title: Missouri Home Health Care Company Agrees to Pay $534,475 False Claims Act Settlement

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis area home health care company has agreed to pay more than half a million dollars to settle false claims allegations, U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus announced Monday. As part of the agreement, Deer Valley Home Health Services LLC (DVHH) has agreed to repay $534,475 that the United States and the state of Missouri allege was falsely billed to Medicaid from Oct. 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023. DVHH submitted the claims on behalf of a person who began as a contractor and later became an employee. DVHH should have known that the person was falsely inflating his educational credentials and was claiming that more than 24 hours of service was provided in a single day, the government alleges. The employee/contractor claimed to have provided applied behavior analysis therapy including assessments and treatment plans for individuals with behavioral or developmental conditions. The government alleges he was not qualified to perform those services. The employee left the company around May of 2023. DVHH disclosed issues related to his conduct in July of 2023 and cooperated with the investigation. DVHH denies knowing that the employee was submitting false claims. “Today’s settlement underscores a commitment to holding providers accountable for submitting false information and fraudulent claims to the Medicaid program,” said Linda T. Hanley, Special Agent in Charge with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to protect taxpayer funds and ensure patients receive legitimate services from properly licensed individuals.” HHS-OIG and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Moore handled the case.


title: Serhat Gumrukcu Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Barnet, Vermont, Murder-for-Hire

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The First Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on November 24, 2025, Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss sentenced Serhat Gumrukcu, 43, of Los Angeles, California, to life imprisonment for his role in the January 6, 2018, murder of Gregory Davis in Barnet, Vermont. Gumrukcu was convicted by a jury on April 18, 2025, of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. Gumrukcu was also convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Gumrukcu’s co-conspirators were sentenced in September 2025. Chief Judge Reiss imposed the following sentences: • Berk Eratay: 110 months of imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. • Jerry Banks: 200 months of imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. • Aron Ethridge: 140 months of imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Gumrukcu solicited the murder of Gregory Davis due to Davis’s threats of legal action related to Gumrukcu’s role in a failed oil commodities transaction. Gumrukcu’s conviction for wire fraud stemmed from his fraudulent activities in relation to this failed oil deal. Gumrukcu was particularly motivated to silence Davis due to his negotiations of a multi-million-dollar biotech merger involving Gumrukcu’s alleged discovery of a cure for HIV. Gumrukcu relied on his close friend, Berk Eratay, to arrange through a second intermediary, Aron Ethridge, the hiring of a hitman to kill Davis. Ethridge recruited Jerry Banks for the hitman role, who on January 6, 2018, posed as a Deputy U.S. Marshal, and abducted Davis from his Danville, Vermont home. On January 7, 2018, Davis’s deceased body was located in a snowbank in Barnet, Vermont, a short distance from Davis’s home. Investigators quickly discovered emails and messaging indicating the tension between Gumrukcu and Davis over the failed oil deal, resulting in Gumrukcu being interviewed twice by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Gumrukcu made false statements during each interview. Cellphone location information, purchase records, banking documentation, emails, and messaging discovered during the investigation led to the identification of Gumrukcu, Ethridge, Eratay, and Banks who caused the kidnapping and death of Davis. During today’s sentencing hearing, Melissa Davis, Gregg Davis’s widow, addressed the Court. She expressed appreciation: to the Vermont State Police, “for every call, every update, every reassurance that you were working tirelessly to find who murdered Gregg”; to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for its “coordination across state lines,” “professionalism,” and its “relentless pursuit of truth [that] made all the difference”; and to the prosecution team, stating the prosecution’s “strength, commitment, and unwavering pursuit of justice over these many years will stay with me for the rest of my life. I watched the way you prosecuted this case during those five weeks with excellence, clarity, and conviction. There were moments I sat in that courtroom simply proud—knowing God had appointed each of you to pursue justice for Gregg.” Melissa Davis also expressed appreciation to her victim advocate, the United States Marshals Service, and to Chief Judge Reiss. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vermont State Police for their collaborative investigation of Gumrukcu, Eratay, Banks, and Ethridge, and the crimes associated with Davis’s murder. Drescher also thanked the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the numerous law enforcement entities across the country who worked to identify Banks as the hired hitman, Ethridge and Eratay as middlemen, and Gumrukcu as the financier and benefactor of the murder scheme. At trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul J. Van de Graaf and Zachary Stendig represented the government, with support from Karen Arena-Leene and Erin Thompson-Moran. Serhat Gumrukcu was represented by Susan Marcus, Esq. and Ethan Balogh, Esq.


title: West Valley Man Admits to Robbing a Credit Union

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Joseph Troy Ortega, 58, of West Valley City, Utah, pleaded guilty in court today to credit union robbery after he threatened a teller and fled with $3,690 in cash. According to court documents and admissions made at Sanchez-Carrillo’s change of plea hearing on August 28, 2025, Ortega entered a credit union in West Valley City, approached the teller and demanded money. The teller complied with Ortega’s demands and handed over $3,690. Ortega then took the money and fled the credit union in his black Toyota Rav 4. A short time later, Ortega was located by law enforcement and taken into custody. In an envelope inside the vehicle, officers found a portion of the stolen money. See prior press release: West Valley City Man Indicted Following Alleged Credit Union Robbery . Ortega is scheduled to be sentenced February 24, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 3.4 before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney, Carlos A. Esqueda, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).


title: Two Sauk County Men Sentenced for Roles in Fentanyl Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that in separate sentencings, two men have been sentenced for their roles in a fentanyl pill trafficking group operating in Sauk County and surrounding areas. Kenneth O. Phillips, 40, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, was sentenced on Friday, November 21, 2025, by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to six years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl. The prison term will be followed by four years of supervised release. Phillips pleaded guilty to this charge on September 5, 2025. Brandon S. Stevens, 44, Reedsburg, Wisconsin, was sentenced November 20 by Judge Peterson to one year and one day in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl. The prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release. Stevens pleaded guilty to this charge on September 4, 2025. The investigation revealed that a co-defendant, Ames Basham, was mailing parcels containing fentanyl pills from California to Kenneth Phillips, another co-defendant Chrystal Mueller, and Brandon Stevens at various addresses in Wisconsin for local distribution. The pills were blue and marked “M30,” which should have been prescription Oxycodone pills. In fact, the pills contained fentanyl and other substances. Nineteen parcels of fentanyl pills were mailed from California to Wisconsin between January and April 2022. The USPIS intercepted parcels addressed to Phillips, Mueller, and Stevens in March and April and found they contained fentanyl pills. Phillips was identified as the local leader of the group. He provided addresses to Basham, who in turn mailed the drug laden parcels to Wisconsin. Stevens worked for the United States Postal Service as a mail carrier and would pick up parcels mailed by Basham that were on his route and bring them to his partner, Mueller. He also identified an abandoned residence on his mail route where drug parcels could be mailed. Phillips and Mueller sold the fentanyl pills locally. At the time of these offenses, Phillips was on state supervision for a battery conviction. At Stevens’s sentencing, Judge Peterson noted that while Stevens was the least culpable of the group, he played a significant role in the drug trafficking and his conduct was a gross violation of the trust placed in him as a mail carrier. At Phillips’s sentencing, Judge Peterson found that Phillips was in charge of the group and noted that the crime was very serious because of the dangers of introducing counterfeit OxyContin pills containing fentanyl into the community. Two others were charged in connection with this drug trafficking conspiracy. Co-defendants Ames Basham and Chrystal Mueller have both pleaded guilty and will be sentenced in the coming months. The charges against Stevens and Phillips are the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wisconsin State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case. Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department 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.


title: Justice Department Surge to Indian Country to Investigate Unresolved Violent Crimes Yields Results

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department today announced results from its six-month surge of FBI assets across the country to address violent crime in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing or murdered Indigenous persons. The FBI sent 64 personnel, rotating in 30–90-day temporary duty assignments over a six-month period to support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Oreg.; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. The FBI worked in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions. This operation was the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date. “These dedicated efforts by FBI agents, together with the BIA and our tribal law enforcement partners, have solved crimes, protected victims of violence, and brought much needed safety and security to communities in Indian country,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will never forget the crime victims whose cases remain unsolved, and we will continue our pursuit until justice is served.” “One of the biggest problems tribal communities face is the vast amount of land to account for, requiring significant resources to crush violent crime,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “As FBI Director, I’m committed to surging personnel to these areas and working hand-in-hand with Tribal partners. Operation Not Forgotten is a major step forward in giving these communities the justice that they deserve.” FBI personnel were assisted by 36 personnel from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit (BIA MMU). Combined, those personnel provided investigative and intelligence support by assisting in over 330 investigations. BIA MMU also provided technical support and expertise through ground-penetrating radar, underwater cameras, and sonar searches. Operation Not Forgotten contributed to the success of the FBI’s Indian Country program. In FY25 alone, the FBI’s Indian Country initiatives accomplished the following: 1260 individuals charged, 1123 arrests, 304 weapons recovered, and 458 child victims identified or located. Some of those defendants charged by U.S. Attorney’s Offices include the following: Three people were indicted on federal charges after a previously unsolved murder in New Mexico in 2020. Austin Begay , 31, was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Zachariah Shorty, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Two more suspects, Jaymes Fage , 38, and Joshua Watkins , 40, were also charged with crimes related to concealing the murder. (FBI Albuquerque/USAO District of New Mexico) Renaldo Descheny , 43, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence for his allegedly strangling and striking Jane Doe in the face with a firearm. He will remain in custody pending trial. (FBI Albuquerque/USAO District of New Mexico) Armondo Paul , 25, was arrested after officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to a stabbing at a Shiprock residence. Upon arrival, officers found the victim deceased with a neck wound believed to be from a bladed weapon. Paul is charged with second-degree murder and will remain in custody pending trial. (FBI Albuquerque/USAO District of New Mexico) Keanu Lee, 33, was arrested after being charged with three counts of aggravated sexual abuse, one count of sexual abuse, one count of kidnapping, and one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. (FBI-Albuquerque/District of New Mexico) Additionally, the following are some examples of defendants convicted in relation to crimes investigated during this operation: Marvin Albert Wauneka , 40, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for causing a high-speed drunk driving crash on the Navajo Nation that killed two passengers and seriously injured another. (FBI Albuquerque/USAO District of New Mexico) Antoine Scott , 28, was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In June 2023, Scott approached a truck on the Warm Springs reservation and began punching the passenger through the window. The passenger suffered a head injury as well as a hand injury requiring stitches. Scott pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and prohibited possession of a firearm. (FBI Portland/USAO District of Oregon) Indian Country faces persistent levels of violent crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations. Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives . This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 760 cases in the past three years. Combined, these operations resulted in 249 arrests, 235 subjects charged, 109 subjects convicted, and services were provided to nearly 2,000 victims and victim family members. Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and community coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people.


title: Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sex Abuse Charges

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – Juan Carlos Puente, 47, of Clinton, Maryland, pled guilty to producing and possessing child sexual abuse material in federal court. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office. As detailed in the plea agreement, between approximately October 1, 2021, and April 22, 2022, Puente enticed a minor victim, who resided in the Dominican Republic, to engage in unlawful sexual activity and produce child sexual abuse material. Specifically, through Facebook messages, Puente enticed the minor victim to perform sexual acts on herself and to send videos of her engaging in the requested sexually explicit conduct in exchange for money. The messages also show Puente sending money transfer ID numbers to the minor victim and saying he sent money to her on multiple occasions. On January 9, 2024, the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Puente’s Clinton residence. Law enforcement seized electronic devices and other evidence from his residence pursuant to the search warrant. Forensic review of the devices uncovered visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. As part of his plea agreement, Puente must register as a sex offender in places where he resides, is an employee, and is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Puente is facing a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a statutory maximum of 50 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis scheduled sentencing for Monday, January 26, at 10 a.m. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation, and the Prince George's County Police Department for its valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy, and Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban, Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, who are prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Teen to Serve Less Than Four Months in Jail for Carjacking

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Mark Edwards, 18, of Washington D.C., was sentenced Friday in the Superior Court, stemming from a carjacking that occurred in May 2025 in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Edwards pleaded guilty on September 4, 2025, to one count of carjacking. At Edwards’ sentencing on November 21, 2025, the United States requested a sentence of seven years of incarceration, the top of his sentencing guidelines, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Honorable Judith Pipe sentenced Edwards to 84 months of imprisonment, suspended as to all but time served, and one year of supervised probation. The Court’s sentence was entered pursuant to the Youth Rehabilitation Act, over the government’s objection, which permits a sentence beneath the mandatory minimum term of seven years of incarceration for carjacking. Edwards had been in custody since August 6, 2025, and had served approximately 108 days in jail. Edwards will not have to serve the remainder of the suspended sentence if he satisfactorily completes his year of probation. According to the proffer of facts, on May 28, 2025, the defendant and a second suspect approached a double-parked car, told the driver to exit the vehicle, implied they had a weapon, and stole the vehicle. Edwards and a 14-year-old suspect subsequently were apprehended in Maryland following a vehicle pursuit. Edwards also was a suspect and had been charged with robbery in connection with a May 22, 2025, attempted carjacking that also was resolved through his plea agreement. In that incident, two suspects approached a double-parked car, told the driver to exit the vehicle, demanded the driver’s keys, and stole his cell phone. The driver managed to get back into his car and escape the scene. Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.


title: Two-Time Convicted Felon CEO and His Dietary Supplement Company Convicted of $4.7 Million Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Following a six-week trial, Jared Wheat and his dietary supplement company, Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Hi-Tech”), were convicted by a federal jury of wire fraud after fabricating documents to deceive customers into believing that the company was certified as compliant with industry manufacturing standards. Hi-Tech, which is headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, was also convicted for laundering millions of dollars in proceeds from the fraudulent scheme. “After two prior federal felony convictions, Wheat yet again put profits over product quality and consumer safety by forging documents purporting to show that an independent, third-party audit company had certified Hi-Tech as complying with Good Manufacturing Practices. As a result of the defendants’ deceit, Hi-Tech received millions of dollars from customers who relied on the fabricated documents,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The defendants’ fraudulent scheme was uncovered through years of dedicated investigation and collaboration among law enforcement partners, and the verdict signals that companies that lie will face stern consequences.” “Making fraudulent claims about FDA-regulated products shows a reckless disregard for public health and safety,” said Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Kelly McCoy. “We remain committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who misrepresent key aspects of their products to unsuspecting customers.” “Hi-Tech’s conviction for money laundering provides the expected outcome for any business engaging in this illegal activity,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS-CI special agents are experts at following the money to uncover the various money laundering schemes carried out by business entities or criminals to hide illegal profits, including their use of layering, cyber laundering, and shell companies.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and information presented at trial: Wheat is the founder, owner, and Chief Executive Officer of Hi-Tech, a large dietary supplement company that claims to have $100 million in annual revenue. In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) issued new mandatory rules governing proper sanitary, hygienic, and production and process control standards for dietary supplement companies, called Good Manufacturing Practices (“GMP”), that were designed to ensure the safety of dietary supplements. The FDA does not certify that companies are following GMP, so many dietary supplement manufacturers seek certification from third-party, independent audit companies to provide a marketing advantage in a competitive industry. In November 2010, the Defendants retained a reputable third-party audit company to inspect its facilities, and the audit company identified grave deficiencies in Hi-Tech’s compliance with GMP. For example, the audit report listed 75 categories that were not compliant with GMP, which was roughly 40 percent of the total criteria, including gaps and holes in facility doors that could permit rodents to enter, products exposed to dust and other contaminants before packaging, and critical lapses in its product specifications and testing for both raw materials and finished products. Instead of fixing these quality and safety issues, Wheat and Hi-Tech fabricated a certificate in March 2011 purportedly issued from a company called PharmaTech Consulting (“PharmaTech”) stating that Hi-Tech complied with GMP. The defendants listed one of Wheat’s former attorneys in Belize as the General Manager of PharmaTech and forged the attorney’s signature on the certificate. The defendants did not disclose that PharmaTech was owned by Wheat, had conducted no inspection or audit of Hi-Tech, and was not an independent third-party auditor. In addition, Hi-Tech doctored the inspection report issued by the third-party audit company to make it appear that PharmaTech had issued a favorable audit report. Specifically, after the legitimate audit report revealed 75 GMP deficiencies, Hi-Tech changed each category from “Not Acceptable” to “Acceptable,” and listed PharmaTech as the auditor. Hi-Tech also fabricated FDA export certificates called Certificates of Free Sale, which indicate that food products are marketed in the United States and eligible for export, by altering dates and product names. Between 2011 and 2013, Hi-Tech sent fraudulent PharmaTech audit reports and GMP certificates, as well as Certificates of Free Sale, to its customers on dozens of occasions. In many cases, customers forwarded the fraudulent documents to foreign regulators, which permitted Hi-Tech products to be sold abroad based on the fabricated certifications of its compliance with GMP. From March 2011 through April 2013, customers who received the fraudulent documents paid at least $4,763,292 to Hi-Tech. On November 21, 2025, a jury convicted Wheat, 53, of Alpharetta, Georgia, of wire fraud. He faces a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. Wheat was previously convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama in 1991, and he was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and to introduce misbranded, adulterated, and unapproved drugs into interstate commerce in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in 2009. The jury also convicted Hi-Tech of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering. Hi-Tech faces a fine of up to twice the value of the criminal proceeds involved in the offenses, which could total nearly $10 million, and probation of up to five years. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders. The sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg has not yet been scheduled. This case is being investigated by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation. First Assistant United States Attorney Nathan P. Kitchens and Assistant United States Attorney Kelly K. Connors are prosecuting the case. The FDA Office of Chief Counsel provided substantial assistance during the prosecution. 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: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in the Sioux Falls Area

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on November 17, 2025. Brett Berglund, 54, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Berglund was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on August 18, 2025. In 2024, Berglund operated as a sub-distributor for a California-based drug trafficking organization. Berglund purchased methamphetamine from the organization and re-sold it in the Sioux Falls area. Berglund plead guilty to distributing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the DEA. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Berglund was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Chinese National Pleads Guilty to South Florida Gift Card Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Chinese national pleaded guilty on Sept. 23 in Fort Pierce federal court for participating in a fraud scheme targeting grocery stores across South Florida, including St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties. According to court records, between Jan. 14 and Dec. 17, 2024, Cao Yuan Liu, 22, and a co-conspirator traveled to grocery stores throughout Florida and tampered with gift cards. Investigators discovered cards in which the packaging had been carefully opened, serial numbers and PINs exposed or removed, and the packaging resealed to appear intact. Once unsuspecting customers purchased and activated the compromised cards, Liu and his co-conspirator illicitly accessed the funds for their own use. “Gift card fraud schemes like this prey on unsuspecting consumers and erode trust in our everyday retail systems,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Liu’s conviction sends a clear message: those who tamper with gift cards and steal from innocent consumers will be held accountable. Our Office is committed to protecting South Florida communities from these sophisticated fraud operations and ensuring justice for those affected.” Surveillance footage captured Liu and his co-conspirator leaving multiple stores in a black Bentley SUV with a New York license plate. On Dec. 17, 2024, law enforcement located Liu and his co-conspirator, executed a search warrant at their shared Jensen Beach apartment, and recovered multiple tampered gift cards. Six days later, after seizing the Bentley SUV, law enforcement executed a search warrant of the vehicle and located additional gift cards linked to the scheme. In total, investigators have identified approximately 42 grocery stores across Florida that were targeted. Liu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices. He faces up to five years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement. HSI Fort Pierce and Martin County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Lineberger is prosecuting this 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 on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 25-cr-14043. ###


title: Staten Island Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 15 Years for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Justin Dixon was sentenced by Judge William F. Kuntz, II, to 15 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Dixon operated as a “pimp,” using violence and threats of violence to compel the commission of commercial sex acts, including by minors as young as 14 years old. Dixon pled guilty to the charges in November 2024. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence. “Today’s sentencing holds the defendant accountable for the violence and cruelty to women and children caused by his unthinkable actions,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “It is the hope of our Office that Dixon’s extensive prison sentence brings some measure of comfort to his victims.” Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance during the investigation. “Justin Dixon forced multiple women, including a 14-year-old minor, to engage in sexual acts for his own financial gain, wielding threats of violence to maintain control,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “Dixon repeatedly violated his victims’ autonomy through degrading and manipulative grooming techniques designed to entrap them into his servitude. May today’s sentencing emphasize the FBI’s commitment to continued collaboration with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable any sexual predator who targets and uses others for personal financial enrichment.” “Today’s sentencing further affirms the NYPD’s unwavering commitment to protecting the survivors of sex trafficking,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “And the message is clear: Anyone who would seek to profit through the abuse and exploitation of other people – especially our youth – will be held fully accountable. I thank and commend our NYPD investigators, as well as our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District, for their tireless work in bringing this criminal to justice.” As set forth in the government’s sentencing memorandum and other court documents, in January 2023, Dixon forced his victims to commit commercial sex acts and used violence and threats of violence to ensure compliance with his orders. Specifically, he compelled the commission of commercial sex acts by a 14-year-old minor victim (“Jane Doe”) for his financial benefit. Dixon transported the minor victim—as well as other women—to a small geographical area off of Pennsylvania Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn, which is known as the “Penn Track” or the “Blade.” Dixon then forced Jane Doe and other women to engage in prostitution and demanded that the proceeds of prostitution be turned over to him. Any resistance from the victims was met with violence. Dixon used social media and other internet applications to recruit Jane Doe and other potential victims, groom them and manipulate them into working for him as prostitutes. In or about January 2023, law enforcement officers rescued Jane Doe from a house in Staten Island where she, along with other adult females, was being held against her will by Dixon. At the house on Staten Island, the defendant used force and threats of force against Jane Doe to maintain control over her. Dixon forced Jane Doe and the other adult females residing in the house to cook, clean and bathe him. The defendant would not allow the women to be clothed inside the house and would physically punish the women if they disobeyed any of these rules. Furthermore, despite being previously convicted of a felony, Dixon possessed firearms and brandished these firearms in front of Jane Doe and the other victims. Dixon further abused Jane Doe, calling her “tiny” and overfeeding her to attempt to make her appear older than her age. He forced her to take unidentified pills to increase her appetite and stated he was arranging for Jane Doe to have plastic surgery to make her look older. At the Penn Track, Dixon directed when, where and with whom commercial sex acts would be performed. Dixon collected and kept to himself all payments for the commercial sex acts. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorney Lorena Michelen is in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : JUSTIN DIXON Age: 34 Staten Island, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-090 (WFK)


title: Overland Park men indicted for investment fraud scheme

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Two Kansas men made their initial appearances before a federal judge following indictments in connection with a $4 million retail sales investment scheme. According to court documents, Baha Ibrahim, 21, and Jawad Albadawi, 21, both of Overland Park, were indicted on one count of wire fraud conspiracy, nine counts of wire fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, six counts of money laundering, and seven counts of transacting in criminal proceeds. According to court documents, Ibrahim and Albadawi allegedly solicited money from investors by falsely claiming that their business would purchase merchandise wholesale and then sell the items online as individual retail sales, thereby yielding high returns. From March 2024 to August 2024, Ibrahim and Albadawi are accused of failing to purchase bulk items or sell them consistent with representations they made to investors. They are accused of misappropriating investors’ funds for their own personal benefit, including the purchase of luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and lavish trips to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Greece, and Las Vegas. Ibrahim and Albadawi made their initial court appearances on November 24, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Teresa J. James of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan J. Huschka is prosecuting the case. OTHER INDICTMENTS Andrew M. Amundsen, 33, of Leavenworth was indicted on one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Illegal alien arrested for smuggling 51 illegal aliens in refrigerated produce trailer

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 50-year-old Honduran national has been charged with smuggling more than four dozen people in a refrigerated tractor-trailer, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Greibein Alexis Pinot-Duarte is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga Nov. 25 at 9:30 a.m. On Nov. 22, Pinot-Duarte allegedly drove a refrigerated tractor-trailer to the Border Patrol checkpoint near Freer where authorities noticed his nervous behavior. The charges allege a K-9 alerted to the presence of humans or narcotics at the rear doors. At secondary inspection, law enforcement discovered the temperature inside the trailer was 55 degrees and held numerous boxes of produce, according to the complaint. They also allegedly observed the silhouette of a person through a plywood compartment under the boxes. The charges allege a subsequent search revealed 51 illegal aliens, including two juveniles, concealed in the cramped, hidden compartment. Many of the individuals did not have jackets or means to stay warm and complained of numbed or cramped limbs due to the tight space, according to the complaint. The compartment was small and allegedly allowed only one person to exit at a time. Each produce box weighed approximately 30-40 pounds, preventing anyone from escaping, according to the complaint. If convicted, Pinot-Duarte faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a $250,000 maximum fine. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Former Omro Alderman Enters Guilty Plea to Charge of Receiving Child Pornography

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 21, 2025, Jason A. Reeves (age: 44) of Omro, Wisconsin, pled guilty to a charge of receipt of child pornography stemming from his online conduct in April of 2025, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2)(A). Reeves faces a mandatory 5 years’ imprisonment and up to 20 years of incarceration. He may also be fined up to $250,000 and would be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law. He will be sentenced before federal District Court Judge Byron B. Conway on February 20, 2026. According to documents filed with the court, a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) was sent to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. That tip was then forwarded to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office based on the IP address associated with the CyberTip. The tip alleged the distribution of child pornography on October 16, 2024. Law enforcement continued its investigation and on April 29, 2025, they executed a search warrant at Reeves’ residence, which resulted in the recovery of child pornography. This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and the Green Bay Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble. 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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. # # # For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: Activity in the U.S. Attorney's Office

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Drug Trafficking Shaleen Ungricht , 47, from Rock Springs, Wyoming, was sentenced to 140 months’ imprisonment with four years of supervised release to follow for distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) identified Ungricht as a multi-pound distributor of methamphetamine in Southwest Wyoming. Beginning in March 2024, agents made six controlled buys from the defendant, totaling 614.6 grams. At the time of her arrest in January 2025, agents found 44.3 grams on her person and another 241.6 grams in her residence. Wyoming DCI and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case. Ungricht was indicted on May 21 and pleaded guilty on July 29. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Nov. 19 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00083 Stalking Jose Bradley Isaacson , 22, of Smithfield, Utah, was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release for interstate stalking. According to court documents, the victim had recently ended a relationship with the defendant. The victim was working in Yellowstone National Park when the incident occurred. The defendant made numerous attempts to contact the victim and made threats against her. On June 21, he drove to Old Faithful Village in Yellowstone to confront the victim. He physically grabbed her in an effort to get her to go with him. When she refused to leave with him, he ran from the area. The victim reported the incident to Park Rangers, who found his car and impounded it. The next day, the defendant stole a rental car and fled towards Grand Teton National Park. Rangers used a tire deflation device to stop the vehicle, and the defendant fled on foot. He was captured a short time later by Grand Teton Park Rangers. National Park Rangers investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry Jacobson prosecuted the case. Issacson was arrested on June 22 and pleaded guilty on Sept 2. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Nov. 21 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00122 Drug and Firearm Offenses Corey Thacker, 37, with no permanent residence, was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release to follow for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, on February 3, 2025, Cheyenne Police Department detectives conducted a traffic stop on the defendant and found approximately 31.52 grams of suspected fentanyl pills and 13.47 grams of suspected methamphetamine inside his backpack. Detectives also found a digital scale, plastic packaging materials, and $2,200.00. Officers discovered a Ruger .380 semi-automatic handgun on the defendant’s hip holster to which he acknowledged needing for protection as a drug dealer. The Cheyenne Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Hammer prosecuted the case. Thacker was arrested on March 6 and pleaded guilty on July 15. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Nov. 7 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00099 Illegal Re-Entry of a Previously Deported Alien Mario Cisneros-Tenorio, 40, of Serrano, Guanajuato, Mexico was sentenced to time served - plus up to ten (10) days to allow for deportation proceedings - for illegal reentry into the U.S. after previously being deported. According to court documents, on Aug. 24, the defendant was encountered at the Sweetwater County jail after being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and other driving related offenses. The defendant initially provided the officer a Mexico driver’s license. Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) determined that Cisneros-Tenorio had not applied for permission to reenter the U.S. after being formally removed in April 2016. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Nov. 24 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00126 About the United States Attorney's Office The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Project Safe Childhood Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious. Operation Take Back America Operation Take Back America is 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. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Victim Witness Program The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect. To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime


title: Canadian National Sentenced to Prison After Being Caught With 90 Pounds of MDMA

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – A Canadian citizen has been sentenced to prison after admitting to having possession of 90 pounds of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), or ecstasy, a Schedule I controlled substance that is typically used as a party drug and intended for distribution. Dontavius Forbes, 27, was sentenced to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick after pleading guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Judge Helmick imposed the sentence Nov. 21. Forbes will be deported to Canada upon completion of his prison sentence. According to court documents, on Aug. 7, 2024, a U.S. Border Patrol agent observed a compact sport utility vehicle with Canadian license plates parked in a service plaza parking lot near the interstate 80/90 Ohio turnpike in Sandusky County. After further investigation, the agent proceeded to have an encounter with Forbes who was the driver of the vehicle. During a consensual search of the SUV, agents observed what appeared to be modifications to a section of the cargo area. Agents discovered two hidden compartments packed with vacuum sealed packages of suspected illegal drugs. A field test of one of the packages tested positive for MDMA. Agents also seized nearly $3,000 in U.S. currency from the vehicle. The remaining packages recovered from the vehicle were submitted to a forensic laboratory for analysis which confirmed the accuracy of the field test indicating the presence of MDMA. This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Frank H. Spryszak prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.


title: Guatemalan Citizen With History of Domestic Abuse Assault to Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry and Illegal Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Yoan Mateo-Cardona, 24, a citizen of Guatemala illegally residing in Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on November 20, 2025, to 15 months’ imprisonment in federal court in Sioux City. At the plea hearing on July 14, 2025, Mateo-Cardona admitted he was a citizen of Guatemala and had been previously removed from the United States on one previous occasion in 2022. Mateo-Cardona further admitted that his status as an illegal alien and domestic violence abuser prohibited him from possessing firearms. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on November 7, 2024, Sioux City Police officers were called to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino parking lot after security observed an individual displaying a firearm. Security footage confirmed Mateo-Cardona was the individual with the gun, and he was arrested for public intoxication and possession of a firearm by a domestic abuse perpetrator. Mateo-Cardona had previously been convicted of being an alien present without admission or parole, operating while intoxicated, domestic abuse assault, and possession of a controlled substance. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mateo-Cardona was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 1 year of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Mateo-Cardona remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department, Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino security staff and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-4088. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Re-Entering the United States as a Felon

body_text: A man who illegally re-entered the United States from Mexico pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City. Julio Cesar Moreno-Anaya, age 47, who was living in Omaha, Nebraska, was convicted of one count of illegal re-entry as a felon. At the plea hearing, Moreno admitted illegally re-entering the United States without permission, and having a previous felony theft conviction from 2016 in Hidalgo County, Texas. On September 15, 2025, Moreno-Anaya was arrested in Britt, Iowa, for speeding and not having a valid driver’s license. While in custody, officials determined he was a citizen of Mexico and had previously been deported from the United States to Mexico on eight previous occasions. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Moreno-Anaya remains in custody pending sentencing. Moreno faces a possible sentence of 10 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 Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 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. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-03047. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Justice Department Requires RealPage to End the Sharing of Competitively Sensitive Information and Alignment of Pricing Among Competitors

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division filed a proposed settlement today to resolve the United States’ claims against RealPage Inc. as part of its ongoing enforcement against algorithmic coordination, information sharing, and other anticompetitive practices in rental housing markets across the country. The proposed settlement would help restore free market competition in rental markets for millions of American renters. “Competing companies must make independent pricing decisions, and with the rise of algorithmic and artificial intelligence tools, we will remain at the forefront of vigorous antitrust enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. RealPage is a provider of commercial revenue management software and services for the conventional multifamily rental housing industry. As alleged in Plaintiffs’ complaint, RealPage’s revenue management software has relied on nonpublic, competitively sensitive information shared by landlords to set rental prices. RealPage’s software has also included features designed to limit rental price decreases and otherwise align pricing among competitors. In addition, RealPage has hosted meetings attended by competing property management companies where competitively sensitive information was shared. If approved by the court, the proposed consent judgment would require RealPage to: Cease having its software use competitors’ nonpublic, competitively sensitive information to determine rental prices in runtime operation; Cease using active lease data for purposes of training the models underlying the software, limiting model training to historic or backward-looking nonpublic data that has been aged for at least 12 months; Not use models that determine geographic effects narrower than at a state level, which is broader than the markets alleged in the complaint; Remove or redesign features that limited price decreases or aligned pricing between competing users of the software; Cease conducting market surveys to collect competitively sensitive information; Refrain from discussing market analyses or trends based on nonpublic data, or pricing strategies, in RealPage meetings relating to revenue management software; Accept a court-appointed monitor to ensure compliance with the terms of the consent judgment; and Cooperate in the United States’ lawsuit against property management companies that have used its software. As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed settlement, along with a competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register. Any interested person should submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement within 60 days following the publication to Danielle Hauck, Acting Chief, Technology and Digital Platforms Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street NW, Suite 7050, Washington, DC 20530. At the conclusion of the public comment period, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina may enter the final judgment upon finding it is in the public interest. RealPage is a provider of revenue management software and services headquartered in Richardson, Texas.


title: Chicago Chiropractor Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for $2.1 Million Healthcare Fraud

body_text: CHICAGO — A Chicago chiropractor has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for billing a private insurer more than $2 million in nonexistent services. CLARENCE W. BROWN III owned and operated Dr. CB3 Wellness, Inc. and Apex Integrated Medical Center, Ltd., both in Chicago. From 2016 to 2020, Brown submitted more than 6,000 fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for purported health care services that Brown knew were not actually provided to patients. Some of the fraudulent claims were for services purportedly provided when Brown was on international vacations or while his medical license was suspended. Brown’s fraud scheme defrauded BCBS out of nearly $2.1 million. Brown used the fraud proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle, including a house, a $100,000 BMW X5 sport-utility vehicle, international vacations, and shopping at luxury stores such as Tiffany’s. In 2024, a jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago convicted Brown, 49, of Chicago, on all nine healthcare fraud counts against him. Last week, on Nov. 19, 2025, U.S. District Judge John F. Kness sentenced Brown to five years and ten months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $2,088,884 in restitution to BCBS. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. “Defendant was motivated by greed,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Andréa L. Campbell argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant made the calculated decision to engage in a three-and-half-year fraud that benefited him and his lofty aspirations.”


title: Southern Colorado Hospital and Doctors Agree to Pay $650,000 to Resolve Allegations That They Unlawfully Prescribed Opioids and Other Controlled Substances

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER—The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced that Mt. San Rafael Hospital and Rural Health Clinic (“Mt. San Rafael Hospital”) in Trinidad, Colorado, and three physicians employed by the hospital—Dr. Sheryll Castro-Flores, Dr. Joseph Jimenez, and Dr. Douglas McFarland—have agreed to pay a combined $650,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the Controlled Substances Act by unlawfully dispensing controlled substances, including high doses of opioids and dangerous drug combinations, and violated the False Claims Act by seeking payment for many of those invalid prescriptions from Medicare and other federal health care programs. The United States alleges that, between January 2016 and December 2023, Castro-Flores, Jimenez, and McFarland violated the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act by repeatedly issuing invalid prescriptions for controlled substances, including opioids. According to the allegations, these prescriptions were not issued for a legitimate medical purpose or were outside the usual course of professional practice. The United States further alleges that the physicians ignored numerous “red flags” indicating the prescriptions were improper or unsafe, including high daily opioid doses, dangerous drug combinations, signs of substance abuse, prolonged opioid use, cash payments despite insurance coverage, long-distance travel to obtain prescriptions, and repeated early refill requests. These doctors were employed by Mt. San Rafael Hospital, which, the United States alleges, is also liable under the Controlled Substances Act for the illegal prescribing of its employees, and under the False Claims Act for causing claims for payment for these invalid prescriptions to be submitted to the government. To resolve the allegations, the doctors and hospital have agreed to pay a combination of penalties under the Controlled Substances Act and damages under the False Claims Act as follows: Dr. Castro-Flores has agreed to pay $112,500; Dr. Jimenez has agreed to pay $112,500; Dr. MacFarland has agreed to pay $100,000; and Mt. San Rafael Hospital has agreed to pay $325,000. The hospital has also issued new policies and implemented new protocols, applicable to all its employees, to disallow opioids prescribing for chronic pain management and to ensure that opioids prescribing for acute and sub-acute pain is done safely and meets state guidelines. “Doctors and the hospitals who employ them must prescribe controlled substances carefully to protect patients and the community from the dangers of overprescribing,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “When doctors write prescriptions for opioids despite red flags signaling that the prescriptions may be invalid, they place the patient at risk of harm and they increase the likelihood of illegal diversion. And, when doctors cause illegitimate prescriptions to be submitted to Medicare and other federal healthcare plans, taxpayers pay for those illegitimate prescriptions. We will continue to hold doctors and hospitals accountable when they disregard these important obligations.” “DEA will continue to relentlessly pursue hospitals and practitioners who engage in egregious prescribing practices jeopardizing the health and safety of patients and the community,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Diversion Program Manager George Taylor. “DEA, alongside federal and state partners, will not tolerate those that violate the trust of patients and will hold those parties accountable.” “Physicians who recklessly, illegitimately distribute controlled substances undermine ongoing public health efforts to address the opioid crisis and betray their professional responsibility to serve the health and well-being of the public,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to investigate such allegations to safeguard our health care system’s integrity as well as patient safety.” The claims against Dr. Castro-Flores, Dr. Jimenez, Dr. McFarland, and Mt. San Rafael are allegations, and in agreeing to settle this matter, they did not admit to any liability. This matter was investigated by the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division, and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Licht.


title: Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kody D. Harless, 27, of Tomahawk, Kentucky, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 15, 2023, Harless received approximately 4.75 grams of fentanyl from an individual in Huntington. A law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in which Harless was traveling following the transaction and located and seized the fentanyl. As part of his guilty plea, Harless admitted that he obtained the seized fentanyl after arranging to purchase it beforehand, and that he intended to distribute some of it. Harless also admitted to additional criminal conduct. Harless participated in a conspiracy to receive fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia for distribution. Harless admitted that he took part in the conspiracy from at least July 2023 to in and around November 2023, received methamphetamine and fentanyl on a regular basis from others in the Huntington area, and transported the controlled substances to Kentucky where he distributed them. Harless is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Harless is among 27 individuals indicted on charges alleging they participated in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area. Harless and another co-defendant pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment. Twenty-three defendants pleaded guilty in the main indictment. Charges against the remaining defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-7.


title: Western District of Oklahoma Continues Dangerous Drug and Violent-Crime Prosecutions During Federal Funding Lapse

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – During the lapse in government funding, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma continued its essential mission to protect Oklahoma communities from dangerous drugs and violent crime. Below are several sentencings in separate and unrelated cases that were finalized during this period. BREON MONTE BELLAMY , 36, of Lawton, was sentenced to serve 156 months in federal prison, followed by six years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl and drug conspiracy. According to public record, on August 21, 2023, Bellamy sold fentanyl to REECY ANN BENCH , 22, at a casino in Lawton, Oklahoma. Bench then gave a portion of the fentanyl to JOANIE ANN WILSON , 38, while still at the casino. The federal investigation suggested that some of this fentanyl was then distributed to another Stephens County resident, who died of fentanyl and methamphetamine toxicity on August 23, 2023. Both Bench and Wilson have previously been sentenced after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy, with Bench receiving 42 months and Wilson receiving 54 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for each. ANDRES MICHI GENTRY , 20, of Purcell, was sentenced to serve 70 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of an unregistered firearm. According to public record, on April 2, 2024, Gentry assaulted a victim at their home and fired at officers with the Purcell Police Department who had responded to the home. Following Gentry’s arrest, officers executed a search warrant at his home and recovered a modified shotgun. MARIO MANZO , 39, of California, was sentenced to serve 37 months in federal prison for assault on a federal officer. In August 2023, Manzo was incarcerated at the Federal Transfer Center (FTC) in Oklahoma City, where he was serving a 60-month sentence for importation of methamphetamine out of the Southern District of California. According to public record, on August 29, 2023, while incarcerated at the FTC, Manzo struck an FTC employee in the face. PHILBERT QUENTIN MCCOY, JR ., 23, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to serve 147 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of black-market marijuana with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to public record, McCoy was arrested on several occasions in Oklahoma for picking up distribution quantities of black-market marijuana. In January 2024, McCoy was stopped by Oklahoma Highway Patrol in possession of 83 kilograms of marijuana, $87,645, and multiple firearms. In March 2024, Oklahoma City Police encountered McCoy at short term rental property which was being used as a marijuana stash house. McCoy fled from the scene and struck a patrol vehicle causing injuries to one officer before he was apprehended. McCoy was in possession of $127,555 and a firearm along with approximately 96 kilograms of marijuana in the residence. ADAM ROUSE ,33, BRENDAN SHANE HOLDER , 32, DAMION BLAIR BRADLEY GEORGE , 31, and KRISTOPHER HAUSER , 32, all of Oklahoma City, were collectively sentenced to serve more than 520 months in federal prison for maiming in aid of racketeering activities of the Irish Mob Gang. The Irish Mob Gang is an enterprise engaged in, among other things, the distribution of controlled substances, firearms trafficking, and acts of violence. According to the Indictment, for purposes of gaining entrance to and maintaining and increasing their position within the Irish Mob Gang, Rouse and Holder severed a victim’s right pinkie finger with a hatchet, while Holder, George, and Hauser all participated in the burning of a gang tattoo off the back of a victim’s head with a heated machete. As a result, Rouse received a 108-month sentence, Holder a 120-month sentence, George a 180-month sentence, and Hauser a 120-month sentence. Each defendant received a three-year term of supervised release. STEPHEN SCHERER , 46, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 240 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to public record, on September 27, 2024, police found almost 4 kilograms of methamphetamine, a small amount of fentanyl pills, digital scales, a large amount of U.S. currency, and a firearm at a hotel where Scherer had been staying and using as a base of operations for a significant drug trafficking operation. Public record further reflects that Scherer has previous felony convictions in Oklahoma County District Court that include larceny of an automobile and attempting to elude a police officer in case number CF-1997-2287, larceny from a person after former felony conviction in case number CF-2002-2765, and conspiracy to manufacture, attempting to manufacture, and possession of methamphetamine and child endangerment in case number CF-2004-3939. BRUCE LAWAYNE TALLEY, JR., 40, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 135 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. According to public record, on July 12, 2024, Talley was seen picking up a brown cardboard box from a residence in Oklahoma City. After a traffic stop, Talley fled, leading the police on a high-speed pursuit which reached speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Talley was eventually stopped and taken into custody. The brown cardboard box was recovered from near the area where Talley was eventually stopped and contained over 750 grams of fentanyl pills. LADON TREVAUGHN TURNER , 33, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 137 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction and unlawful possession of a machinegun. According to public record, on January 1, 2025, Turner was involved in a shootout with others in Bricktown. Surveillance video showed Turner firing approximately nine rounds in the direction of the opposing group. After executing a search warrant at Turner’s home, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department located a firearm used in the Bricktown shooting, as well as a 3D-printed machinegun conversion device (MCD). When installed, MCDs convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic machineguns, and possession of the devices violates federal law. Public record further reflects that Turner has previous felony convictions in Oklahoma County District Court that include second degree burglary in case number CF-2013-1969, possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute and possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a child under 12 years of age in case number CF-2015-593, and possession of a firearm while on probation after former felony conviction in case number CF-2017-1655. XAVIER JORDAN WHITESIDE , 28, of Odessa, Texas, was sentenced to serve 60 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction. According to public record, on January 19, 2025, officers with the Mooreland Police Department responded to Whiteside’s home on a domestic violence call involving the discharge of a firearm. At the home, officers located a loaded gun belonging to Whiteside under the covers of a bed. Public record further reflects that Whiteside has previous felony convictions in Texas for unauthorized use of a vehicle, possession of a prohibited weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. These cases are the result of investigations by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Norman Police Department, the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mooreland Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth M. Bagwell, Tiffany Edgmon, Stephen Hoch, Elizabeth Joynes, David McCrary, Mary E. Walters, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laney Ellis prosecuted the cases. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Raleigh County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Quenin Owen Brown, 34, of Shady Spring, was sentenced today to eleven years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 28, 2024, law enforcement officers encountered Brown at a gas station in Nitro. Officers arrested Brown on a warrant alleging a parole violation and found he possessed a loaded HS Produkt (Springfield) model Hellcat 9mm pistol in a belly holster. Officers searched his vehicle and found a loaded Glock model 43 9mm pistol and a loaded Taurus model G3 9mm pistol. Officers determined all three firearms were reported stolen. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Brown knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for unlawful wounding on February 6, 2012, and for fleeing with reckless indifference to the safety of others and possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine on November 13, 2018, all in Kanawha County Circuit Court. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Nitro Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-84.


title: Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Scott Burd, 59, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 6, 2025, Burd sold approximately 29 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in exchange for $1,000. As part of his guilty plea, Burd admitted that his co-defendant, Adrian Demetrius Ludaway, arranged the transaction beforehand and met with the confidential informant at Burd’s Huntington residence, where Burd distributed the fentanyl to the confidential informant. Burd is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case. Ludaway, also known as “A1,” 35, of Wayne, Michigan, pleaded guilty on August 19, 2025, to distribution of fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2025. This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-103.


title: New Haven Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine Pills, Violating Supervised Release

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DONALD OGMAN, also known as “Mainey-O” and ”Manny O,” 44, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 252 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, for methamphetamine and cocaine distribution offenses and for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a prior federal conviction. According to court documents and statements made in court, Ogman has been a leader of the Grape Street Crips (GSC), a violent New Haven gang. In 2012, the FBI arrested Ogman for offenses related to his role in GSC, including drug trafficking. He pleaded guilty to narcotics offenses and, on March 10, 2015, was sentenced to 188 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release. In August 2022, a federal judge granted Ogman’s motion for compassionate release, reduced Ogman’s sentence to time served, and he was released from prison. Ogman resumed his drug trafficking activity while on federal supervised release, distributing multi-colored pills containing methamphetamine marketed as ecstasy and crack cocaine in and around New Haven. The investigation included surveillance, trash pulls, and controlled purchases of methamphetamine pills and crack cocaine from Ogman from November 2023 through April 2024. Ogman was arrested on May 9, 2024. On that date, searches of his person and residence revealed additional quantities of methamphetamine, as well as crack cocaine. A loaded firearm was also located at a stash location that was searched on the same date. Ogman has been detained since his arrest. On April 16, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, methamphetamine; three counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine. Judge Oliver sentenced Ogman to 228 months of imprisonment for the new offenses, and a consecutive 24 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release. This matter was investigated by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department and the Hamden Police Department. The NHDO Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Nathan J. Guevremont through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.


title: Portland Man Charged with Violent Threats Against  Federal Law Enforcement Officers

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon, man made his initial appearance today after allegedly making violent threats at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in South Portland. John Paul Cupp, 45, has been charged by criminal complaint with Threats Made Against a Federal Law Enforcement Officer. “Threats of violence against the brave members of law enforcement and their families will not be tolerated, said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to holding those accountable who threaten and intimidate those who protect our communities, and we will continue to prosecute criminal threats of violence to the fullest extent of the law.” “Threats to law enforcement personnel have absolutely no place in our community,” said Acting Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Portland Special Agent in Charge Matt Torres. “Attempts to intimidate those sworn to protect the American people and uphold our Constitution degrade efforts to keep all of us safe. The FBI will use all investigative means available to us to seek out and arrest anyone using violent rhetoric to express themselves.” According to court documents, on October 14, 2025, Cupp began yelling insults at law enforcement officers as they were approaching a crowd. Cupp threatened to kill law enforcement officers and sexually assault their wives. On November 3, 2025, Cupp posted a video online reiterating the same threats to federal agents and their wives. On November 13, 2025, Cupp continued posting violent threats online to officers and their family. Cupp is a prolific producer of online content and regularly posts aggressive rhetoric, calls for war against the United States, antisemitic threats, and threats of violence. Since June 13, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office has charged 40 defendants with federal crimes for offenses committed near ICE facilities, including assaulting federal officers, failure to comply, and depredation of government property. Cupp made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings. The FBI is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Three Individuals Indicted on Federal Charges Related to 2020 Unsolved Murder

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Three individuals have been indicted on federal charges related to the murder of Zachariah Juwaun Shorty that occurred in Nenahnezad, New Mexico, on July 21, 2020. Zachariah Shorty was found deceased on July 25, 2020, on a dirt pathway in a field in Nenahnezad, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation. Mr. Shorty had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The case remained unsolved for years before Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation made a recent breakthrough. According to court documents, Austin Begay , 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, used a semiautomatic pistol to shoot and kill Mr. Shorty, also an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, with malice aforethought and premeditation. Begay is charged with first-degree murder in Indian Country. Jaymes Fage , 38, another enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, is alleged to have aided and abetted the crime. Begay is also charged with knowingly using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and discharging that firearm, thereby causing Mr. Shorty’s death. Begay , Fage , and Joshua Watkins , 40, are additionally charged with crimes related to concealing the murder. All three are charged with misprision of a felony in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 4. That statute makes it a federal crime to have knowledge of a federal felony that has been committed but fail to report the crime to authorities as soon as possible. Fage and Begay are charged with making materially false statements to federal investigators on December 21, 2021, regarding the events that occurred on July 21, 2020. Fage is further charged with being an accessory after the fact. It is alleged that Fage attempted to help conceal the murder when he lied to investigators. “The MMIP Regional Outreach Program was created to ensure that cases like Zachariah Shorty’s never fade into the background and to show the impact that focused federal attention can have,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “By strengthening coordination among federal, Tribal, and local partners, the program continues to enhance our ability to address unresolved violent crime in Indian Country.” "Operation Not Forgotten deployed additional resources to New Mexico’s Indian Country, bolstering the dedicated agents and analysts striving each day to advance these cases toward resolution,” said Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division. "Together with our local and tribal partners, we are committed to confronting crime and safeguarding the community.” If convicted, Begay and Fage face a maximum of life in prison. Watkins faces up to three years in prison. Begay and Fage will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and 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 Police Department, Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations and Farmington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eliot Neal and Aaron O. Jordan are prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners. The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of Indigenous victims and their families. This case was brought forth through Operation Not Forgotten, an FBI established operation that focuses resources on seeking justice for Tribal community members who have been victims of unresolved crimes. The goal of Operation Not Forgotten is to move cases closer to resolution, provide services for victims, and to bring offenders to justice, who had so far escaped it. The FBI has partnered with the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Missing and Murdered Unit to surge resources including FBI special agents, intelligence analysts, staff operations specialists, and victim specialists as well as BIA intelligence and investigative support. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law


title: Fairbanks man charged with trafficking firearms, cocaine, and with possessing a machinegun during a drug trafficking crime

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment last week charging a Fairbanks man with illegally trafficking firearms, distributing cocaine, and with carrying a machinegun during a drug trafficking crime. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska According to court documents, from September 2024 to August 2025, Mason Lanon, 22, willfully engaged in the business of dealing firearms while not being a licensed firearms dealer. The indictment also alleges that on Aug. 7, 2025, Lanon distributed cocaine and possessed a pistol with a Glock-type machinegun conversion device in furtherance of trafficking the cocaine. Lanon is charged with one count of unlicensed dealing in firearms, one count of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of carrying a machinegun during a drug trafficking crime. Lanon is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Nov. 25, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Oravec of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces 30 years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska, Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division, Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes and Chief Ron Dupee of the Fairbanks Police Department made the announcement. The ATF Anchorage Field Office, Alaska State Troopers and Fairbanks Police Department are investigating the case, with assistance from the DEA Anchorage Field Office. If anyone has any information regarding Lanon’s alleged firearms dealing, please contact the ATF at (907) 921-6131. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: Vermont Man Pleads Guilty To Failure To Register As A Sex Offender CONCORD – A Vermont man pleaded guilty today in federal court for his failure to register as a sex offender as required by the federal Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. David Courtemarche, age 45, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to register as a sex offender. U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled Courtemarche’s sentencing for March 2, 2026. According to the charging documents and statements made in court, in 2003 the defendant was convicted in Vermont of sexual assault involving a victim under 16 years of age. Due to this conviction, SORNA and related state laws required the defendant to register in each state where he resides or is employed. SORNA gives an individual three days in which to register. The defendant’s Vermont registration paperwork notified him of these requirements and the defendant claimed he lived in Vermont. However, by at least August of 2022, he began working in New Hampshire and, by at least November 2023, he began living in New Hampshire. Though the defendant lived and worked in New Hampshire and knew that state and federal law required him to register as a sex offender in New Hampshire, he did not do so. The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, at least 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The United States Marshals Service investigated this case. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police, the Littleton Police Department, and the Lancaster Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter is prosecuting 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Portland Woman Charged with Assaulting a Federal Officer

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon, woman made her initial appearance today after allegedly assaulting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Tigard, Oregon. Summer Shepherd, 37, has been charged by criminal complaint with Assaulting a Federal Officer. According to court documents, on November 23, 2025, ICE officers were in Tigard executing an arrest of an individual. Shepherd drove up to where the officers were making the arrest and pushed an officer in the chest, causing the officer to stumble back. The officer walked back to his vehicle and closed the door. Shepherd proceeded to strike the vehicle with her hands, denting the car. Shepherd yanked the door open and when the officer put his hand out to prevent Shepherd from coming inside, she slammed the door hitting the officer’s left arm. With the help of additional officers, Shepherd was apprehended. Shepherd made her first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She was ordered released pending further court proceedings. Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.