title: Two vendors plead guilty to conspiring with former Facebook diversity program manager to defraud company

body_text: ATLANTA - Brice E. Anderson and Terrance Lockett have pleaded guilty to conspiring with Barbara Furlow-Smiles, a former diversity program manager at Facebook, to steal from the company. The defendants’ fraud schemes involved fraudulent vendors, fictitious invoices, and cash kickbacks. “These defendants conspired with a DEI executive at Facebook to steal significant sums from the company, based on false claims that they had worked on various DEI projects,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Instead, the defendants did little to no work, paid kickbacks to the Facebook executive, and lined their pockets with stolen money. They are now being held accountable for their brazen fraud.” “Furlow-Smiles created a complex web of lies, all for her personal gain. Anderson and Lockett joined in this fraud for their own excessive greed,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to root out financial fraud.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Barbara Furlow-Smiles served as Lead Strategist, Global Head of Employee Resource Groups and Diversity Engagement at Facebook, Inc., now known as Meta Platforms, Inc., doing business as Meta. From January 2017 to September 2021, she led Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs at Facebook and was responsible for developing and executing DEI initiatives, operations, and engagement programs. She later held a similar position at Nike, Inc. At both companies, Furlow-Smiles had access to corporate credit cards and was able to submit purchase requisitions and approve invoices for authorized vendors. Furlow-Smiles used her positions at Facebook and Nike to cheat and defraud the companies. She caused the companies to pay friends, relatives, and others associates for goods and services that were never provided, and she then directed those individuals to kick back the fraudulent proceeds to her, often in cash. Anderson and Lockett were two of the individuals who conspired with her at Facebook. Anderson owned a business called Titan Branding LLC. Using that business, he conspired with Furlow-Smiles to fraudulently obtain nearly $1.2 million from Facebook. First, Furlow-Smiles used her Facebook credit cards to pay Titan Branding for work that was never done. She then submitted fraudulent expense reports to Facebook to cover up the bogus charges. Second, Furlow-Smiles caused Facebook to approve Titan Branding as an authorized vendor. She then approved fraudulent and inflated invoices for fake work. Furlow-Smiles and Anderson fraudulently claimed that Titan Branding had provided media services related to a Juneteenth event, for example, and other DEI projects. After Anderson received fraudulent payments from Facebook, he kicked back substantial sums to Furlow-Smiles. He paid the kickbacks in cash and through transfers to accounts held in the names of Furlow-Smiles’s husband and others. Anderson sometimes wrapped cash in other items, such as T-shirts or hats, which he sent by FedEx to Furlow-Smiles. When Furlow-Smiles was in Los Angeles, California, Anderson flew there with cash and drove with Furlow-Smiles to ATMs and banks to withdraw cash to pay her. In a separate conspiracy, Lockett conspired with Furlow-Smiles to steal over $243,000 from Facebook. Lockett hosted a podcast called the “Officially Outed Podcast” and owned a business called Officially Outed Media. Using her Facebook credit cards, Furlow-Smiles paid Lockett for services that were not provided. She also caused Facebook to approve Officially Outed Media as an authorized vendor. Furlow-Smiles and Lockett fraudulently claimed that Officially Outed Media had provided marketing services related to a Global Pride Initiative project, for example, and other DEI events. Lockett paid kickbacks to Furlow-Smiles by returning a substantial portion of the fraudulent proceeds that he received from Facebook to her. On November 13, 2025, Brice E. Anderson, 31, of Fairburn, Ga., pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud. Sentencing for Anderson is scheduled for March 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg. On November 5, 2025, Terrance Lockett, 52, of College Park, Ga., pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud. Sentencing for Lockett is scheduled for February 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. Barbara Furlow-Smiles, 40, of Marietta, Ga., previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud. She stole more than $5 million through her schemes. On May 13, 2024, Judge Grimberg sentenced her to five years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,981,783.58 to Facebook and $121,054.50 to Nike, for a total of $5,102,838.08. These cases are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. McClain and Bernita B. Malloy are prosecuting the cases. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Bradenton Woman Indicted For Passport Fraud And Theft Related To Government Funds

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jane Doe, a/k/a Rosario Alaniz (69, Bradenton), with one count of passport fraud, two counts of Social Security fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and two counts of theft of government funds. If convicted, Doe faces a maximum penalty 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count, up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the passport fraud count and each theft offense, and a maximum of 5 years in prison for each count of Social Security fraud. According to the indictment, Doe fraudulently obtained a United States passport and using this fraudulent identity received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from the Department of Agriculture, as well as benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) through disability insurance benefits. Doe failed to disclose employment, fraudulently securing payments when either no payment was due or in a greater amount than authorized. Doe has received government benefits of approximately $183,800. 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 U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel. NOTE: This matter occurred on a previous date but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.


title: Leader of Georgia Armed Meth Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 30 Years

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – The incarcerated intermediary between an Atlanta-based Mexican drug cartel supplying methamphetamine into Southwest Georgia and distributors working for him in the region was sentenced to serve three decades in federal prison, resulting from an Operation Take Back America investigation. Garry Allen Harris, aka “G Money” aka “Gary Cody,” 33, formerly of Albany, was sentenced to serve 360 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release on Oct. 7, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on March 25, 2025. The federal sentence will be served consecutively to the terms of imprisonment he is serving in Case No. 15-CR-0058 and Case No. 15-CR-0066 in Worth County, Georgia, Superior Court. There is no parole in the federal system. “Garry Harris showed no remorse for his crimes, continuing to push drugs, possess weapons and even threaten a co-conspirator twice while behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Thanks to the diligent and coordinated efforts of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, we have successfully dismantled a narcotics pipeline into Southwest Georgia linked to a Mexican cartel and directed by an incarcerated gang member. Under Operation Take Back America, our office will leverage every available resource to seek justice and protect citizens.” “This 30-year sentence sends a powerful message to those who believe they can profit from poisoning our communities with methamphetamine,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Our law enforcement partners and agents worked relentlessly to dismantle this operation, and this outcome reflects the serious consequences that await anyone who traffics in this deadly drug.” The following co-defendants have been convicted in this case: Wallace Eric Strickland, 41, of Albany, was sentenced to serve 286 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release on Nov. 21, 2024, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Aug. 28, 2024; Niki Lynn Crabtree-Booth, 32, of Albany, was sentenced to serve 148 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on April 17, after she previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on March 21, 2024; Aryn Brittany Jones, 32, of Leesburg, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on May 22, 2024, after she previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Dec. 12, 2023; and Ryan Daniel Farr, 34, of Leesburg, was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on June 27, 2024, after he previously pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice on March 20. Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands presided over this case. According to court documents and statements referenced in court, as part of a multi-level investigation into armed drug trafficking in Southwest Georgia with links to a Mexican drug cartel in Atlanta, agents executed court-authorized searches on multiple Facebook accounts and cellphones belonging to the codefendants. Law enforcement first discovered several Facebook communications between Harris and co-defendant Crabtree-Booth in January 2022 discussing illegal drug distribution. Harris, a Georgia Department of Corrections inmate, directed Strickland, Crabtree-Booth, Jones and Farr, along with other unnamed individuals, to obtain or distribute large quantities of illegal drugs. From behind bars, Harris acted as an intermediary between the narcotic dealers and his narcotic supplier, an associate known as “Professor” or “Coach” with ties to a Mexican drug cartel in Atlanta. In all, Harris is being held responsible for distributing 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with multiple firearms possessed by members of his drug distribution network. Harris has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, robbery by force and illegally possessing firearms. He is a validated member of the Gangster Disciples criminal street gang. For more information about this case, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/defendants-sentenced-prison-separate-armed-meth-trafficking-investigations-southwest. In handing down the sentence, the Court found Harris made credible threats of violence against a co-conspirator and subsequently continued to obstruct justice by threatening the same co-conspirator not to cooperate or testify against him. During the four-day sentencing hearing, the Government called three witnesses and introduced 92 exhibits, showing Harris twice possessed a shank while incarcerated at the Irwin County Jail in December 2023 and May 2024, and he also possessed a contraband cell phone. DEA executed a federal court-authorized search warrant on Harris’s Facebook account in December 2023 and found that he was attempting to distribute narcotics while behind bars; Harris was found in possession of narcotics in June and July 2024. Harris did not receive a sentencing reduction from the Court due to his continued criminal actions after the initial federal offense, as he failed to demonstrate acceptance of responsibility for his crimes. The collaborative effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, with considerable assistance from the Americus Police Department and the Fitzgerald Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Redavid prosecuted the case for the Government. This press release about a case that occurred during the 43-day government shutdown is now available after the return to normal operations.


title: Federal Jury Finds Tampa Man Guilty Of Selling Methamphetamine

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Shane Valmont (45, Tampa) guilty of distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Valmont faces a minimum prison term of 10 years, up to life. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 18, 2025. According to evidence presented at trial, on December 27, 2022, Valmont sold approximately 112 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with the Clearwater Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Clearwater Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman and Muriel Moore. NOTE: This matter occurred on a previous date but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.


title: Former President And Executive Vice President Of Local Teachers Union Plead Guilty To Stealing Union Funds In Leave Scam

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Teresa Brady (70, Jacksonville) and Ruby George (82, Jacksonville) have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, aiding and abetting wire fraud, and aiding and abetting mail fraud. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Brady also pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Brady and George have also agreed to forfeit the traceable to proceeds of the offense, which cumulatively total at least $2.6 million. According to the plea agreements, Brady and George were the President and Executive Vice President of Duval Teachers United (DTU), a labor union that represents Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) teachers, paraprofessionals, and office personnel. DTU has approximately 6,500 members and represents approximately 80% of eligible DCPS employees. DTU’s annual revenue is approximately $5 million, which is comprised of funds paid by dues-paying members. Between 2013 and 2022, Brady and George engaged in a conspiracy to steal more than $1.2 million apiece from the DTU by selling leave time to DTU that they had not accrued or earned back. They hid their scheme by providing false information to a DTU’s auditor and by signing each other’s checks when distributing the unaccrued and unearned leave money, hiding those payments from the DTU Secretary/Treasurer. Brady and George also withheld this unearned compensation from the Florida Public Employee Relations Commission (PERC), responsible for public labor unions in Florida, in required annual financial statement filings, some of which were mailed to PERC. Brady then used the fraud proceeds and engaged in at least one monetary transaction of more than $10,000 to pay personal credit card debt. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Milliron. NOTE: This matter occurred on a previous date but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.


title: Sex Offender On Probation Is Sentenced To Over 10 Years For Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Luke Andrew Hemond, 64, of Hickory, N.C., to 121 months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Judge Bell ordered Hemond to serve a lifetime under court supervision. According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, Hemond was on probation for a prior conviction of attempted sexual assault while armed in Arizona. On March 20, 2024, North Carolina probation officers and law enforcement conducted a search of Hemond’s residence to ensure compliance with his probation conditions and sex offender registry laws. During the search, law enforcement located an SD card in Hemond’s bedroom that contained images depicting the sexual assault of minors. After finding the SD card, court records show that law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant, seizing all electronic devices from the residence. A forensic review of the devices revealed that Hemond possessed thousands of images depicting children that were nude, children being sexually abused, and at least one image of child bondage. On May 27, 2025, Hemond pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography that involved a prepubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction’s Division of Community Supervision, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, the Hickory Police Department and the Long View Police Department Office for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Spaugh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.


title: Sentencing in Attempt to Possess Mass Quantity of ‘Boot,’ an Illegal Psychostimulant Imported from China

body_text: WASHINGTON – Marvin Benjamin Martin, 32, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 140 months in prison in connection with a scheme to distribute dipentylone, an illegal psychostimulant known as “boot,” which was imported from China, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Martin pleaded guilty before Judge Beryl A. Howell on July 11, 2025, one business day before the scheduled jury trial, to attempted possession with intent to distribute N,N Dimethylpentylone hydrochloride. In addition to the prison term, Judge Howell ordered Martin to serve three years of supervised release. Joining in the announcement were Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck of Homeland Security Investigations, Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. According to court documents, in early 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington D.C. High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area group (HIDTA) was conducting an ongoing investigation into illegal shipments of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals originating in China. In February 2024, officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized a package at the International Mail Facility at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).The package, addressed to “Martin Hall” on 58 th Street SE. had been mailed from China, and contained 10 kilos of boot. HSI agents swapped out the boot in the package for sham materials and added a GPS tracking device. On March 7, 2024, HIDTA, comprised of HSI, the Metropolitan Police Department, and officers from various other agencies, delivered the package to the front steps of the residence on 58 th Street around 11:27 a.m. The officers watched as Martin retrieved the package, took it back to his vehicle, and drove off. About an hour later, Martin discarded the empty package while keeping what he believed to be real drugs. At 12:37 p.m., investigators found Martin driving in a nearby residential neighborhood in Maryland and attempted to detain him. Martin sped off and crashed into a minivan and fence before evading officers. Agents subsequently found Martin at a home in Lanham, Maryland, and attempted to block him in with their vehicles. Martin accelerated his car towards the agents, striking the front side of an agent’s vehicle at high speed. About two hours later, agents again found Martin at the Lanham residence, this time in his undamaged car, a Mercedes sedan. Officers positioned their vehicles to block the street and Martin again drove his car towards the agents at a high speed. He swerved onto a sidewalk and hit a tree while accelerating past agents’ vehicles, once again evading capture. On April 10, 2024, Martin was arrested in Annapolis, Maryland. From his multiple phones, agents recovered evidence showing that he had been selling boot and other narcotics, for years leading up to his arrest. The investigation also showed that Martin paid about $40,000 to $50,000 for the box of 10 kilograms of boot and would sell it for anywhere between $125 to $200 an ounce. From his phones, agents also found DOJ press release links of other boot trafficking convictions that Martin shared with other individuals, showing knowledge of his criminal conduct. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Washington D.C. High Intensity Drug Traffiking Area group (HIDTA), the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Annapolis Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Iris McCranie and Anthony Scarpelli of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking section (VCNT) of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia. 24cr196


title: Miami Influencer Sentenced to More than 2 Years in Prison for COVID Relief Loan Fraud and Fake Check Scheme

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A popular social media influencer and singer has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for orchestrating a years-long fraud scheme that began with COVID-19 relief loan fraud and ended with attempts to use fake checks to pay for luxury cars. On Sept. 11, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore sentenced Scott Lee Huss, 28, to 27 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud. “Pandemic relief programs were designed to help struggling businesses and families—not to fund luxury lifestyles,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Those who exploited these programs for their personal gain stole from the American people. Our Office will continue holding anyone accountable who defrauded COVID-19 relief funds, regardless of status or notoriety.” According to court documents, Huss fraudulently applied for and received six Paycheck Protection Program loans totaling more than $600,000. Instead of using the funds for business expenses and employee payroll, Huss spent the money on cryptocurrency and luxury cars. In 2023, Huss mailed fraudulent “payment vouchers” purporting to be checks to car finance companies in an effort to discharge loans on his vehicles. In total, Huss sent more than $300,000 in false checks in an attempt to fraudulently obtain a Lamborghini and a Mercedes-Benz. U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones, Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of the Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) Miami, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan McSeveney of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Miami Field Office, made the announcement. HSI Miami and DSS Miami Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General, the Sunny Isles Police Department, and the Aventura Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosenfeld and Senior Litigation Counsel Michael Berger prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 25-cr-20087. ###


title: Three Illegal Aliens Are Sentenced For Trafficking Kilograms Of Fentanyl

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Three men who are in the United States illegally were sentenced to prison today for trafficking kilogram amounts of fentanyl, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Javier Avila-Rivas, 24, Christian Josue Campos, 22, and Jefry Adalberto Martinez-Romero, 19, all of Honduras, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Today, Avila Rivas was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Campos was ordered to serve five years in prison and four years of supervised release. And Martinez was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. According to filed court documents and court proceedings, from August to September 2024, the defendants conspired to distribute kilogram quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in and around Charlotte. During the investigation, the defendants sold fentanyl to undercover law enforcement on numerous occasions. On September 5, 2024, after an undercover drug buy, law enforcement located Avila and Martinez in a vehicle. Law enforcement searched the vehicle, seizing a total of more than 1.9 kilograms of fentanyl, including 786 grams of purple fentanyl still in partial brick form; a rifle; 15 rounds of ammunition; digital scales; and $1,172 of U.S. currency. The three men are in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Warwick Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Enticement of a Minor and Obscenity

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: A Warwick man who used multiple online accounts to communicate with underage girls, including an 11-year-old in New Jersey, was sentenced today in federal court in Rhode Island for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and for transmitting obscene material to a minor, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Jeffrey Locke Slinn, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 15 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. Slinn pleaded guilty on October 30, 2023, to attempted enticement of a minor and transfer of obscene material to a minor. According to court documents, in July 2023, Slinn engaged in a series of sexually explicit online communications with an 11-year-old girl in New Jersey, attempting to entice her to engage in sexual conduct and exchanged sexually explicit images and videos with her. Slinn was arrested on October 26, 2023, charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with attempted enticement of a minor and transfer of obscene material to a minor. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White. The matter was investigated by the FBI, the Ocean Township, New Jersey, Police Department, and the Warwick, Rhode Island, Police Department. ###


title: Baltimore County Woman Sentenced for Impersonating Nurses and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Thomasina E. Amponsah, 51, of Baltimore County, Maryland, to 38 months in federal prison for making false statements in connection to health care matters and aggravated identity theft. Amponsah used stolen nursing licenses to obtain employment as a registered nurse (RN) and licensed practical nurse (LPN) but never held a nursing license or credential of her own. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). According to the plea agreement, beginning in or about September 2019, and continuing until in or about August 2023, Amponsah used stolen nursing credentials and false educational and professional histories. This helped her to obtain health care work as a purported licensed nurse at no less than 40 facilities in Maryland. Most of the facilities served as skilled nursing facilities that provided in-patient rehabilitation and medical treatment centers and were staffed with trained medical professionals. These facilities billed for services that Amponsah provided to health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. Other facilities included a Baltimore City public school and multiple nursing homes. Amponsah earned more than $145,000 in wages from working at these facilities with her false credentials. On or about August 21, 2019, Amponsah submitted a job application to Nursing Facility 1. In her application, Amponsah fraudulently used a Maryland nursing license number issued to Identity Victim T.R.S. She also provided a duplicated picture of Identity Victim T.R.S.’s nursing license to Nursing Facility 1. Additionally, on her application, Amponsah modified her name to falsely include Identity Victim T.R.S.’s last name as part of her purported name. In her purported professional and educational history, Amponsah also claimed that she previously served as an LPN supervisor, and that she held a nursing degree from Florida State University, although neither claim was true. As a result of this fraudulent application, Nursing Facility 1 hired Amponsah as an LPN. Nursing Facility 1 terminated Amponsah after she admitted forging a physician’s signature for Tramadol — an opioid painkiller — on a controlled medication prescription form and then faxing the form to a pharmacy. Amponsah also admitted she used a second stolen identity to obtain nursing positions. On or about July 18, 2021, Amponsah submitted an online job application to Staffing Agency 1. Nurses who work for Staffing Agency 1 can sign up for nursing shifts at partner facilities. On her Staffing Agency 1 application, Amponsah used a Florida nursing license number that belonged to Identity Victim E.A. She also provided a duplicated picture of Identity Victim E.A.’s nursing license to Staffing Agency 1 and submitted a fictitious resume. Additionally, Amponsah used her fabricated application to obtain employment in numerous other skilled nursing facilities. In total, between July 18, 2021, and October 9, 2022, Amponsah worked for at least 21 different skilled nursing facilities in connection with her fictitious Staffing Agency 1 application. Through Staffing Agency 1, Amponsah also obtained several shifts at Nursing Facility 2 in October 2022. During these shifts, Amponsah failed to administer prescribed medication to multiple patients and falsified the corresponding medical records. Although Nursing Facility 2 and Staffing Agency 1 confronted and eventually terminated Amponsah for working as an unlicensed nurse, she continued applying for and accepting employment as a licensed nurse using Identity Victim T.R.S.’s and Identity Victim E.A.’s credentials through August 2023. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the HHS-OIG for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph L. Wenner and Sean R. Delaney, who prosecuted the case, and recognized Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Phelps and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber, for their valuable assistance. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Entice And Meet An 11-Year-Old Child To Engage In Sexual Activity

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Noel Daniel Simonca (48, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to using his cellphone and the internet to attempt to entice a minor child to engage in sexual activity. Simonca faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Simonca was arrested by FBI agents on January 19, 2025, and has been in custody since that time. According to court documents, on December 10, 2024, an undercover FBI agent (UC) in Jacksonville was conducting an online undercover operation to identify adults who were seeking to make contact with and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, UC posted a short message in a public chat room on a particular online social messaging app. A short time later, an individual using the app name “mdesase” contacted UC using a private text messaging feature of the app. User “mdesase” confirmed that he would “love to see [the 11-year-old child],” and indicated that he had a preference for children aged “8-13.” On December 11, 2024, UC and “mdesase,” who was subsequently identified as Simonca, discussed meeting to have a “play date” and to “trade [daughters].” During further online text conversations between UC and Simonca, they discussed meeting in person. On December 26, 2024, Simonca texted UC and described in detail the sexual activity that he intended to engage in with UC’s 11-year-old “child.” Simonca and UC ultimately agreed to meet at a location in Jacksonville Beach so that Simonca could meet the “child” and take photos of “her.” During text communications between Simonca and UC in January 2025, they discussed the planned photo shoot with the “child,” including the time and location of this meeting. For example, on January 10, 2025, Simonca stated that he was “available to help” teach the “child” about sex. On January 19, 2025, Simonca drove from his residence to the place where he had planned to meet the UC and the “child,” and was arrested by FBI agents. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Detroit Man Sentenced After Meticulously Plotting  And Secretly Sending Cryptocurrency to Help ISIS

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – Jibreel Pratt, 26, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 9 years in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to two counts of concealing cryptocurrency donations he intended to make to the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. According to court records, in February 2023, Pratt initiated a conversation with a Confidential Human Source (CHS) who Pratt believed was an ISIS member who could facilitate overseas travel to join ISIS. Over the next several months, Pratt communicated his desire to travel overseas to join ISIS and recorded a video pledging allegiance to ISIS’s leader. Pratt also provided ideas, information, documents and handwritten notes on a variety of subjects, including how ISIS could use drones and remote-controlled cars to deliver explosives, how ISIS could organize intelligence operations, and how ISIS could improve its air defense systems. And, in March and May 2023, Pratt sent cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) to the CHS, intending that the money would be used to help pay for the travel of other individuals who were purportedly traveling to join ISIS and/or to help fund an individual who Pratt believed would commit an act of violence in support of ISIS. Pratt concealed the nature and source of his Bitcoin transfers by using a privacy focused VPN and an app that encrypted private keys and transaction data. “Over these last years, our office has worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the FBI to protect Americans from hardened ISIS supporters in our midst. Mr. Pratt is the latest traitor who—in his own words—operated ‘in the shadows.’ And we will continue to stand guard because he may not be the last,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. “Today’s sentencing of Jibreel Pratt is a testament to the hard work of FBI Detroit’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in keeping Michigan safe from homegrown violent extremists,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “It should send a strong message to anyone seeking to support foreign terrorist organizations, via financial means or otherwise, that the FBI will not stand idly by and allow this activity to occur within the United States. FBI Detroit remains committed to protecting the American people and will work relentlessly to disrupt any plot that threatens the security of our nation.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Douglas Salzenstein and Jennifer Burke, Trial Attorney, National Security Division, U.S. Department of Justice are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Cincinnati fentanyl dealer sentenced to 18 years in federal prison

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A local multi-kilogram drug trafficker – who was captured on camera in February 2024 shooting a rival fentanyl dealer repeatedly in the chest, after losing a bet over who sold more potent fentanyl – was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 216 months in prison. According to court documents, Robert Lee Howard, 34, of Cincinnati, was primarily a multi-kilogram dealer of fentanyl, but also sold cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana. In June 2024, agents recorded the defendant advising he was waiting on 23 pounds of methamphetamine to come in the mail in five separate packages. Agents intercepted one of those packages and discovered it contained more than four kilograms of 96 percent pure crystal meth. That same month, Howard’s car was shot up while he was driving around Cincinnati. The next day, he was recorded on calls offering to pay $10,000 total for “friends from Chicago” to come to Cincinnati and solve his “problem” by “putting [the rival fentanyl dealer] on a T-shirt.” Agents then executed a search warrant at Howard’s primary residence in Price Hill – where four young children also lived – and arrested him. At Howard’s home, they discovered more than nine kilograms of fentanyl, cocaine, an industrial size pill press, press parts and other supplies for making fake “ecstasy” pills with fentanyl, body armor, ammunition and AK-47 magazines. Howard had multiple firearms lying out on his bedroom floor amongst scattered vials of fentanyl, including a Mini Draco style rifle and two pistols with extended magazines. Howard was charged by federal criminal complaint in June 2024 and pleaded guilty in July 2025. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Joseph O. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit; West Chester Police Chief Brian Rebholz; Cincinnati Interim Police Chief Adam Hennie; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney David P. Dornette is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Cheyenne restaurant owner sentenced for filing false tax return

component: USAO - Wyoming

body_text: CHEYENNE, WYOMING – Shu Ping Chen, 48, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison with no supervised release for filing a false tax return. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on October 28 in Cheyenne. Chen was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $293,270 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and $66,426 to the State of Wyoming, a $75,000 fine, and $35,000 towards the cost of prosecution. According to court documents, Chen owned and operated China Buffet restaurant in Cheyenne where she was responsible for the restaurant’s day-to-day operations and financial reporting. From at least 2018, Chen knowingly provided false financial information to her Certified Public Accountant (CPA), fully aware that the CPA would use this information to prepare and file her tax returns. Specifically, for tax years 2018 through 2022, Chen willfully underreported the restaurant’s gross cash receipts by providing false figures to her CPA. The total underreported amount over the five-year period was $959,693.94, resulting in a tax loss of $293,270 to the IRS and $66,426 to the State of Wyoming. On January 4, 2024, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) executed search warrants at both the restaurant and Chen’s residence. During the search, Chen was caught attempting to destroy business records. Chen waived indictment and pleaded guilty to the charges on August 5, following the filing of an Information on July 11. The case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation division. “Tax fraud is a serious crime that undermines the integrity of our tax system and places an unfair burden on honest taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith. “This sentence demonstrates the commitment of IRS-Criminal Investigation to holding individuals accountable for their actions and ensuring that everyone pays their fair share.”


title: Sharon Drug Dealer Convicted at Trial of Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Death

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: This release was posted following the 43-day government shutdown during which the trial and verdict occurred. PITTSBURGH, Pa. – After deliberating for approximately five hours, a federal jury on October 15, 2025, found Laven Davis guilty of fentanyl distribution resulting in serious bodily injury and death, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced. Davis, 33, of Sharon, Pennsylvania, was tried before Senior United States District Judge Reggie B. Walton of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The evidence presented during the six-day jury trial established that, on or about November 28, 2022, Davis distributed fentanyl which resulted in the serious bodily injury and death of a 43-year-old Hermitage, Pennsylvania, woman. At the time, Davis was on Pennsylvania state parole following his release from prison a few months earlier. Davis has prior felony convictions for aggravated assault, aggravated harassment by a prisoner, terroristic threats, and unlawful possession of a firearm, each of which occurred through separate state prosecutions during the past eight years. Judge Walton scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2026. Assistant United States Attorneys V. Joseph Sonson and Craig W. Haller are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Mercer County District Attorney’s Office, Mercer County Coroner’s Office, Hermitage Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Davis.


title: Shiprock Man Sentenced for Assault

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to five years of probation for slashing another man’s throat. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on September 10, 2022, Darron Smith , 25, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was attending a small gathering at an apartment within the Navajo Nation reservation. Shortly after midnight, without warning or provocation, Smith removed a 7.5-inch blade from a knife block and sliced the throat of John Doe. John Doe was rushed to the emergency room and hospitalized. He suffered a 5 ½ inch laceration on his neck which required 13 sutures. Smith pled guilty to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Upon his release from prison, Smith will be subject to three years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the case. This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.


title: Former Virginia Business Owner Sentenced for Employment Tax Fraud

component: Office of Public Affairs

body_text: A Virginia man and former business owner was sentenced today to 80 months in prison for not accounting for and paying employment taxes to the IRS. The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Richard Moore was the executive vice president and part owner of Nexus Services Inc., a Verona-based company that offered bond securitization and other services to immigrants detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. With his control over the company’s business and financial affairs Moore was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and income taxes from Nexus’s employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the IRS. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year. For many quarters between the first quarter of 2015 and first quarter of 2024, Moore withheld the funds but did not pay them over to the IRS and did not file the returns. In total, Moore caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $3.1 million. While not paying the taxes withheld from employees’ wages to the IRS, Moore spent millions of dollars of the company’s money on himself. For example, he spent more than $500,000 on luxury cars, including three Ferarris, three Maseratis, two BMWs, and a Mercedes Benz. He also spent more than $573,000 on his August 2016 wedding and more than $1.1 million to write, publish, and publicize a book written by his spouse. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Elizabeth K. Dillon for the Western District of Virginia ordered Moore to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $3,023,984 in restitution to the United States. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.


title: Long Island Investment Advisors Convicted of Defrauding Clients out of Millions of Dollars

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, a federal jury in Central Islip convicted investment advisors and twin brothers Adam and Daniel Kaplan of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, investment advisor fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. Adam Kaplan was additionally found guilty of another count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank and wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering, and attempted obstruction of justice while on pre-trial release. The verdict was returned after an eight-week trial before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict. “With today’s verdict, Adam and Daniel Kaplan stand convicted of stealing millions of dollars from clients, some of whom were elderly and disabled, who trusted the defendants to invest their money, but instead were betrayed by these ruthless thieves,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Adam Kaplan is facing additional, very serious consequences for seeking to undermine the criminal justice process by attempting to threaten victims and witnesses and bribe Department of Justice officials. I commend the prosecutors from our Office and the FBI Special Agents who worked tirelessly to unravel the defendants’ fraudulent schemes and bring them to justice for the harm their greed has caused.” Mr. Nocella thanked the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Chicago Regional Office, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation for their work on the case. “Adam and Daniel Kaplan demonstrated a pattern of deceit to steal millions of dollars from trusting investors, while the former threatened victims in an attempt to obstruct the federal investigation into the brothers’ misconduct. These defendants exploited the trust, vulnerability, and, at times, health of more than 100 victims to selfishly enrich themselves. May today’s conviction reflect the FBI’s continued promise to hold accountable those who target the wallets of others out of personal greed,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. Fraudulent Scheme While Working as Investment Advisors As proven at trial and set forth in other public filings, between May 2018 and July 2021, Adam and Daniel Kaplan acted as investment advisors at an investment advisory firm, IHT Wealth Management, for hundreds of clients. The defendants used their positions of trust to steal at least $10 million dollars from those clients, and used the stolen funds for personal expenses and to purchase luxury goods. The defendants used various schemes to steal from their victims. For example, the defendants consistently sent clients contracts to begin their client-advisor relationship. The defendants promised these clients that their fees would be approximately 1% per year, and sometimes less. The contracts that the defendants sent their victims, however, did not include the specific fee percentage that they promised. Instead, it was blank. Based on the defendants’ lies, and the victims’ trust in the defendants, the victims signed the contracts with the fee portion of the contract blank. The defendants then filled in the fee percentage at a much higher rate than what was promised, sometimes more than four times as high. The defendants also siphoned money from their victims’ bank accounts without any authorization or approval. The defendants hid these charges from their victims by, before charging the victims, transferring money to the victims’ bank accounts from the victims’ own brokerage accounts in the exact amount that the defendants charged so that the balance of the victims’ bank account appeared unchanged. To conceal their years-long fraudulent scheme, the defendants repeatedly lied to their clients about the fraudulent charges, forged their clients’ signatures on documents, and lied to financial institutions. As part of the government’s investigation, the government recovered over a dozen fake contracts purportedly between the defendants and their victims for services such as “life coaching” or “divorce consultation” but the defendants never provided any of these services to their victims. The defendants’ victims included individuals who were elderly and disabled, as well as family and friends. For example, the defendants took out a loan in an elderly victim’s name while she was caring for her dying husband; stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent loans; and left the victim to pay the lender on her own. As another example, the defendants stole from a family in Arizona, including a 100-year-old grandmother; specifically, Daniel Kaplan tricked the family into sending him checks and then altered the checks and deposited them into his own account. Additional Fraud Schemes After IHT uncovered the defendants’ fraud, IHT fired the defendants in July 2021. However, Adam and Daniel Kaplan continued to steal from victims after July 2021. Among those victims included a woman with dementia who, at the time that the defendants stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from her, could not recognize her husband of decades. As part of his fraud, Adam Kaplan befriended the woman and escorted her to a bank in Manhattan to have her sign documents that would enable him to steal additional money from her, as depicted below: Adam Kaplan also participated in other fraud schemes. Between 2023 and 2024, Adam Kaplan, working with a co-conspirator (Co-Conspirator), stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims, including some of the same individuals he had stolen from previously. Adam Kaplan promised those victims that he would invest their money, but instead used those funds for his own expenses. As the scheme unraveled, Adam Kaplan paid back prior victims by charging his own parents’ credit cards for thousands of dollars, and had the charges disputed to avoid repayment. The bank ultimately lost funds. Adam Kaplan’s Obstruction of Justice In addition, between April 2023 and September 2024, while aware of a federal grand jury investigation into the defendants’ conduct, Adam Kaplan attempted to influence, obstruct, and impede the underlying investigation, including through attempts to threaten, injure, and pay off witnesses, and destroy evidence. Between April 2023 and September 2023, Adam Kaplan believed that Co-Conspirator was a violent felon with connections to the mafia and on the dark web. Adam Kaplan paid Co-Conspirator over $75,000 to tamper with, threaten, and violently injure victims of the defendant’s fraud schemes. While using a burner phone, in one text, Adam Kaplan told Co-Conspirator that one of Adam Kaplan’s victims needed “to fear.” In another text, Adam Kaplan told Co-Conspirator that a victim should be “peeing blood / missing teeth and another visited / scared”. Adam Kaplan also ordered Co-Conspirator to “put [a victim’s] phone on fire . . . Seriously, please blow it up.” Adam Kaplan also ordered Co-Conspirator to send skull-and-crossbones imagery in texts to Adam Kaplan’s victims to scare them, and Co-Conspirator sent those text messages. Finally, Adam Kaplan also ordered Co-Conspirator to attempt to dig up “dirt” on a prosecutor from the Eastern District of New York so that Adam Kaplan could blackmail the prosecutor into not charging Adam Kaplan. After Adam Kaplan and Daniel Kaplan were arrested, and while on release pursuant to a multimillion-dollar bond, Adam Kaplan continued to obstruct justice. For example, Adam Kaplan ordered Co-Conspirator to bribe Department of Justice officials on several occasions. The attempted bribes were never paid. * * * * * The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Toporovsky, Paul Scotti, and Rebecca Urquiola are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance from Paralegal Specialist Janelle Robinson and Victim Witness Specialists Stephanie Marroquin and Maryyam Jaffery. The Defendants: ADAM S. KAPLAN Age: 36 Great Neck, Long Island DANIEL E. KAPLAN Age: 36 Great Neck, Long Island E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-293 (S-1) (JMA)


title: Shaktoolik man sentenced to 30 years for cyberstalking, sexually exploiting multiple victims

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Shaktoolik man was sentenced last week to 30 years in prison followed by 30 years on supervised release for sexually exploiting three children to produce child pornography, and for cyberstalking the children and one adult victim. According to court documents, between December 2021 and July 2023, Matthew Jackson, 23, engaged in a pattern of sexual abuse and exploitation with multiple female victims, three of whom were minors. Jackson used a cell phone to send messages to the three minor victims asking them to create pictures and videos depicting sexually explicit conduct. Jackson used the threat of disclosing those images to coerce sexual contact with the minors. Jackson filmed the sexual encounters without consent and provided marijuana and alcohol in exchange for sex. During the same period, Jackson employed the same or similar conduct with an adult victim. Jackson requested sexually explicit images, then engaged in a course of harassing conduct with the adult victim by threatening to disclose the images. Jackson stated he could make money from the images and threatened to sell them if the adult victim refused Jackson’s demand for sexual intercourse. Jackson successfully coerced the adult victim to engage in sexual intercourse without consent and laughed while his victim expressed suicidal ideation. Arguments in court explained that Jackson used similar conduct to affect at least three additional adults. “Jackson has a history of violent assaults and engaged in despicable conduct against multiple vulnerable victims,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman. “His life of terrorizing Alaskans stops now. Thanks to the incredible strength of the victims and efforts by law enforcement, Jackson will spend the next three decades in prison followed by decades under Court supervision.” "Through manipulation and coercion, Jackson callously terrorized and sexually exploited both minors and adults in Alaska,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Let this serve as a message to anyone who commits crimes against children in Alaska: the FBI and our partners will relentlessly pursue and hold predators accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman of the District of Alaska and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Anchorage Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. ###


title: Convicted felon gets 15-year maximum sentence after pointing gun at law enforcement officer

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 45-year-old Robstown resident has been sentenced to federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Guadalupe Calderon III pleaded guilty July 31. U.S. District Judge Davis S. Morales has now ordered Calderon to serve 180 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the sentencing hearing, the court saw footage of Calderon pointing and attempting to fire a handgun at a local sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop. In handing down the sentence, the court noted he would have sentenced Calderon to a higher sentence, but the statutory maximum penalty was 180 months. On July 26, 2024, law enforcement had conducted a traffic stop on Calderon’s truck. When asked for his license and insurance, he pointed a Ruger pistol at the officer’s face and pulled the trigger. When the gun did not fire, Calderon fled the scene in his truck. Authorities located him approximately six hours later riding in another vehicle. A search resulted in the discovery of the firearm in the back seat where he had been sitting along with over 30 rounds of ammunition and a high-capacity drum magazine. Calderon admitted the gun was his and that he had pointed it at the officer earlier that day. He has multiple prior felony convictions. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms per federal law. Calderon has been and will remain in custody. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Nueces County Sheriff’s Department and Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.


title: Ecuadorian woman pleads guilty to, sentenced for illegal re-entry

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ana Castro Castro, 38, a citizen and national of Ecuador, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to re-entry of a removed alien. She was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated that in July 2021, Castro was physically removed from the United States. On August 1, 2025, she was found in in Erie County, NY, by Border Patrol Agents and did not have any documents allowing her to be legally present in the United States. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks. # # # #


title: Wheeling Attorney Guilty of Money Laundering and Fraud

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - A Wheeling attorney was convicted today of fraud and money laundering for fraudulently handling client funds and using client funds to conduct unlawful monetary transactions, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. A federal jury found Paul J. Harris, 62, of Wheeling, guilty of 29 counts today. The jury heard testimony that Harris used client funds for personal expenses, such as the purchase of his home and paying for his law office, without the clients’ permission. Harris received and moved funds from his client trust account to his law firm operating account, at times using one client’s money to pay funds he had misappropriated from other clients. “Attorneys are meant to relieve clients of their stressors. Mr. Harris preyed on vulnerable clients who trusted him with their money and legal matters, betraying that trust through unethical acts. I commend the jury for their verdict and for delivering justice to the victims,” said U.S. Attorney Harvey. The government is seeking a monetary judgement, restitution for the victims, as well as the forfeiture of the property of Harris Law Offices in Wheeling. Harris faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each of the mail and wire fraud counts and up to 10 years in prison for each of the unlawful monetary transaction counts. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod J. Douglas and Jennifer T. Conklin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government, and the matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.


title: Iowa Attorney Pleads Guilty to Making a False Statement to Iowa Medicaid

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: An Iowa attorney who made a false statement to Iowa Medicaid pled guilty on October 30, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Timothy Mark Anderson, age 66, from Garner, Iowa, was convicted of one count of false statement relating to a health care matter. At his plea hearing and in a plea agreement, Anderson admitted that he was a licensed attorney in the State of Iowa. Anderson offered financial, tax, and estate planning services to the public from his law office in Garner. Anderson’s legal services included assisting elderly clients on Medicaid eligibility. Medicaid is a cooperative federal-state health care benefit program for low-income persons and others, including the elderly. As part of his legal services, Anderson prepared and submitted applications for Iowa Medicaid-funded nursing home care. Iowa Medicaid has rules for eligibility, including an evaluation of the financial resources available to the applicant. In determining the resources of an individual and spouse, one automobile is excluded regardless of value if it complies with, among other things, the requirements of the state law in which the application is filed. In 2021, Father-1 and Mother-1 were two elderly married persons. Father-1 and Mother-1 had over $400,000 in assets, including a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox valued at $30,000, but wished to become eligible for Iowa Medicaid, have Iowa Medicaid pay for nursing home expenses, and pass on their assets to their heirs. Father-1 was receiving nursing home care at the time without public assistance. In October 2021, Anderson deposited a $186,000 check from Mother-1 into his personal savings account, provided Mother-1 a certificate of title to a 1961 Rolls Royce Phantom V, and signed the title for that vehicle over to her. Anderson also created a bill of sale for this transaction, stating that the car was transferred on October 18, 2021. Two days earlier, on October 16, 2021, Anderson was driving the 1961 Rolls Royce and was involved in an accident. The 1961 Rolls Royce suffered front-end damage, was inoperable, and was towed to a farm shop. On November 4, 2021, Anderson wrote Iowa Medicaid and provided a series of documents to qualify Father-1 for Iowa Medicaid benefits. Among other things, Anderson provided a document that stated that the Rolls Royce had a fair market value of $194,000. At the time Anderson submitted the form to Iowa Medicaid, he knew that the fair market value of that vehicle was not $194,000. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Anderson remains released pending sentencing. Anderson faces a possible maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-3053. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Waterloo Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Ammunition as a Prohibited Person

body_text: A man who possessed ammunition as a prohibited person was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison. Nicholas Edward Schubich, age 45, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 8, 2025 guilty plea to one count of possession of ammunition by a prohibited person. At the guilty plea, Schubich admitted he possessed the ammunition knowing that he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year as well as a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. On April 20, 2025, following a traffic stop on a car that Schubich was a passenger in, officers located methamphetamine, marijuana, and a box of ammunition in Schubich’s backpack. Schubich was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Schubich was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Schubich is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. 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 part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, the Waterloo Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-2032. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: California Man Who Distributed Hundreds of Pounds  of Meth in Dubuque Sentenced to Federal Prison

body_text: A man who distributed hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine to co-conspirators in the Dubuque, Iowa, area, was sentenced today to more than 15 years in federal prison. Juan Jose Ruiz, age 29, from Visalia, California, received the prison term after an April 24, 2025 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 50 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine. Evidence at sentencing showed that in 2021, Ruiz was responsible for distributing 200 pounds of methamphetamine and 2,000 grams of cocaine to other members of a drug-trafficking organization based in Dubuque, Iowa. In December 2021, Ruiz was driving a car from California to Iowa, when law enforcement stopped him in Colorado. Law enforcement searched his car and, under cutout doors in the metal floor of the car, found 25 pounds of ice methamphetamine. Ruiz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Ruiz was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Ruiz is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Dubuque Police Department, Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-1006. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Woman Admits Embezzling $305,000 from St. Louis County Company

body_text: ST. LOUIS – The former head of payroll for a St. Louis County company on Thursday admitted paying herself an extra $305,000 in salary and bonuses. Deborah Stinebaker, 49, of O’Fallon, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of fraudulently effecting transactions. She admitted that while the head of the company's payroll department, she used the company’s financial software to pay herself an extra $305,469 from January 2016 to March of 2024. Her employer discovered her crime when an audit revealed that the company’s financial instability resulted from the embezzlement. Stinebaker is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 17, 2026. Stinebaker’s charge carries a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. She will also be ordered to repay the money. The FBI and the Maryland Heights Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.


title: Telemarketing Company Operators Sentenced for Roles in Genetic Testing Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Two men from Texas and Florida were sentenced today to four years and two years in prison, respectively, for their roles as leaders of a marketing company that solicited Medicare beneficiaries for medically unnecessary genetic testing. The Florida man received an additional two years in prison, to be served concurrently, for his role in falsifying the ownership information in Medicare enrollment documentation for a clinical laboratory. According to court documents, Paul Wexler, 56, of Spring, Texas, and Paul Bleignier, 64, of Seminole, Florida, operated a telemarketing company that recruited Medicare beneficiaries for cancer genetic (CGx) testing that was medically unnecessary. CGx testing uses DNA sequencing to detect mutations in genes that could indicate a higher risk of developing certain types of cancers in the future. It is not a method of diagnosing whether an individual presently has cancer, and Medicare covers CGx testing in limited circumstances. Further, Wexler, Bleignier and their co-conspirators solicited and received kickbacks in exchange for referring Medicare beneficiaries for CGx testing that was not eligible for Medicare reimbursement. Through the scheme, Wexler and Bleignier caused Medicare to be billed $17.3 million, and they were paid $5.2 million. While the criminal case for genetic testing fraud was pending, Bleignier opened a clinical laboratory and enrolled it in Medicare. Medicare requires a certification listing anyone with 5% or more ownership interest, but Bleignier used other people’s identities to disguise his involvement. The claims related to that laboratory were further tainted by kickbacks. Bleignier and his co-conspirators billed Medicare for $3,012,156 in claims that were ineligible for reimbursement, and they were paid $916,106. In April 2024, Wexler pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. In November 2022, Bleignier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive kickbacks, and in November 2024, he pleaded guilty to making false statements related to health care matters. At sentencing the two were ordered to pay $1.2 million in forfeiture each and $5.2 million in restitution. Bleignier was ordered to pay an additional $916,106 in forfeiture for his role in falsifying the ownership information in Medicare enrollment documentation. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida; and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement. HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Charles D. Strauss of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted 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: Waterbury Drug Distributor Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS MUNOZ, also known as “P.R.” and “Puerto Rico,” 41, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 40 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a Waterbury drug trafficking organization. According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies investigated two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury. One organization was headed by Angel Quiros and operated in the area of William Street, and the other was headed by Daniel Diaz-Rivera and operated in the area of Maple Avenue. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers. The organizations shared sources of supply, worked together to further their operations, and sold narcotics all hours of the day and night. Munoz distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl as part of the Quiros organization. Munoz, Quiros, Diaz-Rivera, and 14 associates were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation. Munoz, Quiros, Diaz-Rivera, and several codefendants were arrested on November 29, 2023. In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash. Investigators seized from Munoz approximately 234 grams of cocaine, 22 grams of fentanyl, and $2,100 in cash. On March 7, 2025, Munoz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Released on $100,000 bond, he is required to report to prison on January 16. Quiros and Diaz-Rivera pleaded guilty to related charges. On August 19, 2025, Quiros was sentenced to 63 months of imprisonment, and on June 23, 2025, Diaz-Rivera was sentenced to 210 months of imprisonment. The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department have assisted the investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.


title: Former CFO convicted at trial of four counts of wire fraud

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A Mercer Island, Washington man was convicted November 7, 2025, of four counts of wire fraud for taking and misusing some $35 million from his former employer, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Nevin Shetty, 41, was found guilty after a nine-day jury trial. Jurors deliberated about ten hours before reaching the guilty verdict. Judge Tana Lin scheduled sentencing for February 11, 2026. “This defendant exploited his position of power and trust in an attempt to profit from his crime and then lied to cover it up,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “I am proud of the work of our attorneys and support staff, who calmly and carefully helped the jury see through film of lies the defense used to try to justify what was, at its core, theft.” According to records in the case, Shetty was hired as the CFO of a private software company in March 2021. The company was raising capital for its work in multiple rounds of funding. The company, with Shetty, drafted a policy governing how the money raised should be kept safe while the company worked to grow its business. The company adopted an investment policy statement that called for company cash to be invested only in money market accounts or other conservative investments. The company’s overriding objective was to preserve its capital for use in operating and growing the business, which is why the company’s capital was placed exclusively in FDIC insured treasury and operating bank accounts. Even though Shetty helped draft the policy and disseminate it to the board of directors for approval, he secretly moved approximately $35 million in company funds to a cryptocurrency platform he controlled as a side business. Shetty created that side business, called HighTower Treasury, in February 2022—it had no other outside customers. In March 2022, he was told he could not continue as CFO at his employer due to concerns about his performance. Shortly after he got this news, Shetty secretly transferred the funds out of the company’s account. Between April 1 and 12, 2022, Shetty transferred $35,000,100 of his employer’s money to an account for HighTower Treasury. No other executives or board members at the company knew of these transfers. Shetty, through HighTower, then placed the money in a realm of cryptocurrency sometimes referred to as decentralized finance or “DeFi.” Shetty chose high-yield DeFi lending protocols that promised to generate 20% interest. Shetty’s idea was that HighTower would pay Shetty’s company 6% of that interest and keep the remainder of any interest earned from the cryptocurrency investments for HighTower, which could have been substantial. As an owner of HighTower, Shetty stood to keep those profits. In the first month, Shetty’s scheme earned roughly $133,000 of profit for himself and his HighTower business partner. However, the cryptocurrency investments soon began declining and by May 13, 2022, the value of the $35 million investment was nearly zero. After the money was essentially gone, Shetty told two of his fellow executives what he had done. He was immediately fired. The company reported the embezzlement to the FBI, who launched an investigation. In closing arguments Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski told the jury, “Why did he do this? Greed – to line his own pockets. That is what explains his lying, sneaking around, and telling half-truths.” Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Kopczynski and Grace Zoller.


title: Romanian National Pleads Guilty to Online Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Romanian national pleaded guilty to participating in a fraudulent scheme that used fake business websites and false identities to steal more than $1.18 million from consumers across the country. According to court documents, from May 26, 2023, through June 25, 2024, Claudiu Pesteleu , a Romanian national illegally present in the United States, and his co-conspirators devised a scheme in which certain co-conspirators would create fake websites that appeared to represent legitimate businesses selling vehicles and equipment. When consumers inquired about making purchases, the conspirators instructed them to wire payment to bank accounts that Pesteleu had opened using false identity documents and sham business names. After receiving the payments, the conspirators stopped communicating with the consumers and never delivered any products. To help conceal the scheme, Pesteleu obtained false identity documents, including foreign passports, and opened multiple bank accounts in those names. Pesteleu admitted that at least one victim was located in New Mexico and that the scheme caused a total loss of approximately $1,800,000. Pesteleu also admitted to conducting numerous financial transactions with the stolen funds, including cash withdrawals and transfers exceeding $10,000, to disguise the source and ownership of the money. Pesteleu pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. At sentencing, Pesteleu faces up to 20 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Pesteleu will be subject to three years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Ryan G. McRae, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today. The Homeland Security Investigations Deming investigated this case with assistance from the Gainesville, Florida Police Department. Las Cruces Criminal Chief Richard Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Gardner are prosecuting the case. This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.


title: Owner of Lake Sammamish restaurant pleads guilty to wire fraud and false tax return related to embezzlement from former elderly customer

body_text: Seattle – The former owner of a Lake Sammamish restaurant pleaded guilty this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle to wire fraud and filing a false tax return in connection with his theft from a former customer, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Richard Dale Radcliffe, 62, admitted on November 12, 2025, that he illegally took $515,000 from the financial accounts of an elderly woman he befriended for the purpose of personally benefiting from her wealth. U.S. District Judge Lauren King scheduled sentencing for February 5, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. According to the facts admitted in the plea agreement, Radcliffe cultivated a friendship with a widow who lived near his restaurant. The widow was elderly and suffering cognitive decline. Radcliffe arranged for a friend of his to serve as the power of attorney for the victim, with Radcliffe still having access and control over the victim’s bank accounts. The victim had no surviving family members, and trusted Radcliffe to assist her with her finances and take care of her bills. Radcliffe abused his access to her accounts and used her money for his own real estate purchases, gambling, travel, and restaurant operation expenses. He convinced his friend, as power of attorney, to liquidate over $800,000 from the victim’s retirement account to fund the purchase a home for himself in North Carolina by falsely claiming that he was entitled that amount as reimbursement for money that he spent on the victim’s care and for remodeling her home. The victim ultimately moved into an assisted living facility and passed away in November 2020. Radcliffe moved into her waterfront home and later inherited her estate. When Radcliffe filed his taxes in February 2021, he failed to report the $437,000 he embezzled from the victim’s accounts. That additional income resulted in a tax liability of $124,000 he did not report to the IRS. As part of his plea agreement Radcliffe will pay the $124,000 to the IRS. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend no more than 46 months or a term within the sentencing guidelines when Radcliffe is sentenced in February 2026. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Manca and Grace Zoller.


title: Leader of bank fraud ring, who conspired with insider to drain accounts, sentenced to three years in prison

body_text: Seattle – The organizer of a conspiracy to commit bank fraud to steal more than $345,000 from a western Washington credit union was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three years in prison announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Dangelo Roberts, 23, advertised on social media that he could make false identification materials and recruited co-schemers to access victims’ accounts. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Jamal N. Whitehead said, “What you did was serious… It caused real financial harm.” According to records filed in the case, Roberts used credit union information stolen by defendant Aneicia Ford, 33, of Tacoma. Ford used her brief employment with the credit union to steal account information of credit union customers so that conspirators could take over the accounts and steal the funds. The credit union has fully reimbursed customers who lost money to the co-schemers. Between May and October 2022, Ford worked out of her Tacoma home as a contact center employee who helped customers with account issues. In that role, she had access to personally identifying information of customers of the credit union. Using the stolen account information, the conspirators obtained false IDs from Roberts and used them to get newly issued debit cards and to make withdrawals from the victims’ accounts, often at the credit union’s branches. Roberts directed the coconspirators on how to impersonate the account holders and commit the fraud. For example, he instructed coconspirators obtain increases to the ATM withdrawal limits, and then the conspirators obtained as much as $25,000 in cash. Roberts also coached the conspirators to spend victims’ funds by ordering cashier’s checks or purchasing postal money orders that were made payable to him, other conspirators, or their associates. In all, the scheme stole approximately $345,014 from the credit union accounts. Judge Whitehead determined Roberts was responsible for $146,016 in loss. He ordered Roberts to pay that amount in restitution. Six people were charged in the scheme. Ford and Roberts face significant penalties, including a mandatory two-year minimum sentence, due to their abuse of trust and leadership role, respectively. Ford is scheduled for sentencing on December 4, 2025. The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M. Ly.


title: Mexican national charged in August robbery spree involving casinos, and a bank

body_text: Seattle – A 32-year-old Mexican national who was residing in Federal Way, Washington was detained today at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac. He is charged with robbery and attempted robbery of three tribal casinos and a Shoreline, Washington, bank branch in August 2025. Edgar Oswaldo Gonzalez Barragan was arrested by Kent Police just hours after he allegedly robbed the U.S. Bank branch in Shoreline. The bank robbery was the last in a string of robberies or attempted robberies that began on August 1, 2025. According to records filed in the case, on the evening of August 1, 2025, Gonzalez Barragan allegedly brandished a silver handgun when he approached the cashier window at the Tulalip Quil Ceda Creek Casino and demanded money from the till. The cashier pressed the panic button and refused to hand over any money despite the gunman’s threat to shoot guests. Gonzalez Barragan ran from the scene. Two days later, on August 3, 2025, Gonzalez Barragan was identified as the person who robbed the Silver Reef Casino on the Lummi Nation Indian Reservation in Ferndale, Washington. Again, he allegedly used a silver handgun to demand cash from the cashier. He fled from the casino on foot. On August 9, 2025, Gonzalez Barragan allegedly attempted to rob the Little Creek Casino on Squaxin Island Tribal land in Shelton, Washington. Gonzalez Barragan is alleged to have removed a gun from his pocket and demanded cash. After the teller told him there was no cash in the till, he ran the from the scene. Later that same day, the Riverside Fire Authority reported that a $12,000 piece of equipment called the “Jaws of Life” was stolen off their fire truck. Surveillance video helped law enforcement identify a vehicle associated with the theft. Ultimately, law enforcement was able to connect the vehicle with Gonzalez Barragan. Finally, two days later, August 11, 2025, Gonzalez Barragan walked into the U.S. Bank branch in Shoreline and demanded money. The teller heard what sounded like a large object hit the counter and was fearful the man had a gun. The teller handed him money from the till, and he left. When Gonzalez Barragan was arrested that day, he was wearing the same clothing he wore during the bank robbery. Cell phone location data and other evidence place Gonzalez Barragan in the vicinity of all the robberies and attempted robberies. The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being investigated by the FBI with assistance from many law enforcement agencies, including the Kent Police Department, the Ferndale Police Department, the Federal Way Police Department, the Marysville Police Department, the Centralia Police Department,, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, the Lummi Nation Police Department, the Tulalip Police Department, the Squaxin Island Police Department, and the Department of Homeland Security The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Celia Lee. Ms. Lee serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s office, Western District of Washington.