convicted on Oct. 2, 2023, of armed drug trafficking in Case No. 5:22-CR-00009. For more information about that case, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/jury-convicts-macon-residents-armed-fentanyl-meth-heroin-trafficking . At the time, Barnwell was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) to await sentencing and was housed at the Bibb County LEC, a facility contracted by USMS to house federal inmates. Barnwell escaped from the Bibb County LEC on Oct. 16, 2023, with the assistance of several individuals. For more information on that case, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/convicted-armed-drug-trafficker-pleads-guilty-bibb-county-jail-escape and https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/macon-woman-who-assisted-bibb-county-jail-break-sentenced-prison . Barnwell was captured in Augusta on Nov. 12, 2023, by FBI and Bibb County Sheriff’s Office deputies. He was alone in the house and was allegedly in possession of an AK-47 rifle with a loaded magazine; a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with 14 rounds; a .45 caliber pistol with a loaded magazine; an extended capacity magazine; a drum magazine; 23,000 grams of methamphetamine; and more than 3,200 grams of fentanyl. The case was investigated by FBI, USMS and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: Dominican Republic National Charged with Illegally Re-Entering the United States

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Joan Tavarez Bueno, 33, of the Dominican Republic, was charged with illegally entering the United States after being previously removed. According to court documents, on March 10, 2025, Tavarez Bueno was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by law enforcement after Homeland Security Investigations received information that a possible non-citizen was traveling from St. John by ferry and arriving at the Red Hook Ferry Terminal in St. Thomas. Agents observed an individual matching Tavarez Bueno’s description exiting the Red Hook Ferry Terminal and entering a vehicle parked at the terminal. Agents later stopped the vehicle and detained Tavarez Bueno. A records check confirmed that Tavarez Bueno was in the United States illegally and had been removed previously from the United States on February 13, 2024. If convicted, Tavarez Bueno faces up to two years in prison. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the National Park Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne. United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that a criminalcomplaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Meth Charges

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

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man and Guatemalan native was sentenced today to 192 months in federal prison for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to public court documents, Wilton Omar Garcia-Castillo, 19, distributed 500 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in June 2024. Two days later, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Garcia-Castillo’s Council Bluffs residence and located 27 pounds of methamphetamine along with a loaded firearm, an extended firearm magazine, digital scales, and more than $4,000. After completing his term of imprisonment, Garcia-Castillo will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety–Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Council Bluffs Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Iowa State Patrol. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 96 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm Charge

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced today to 8 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. According to public court documents, Jesus Everardo Medina, 40, possessed a loaded, stolen pistol in his waistband in July 2024. In 2018, Medina was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa and was discharged from his term of supervised release in December 2022. After completing his term of imprisonment, Medina will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Council Bluffs Police Department. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Hanford Site Subcontractor Sentenced for Stealing COVID-19 Relief Funding, Owner Pays $1.1 Million in Restitution and Penalties

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Richland, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker announced today that BNL Technical Services, LLC (BNL), was sentenced for a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19 relief funding. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian ordered BNL to pay restitution in the amount of $493,865. The Court further sentenced BNL to one year of probation to ensure that the restitution is paid promptly and in full. Acting U.S. Attorney Barker further announced that BNL’s owner, Wilson Pershing Stevenson III, of Nashville, Tennessee, paid $1,105,498 as part of an affirmative civil fraud settlement in the case to resolve his individual liability arising from BNL’s receipt of COVID relief funding. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, between 2020 and 2021, BNL provided contract labor services to Hanford Site prime contractors. BNL’s labor costs and payroll continued to be paid by DOE throughout the pandemic, including when BNL employees were not able to physically work at the site and instead were teleworking or simply home in “ready” status. In April of 2020, BNL applied for and received a $493,865 loan as part of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Congress created the PPP in March 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide funding to small businesses in order to mitigate the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for small and local businesses. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the United States, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) may grant a small business borrower forgiveness so long as the loan proceeds have been used for payroll and other eligible expenses. BNL fraudulently sought and obtained PPP funding for BNL employees despite their pay and benefits already being covered by DOE contract funds and other federal sources including the Veterans Administration. Shortly after receiving the funds, BNL transferred and used more than $424,230 of the PPP proceeds on unauthorized expenditures. In August of 2021, BNL, through its sole owner Wilson Pershing Stevenson III, requested and was granted forgiveness of the $493,865 PPP loan, by falsely and fraudulently certifying the loan proceeds had been used for eligible uses and business expenses between April and October of 2020. “We are proud of our law enforcement partners, without which we could not have uncovered and successfully prosecuted this blatant and fraudulent misuse of PPP funds,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rich Barker. “Our COVID-19 Strike Force continues to hold accountable those that fraudulently obtained and misused federal funds set aside to help small businesses in our community. I am so proud of our team of prosecutors, led by White Collar Chief Dan Fruchter, for building this Strike Force and holding accountable those who defrauded the United States.” “The misuse of critical emergency funds intended for those personally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic defrauds taxpayers and deprives legitimate recipients of important assistance at a time it was needed most,” stated Lewe F. Sessions, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Office of Inspector General, Department of Energy. “The Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General continues to pursue such fraudulent claims submitted by our employees and contractors.” “This sentencing sends a message that the VA Office of Inspector General will diligently pursue those who would illegally line their pockets at the expense of the taxpayer,” said Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northwest Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners as part of the COVID-19 Strike Force to investigate fraud against relief programs intended to support bona fide recipients.” “Today’s sentencing is a testament to the OIG’s unwavering commitment to protecting our small business support programs and bringing fraudsters to justice,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Special Agent in Charge, Weston King. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners for their diligence and pursuit of justice.” This case was investigated by the Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General, Richland Field Office, the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, and the VA Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler H.L. Tornabene and Dan Fruchter are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. 4:23-cr-06014-SAB


title: Former Benicia Man Sentenced To 41 Months in Prison For $3.2 Million Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO , Calif. —Euan David MacGregor, formerly known as David Joseph Bean, 54, of Iowa City, Iowa, was sentenced by Senior Judge John A. Mendez to 41 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for defrauding his former employer out of over $3.2 million, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. In addition, MacGregor was ordered to pay $3,217,456.41 in restitution to his victim. According to court documents, between approximately November 2014 to January 2020, Euan MacGregor, then known as David Bean, used his position as a Chief Administrative Officer to execute a scheme to defraud his employer. According to court documents, MacGregor defrauded his former employer in two ways. First, he diverted at least 122 checks made payable to his employer to bank accounts that he controlled. MacGregor did this by creating a shell corporation that had a business name similar to the name of his employer and depositing the checks into bank accounts that he opened in the name of the shell corporation. MacGregor then presented false financial information to the company’s president and shareholders, causing them to believe they had received the monies he diverted. In addition, MacGregor falsely represented to his employer that he was outsourcing his employer’s bookkeeping work to a third party, a company named Essential Business Services. In reality, Essential Business Services was another shell company that MacGregor created and controlled. MacGregor’s false representations caused his employer to pay Essential Business Services thousands of dollars each month for bookkeeping services that it did not perform. MacGregor used the money he fraudulently obtained to pay for personal expenses for him and his family, including mortgage payments, the payment of credit cards, educational expenses, travel, and the purchase or lease of vehicles. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case.


title: Four Individuals Sentenced for Smuggling Tropical Birds

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Note, the press release has been updated to include a quote from the U.S. Coast Guard. The final two of four Dominican nationals were sentenced last week for Lacey Act trafficking and smuggling wildlife from the United States after they attempted to smuggle tropical birds from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the Dominican Republic. Frankluis Carela De Jesús was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, while Domingo Heureau Altagracia was sentenced to 8 months in prison. Waner Balbuena and Juan Graviel Ramírez Cedano were previously each sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in prison. According to court documents, De Jesús, Altagracia, Balbuena and Cedano were traveling on May 3, 2024, in a flagless vessel with more than 100 tropical birds of various species onboard. De Jesús, Altagracia, Balbuena and Cedano did not have wildlife export licenses, and they failed to make the required declarations for exporting wildlife. Many of the birds are internationally protected species, including white-crowned parrots, golden-capped parakeets and green-cheeked conures. The defendants also had red-crowned parrots, which are afforded the highest level of international protection due to their exploitation in the pet trade and risk of extinction. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) approached the vessel about 30 nautical miles north of Puerto Rico and saw the crew throwing objects overboard. The USCG stopped and boarded the vessel and recovered wood cages containing tropical birds from the water. A total of 113 birds were recovered, all of which drowned when the cages were thrown overboard. “Defendants were caught in the act of smuggling tropical birds from Puerto Rico, and then drowned them to cover up their crime,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Whether it’s wildlife or other natural resources or goods, smuggling is illegal. We will prosecute those who try to circumvent our laws.” “In this case, endangering the welfare of animals for personal gain was not only cruel — it was illegal,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “I commend the excellent collaboration of the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners who remain steadfast in their commitment to protecting our wildlife. Because of their hard work, justice was served.” “This prosecution and conviction underscore the serious consequences of wildlife trafficking and the devastating impact it has on natural resources,” said Assistant Director Doug Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)’s Office of Law Enforcement. “The illegal smuggling of tropical birds not only threatens vulnerable populations but also undermines conservation efforts and poses significant risks as wildlife traffickers attempt to exploit our borders. We are resolute in our mission to hold accountable those who engage in such crimes, and we will continue to pursue justice with the full force of the law alongside our interagency partners.” “The U.S. Coast Guard is the nation’s premiere maritime law enforcement agency with authorities to enforce federal and international law on the high seas,” said Commander Matthew Romano, Coast Guard Sector San Juan chief of response. “This was a unique case for our Coast Guard crews who usually enforce fisheries laws to protect living marine resources in and around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The successful prosecution and sentencing in this case are a testimony to our strong partnerships and collaboration to secure our maritime borders and to deter illicit trafficking that fuels criminal enterprises.” “The illegal trafficking of wildlife is not just an environmental crime-it is a direct threat to public health, economic stability, and global biodiversity,” said Director Roberto Vaquero of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) San Juan Field Operations. “CBP remains committed to enforcing wildlife trade laws and stopping the flow of illicit wildlife products that fuel criminal networks and endanger ecosystems. Protecting our borders from these threats is a critical part of safeguarding both national security and global health.” Crates where birds were transported. Photo is from the indictment of United States v. Frankluis Carela De Jesús, et al., No. 3:24-CR-00174 in U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Dead tropical birds recovered from the ocean. Photo is from the indictment of United States v. Frankluis Carela De Jesús, et al., No. 3:24-CR-00174 in U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. The USCG, USFWS and CBP investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case.


title: Utah Man Sentenced to Maximum Prison Term for Assaulting a U.S. Forest Service Worker

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: St. George, Utah – United States District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen sentenced a Beaver County man to 364 days incarceration, followed by one year of supervised release after he assaulted a U.S. Forest Service (USFS) employee. Kristopher Edward Boger, 52, of Beaver, Utah, was charged by superseding indictment with assault on an employee of the United States with a dangerous weapon in August 2024. In December 2024, he was found guilty of simple assault following a jury trial. Boger’s brother, Jeremiah Boger, was found not guilty of assault on an employee of the United States. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on May 10, 2023, a U.S. Forest Service engineer was on federal forest land examining the conditions of a USFS road that had been damaged due to frequent work truck traffic, making the road almost unusable. The USFS engineer observed attempted repair of the road by Jeremiah Boger, which was not consistent with a prior recommendation and remained deficient. As a result, the USFS engineer contacted Jeremiah, Kristopher and the contractor. According to statements and testimony at trial, the meeting turned violent when Jeremiah pushed the USFS engineer. Almost immediately after, Kristopher struck the USFS engineer on the side of his head/face with a hard hat. Kristopher then put his hands around the USFS engineer’s neck, started to choke him, and said “I’m going to kill you…” The contractor intervened and pulled Kristopher off the USFS engineer. Kristopher then drew his handgun and fired it. The engineer and contractor then fled the scene and called 911. In imposing the statutory maximum sentence for simple assault, Judge Allen noted the seriousness of the offense and that it was fortunate no one died as a result of the deadly altercation. "No one should fear for their life while doing their job to ensure road safety for travelers,” said Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “Choosing violence is never the answer and our office along with our law enforcement partners will continue to prosecute crimes that threaten public safety in our communities.” The case is being investigated jointly by the United States Forest Service and the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Brady Wilson and Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Maryland Man Indicted for Theft of Government Property and Passport Fraud

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Jorge Echeverri, 73, of Port Tobacco, Maryland, charging him with theft of government property, false statements, passport fraud, social security misuse, and false statement of citizenship. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Michael S. McCarthy, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); David Richeson, Special Agent in Charge Department of State, Diplomatic Security (DSS), Washington Field Office; and Collen Lawlor, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division. According to the indictment, Echeverri, a Colombian national, illegally entered the United States in 1972. He was deported three times, but unlawfully re-entered the United States for a fourth time between 1985 and 1987. Echeverri, who used a fraudulent birth certificate from Puerto Rico to create a fraudulent identity, then began living as a U.S. citizen named Pedro Torres Rivera. Under the Rivera identity, Echeverri unlawfully applied for and received retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration from May 2010 thru January 2025. Additionally, Echeverri applied for a U.S. Passport, voted in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, and misused a Social Security number. If convicted, Echeverri faces up to 10 years for passport fraud and up to 10 years for theft of government property. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI’s Document Benefit Fraud/El Dorado Task Force, DSS, and SSA-OIG for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Twelve-Time Convicted Felon Facing Up To Life In Federal Prison For Possession Of A Loaded Firearm

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Danny Baldwin (53, Tavares) with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Baldwin faces a minimum term of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. According to the indictment, Baldwin has 12 prior state felony convictions, including second-degree murder, arson, and aggravated assault with a firearm. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law. On May 22, 2024, Baldwin was in possession of a loaded firearm. Baldwin’s prior violent criminal record qualifies him for a sentencing enhancement as an Armed Career Criminal. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Eustis Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos. 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.


title: Tampa Man Sentenced For Possessing A Firearm As A Convicted Felon

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland, sitting by designation from the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota, has sentenced Chamberlain Vaunshay Chaney (34, Tampa) to seven years and six months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon and for violating the terms of his supervised release. The court also ordered Chaney to forfeit a Smith & Wesson 9mm firearm, which was recovered during the offense. Chaney pleaded guilty on November 20, 2024. According to court documents, on February 8, 2024, officers with the Tampa Police Department (TPD) Fugitive Task Force had an active warrant for Chaney’s arrest. Officers observed Chaney as he exited a motel room in Tampa and entered a vehicle. TPD then approached the vehicle and apprehended Chaney. Chaney and his vehicle were subsequently searched, and officers recovered a firearm from under the driver’s seat in the vehicle. At the time, Chaney had previous state and federal felony convictions, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on November 14, 2011, and felon in possession of a firearm on February 16, 2017. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman. 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Brockton Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Defrauding Pharmaceutical Company Takeda of $2.3 Million

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON — The boyfriend of a senior level employee at the multinational pharmaceutical company Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda) was sentenced in federal court in Boston for setting up a fake consulting company that billed Takeda for services it never actually provided. Samuel N. Montronde, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 30 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Montronde was also ordered to pay $2.3 million in restitution. In December 2024 , Montronde was convicted of three counts of wire fraud by a federal jury in Boston. The jury acquitted Montronde of one count of wire fraud conspiracy. Montronde was arrested and charged in January 2023 along with his girlfriend Priya Bhambi – a former senior employee in the technology operations group of Takeda. The two were later indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023. In 2022, Montronde and Bhambi orchestrated and executed a scheme to defraud Takeda of at least $2.3 million in payments for purported consulting services by submitting fabricated invoices on behalf of a sham consulting company. Bhambi had previously engaged in the same fraud using a different sham consulting company, resulting in payments from Takeda totaling nearly $300,000 for consulting services that were never provided. In February 2022, Montronde and Bhambi incorporated a sham consulting company, Evoluzione Consulting LLC (Evoluzione). Later, Bhambi created a website for Evoluzione with false information, including fabricated blog posts, to make it appear that Evoluzione was a legitimate consulting business. After incorporating Evoluzione, Bhambi, in coordination with Montronde, submitted a statement of work to Takeda and caused Takeda to sign a master services agreement with Evoluzione and issue a purchase order to Evoluzione for consulting services with a total cost of $3.542 million. Then, between March and May of 2022, Bhambi and Montronde fabricated and submitted five separate invoices to Takeda for services that Evoluzione had not performed, each in the amount of $460,000. The defendants also created a fictional employee “Jasmine” to handle communications with Takeda. When questioned by Takeda employees, Bhambi made false representations regarding the services purportedly provided by Evoluzione. Before discovering the scheme and terminating Bhambi, Takeda, relying on these false representations, paid all five of the invoices to business accounts opened by Montronde in the name of Evoluzione. In June 2024 , Bhambi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud. In October 2024 , she was sentenced to 46 months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release. Bhambi was also ordered to pay $2,585,480 in restitution. In total, Bhambi and Montronde defrauded Takeda of $2.3 million in payments to Evoluzione for services not provided. The couple used the fraudulently obtained funds to purchase a Mercedes-Benz Model Class E, a diamond engagement ring, freightliner trucks, a $1.9-million 2-bedroom condo in Boston’s Seaport District and a $50,000 wedding venue deposit. These assets are now subject to the Court’s forfeiture order. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Takeda provided valuable assistance and cooperation with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie A. Wright and Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit is handling the forfeiture matter.


title: Multiple Defendants Charged with Federal Immigration Crimes

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury in Huntsville has indicted nine individuals for illegal reentry after deportation and one individual for being an alien in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank. The following individuals were indicted for illegally reentering the United States after having been deported: Eusebio Cruz-Zurita, 29, of Mexico; Rufino Cristobal-Reyes, 41, of Mexico; Edgar Esmain Rivas-Martinez, 37, of Honduras; Rigoberto Tzun-Garcia, 34, of Guatemala; Eleazar Suarez-Salinas, 42, of Mexico; Rodolfo Cantu-Navarrete, 45, of Mexico; Albert Obel Figueroa-Figueroa, 40, of Guatemala; Juan Gomez-Marquires, aka “Diego Torrez-Tadeo,” 33, of Mexico; and Maximiliano Pablo-Cinto, 40, of Guatemala. Karim Arguello-Barraza, 22, of Mexico, was charged with being an alien in possession of a firearm. In addition to prosecuting these cases, Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Northern District of Alabama continue to provide regular training to attorneys, federal agents, and state and local law enforcement partners to assist them in investigating and prosecuting immigration offenses in federal court. An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Huntsville Man Charged with Multiple Bank Robberies in Madison County

body_text: HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury in Huntsville has charged an individual with committing a string of bank robberies in Madison County, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. A four-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Lawrence Jones, 57, of Huntsville, with committing bank robberies at four Regions Bank locations between May 2022 and January 2023. FBI investigated the case along with the Huntsville Police Department and Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara M. Judah and Russell Penfield are prosecuting the case. An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures 14-Year Sentence for Arizona Drug Trafficker

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man was sentenced to 14 years in prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses following his arrest at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in New Mexico in 2023. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on April 27, 2023, David Maldonado , 44, entered a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on U.S. Highway 70, west of Alamogordo, New Mexico. A Border Patrol canine alerted to the presence of illegal substances in Maldonado 's vehicle. Upon further inspection, agents discovered multiple illegal substances in Maldonado 's backpack, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, psychedelic mushrooms, and marijuana. Agents also found a handgun, which was later determined to be stolen, and 69 rounds of ammunition. Maldonado , who was previously convicted of numerous felonies, is prohibited from possessing firearms. Upon his release from prison, Maldonado will be subject to five years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division, made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Davon Aragon Martinez is prosecuting the case.


title: Disbarred attorney sentenced to more than 3 years in prison for Social Security number fraud as part of scheme to obtain jobs at law firms

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A disbarred attorney who previously practiced law in the Cincinnati area was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 37 months in prison. He used false identities to obtain employment with at least seven law firms. Richard Louis Crosby III, 37, of Mason, Ohio, pleaded guilty in July 2024 to three counts of Social Security number fraud. At various times throughout his scheme, Crosby used identifying information belonging to his elderly father, his girlfriend, a deceased man and others. He falsely told at least one law firm that he was a University of Michigan football player and an ex-Marine. According to court documents, the Cincinnati Bar Association filed a complaint against Crosby in November 2020. In April 2021, he indicated his intent to resign from the practice of law. In both June and November 2021, Crosby was indicted and charged in Hamilton County with crimes related to stealing client funds. After his indictments, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio entered an order disbarring Crosby. In May 2022, Crosby was arrested in both of his Hamilton County cases. He was sentenced to probation in both cases in June 2023. According to his federal plea agreement, while Crosby’s local cases were pending, he created an email account using “richardcwilliamsesq.” Crosby used the email address and the alias Richard Williams to communicate with a law firm in Washington D.C. in June 2021. The firm briefly employed “Williams.” In June 2022 – at which point Crosby had been disbarred in Ohio and arrested on the Hamilton County charges – Crosby used his alias to apply online for an attorney position with a law firm in California. The firm offered Crosby a position as an associate attorney with a salary of $150,000. The defendant was employed under his alias for approximately three months and used a firm email address with his alias name. In September 2022, Crosby used his alias to apply for an attorney position with a law firm based in Miami, Florida. Crosby met with a recruiter via Zoom, and represented himself as Richard Williams, a licensed attorney admitted to the bar in New York and D.C. Crosby then met with one of the firm’s hiring managers in Florida and was ultimately offered employment in October 2022. His starting salary was $185,000 per year with a $5,000 signing bonus. Crosby used his girlfriend’s Social Security number, passport number and banking information to complete his onboarding paperwork at the law firm. In April 2023, the firm received an inquiry from an investigator with the Clermont County Child Support Enforcement Office, making the firm aware of Crosby’s true identity. He was subsequently fired. In July 2023, Crosby interviewed with the founding partner of a different California law firm. He also falsely claimed to work at the law firm of Kirkland and Ellis. After the founding partner asked Crosby to verify with whom he worked with at Kirkland and Ellis, Crosby withdrew his interest in the job. A few days later, Crosby again used the alias to attempt to obtain employment. He interviewed over Zoom with senior management of a law firm located in Coral Gables, Florida. Crosby doctored a “screen shot” of the name Richard Coleman Williams Jr. in the online D.C. bar membership directory to attach with his resume. The firm offered Crosby a starting salary of $195,000 per year with a $10,000 signing bonus, but eventually determined Crosby was using a false identity and did not hire him. In August 2023, the defendant applied for a job at another law firm. The firm, located in Michigan, sent Crosby a letter offering a salary of $145,000 per year and a $10,000 signing bonus. When his credential information had discrepancies, the firm terminated their working relationship before issuing Crosby’s first paycheck. In September 2023, one month prior to his arrest on federal charges, Crosby used a different alias to apply for a job at another law firm in California. He claimed that he was a University of Michigan football player and an ex-Marine. Crosby was hired as an attorney at a salary of $250,000 per year. He used the Social Security number of a deceased man from North Carolina in his tax paperwork to the firm. In early 2024, while out on bond, Crosby ran a new scheme in which he pretended to be an attorney who specialized in appeals and other criminal matters. He scammed local inmates and their families, claiming he could help local inmates with post-conviction relief like appeals, parole and sentence reductions. For example, he was paid $2,500 from the mother of a local inmate for the above mentioned but provided no services in return. As part of his sentence, Crosby will pay nearly $171,000 in restitution to law firms he defrauded. The court also ordered him to serve three years of supervised release and perform 300 hours of community service. Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced sentence imposed on March 7 by U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, Clermont County Department of Job and Family Services, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and United States Marshals Service. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry represented the United States in this case. # # #


title: Paterson Firearms Trafficker Indicted On Firearm Offenses, Including Possession Of Machine Guns

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Paterson man was indicted today by a federal grand jury for his role in committing firearms offenses after authorities discovered dozens of illicit firearms, including 3D-printed “ghost” gun frames, machine gun conversion devices, firearm silencers, short-barreled rifles, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a 3D printer in his residence, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced. Mikhail Gouldson, 36, of Paterson, New Jersey, is charged in a five-count indictment with one count of dealing in firearms without a license, one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession of machineguns, one count of possession of unregistered firearms and one count of attempted trafficking in firearms. Gouldson, who was previously charged by complaint, will be arraigned on a date to be determined. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement intercepted multiple shipments of weaponry that were mailed to Gouldson’s residence. After searching Gouldson’s residence, law enforcement recovered large quantities of firearms and ammunition, as well as 3D printing equipment. The dealing in firearms without a license count carries a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment. The possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon and attempted trafficking in firearms counts each carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment. The possession of machineguns and unregistered firearms counts each carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment. Each of the counts carries a maximum fine of $250,000. U.S. Attorney John Giordano credited special agents of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Ricky J. Patel; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr.; and the postal inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms 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. This case is also part of the Paterson Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which was formed in 2020 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Paterson’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Paterson. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals, the Paterson Department of Public Safety, the Paterson Police Department, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Bergen County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, and N.J. Department of Corrections. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Rosenblum of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. gouldson.indictment.pdf


title: BATON ROUGE MAN FALSELY HOLDING HIMSELF AS A MEDICAL DOCTOR PLEADS GUILTY TO FALSE STATEMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE MATTERS

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced that Samrat Mukherjee, 35, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to false statements relating to health care matters. Mukherjee’s conviction is punishable by a term of imprisonment of five years, a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and a term of supervised release of three years. According to admissions made as a part of his guilty plea, Mukherjee was a licensed paramedic who worked for Acadian Ambulance Service, Inc. Mukherjee did not attend or graduate from medical school. However, he admitted that while employed by Acadian Ambulance he falsely held himself out to co-workers and friends as a licensed medical doctor. In order to perpetuate his lies, Mukherjee created a fake medical degree, fake residency match letter, and attended a celebration for his medical school graduation, despite having never attended medical school. By falsely holding himself out as a medical doctor, Mukherjee was given physician access privileges at several hospitals where he spent time seeing patients in the intensive care unit, among other areas of the hospital. Mukherjee wore “M.D.” and “Flight Surgeon” insignia on his clothing and was given badges from area hospitals and Acadian Ambulance identifying him as a physician. From in or around May 2019, and continuing through in or around November 2022, Mukherjee called in prescriptions to various pharmacies for himself and others. In doing so, he falsely and fraudulently claimed to be two doctors and had authority to write the prescriptions. Mukherjee caused the pharmacies to submit claims to health care benefit programs, including Medicaid and BCBSLA, for reimbursement. In one example, on or about October 3, 2022, he wrote a prescription for Ondansetron-ODT, 4mg tablets for a patient who was undergoing cancer treatment at the time and forged the signature of a doctor on the prescription. Aside from his lack of medical school education and certification required to write the prescription himself, Mukherjee did not consult with the patient’s oncologist before writing the prescription and did not have the authority of the doctor to write the prescription. Acting U.S. Attorney April M. Leon for the Middle District of Louisiana, Supervisory Official Matt Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement. The case was investigated by HHS-OIG and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen L. Craig, Trial Attorney Samantha E. Usher, and Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Six Defendants Sentenced To Prison For Corruption At Rikers Island

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the sentences imposed on former Rikers Island corrections officers JASON SKEET, CHANTAL DE LOS SANTOS, and STEPHANIE DAVILA; former Rikers Island program counselor SHANEQUA WASHINGTON; former Rikers Island contractor KENNETH WEBSTER; and former Rikers Island inmate KRISTOPHER FRANCISCO, each for conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud in connection with their involvement in corruption at Rikers Island. The last of the defendants to be sentenced, DAVILA, was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison today by U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield. The remaining five defendants were previously sentenced to terms of prison ranging from 12 months to 40 months. Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “The defendants—former Rikers Island employees, a Rikers Island contractor, and an inmate—engaged in corruption on Rikers Island by agreeing to have contraband smuggled into the Rikers Island jail facilities in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in bribes. The defendants’ crimes contributed to a dangerous contraband market within Rikers Island, making Rikers Island less safe for inmates and officers alike. The sentences imposed in this case demonstrate this Office’s commitment to hold accountable those who criminally abuse their positions of public trust and undermine the security of jails for their own benefit.” According to the Complaints, Informations, public court filings, and statements made in court: SKEET, DE LOS SANTOS, DAVILA, WASHINGTON, WEBSTER, and FRANCISCO engaged in conspiracies to smuggle contraband, including, among other things, controlled substances—such as fentanyl, marijuana, and synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as “K2”—cellphones, and cigarettes, into Rikers Island in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribe payments. Each of the charged conspiracies involved a Rikers Island insider—either a corrections officer, program counselor, or contractor—who was responsible for smuggling contraband into the facility; a co-conspirator outside of Rikers Island who provided the contraband and/or bribe payments to the insider; and an inmate co-conspirator who received the contraband smuggled by the insider. The inmate who received the contraband from the insider typically sold at least part of the contraband to other inmates inside Rikers Island, in exchange for thousands of dollars in payments to the inmate or the inmate’s co-conspirators. In particular: From at least January 2020 through June 2022, SKEET, who was then a corrections officer assigned to the Northern Infirmary Command on Rikers Island, smuggled contraband into Rikers Island approximately 100 times in exchange for more than $45,000. From at least March 2022 through April 2022, WASHINGTON, who was then a program counselor assigned to the Robert N. Davoren Center on Rikers Island, smuggled contraband into Rikers Island in exchange for approximately $13,000. From at least May 2022 through September 2022, WEBSTER, who was then an employee of a Rikers Island contractor and a former Rikers Island inmate , smuggled contraband into Rikers Island in exchange for more than $64,000. From at least March 2022 through June 2022, DE LOS SANTOS, who was then a former Rikers Island corrections officer, passed contraband and made bribe payments to WASHINGTON and WEBSTER, so that they would smuggle the contraband to inmates inside Rikers Island. From at least July 2021 through August 2021, DAVILA, who was then a former Rikers Island corrections officer, passed contraband and made bribe payments to a Rikers Island corrections officer (“CC-1”), so that CC-1 would smuggle the contraband to FRANCISCO inside Rikers Island. From at least July 2021 through August 2021, FRANCISCO, who was then an inmate incarcerated in the Anna M. Kross Center on Rikers Island, directed DAVILA to provide bribe payments and contraband to CC-1, so that CC-1 would smuggle contraband to FRANCISCO inside Rikers Island. * * * Each of the defendants pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. A chart containing the sentences that the defendants received is set forth below. Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Department of Investigation. The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Z. Margulies and Jonathan Rebold are in charge of the prosecution. Defendant Age Sentence of Imprisonment Stephanie Davila 31 12 months and a day Chantal De Los Santos 31 15 months Kristopher Francisco 29 37 months Jason Skeet 47 37 months Shanequa Washington 40 12 months and a day Kenneth Webster 43 41 months


title: Two Tulsans Sentenced for Running Illegal Dark Web Cryptocurrency Pharmacy

component: Cyber Division (FBI)

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Two Tulsans were sentenced for selling illegal drugs on the dark web that were purchased from China, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Aaron Michael Thomas, 42, for Introduction of Misbranded Drug into Interstate Commerce, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises for the distribution of Pregabalin, and Possession of Child Pornography. Judge Hill ordered Thomas to 78 months imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release. According to court documents, in 2022, the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service opened an investigation into an illegal vendor selling drugs on the dark web. The vendor was suspected to be one of the largest illegal prescription drug vendors in the country. Drugs were being sold without the requirement of a prescription, and paid for via cryptocurrency. They were packaged with misleading and false labeling and did not have warnings or directions for safe use. Law enforcement discovered the packages were being shipped by Thomas and his co-defendant, Darren Doil Means, from their home in Tulsa. Undercover agents successfully made three undercover purchases. In October 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant where agents seized more than 270 pounds of 21 different drugs or active pharmaceutical ingredients, including pregabalin and xylazine. Thomas and Means had a room outfitted as a packaging and distribution center for their operation. Agents also found encapsulating devices for making drug capsules and misleading drug labels. The electronic devices recovered showed that Thomas illegally purchased all of the drugs from vendors in the People’s Republic of China and that he took deliberate steps to avoid detection by U.S. Customs when shipping the drugs into the United States. Additionally, the agents discovered numerous images of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Means, 59, pled guilty to Introduction of Misbranded Drug into Interstate Commerce and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. In January 2025, Judge Hill sentenced Means to three years of probation. Thomas will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – Office of Criminal Investigations; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the FDA Office of Chief Counsel, Consumer Protection Branch; the Tulsa Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; and the FBI Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel, Aaron M. Jolly, and Reagan V. Reininger prosecuted the case.


title: Indy Man Sentenced to Over Three Years in Federal Prison After Attempting to Purchase a Dozen Vehicles with Fraudulent Checks

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS— Frank Lassen Garay, 45, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to bank fraud. According to court documents, over a period of a little more than two weeks in November and December of 2022, Garay passed fifteen fraudulent checks, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of vehicles and jewelry. In the fall of 2022, Frank Garay received a settlement check for $15,066.95 from a law firm. This check was for the proceeds from a legal dispute that had been settled. On November 3, 2022, Garay visited a bank and presented the $15,066.95 check to the bank for payment. In standard practice, the bank provided $10,000 in cash and issued a cashier’s check for the remaining $5,066.95. Using the banking information found on these checks, more than a dozen fraudulent checks were created. Garay then used fraudulent checks to purchase services, vehicles, and jewelry as follows: Date Item Amount November 18, 2022 Cleaning Services $486.93. November 18, 2022 2013 Lincoln MKT $12,500 November 25, 2022 2008 BMW 335 XI $12,500 November 29, 2022 SRT8 $23,710.13 November 30, 2022 2010 Lincoln Navigator $13,000 November 30, 2022 BMW $16,000.00 November 30, 2022 2015 BMW $19,500.79 December 1, 2022 Lincoln MKT $14,906.93 December 2, 2022 2013 GMC Sierra $40,820.79. December 2, 2022 White gold necklace/bracelet set $16,253.30 December 3, 2022, 2012 Acura TL $17,677.51 December 5, 2022 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 $38,858.47. December 6, 2022, 2022 Forrest River Trailer $34,885.25 December 6, 2022, 2019 Honda Accord $20,595.40 December 7, 2022, 2023 Nexus Triumph RV $107,000 During each vehicle purchase, Garay did not attempt to hide his identity, using his real driver’s license, signature and fingerprints to close the deals. In one case, Garay even took a picture with his new truck in front of the dealership. In almost all instances, the companies realized the checks were fraudulent only after Garay had already left the lot with the vehicle. Garay has been passing fake checks, stealing vehicles, and defrauding victims for over 15 years. He has amassed convictions for theft, receiving stolen property, fraud and theft of property by deception, and six counts of forgery. He has defrauded coworkers, employers, banks and businesses out of thousands of dollars. “In less than a month, Garay went on a buying spree that would put even the most brazen car thief to shame,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Complex economic crimes such as these devastate the finances and security of businesses and individuals. The serious prison sentence imposed today demonstrates that this U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Secret Service, and all our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to hold these criminals accountable.” “Financial fraud, like what was found in this case, does more than chip away at our nation’s financial infrastructure. It has real-life victims, and these law-abiding citizens were defrauded of thousands of dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Ike Barnes of the U.S. Secret Service Indianapolis Field Office. “I commend the work of everyone who investigated this case and brought the defendant to justice. I also thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, and all our law enforcement partners for their fine work in this case.” The U.S. Secret Service investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon. Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Eakman, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Two Venezuelan Nationals Charged with Possession of Fraudulent Permanent Resident and Social Security Cards

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged two people from Venezuela with fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents. Dicla Emirlania Perez Rodriguez, 33, and Emileth Noheni Briceno Rodriguez, 39, both citizens of Venezuela, were found to possess fraudulent permanent resident cards, also known as green cards. According to court documents, on Feb. 17, 2025, the two women had been traveling with others and were discovered asleep in a parked vehicle outside a convenience store in Warren, Ohio. Warren City Police Officers were dispatched to the store after an employee could not awaken anyone in the vehicle. While on the scene, officers discovered that the vehicle registration plate did not match the vehicle, nor was the registered owner with the vehicle. Officers brought the two women, and the others in the vehicle, to the police station for questioning where a Spanish translator could facilitate communication with the defendants. Upon further investigation, a database query on the number that appeared on a permanent resident card possessed by Briceno Rodriguez was linked to a Chinese national. A query on the permanent resident card possessed by Perez Rodriguez was found to be linked to a Cuban national. Additionally, both defendants possessed Social Security cards in their names. However, upon further inspection, the numbers listed on each card were, in fact, issued to other individuals whose names did not appear on the cards. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Warren City Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer.


title: llegal Alien Sentenced for Large-Scale Phone Scams

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: OXFORD, MS – An illegal alien from India was sentenced on March 7, 2025 to five years in prison followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $104,000 in restitution for committing wire fraud in connection with scamming victims. According to court documents, Nooruddin Bhai Nasruddin, 52, was involved in a wire fraud conspiracy where the callers contacted victims and notified them that their bank accounts and/or social security numbers were compromised. The callers instructed the victims to withdraw the cash, which would be picked up by an alleged “federal agent,” which was in realty Nasruddin. The caller provided the victim with a special code to give to the “federal agent” (Nasruddin). In May of 2024, Victim #1 in North Carolina received notification from a caller co-conspirator that Ticketmaster had a data breach, and Victim #1 was in the group of compromised accounts. The caller co-conspirator told the victim that the money in the victim’s bank account was not safe and instructed the victim to first deposit thousands of dollars into a Bitcoin (digital currency) machine, which the caller co-conspirator said was controlled by the government. In reality, the money went to the fraudsters. Then, the caller told the victim to withdraw all the money into the bank account and provide the money and a special code to a federal agent, who in reality was co-conspirator, Nasruddin. The victim withdrew the cash and gave it and the special code to Nasruddin, who was posing as a federal agent. In August 2024, Victim #2 in Oxford, Mississippi, was contacted by the caller co-conspirator, posing as member of the Federal Trade Commission. The caller co-conspirator stated that the victim’s social security number and bank account was compromised. The caller co-conspirator instructed the victim to withdraw the money and give it to the federal agent for safekeeping. The caller co-conspirator also instructed the victim to send a picture of the money to the caller co-conspirator. Nasruddin (posing as the federal agent) showed up to pick up the money and was arrested by the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department. U.S. District Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Nasruddin to serve 60 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $104,000 in restitution to his victims. Following the sentencing, both state and federal leaders acknowledged the importance of this investigation and prosecution to the State of Mississippi and condemned the defendant’s fraudulent actions. “The United States of America will never tell citizens over the phone to withdraw their hard-earned money and send it to the government in cryptocurrency or for safekeeping. Too many fraudsters take advantage of the trust that Americans have in their government and government agencies. Those that abuse that hard earned trust will be prosecuted, and in this case marked for removal from our country as well.” U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner said. “The Lafayette County Sheriff and HSI did truly outstanding work in responding as quickly as they did in this case, and we appreciate the partnership that brought some measure of justice to this defendant.” “This case highlights law enforcement partnerships addressing the criminal illegal alien issues in our communities,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune. “Our communities are safer today with this criminal being held accountable for his actions.“ “The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office is proud to have a great working relationship with our State and Federal Agencies,” added Sheriff Joey East of the Lafayette County, Mississippi Sheriff’s Department. “They eagerly jumped in and assisted our office with this investigation of fraud against our citizens. Our number one priority is and always will be the safety of our citizens in Lafayette County.” The Department of Homeland Security and the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee and John Herzog prosecuted the case.


title: Northumberland County Man Sentenced To 96 Months In Prison  For Role In Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Samuel Rodriguez, age 27, of Northumberland County, was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment to be followed by four years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, for drug trafficking. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine from October 2022 to February 2023, in Northumberland County. In total, Rodriguez distributed approximately 270 grams, approximately 1,350 single doses, of methamphetamine and 29 grams, approximately 1,000 single doses of fentanyl. Co-defendant, Paris DeSimone, was previously sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment followed by four years of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin the case. This case is also 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. # # #


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced to 46 Months In Prison For Drug Conspiracy

body_text: WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Fareed Davis, age 47, of Camden, New Jersey, was sentenced to 46 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, for drug conspiracy charges. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Davis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, and tramadol. In his role in the conspiracy, Davis was responsible for distributing at least 40 grams of opioids or 1,200 individual doses from March of 2018 to December of 2020. This case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses. This case is also 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. # # #


title: Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Family to Hide from the IRS More than $90M In Offshore Bank Accounts

component: Tax Division

body_text: View plea agreement . View factual basis . A Florida woman, and dual U.S. and Colombian citizen, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States by, among other things, concealing tens of millions of dollars in undeclared foreign financial accounts, filing false tax returns, and evading taxes. According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2010 and 2022, Gilda Rosenberg, of Golden Beach, Florida, conspired with two family members to conceal from the IRS more than $90 million in assets and income held in undeclared bank accounts in Andorra, Israel, Panama and Switzerland. Rosenberg’s family had maintained offshore accounts since the 1970s. By the late 1990s, Rosenberg — who was identified as an owner and an authorized signer on some of the accounts — knew that she and her family members had not disclosed their ownership of these foreign financial accounts to the U.S. government and that they had not paid any taxes on the income earned from the assets in those accounts as was required by law. Starting in the early 2000s, the family consolidated their assets at accounts with Credit Suisse in Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Family members told Credit Suisse employees that they were U.S. persons and seeking to hide their assets from U.S. authorities. The assets remained at Credit Suisse until 2013, when Credit Suisse closed the accounts because the family members were U.S. persons. When Credit Suisse closed their accounts, the family moved their assets, which were typically titled in the names of nominee entities, to new accounts located at Bank Leumi in Israel, Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) and PKB Privat Bank SA in Switzerland, and an Andorran bank. Rosenberg was documented as the beneficial owner of accounts at UBP and the Andorran bank. She also signed false account opening documents that claimed she was a Colombian resident and not a U.S. citizen. Rosenberg, as well as her relatives, did not file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBARS) disclosing their foreign financial accounts, as they were required to do. In addition, Rosenberg and her relatives continued to file false tax returns that omitted income generated by their offshore assets. In or about 2017, as part of a scheme to continue to evade their U.S. tax and reporting obligations, Rosenberg and the family members divided the family’s assets and signed documents to make it appear that Rosenberg and a relative gifted the offshore assets to another relative after he had renounced his U.S. citizenship. Rosenberg and her relatives then tried to covertly transfer assets to Rosenberg in the United States and to conceal their ongoing and historical tax evasion. To do so, Rosenberg and her relatives, among other things, created fake loan and investment documents to make it appear that transfers to and from Rosenberg were loans and business investments. *From 2010 through 2017, Rosenberg filed false tax returns that did not report income she earned from assets in the account she concealed at UBP. For the 2009 through 2017 tax years, unreported income belonging to Rosenberg and two of her co-conspirators totaled more than $5.5 million, causing a tax loss of $1,927,342. Rosenberg is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Rosenberg previously pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Texas to an information charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), by making and presenting false reports in order to avoid fully paying contractually required commissions. See United States v. Rosenberg , 4:24-cr-00062-ALM-AGD (E.D. Tex.) Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation’s International Tax & Financial Crimes Unit is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in obtaining important evidence. Senior Litigation Counsel Mark Daly and Stan Okula, and Trial Attorney Marissa Brodney of the Tax Division, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Maria Martinez for the Southern District of Florida, are prosecuting the case. *Paragraph has been updated to include additional information and context.


title: Dauphin County Man Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dwayne Cavanaugh, age 55, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on March 5, 2025, by a federal grand jury for possession of child pornography. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Cavanaugh possessed child pornography on or about January 21, 2024. The indictment further alleges that this offense occurred after Cavanaugh was convicted in 2010 for receipt of child pornography in United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen W. Dukes is prosecuting the case. 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 . The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is twenty years of imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of ten years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Former NFL Player Sentenced to 2½ Years in Prison for Real Estate and Gold Mine Ponzi Scheme that Caused $5.3 Million in Losses

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A former NFL linebacker was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison for running a Ponzi scheme in which he defrauded victims out of more than $5 million by lying to them that he was involved in lucrative luxury real estate investments, gold mines in Alaska and Ghana, and other ventures, and promising them high rates of return on their investments. John Robert Leake, 43, of Plano, Texas, but who formerly resided in Marina del Rey, was sentenced by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered him to pay $5,314,059 in restitution. Leake pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of wire fraud and one count of transactional money laundering. From June 2015 to March 2020, Leake solicited money from victims by falsely claiming that he was participating in multiple lucrative business ventures, including subletting luxury real estate properties and real estate investing. Leake offered his victims the opportunity to loan him funds for him to invest in these purported ventures in exchange for a high rate of return. In fact, Leake knew these investment opportunities often were fabricated and non-existent and were devised by Leake to defraud victims and trick them into giving him money. Leake duped his victims by lying that he had invested large amounts of his own money in the purported business ventures he promoted. Leake rarely invested his own money into them. He also fraudulently offered to personally guarantee return of the victims’ loans and provided them promissory notes purporting to memorialize his promise to repay the victims at a fixed rate of interest. Leake’s lies to his victims included his claims that his business ventures were successful, and he had accumulated substantial personal assets and income. In fact, Leake lacked sufficient personal assets and income to repay his victims. Once in receipt of the victim’s money, Leake – without the victims’ knowledge or consent – used some of the funds to pay his own personal expenses, including credit card bills, car payments, rent, and gambling expenses. To continue his scam, Leake also used some of the victims’ money to lull victims by making purported “interest” and “capital” payments on the promissory notes. Leake used a small amount of his personal funds to make these payments. In total, Leake fraudulently received approximately $8,129,450 from six victims, causing them a total loss of approximately $5,314,059. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney James C. Hughes of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.


title: Texas Pharmacist Sentenced to Over 17 Years in Prison and Ordered to Forfeit $405M in Assets for Defrauding the Department of Labor

component: Criminal Division

body_text: On Feb. 21, Texas pharmacist Dehshid “David” Nourian, 62, of Plano, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison and ordered to pay over $115 million in restitution for his role in a $145 million scheme to defraud the Department of Labor through the submission of fraudulent claims for prescription compound creams. On March 6, the court also forfeited $405 million in assets tied to Nourian’s fraud and money laundering schemes. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Nourian and others conspired to pay doctors to prescribe medically unnecessary compound creams to injured federal workers. Nourian and others owned and operated three pharmacies located in Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas. Over the course of the scheme, they paid doctors millions of dollars in illegal bribes and kickbacks for referring expensive compound medications to be filled by those pharmacies. Evidence at trial showed these compounds were being mixed in the back rooms of the pharmacies by untrained teenagers at a cost to the defendants of around $15 per prescription and then billed to the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP) for as much as $16,000 per prescription. Patients who received the creams testified at trial to the creams’ ineffectiveness and, in some instances, that using the creams resulted in painful, irritating skin rashes. “Protecting victims and safeguarding the public fisc are two of the Criminal Division’s highest priorities,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This 17-year sentence sends a clear message that our prosecutors, working shoulder-to-shoulder with our investigative partners, will identify, investigate, and prosecute even the most sophisticated fraud schemes that target taxpayer money and endanger patients. As a result of our tireless efforts, this defendant was tried, convicted, and ordered to forfeit more than $400 million – the highest forfeiture ever obtained in a health care fraud case in the Department’s history – and now his ill-gotten proceeds will be returned to the taxpayers and programs designed to care for our most vulnerable citizens.” “This sentence sends a strong message to those who would defraud our federal health care programs for personal gain,” said Inspector General Tammy Hull of the U.S. Postal Service. “The outstanding work by the legal and investigative teams stopped a multi-year health care fraud scheme responsible for tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent billing to government agencies. Along with the Department of Justice and our federal law enforcement partners, the USPS Office of Inspector General will remain committed to investigating those who would engage in this type of fraud and abuse.” “Dehshid Nourian defrauded the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) by submitting false claims for medically unnecessary services. His actions placed illegal profits above patient safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Casey Howard of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) Central Region. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and OWCP to protect the integrity of DOL’s worker compensation programs.” In less than three years, between May 2014 and March 2017, the pharmacies billed the DOL-OWCP and Blue Cross Blue Shield more than $145 million and were paid more than $90 million for unnecessary prescriptions referred by medical providers in exchange for the illegal bribes and kickbacks. Nourian and others then attempted to conceal their ill-gotten gains by laundering the money through purported holding companies and attempted to evade paying $24 million in federal income taxes on the illicit proceeds. In November 2023, a federal jury in the Northern District of Texas convicted Nourian of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, eight counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to launder money, five counts of money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States by failing to report and attempting to evade the collection of taxes owed to the IRS. In an order issued following Nourian’s sentencing, the court also ruled that Nourian will forfeit $405 million in seized assets tied to his crimes. Evidence at trial demonstrated that Nourian and his co-conspirators used a complex web of bank accounts and shell companies to launder their fraud proceeds, ultimately depositing tens of millions of dollars into Nourian’s and other family members’ bank and investment accounts. The forfeiture order returned that money to the taxpayers and included the forfeiture of $395 million in brokerage accounts, over $2 million in bank accounts, real estate in Dallas and Austin worth $8 million, and a BMW luxury vehicle. Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham for the Northern District of Texas; Inspector General Tammy Hull of the U.S. Postal Service; Special Agent in Charge Casey Howard of the DOL-OIG Central Region; Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), South Central Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office made the announcement. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, DOL-OIG, VA-OIG, and IRS-CI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Ethan Womble and Senior Litigation Counsel Catherine Wagner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha for the Northern District of Texas handled the criminal forfeiture for the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Guatemalan National Previously Convicted of Sexual Offense Charged with Illegal Reentry

body_text: YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged a Guatemalan national of illegally re-entering the United States. Baudilio Ramos, 65, a citizen of Guatemala, was found to be living in Youngstown, Ohio. According to court documents, Ramos originally came to the U.S. in 1990 on a commercial visa. In 2013, in the county of Rockland New York, he was convicted of sexual abuse in the first degree and endangering the welfare of a child. After serving a prison term, he was deported from the U.S and returned to Guatemala. The defendant stated that he later paid $3,000 to a “coyote,” a slang term for a human smuggler, who arranged to take him from Mexico into Texas. A second smuggler took him from Houston to New York state. He then relocated to the Youngstown area where he has been living for about the last two years. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Ramos was not registered with the Mahoning County Sex Offender Registry. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer .


title: Seattle man who trafficked drugs and fired gun in International District Drive-by sentenced to prison

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 50-year-old Seattle man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 90 months in prison for drug trafficking and carrying a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Phuong Nguyen Le was stopped in connection with a drive-by shooting in Seattle’s International District in February 2023 and was indicted in May 2023. Le was taken into custody with a loaded firearm and fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine base. Le was arrested after he fired several shots out of the window of his car in the Little Saigon neighborhood. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, Le’s conduct “inflicted serious risk to members of the community.” “Local and federal law enforcement continue to work to increase safety in the International District. This case is a good example of our office working with the King County Prosecutors Office and the Seattle Police to take the cases where federal prosecution provides the most impact,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. On February 24, 2023, Seattle Police officers responded to reports of shots fired at the intersection of 10 th Avenue South and South King Street in Seattle. Witnesses at the scene reported a man in a white Mercedes fired a handgun in the air multiple times at the intersection. SPD officers then located the vehicle nearby and found Phuong Nguyen Le driving, with his girlfriend in the passenger seat. Le was the owner of the vehicle. Le ultimately gave consent to search the vehicle. SPD officers seized the following items: a Springfield Armory XD-9 9mm caliber pistol, with a round of ammunition in the chamber and a partially loaded magazine; an additional Springfield Armory 9mm caliber magazine loaded with ammunition; two spent bullet shell casings; approximately 83 grams of heroin; approximately 135 grams of cocaine; approximately 194 grams of suspected fentanyl powder; approximately 350 pills suspected to contain fentanyl. In asking for the 90 -month sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Le was found in possession of multiple controlled substances, including fentanyl, which he intended to distribute to others for his financial gain. Making matters more concerning is the fact that he was armed with a loaded firearm while possessing the controlled substances. Worse still is the fact that Le discharged his firearm while driving through a neighborhood in Seattle. The combination of drug distribution with firearm possession places the community at danger and warrants a substantial custodial sentence.” Le will be on five years of supervised release following prison. In April of 2012, Le was convicted of distribution of cocaine base in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. In September of 2020, Le was sentenced to two years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of drugs The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Wynne