title: Virginia Landlord Sentenced to Prison for Obstructing the IRS and  Willfully Failing to File Tax Returns

body_text: A Woodbridge man was sentenced today to three years in prison for violating criminal tax laws. In November 2025, a federal jury convicted Omini Tete Riman of obstructing the IRS and willfully failing to file tax returns. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Riman was an information technology specialist and landlord, who filed false tax returns with the IRS for 2013 and 2014 and received refunds for both years that he was not entitled to receive. When the IRS attempted to recoup the refunds, Riman obstructed that effort – he transferred his property to a trust, opened a bank account in the name of the trust and directed his income to be deposited into the trust account to hide it from the IRS. Riman also submitted false documents claiming that the IRS collections officer handling his case had personally received over $600,000 from Riman, which, if accepted by the IRS, would have increased the officer’s own tax liability. In addition, Riman stopped filing tax returns for the years 2018 through 2023, even though he received a total of more than $854,000 during that period and was required to file each year. In total, Riman caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $500,000. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated the case. Trial Attorney Daniel Lipkowitz of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.


title: Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced To Prison For Selling Glock Switch And Possessing Over 6,000 Fentanyl Pills

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – An armed drug trafficker was sentenced to prison today for selling a machinegun conversion device (or “Glock switch”) and possessing over 6,000 fentanyl pills, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jalein Young, 27, of Charlotte, was ordered to serve 138 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement. According to court records, Young sold a firearm fitted with a Glock switch to an undercover law enforcement agent in 2024. The firearm was a Glock model 19 pistol converted from a semiautomatic weapon to one capable of fully automatic fire. In March 2024, Young agreed to sell 5,000 fentanyl pills to an undercover law enforcement agent. Investigators intercepted Young and found over 5,000 pills in his vehicle. A laboratory chemical analysis identified the pills to contain at least 504 grams of fentanyl. An additional 1,532 pills weighing approximately 358 grams were found in Young’s garage. In late March 2024, Young contacted the undercover agent offering to sell 4,000 additional fentanyl pills. In May 2024, Young was arrested while trying to fly to the Dominican Republic on a one-way ticket. Young pleaded guilty to transfer of a machinegun and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The ATF conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Illegal alien from Honduras previously convicted of assaulting officer and other crimes sent to federal prison

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 39-year-old Honduran national who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for unlawfully reentering the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Wilson Antonio Vargas Argueta pleaded guilty Dec. 4, 2025. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered Argueta to serve 24 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about his criminal history while illegally present in the country. Argueta has multiple prior convictions for assault, driving while intoxicated and fleeing from law enforcement. In 2020, he bit a police officer while resisting arrest. Argueta was convicted of the assault and eventually removed from the country. He illegally returned and in 2025, authorities discovered him in Houston with no authorization to be there. He had been driving while under the influence of alcohol and refused to pull over when ordered to do so. Argueta has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Hostetter and Amanda Alum prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Previously Convicted Concord Woman Sentenced To Prison For Selling Fake Documents

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Chaiya Maley-Jackson, 26, of Concord, N.C., was sentenced to 21 months in prison today for selling fake Social Security Cards, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Maley-Jackson was under federal court supervision when she reoffended and was indicted on new charges. As a result of the new indictment and other probation violations, the Court found that Maley-Jackson violated the conditions of probation of her 2023 conviction and revoked her probation imposing a six-month prison sentence in that case, consecutive to the sentence in the 2024 case, for a total of 27 months imprisonment. Reid Davis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. According to plea documents and the court hearing, between October 2023 and October 2024, Maley-Jackson earned more than $49,000 in fees from producing, selling, and transferring various types of fraudulent documents, including Social Security Cards. Maley-Jackson had a Facebook page under the name of Yaya Ling which advertised the sale of false and fraudulent documents. Maley-Jackson communicated with customers via email and messages to obtain the information needed to create the false documents, to provide updates and samples on their orders, and to send the finalized fake documents. Maley-Jackson produced the fake documents while she was serving a probationary sentence for a 2023 federal conviction for a similar scheme. According to court records in that case, as early as January 2020, Maley-Jackson was the owner and operator of Diva Documents/CPN Services (Diva Documents). Diva Documents advertised the sale of false and fraudulent documents on Facebook as well as two websites, divadocuments.com and divadocuments.onuniverse.com. Maley-Jackson used her personal Facebook page under the name Yaya Flowers to advertise the types of documents she could produce and a pricelist for the fake documents. The documents listed on the document pricelist that Maley-Jackson could produce and transfer included paystubs, lease agreements, COVID-19 hardship letters, bank statements, W2 forms, Social Security Cards, and driver’s licenses, both digital and hard copies, among others. The prices for the fake documents ranged from $15 to edit a paystub to $150 for a hard copy of a driver’s license. Maley-Jackson required customers to pay half of the payment upfront and the balance upon completion of the fabricated documents. According to court documents, Maley-Jackson was aware that she was producing and transferring fake documents and knew that customers would use the fake documents for PPP loan applications, car loan applications, and apartment rentals, among others. Maley-Jackson admitted that between January 2020 and August 2022, she created at least 400 Social Security Cards, eight driver’s licenses, and six COVID vaccine cards, and earned more than $320,000 in fees from producing, selling and transferring false documents. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited the FBI in Charlotte for the investigation which led to the charges and thanked the United States Probation Office for the Middle District of North Carolina for their assistance in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley and Special Assistant United States Attorney Eric Frick with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Bakersfield Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Explosives and for Manufacturing Methamphetamine

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Matthew Henry Jacober, 44, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 5 years in prison for being a felon in possession of explosives and manufacturing crystal methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, in July 2025, Jacober possessed 50 pounds of dynamite, which he had hidden in a cave approximately 10 to 15 feet from a travel trailer where Jacober was residing. In 2021, Jacober was convicted in Kern County Superior Court of making a destructive device without a permit, a felony. As a convicted felon, Jacober was thus prohibited from possessing explosives. In addition, Jacober was in the process of manufacturing crystal methamphetamine in his trailer, where he possessed both finished product and methamphetamine in the process of changing from liquid to a crystal form. On Nov. 24, 2025, Jacober pleaded guilty to the charges that gave rise to his sentence. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad, and the Kern County Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio Pataca prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Local Home Healthcare Company Owner Admits Over $200,000 Fraud

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – The owner of a home healthcare company on Tuesday admitted defrauding the Missouri Medicaid Program and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs out of more than $209,000. Natavia Boyd-Wells, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud. She admitted that while owner of Touch of the Heart Home Health Care LLC, she submitted hundreds of fraudulent reimbursement claims to the Missouri Medicaid Program and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Care Network. Missouri Medicaid and the VA fund home healthcare services to enable patients to remain in their homes instead of long-term inpatient stays in hospitals and nursing homes. Boyd-Wells admitted submitting claims for services on dates when the veteran patients were in the hospital and could not possibly have received home healthcare services. She also submitted claims knowing both that the services were not provided and that she did not have any necessary documentation of the services. In February of 2022, Missouri Medicaid officials conducting an audit requested documentation reflecting services that Boyd-Wells claimed were provided to a Medicaid patient. No documentation existed. Boyd-Wells on Tuesday admitted submitting and causing to be submitted fraudulent documentation to Medicaid in response to their request. From about June 2020 through November 2024, Boyd-Well’s fraud cost Missouri Medicaid at least $109,751 and the VA at least $100,563. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General and the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.


title: Venezuelan Man Illegally in the United States Charged With Assault On Federal Officer, Destruction of Government Property

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jorge Torres-Perez, 29, of Venezuela, is facing one count of assault on a federal officer, one count of threatening to assault or kill a federal officer, and one count of destruction of government property. According to the complaint, Torres-Perez was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations (ICE/ERO) in December 2025 in Colorado Springs when he was released from the El Paso County Jail. As federal officers detained and began to transport Torres-Perez, he began exhibiting disruptive behavior and verbal aggression in which he made repeated threats of serious bodily injury toward the federal agents transporting him. Despite the officers’ attempts to de-escalate the situation, Torres-Perez began striking the vehicle’s doors and windows, pulling apart interior panels and wiring, while continuing to make threats and spit on officers. Estimated damage to the vehicle is $3,898.62. The charges contained in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Chief United States Magistrate Judge Scott T. Varholak presided over the hearing. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado is handling the prosecution. Case Number: 1:26-mj-00022-STV


title: Turlock Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison Following Conviction for Receiving Child Pornography

body_text: FRESNO , Calif. — Edward Paul Cragg, 46, of Turlock, California was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston, following his conviction for one count of receipt of images depicting the sexual abuse of minors, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. A jury found Cragg guilty of this offense on Sept. 12, 2025. The sentence imposed includes a 20-year prison term, the statutory maximum, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release during which Cragg will be required to register as a sex offender, and his access to minors, computers, and the internet will be restricted. The court also ordered the forfeiture of devices used to commit the offense and has scheduled a hearing on restitution for victims for April 20, 2026. Evidence introduced at trial established that from approximately Aug. 1, 2015, through March 1, 2016, Cragg used a file-sharing program to search for and save approximately 130 videos of child sexual abuse material. Some of the videos depicted images of infants or toddlers being subjected to sadistic or masochistic abuse. Cragg made hundreds of other videos showing sexual abuse of children available to others on the same file-sharing network during the same time frame. He told investigators that he looked at child pornography because it was “interesting . . . like a dead cat on the side of the road.” The Turlock Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Ceres Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa and United States Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Learn more at Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Gun Trafficker Sentenced To Seven Years In Prison

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Walter Adonai Rivera Chinchilla, 25, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to seven years in prison followed by two years of supervised release for trafficking firearms, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement. “This Administration is committed to completely eliminating transnational criminal cartels,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “A key aspect of that effort is ending the smuggling of firearms abroad, where they end up in the hands of those criminal networks and fuel violence and instability overseas. My office will not tolerate those who exploit our lawful gun market to arm criminals—whether here or abroad.” According to filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, law enforcement were conducting an investigation into Chinchilla’s gun trafficking activities. Investigators determined that between August 2023 to October 2024, the defendant purchased 115 firearms from federal firearms licensees (FFLs) in North Carolina. On all purchases, Chinchilla represented to the sellers that he was purchasing the firearms for himself. Court records show that on August 1, 2024, law enforcement intercepted six Glock handguns along with 17-round high-capacity magazines hidden in a shipment destined for Honduras. All six firearms had been purchased by Chinchilla in previous months. Additionally, and according to court documents, Chinchilla agreed to buy a gun for an undercover agent posing as a buyer. On October 2, 2024, Chinchilla met the undercover agent at an FFL. Chinchilla entered the FFL and purchased two firearms which he then sold to the undercover agent. The undercover agent and Chinchilla then discussed shipping firearms to Mexico, and Chinchilla told the undercover agent that he could coordinate that shipment for a fee. On October 16, 2024, Chinchilla met again with the undercover agent at another FFL, where Chinchilla bought three firearms that he then sold to the undercover agent. Chinchilla was arrested on October 31, 2024, after he showed up for a meeting with the undercover agent about smuggling firearms out of the country. Chinchilla pleaded guilty to gun trafficking. He remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The ATF conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Court Orders EES Coke Battery to Comply with Clean Air Act and Pay $100 Million Civil Penalty

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan ordered DTE Energy Company and three of its subsidiaries to comply with the Clean Air Act and pay a penalty of $100 million in a decision issued today concerning a coke battery in River Rouge, Michigan. The EES Coke facility (Facility) is located on Zug Island, between River Rouge and Detroit, in an area that fails to meet federal standards for sulfur dioxide in the air. The Facility uses coal and other raw materials to produce metallurgical coke, an input for making steel. The court found that the Facility increased its sulfur dioxide pollution as a result of changes the company sought to its state air permit in 2014. For example, the Facility emitted over 3,200 tons of sulfur dioxide pollution in 2018, compared to permitted baseline sulfur dioxide levels of under 2,100 tons per year. In an August 2025 order, the court found that the Facility violated the Clean Air Act. The court then held a two-week trial in September to determine which DTE Energy Company entities were liable and the appropriate relief for the violations. “This decision demonstrates that the Department of Justice will seek relief against companies that fail to comply with the nation’s environmental laws,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This ensures a level playing field for all businesses and advances the Administration’s initiative to Make America Healthy Again.” “Our goal in this litigation has been to secure compliance with the clear mandates of the law and stop unlimited emission of a criteria air pollutant. The court’s judgement achieves that,” said Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Even as this Administration grows American industry, we will ensure that uncontrolled pollution does not follow and that Americans have clean air. We will be ready to pursue judicial action from the outset of a case.” In today’s decision, the court found that emissions from the Facility caused asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, increased blood pressure, and increased risk of cancer, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, and early deaths. The court found that DTE Energy Company, DTE Energy Resources LLC, and DTE Energy Services Inc. were all liable as operators of the EES Coke facility. The court found each entity “exhibit[ed] a high degree of control over the Facility, including over environmental decision-making and operations.” In addition, the court had previously found that EES Coke Battery LLC was liable as an owner and operator of the Facility. Turning to civil penalty, the court found that a penalty of $100 million was appropriate for the primary claim. The court found that the evidence showed that defendants saved about $70 million by failing to comply with the Clean Air Act as required, and were thus able to use that money in other ways. The court also found that the DTE Defendants each had a “substantial” ability to pay for relief ordered by the court. Next the court ordered defendants to seek New Source Review permits from the Michigan Department of the Environment and Great Lakes (EGLE) within 250 days. The required permit applications will include proposals for stringent pollution controls consistent with the lowest achievable emissions rate and best available control technology, as determined by EGLE. The Court noted that the desulfurization technology described at trial for potential use at the Facility was “mature and well-established in the coking industry.” The EPA investigated the case. Attorneys Tom Benson, Samantha Ricci, and Sasha Alvarenga of ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section handled the case, with assistance from Geoffrey Stewart and Ada Baser of ENRD.


title: Mint Hill Sentenced For Investment Fraud, Embezzlement From Church, And COVID-19 Relief Fraud

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Brian Shane Haigler, 43, of Mint Hill, N.C., was sentenced today to 33 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for a fraud scheme that targeted individual investors, a church, and a federal COVID-19 relief program, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. “Haigler exploited friends, stole from his church , and defrauded a federal relief program meant to provide economic assistance during a national crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “This rampant fraud must be stopped, and my office is committed to investigating and prosecuting those that take advantage of others.” According to court documents, in or around February 2019, Haigler began to recruit friends and acquaintances to invest money in what he represented were real estate transactions. Haigler promised his investors that their funds would be used to purchase or improve specific properties and that they would receive fixed returns by a certain date. Instead of investing the money as promised, Haigler used little, if any, of the investor funds for legitimate real estate purposes. A significant portion of the money was used for personal expenditures or to make payments to earlier investors. To cover up the fraud, when investors inquired about their investments or sought repayment, Haigler made numerous false statements to conceal the scheme. Then, according to court records, in July 2019, Haigler embezzled funds from a church where he served as a Treasurer. Following the death of the church’s pastor in early 2019, Haigler was the sole signatory on the church’s bank accounts. From 2019 to 2021, Haigler wrote 53 checks and made three cash withdrawals from the church’s bank account totaling over $389,000. In one instance, Haigler wrote a $160,000 check from the church account payable to himself and then used most of those funds to pay an investor. After that, in April 2021, Haigler submitted an application through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) online portal for a $311,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) in the name of the church, without the church’s knowledge and consent. The SBA approved the EIDL loan and after the funds were deposited into the church’s account Haigler transferred $300,000 to his personal account. The loss associated with Haigler’s embezzlement scheme is between $550,000 and $1.5 million. On July 14, 2024, Haigler pleaded guilty to wire fraud. He will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. The case was investigated by the SBA and the U.S. Secret Service. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Former Mail Carrier Sentenced To Prison For Bank Fraud Conspiracy Involving Stolen Mail

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A former U.S. mail carrier was sentenced to prison today for participating in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud involving mail she stole from her postal route, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Kiara Padgett, 31, of Charlotte, was ordered to serve a six-month active prison sentence followed by six months of home detention. Padgett’s husband, Dominique Dunlap, was previously sentenced to 70 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,650,921.70 as restitution. A third co-conspirator, Terrell Alexander Hager, Jr., was sentenced to three years in prison in connection with the scheme. Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) which oversees North Carolina, Kathleen Woodson, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office (MAAFO), which overseas Charlotte, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. “As I have said before, I am sick and tired of checks being stolen from the mail – which we too often see from employees of the Postal Service,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We are working tirelessly to catch these thieves and bring them to justice.” According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, from August 2021 to November 2022, Padgett conspired with Dunlap, Hager, and others to execute a scheme involving stolen checks. Padgett used her position as a mail carrier to steal checks of businesses and individuals from her postal route. Acting as an intermediary, Dunlap sold the stolen checks to Hager and other individuals. The stolen checks were then deposited into bank accounts controlled by co-conspirators and quickly withdrawn as cash before the financial institutions or the victims detected the fraud. Court documents show that the total face value of checks stolen from Padgett’s postal routes was over $8.5 million. On September 15, 2023, Padgett pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the USPIS, USPS-OIG, and CMPD for their investigation of the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Glendale Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Darknet Network that Sold and Distributed Narcotics Nationwide

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Glendale man was sentenced today to 57 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute various drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and ketamine on darknet marketplaces in exchange for cryptocurrency. Davit Avalyan, 36, was sentenced by United States District Judge Percy Anderson. Avalyan pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA. He is the last of four defendants to be sentenced in this case. From September 2018 to February 2025, Avalyan conspired with co-defendants Hrant Gevorgyan, 36, of Glendale, Hayk Grigoryan, 36, a.k.a. “Hayk Greg,” of Glendale, and Gurgen Nersesyan, 44, a.k.a. “Guro Tiko,” of Sherman Oaks, to distribute illegal narcotics. The conspiracy maintained darknet drug vendor accounts, including JoyInc, LaFarmacia, WhiteDoc, JanesAddiction, DaShop, WhiteRepublic, Tomorowland, PlanetHollywood, DopeValley, and Major2Minor. These accounts operated on several darknet marketplaces and sold methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, and ketamine to customers across the United States in exchange for cryptocurrency. The conspiracy regularly fulfilled multiple small-scale drug orders through darknet vendor accounts by packaging narcotics into parcels and depositing those parcels at post offices and postal mailboxes in Los Angeles County and elsewhere. JoyInc is believed to have been operating since at least 2018 and is one of the most prolific methamphetamine and cocaine distributors to ever operate on the darknet. On January 5, Judge Anderson sentenced Grigoryan to 10 years in federal prison. Nersesyan was sentenced on January 12 to 43 months in federal prison. On February 9, Judge Anderson sentenced Gevorgyan to 24 months in federal prison. The Justice Department established the FBI-led JCODE (Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement) team to lead and coordinate government efforts to detect, disrupt, and dismantle major criminal enterprises reliant on the darknet for trafficking opioids and other illicit narcotics, along with identifying and dismantling their supply chains. This case was worked jointly with the FBI, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Costa Mesa Police Department, and IRS Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. Assistant United States Attorneys James A. Santiago of the Transnational Organized Crime Section and James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section prosecuted this case.


title: Little Valley man who fled from police following high speed chase arrested, charged with selling cocaine

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ronald D. Mitchell, 44, of Little Valley, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt I. Kass, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in September of 2025, law enforcement began investigating the drug trafficking activities of Mitchell, who was identified as a distributor of methamphetamine and cocaine in Cattaraugus County. Just after midnight on September 17, 2025, investigators, while surveilling Mitchell in the Village of Little Valley, observed him selling drugs inside his vehicle. A Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s deputy subsequently conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, during which Mitchell appeared very nervous and started to sweat profusely. Mitchell was asked to exit the vehicle, but instead he fled from the scene, leading deputies on a chase, which exceeded 90 MPH. Mitchell eventually crashed his vehicle into a tree in Ellicottville, and fled. Investigators seized 52 grams of cocaine and a large amount of cash from the vehicle. A bag containing a large quantity of suspected narcotics, believed to have been discarded by Mitchell when he fled from the crash, was discovered on Route 242. The bag contained drug paraphernalia, 196 grams of cocaine and 472 grams of crystal methamphetamine. Mitchell made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was detained. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force, under the direction of Cattaraugus County Sheriff Eric Butler and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: East Aurora man sentenced for receipt of child pornography

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Brian O’Brien, 43, of East Aurora, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison and 30 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. O’Brien will also have to register as a sex offender. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who handled the case, stated that between June 2022, and July 19, 2023, O’Brien used Snapchat and WhatsApp to receive, view, and upload visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on his cellular telephone. Between June 2022, and March 2023, O’Brien used WhatsApp to communicate with an individual located in Phoenix, Arizona. During these communications, he discussed sexually abusing minor children, and distributed files containing child pornography to the other individual. Between December 2022, and May 2023, O’Brien communicated by text message with a person he knew as “J.J.” During these communications, he solicited J.J. to find a minor boy for him to sexually abuse. J.J. provided O’Brien with a phone number for a person purported to be a 15-year-old boy. O’Brien then negotiated with the purported 15-year-old boy to perform sex acts. O’Brien then sent a message to J.J. in which he agreed to pay both the purported 15-year-old boy and J.J. for sexual activity with the purported minor and offered to buy drugs for the purported minor. In July 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at O’Brien’s residence in East Aurora, during which numerous devices were seized, including two cell phones, a hard drive, and a laptop computer. A search of the devices recovered over 2,000 images and videos of child pornography. “This case highlights the lengths that predators will go in their attempts to abuse children,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “Thankfully, this defendant was unsuccessful in his attempts but let this serve as a reminder of how important it is for adults and minors to be vigilant online.” “The FBI has zero tolerance for any adult, like Brian O’Brien, who preys upon the innocence of children. Today’s sentencing reiterates that those who exploit children will be held accountable for their actions,” said Philip Tejera, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto. # # # #


title: Utah Accountant Sentenced after Fraudulently Obtaining Over $221,000 in Paycheck Protection Program Loan Funds

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – a Salt Lake City accountant was sentenced today upon his felony conviction after he fraudulently obtained about $221,400 in Paycheck Protection Loan (PPP Loan) funds and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL Loan) funds for clients, without their knowledge. As a result, he personally gained about $10,150 from the scheme, which he was ordered by the court to pay in restitution. Peter N. Sinju, 51, of Salt Lake City, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to wire fraud. According to court documents and statements made at Sinju’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, from around June 2, 2020, to about July 3, 2020, Mr. Sinju engaged in a scheme and artifice to defraud the United States and the Small Business Administration (SBA) by submitting at least four fraudulent PPP Loan applications and five fraudulent EIDL-Loan applications on behalf of his clients. The COVID-19 PPP Loans were provided to small businesses for funding to meet specific obligations, including payroll and rent during the pandemic. Mr. Sinju told his accounting clients that because he had access to their financial information, he could submit the loan applications for them and obtain emergency loans to help their businesses. Without his clients’ knowledge, Mr. Sinju inflated the payroll and gross revenue amounts in the loan applications. For three PPP-Loan applications for three separate clients, he fabricated payroll sheets that used false, identical wage amounts for employees in each business. Some of the listed employees did not even exist, and each of the business owners denied having certified the fabricated payroll sheets. In total, Mr. Sinju applied for about $461,197.50 in fraudulent loans. However, because some of the loan applications were denied, Mr. Sinju only obtained about $221,400 for his unwitting, and innocent, clients. In return, Mr. Sinju charged his clients a total of about $10,150 in fees or commission for his services in helping them apply for these loans. U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and the Office of Inspector General U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA-OIG). Assistant United States Attorneys Todd C. Bouton and Brian Williams of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud .


title: Alleged Major Sinaloa Cartel Drug Trafficker Appears in San Diego Court

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Alleged Sinaloa Cartel member Miguel Angel Valdez Ruiz, aka Flaco, made his initial appearance in federal court today following his arrest on charges that he participated in an international conspiracy to traffic cocaine from Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, and Mexico into the United States. Valdez was a fugitive following his 2019 indictment in the Southern District of California charging him with International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances. Prior to his arrest, on February 10, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Valdez pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 for materially contributing to the illicit activities of major Mexican cartels to traffic cocaine into the United States. According to the OFAC designation, Valdez worked as an intermediary between major Ecuadorian drug trafficker Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan and Ismael Zambada Garcia, aka El Mayo, who at the time was a major leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. OFAC alleges that Valdez used a fleet of private aircraft to transport cocaine from Ecuador to Mexico and coordinated with associates to import the cocaine into the United States. At today’s hearing, Valdez entered a not guilty plea. A detention hearing is scheduled for February 20, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Berg. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Martin, Jordan Arakawa, Ashley Goff and Mary Walters. DEFENDANT Case Number 19CR1610-GPC Miguel Angel Valdez Ruiz Age: 36 Sinaloa, Mexico SUMMARY OF CHARGES International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 960, 963 Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Drug Enforcement Administration Federal Bureau of Investigation U.S. Department of the Treasury United States Coast Guard *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. 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). This case was investigated and prosecuted by the California Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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: Charlotte Man Sentenced To More Than 32 Years In Prison For String Of Armed Robberies

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced to prison today for a string of armed robberies, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Andrew Marquis Jackson, 33, of Charlotte, was ordered to serve 394 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Jackson was previously convicted at trial of three counts of Hobbs Act robbery; three counts of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; two counts of possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and one count of possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Reid Davis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, Jackson and his co-conspirators, Joshua Jon’tavious Blount and Messiah Lynn Blair, robbed at least three businesses in Charlotte at gunpoint. The first robbery occurred on January 24, 2023. The defendants entered a Dunkin Donuts located on Beatties Ford Road. Jackson approached the counter and demanded cash from the register. He then fired a shot into the ceiling. Blair jumped over the counter and searched the back office for money. Jackson held an employee at gunpoint while taking money from the registers. Blount was the getaway driver. U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at Dunkin Donuts The second armed robbery occurred three days later, on January 27, 2023. Evidence presented at trial showed that Jackson entered a 7-Eleven located on Brookshire Blvd. Upon entering the store, Jackson fired a shot into the ceiling with a handgun. He then pointed a gun at a store employee ordering him to hand over all the money in the register. Jackson took the money and ran out the store. Blount was inside the store pretending to be a customer during the robbery. U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at 7-Eleven The third robbery took place on February 1, 2023. Blount went into the Family Dollar store located on Beatties Ford Road store to survey the number of people present. Jackson and Blair then entered the store, armed with firearms. The men pointed their guns at the employee behind the counter and demanded money from the register and safe. The robbers proceeded to take all the cash from the registers before they fled the scene. U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at Family Dollar Jackson remains in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.


title: Nicaraguan National Sentenced to Time Served

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

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Donald Obando-Obando, 40 years old, a citizen of Nicaragua and a resident of Goshen, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to felony use of a false Social Security Number, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. Obando-Obando was sentenced to time served and ordered to pay $4,996.11 in restitution. According to documents in the case, Obando-Obando is in the United States illegally. He used another person’s name and Social Security Number to obtain a bank account and employment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius.


title: Justice Department Files Case to Revoke U.S. Citizenship of Immigration Fraudster and Former Mayor of North Miami

component: Civil Division

body_text: Today, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida announced that it has filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the U.S. District Court in Miami, Florida, against Philippe Bien-Aime, also known as Jean Philippe Janvier, a native of Haiti who used two identities to procure immigration benefits — and eventually acquire U.S. citizenship — after illegally entering the United States. “This Administration will not permit fraudsters and tricksters who cheat their way to the gift of U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The passage of time does not diminish blatant immigration fraud.” “United States citizenship is a privilege grounded in honesty and allegiance to this country,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The complaint alleges that this defendant built his citizenship on fraud — using false identities, false statements, and a sham marriage to evade a lawful removal order. The fact that he later served as an elected mayor makes the alleged deception even more serious, because public office carries a duty of candor and respect for the rule of law. If proven, we will ask the Court to revoke a status that was never lawfully obtained. The rule of law requires nothing less.” Before he became a U.S. citizen under the name Philippe Bien-Aime, defendant used a fraudulent, “photo-switched” passport to enter the United States under the name Jean Philippe Janvier. In 2001, Bien-Aime was placed in removal proceedings and ordered removed under the Janvier identity. He appealed the removal order, but he withdrew the appeal, representing that he had returned to live in Haiti. In reality, Bien-Aime remained in the United States and, using the new name and date of birth, married a U.S. citizen to obtain permanent resident status. The marriage was fraudulent and invalid because he was already married to a Haitian citizen. After making numerous false and fraudulent statements in adjustment and naturalization proceedings, he naturalized in 2006 under the Bien-Aime identity. The complaint, filed on Wednesday, Feb. 18, alleges that Bien-Aime illegally procured naturalization for several reasons. First, he was subject to a final removal order, which disqualified him from naturalization and precluded the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) from considering his application for permanent resident status. Second, the removal order prohibited U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from considering his naturalization application and granting U.S. citizenship. Third, he did not lawfully adjust status to permanent resident because of his fraud and because his marriage was fraudulent and not legally valid. Fourth, he provided false or misleading information under oath in his adjustment and naturalization interviews to obtain immigration benefits when he denied that he was subject to a removal order and denied that he lied to U.S. government officials. He also provided false testimony about his children and former residential addresses. The complaint also claims that Bien-Aime’s naturalization should be revoked because he concealed and misrepresented facts that were material to his qualifications for U.S. citizenship. Bien-Aime’s immigration fraud was discovered and confirmed through a comparison of fingerprints that he provided under the two identities. That comparison is part of an ongoing national initiative called the Historic Fingerprint Enrollment project, a joint effort by the Justice Department and USCIS. The case was investigated by USCIS of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and will be litigated by the Affirmative Litigation Unit of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Bryan County Resident Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Charge

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Michael Paul Puentes, age 50, of Durant, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, punishable by up to 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine. The Indictment alleged that on July 4, 2023, Puentes knowingly and intentionally possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, intending to distribute it. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Durant Police Department. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Puentes will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.


title: District of Arizona Charges 155 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Feb. 7 through Feb. 13, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 155 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 99 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 40 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 13 cases against 16 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Recent matters of interest include: United States v. Luis Miguel Salas-Blanco. Salas-Blanco was charged by complaint with Reentry of Removed Alien, Feb. 10, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on Oct. 7, 2021, after being convicted of Possession of a Weapon by a Prohibited Person and Forgery-Possession of a Forged Instrument, both felonies, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Salas-Blanco was sentenced to two and a half years of imprisonment for each count, with the sentences to be served concurrently. 26-9011MJ, Phoenix. United States v. Fileman Gomez-Casteneda . Gomez-Casteneda was charged by complaint with Bringing an Alien to the United States Unlawfully. A Border Patrol Agent first observed five suspected illegal aliens walking northbound near exit 87 on I-8. Another BPA located the five individuals—one of whom was later identified as Gomez-Casteneda—hiding under a tree and wearing camouflage shirts and pants. Immigration checks confirmed that Gomez-Casteneda and the four others are citizens of Mexico, all unlawfully present in the United States. 26-01114MJ, Phoenix. A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-028_February 13 Immigration Enforcement # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: British National And Former Nuclear Energy Program Director For Oak Ridge National Laboratory Pleads Guilty To Sexual Exploitation Of Child In Two States

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On February 12, 2026, Andrew Worrall, 56, a British national currently residing in Knox County, Tennessee, entered a guilty plea to one count of sexual exploitation of a child in the Eastern District of Tennessee and one count of sexual exploitation of a child in the District of South Carolina. Sentencing has been set for June 24, 2026, in United States District Court at Knoxville. Worrall faces a term of up to 60 years in Federal prison, $500,000 in fines, restitution, forfeiture, special assessments and up to a lifetime on supervised release. As part of the written plea agreement, Worrall agreed to forfeit his home in the Eastern District of Tennessee. Further, Worral agreed he is a removable alien and will waive any form of relief of removal from the United States after his incarceration portion of his sentence is completed. According to documents filed in the case, Worrall contacted a 17-year-old minor female on the Snapchat application using the internet in July 2025. Knowing the age of the child, Worrall requested nude pictures of the child. The child complied. Worrall then requested the child insert a foreign object into her body and send a video. The child complied. On the same day, Worrall contacted another 17-year-old minor female who resided in South Carolina using his Snapchat account. Worrall had similar communications with the child, asking to prove she was real by sending him pictures. After the victim complied he requested the victim masturbate on video for Worrall’s pleasure. The child complied. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; U.S. Attorney Bryan P. Stirling of the District of South Carolina; and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Lewe Sessions of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General made the announcement. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the United States Department of Energy, Office of the Inspector General. Jennifer Kolman and Dean H. Secor, Assistant United States Attorneys represented the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.” ###


title: Ponce Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Bank Fraud

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On February 12, 2026, United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi Jordan sentenced Melvin E. Rivera-Oliveras to 57 months in prison and five years of supervised release, and restitution for his role in a bank fraud scheme involving fraudulent point of sales (POS) transactions. Rivera-Oliveras utilized a company called Rossy Sport Bar Panorámico, LLC to further the bank fraud scheme. Rossy Sport Bar Panorámico, LLC pleaded guilty and was sentenced on January 15, 2026. According to court documents, from 2020 to 2025, Melvin E. Rivera-Oliveras executed a scheme and artifice to defraud multiple federally insured financial institutions in Puerto Rico. Rivera-Oliveras attempted to conduct numerous fraudulent refund transactions for more than $7 million using multiple debit cards at various companies that he managed and operated. After acquiring point of sale (POS) systems, Rivera-Oliveras conducted fraudulent refund transactions and was able to gain temporary access to the funds and to spend a portion of the funds that did not belong to him. In total, Rivera-Oliveras successfully submitted over 20 fraudulent refund transactions and illegally obtained over $680,000 as a result of the fraud scheme. Rivera-Oliveras was previously convicted and served jail time for felony violations involving forgery, larceny, and misappropriation of funds. U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Claudia Dubravetz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was in charge of the investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy from the Financial Fraud & Public Corruption Section prosecuted the case. ###


title: Shelby Township Resident Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Pandemic Assistance Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT - A Shelby Township resident was sentenced yesterday for his role in a multi-million-dollar Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey, Homeland Security Investigations. Samer Kammo, 46, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. "This defendant and his co-conspirators tried to cheat the system by exploiting a federal relief program meant to help Americans in need. Let this case send a clear message: crime does not pay,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “FBI Detroit and HSI Detroit stand shoulder to shoulder in holding fraudsters accountable and protecting taxpayer dollars. If you abuse government programs for personal gain, you will be found, and you will face serious consequences under the law.” “Although the pandemic is years behind us, HSI and our partners are committed to holding fraudsters accountable for PPP fraud,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “By now the writing on the wall should be crystal clear, if you fraudulently obtained government funds during the pandemic, you will be held accountable.” According to court records, Kammo and his co-conspirators caused fraudulent PPP applications to be submitted for several business entities. Those applications misrepresented payroll information for the business entities and falsely certified that PPP loan funds would be used for permissible business-related purposes. The defendants also caused fictitious payroll, health insurance, bank, and tax records to be submitted in connection with the PPP loan applications. Kammo and his family members received nearly $2.5 million in fraudulent PPP loan funds. The Paycheck Protection Program was created by Congress to provide assistance to businesses harmed by the economic dislocations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Kammo was sentenced by Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey. His co-defendant, Rita Shaba, was previously sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment. Kammo’s wife, Christina Anasi, still awaits sentencing. As part of his sentence, Kammo was also ordered to pay $2,493,348.50 in restitution. According to court records, the conspirators misappropriated the personal identifying information of several of Kammo’s family members to commit their crime, including that of Kammo’s own mother. Kammo was previously sentenced to a three-year federal prison sentence for dealing drugs out of his parents’ liquor store. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. The Unemployment Insurance Agency, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has also provided valuable assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind. Related forfeiture and restitution matters are being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Nathan.


title: Chester man sentenced to four years in prison for federal firearms violation

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Chester man was sentenced yesterday to four years in prison for possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle. According to court documents, on May 9, 2025, law enforcement searched the vehicle and residence of Christopher Michael Collius, 53, in connection with an investigation relating to firearms trafficking. During the search, law enforcement recovered dozens of firearms and hundreds of pieces of other evidence. Among other items, investigators found numerous privately made firearms, together with parts and kits; two short-barreled rifles, including one without a serial number and another equipped with a silencer; six additional silencers, including one attached to a shotgun; two converted lower receivers modified to install machinegun conversion devices, qualifying them as machineguns; a destructive device; and numerous rounds of ammunition of various calibers. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and the Chesterfield County Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Podlesni prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-139.


title: Erie Man Charged with Bank Fraud and Money Laundering in Relation to Falsified Applications for Pandemic Relief Funds

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of bank fraud and money laundering, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The 16-count Indictment named Aaron B. Collins, 50, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, Collins falsified applications for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds under the Paycheck Protection Program, which was designed to authorize forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indictment further alleges that Collins engaged in a series of monetary transactions involving the funds he fraudulently obtained through his falsified applications. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: New York Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Kickback Scheme

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A former New York operations manager was sentenced in federal court in Boston for conspiring to offer and pay kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans. Timothy Doyle, 45, of Selden, N.Y. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 14 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay $27,225,434 in restitution and $1,102,725 in forfeiture. In January 2025 , Doyle pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute. From at least June 2013 through at least September 2020, Doyle conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. Doyle and his alleged co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks, some in cash and others by check, based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. Doyle and his alleged co-conspirators created purported rental and administrative service agreements, which on paper made it appear as if doctors were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space and administrative resources of the ordering doctor’s practice based on fair market value and not based on the volume or value of referrals. These agreements were shams that hid the true nature of the arrangement of paying per test. The scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $27.2 million to the TCD company for the fraudulent claims. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Queenin, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Justice Department Sues Harvard University for Withholding Race-Related Admissions Documents

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Note: View complaint here . The release has been updated to reflect that the action took place today, February 13. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division (DOJ) filed a lawsuit today against Harvard University (Harvard), accusing Harvard of unlawfully withholding from the United States admissions data information necessary to determine whether Harvard is continuing to discriminate in its admissions process, even after the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College . “Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice is demanding better from our nation’s educational institutions,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Harvard has failed to disclose the data we need to ensure that its admissions are free of discrimination — we will continue fighting to put merit over DEI across America.” “The Justice Department will not allow universities to flout our nation’s federal civil rights laws by refusing to provide the information required for our review,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Providing requested data is a basic expectation of any credible compliance process, and refusal to cooperate creates concerns about university practices. If Harvard has stopped discriminating, it should happily share the data necessary to prove it.” The lawsuit alleges that Harvard repeatedly slow-walked the pace of production and refused to produce pertinent data and documents requested by the DOJ, including individualized applicant admissions data, admissions policies, and correspondence related to race; ethnicity; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and Students for Fair Admissions. The suit alleges that Harvard — a recipient of DOJ funding — violated Title VI by failing to comply with the DOJ’s request for sufficient document production for compliance review. The suit also notes that by failing to make timely and complete document productions or otherwise permitting the DOJ to access Harvard’s applicant-level admissions data, Harvard breached a material term of DOJ federal financial assistance. The lawsuit seeks only to compel Harvard to produce documents related to any consideration of race in admissions and does not accuse Harvard of racial discrimination. 2026.2.13 Harvard Access Complaint-v.pdf


title: GULF BREEZE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO  POSSESSION OF METH AND FENTANYL WITH THE INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Logan Schoonmaker, 40, of Gulf Breeze, Florida, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work of our local and federal law enforcement partners, this defendant was stopped before he could peddle more deadly drugs in our community. My office continues to back up the hard work of our law enforcement partners on the front lines with successful prosecutions to ensure drug dealers like this defendant are kept off our streets. Through Operation Take Back America, President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi made a promise to put an end to the criminal enterprises that have plagued our communities for far too long, and my office will continue to deliver on that promise.” Court documents reflect that on April 25, 2025, Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gulf Breeze Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence in Gulf Breeze, Florida. Inside the residence, police located approximately 40 grams of crystal methamphetamine and approximately 12.5 grams of fentanyl. Schoonmaker was present at the residence. Electronic devices located at the residence were searched and a video showing Schoonmaker distributing suspected narcotics was uncovered. Schoonmaker faces a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment and up to forty years’ imprisonment. If Schoonmaker is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, such term could be followed by up to a five-year term of supervised release. Thus, if Schoonmaker were to violate any conditions of his release, he could potentially face an additional period of incarceration related to violating his supervision. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Gulf Breeze Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson is prosecuting the case. Sentencing is scheduled for April 14, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. 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, human and drug trafficking. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: FORMER LABOR UNION TREASURER INDICTED FOR BANK FRAUD, EMBEZZLEMENT, AND FALSIFICATION OF UNION FINANCIAL REPORTS

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Clarence Penny, 40, of Pace, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with eight counts of bank fraud, one count of embezzlement of labor union funds, and three counts of falsification of labor union reports. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today. Penny appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon on February 12, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for April 6, 2026, before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers. If convicted, Penny faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment for each count of bank fraud; up to five years’ imprisonment for the embezzlement count; and up to one year imprisonment for each count of falsification of labor union reports. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards. Assistant United States Attorneys Brooke DiSalvo and Walter Narramore are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: California Man Sentenced in Connection With Drug Trafficking Crimes

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced a California man to prison in connection with a federal investigation that led to law enforcement seizing more than 100 kilograms of cocaine. Mario Valencia-Birruetta, 35, of Corning, California, received a 121-month sentence for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Valencia-Birruetta’s sentence also covers a possession with intent to distribute cocaine charge. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Christopher R. Heck, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office; Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS). In 2023, the DEA, HSI, and IRS-CI began investigating a Baltimore-based DTO distributing large quantities of cocaine. As a result of their investigation, in July 2023, investigators learned Valencia-Birruetta was a member of this DTO, so law enforcement placed him on a flight watch list. On August 14, a commercial airline notified investigators that Valencia-Birruetta purchased a flight ticket destined for Baltimore the next day. Then on August 15, investigators began surveilling Valencia-Birruetta, tracking his movements. While in Baltimore, Valencia-Birruetta stayed at the “Hamilton Residence” in Baltimore City. From August 15, to August 24, investigators observed numerous drug traffickers meeting with Valencia-Birruetta. The drug traffickers arrived at the Hamilton Residence with bags in connection with drug trafficking activities. Additionally, on one occasion, law enforcement observed Valencia-Birruetta with bulk currency in his hand. He then drove to a bank and appeared to make a deposit. Then on August 24, Valencia-Birruetta left Baltimore. But a week later, investigators received a second notification from a commercial airline that Valencia-Birruetta planned to travel back to Baltimore. On August 30, investigators set up a surveillance team at Baltimore Washington International Airport where law enforcement observed Valencia-Birruetta arrive, pick up a rental car, and then drive to the Hamilton Residence. Meanwhile, another group of investigators surveilled the DTO’s stash location in Timonium, Maryland. There, law enforcement observed Co-conspirator 1 (CC-1) carrying bags into the stash location. Prior to the arrival of the duffle bags at the stash location, Co-conspirator 2 (CC-2) left the stash location in his vehicle. Law enforcement observed CC-2 driving to the Hamilton Residence to pick up Valencia-Birruetta. Investigators then followed Valencia-Birruetta and CC-2 to National Harbor, Maryland, where they met with Co-conspirator 3 (CC-3), who arrived in another vehicle. They then traveled to a Park and Ride lot next to the National Harbor and then parked next to each other. Eventually, both vehicles left the lot with Valencia-Birruetta and CC-2 traveling back to Baltimore unaware that investigators trailed behind them. They later arrived at the stash location and parked. Upon exiting the vehicle, Valencia-Birruetta and CC-2 began removing duffle bags. As they continued, law enforcement approached Valencia-Birruetta and CC-2. Law enforcement realized one of the duffle bags contained a large tear which enabled investigators to see kilogram packages of drugs. Law enforcement detained Valencia-Birruetta and CC-2 and then proceeded to seize the duffle bags. Investigators recovered 43 individual kilogram packages of cocaine from the duffel bags in the vehicle. Additionally, law enforcement discovered another duffel bag and backpack containing 32 individual kilogram packages of cocaine in the stash location. Law enforcement also uncovered equipment used to process bulk drugs, including a kilo press, quick cappers, digital scales, and sifters. Additionally, investigators found two heat-sealed bags of suspected marijuana, cash, a money counter, and two firearms. Investigators recovered a third firearm from the Hamilton Residence. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative, which seeks to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a collaborative and comprehensive response to the growing threat to public safety and national security. The HSTF integrates personnel, including law enforcement agents, intelligence analysts, and professional staff, from federal agencies to combat crime in our communities. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, HSI, IRS-CI, BCPD, BPD, and DPSCS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Miner and Stanton Lawyer who are prosecuting this federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Jefferson County Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Fentanyl Sale that Resulted in a Death

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Charles Town, West Virginia man was sentenced for selling fentanyl that resulted in an overdose death, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. Clark Grove Corbin, 50, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Corbin sold fentanyl to an individual who later died from ingesting the fentanyl. During a search of Corbin’s home, investigators seized more than 9 grams of fentanyl and 2 grams of cocaine. Corbin has prior convictions, including involuntary manslaughter/DUI that resulted in death. “Those who are selling poison in our neighborhoods and putting profits over life will face severe consequences,” said U.S Attorney Harvey. Corbin will serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration. U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.


title: Final Two Gang Members Convicted by Jury in Brazen Racketeering Murder

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: WASHINGTON – Following a one-week trial, a federal jury in Memphis convicted two members of the Unknown Vice Lords (UVL) – a violent Memphis street gang – yesterday for murdering by gunshot a fellow gang member who they suspected of betraying the gang. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Edward Allen, also known as E-Money, 42, and Deandre Rodgers, a.k.a. Dre, 29, both of Memphis, were high-ranking members of a criminal enterprise that controlled territory throughout the entire city of Memphis and extended beyond to Arkansas and Mississippi. Members of UVL committed murders, robberies, assaults, human trafficking, and drug trafficking on behalf of the enterprise. When the gang’s Supreme Elite Chief, the leader for the entire state of Tennessee, was murdered, the gang sought retaliation against anyone thought to be involved. “Members of this gang carried out a calculated and merciless killing, leaving the victim in public to send a chilling message about the consequences of disloyalty,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their repeated acts of violence, including shootings in broad daylight and in residential neighborhoods, demonstrate a profound indifference to human life and pose a clear danger to our communities. We will continue to stand with our law enforcement partners and relentlessly pursue those who bring violence into our communities - street-level violence has no place in this country, and those who engage in it will be identified, arrested, prosecuted.” “This successful federal prosecution has significantly disrupted the leadership of the UVL street gang here in Memphis, and E-Money, Dre, and V-Slash are no longer unknown,” said U.S. Attorney D, Michael Dunavant. “If you are a member of a criminal gang committed to a lifestyle of lawlessness, no matter your role or nickname - your days are numbered - there will be a reckoning." “Violent street gangs such as these that show a blatant disregard for public safety must be held accountable”, said Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division. “Through aggressive investigation, coordinated enforcement, and sustained collaboration, we will relentlessly continue to pursue, disrupt, and dismantle these violent criminal networks. The ATF, along with our local, state, and federal partners, will not rest until the safety and security of our communities are restored.” As shown at trial, on Jan. 10, 2019, the Supreme Elite Chief and his girlfriend were murdered in broad daylight in a residential neighborhood. The gang immediately sought retaliation that same night against a rival gang, the Traveling Vice Lords, who they initially believed may have been responsible. Multiple Unknown Vice Lord members drove to a known Traveling Vice Lord hangout and committed a drive-by shooting where at least one person was shot. During the next few days, UVL conducted its own internal investigation and came to believe that a fellow UVL member was responsible for their Chief’s murder. Five days after the Chief was murdered, on Jan. 15, 2019, the implicated Unknown Vice Lord member, the victim for this trial, was murdered at the hands of Allen, Rodgers, and other UVL members. On Jan. 14, 2019, co-defendant Vincent Grant, also known as V-Slash, a keeper of guns for the gang, provided guns to multiple gang members for the purpose of going on a “demo” which is their term for committing violent acts. Early the next morning around 1 a.m., Allen, Rodgers, Grant, and another gang member drove the victim to the back of a rundown apartment complex, where Allen and Rodgers took the victim behind one of buildings and executed him with guns provided by Grant. The jury convicted Allen and Rodgers of causing death by use of a firearm during a racketeering murder. Sentencing is scheduled to be held on May 11, and Allen and Rodgers face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Grant was previously convicted at trial for his involvement in the murder and sentenced to more than 24 years in prison. The ATF investigated the case, with significant assistance from The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, The FBI, Memphis Police Department, and U.S. Secret Service. Trial Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Sarah J. Rasalam of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence. ### CRM 26-145 If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.


body_text: Following a one-week trial, a federal jury in Memphis convicted two members of the Unknown Vice Lords (UVL) – a violent Memphis street gang – yesterday for murdering by gunshot a fellow gang member who they suspected of betraying the gang. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Edward Allen, also known as E-Money, 42, and Deandre Rodgers, also known as Dre, 29, both of Memphis, were high-ranking members of a criminal enterprise that controlled territory throughout the entire city of Memphis and extended beyond to Arkansas and Mississippi. Members of UVL committed murders, robberies, assaults, human trafficking, and drug trafficking on behalf of the enterprise. When the gang’s Supreme Elite Chief, the leader for the entire state of Tennessee, was murdered, the gang sought retaliation against anyone thought to be involved. “Members of this gang carried out a calculated and merciless killing, leaving the victim in public to send a chilling message about the consequences of disloyalty,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their repeated acts of violence, including shootings in broad daylight and in residential neighborhoods, demonstrate a profound indifference to human life and pose a clear danger to our communities. We will continue to stand with our law enforcement partners and relentlessly pursue those who bring violence into our communities - street-level violence has no place in this country, and those who engage in it will be identified, arrested, prosecuted.” “This successful federal prosecution has significantly disrupted the leadership of the UVL street gang here in Memphis, and E-Money, Dre, and V-Slash are no longer unknown,” said U.S. Attorney D, Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. “If you are a member of a criminal gang committed to a lifestyle of lawlessness, no matter your role or nickname — your days are numbered — there will be a reckoning." “Violent street gangs such as these that show a blatant disregard for public safety must be held accountable”, said Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division. “Through aggressive investigation, coordinated enforcement, and sustained collaboration, we will relentlessly continue to pursue, disrupt, and dismantle these violent criminal networks. The ATF, along with our local, state, and federal partners, will not rest until the safety and security of our communities are restored.” As shown at trial, on Jan. 10, 2019, the Supreme Elite Chief and his girlfriend were murdered in broad daylight in a residential neighborhood. The gang immediately sought retaliation that same night against a rival gang, the Traveling Vice Lords, who they initially believed may have been responsible. Multiple Unknown Vice Lord members drove to a known Traveling Vice Lord hangout and committed a drive-by shooting where at least one person was shot. During the next few days, UVL conducted its own internal investigation and came to believe that a fellow UVL member was responsible for their Chief’s murder. Five days after the Chief was murdered, on Jan. 15, 2019, the implicated Unknown Vice Lord member, the victim for this trial, was murdered at the hands of Allen, Rodgers, and other UVL members. On Jan. 14, 2019, co-defendant Vincent Grant, also known as V-Slash, a keeper of guns for the gang, provided guns to multiple gang members for the purpose of going on a “demo” which is their term for committing violent acts. Early the next morning around 1:00 a.m., Allen, Rodgers, Grant, and another gang member drove the victim to the back of a rundown apartment complex, where Allen and Rodgers took the victim behind one of buildings and executed him with guns provided by Grant. The jury convicted Allen and Rodgers of causing death by use of a firearm during a racketeering murder. Sentencing is scheduled to be held on May 11. Allen and Rodgers face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Grant was previously convicted at trial for his involvement in the murder and sentenced to more than 24 years in prison. The ATF investigated the case, with significant assistance from The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, The FBI, Memphis Police Department, and U.S. Secret Service. Trial Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Sarah J. Rasalam of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.


title: Berkeley County Woman Admits to Defrauding Employer of Nearly $300,000

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Martinsburg, West Virginia woman has admitted to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employer, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. Brittaney Allura Hall, 36, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud. According to court documents, Hall was an office manager and accountant for a business in Martinsburg and had access to the company’s financial information and accounts. As part of her unlawful scheme, Hall conducted financial transactions that caused overpayments of payroll in reimbursements and commissions to which she wasn’t entitled. She also wrote checks to herself without authority and created false invoices which caused unauthorized payments to be made for her own financial benefit. As a part of the plea agreement, Hall has agreed to pay $258,143.51 in restitution. Hall faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge would determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor Hurney is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.