title: Ohio Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Possessing Fentanyl and Cocaine with Intent to Distribute

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: CLEVELAND – Jamill H. McDonald, 43, of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams, after a federal jury found him guilty of possessing distribution quantities of fentanyl and cocaine. According to court documents, on Oct. 18, 2023, McDonald contacted law enforcement to report that someone was breaking into his apartment. When officers arrived, McDonald granted them entry into his residence. The defendant showed officers his cellphone to view the video footage from his external security camera. The videos showed a male attempting to break into McDonald’s apartment. Officers did not find any other occupants inside the defendant’s apartment. However, as officers continued to check the apartment for signs of intrusion, they found a package in one of the bedrooms which they suspected contained narcotics. The defendant was shown the package in question, and he then informed officers that he had never seen the package before and did not know what they contained. The defendant was subsequently detained by the officers. During a search warrant execution of the defendant’s residence, authorities confiscated a number of suspicious items from the kitchen. They found baggies filled with various amounts of either marijuana or white powder, and a scale with residue. In the defendant’s bedroom, officers recovered three cellphones, a box with two large packages containing white powder, and two men’s jackets. In one jacket, investigators found three additional baggies that contained suspected narcotic pills. In the other jacket, investigators found $10,200 cash. Laboratory tests conducted on the suspected narcotics found in McDonald’s residence were confirmed to be fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin. Collectively, the seized drugs weighed in at approximately 1 kilogram of cocaine, and 310 grams of fentanyl and heroin, and were calculated to have a street value of more than $30,000. During the investigation, authorities discovered that McDonald had at least two prior felony convictions of either a crime of violence or controlled substance offenses. Because of the defendant’s significant criminal history, Judge Adams designated him as a career offender, therefore making him eligible to receive an enhanced penalty at sentencing. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Mayfield Heights Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.


title: Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston Encourages West Virginians to Participate in DEA's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 26, 2025

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston is encouraging West Virginians to dispose of old, unwanted and unneeded medications during the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Properly disposing of unneeded prescription drugs can save lives and prevent medication misuse and abuse,” Johnston said. “Every household that participates in Drug Take Back Day makes themselves and their community safer from potential harm and tragedy.” Take Back Day offers a free, safe and anonymous way to get rid of prescription drugs that are susceptible to diversion and abuse. More than 60 collection sites throughout the Southern District of West Virginia and elsewhere in the state have already been announced. A collection site locator and other information is available at www.DEATakeBack.com . Law enforcement and other collection site partners will accept tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, or illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container and the cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage. April 26, 2025, is the 28th National Take Back Day since the DEA launched this initiative. In partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed 9,600 tons of medication from circulation since its inception. The total includes 68.77 tons collected in West Virginia. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. ###


title: Three Pittsburgh Residents Charged in Superseding Indictment with Conspiracy, Defacing and Damaging Religious Property, Making False Statements, and Possession of Destructive Devices

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh returned a Superseding Indictment against three residents of the Pittsburgh area on charges of conspiracy, defacing and damaging a religious building, making false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Executive branch of the United States, and possession of destructive devices, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The nine-count Superseding Indictment named Mohamad Hamad, 23, of Coraopolis, Tayla A. Lubit, 24, of Pittsburgh, and Micaiah Collins, 22, of Pittsburgh, as defendants. Hamad and Lubit were previously indicted for their roles in defacing Jewish religious property with pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist graffiti (read the Indictment news release here ). According to the Superseding Indictment , Hamad enlisted with the United States Air Force, Pennsylvania Air National Guard (PAANG) in 2023. Hamad was assigned to the 171st Maintenance Squadron of the PAANG, stationed in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, near the Pittsburgh International Airport. The 171st Maintenance Squadron is a part of the 171st Air Refueling Wing, the primary mission of which is to provide in-flight refueling to Department of Defense (DoD) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) aircraft. In connection with his enlistment, Hamad sought a Top-Secret security clearance. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) investigated Hamad to determine if he should be granted that clearance. Hamad had three in-person interviews as part of his background investigation and, as alleged in the Superseding Indictment, made a series of false statements as part of that process. The Superseding Indictment also alleges that, during this same time period, Collins conspired with Hamad to manufacture and possess a destructive device, and discussed the potential uses for the devices that they were building and testing. After Hamad and Collins detonated a device, Hamad built additional destructive devices, including two pipe bombs, and detonated those as well. “As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, Mohamad Hamad lied about his loyalty to the United States, among other false statements, in an attempt to obtain a Top-Secret security clearance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti. “During that time, he openly expressed support for Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Hamas. In addition to his previously charged role in defacing Jewish religious property, he also conspired with others named in this Superseding Indictment to manufacture and detonate destructive devices. Our office remains resolute in its commitment to working alongside federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate crimes like these and to safeguard both the Jewish community and the public at large.” “Protecting the American people is spelled out in the Mission of the FBI. That includes all our communities,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “The FBI and our partners are committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who reportedly choose to lie about being loyal to this country and instead engage in dangerous, menacing, and illegal activities.” The law provides for a maximum total sentence of, for Hamad, 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; for Collins, five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; and for Lubit, one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. 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 Attorneys Nicole Vasquez Schmitt and Carolyn J. Bloch are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government, with assistance from the Department of Justice National Security Division, Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment. A Superseding Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Union County Teacher Admits to Producing Child Pornography

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man who was employed as a New Jersey high school teacher, admitted to producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Michael Hamilton, 53, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court to one count of producing child pornography. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Hamilton admitted to meeting a minor victim and engaging in sexual conduct with that victim, which Hamilton recorded on video. Law enforcement seized a copy of that video during the search of his home in October 2023. Hamilton also admitted to receiving and possessing sexually explicit messages, pictures, and videos of two other minor victims. The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for September 9, 2025. U.S. Attorney Habba credited FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation. U.S. Attorney Habba also thanked the Springfield Police Department and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office. 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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc . The government is represented by Rebecca Sussman and Robert Taj Moore of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Randy Davenport, Esq. hamilton.information.pdf


title: Companies and President Operating Oregon Wood Treatment Facility to Pay $1.5M in Criminal Fines for Hazardous Waste and Air Pollution Charges

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: A federal judge in Oregon yesterday sentenced the two companies responsible for the operation of the J.H. Baxter wood treatment facility in Eugene, Oregon, and their president, for hazardous waste and Clean Air Act violations. Collectively, they were ordered to pay a total of $1.5 million in criminal fines. In addition, the court ordered the companies to serve five years of probation and the companies’ president, Georgia Baxter-Krause, of Deschutes, Oregon, to serve 90 days in prison and one year of supervised release. Both companies — J.H. Baxter & Co. Inc. and J.H. Baxter & Co., A California Limited Partnership (collectively J.H. Baxter) — previously pleaded guilty to charges of illegally treating hazardous waste and knowingly violating the Clean Air Act’s regulations for hazardous air pollutants. Georgia Baxter-Krause previously pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal statute governing hazardous waste management. “On more than 100 different days, J.H. Baxter knowingly and illegally boiled off hazardous waste, emitting the discharge into the air,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “J.H. Baxter’s President, Georgia Baxter-Krause, then made false statements about the unlawful practice. Protecting the public’s health is among our highest priorities, and we will prosecute those who violate environmental laws.” “The J.H. Baxter companies knowingly mishandled hazardous waste and repeatedly violated the Clean Air Act by venting hazardous substances directly into the air, right across the street from people’s homes. The company president then lied to cover up these crimes,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s sentencing highlights the significant penalties that Congress has provided for illegally treating or disposing of hazardous waste as well as the Agency’s continued efforts to ensure that Americans have clean air, land, and water.” “The defendant companies boiled hazardous waste into our community’s air instead of properly dealing with it and Georgia Baxter-Krause lied when confronted about it,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the Eugene and Medford Branches of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute those who put Oregonians at risk in violation of federal law.” According to court documents, J.H. Baxter used hazardous chemicals to treat and preserve wood at its Eugene facility. The wastewater from the wood preserving processes was hazardous waste. To properly treat wastewater from its wood treatment process, J.H. Baxter operated a legal wastewater treatment unit to treat and evaporate the waste. For years, however, when J.H. Baxter had too much water on site, including process wastewater and precipitation, J.H. Baxter’s employees at the facility would transfer hazardous process wastewater to an available wood treatment retort to “boil it off,” greatly reducing its volume. J.H. Baxter would then remove the remaining waste from the retort, label it as hazardous waste and ship it offsite for disposal. United States v. J.H. Baxter, et al., 6:24-cr-441 J.H. Baxter did not have a permit to treat its hazardous waste in this manner, as required by RCRA. Additionally, J.H. Baxter’s facility was subject to certain Clean Air Act emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants, which required it to minimize air pollution emissions. However, during the illegal treatment, employees were directed to open all vents on the retorts, allowing discharge to the surrounding air. After Oregon inspectors discovered this activity, they requested information about the companies’ practice of boiling off hazardous wastewater. On two separate occasions, Georgia Baxter-Krause gave false information in response, which included information about the dates the practice took place and which retorts were used. The investigation determined that Georgia Baxter-Krause knew J.H. Baxter maintained detailed daily production logs for each retort. From approximately January to October 2019, J.H. Baxter boiled off hazardous process wastewater in its wood treatment retorts on 136 known days. Georgia Baxter-Krause was also aware that during this time J.H. Baxter used four of its five retorts to boil off wastewater. This case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency, EPAs Pacific Northwest (Region 10) office, and the Oregon State Police. This case was an Environmental Crimes Task Force (ECTF) investigation. ECTF is an initiative in the District of Oregon that identifies, investigates, and prosecutes significant environmental, public lands, and wildlife crimes. ECTF leverages the resources and effort of federal, state and local regulatory agencies and law enforcement to protect human health, safeguard natural resources and wildlife and hold violators accountable. Trial Attorneys Rachel Roberts and Stephen J. Foster of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren for the District of Oregon and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla G. Perrin prosecuted the case.


title: Justice Department Reaches Settlement with California Towing Company for Illegally Auctioning a Navy Lieutenant’s Car While He Was Deployed at Sea

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Note: View settlement here. The Justice Department today announced that it reached an agreement with California towing company Tony’s Auto Center to resolve allegations that it illegally auctioned a deployed Navy Lieutenant’s car, in violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). Under the settlement agreement, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Jonathan Liongson will receive $7,500 in damages. The United States will also receive a $2,000 civil penalty, and Tony’s Auto Center must implement new policies to prevent future violations of the SCRA. According to the United States’ complaint, in November 2022, before leaving for deployment aboard the USS Bunker Hill , Lieutenant Liongson placed personal items in his 2011 Mazda 6 and parked it at a friend’s house. While he was deployed at sea, Tony’s Auto Center towed the car and, about two months later, sold it at auction without first obtaining a court order, as is required by the SCRA. “Members of our armed forces should not have to worry about their cars being auctioned off while they are deployed on missions defending our freedoms, liberties, and rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “This settlement should send a strong message to other towing companies that they should not take advantage of our servicemembers while they are keeping Americans safe.” “The SCRA protects the rights of the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, which allows them to devote their full attention to defending our country,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “While Lieutenant Liongson was at sea, he understood that his ship’s mission and the duration of their deployment could change at any moment. He accepted that reality in the fulfillment of his solemn oath. In turn, the SCRA provides grace and understanding about certain personal affairs. Lieutenant Liongson’s car should not have been auctioned off in his absence. We hope this settlement encourages all towing companies to review and improve their policies and ensure that the rights of all servicemembers are honored and respected.” The SCRA is a federal law that provides a variety of financial and housing protections to members of the U.S. military. The law prohibits a towing company from auctioning off a vehicle owned by a servicemember unless it first obtains an order from a court allowing it to do so. Servicemembers and their dependents who believe their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/ . The Justice Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the Department has obtained over $481 million in monetary relief for over 147,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. Additional information on the Department’s enforcement of the SCRA and other laws protecting servicemembers is available at www.servicemembers.gov .


title: White House ‘Border Czar’ Thomas Homan Visits USAO-DC

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. welcomed White House Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations Thomas Homan, on April 16, 2025, to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office was honored to welcome Executive Associate Director Homan to our space,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “We had a productive conversation, he had the opportunity to brief our staff and take their questions, and it was great to have him here.” Executive Associate Director Homan met today with members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to discuss immigration issues, crime, and President Donald J. Trump’s “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful” initiative. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia handles a wide variety of federal crimes that include those committed by members of violent transnational criminal enterprises. For more information on the office and its work, go to https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc . U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Thomas Homan align on strategies to enhance public safety in the district of Columbia. As the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Martin has unique responsibilities for cases in both Superior Court and District Court.


title: Dominican Man Who Illegally Entered the U.S. After Multiple Prior Deportations Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Melvin Gutierrez-Almonte, 42, a Dominican national unlawfully residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced this morning by United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. to 15 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Gutierrez-Almonte was charged by indictment in September of last year and pleaded guilty to the charge against him in January. He admitted to illegally entering the United States in April 2023, crossing from Mexico into Arizona. According to immigration records, the defendant had been removed from the United States on four prior occasions — on or about March 1, 2011, September 27, 2016, March 20, 2018, and September 1, 2020 — and had not sought permission to reenter. He has three previous illegal reentry convictions, all in the District of Puerto Rico. As detailed in court filings, on May 18, 2024, Gutierrez-Almonte was arrested by West New York Township Police in Hudson County, New Jersey, and charged with simple assault and receiving stolen property. The case remains active and there is currently a detainer. Then, on July 10, 2024, Gutierrez-Almonte was arrested by Philadelphia Police and charged under the name “Conjeo Almonet” with aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of a crime, and simple assault. The next day, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials received a biometric notification of the Philadelphia arrest. Gutierrez-Almonte was subsequently charged by federal criminal complaint with illegal reentry, and on September 3, 2024, an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officer arrested him, following the defendant’s release from Philadelphia custody. “Melvin Gutierrez-Almonte is a serial violator of our country’s sovereignty. He has entered the United States illegally and been removed multiple times already,” U.S. Attorney Metcalf said. “Not only has he flouted our immigration laws, he has also been arrested several times for assault, gun possession, and more. He is a great example of how certain immigrants repeatedly disrespect our laws. Anyone who wants to come to this country must do so legally, and anyone who wants to stay must honor the obligations of our laws.” “Ensuring the safety of our communities is at the core of our mission at ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. This individual’s repeated unlawful reentry and criminal activity posed a significant risk to public safety,” said ICE ERO Philadelphia Acting Field Office Director Brian McShane. “By apprehending, prosecuting, and removing those who threaten our neighborhoods, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the well-being of law-abiding residents. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to uphold our nation’s immigration laws and keep our communities safe.” The case was investigated by ICE ERO and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rosalynda M. Michetti.


title: Mexican national caught mid-burglary sentenced for immigration violation

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas –A Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. Heladio Ruchon Rocha-Tellez, 31, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after removal and was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on April 22, 2025. According to information presented in court, on December 19, 2023, local law enforcement responded to a burglary in progress at a Beaumont laundry mat. When officers arrived, they encountered Rocha-Tellez hiding behind the counter of the laundry mat with a large amount of cash hanging out of his pocket. A check of immigration records revealed that Rocha-Tellez was a Mexican national who had been previously removed from the United States in 2015 and twice in 2022. In addition to the immigration charges, Rocha-Tellez was convicted of a state burglary charge in Jefferson County court and sentenced to 12 months in prison on November 19, 2024. Judge Crone ordered that the sentences run consecutively, and Rocha-Tellez will begin his federal prison sentence after completing his state sentence. 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 by the Department of Homeland Security and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman with the cooperation of the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. ###


title: Vault Agrees to Pay $8 Million to Settle Allegations of Billing False Claims to the COVID-19 Uninsured Program for Patients with Health Insurance

component: Civil Division

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Vault Medical Services, P.A. and Vault Medical Services of New Jersey, P.C. (collectively “Vault”), have agreed to pay the United States $8 million to resolve allegations that Vault violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting or causing the submission of false claims to the Health Resources & Services Administration COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured Program (the “Uninsured Program”) for patients who had health insurance, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Between approximately May 2020 and April 2022, the Uninsured Program reimbursed eligible providers for COVID-19 tests, testing-related items and services, treatment, and vaccines performed on uninsured individuals. During the public health emergency, Vault provided various COVID-19 related services to patients across the country, including specimen collection services and vaccine administration. Vault provided these services via telehealth and at in-person testing sites, and specimens were sent to laboratories for processing. The settlement announced resolves allegations that Vault knowingly submitted or caused the submission of claims for these services to the Uninsured Program for patients who had active health insurance. Specifically, the United States alleges Vault was aware of data integrity issues with patient information collected at the point of service but failed to substantively address those issues, and did not ensure the collection of complete patient information, including demographic and insurance information. The United States further alleges that Vault failed to properly confirm whether certain patients had health insurance coverage, and disregarded insurance information for individuals for whom Vault had valid insurance information on file, including confirmation through an insurance verification process, before submitting claims to the Uninsured Program. “The Uninsured Program provided critical support for testing and treatment for uninsured Americans during the height of the pandemic. Our office will not tolerate the alleged fraud, abuse, and waste of these funds.” - U.S. Attorney Alina Habba “Individuals and entities that participate in the federal healthcare system are required by law to preserve the integrity of program funds,” stated Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “The settlement in this case involves a provider that knowingly sought reimbursement for federal funds to which they were not entitled, and by doing so jeopardized the provision of services for the uninsured.” The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from HHS-OIG. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kruti Dharia of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit and Trial Attorneys Lindsay DeFrancesco, Elizabeth J. Kappakas, and James Nealon in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section). The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. ### vault.agreement.pdf


title: Charlotte Man Pleads Guilty To Possessing AI-Generated Images Of Minors Engaged In Sexually Explicit Conduct And Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. –Daniel Joseph Broadway, 53, of Charlotte, appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to possessing AI-generated images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. According to plea documents and today’s court hearing, on December 12, 2023, CMPD officers executed a search warrant at Broadway’s Charlotte residence. From the residence, officers seized nine electronic devices that were later forensically analyzed and found to contain images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material. Some of the images and videos in Broadway’s possession had been AI-generated and some had not. A forensic analysis of the devices revealed that Broadway possessed 8,661 images and two videos of non-AI CSAM. Broadway also possessed 20,292 images and videos of AI-generated CSAM. Many of the non-AI and AI-generated CSAM depicted prepubescent minors that were nude or partially clothed, lasciviously displaying their genitals or engaging in sexual intercourse with adults. Broadway pleaded guilty to possession and access with intent to view child pornography involving prepubescent minors and possession of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children, each of which carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Broadway was remanded into custody following his guilty plea. A sentencing date has not been set. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked FBI and CMPD for their investigation which led to the guilty plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Hudson County Man Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison for Role in Four Robberies and Two Shootings in Jersey City, New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County man was sentenced today for his role in four robberies and two shootings in Jersey City, New Jersey, which took place the same night, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today. Rodney Williams, 33, of Jersey City, New Jersey pleaded guilty in December 2024 before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court to an Indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to use and carry a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, Hobbs Act robbery, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, using and carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Williams to 5 years of supervised release. Williams’ co-defendant, Siobhan Chandler, was sentenced on April 25, 2024 to 12 years’ imprisonment followed by 5 years’ supervised release for her role. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On the evening of November 14, 2021, Williams and Chandler committed multiple armed robberies and two shootings in Jersey City. The criminal activity began when Williams, acting alone, robbed a store while he pointed his gun at the clerk and demanded money. The clerk handed money to Williams who then fled. A short time later, Williams, now with Chandler, robbed a gas station, where Williams pointed his gun at two attendants and demanded money. When the attendants did not immediately comply, Williams shot one of the attendants in the chest. Williams and Chandler then fled. Williams and Chandler later entered another store, and Williams again pointed his gun at a clerk and demanded money. The clerk handed money to Williams and he and Chandler fled. Williams and Chandler then entered a nearby restaurant, and Williams again pointed his gun at the cashier and demanded money. When the cashier did not immediately comply, Williams shot the cashier in the chest. The cashier then handed money to Williams, after which Williams and Chandler fled. U.S. Attorney Habba credited officers of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Kearns, and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office with the investigation leading to today’s sentence. She also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shontae D. Gray and Eli Jacobs of the Criminal Division in Newark. ### Defense counsel: John C. Whipple, Esq. and Adam M. Elewa, Esq.


title: Monongalia County Man Sentenced for Firearms Trafficking

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

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Todd Matthew Houston, 36, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 51 months in federal prison for to conspiring to straw purchase firearms. According to court documents and statements made in court, officers were called to a home in Morgantown on a domestic violence incident involving Houston and a firearm. Officers later found Houston attempting to pawn more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition at a pawn shop. The vehicle Houston was driving was searched and officers found a pistol. Investigators determined the firearm had been purchased by someone else for Houston in exchange for heroin. Houston is prohibited from having firearms because of prior felony convictions that include domestic battery, drug trafficking, robbery, and grand larceny. Houston will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Rhee prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Randolph County Man Admits to Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Nelson Cortes, age 50, of Beverly, West Virginia, has admitted to the distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, Cortes was selling methamphetamine, sometimes from his home. Cortes is facing up to 20 years in federal. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.


title: Physician at Veterans Affairs Medical Center Arrested for Child Pornography Offenses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A physician employed at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Bedford, Mass. has been arrested and charged with receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Sven Knudsen Ljaamo, 70, is charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Ljaamo was arrested this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for April 29, 2025. According to the charging documents, law enforcement received a CyberTip reporting that over 100 files of suspected CSAM files had allegedly been uploaded to Ljaamo’s Google account. When Ljaamo spoke to investigators, he allegedly admitted to viewing, downloading and saving pornographic material involving female minors. It is further alleged that several CSAM files, along with tens of thousands of pornography files, were found during a review of Ljaamo’s devices, including on a cell phone Ljaamo kept in his office at the VA Medical Center. The charges of receipt and possession of child pornography each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The charge of receipt, specifically, provides for a sentence of at least five years in prison and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 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 today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Billerica, Lowell and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Suburban Chicago Police Officer Charged With Covid-Relief Fraud

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO – A suburban Chicago police officer has been indicted for allegedly fraudulently obtaining Covid-relief loans and concealing the proceeds in his bankruptcy case. An indictment returned Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges WILLIAM FREDERICK REED, 41, of Hazel Crest, Ill., with making false statements in U.S. Small Business Administration loan applications, bankruptcy fraud, and tax offenses. Arraignment in federal court has not yet been scheduled. According to the indictment, Reed worked as a police officer in Dolton, Ill., and Robbins, Ill., and was also self-employed as a security guard. In 2020 and 2021, Reed applied for and obtained loans pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), which was created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) to provide financial relief for small businesses during the Covid pandemic. A PPP loan allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent a certain amount of the proceeds on essential expenses, such as payroll. The charges allege that Reed falsely represented in his applications that he was qualified to receive the loans based on inflated and falsified average monthly payrolls for his “off duty security” job. In all, Reed fraudulently obtained three loans, the indictment alleges. In 2022, Reed filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Chicago. The indictment alleges that during the bankruptcy case, Reed made false statements and provided false documents to conceal his receipt of the PPP loans and submitted a fraudulent 2021 individual income tax return to cause the U.S. Trustee, the Chapter 7 Trustee, and his creditors not to inquire further into his financial affairs. The tax charges accuse Reed of underreporting income and falsifying withholdings in his 2021 individual tax return and failing to file any individual returns in 2022 and 2023. The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office, Sheldon Shoemaker, Deputy Inspector General of the SBA’s Office of Inspector General, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Trustee Program. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Julien and Hayley L. Altabef, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Netols. The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving Covid-19 can report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721 or by filing an online complaint here . reed_indictment.pdf


title: Detroit Man Sentenced for Role in Drug Trafficking Operation

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jovonne Haynes, age 30, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 135 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization selling controlled substances that spanned from Michigan to Monongalia County. According to court documents and statements made in court, Haynes was allowing his apartment in Morgantown to be used for the drug trafficking operation. Haynes pled guilty to a methamphetamine distribution charge in December 2024. Haynes will serve three years of supervised release following his sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Clarksburg; the FBI Clarksburg; the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; WVU Police Department; the DEA Cincinnati District Office; the DEA Detroit Field Division; and the FBI Detroit. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Long Island Man Sentenced To 18 Years In Prison Following Conviction At Trial For Defrauding Cryptocurrency Investors And Others Of More Than $12 Million

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EUGENE WILLIAM AUSTIN, JR., a/k/a “Hugh Austin” (“AUSTIN”) was sentenced today to 18 years in prison. AUSTIN was convicted following a jury trial in September 2024 of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. The defendant’s son, BRANDON AUSTIN (“BRANDON”), was previously sentenced to four years in prison in connection with his role in the scheme. U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel imposed both sentences. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “For years, Hugh Austin was the leader of a fraud and money laundering scheme that stole more than $12 million from more than two dozen victims. Austin involved his own son in his crimes, working with him to rip off victims and spending investor money on personal expenses, like luxury hotels. Thanks to the work of the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners, Austin will now be held accountable for the harm he caused to individual investors and others.” As reflected in the evidence presented at trial and other public filings: AUSTIN was the leader of a scheme with his son BRANDON and others to steal money from entrepreneurs, investors, and other victims by fraudulently offering to, among other things: serve as a broker for sales of large quantities of cryptocurrency; provide short-term investments in cryptocurrency for purportedly high returns; and secure investors for startups and other small businesses from their network of high net worth individuals. AUSTIN also frequently sought personal loans from friends and acquaintances in connection with AUSTIN’s purported cryptocurrency and investment businesses, falsely promising to pay lenders back with interest. In each instance, investors and lenders lost their money. AUSTIN and BRANDON frequently spent investors’ funds on personal expenses, including airline travel, luxury hotels, restaurants, shopping, as well as nominal payments to victims to prolong the scheme. In total, AUSTIN and BRANDON have caused more than $12 million in losses to more than two dozen victims. * * * In addition to the prison term, AUSTIN, 62, of Port Jefferson, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $6,062,564 and pay restitution in the amount of $12,662,564. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations. The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olga I. Zverovich, Matthew Weinberg, and Andrew K. Chan are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Chanel-Ashley Foster, Frank Mastroianni, and Christine Woods.


title: Former CIA official pleads guilty to acting as a foreign agent and mishandling classified materials

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Florida man pled guilty today to, while being a public official at the CIA, acting as a foreign agent required to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and removing classified material, classified up to the SECRET//NOFORN level, from authorized locations without authority and with the intent to retain such material at an unauthorized location. According to court documents, in 2014, Dale Britt Bendler, 68, of Miami, began working as a full-time contractor at the CIA with a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance. Before he was a CIA contractor, Bendler spent over 30 years working for the CIA as an intelligence officer and retired as a member of the Senior Intelligence Service in 2014. Beginning in July 2017 and continuing through at least July 2020, while a full-time CIA contractor and TS/SCI clearance holder, Bendler worked with a U.S. lobbying firm and engaged in unauthorized and hidden lobbying and public relations activities on behalf of foreign national clients. As described in the plea agreement, Bendler’s undisclosed lobbying activities included an attempt to use his position and access at the CIA to influence a foreign government’s embezzlement investigation of one of Bendler’s foreign national clients and a separate attempt to use his position and access at the CIA to influence the U.S. government’s decision as to whether to grant a U.S. visa to another of Bendler’s clients, who was alleged to be associated with terrorism financing. In exchange for his unauthorized outside activities, Bendler was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars. During the course of Bendler’s unauthorized lobbying and public relations activities, Bendler also abused his access to CIA resources and personnel by, among other things, searching classified CIA systems for any information related to his private lobbying clients, improperly storing and disclosing non-public, sensitive, and classified U.S. government information to people not authorized to receive such information, and lying to the CIA and the FBI about his status as a foreign agent and his unauthorized lobbying and public relations activities. The CIA terminated Bendler’s contract and access in September 2020. In addition to pleading guilty, Bendler consented to the forfeiture of $85,000. Bendler is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16 and faces up to seven years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division; and Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. accepted the plea. The FBI’s Washington Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Adam P. Barry and Senior Trial Attorney Heather M. Schmidt of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Chief Jennifer K. Gellie of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section provided substantial assistance in this investigation in her prior role as a trial attorney. 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. 1:25-cr-109.


title: Pittsburgh Man Charged with Hobbs Act Robbery and Firearm Violations

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of Hobbs Act robbery and violating federal firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The three-count Indictment named Yamin A. Harris, 31, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on December 29, 2024, Harris committed a Hobbs Act robbery at a Monroeville, Pennsylvania, fast food restaurant, carrying and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of the robbery, and unlawfully possessing that firearm as a previously convicted felon. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $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 of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Monroeville Police Department, and Pitcairn Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: District Man Indicted for Illegal Firearm Possession Following Arrest in Northeast D.C.

body_text: WASHINGTON – Antowan Tyrone Hagans, 30, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on a federal firearm charge as part of the Make D.C. Safe Again initiative. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin aimed at reducing violent crime in the District by prioritizing federal firearms violations, seeking tougher penalties, and pursuing detention for firearms offenders. Hagans is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. According to court documents, on March 27, 2025, MPD officers encountered Hagans in a high-crime area of the Sixth District. As officers approached, Hagans fled into an apartment building. During the pursuit, he fell in a stairwell, and a loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol fell to the ground during the struggle with officers Hagans was arrested at the scene. He is prohibited from possessing firearms due to two prior felony convictions, including robbery while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm. The case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Division and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Guatemalan Man Charged with Illegal Re-entry into U.S.

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A citizen of Guatemala has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The one-count Indictment named Juan Manuel Secaida, 35, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on April 1, 2025, Secaida was found in western Pennsylvania after having been removed from the United States in January 2020. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Coraopolis Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. 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, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Illegal alien sentenced in multimillion-dollar elder fraud ring

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – The second ringleader in an international fraud scheme victimizing the elderly has been ordered to prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Hardik Jayantilal Patel, 37, illegally resided in Lexington, Kentucky. He pleaded guilty Dec. 1, 2023. U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now sentenced Patel to serve 46 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Patel will also pay a combined $3,203,478 in restitution to 85 identified victims. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hanen noted the large number of victims and the significant harm Patel and his conspirators caused. Not a U.S. citizen, Patel is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence. “We have an obligation to protect our seniors from the predations of scammers,” said Ganjei. “SDTX will tirelessly pursue those that seek to profit by swindling the elderly.” From March through November 2019, Patel led a team of domestic money mules aka “runners.” They laundered money tied to telemarketing fraud schemes originating from call centers in India. Most victims were elderly. Scammers pretended to work for the U.S. government and claimed the victims were under investigation. They claimed the only way to clear their name was to send cash by mail. Runners in the United States would then pick up the packages and launder the cash. At least three runners worked under Patel in 2019. He also collaborated with an associate, Sohil Usmangani Vahora, who managed his own team of four runners. Together, they coordinated efforts to launder fraud proceeds. Runners under both Patel and Vahora picked up hundreds of packages between 2019 and 2020 nationwide. These packages contained millions of dollars in cash that victims in multiple states had sent. Patel was the last of seven to be sentenced in related cases in the SDTX. Vahora, 40, Des Plaines, Illinois, received more than 15 years in prison and was ordered to pay over $3.5 million in restitution. Zaheen Malvi, 30, Heber Springs, Arkansas, initially worked as a runner in the scheme. He later assisted Vahora in managing two other individuals involved in the operation. He received a 54-month sentence and was ordered to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution. Dhirenkumar Patel, 33, Richmond, Kentucky, was a runner who worked for Patel. He was ordered to serve 18 months in prison and pay $225,221 in restitution to his victims. Three other runners received sentences ranging from 29-60 months. With the exception of Vahora, who was a legal permanent resident, Patel and his co-conspirators were all illegally in the country when they committed their crimes. Patel will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI, Kentucky State Police and police departments in Heber Springs, Arkansas, and Frankfort, Kentucky. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Bauman and Kate Suh are prosecuting the case. The SSA and its OIG consistently warns people of similar scams. Protect yourself!


title: Mexican Citizen Charged with Illegal Re-entry of Removed Alien

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A citizen of Mexico has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The one-count Indictment named Daniel Alejandro Benzor Mora, 31, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on March 19, 2025, Benzor Mora was found in western Pennsylvania after having been removed from the United States on or about January 3, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. 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, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Albuquerque Man Sentenced in Federal Firearms Case Adopted from Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A previously convicted felon has been sentenced to 84 months in prison after violently assaulting his pregnant partner and threatening her with a loaded rifle during a domestic incident. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court records, on August 13, 2023, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a violent domestic assault at a residence in the South Valley. The victim, who was six months pregnant, reported that Marlando Luis Martinez , 36, had physically assaulted her throughout the night, including punching her, striking her with a whip, choking her multiple times to near unconsciousness, and threatening her with an AR-15 rifle, which he discharged near her face. Deputies observed visible injuries on the victim, including welts, bruising, and a cut lip. The victim recounted to responding officers that Martinez threatened to kill her and her unborn child if she contacted law enforcement. After Martinez fell asleep, the victim escaped and sought help from a neighbor. Deputies transported her to safety and documented her injuries. A subsequent search of the residence uncovered multiple firearms, ammunition, and evidence corroborating the victim’s account, including a rifle with a round in the chamber and a bullet hole in the headboard. The loaded rifle, ammunition and extended magazine Second rifle, ammunition and extended magazine Martinez was apprehended later that day with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service Task Force. He was arrested without incident and federally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, having previously been convicted of aggravated battery against a household member. Upon his release from prison, Martinez will be subject to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Haynes is prosecuting this case as part of an agreement with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Through the agreement, Assistant District Attorneys are designated Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSAs) in the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA from the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office screens felony criminal complaints filed in Bernalillo County for federal criminal offenses, prioritizing federal charges against those who drive violence in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Since 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office has reviewed almost 3,000 cases and has charged more than 300 criminal cases pursuant to this program. The United States Attorney’s Office has similar agreements with the New Mexico Department of Justice and the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office and plans to expand the program throughout the state.


title: U.S. Online Marketplace Operator Charged with Trafficking Deadly Synthetic Opioids Stronger Than Fentanyl

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Today, an indictment was unsealed in the District of Columbia charging eWorldTrade LLC (eWorldTrade), a U.S. company, with conspiracy to distribute synthetic opioids for unlawful importation into the United States. Law enforcement authorities also seized eWorldTrade’s website domain, which was allegedly used to operate an online business-to-business marketplace that facilitated the distribution of synthetic opioids such as isotonitazene and carfentanyl, both significantly more potent than fentanyl. According to the indictment, from March 2024 through March 2025, eWorldTrade conspired with others to distribute isotonitazene, a Schedule I controlled substance, and carfentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, knowing that the controlled substances would be imported into the United States. eWorldTrade is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for unlawful importation into the United States. If convicted, the company faces a maximum fine of $50,000,000. On the same day of the unsealing of the indictment, law enforcement authorities seized eWorldTrade’s website and shut down its operation. The website now displays the following warning messages to the public. Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville Office made the announcement. The HSI Knoxville Office, in partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Chattanooga Office, investigated the case. Trial Attorney Jayce Born of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section is prosecuting the case. Former Trial Attorney Ann Daniels and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee provided valuable support. 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Maryland Man Admits to Leading Drug Trafficking Operation in Eastern Panhandle

body_text: ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, 52, of Hagerstown, Maryland, has admitted to leading a drug trafficking organization that sold large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Berkeley County. According to court documents and statements made in court, Luna Mota, also known as “Papi,” was one of the leaders of the drug trafficking conspiracy, using his business located in Hagerstown, Maryland, as a central hub for the drug sales. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; the U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative (agencies included are the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department, Jefferson County Sherriff’s Department, Ranson Police Department, Charles Town Police Department, and Martinsburg City Police Department); West Virginia State Police; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Hagerstown Police Department; the National Resources Police Department; FBI-New York Safe Streets Task Force; the New York Police Department; the New Jersey State Police; the Washington County (Maryland) Drug Task Force; the Maryland State Police; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania investigated. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.


title: Illegal Immigrant Sentenced For Reentering the United States

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Honduran national was sentenced on April 21, 2025, for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported. According to court documents, Saul Cruz-Argueta, 39, was encountered by agents from the United States Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement Removal Operations during labor site inspections. The agents discovered that he had previously been removed from the United States in 2016 and 2018. Cruz-Argueta has two prior convictions for Illegal Reentry, as well as convictions for Theft of Property and Possession of Marijuana. At sentencing, Chief Judge Beaverstock imposed a time-served sentence and a 1-year term of supervised release upon his future release. Cruz-Argueta had been in custody since his arrest on March 7, 2025. Upon his release from prison, Cruz-Argueta is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Cruz-Argueta was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Department of Homeland Security Investigations, ATF, DEA, and Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy L. Thomas prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Thoreau Woman Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in Fatal Drunk Driving Incident on Navajo Nation

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Thoreau woman has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after driving while intoxicated and fatally striking John Doe with her vehicle following an altercation. According to court records, on the morning of May 28, 2023, Nora Abeita , 50, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, and several others, including the victim, John Doe, consumed alcohol together. After an altercation with John Doe, Abeita attempted to leave the residence with a friend. While driving away, Abeita struck John Doe with their vehicle. She did not immediately realize she had run over him until alerted by others. John Doe died from his injuries. Abeita ’s blood alcohol concentration was measured at .16 approximately five hours after the incident—more than double the legal limit in both New Mexico and the Navajo Nation. At sentencing, Abeita faces up to eight years in prison. Upon her release from prison, Abeita will be subject to up to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.


title: Mexican National Arrested in Catoosa After Being Deported for Killing His Baby

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A Mexican national who was residing in Catoosa was indicted for unlawfully reentering the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. Carlos Ambriz Estrada, 53, is charged with Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien after having been previously removed in January 2006. “After serving time in prison for killing his 38-day-old son, Ambriz Estrada was deported. That did not stop him from unlawfully returning to the United States and living in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Prosecutors are working in coordinated efforts with law enforcement to help keep the citizens in the Northern District safe from violent criminals like Ambriz Estrada.” "This subject’s criminal record underscores the significant danger he represents to our community, particularly with the serious charge and conviction for killing his own child,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office acting Director Josh Johnson. “Our officers remain committed to enhancing public safety by apprehending and removing criminal aliens who violate immigration laws.” According to court documents, in March, the Fugitive Operations Team with Immigration Customs Enforcement began investigating Ambriz Estrada due to his prior conviction of deliberate homicide in Montana and the possibility of him being present in the United States unlawfully. Law enforcement discovered that Ambriz Estrada was unlawfully living in Catoosa and that he did not have permission to re-enter the United States after being removed. In 1994, Ambriz Estrada pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide. Montana law enforcement was dispatched to the hospital to investigate apparent child abuse. Ambriz Estrada and his wife brought their 36-day-old baby to the hospital for treatment. The detective spoke with a doctor who confirmed that the baby had five broken ribs, detached retinas in both eyes, swelling of the head, bruises on the neck and abdomen, consistent with strangulation. The doctor reported that they believed the baby was strangled and without oxygen for some time, likely causing severe brain damage. When being interviewed, Ambriz Estrada admitted that he was angry with his wife and took it out on the baby. That while the baby was crying, he squeezed the child’s throat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the baby lost consciousness. Afterward, he put the baby in a crib. The baby woke up crying one hour later, and Ambriz Estrada admitted to picking up the baby and shaking him. Ambriz Estrada told detectives the baby's breathing was irregular and appeared to have a seizure. After two days in intensive care, the baby had no brain activity and was declared brain dead at 38 days old. Ambriz Estrada was ordered to 40 years imprisonment and served nearly 10 years. After being released in 2006, Ambriz Estrada was deported. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Zuni Man Sentenced for Armed Standoff and Shootout with Law Enforcement

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni Pueblo man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison following an armed standoff with law enforcement. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on July 6, 2024, law enforcement responded to a disturbance at a residence in Zuni, where Eric Bowannie , 28, barricaded himself inside his home and fired multiple rounds at responding Zuni Police Department officers. During the incident, Bowannie charged an officer with an ax, retrieved a shotgun and a rifle, and repeatedly fired at officers positioned outside the residence. FBI agents arrived on scene and also came under fire as they attempted to negotiate a peaceful surrender. After a prolonged standoff and multiple exchanges of gunfire, Bowannie attempted to flee the area but was apprehended by local law enforcement without further incident. A subsequent search of the property recovered 57 spent casings and five spent shotgun shells. On November 13, 2024, Bowannie pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and to using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Upon his release from prison, Bowannie will be subject to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Assistant United States Attorney Kirk Williams are prosecuting the case.


title: Hawaii Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking Three Adult Women and One Minor

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Isaiah McCoy, 38, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was convicted yesterday of multiple counts of sex trafficking by a federal jury in the District of Hawaii. Specifically, the jury convicted McCoy of four counts of sex trafficking three adults and one minor, two counts of obstructing a sex trafficking investigation, seven counts of interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises, and one count of interstate travel for prostitution purposes. “This successful conviction represents this Justice Department’s commitment to putting those who prey on the innocent behind bars,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Human trafficking — which flourished under the prior administration — is a scourge on our country that the Trump Administration will eradicate.” “Today’s conviction vindicates the rights of multiple women and girls who the defendant terrorized over several years within the District of Hawaii,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant specifically targeted each victim’s unique vulnerabilities and used false promises, brute physical force, and psychological manipulation to compel the victims to engage in commercial sex for his own profit. There is no place in a civilized society for the defendant’s atrocious conduct, and the Justice Department is committed to standing up for vulnerable human trafficking victims and holding their traffickers accountable.” “The conviction of Mr. McCoy is a testament to HSI's zero tolerance for those who engage in sex trafficking in Hawaii,” said Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Hawaii. “McCoy is a predator who left countless victims in his path while he sought to enrich himself at their expense. HSI will aggressively pursue those, like McCoy, who seek to exploit vulnerable women and girls and mute their voices while believing they will not be held accountable.” The evidence presented at the 12-day trial demonstrated that McCoy compelled victims to commit hundreds of commercial sex acts between 2019 and 2021. McCoy made promises of a romantic relationship, a luxurious lifestyle, and financial security to women and girls struggling with low self-esteem, a difficult upbringing, or financial trouble. McCoy’s promises ended up hollow and false, designed to provide him with the opportunity to learn about a victim’s vulnerabilities while misrepresenting himself as caring and empathetic. McCoy’s feigned romantic interest and claimed wealth led him to emotionally manipulate his victims. After luring the victims into his orbit with his false promises, McCoy turned violent and abusive if the victims did not provide him with enough money or otherwise violated one of his many rules. The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that some of McCoy’s rules included requiring the victims to call him “Daddy” or “Zeus,” requiring the victims to share their cell phone location, and requiring the victims to provide him an update on the amount of money earned through commercial sex work. McCoy required his victims to work all hours of the day and night even when they were sick, hungry, or did not want to engage in commercial sex acts. If not, McCoy would physically assault his victims and leave them battered and bruised. Evidence presented in court detailed the extensive violence to which McCoy subjected his victims. For example, McCoy repeatedly burned one of the victims with cigar butts when she did not provide him with enough money. On other occasions, McCoy threw victims to the ground before repeatedly stomping on their head, stomach, or hands with his feet. McCoy even smashed a victim’s head against a car door before carrying her unconscious body through a hotel lobby and into an elevator. McCoy inflicted violence against multiple victims that caused them to seek treatment at local hospitals. All of McCoy’s actions contributed to the creation of a climate of fear where the victims felt they had no way out because McCoy promised them that he had eyes and ears everywhere monitoring the victims’ every move. McCoy required the victims to turn over all the proceeds from his commercial sex business to himself because he felt that the money belonged to him. McCoy then spent the money on high-end designer shoes, belts, clothing, and other accessories. In contrast, although McCoy would intermittently buy designer items for the victims as “rewards,” the victims were ultimately left with nothing. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18. McCoy faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. HSI investigated the case, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department. Trial Attorneys Maryam Zhuravitsky and Elizabeth Hutson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking .


title: Mingo County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Cameron Drake Newsome, 25, of Williamson, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for production of child pornography. Newsome must also pay $7,000 in restitution and register as a sex offender. According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about November 1, 2019, Newsome used a cell phone to take two photographs of an approximately 3-year-old child in Williamson while the child was naked from the waist down and with the child’s genitals as the focal point of the images. Newsome admitted to taking the photographs and to storing them on an online file storage account. By storing those images in the online file storage account, Newsome transported the images in and affecting interstate commerce via the internet. Newsome further admitted that he stored numerous other images and videos in his online file storage accounts depicting minors, including prepubescent children, engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-111. ###


title: Guatemalan Man Indicted for Unlawful Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Guatemalan man has been indicted illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Jose Garcia, 39, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Garcia was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in March 2025 and was released on conditions. According to the charging documents, Garcia was deported from the United States on Jan. 5, 2006. It is alleged that sometime after his removal, Garcia unlawfully reentered the United States. Immigration and Customs Enforcement became aware of Garcia’s unlawful presence in the United States following arrests on July 30, 2022, Sept. 8, 2023 and Jan. 29, 2024. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Offense, Threats

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GREGORY BUTTS, 54, formerly of Sprague, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 240 months of imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for a child exploitation offense and related threats. According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2016, Butts was convicted in Connecticut state court of illegal sexual contact with a child. In November 2020, family and friends of two missing juveniles in Colorado posted information about the missing juveniles on social media pages and included a phone number asking the public to call with information. Butts, with his own phone number blocked, called the number and spoke to a female friend of the missing juveniles, who recorded the conversation. Butts stated that he was with the missing juveniles and had had sexual contact with them. He threatened to harm the missing juveniles if the conversation were recorded or if law enforcement were contacted, and threatened the female friend who answered the phone. He then said that he would return the missing juveniles if the female friend would have sexual intercourse with him. Shortly after the juveniles had been reported missing, they returned home. They were not harmed and had not been kidnapped. Investigators determined that the call emanated from a lightly-populated area in Sprague, Connecticut, and that Butts was a registered sex offender living in the area who was on probation following a state conviction for illegal sexual contact with a minor. After a Connecticut probation officer identified Butts’ voice on the recording, probation officers searched Butts’ residence and another residence where he also had been staying and seized a computer, storage devices, multiple cell phones, and other items. Forensic analysis of the seized items revealed more than 10,000 images and videos of child pornography, and downloaded conversations Butts had with minors on Snapchat and other social media applications. In the chats, Butts engaged in sexually explicit conversations, made numerous threats, and demanded, and sometimes received, sexually explicit photos. Butts has been detained since March 4, 2022. On January 17, 2025, he pleaded guilty to possession of a child pornography. This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Haven, Connecticut and Loveland, Colorado, with the assistance of the Connecticut Office of Adult Probation, Connecticut State Police, and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Daniel E. Cummings. Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of New London for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com


title: Man guilty of seven-year tax fraud

body_text: HOUSTON – A local man has admitted to filing fraudulent and false statements on his federal tax returns causing a quarter of a million in losses, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Joseph Patrick Butler admitted that between 2013 to 2020, he filed false joint Form 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns and received inflated tax refunds to which he was not entitled. As part of the plea, Butler acknowledged creating shell companies that issued W-2 forms to himself, falsely reporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages and significant tax withholdings each year. In reality, he earned no such wages, and no taxes had been withheld. Butler’s scheme resulted in a total tax loss of over $260,000 in fraudulent refunds. U.S. District Judge Sim Lake will impose sentencing July 18. At that time, Butler faces up to three years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing. IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad Gray and Shirin Hakimzadeh are prosecuting the case.


title: Honduran National Charged with Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Honduran national has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Douglas Mejia-Romero, 44, was indicted yesterday on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. According to the charging document, Mejia-Romero was previously deported on May 15, 2020. It is alleged that sometime after this removal, Mejia-Romero unlawfully reentered the United States. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant will also be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Jury Convicts Mercer County Man of Sex Trafficking of Children

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Harrodsburg, Ky., man was convicted on Tuesday by a federal jury in Lexington for sex trafficking of children. After 45 minutes of deliberation, following a two-day trial, the jury convicted 42-year-old Larry Coffman of two counts of sex trafficking of children and committing a felony involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender. According to testimony at trial, in February 2023, Coffman solicited, recruited, and enticed two minor victims to engage in a sex act in exchange for something of value. At the time of the offenses, Coffman had been convicted of a prior sex offense and, as a result, was required to register as a sex offender. Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Scott Elder, Harrodsburg Police Department; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the conviction. The investigation was conducted by HSI, Harrodsburg Police Department, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth. Coffman will appear for sentencing on July 28, 2025. He faces a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . — END —


title: Von Ormy Tax Preparer Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A Von Ormy woman was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to two years in prison for aiding or assisting the filing of a false tax return. According to court documents, Sandy Gonzalez, 44, operated at least two different tax preparation services in San Antonio—SV Tax and JNC Tax Professionals—between Jan. 1, 2018 and April 15, 2021. During that time period, Gonzalez knowingly and intentionally caused the submission of false tax returns to the IRS by preparing Forms 1040 for clients, which she was aware contained false and fraudulent information. Primarily, she reduced the amount of her clients’ reportable income by deducting losses on Schedule C for businesses that were either inflated or did not exist whatsoever. Her actions had the effect of improperly reducing the clients’ tax burden and/or increasing the amount of their tax refund. Gonzalez was indicted for 10 counts on April 3, 2024, and pleaded guilty to one count in December 2024. In addition to her two-year imprisonment, Gonzalez was ordered to pay $297,777 in restitution. Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Chung prosecuted the case. ###


title: Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Cocaine

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Ashburn, Va., man plead guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing just over a kilogram of cocaine while traveling by bus from Nevada to Virginia. Kareem M. Strong, 33, plead guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes, to possessing cocaine to distribute. On December 13, 2023, Strong was found in possession of a black backpack containing a heat-sealed brick of white powder with an imprint of “ROLEX” on it, while at the bus station. Strong was traveling from Nevada to Virginia when encountered by interdiction task force members and subsequently arrested. The brick, which was submitted to the Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory for testing, weighed 1,004.73 grams and contained cocaine, in the salt form. Under federal statutes, Strong is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.