title: Buffalo man going to prison for starting fire on railroad tracks in Farnham

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Michael B. Benitez, 34, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of attempt to wreck, derail, set fire to, or disable railroad on-track equipment, was sentenced to serve 27 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Benitez was also ordered to pay $1,382 in restitution to Norfolk Southern Railway. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who handled the case, stated that in the early morning hours of June 14, 2023, Benitez placed several tires on the railroad tracks behind his residence at the time on Railroad Avenue in Farnham, poured gasoline on the tires, and started the tires on fire. The tire fire destroyed equipment owned by Norfolk Southern that’s used to identify railroad equipment while enroute. Norfolk Southern was required to hold trains while the tire fire was extinguished, and rail equipment was repaired. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Town of Brandt Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Slawek, and Norfolk Southern Police Department. # # # #


title: Rochester man pleads guilty to possession of child pornography

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Daniel P. Walsh, 58, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that Walsh came to the attention of the Rochester Police Department in November 2024, after Google reported that an account associated with Walsh had been flagged for containing child pornography. Rochester Police and the FBI executed a search warrant at his residence, during which they seized multiple computers and other digital devices. A forensic review revealed that Walsh received and possessed more than 600 images and videos of child pornography, to include child pornography depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexual conduct with adults, and children being subjected to violent sexual abuse. In many instances, Walsh superimposed the faces of minors that he knew onto the images of child pornography, so that it appeared that the minors were engaged in sexual acts. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. Sentencing is scheduled for September 9, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Siragusa. # # # #


title: Illegal Immigrant Sentenced For Reentering the United States

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Mexican national was sentenced on May 8, 2025, for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported. According to court documents, Francisco Torres-Ambrocio, 46, was encountered by agents from the United States Border Patrol during a traffic stop. The agents found that he had been previously removed from the United States twice in 2016. Torres-Ambrocio was convicted of Illegal Entry in 2016 and also has a DUI conviction from 2009. At sentencing, Judge DuBose imposed a time-served sentence and a 1-year term of supervised release upon his future release. Torres-Ambrocio had been in custody since his arrest on March 4, 2025. Upon his release from prison, Torres-Ambrocio is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Torres-Ambrocio was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The United States Border Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy L. Thomas prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Illegal Immigrant Sentenced for Reentering the United States

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Guatemalan national was sentenced today for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported. According to court documents, Nicolas Joaquin Celestino-Gonzalez, 34, was arrested by the Saraland Police Department during a traffic stop on March 23, 2025. The U.S. Border Patrol (“USBP”) was notified of his arrest. USBP determined that Celestino-Gonzalez had previously been removed from the United States in 2018 and 2019. At sentencing, Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock imposed a time-served sentence and a one-year term of supervised release upon Celestino-Gonzalez’s future release. The defendant had been in custody since his arrest on March 23, 2025. Upon his release from prison, Celestino-Gonzalez is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Celestino-Gonzalez was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The U.S. Border Patrol and the Saraland Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Self-Described Pastor Indicted for Sex Trafficking and Forced Labor, and Charged with His Wife for Conspiracy to Commit Forced Labor

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man who claimed to be a pastor of a church in Orange, New Jersey was indicted on April 25, 2025, for sex trafficking, forced labor, and, along with his wife, conspiring to commit forced labor, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today. The indictment, which was unsealed on May 7, 2025, charges Treva Edwards, 60, and Christine Edwards, 63, with conspiracy to commit forced labor. It also charges Treva Edwards with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and forced labor. Both defendants were arrested on May 7, 2025 and made their initial appearances on May 8, 2025 and were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa and were detained. “These charges are an example of my office’s tireless commitment to combatting human trafficking in our community. If you engage in human trafficking, we will find you, and we will prosecute you. We are committed to working alongside our partners to ensure that those who target the most vulnerable are brought to justice.” - U.S. Attorney Alina Habba “The Department of Justice will not tolerate the exploitation of vulnerable individuals under the guise of faith or community,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This Civil Rights Division is committed to holding accountable those who abuse positions of trust to manipulate and control others for personal gain. These charges reflect our unwavering focus on protecting victims and prosecuting those who commit forced labor and sex trafficking.” “Treva and Christine Edwards turned a source of hope into a tool of fear by allegedly exploiting religious faith to manipulate victims and expose them to sexual violence and forced labor conditions,” said Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel of HSI Newark Division. “Seeking justice for human trafficking victims in cases like this is of utmost importance to HSI Newark. Anyone who may believe they are a victim of trafficking can be assured our investigations are victim-centered and that we will continue to relentlessly pursue justice for anyone’s freedom that has been held ransom.” “An important part of the mission of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of labor trafficking involving the use of coercion or force,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations.” According to the indictment and statements made in court: Defendants Treva Edwards and Christine Edwards were the founders and pastors of a church they named “Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost,” which they operated out of a multi-unit apartment building in Orange, New Jersey, and where they conspired to coax and coerce vulnerable victims to work with no pay. Between 2011 and 2020, the defendants identified and recruited victims who were facing struggles in their personal lives, including financial and familial struggles, to join the church and live and worship at the church building. Treva Edwards told the victims that he was a prophet who could communicate directly with God and that disobeying him would result in spiritual retribution from God, as well as physical, emotional, and financial harm. The defendants preached to the victims that it was God’s will for them to work, and that members had to perform labor to serve God. The defendants secured labor contracts to provide manual labor in and around Orange, New Jersey, and the defendants dispatched the victims to perform the contracted labor. The defendants did not pay wages to the victims for their work and kept the money earned from their labor. The defendants convinced the victims that they would lose favor with God if they did not perform labor. Treva Edwards spread fear among the victims through verbal and emotional abuse and threats of reputational harm, homelessness, hunger, spiritual retribution, punishments, and more hard labor to gain their obedience and compel them to perform unpaid labor. The defendants instituted and enforced strict rules about when and whether the victims could eat or sleep, when and for how long they were to pray and work, and whether they could speak to non-members or leave the church building. The defendants isolated the victims, monitored their communications and whereabouts, and by convincing them that non-members were evil or possessed by the devil. The defendants deprived the victims of sleep, typically fed them only once a day after they completed their work. According to the allegations in the indictment, Treva Edwards controlled and subjected one victim to repeated physical and sexual assaults, impregnated her, and instructed her to get an abortion. The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion against Treva Edwards carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The forced labor charge against Treva Edwards carries a maximum sentence of twenty years or life imprisonment if the government proves at trial that the violation included aggravated sexual abuse. The conspiracy to commit forced labor charge against both defendants carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel and special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to this indictment. This investigation was conducted as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed in 2025. The Task Force brings together federal and state agencies to collaborate and dedicate resources to combat human trafficking and prosecute human trafficking offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The Human Trafficking Task Force is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor Chenoweth and Susan Millenky, and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. HSI is asking anyone with information about the defendants to contact the HSI Human Trafficking Hotline at (866) 347-2423 (option 2), and reference Edwards or Jesus is Lord Church, or to email hsinewarkhumantrafficking@hsi.dhs.gov . If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. #### Defense counsel: Treva Edwards: Michael Thomas, Esq., AFPD Christine Edwards: F.R. “Chip” Dunne, III, Esq., Hoboken, NJ edwards.indictment.pdf


title: Fugitive Wanted for Murder in Saint Lucia Indicted in Atlanta on Firearm Charge

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

body_text: ATLANTA - Orville Andrew Pernell, also known as “Oneil Christopher Reid,” 32, of Saint Mary, Jamaica, was arraigned today before the Honorable John K. Larkins, III, United States Magistrate Judge, on a federal charge of possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the United States. Pernell was indicted by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia on April 23, 2025. “Pernell is an international fugitive who was charged with murder before escaping custody in both Saint Lucia and Jamaica, and then unlawfully entering the United States under a false identity,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Our office is proud of the collaborative work of our United States, Saint Lucian, and Jamaican law enforcement partners whose efforts resulted in Pernell’s identification and apprehension.” “Law enforcement collaboration is instrumental in apprehending violent individuals locally and internationally,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “This arraignment sends a direct message to criminals that ATF and our local and international law enforcement partners will investigate and protect its citizens.” “This case demonstrates the far-reaching impact of Homeland Security Investigations in identifying and apprehending fugitives who pose a threat to public safety across international borders,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Pernell’s ability to evade law enforcement in multiple countries and unlawfully enter the United States under a false identity underscores the importance of strong global partnerships. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of HSI and our domestic and international counterparts, a dangerous individual is now off the streets and facing justice.” According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, Jr., the charges, and other information presented in court: Pernell was charged with the murder of Clius Alfred in Saint Lucia on October 8, 2020. He then escaped custody in Saint Lucia while awaiting trial. He was arrested in Jamaica on July 21, 2021, but then escaped Jamaican custody while awaiting his extradition to Saint Lucia. Pernell was then encountered by immigration authorities on December 7, 2022, when he attempted to illegally enter the United States via an unmanned border area near the San Ysidro point of entry. He gave the false name of “Oneil Christopher Reid” and was allowed to enter the United States pending further immigration proceedings. On July 21, 2023, Pernell, using the Reid alias, was stopped by the Clayton County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office after being observed traveling 115 miles per hour on a motorcycle. He attempted to flee but was forced to stop after he encountered a heavily congested intersection. Once he was stopped, officers determined that the motorcycle he was driving was stolen. During a search that followed, officers found a firearm in the front pocket of his jacket. Officers also determined that the firearm was stolen from a Southern Freight Lines firearms shipment. He was arrested for possession of a stolen motorcycle, possession of a stolen firearm, and attempting to evade arrest. Pernell is facing federal charges of possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the United States. He has been ordered detained pending trial, and is subject to removal and extradition back to Saint Lucia once the proceedings in the United States are concluded. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains a charge. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charge and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Wylly 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: MEMBERS OF A LOCAL DRUG TRAFFICKING CONSPIRACY SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced the sentencing of five individuals by U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick in connection with an extensive federal, state, and local investigation by the Middle District Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) aimed at a large-scale cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine trafficking network based in Iberville Parish. Barold Raven, age 47, of St. Gabriel, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Court further sentenced Raven to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. Dedrick Ambeau, age 44, of St. Gabriel, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and distribution of heroin. The Court further sentenced Ambeau to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. Jake Henry Gordon III, age 46, of Greenwell Springs, Louisiana, was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute heroin, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The Court further sentenced Gordon to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. Leo Sternfels, age 65, of Gonzales, Louisiana, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day imprisonment in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. The Court further sentenced Sternfels to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. In a separate, but related case, Charles J. Alexander, Jr., age 40, of St. Gabriel, Louisiana, was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment in federal prison following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. The Court further sentenced Alexander to serve 3 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. Through their pleas, the defendants admitted involvement in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine between February 2019 and October 2019. During that time, the defendants worked in concert with each other to distribute drugs throughout Iberville, Ascension, East Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana parishes. This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, Gonzales Police Department, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, and Louisiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William K. Morris. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Fort Wayne Man Ordered to Repay Funds  From PPP Loan Fraud

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: FORT WAYNE–Yesterday, Ivory Hill, 44 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to a federal felony for wire fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. Hill was sentenced to 24 months’ probation, including 10 months of location monitoring, and ordered to pay $23,332.00 in restitution to the victim of the offense. According to documents in the case, Hill falsely claimed gross income for a business that did not exist when he applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The PPP program was designed to approve loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses as part the CARES Act that provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, Hill falsely claimed he was the sole proprietor of an auto sales business when in reality, no such business existed. Hill also fraudulently claimed his business had approximately $102,000 in gross income in 2020. As a result of his fraudulent representations, Hill received $20,832 in PPP funds which he used for his own benefit on personal items such as electronics, apparel, and car rentals, and to vacation in Miami, Florida. rather than for any legitimately approved purpose. This case was investigated by the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin C. Sheridan.


title: Michigan City Man Sentenced to 210 Months in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Yesterday, Timothy Hampton, 50 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to distributing methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. Hampton was sentenced to 210 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, in August and September 2024 Hampton distributed high-purity methamphetamine to buyers. A search warrant executed at Hampton’s home resulted in the recovery of additional methamphetamine along with scales and other drug paraphernalia. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration including the DEA North Central Laboratory with assistance from the LaPorte County Drug Task Force, the Michigan City Police Department, and the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius.


title: Jury Finds Sioux Falls Man Guilty of Carjacking and Carrying and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence

component: USAO - South Dakota


title: Clermont Man Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Commit Bank Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Carlos Calderon (56, Clermont) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Calderon faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement and court proceedings, Calderon and others conspired to create and execute a mortgage fraud scheme targeting financial institutions. To ensure that otherwise unqualified borrowers obtained mortgage loans from financial institutions, Calderon created fictitious and fraudulent paystubs that falsely indicated the borrowers worked at particular companies for certain periods of time and earned income. Calderon then sent the fraudulent documents to a co-conspirator who submitted them to the financial institutions. Based on Calderon’s and his co-conspirators’ misrepresentations, the financial institutions approved and funded the mortgage loans. The fraudulently obtained mortgages were subsequently purchased and guaranteed by Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration. This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.


title: Maryland Man Indicted for Wire Fraud, Theft of Government Property, and Failure to Disclose an Event

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted Andrew Langford, 49, of Ft. Washington, Maryland, charging him with wire fraud, theft of government property, and failure to disclose an event. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Colleen Lawlor, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay, Mid-Atlantic Field Division of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). According to the indictment, Langford applied for SSA disability benefits in November 2008, reporting that he was unable to work due to a disabling condition. Then in May 2009, Langford applied for child/auxiliary benefits for his minor children. Later in 2009, SSA notified Langford that he was eligible for and would begin receiving disability benefit payments. SSA also notified Langford of his responsibilities to notify the agency if he returned to work or if his health improved. After he was granted benefits, Langford returned to work, but did not notify SSA as required. Langford received more than $270,000 in disability benefits from January 2014 through May 2021, that he allegedly was not entitled to. He allegedly defrauded SSA by providing false information — namely, concealing his ownership and operation of NDA Cleaning Services in Maryland and CK Janitors, Inc., in Virginia — to continue receiving disability payments. Langford utilized an Internal Revenue Service system to apply for Employer Identification Numbers for his businesses associated with the alleged fraud. If convicted, Langford faces up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud, 10 years for theft of government property, and five years for failure to disclose an event. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the SSA-OIG and TIGTA for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: Texas Man Indicted For Sex Trafficking

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jazzmen La Vone Gaskins (38, Texas) with sex trafficking and transportation of an individual to engage in prostitution. If convicted on all counts, Gaskins faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. According to the indictment, between July 2023 and March 2024, Gaskins knowingly trafficked Victim 1 knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that means of force, threats of force, fraud and coercion would be used to cause the victim to engage in a commercial sex act. The indictment also alleges that on December 22, 2023, Gaskins knowingly transported Victim 2 from Texas to Florida with the intent that Victim 2 engage in prostitution and sexual activity. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.


title: Two Women Sentenced for Running a More Than  $1.5 Million COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Zebulon woman was sentenced Thursday to 8 years in prison for her role in a multi-million-dollar COVID-19 fraud scheme. Loretta Clarice James, 49, had previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on May 29, 2024. One of James’ co-conspirators, Lakesha Bowles, 43, was sentenced on April 24, 2025, to 30 months imprisonment for her role in the conspiracy. Both women were also ordered to repay over one million dollars in restitution. According to court documents and other information presented in court, James and Bowles conspired to commit wire fraud by fraudulently submitting loan applications to the federal Paycheck Protection Program(PPP), which was established by Congress through the CARES Act to support small businesses during the economic uncertainty and layoffs that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic. The fraudulent claims on the PPP loan applications, guaranteed by the United States Small Business Association, inflated payroll numbers and asked for funding on behalf of dormant or non-existent businesses. James and Bowles submitted loan applications in their own names, and on behalf of others whom they recruited. James and Bowles were given a portion of the loan proceeds if the third-party loans were approved. In addition to PPP fraud, James also conspired to commit wire fraud by fraudulently submitting loan and grant applications to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) Program. These other programs were also created by the federal government as a lifeline to struggling small businesses affected by COVID-19. James submitted fraudulent EIDL loans applications in her name, her family members’ names, and in the names of other friends and associates. James submitted EIDL applications for businesses that did not exist and for salaries of employees who were fictitious. James submitted several hundred fraudulent EIDL applications, leading to over $500,000 in fraudulent EIDL disbursements. In all, James, Bowles and other co-conspirators facilitated the fraudulent disbursement of more than $1.5 million in COVID-19 Loans. Darnell William King, who conspired with both women, pled guilty to PPP fraud and identity theft charges on March 11, 2025 . In addition to this significant COVID-19 loan fraud conspiracy, Loretta James was involved in an identity theft scheme where she and others used stolen identities to obtain loans or personal lines of credit from private lenders. James’ main role in that scheme included obtaining Social Security Numbers of individuals with good credit, completing a loan application in that individual’s name, using forged documents and email accounts in furtherance of the loan applications. James and her conspirators then hired “Mules” to physically obtain the funds from the bank or lender. Equipped with fake identity documentation made by James or others, the Mule would physically sign the application and associated paperwork, claiming to be the true applicant and promising to pay the loan back. After securing the funds, the Mule would bring the money back to James and other members of the scheme, and they would give the Mule a cut of the loan, ranging from $100 to $2,000 per loan. James and her compatriots did this over and over again, with loans that ranged from $5,000 to $10,000, none of which was ever paid back. “This office is committed holding accountable those who exploited a national crisis and the hardships of others for their personal gain and greed. Public relief funds were created to support hardworking individuals and small businesses during times of crisis—not to line the pockets of criminals,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “We will continue to work diligently with our many state and federal partners to peruse justice for those who choose to abuse public trust by lying, cheating, and stealing resources that are meant to support our community in its greatest time of need.” “This extensive investigation, known as Operation Overload, uncovered a sophisticated criminal enterprise that fraudulently utilized thousands of North Carolina licenses, resulting in financial crimes that impacted individuals across multiple states,” said Captain Vaughn of the North Carolina DMV License & Theft Bureau. “Bureau commends its inspectors, intelligence analysts, and all partner agencies for their hard work and collaboration. Their efforts underscore the importance of interagency cooperation in combating complex fraud schemes and safeguarding the identities of North Carolina residents.” “The defendants conspired to take advantage of critical aid programs intended to provide relief for businesses affected during the pandemic by fraudulently applying for and obtaining COVID-19 program funds,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to pursue individuals who try to exploit federal relief programs for their personal gain.” “This investigation began following several complaints from Wake County residents regarding identity theft and fraud. Over the course of nearly a year, a thorough investigation led to multiple arrests, supported by the NCDMV License and Theft, Clayton Police Department, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the IRS Criminal Investigations. The investigators involved demonstrated exceptional diligence in pursuing the suspects and uncovering a vast network of crimes. Their efforts resulted in identifying hundreds of victims, not only in Wake County, but across North Carolina, and uncovering hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraud. I would like to commend the investigators for their tireless work and unwavering commitment to serving the residents of our county and state,” Wake County Sheriff Willie Rowe said. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II announced James’ sentence. The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation investigated the case with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations; the Wake County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicle License & Theft Bureau. The Clayton Police Department and other local agencies also aided over the course of the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David G. Beraka, Ashley H. Foxx, and Karen Haughton prosecuted the cases. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:24-CR-00132 and 5:24-CR-00363. ###


title: Guatemalan National Previously Convicted for Drug Trafficking Indicted for Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE - A Guatemalan national deported in 2015 after having been convicted for drug trafficking has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rhode Island on a charge of illegal re-entry, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. According to court records, Pedro Andony Alvarado Aguilar, 49, was convicted in federal court in Connecticut in November 2014 on charges of conspiracy to import 5,000 grams or more of cocaine and conspiracy to import 1,000 grams or more of heroin. He was deported on July 1, 2015. Court documents allege that Aguilar illegally re-entered the United States and was present in Rhode Island. Aguilar is scheduled to be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Providence on May 12, 2025. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Immigration and Custom Enforcement. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). ###


title: Detroit Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A Farmington, Michigan man was sentenced this week to 15 years in prison for sexually exploiting multiple children, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced today. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Evan Mercer, 31, of Farmington, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Terrence G. Berg. Mercer pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children after he chatted with multiple minors online and recorded images of them nude and in sexually explicit positions. The youngest victim appears to have been just seven years old. Mercer contacted her in September 2023 and recorded a video of her exposing herself to a web camera. He solicited nude images from at least two other minors. Mercer’s crimes came to light after a witness came forward to law enforcement after discovering the videos Mercer had produced. Authorities located and Mercer’s electronic devices, finding the evidence of his crimes. “This defendant solicited multiple children online and exploited their youth, naivete, and vulnerability to create sexual exploitative images of his victims. We are thankful to the brave witness who came forward to alert authorities of his crimes, and to the law enforcement who collected that evidence and ensured this offender was brought to justice,” U.S. Attorney Gorgon said. "Evan Mercer's sentencing underscores the FBI's steadfast commitment to seeking justice for victims of child exploitation and to protecting our most vulnerable population," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Mr. Mercer's inexcusable actions against minors, as well as any other offenders, will not be tolerated. I commend the dedicated efforts of our Oakland County Resident Agency members, and our law enforcement partners at the Ferndale Police Department. I also want to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, whose contributions were vital in concluding this case. We remain fully committed to collaborating with our community and law enforcement allies to identify, investigate, and bring to justice those who pose a threat to our children." “This case was investigated by special agents of the FBI Oakland County Resident Agency and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diane Princ, Nhan Ho, and Tara Hindelang.


title: New Orleans Woman Guilty Of Cares Act Fraud

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: Correction: NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT GUILTY OF CARES ACT FRAUD. JARROW also faces up to ten years in prison for the theft of government funds count. NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that BRANDON JARROW (“JARROW”) (aka Brandi Jarrow) , age 33, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to theft of government funds and to making false statements, related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The two primary sources of funding for small businesses were the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program. According to the charging documents, on or about June 20, 2020, JARROW , on behalf of a business, submitted a false application for a EIDL to the SBA. This resulted in a theft of government funds in the amount of $95,000. On or about February 4, 2021, JARROW made false statements to an approved lender for another sham business to obtain a $20,833 PPP loan. Sentencing will be on August 13, 2025. At sentencing, JARROW faces up to five years in prison for the false statement counts. She also faces up to ten years in prison for the theft of government funds count. All of the counts carry a penalty of up to $250,000 in fines, up to three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration - Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: Norwalk Dentists Pay More than $600K to Settle False Claims Allegations

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Two Connecticut dental providers have entered into civil settlement agreements with the federal and state governments to resolve allegations of violations of the federal and state False Claims Acts. The settlements stem from a larger investigation into fraudulent activity by health care providers who submit kickback-tainted claims to the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (“CTMAP”) for services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred by third-party “patient recruiting” companies. It is alleged that, in violation of their CTMAP provider agreements and the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, Advanced Dental Center PC, a dental practice based in Norwalk, and its owners, Tal Yossefi, DMD and Elad Yossefi, DDS, submitted claims to the CTMAP, which includes the state’s Medicaid program, related to dental services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred to the business by a third-party patient recruiting company. Advanced Dental Center paid a patient recruiter for each Connecticut Medicaid patient the recruiter referred to the practice. With each submitted claim, Advanced Dental Center and its owners impliedly certified that the conditions of receiving payment were met, including, but not limited to, that they did not pay kickbacks or violate any terms or provisions of the Connecticut Dental Health Partnership (“CTDHP”) provider manual concerning the submitted claim. The CTDHP provider manual, which is an addendum to both the CTMAP provider agreement and the CTMAP provider manual, expressly prohibits per-patient compensation for individuals referred to CMAP providers. To resolve the allegations under the federal and state False Claims Acts, Advanced Dental Center and the Yossefis paid $495,721.24 to reimburse the Medicaid program for conduct occurring from July 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018. In addition, Nazneen Jaffri, DDS, a dental provider formerly licensed in Connecticut who operated a practice in Norwalk, agreed to reimburse the Medicaid program $150,000 for conduct occurring from January 1, 2019, through April 24, 2021, to resolve allegations that she violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing to be submitted claims to the CTMAP for dental services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred to her business by a third-party patient recruiting company. In entering into their respective civil settlement agreements, the providers and their practices did not admit liability. This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office; and the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Thidemann and Assistant Attorney General Joshua L. Jackson of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.


title: Real Estate Developer Charged And Pleads Guilty To Multi-Year Investment Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Edward Gallashaw, the Acting Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced today the filing of an Information charging BARRY BREEMAN with engaging in a scheme to defraud investors who believed they were investing in real estate developments. BREEMAN also entered a guilty plea to the Information in a proceeding today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “As he admitted today in federal court, Barry Breeman stole more than $13 million dollars from dozens of investors. He falsely represented to investors that they were investing in valuable real estate projects, but in reality, Breeman had no connection to these investments and pocketed their money. Breeman’s conduct has led to his conviction, and he now faces serious time in federal prison for his fraud scheme.” USPIS Acting Inspector in Charge Edward Gallashaw said: “Investors placed their trust in Breeman, who devised a scheme to mislead and defraud investors out of more than $13 million. His arrest demonstrates that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to investigating fraud and bringing to justice those who break the rule of law.” According to the allegations contained in the Information: From at least in or about 2018, up to and including at least in or about 2024, BREEMAN solicited investments in various real estate projects through false and misleading statements and then misappropriated investor funds by diverting them for personal use. For years, BREEMAN worked as a real estate developer specializing in projects in Latin America. In or about 2018, after suffering a professional setback in his legitimate real estate business, BREEMAN began to solicit investments in sham real estate projects to make up for the loss of income in his legitimate business. In particular, BREEMAN encouraged prospective investors to buy limited partnership interests in certain Latin American real estate deals by sending them promotional photographs, prospectuses, and business projections and by promising quarterly distributions. BREEMAN, however, fabricated these investment opportunities and, in fact, often had neither a connection to the projects he promoted nor authority to sell partnership interests in them. When investors did send BREEMAN money, he applied their funds to personal expenses, among other things, and did not use investor funds to develop the real estate projects he had described. BREEMAN obtained more than $13 million from approximately 30 investors during the course of his fraud scheme. * * * BREEMAN, 75, of Tuxedo Park, New York, is charged with one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the USPIS. This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Nessim is in charge of the prosecution. u.s._v._breeman_information.pdf


title: Botnet Dismantled in International Operation, Russian and Kazakhstani Administrators Indicted

component: Criminal - Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A domain seizure warrant was unsealed, along with an indictment charging four foreign national hackers with conspiracy and other computer crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. Russian nationals, Alexey Viktorovich Chertkov, 37, Kirill Vladimirovich Morozov, 41, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Shishkin, 36, and Dmitriy Rubtsov, 38, a Kazakhstani national, were charged with Conspiracy and Damage to Protected Computers for conspiring with others to maintain, operate, and profit from botnet services known as Anyproxy and 5socks. The Indictment alleges that a botnet was created by infecting older-model wireless internet routers worldwide, including in the United States, using malware without their owners’ knowledge. The installed malware allowed the routers to be reconfigured, granting unauthorized access to third parties and making the routers available for sale as proxy servers on the Anyproxy.net and 5socks.net websites. Both website domains were managed by a company headquartered in Virginia and hosted on computer servers worldwide. Additional court documents reveal that the 5socks.net website advertised more than 7,000 proxies for sale worldwide, including in the United States. Users paid a monthly subscription fee, ranging from $9.95 to $110 per month. The website's slogan, “Working since 2004!”, indicates that the service has been available for more than 20 years. The defendants are believed to have amassed more than $46 million from selling access to the infected routers that were part of the Anyproxy botnet. Chertkov and Rubtsov are additionally charged with False Registration of a Domain Name. They allegedly falsely identified themselves when they registered and used the domains Anyproxy.net and 5socks.net during the commission of these felony crimes. During the investigation, the FBI’s Oklahoma City Cyber Task Force discovered that business and residential routers in Oklahoma had malware installed without the users' knowledge. Pursuant to a seizure warrant in the Eastern District of Virginia and in conjunction with the unsealing of the Indictment in the Northern District of Oklahoma, the FBI seized the Anyproxy.net and 5socks.net domain names. The botnet overseas was also seized and disabled by foreign law enforcement partners. The FBI Oklahoma City Cyber Task Force is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Jiang and Christopher J. Nassar, with the Northern District of Oklahoma, are prosecuting the case, along with Ryan K.J. Dickey and Jane Lee, Senior Counsel from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. The Justice Department collaborated closely with investigators and prosecutors from multiple jurisdictions in this investigation, including the Eastern District of Virginia, the Dutch National Police – Amsterdam Region, the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie), and the Royal Thai Police. Black Lotus Labs of Lumen Technologies, Inc., provided significant assistance and worked closely with investigators. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Victim Assistance Advisory for Owners of Wireless Internet Routers Infected by the Anyproxy/5socks Malware On July 23, 2025, the U.S. District Judge John D. Russell issued an order directing the government to provide notice to potential victims in the United States v. Alexey Viktorovich Chertkov, et al., criminal case number, 25-CR-160. In May 2025, an Indictment was unsealed charging four foreign national hackers for conspiring with others to maintain, operate, and profit from botnet services known as Anyproxy and 5socks. The Indictment alleges that a botnet was created by infecting older-model wireless internet routers worldwide, including in the United States, using malware without their owners’ knowledge. The installed malware allowed the routers to be reconfigured, granting unauthorized access to third parties and making the routers available for sale as proxy servers on the Anyproxy.net and 5socks.net websites. As part of the investigation, the FBI executed a federal search warrant directed at the infected devices located in the United States and further remediated the security vulnerabilities in 547 of them. Members of the community who believe they may be the victim of this botnet may contact Victim Witness Coordinator and Supervisor, Brandi Duvall at 918-382-2700. For more information regarding the malware, please see Alert Number I-050725-PSA and FLASH-20250507-001 listed on the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Court Documents Unsealed Indictment Unsealed Search Warrant


title: Six people arrested in drug smuggling operation

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Six people have been charged by criminal complaint in connection with an alleged multi-national drug smuggling operation that used a commercial charter bus to transport liquid methamphetamine from Mexico to Emporia, Kansas. According to court documents, the following defendants are charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine: • Omar Villa Carranza, 45, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Emporia, • Tiburcio Ayala Rangel, 42, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Emporia, • Troy Wagaman, 42, of Emporia, • Jesus Cruz Rodriguez, 28, of Emporia, • Moises Cervantes Sanchez, 67, of McAllen, Texas, and • Elizabeth Benitez, 33, of Emporia. Between March and April 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) noted a charter bus making multiple crossings into the United States from Mexico carrying few or no passengers. License plate reader information showed the bus travelling to Emporia on all trips before returning to Mexico. During one crossing, CBP officers conducted a secondary inspection and found several aftermarket anomalies, including bolts around the fuel tank that had been tampered with. Investigators learned the bus’s destination to be a rural property in the Emporia area. When the bus again arrived at the U.S. border on May 4, 2025, a canine alerted to the presence of controlled substances. CBP took a sample of a substance found in the gas tank that tested as liquid methamphetamine. The driver was allowed to proceed, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents followed the bus, which eventually arrived at the rural property. The Emporia Police Department arrested Wagaman, Villa Carranza, Cruz Rodriguez, Cervantes Sanchez, and Ayala Rangel while the men were either at the property or shortly after leaving. Benitez, who lived with Villa Carranza, was also arrested at a different location. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), and the Emporia Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Hines are 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 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: Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Alexander Summers, 29, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty May 8, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. At the plea hearing Summers admitted that for five months in 2023 he and others conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the Sioux City, Iowa area. Specifically, on one occasion in 2023, Summers distributed over 400 grams of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. Summers further admitted to methamphetamine trafficking and assisting another in methamphetamine trafficking in exchange for a place to live in Sioux City. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Summers remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Summers faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-4051. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Bethesda Doctor Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Distribution of Controlled Substances

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – Today, Anissa Maroof, 48, of Potomac, Maryland, pled guilty to a federal charge of distributing and dispensing controlled substances. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office. According to the guilty plea, between January 2019 and June 2022, Maroof knowingly caused the distributing and dispensing of Alprazolam, Amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, and Buprenorphine. She committed this act with the knowledge that distributing and dispensing the controlled substances were outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. Maroof, a physician who was board certified in addiction psychiatry, owned and operated a medical practice in Bethesda, Maryland. She also had a Drug Enforcement Administration registration number that authorized her to prescribe controlled substances. Through her medical practice, which was located in Maryland, Maroof provided patients from West Virginia with prescriptions for controlled substances, including Alprazolam, Amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, and Buprenorphine. Maroof prescribed patients combinations of Alprazolam, Amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, and Buprenorphine without warning them about the risks of combining these medications. She also prescribed controlled substances to patients even after they indicated that they were selling their excess supply of controlled substances through illicit channels. Additionally, Maroof regularly prescribed controlled substances to patients without providing them with therapeutic services. On numerous occasions, Maroof called in prescriptions to local pharmacies without first seeing the patient, and then directed the patient to leave cash under her office door in exchange for writing the prescriptions. She also often advised patients how to split filling their prescriptions between different pharmacies. Maroof faces a maximum of 20 years in prison followed by up to three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chaung scheduled sentencing for Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Sarma and Elizabeth Wright, who are prosecuting the federal case, and the Montgomery County Police Department for their valuable assistance. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Former Algona Meatpacking Plant Worker Convicted in Pandemic Benefits Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: A former Algona, Iowa, meatpacking plant worker who obtained fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans and recruited others into the scheme was convicted by a jury on May 8, 2025, after a four-day trial in federal court in Sioux City. Yovany Ciero, age 48, from Mason City, Iowa, formerly of Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela, was convicted of three counts of wire fraud, 23 counts of money laundering, one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from a specified unlawful activity, and one count of money laundering conspiracy. The verdict was returned following about three and a half hours of jury deliberations. The evidence at trial showed that Ciero is a former Sergeant in the Cuban military who crossed the Mexican border nearly twenty years ago after his request for a visa to enter the United States was denied. In 2020, Ciero was working at an Algona meatpacking plant when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Beginning in July 2020, Ciero, and over one hundred other immigrants from Cuba, obtained fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on the false and fraudulent pretenses that they were self-employed businesspeople who earned approximately $100,000 in gross income in 2019 when they actually worked at the meatpacking plant or elsewhere in 2019. Ciero was one of six “bundlers” in the fraudulent PPP loan scheme. Ciero’s role was to recruit individuals into the scheme, obtain their personal identifying information for the fraudulent loan applications, and then pass that information to others who submitted the fraudulent loan applications to lenders who were participating in the PPP. The evidence established that over $4 million in fraudulent loan PPP applications were submitted, and the government lost over $2.4 million as a result. Once the individuals received their fraudulent PPP loan funds, typically $20,000 each, Ciero served as a “funnel” in a money laundering conspiracy. Ciero collected fees that the organizers of the scheme charged the applicants, typically $3,000 per $20,000 fraudulent loan. Ciero also obtained two fraudulent PPP loans for himself and his paramour. Ciero used most of this PPP loan money to purchase a semi-truck. Ciero is the sixth former Iowa meatpacking plant worker convicted in the PPP scheme. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ciero remains free on bond pending sentencing. Ciero faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, over $10,000,000 in fines, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy L. Vavricek and Daniel A. Chatham and was investigated by the Small Business Administration - Office of Inspector General, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Storm Lake Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-3013. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Assertio Therapeutics Inc. Agrees to Pay $3.6M to Resolve Allegations that It Violated the False Claims Act in Connection with Marketing its Fentanyl Product

component: Civil Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that Assertio Therapeutics Inc., formerly known as Depomed Inc., (Assertio), a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, has agreed to pay $3.6 million to resolve claims that Assertio violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by causing the submission of false claims for the transmucosal immediate-release fentanyl (TIRF) drug Lazanda for individuals who did not have breakthrough cancer pain. Lazanda, a fentanyl nasal spray, is approved by the FDA solely for break-through cancer pain in patients who are already receiving and who are tolerant to opioid therapy for their underlying persistent cancer pain. The United States alleges that, between 2013 and 2017, Assertio, which was known as Depomed at the time, caused the submission of false claims to the Medicare and TRICARE programs by focusing its marketing on pain specialists who were prescribing high volumes of TIRF products, including those who were flagged for diversion or who were later indicted. The United States further alleges that Assertio placed high-volume TIRF prescribers on its speakers’ bureau and advisory boards and developed its “Signature Support Program” to ensure that Lazanda prescriptions would be approved by insurance companies, including Medicare Part D plans. The United States contends that Assertio’s marketing efforts caused prescribers to write Lazanda prescriptions for Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries who did not have breakthrough cancer pain, resulting in the submission of false claims to Medicare and TRICARE from thirteen high-volume prescribers. “This company took steps to boost its profits despite the risk of boosting the deadly opioid epidemic, said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “Our office will continue to seek out violations like this that demonstrate a brazen disregard for the safety of the public.” “At a time when communities across the country are still dealing with the devasting impact of the opioid epidemic, pharmaceutical companies have a responsibility to uphold the highest standards of integrity,” said Acting Assistant Director Darren Cox of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This settlement reflects the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting public health and holding those accountable who fuel addiction and defraud federal healthcare programs through deceptive marketing of powerful drugs like fentanyl.” “Violations of the False Claims Act such as the illegal prescribing practices alleged in this settlement are especially egregious considering the opioid epidemic,” said Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure health care providers and corporations involved in schemes that threaten patient safety are held accountable.” The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by Noelle Webb and Nicole Novellino, who previously worked at Assertio as sales representatives. The FCA authorizes private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Webb et al. v. Assertio Therapeutics Inc., f/k/a Depomed, Inc. , No. 1:17-02309 (D.D.C.). Pursuant to the settlement, relators will receive a $657,000 share of the settlement amount. The Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia handled this matter. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, led by its Washington Field Office; the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations; and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General provided substantial assistance in the investigation and resolution. Today’s settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni, Trial Attorney Matthew Arrow, and Assistant Director Natalie Waites of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrell Valdez for the District of Columbia handled this matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Assertio Therapeutics, Inc. to Pay $3.6 Million to Resolve Allegations that It Violated the False Claims Act in Connection with Marketing its Fentanyl Product

body_text: The Justice Department announced on May 5, 2025, that Assertio Therapeutics, Inc., formerly known as Depomed, Inc., a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, has agreed to pay $3.6 million to resolve claims that Assertio violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of false claims for the transmucosal immediate-release fentanyl drug Lazanda for individuals who did not have breakthrough cancer pain. The settlement was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and FBIActing Assistant Director Darren Cox of the Criminal Investigative Division. Lazanda, a fentanyl nasal spray, is approved by the FDA solely for break-through cancer pain in patients who are already receiving and who are tolerant to opioid therapy for their underlying persistent cancer pain. The United States alleges that between 2013 and 2017, Assertio caused the submission of false claims to the Medicare and TRICARE programs by focusing its marketing on pain specialists who were prescribing high volumes of transmucosal immediate-release fentanyl, known as TIRF products, including those who were flagged for diversion or who were later indicted. The United States further alleges that Assertio placed high-volume TIRF prescribers on its speakers’ bureau and advisory boards and developed its “Signature Support Program” to ensure that Lazanda prescriptions would be approved by insurance companies, including Medicare Part D plans. The United States contends that, as a result of Assertio’s marketing, prescribers wrote Lazanda prescriptions for Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries who did not have breakthrough cancer pain and that Assertio therefore caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare and TRICARE from high-volume thirteen prescribers. “This company took steps to boost its profits despite the risk of boosting the deadly opioid epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “My office will continue to seek out violations like this that demonstrate a brazen disregard for the safety of the public.” “The Department is committed to pursuing companies that contributed to the tragic opioid epidemic,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Roth. “This resolution demonstrates that companies that recklessly marketed powerful opioids, like fentanyl, will be held accountable for their role in the opioid crisis, which continues to plague our country today.” “As today's settlement demonstrates, the FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to investigating violations of the False Claims Act,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office. “We will continue holding companies accountable for fraudulent marketing that puts patients at risk.” “Violations of the False Claims Act such as the illegal prescribing practices alleged in this settlement are especially egregious considering the opioid epidemic,” said Deputy Inspector General Schrank. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure health care providers and corporations involved in schemes that threaten patient safety are held accountable.” The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought in 2017 under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by Noelle Webb and Nicole Novellino, who previously worked at Depomed as sales representatives. The FCA authorizes private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Webb et al. v. Assertio Therapeutics, Inc., f/k/a Depomed, Inc. , No. 1:17-02309 (D.D.C.). The relators’ share of these proceeds has not yet been determined. The Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch - Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia handled this matter. The FBI, led by its Washington Field Office; the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations; and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General provided substantial assistance in the investigation and resolution. Today’s settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The Justice Department is committed to holding responsible those who have fueled the opioid crisis by violating the law. This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrell Valdez for the District of Columbia, Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni, Trial Attorney Matthew Arrow, and Assistant Director Natalie Waites of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Man of Murder and First-Degree Child Abuse of a Toddler

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: MARQUETTE – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Byerly Birge announced that a federal jury convicted Eugene Walter-George Rantanen, (37, L’Anse, Michigan) of murder and first-degree child abuse. Rantanen is scheduled to be sentenced this fall. On February 19, 2024, a nineteen-month-old toddler became unresponsive while in the sole custody of Rantanen, while the two were inside the L’Anse Reservation of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. After extensive medical intervention, the child succumbed to the injuries and died on February 24, 2024. Based on the medical examiner’s testimony at trial, the toddler had suffered blunt force trauma to the head, which caused significant injuries to the brain. Based on government-witness testimony at trial, the only plausible explanation for the toddler’s injuries was that Rantanen caused the severe brain injuries. “Any time a child dies, it is a tragedy. But it is particularly tragic when a caretaker causes the death,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Birge . “My office will hold individuals like Rantanen accountable for their violent crimes whenever it can.” “This conviction confirms that Eugene Rantanen will no longer pose a threat to anyone, especially our children,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan . “This outcome results from a thorough and cooperative investigation with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Police, the Village of L'Anse Police, the Baraga County Sheriff's Office, the Michigan State Police, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan. I extend my deepest condolences to those who truly loved the young victim—no one should ever have to endure such a heartbreaking loss.” The FBI, Michigan State Police, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Police, Baraga County Sheriff’s Office, and Village of L’Anse Police investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis Sanford and Jeanne Long are prosecuting it. This case was part of the Department of Justice’s work to combat the missing and murder indigenous person’s (MMIP) crisis. Per the Bureau of Indian Affairs, “For decades, Native American and Alaska Native communities have struggled with high rates of assault, abduction, and murder of tribal members. Community advocates describe the crisis as a legacy of generations of government policies of forced removal, land seizures and violence inflicted on Native peoples.” The BIA website has more information about the MMIP crisis at https://www.bia.gov/service/mmu/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-people-crisis .


title: Second Leader of Notorious Philadelphia ‘10th and O Crew’ Sentenced to Over Four Years for Opioid Drug Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today in the District of New Jersey to four years and nine months in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a highly addictive controlled substance. According to court documents, between March 2019 and March 2024, Frank Procopio, 54, of Philadelphia, engaged in the unlawful sale of prescription oxycodone pills as a leader of South Philadelphia’s notorious “10th and O Crew.” Procopio obtained the pills from doctors’ offices in the area, and he and his co-conspirators worked in shifts to distribute the pills from a 24-hour restaurant. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement purchased pills from one of Procopio’s co-conspirators. A surveillance team then observed the co-conspirator dividing the proceeds of the transaction with Procopio. The photograph below captured Procopio (on the left) after the transaction: FBI surveillance photograph of Procopio with a co-conspirator counting money from a controlled buy of oxycodone pills In November 2024, Procopio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. In June 2024, Procopio’s brother and co-leader of the 10th and O Crew, Michael Procopio, was convicted of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and sentenced to six years in prison in April 2025. Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of FBI Philadelphia Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge of the DEA New Jersey Field Division made the announcement. The FBI, DEA, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.


title: Previously convicted felon sentenced to seven years in prison for federal drug-trafficking and firearm charges

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

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for distribution of cocaine and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, on Jan. 16, 2024, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Demario Avanti Henderson, 39. On Jan. 24. 2024, agents arranged another controlled purchase where Henderson sold cocaine and fentanyl. During the transaction, Henderson was openly carrying a handgun. Upon completion of the transaction, agents arrested Henderson and recovered the handgun, which was loaded. Henderson was previously convicted of 17 criminal offenses, including, among other crimes, for larceny, eluding police causing endangerment, assault and battery of a family member, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and assault on law enforcement. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak. Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-73.


title: Rioter Sentenced for Damaging U.S. Government Property During Protest at Union Station

body_text: WASHINGTON – Michael Snow Jr., 25, of Durham, North Carolina, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to four months of probation, 40 hours of community service, and ordered to pay $525 in restitution for destruction of federal property. On July 24, 2024, Snow destroyed an American flag, which was property of the U.S. government, by setting it on fire in front of Union Station in the District as a crowd surrounded him chanting, “Burn that sh--.” The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Acting Special Agent in Charge Courtland Rae of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP). Snow pleaded guilty on Feb. 11 to destruction of government property (less than $1,000). According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate in the area of Columbus Circle, located at Massachusetts Avenue. and E St. NE, directly in front of Union Station. From about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators gathered in Columbus Circle. They pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles, burned the flags and other objects, sprayed graffiti on multiple statues and structures, and interfered with law enforcement trying to place the vandals under arrest. The flags, the statues and structures in Columbus Circle, are all property of the federal government. The National Park Service estimated the total cost to clean up and repair the site at $11,282.23. Open-source and surveillance video captured images of two individuals lowering an American flag affixed to the eastern flagpole in Columbus Circle. The flag fell to the ground still attached to its halyard. A man later identified as Snow grabbed the flag and carried it into the crowd of protesters. He threw the flag onto the ground, produced a lighter, and attempted to set the flag ablaze. Unsuccessful, he yelled: I need a better lighter! The crowd surrounding the man chanted, Burn that sh--! Someone handed Snow a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid. Snow doused the flag with the fluid, then, along with an unidentified individual from the crowd, used lighters to torch it. On July 25, 2024, a user on the social media platform X posted pictures of the incident. As a result, law enforcement located a driver’s license photograph of Snow. The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit, with assistance from the FBI Charlotte Field Office, Raleigh Resident Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Martin and Brendan Horan. Screen shot from a closed-circuit camera shows Snow (circled in yellow) as he grabbed the fallen American flag from the halyard. Screenshot from open-source video shows Snow (circled in yellow) and another individual (circled in blue) lighting the flag on fire. Screenshot from open-source footage depicts Snow (circled in yellow) on the flag pedestal while the other individual (circled in blue) parades around the burning American flag. ##


title: Windham Man Sentenced for Clean Air Act Conspiracy and Obstructing EPA’s Investigation

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Windham man was sentenced on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to tamper with environmental monitoring devices on diesel vehicles, in violation of the Clean Air Act, and for obstructing the investigation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) into those violations. U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Isaac Allen, 35, to a three-year term of probation and a $40,000 criminal fine, the maximum amount recommended by the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines for Allen’s offense level. As a term of his probation, Allen must ensure that all vehicles he owns directly or through any associated company are in compliance with the Clean Air Act by having all required emissions controls and an on-board diagnostic system (OBD) functioning within its original parameters. Allen pleaded guilty on November 20, 2024. The purpose of the Clean Air Act, among other things, is “to protect and enhance the quality of the Nation’s air resources so as to promote the public health and welfare and the productive capacity of its population.” Under the Clean Air Act, diesel trucks are required to have working systems and components that limit harmful emissions of pollutants which may endanger public health. The Clean Air Act also requires that those systems be monitored by an OBD that will detect if an emissions control component is not working or has been removed. It is a felony to tamper with the OBD. On multiple occasions between January 2017 and September 2020, a co-conspirator, Company A, which disabled emissions controls systems on diesel engine vehicles, referred its customers to Allen to download and install illegal software. The illegal software, known as “tunes,” was designed to prevent the vehicles’ OBDs from recognizing the disabling of the emissions controls. Allen would plug into vehicles’ OBD ports and download illegal software tunes through the internet onto the OBD. In response to a Clean Air Act Request for Information by EPA, Allen submitted a false document that materially underrepresented the number of illegal tunes he had installed. EPA estimates that the installation of emissions control defeat devices can result in an increase of 10-100 times more air pollution emissions from a single diesel pickup truck. Diesel exhaust contains a mix of acidic and hydrocarbon gases that are harmful to human health. Those emissions cause a variety of adverse health effects, including eye, nose, and throat irritation; inflammation and irritation of the respiratory system; difficulty breathing; reduction in lung function; susceptibility to respiratory infection; and aggravation of asthma. This case was referred to EPA by the Maine State Police and investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. ###


title: Trumbull Man Charged with Defrauding Amazon of More Than $3 Million

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 13-count indictment charging AMEER NASIR, 24, of Trumbull, with offenses stemming from a fraud scheme against Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”). The indictment was returned on May 7, 2025. Nasir was arrested yesterday, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport, and was released on a $300,000 bond. As alleged in the indictment, Amazon Logistics, an Amazon subsidiary, contracts with various interstate trucking businesses to transport both empty trailers and trailers containing heavy loads of freight between cities and between warehouses and fulfillment centers operated by Amazon. Nasir registered 23 trucking businesses with Amazon Logistics. One of the accounts was created in the name of Nasir’s business, Pak Express Transport, LLC, and others were created fraudulently using the names and identifying information of other trucking or transportation companies without the knowledge of the operators of those companies. Between approximately December 2019 and February 2021, Nasir used these accounts to sign up for more than 1,000 transportation assignments with Amazon Logistics, manipulated information in Amazon Logistics’ transportation management system to misrepresent that he had completed trailer movements when he had not, and submitted fraudulent invoices to Amazon Logistics that were subsequently paid. Through this scheme, Nasir defrauded Amazon of more than $3 million. The indictment charges Nasir with 13 counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count. Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Amazon. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena L. Coronado.


title: Anderson Couple Sentenced to Combined 75 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Infant

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS – Jamie M. Powell, a/k/a Jamie Cramer, 44, and Richard Smith, 42, both of Anderson, Indiana, have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to sexually exploit a minor. Powell has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit the sexual exploitation of a minor as well as actual and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. Powell must also pay $10,000 in restitution. Richard Smith has been sentenced to 50 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit the sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child sexual abuse material. Smith must also pay $10,000 in restitution. His federal sentence was ordered to be served consecutively to his state convictions for Dealing in Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Battery with Bodily Injury to a Public Safety Officer, for which he received concurrent sentences of 16-, 5-, and 4-years imprisonment. According to court documents, Powell is the mother of five children, including Minor Victim 1, who was between one and two years old at the time of the offense. In early 2020, the Department of Child Services (DCS) filed to terminate Powell’s parental rights. Powell relocated to an apartment in Anderson, with three of her children and her boyfriend, Richard Smith. Powell’s youngest children, Minor Victim 1 and Minor Witness 1 were in DCS Custody. Between late 2020 and early 2021, Powell and Smith discussed Smith’s sexual interest in Powell’s children and in bestiality over text messages. In those messages, the couple agreed for Powell to molest Minor Victim 1 and produce sexually explicit photos and videos of the child to send to Smith. The messages also contained extremely graphic and crude requests from Smith detailing how he wanted Powell to abuse the minor. Throughout this time period, Powell was permitted to have supervised visitation with two of her children, including Minor Victim 1. During these court-ordered visitations, Powell waited until supervisors were not looking to record sexually explicit videos and images of the child, attempting to evade suspicion by pretending to change her diaper. In total, over 25 visits, Powell produced 577 images and videos of child sexual abuse of Minor Victim 1 and shared 486 of them with Smith. Investigators located over 2,400 image files of child sex abuse material and approximately 170 video files of bestiality on Powell’s cell phone. On Smith’s cell phone, investigators found more than 5,000 images and videos of child sex abuse material. The Indiana State Police, Pendleton Post, detected and investigated this matter. They were assisted later by the U.S. Secret Service and the Indianapolis Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force. The Indiana Department of Corrections provided valuable assistance. All agencies worked together to rescue the victim. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young. “Parents and caretakers who violate the sanctity of trust by exploiting their own children, before they are even old enough to walk or speak, are cruel and vile monsters. The pursuit of those who choose to victimize children is some of the most important work our office does,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Jamie Powell and Richard Smith will now spend decades in federal prison where they cannot exploit another child thanks to the dedication and talents of our State Police, federal law enforcement partners, and AUSA.” “Child sexual exploitation is a heinous crime that will not be tolerated. The idea that the victim in this case was a toddler, abused by a parent, makes it even more vile,” said Special Agent in Charge Ike Barnes, of the Indianapolis Field Office. “The U.S. Secret Service is committed to imposing its full arsenal of investigative resources to help pursue crimes against children and is proud to stand up for defenseless victims. Thank you to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Indiana, the Indiana State Police, and all the law enforcement partners who helped bring justice in this case.” “I would also like to thank Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany Preston on her commitment to insuring justice for the victim in this case. The Indiana State Police encourages individuals to report any suspected child exploitation crimes to law enforcement,” said Detective Bradley Tucker, of the Indiana State Police Pendleton Post. Acting U.S Attorney Childress thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc ###