title: Former Banker Pleads Guilty To Bank Fraud

body_text: Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Igor Shushpanov (39, Tampa) today pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with one count of bank fraud. Shushpanov faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, from as early as February 2017, until in an around July 30, 2022, Shushpanov opened checking accounts at multiple credit unions that were members of the Federal Home Loan Bank system. Shushpanov then obtained credit cards or personal lines of credit from the credit unions. Upon receipt of the credit cards or personal lines of credit, Shushpanov made purchases or cash advances up to the credit limit. Shushpanov would then purportedly pay off the entire balance by sending worthless checks from accounts under his custody and control. Between the time that the financial institutions credited Shushpanov’s credit account balances and the worthless checks were returned for insufficient funds, he would again max-out his credit cards and personal lines of credit resulting in higher negative credit account balances. Shushpanov continued perpetrating this scheme by repeatedly depositing worthless checks and making subsequent credit card or personal line of credit purchases, then filed a bankruptcy petition to avoid paying the credit unions he defrauded. As part of the plea agreement, Shushpanov has agreed to forfeit $303,093.26, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Office of the United States Trustee for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, also provided substantial investigative assistance. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.


title: Virginia Man Chatting with Purported Minor Female Online is Convicted and Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of a man from Virginia for attempted production of child pornography. Ross Brandon , 40, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 180 months (15 years) in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. On June 12, 2023, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) working in an undercover capacity, was posing as a 13-year old female and began communicating with a user via the social platform, Whisper. The user identified himself as Mountain Man and was later identified by law enforcement agents as Ross Brandon. During their communications, the undercover agent identified themselves to Brandon as a 13-year old female named “Sara a.k.a. Princess,” living in Louisiana. Brandon identified himself and gave his age and where he resided at the time and told “Sara” that he lived in Virginia. Brandon sent non-sexually explicit photos of himself to “Sara” and law enforcement agents were able to establish his identity and location. After some time of communicating through the Whisper app, Brandon and “Sara” exchanged telephone numbers and began text messaging on cell phones. While communicating with “Sara,” Brandon requested that she engage in self-masturbation and would engage in sexually explicit conversations with her. Brandon sent sexually explicit images of himself to “Sara” on two occasions in June and July of 2023. On two occasions in July of 2023, Brandon requested that “Sara” send sexually explicit images of herself to him. Brandon was later arrested and admitted to law enforcement agents that he knew “Sara” was under the age of 18 and that he had requested child pornography images from her. He was charged in the Western District of Louisiana with attempted production of child pornography and pleaded guilty July 29, 2024. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William C. Gaskins. # # #


title: Orlando Man Sentenced To More Than Six Years For Fentanyl And Firearm Offenses

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Sebastian Gabriel Lugo-Lugo (20, Orlando) to six years and one day in federal prison for distributing fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Lugo-Lugo pled guilty on July 23, 2024. According to court documents, an undercover agent purchased marijuana and counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl from Lugo-Lugo multiple times throughout 2023 and 2024. Some of the counterfeit pills were also found to contain several other additives including p-Flurofentanyl (a fentanyl analogue) and xylazine (a veterinary sedative). During many of those deals, Lugo-Lugo possessed a firearm. Additionally, during one deal, Lugo-Lugo sold the undercover agent a firearm in addition to the fake fentanyl pills. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Seminole County Sherriff’s Office City County Investigative Bureau, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman. 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.


title: Indictment Charges New Haven Man with Firearm Offense

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging ADRIAN BELLE, 30, of New Haven, with the unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon. The indictment was returned on September 5, 2024. Belle appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. Belle is currently serving a sentence on Florida state charges arising out of an unrelated incident. The indictment alleges that on August 26, 2023, in New Haven, Belle possessed a black Polymer 80 firearm (“ghost gun”) containing ammunition that was manufactured in Serbia. The indictment further alleges that Belle’s criminal history includes a federal conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and state convictions for robbery in the first degree and assault on personnel. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. If convicted of the charge, Belle faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. Belle, who was on federal supervised release at the time of the alleged offense, faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Guevremont through Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .


title: West New York Financial Advisor Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Role in Multimillion-Dollar Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A West New York financial advisor was sentenced today to 41 months in prison for 11 counts of defrauding public health insurance plans out of more than $4 million and transacting in the criminal proceeds, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Kaival Patel, 55, of West New York, New Jersey, was convicted on Dec. 7, 2023, of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, four counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering by transacting in criminal proceeds, and five counts of money laundering by transacting in criminal proceeds following an 11-day trial before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler. U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court. “This defendant lined his own pockets by taking advantage of health insurance plans for New Jersey state and local government employees, defrauding them of millions of dollars by conspiring to obtain reimbursements for medically unnecessary compound prescription medications. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate and prosecute those who abuse and defraud the health care system.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial: Compounded medications are specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Compounded medications require a prescription from a physician. Patel created and operated a company called ABC Healthy Living LLC to market compound prescription medications. Patel and his conspirators learned that certain state and local government employees had insurance that would reimburse up to thousands of dollars for a one-month supply of certain compound medications such as vitamins, scar creams, pain creams, libido creams, and acid reflux medications. Patel and a conspirator approached Patel’s family member, a medical doctor who owns and operates a clinic in Newark, New Jersey, and convinced him to authorize prescriptions for the compound medications for patients who had no medical need for the prescriptions. Patel received commissions for the compound medication prescriptions. Patel and his conspirators paid a group of corrections officers to go to Patel’s family member’s medical practice for the purpose of receiving fraudulent prescriptions. Patel conspired with a compounding pharmacist to add unnecessary ingredients to the compound medications to further increase their cost and augment his illicit profits. Patel engaged in a series of financial transactions to receive proceeds from the health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy. To date, approximately 48 people have been convicted or pleaded guilty in the overarching conspiracy. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel sentenced Patel to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $4.72 million. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel A. Friedman of the Criminal Division and R. David Walk Jr., Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division.


title: Borrego Springs Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison For Possessing Child Sex Abuse Material

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY SAN DIEGO – Robert Clonts, a registered sex offender from Borrego Springs, was sentenced in federal court today to 10 years in prison for possessing approximately 147 images of child sex abuse material. According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received information from an online service provider about a customer who uploaded approximately 147 images of child sex abuse material on May 25, 2023. NCMEC provided this information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which identified Clonts as the customer who uploaded the child sex abuse material. Following his arrest in December 2023, Clonts admitted to obtaining and viewing child pornography on a cellular device and other media devices. Clonts also verified his email address and phone number matched the information on the suspect account that uploaded the 147 images containing sexually explicit depictions of prepubescent minors. Clonts pleaded guilty on August 13, 2024, admitting he possessed images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. According to publicly filed documents in this case, Clonts was previously convicted in 1990 of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14, which resulted in his registration as a sex offender. “This defendant’s actions are a grave violation of both the law and human decency,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Those who put children in jeopardy will face the full force of justice.” “This sentence should send a clear message that individuals who think they can get away with sexually exploiting children will be vehemently sought by law enforcement and ultimately brought to justice,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “The FBI and it’s law enforcement partners take great pride in locking up criminals who commit these types of crimes and will remain dedicated to ensuring the safety of all Americans, especially children.” This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Sherwood. DEFENDANTS Case Number 24CR0048-H Robert Colia Clonts Age: 67 Borrego Springs, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Possession of Images of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2452(a)(4)(B) Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, and a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years; $250,000 fine; Supervised release for life; Registration as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act INVESTIGATING AGENCY Federal Bureau of Investigation


title: Former Owner of Collapsed Nursing Home Empire Admits $38 Million Tax Fraud Scheme

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man today admitted his role in a $38 million employment tax fraud scheme involving nursing homes he owned across the country, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Joseph Schwartz, 64, of Suffern, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to two counts of an indictment charging him with willfully failing to pay over employment taxes withheld from employees of his company, and willfully failing to file an annual financial report (Form 5500) with the Department of Labor for the employee 401K Benefit Plan Schwartz sponsored. “Schwartz ran a vast, multistate nursing home empire, but cheated taxpayers out of more than $38 million so he could line his own pockets. Having admitted his crime, he will now be held accountable. My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute those who willfully participate in tax fraud schemes." U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Schwartz, an insurance broker and operator of Skyline Management Group LLC (Skyline), with headquarters in New Jersey, willfully failed to pay employment taxes relating to numerous health care and rehabilitation facilities that Skyline operated in 11 states. According to the indictment, Schwartz was required to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over to the IRS trust fund taxes withheld from the pay of employees of Skyline and related companies. From October 2017 through May 2018, Schwartz caused taxes to be withheld from employees’ pay but failed to then pay over more than $38 million in employment taxes to the IRS. As an administrator of the Skyline 401K plan, Schwartz further had an obligation to file an annual Form 5500 financial report with the Secretary of Labor for calendar year 2018, but knowingly and willfully failed to file the report. The employment tax fraud count is punishable by a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The failure to file a Form 5500 related to the retirement plan count carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for April 10, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark; and investigators with the Department of Labor-Employee Benefits Security Administration, under the direction of Regional Director Thomas Licetti in the New York Regional Office; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kendall Randolph and Daniel H. Rosenblum of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Shawn Noud of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. schwartz.indictment.pdf


title: Lenox Man Sentenced for Child Exploitation Charges

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Lenox man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor after he sent obscene images and videos to an undercover investigator. Paul J. Bruzzi, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In July 2024, Bruzzi pleaded guilty to one count of attempt to transfer obscene material to a minor in federal court. Starting in September 2022, Bruzzi used social media applications to engage in conversations with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, but who was actually an undercover federal investigator. During these conversations, Bruzzi attempted to pressure the girl into sending him photos and sent her nine photographs and videos of himself displaying his genitalia. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Salisbury, Mass. Police Department and the Winchester, Mass. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches, Chief of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.


title: Felon heads to prison for violent carjacking attack

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 28-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced for carjacking during which one victim was repeatedly struck with a pistol, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Dominique Luis-Donte Quinones-Amos pleaded guilty Feb. 12. U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Quinones-Amos to serve 108 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that detailed his arrests in the Los Angeles vicinity for burglary and grand theft auto. In handing down the sentence, the court noted his previous convictions which included one for felony assault of a family member impeding breathing or circulation in which the victim lost consciousness. “Quinones-Amos engaged in a series of offenses that put the people of this district in danger in a variety of ways – a carjacking, brandishing a gun, using fully-automatic conversion devices and even financial crimes,” said Hamdani. “This office will not allow such dangers to go unanswered, and today’s sentence will keep the community safe for several years to come from this one-man wrecking crew.” As a convicted felon, Quinones-Amos was prohibiting from possessing a firearm or ammunition per federal law. However, law enforcement had discovered social media postings in which he appeared to be selling two firearms with extended magazines and firing a firearm with a machine gun conversion device (MCD) which makes a semi-automatic handgun operate as a fully automatic handgun. Upon his arrest, authorities found him again in possession of another firearm. During the investigation, law enforcement was able to tie Quinones-Amos to the violent carjacking that occurred Oct. 4, 2021. On that date, two men were returning to an apartment complex located on Dunlap Street in a 2013 Dodge Avenger. Once they exited the vehicle into the parking lot, Quinones-Amos approached the two men, striking one in the face. That victim subsequently fled. Quinones-Amos then pointed a firearm at the driver and struck him in his face with the gun multiple times. Quinones-Amos entered and drove off in the victim’s vehicle while he laid motionless on the ground. Law enforcement later recovered the vehicle and were able to link it to Quinones-Amos through DNA testing. In addition, the investigation further revealed Quinones-Amos was selling fraudulent credit cards and money orders in the names of other people. Quinones-Amos will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Houston Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Laurence Goldman prosecuted the case.


title: Former Virginia Inmate Sentenced to More Than a Decade in Prison for Drug Distribution and Money Laundering Conspiracies

body_text: BOSTON – A former inmate at the Buckingham Correctional Center in Dillwyn, Va. (Buckingham) was sentenced today in connection with leading conspiracies to distribute controlled substances and launder the proceeds in Massachusetts and inside the Virginia prison. Michael Mao, a/k/a “Whitebodian,” a/k/a “Spook,” a/k/a “Leno,” 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 121 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. In August 2024, Mao pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute MDMA and Buprenorphine. Mao was serving prison sentences in Virginia for several state convictions for violent offenses, including attempted murder. From approximately December 2019 through May 2021, Mao conspired with co-conspirators Sathtra Em and Sarath Yut, to source MDMA and Buprenorphine from Massachusetts and mail the drugs to Virginia, where they were smuggled into Buckingham for him to sell to other inmates. The drug conspiracy involved several schemes for illegally introducing the drugs into Buckingham, including bribing a corrupt prison guard, Kenneth Owen. Mao and his co-conspirators also conspired to launder the drug proceeds to conceal their drug distribution activity. Sarath Yut pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies and was sentenced in October 2023 to 15 years in prison. Sathtra Em pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies and was sentenced in August 2024 to 21 months in prison. Kenneth Owen pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies in September 2024. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 10, 2024. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations and the Virginia Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Amhrein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit prosecuted the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Buffalo man sentenced for his role in narcotics conspiracy which resulted in a triple homicide

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that James Reed a/k/a Fatts, 42, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of narcotics conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct justice, use of fire to commit a felony, and accessory after the fact, was sentenced to serve 166 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Adler, Maeve E. Huggins, and Joseph M. Tripi, who handled the case, stated that beginning in 2014, Reed, and others, began receiving and selling marijuana, heroin, and cocaine. Reed, and his co-conspirators utilized 973 Fillmore Avenue to store, package, and sell the illegal narcotics. In furtherance of the narcotics conspiracy, on September 15, 2019, Reed accompanied co-defendant Jariel Cobb to purchase a kilogram of cocaine from Miguel Anthony Valentin-Colon and Dhamyl Roman-Audiffred, who served as Cobb’s sources of supply. Valentin-Colon, along with his wife. Nicole Marie Merced-Plaud, their minor son, and Roman-Audiffred, arrived in their vehicle, a white minivan, at a residence on Roebling Avenue, as directed by Cobb. Roman-Audiffred exited the van and entered the residence’s kitchen, at which time co-defendant Deandre Wilson hit her in the head with a blunt object and she fell to the floor. Wilson then went outside and shot and killed both Valentin-Colon and Merced Plaud, in the presence of their minor son, who was seated in a child’s car seat. Wilson then drove the minivan and parked it on Scajaquada Street near Kilhoffer Street in Buffalo. A short time later, Reed and Cobb moved the body of Dhamyl Roman-Audiffred from the kitchen into the residence’s basement, where they dismembered her body. Cobb placed the body parts into multiple trash bags and placed them into the trunk of his vehicle, and then Cobb and Reed drove to a residence on Box Avenue, removed the trash bags, and placed them into a burning fire in a fire pit area in the backyard. The following day, during the early morning hours of September 16, 2019, Cobb and Wilson retrieved the minivan from Scajaquada Street, with the bodies of Miguel Valentin-Colon and Nicole Marie Merced-Plaud still inside, as well as their minor son. They drove the minivan into the yard of a residence on Tonawanda Street and doused the vehicle and the bodies with gasoline, lighting the vehicle and bodies on fire. They took the minor child and left him on a stranger’s porch on Potomac Avenue in Buffalo. James Cobb and Deandre Wilson were previously convicted. Cobb was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison, while Wilson was sentenced to serve three life sentences. 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 . The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia; the Erie County Central Police Services Forensic Laboratory, under the direction of Commissioner James Jancewicz. Additional assistance was provided by the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Michael Keane. # # # #


title: Fresno Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Possessing a Live Hand Grenade, Ammunition, and Methamphetamine

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Eric Feldmann, 39, of Fresno, was sentenced today to eight years and one month for possessing methamphetamine and for being a felon in possession of ammunition and an MKII hand grenade, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on Dec. 24, 2023, Feldmann knowingly possessed an MKII hand grenade with a M204A2 Fuze in his car. The grenade was seized by police and destroyed. Feldmann also possessed between 50 and 200 grams of methamphetamine in plastic bags. On Jan. 9, 2024, law enforcement officers seized several rounds of ammunition from Feldmann’s storage locker. Feldmann had been previously convicted a felony and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. This case was the product of an investigation by the Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team (FORT), the Fresno Police Department, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case.


title: ST. CROIX MAN PLEADS GUILTY AFTER THREATENING TO MURDER FEDERAL AGENTS

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Croix, VI - United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a Jamoi Weekes, 30, of St. Croix, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III, to Influencing Federal Officials by Threats. Weekes’ sentencing is scheduled for March 19, 2025, where he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to court documents, on August 31, 2024, Weekes attempted to board a flight at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix. Weekes was referred to Customs and Border Protection for a secondary inspection before boarding his flight. Weekes then became extremely irate and combative and began threatening to murder and retaliate against the officers if he ever saw them again. Weekes was then determined to be unsuitable to board his flight and was ordered to leave the airport. While exiting the airport, Weekes encountered two Virgin Islands Port Authority officers who he also threatened to murder. Rather than leave the airport, Weekes then followed two Customs and Border Protection officers from the airport terminal to the parking lot and again threatened to murder the officers. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Customs and Border Protection and Virgin Islands Port Authority and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Huston.


title: GRENADIAN MAN SENTENCED ON DRUG TRAFFICKING CONVICTION

body_text: St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Rodney Dennis de Roche, 39, of Grenada, was sentenced by District Judge Wilma A. Lewis to 37 months imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment, after he pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess a Cocaine with Intent to Distribute While on Board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States. According to court records, on November 14, 2023, during their patrol in international waters in the Eastern Caribbean Sea, approximately 116 nautical miles West of Fort de France, Martinique, the United States Coast Guard Cutter Diligence intercepted the motor vessel Jackie Boy in a known drug trafficking area, bearing no indicia of nationality. The Jackie Boy was non-compliant with commands from the Coast Guard to stop and the occupants of the vessel, including de Roche, Adel Munro, Arim Boniface, alias Arkim Boniface, Dave Compton, Kevin Francis and Darryl Pope, began jettisoning numerous packages tied to sandbags overboard. Coast Guard officers later retrieved approximately 32 kilograms of cocaine from the ocean and six occupants, including de Roche, were taken into custody. The master of the vessel claimed Grenadian nationality for the vessel and Grenadian officials confirmed its nationality and granted a waiver of jurisdiction thereby subjecting this matter to the jurisdiction of the United States. All six defendants pleaded guilty to the cocaine trafficking conspiracy. On August 28, 2024, Reinoza was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment, and are awaiting sentencing. This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: ST. CROIX WOMEN PLEADS GUILTY TO $372,000.00 EMBEZZLEMENT SCHEME

body_text: St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Nicole Morales, 48, of Altadena, CA, and native of St. Croix, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson III, to three counts of Wire Fraud. The sentencing in this matter is scheduled for March 19, 2025, where Morales faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to court records, on November 10, 2015, Morales began working as the Office Manager at Nichols, Newman, Logan, Grey, and Lockwood, P.C. in St. Croix, where her duties included processing payroll through Banco Popular. Beginning on December 31, 2015, Morales began fraudulently inflating her payroll using QuickBooks accounting software. Thereafter, Morales wired unauthorized funds from her employer’s Banco Popular account into three separate personal bank accounts owned by Morales. After transferring the funds, Morales would change the inflated amounts in QuickBooks to reflect her correct income and payroll figures. Morales would later generate reports in QuickBooks with the correct payroll figures which were approved by her employer. Morales continued this conduct until January 11, 2019. In total, Morales embezzled $372,496.34 from her employer. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston.


title: McCurtain County Resident Pleads Guilty To Drug Distribution

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Herman Will Sanders, Jr., age 40, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Indictment alleged that on June 5, 2023, Sanders knowingly and intentionally distributed methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Sanders will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.


title: Woodford County Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Versailles, Ky., man, Cameron Spencer, 34, was sentenced to 262 months in prison on Monday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. According to his plea agreement, on February 19, 2022, Spencer made a same-day reservation for an Air BnB rental property, with a check-out time of approximately 11 a.m. the next morning. During Spencer’s reservation, multiple people were observed, via recorded video footage, entering the property. At some point during the reservation, an alert of Spencer’s presence in the backyard was sent to the homeowners. Spencer was observed, via video footage, digging in the backyard of the rental property. After Spencer checked out of the property, a bag of narcotics was found in the area where Spencer was observed digging. Additional items consistent with drug trafficking were also found, including a hydraulic press, a blender, and bags. Spencer was located near the rental property, and law enforcement found $2,295 in cash on his person and in his vehicle. Spencer admitted to possessing the 226.15 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute it. Under federal law, Spencer must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paco Villalobos and Brittany Baker are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: Seven Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in Nationwide “Felony Lane Gang” Fraud and Identity Theft Scheme

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – Seven defendants from Florida were sentenced for their roles in an organized fraud and identity theft scheme spanning multiple states. One of the leaders of the scheme was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison. According to court documents, Dominique Lamar Campbell, 43, of Miami, Florida, was one of the leaders of a ring of individuals from south Florida who participated in a widespread fraud and identity theft scheme known as “Felony Lane Gang.” Campbell recruited various codefendants to participate in the scheme, providing them with counterfeited and forged checks, false identification documents, fake credit cards, and identity information stolen from the U.S. mail. Campbell’s team of fraudsters would then travel across the country conducting numerous fraudulent transactions at banks and credit unions. The scheme occurred from at least 2017 to 2023 and victimized dozens of people in more than 20 states. Several fraudulent transactions occurred in the Southern District of Alabama. For example, on February 28, 2023, two of Campbell’s codefendants orchestrated a series of fraudulent check transactions at bank branches in the Mobile area, netting thousands of dollars in fraudulent proceeds. The next day, police in Kentucky arrested the codefendants during a traffic stop. Police seized bulk cash, fake identification documents, several forged checks, and stolen identity information during the traffic stop. Campbell’s fingerprints were on various items of evidence in the codefendants’ car. Later, in June 2023, police again arrested Campbell’s codefendants after they had committed several additional fraudulent transactions at bank branches in Mobile and Mississippi. Police seized cell phones from the codefendants containing extensive text messages with Campbell coordinating the fraud scheme. In those messages, Campbell referenced fraudulent checks and identification documents that he sent via FedEx from Miami to his codefendants at various locations throughout the United States to be used in furtherance of the scheme. In addition to the 84-month prison term, United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Campbell to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment, and will be subject to credit restrictions. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Campbell to pay $87,308.79 in victim restitution and $200 in special assessments, and forfeited $14,336.64 to the United States. For their roles in the scheme, the court sentenced Campbell’s codefendants as follows: Terrill Quinte Alexander (101 months’ imprisonment); Francisco Emile Gabriel Barranco (61 months’ imprisonment); Allen Russell Brookins (94 months’ imprisonment); Francisco Yuediel Estevez (56 months’ imprisonment); Crystal Marie Mitchell (63 months’ imprisonment); and Kimberly Diane Sutter (30 months’ imprisonment). The court also ordered each of those defendants to serve supervised release terms and pay restitution and special assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Several law enforcement agencies across the country substantially assisted the investigation, including the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation; the Andalusia Police Department (Alabama); the Mobile Police Department (Alabama); the Bradenton Police Department (Florida); the Plantation Police Department (Florida); the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (Florida); the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office (Kansas); the Lawrence Police Department (Kansas); the Kentucky State Police; the Biloxi Police Department (Mississippi); the Forrest County Sheriff’s Office (Mississippi); the Hattiesburg Police Department (Mississippi); the Jones County Sheriff’s Office (Mississippi); the Pearl Police Department (Mississippi); the Blue Ash Police Department (Ohio); the Montgomery Police Department (Ohio); the Apple Valley Police Department (Minnesota); and the Roanoke County Police Department (Virginia). Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Albion Man Sentenced for Guns-for-Drugs Straw Purchase Scheme

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

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: An Albion man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for knowingly making false statements to a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) while purchasing firearms. U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Jason Palmer , 43, to 12 months and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Palmer pleaded guilty on October 24, 2023. According to court records, between June and August 2022, Palmer obtained five pistols in five separate transactions with an FFL located in Fairfield. In each of those transactions, Palmer completed the required Form 4473 and misrepresented that he was the actual buyer of the firearm when he was in fact purchasing it for another individual. He also falsely indicated on the form that he was not an unlawful user of any controlled substances. In an interview with law enforcement, Palmer admitted that he had been offered heroin/fentanyl in exchange for purchasing the firearms. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Waterville Police Department investigated the case. STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her. ###


title: Taunton Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearm

body_text: BOSTON – A Taunton man was sentenced on Nov. 15, 2024 for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jermaine Rodrigues, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to two years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In June 2024, Rodrigues pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. In July 2023, Rodrigues was indicted by a federal grand jury. In June 2022, Rodrigues possessed two Anderson Manufacturing AM-15, .300 blackout firearms – one of which was equipped with a laser sight and optics affixed to the top rail. In addition, Rodrigues possessed almost 100 rounds of .300 blackout ammunition. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Taunton and Fall River Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorneys Luke A Goldworm and Meghan C. Cleary of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Three Men Charged in Proactive Law Enforcement Action

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – Charging documents were unsealed earlier today alleging three defendants attempted to sex traffic a child at a Manchester hotel, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. These three defendants were arrested as a result of a proactive federal and local law enforcement action. To date the following defendants have been charged by criminal complaint with attempted sex trafficking of a minor: Stacey Ray Lancaster, age 46, Hudson, New Hampshire. Lancaster is in federal custody and will appear in federal court on Monday, November 18, 2024 at 1:00pm. Arthur Picanco, age 42, Bradford, Massachusetts. Picanco is in federal custody and will appear in federal court on Monday, November 18, 2024 at 3:00pm. Ozeias Luiz Guilherme, age 38, Haverhill, Massachusetts. Guilherme is in federal custody and will appear in federal court on Monday, November 18, 2024 at 2:30pm. Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Vicinanzo, Kasey Weiland, Anna Krasinski and Georgiana MacDonald are prosecuting the cases. 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 . Community questions should be directed to the U.S. Attorney’s Public Voicemail Line at 603-230-2563. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: QOL Medical and Its CEO Agree To Pay $47 Million for Allegedly Paying Kickbacks To Induce Claims for QOL's Drug Sucraid

body_text: BOSTON – Pharmaceutical company QOL Medical, LLC (QOL) and its CEO, Frederick E. Cooper, have agreed to pay $47 million to resolve allegations that they caused the submission of false claims to federal health care programs, in violation of the False Claims Act, by offering kickbacks, in the form of free Carbon-13 breath testing services, to induce claims for QOL’s drug Sucraid. Sucraid is an FDA-approved therapy for the rare genetic condition, Congenital Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency (CSID). CSID patients have difficulty digesting sucrose (table sugar) and suffer from chronic gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating and gas. As part of the settlement, QOL and Mr. Cooper admitted and accepted responsibility for certain facts providing the basis of the settlement. Beginning in 2018, QOL, with Mr. Cooper’s approval, distributed free Carbon-13 breath test kits to health care providers and asked providers to give the kits to patients with common gastrointestinal symptoms. QOL claimed that the test could “rule in or rule out” CSID. In fact, the test does not specifically diagnose CSID. Conditions other than CSID can cause a patient to test “positive” for low sucrase activity on a Carbon-13 breath test. Approximately 30% of the Carbon-13 breath tests from QOL were positive for low sucrase activity. QOL paid a laboratory to analyze the breath tests, report the results to health care providers, and provide the results to QOL. The results QOL received from the laboratory did not contain patient names, but did contain the name of the health care provider who ordered the test, along with the patient’s age, gender, symptoms and test result. Between 2018 and 2022, QOL disseminated this information to its sales force with instructions to make sales calls for Sucraid to health care providers whose patients had positive Carbon-13 breath test results. QOL tracked whether sales representatives converted “positive” Carbon-13 breath tests into Sucraid prescriptions. As QOL’s CEO, Mr. Cooper was aware of and approved the implementation and continuation of this marketing program. Some QOL sales representatives also made claims regarding the Carbon-13 test’s ability to definitively diagnose CSID that were not supported by published scientific literature. For example, in slides at a 2019 national sales training, which Mr. Cooper reviewed, QOL suggested that sales representatives tell health care providers, “If you have a positive breath test, the patient will not improve unless you treat with Sucraid.” “QOL provided free goods to doctors and patients in order to induce prescriptions for the very expensive drug QOL manufactured,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Not all kickbacks come in the form of cash going into a doctor’s or a patient’s pocket. Here, the defendants relied on free breath tests and misleading sales tactics to drive patients to their product. This conduct unnecessarily drained money from the federal health care programs and improperly influenced treatment decisions by physicians and their patients.” “Participants in the federal healthcare system, including pharmaceutical manufacturers, may not offer improper inducements to generate business,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to protecting the integrity of federal health care programs, upholding the objectivity of treatment decisions by physicians and patients and preventing overutilization and waste in government health care programs.” “Kickback arrangements can compromise medical decisions and threaten the integrity of the Medicare program,” said Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “We are committed to protecting taxpayer-funded health care programs and the patients served by those programs, and we will thoroughly pursue allegations of False Claims Act violations.” “It is extremely important that we protect our government funded health care programs against fraud of any kind. Today’s settlement with QOL Medical and its CEO is the result of years of hard work by the FBI and our partners to make sure this company did not get away with offering improper incentives to boost sales of its drug Sucraid,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Let this case be a warning to others that we will aggressively pursue all those, motivated by greed, who try to unlawfully enrich themselves at taxpayers’ expense.” “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, has placed a high priority on pursuing companies that engage in fraudulent activity at the expense of the U.S. military,” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “This settlement demonstrates our commitment to protecting the TRICARE program, and we will continue to work with our partners to ensure critical healthcare funds are utilized in the appropriate manner.” “QOL misled doctors and patients by claiming their breath test could definitively diagnose CSID when there was not reliable data to support those claims,” said Special Agent in Charge Fernando McMillan, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations New York Field Office. “FDA will continue to pursue those who make unsupported claims that can jeopardize the public health for financial gain.” The allegations resolved by the settlement agreement were, in part, originally bought in a case filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by former QOL Medical employees. The case is captioned United States ex rel. John Doe 1, et al. v. QOL Medical, LLC, et al., No. 1:20-cv-11243 (D. Mass.). Of the total $47 million recovery, approximately $43.6 million constitutes the federal portion of the recovery and approximately $3.4 million constitutes a recovery for State Medicaid programs. The whistleblowers will receive approximately $8 million as their share of the recovery. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian LaMacchia and Lindsey Ross for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorneys Emily Bussigel and Paige Ammons of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. The case was investigated by HHS-OIG, FBI, DCIS and the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs.


title: South Carolina Man Arrested For Hate-Based Threats To Kill News Reporter And Her Family

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that AUSTIN SUMAN was arrested after he made a series of violent and hate-based threats to a news reporter, threatening to kill her and her family, as well as blow up her house. SUMAN was arrested in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, this morning and will be brought to the Southern District of New York to be presented in White Plains federal court. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The charges against the defendant demonstrate our resolve to work at lightning speed to neutralize threats against the press—which serves a vital role in our democracy. To any individual who dares to cross the line and make hate-based threats against members of our press: you will be found, and you will be held accountable for your actions.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “Austin Suman allegedly made numerous threats and ethnic slurs to a local news reporter to file a personal grievance against her for her previous reporting of his prior arrest. His alleged threats to inflict significant harm with firearms and explosives were delivered with intimidation and prejudice. Hiding behind a screen will not prevent the FBI’s pursuit of those who target others with hateful messages of violence and death.” As alleged in the Complaint : [1] On Friday, November 8, 2024, SUMAN sent messages over Facebook and email threatening a news reporter based in Orange County, New York. “You are a dumb spick, we [are] coming for you,” he said. “I will end you and your family.” “You better stay in [N]ew [Y]ork.” SUMAN also threatened to blow up the victim’s residence: “I can blow your house off [its] foundation tread lightly.” His threats appeared motivated by an article the reporter wrote several years ago, which related to SUMAN’s arrest for threatening a former roommate with a firearm, resulting in his guns being taken away. He added that all his guns were returned, stating “I have more guns than ever,” including “ful[ly] auto[matic]” weapons. SUMAN’s threats also appeared motivated by gender, race, ethnicity, and national origin. “[D]umb fuckin cunt . . . female journalist what a joke.” “[D]umb Mexican,” he said, while repeating ethnic slurs against people of Hispanic, Latin American, or Spanish descent. “We are going to deport your family all of them . . . [u]seless life. Dumb bitch. I would drag you by your legs naked with my horse.” “Guess what I have now? More [guns] than you or your family might know. Fucking spicks.” * * * SUMAN, 35, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is charged with threatening interstate communications, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; willfully making a threat involving explosives, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and interstate stalking, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI and the Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force in swiftly investigating the threats charged in the Complaint. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York State Police, Horry County Police Department, and FBI Columbia Division. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reyhan Watson is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: United States Reaches Settlement Agreement to Make Daycare Program Accessible for Children With Disabilities

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has entered into a settlement agreement with Smarter Kids Child Care (“Smarter Kids”) located in Smyrna, Georgia, to resolve allegations that Smarter Kids violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) by denying a child an opportunity to participate in its daycare program on the basis of his autism. “Access to childcare is essential for all parents, including those parents raising children with disabilities” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Children with disabilities deserve equal opportunities to participate in daycare programs, and my office looks forward to working with Smarter Kids to ensure it meets this critical obligation.” Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, and privileges of any place of public accommodation. Smarter Kids is a private entity that operates childcare facilities that are places of “public accommodation” within the meaning of Title III of the ADA. Based on the agreement, Smarter Kids will adopt a non-discrimination policy to ensure ADA compliance. Smarter Kids will also provide mandatory training for all employees who consider requests for reasonable accommodations or make enrollment decisions. Additionally, Smarter Kids will pay $7,000 in compensation to the complainant and $1,000 to the United States as a civil penalty. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Garabadu and Senior Civil Investigator Tamara Jones. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga . Settlement Agreement: smarter_kids_settlement_agreement_executed.pdf


title: Six Defendants Charged With Narcotics Conspiracy In Peekskill

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the arrest of six individuals charged with participating in a drug conspiracy that distributed large amounts of cocaine and fentanyl on the streets of Peekskill, New York. The defendants, JASON TINSLEY, a/k/a “Floss,” JEROME REED, a/k/a “Pops,” RAKIM MAYO, a/k/a “Bo,” THOMAS RYAN, GARY BURKETT, and MIESHA CATO, were arrested and arraigned on Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants participated in a conspiracy to flood the streets of Peekskill with cocaine, crack, and fentanyl. They allegedly operated throughout the City of Peekskill, on the street and in public housing complexes, disrupting people’s everyday lives and brazenly infesting the streets and residential buildings of Peekskill with dangerous drugs while they sought to get rich. Our investigation remains ongoing, and I thank our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors of this Office who are working tirelessly to keep drug dealers and dangerous illegal drugs out of our communities.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “These six defendants allegedly organized a regional narcotics trade to supply significant amounts of highly addictive drugs, including cocaine and fentanyl, through various personal and intermediary transactions. The alleged conspiracy operated on the streets and within local residential complexes, putting the wellbeing and safety of residents at risk through the increased presence of illegal drugs. The FBI will continue to dismantle and terminate the flow of illegal drugs plaguing our communities.” As alleged in the Indictment unsealed in White Plains federal court and statements made in court proceedings: From roughly April 2024 until their arrests this week, the defendants participated in a conspiracy to supply and distribute large amounts of primarily cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl in Peekskill, New York, along with methamphetamine and other narcotics. They operated out of multiple residential buildings, including Peekskill’s Bohlmann Towers and Dunbar Heights public housing complexes, actively selling drugs everyday themselves and through street sellers and couriers. In addition to arresting the defendants on Tuesday, the FBI, City of Peekskill Police Department, the Westchester County Police Department, and other members of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and its partners also executed multiple search warrants in Peekskill, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. In these searches, members of law enforcement discovered multiple kilograms of methamphetamine and crack cocaine, PCP, multiple firearms and rounds of ammunition, and over $100,000 of cash and jewelry. If you have any information about this case, please contact the FBI at 1-800-Call-FBI or tips.fbi.gov. * * * TINSLEY, 42, of Peekskill, New York; REED, 35, of Peekskill, New York; MAYO, 35, of Brooklyn, New York; RYAN, 43, of Brooklyn, New York; BURKETT, 62, of Peekskill, New York; and CATO, 37, of Peekskill, New York, are charged with narcotics conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, the City of Peekskill Police Department, the Westchester County Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Mr. Williams also thanked the Yorktown Police Department, the New York City Police Department, and the New York State Police. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin L. Brooke is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Staffing Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with Key Fortune Inc., doing business as Express Employment Professionals (Express), a staffing company in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that Express discriminated against a worker because of her immigration status by refusing to continue to honor her valid document that showed her permission to work in the United States. The agreement also resolves the department’s determination that Express refused to place her on an assignment until she presented a specific document showing her future permission to work. “It is unlawful for employers to require a specific document, or to reject a valid document, showing someone’s permission to work because of their immigration status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department is committed to protecting workers from immigration-related discrimination in the hiring process and eliminating unnecessary barriers to employment.” After conducting an investigation based on a complaint, the Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) concluded that Express unlawfully discriminated against a worker based on her immigration status when it rejected the worker’s Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which was still valid and not set to expire for an additional two months. Express then told the worker that it would not place her on an assignment until she provided a new EAD. Under the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), employers are not permitted to request specific documentation or reject valid documentation showing someone’s permission to work because of their immigration status. Under the terms of the settlement, Express will pay a civil penalty to the United States and pay backpay to the affected worker. The agreement also requires the company to train its personnel on the INA’s anti-discrimination requirements, review its employment policies and be subject to departmental monitoring. IER is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices ; or retaliation and intimidation . IER’s website has information about how employers can avoid unlawful discrimination when verifying a worker’s permission to work . Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video . Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge . The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation ; email IER@usdoj.gov ; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una compañía de dotación de personal que resuelve acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigración

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con Key Fortune, Inc., que opera comercialmente como Express Employment Professionals (Express), una empresa de dotación de personal en Rancho Cucamonga, California. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Express discriminó a una trabajadora debido a su estatus migratorio al negarse a seguir honrando su documento válido que mostraba su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. El acuerdo también resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Express se negó a asignarla a un encargo hasta que no presentara un documento específico que mostraba su futuro permiso para trabajar. «Es ilegal que un empleador requiera un documento específico o que rechace un documento válido que demuestre el permiso de uno para trabajar, debido al estatus migratorio de esa persona», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento se compromete a proteger a los trabajadores de la discriminación relacionada con la inmigración en el proceso de contratación y a eliminar barreras innecesarias para el empleo». Después de llevar a cabo una investigación basada en una queja, la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles concluyó que Express discriminó ilegalmente a una trabajadora por su estatus migratoria cuando se negó a seguir honrando su documentación válida actual que indicaba que se le permitía trabajar en los Estados Unidos. En concreto, el Departamento determinó que Express rechazó el Documento de Autorización para Trabajar (EAD) de la trabajadora, que todavía era válida y que no vencería hasta dentro de dos meses adicionales. Express le indicó a la trabajadora que no le asignaría un encargo hasta que no presentara un nuevo EAD. En virtud de la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés), los empleadores no pueden solicitar documentación específica ni rechazar documentación válida que demuestre el permiso de alguien para trabajar debido a su estatus migratorio. En virtud de los términos del acuerdo, Express pagará sanciones civiles a los Estados Unidos y le ofrecerá pagos retroactivos a la trabajadora afectada. Por otra parte, el acuerdo también requiere que la compañía capacite a su personal en cuanto a los requisitos antidiscriminatorios de la INA, que revise sus políticas de empleo y que se someta a la supervisión por parte del Departamento. La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación . El sitio web de la IER dispone de información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación ilícita al verificar el permiso para trabajar de un trabajador . Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto . Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia . El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito o visualizar una presentación a la carta; enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov ; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español . Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico desde la IER.


title: Former Marianas High School Teacher Sentenced to 156 Months in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Crimes

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Saipan, CNMI – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announces that on November 13, 2024, David Matthew Frahm, age 47, from Iowa, was sentenced to 156 months imprisonment in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) for Possession of Child Pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(5) (B) and (b)(2) and Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct in Foreign Places, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2423(c) and (f). The Court also ordered Frahm to serve an additional five years of supervised release and pay a $200 mandatory assessment fee. The Court deferred a hearing on restitution until December 19, 2024. As a convicted sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Frahm will be required to register in every jurisdiction where he resides, works, and goes to school upon release from prison. Frahm pled guilty to knowingly possessing a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, discovered during forensic analysis of a laptop computer. He abandoned the computer in March 2019 before his flight from Saipan. The public school-issued computer contained a digital picture from a defunct Ukrainian company that produced child pornography. The company operated under the guise of an artistic modelling studio but was shut down approximately two decades ago for child exploitation. Shortly after local and federal law enforcement began investigating Frahm for this charge and other conduct, he fled from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to Malaysia where he lived illegally for four years. While in Malaysia, Frahm violated a law designed to punish U.S. citizens who commit sex crimes while traveling or residing abroad. He did so in February 2024 by using his mobile phone to surreptitiously record an eleven-year-old child after exiting a shower. Friends of the victim contacted U.S. authorities, and with assistance from the Royal Malaysian Police, Frahm was detained pursuant to a warrant issued by the District Court for the NMI. He was then escorted by the FBI back to Saipan. On June 8, 2024, federal authorities formally arrested him after landing on U.S. soil. After sentencing, the Court granted the Government’s motion to dismiss a third count relating to Frahm’s alleged attempt to take pictures of children using a toilet in March 2019, a condition of the plea agreement. “Frahm preyed on children in the far corners of the Indo-Pacific region,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “I applaud the work of the FBI in bringing him to justice. This case demonstrates what multi-national partnerships can do to promote public safety. Those who travel outside the United States to exploit children will be held accountable.” “This sentence sends a clear message that crimes against children will not be tolerated, and that our collective efforts to promote public safety in Hawaii, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands remains steadfast,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “We will hold perpetrators accountable for their heinous actions especially when they were entrusted by students and parents alike to serve as role models and not a sexual predator.” The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of CNMI Department of Public Safety and Royal Malaysian Police. Assistant United States Attorney Eric O’Malley prosecuted the case in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands. This was a Project Safe Childhood (PSC) case, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, PSC 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 PSC, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Career offenders sentenced to prison for meth trafficking and illegally possessing firearms

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – Two Norfolk men were sentenced for drug-trafficking and firearms convictions. According to court documents, in December 2023, law enforcement conducted a controlled drug purchase from Javou Jameil Smith, 43, at the residence of Brian Ricardo Hinton, 41, in Norfolk. During the controlled purchase, Smith sold 452 grams of methamphetamine and was in possession of a firearm. Hinton was also present during the controlled purchase. On Dec. 13, 2023, Chesapeake Police executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence. Smith, who was subject to active arrest warrants in Virginia Beach, attempted to flee and was apprehended after a short pursuit. Investigators searched Smith and recovered 6.05 grams of meth and approximately 1 gram of fentanyl individually packaged for sale. During the search of Smith’s residence, investigators recovered 57 packets containing fentanyl; five tablets containing fentanyl and Xylazine; five tablets containing para-fluorofentanyl, cocaine, and fentanyl; a loaded firearm; digital scales; and materials for the packaging and distribution of drugs. Police also executed a second search warrant at Hinton’s residence. Investigators located a safe that contained a loaded firearm magazine, a bag with 118 multi-colored tablets containing meth, and a bag containing 13.9 grams of meth. In the same room, investigators found 29 bags of meth. Ten of the 29 bags were tested and confirmed to be 278 grams of meth, with the untested remainder totaling 533.34 grams. Investigators also recovered a firearm, ammunition, packaging materials, and digital scales. Smith pled guilty on June 14 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. On Nov. 5, he was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison. Hinton pled guilty on June 17 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. On Nov. 13 he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Mark Talbot, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:24-cr-49 (Hinton) and 2:24-cr-51 (Smith).


title: Cabot Man Sentenced to Over 16 Years in Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—George Tavis Marino, II, a multi-convicted felon, will spend 200 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr. Marino was indicted on August 1, 2023, on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty on March 21, 2024. Judge Moody also sentenced Marino to five years supervised release. An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) revealed that on May 13, 2022, at approximately 9:30 p.m., an Arkansas State Police trooper initiated a traffic stop at 2500 John Hardin Drive, in Jacksonville, Arkansas, on a silver Mazda for illegally displaying white lights to the rear of the vehicle, near the license plate. As the trooper approached the vehicle, he saw the front passenger, later identified as Marino, reach under his seat. At that point, the Trooper instructed Marino to put his hands where he could see them and not to dig around on the floorboard. Marino then raised his hands through the open passenger window. The trooper advised the driver of the reason for the stop and asked if either of the men was on probation or parole, and both men stated “no.” The trooper asked Marino to exit the vehicle and saw him reach under his seat again. Concerned that he was reaching for a firearm, the trooper reached inside to prevent Marino from moving and told him not to “do anything stupid.” Marino denied having a firearm when asked by the trooper. After repeatedly being instructed to exit the vehicle and not reach for anything, Marino eventually exited through the open passenger window. Marino repeatedly said, “Don’t do this, man,” tried to cover the trooper’s microphone, and continued to resist. The trooper pulled out his taser and Marino fled after throwing a can of Sprite at the trooper. During a search of Marino’s vehicle, the trooper discovered under the passenger seat a Hi-Point, model C9, 9mm pistol, loaded with five rounds. Marino was eventually located in a Walmart parking lot in Jacksonville and taken into custody. Marino is classified as an armed career criminal offender due to his violent criminal history, which includes 21 prior felony convictions for crimes such as first degree terroristic threatening, second degree battery, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, felony fleeing, aggravated assault, possession of narcotics with intent to distribute, and two prior felon in possession of a firearm convictions. Therefore, the maximum penalty Marino faced was not less than 15 years and not more than life in prison, no more than five years supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. There is no parole in the federal system. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin O’Leary. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Former Decatur Oncologist Sentenced for Illegal Opioid Prescribing

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A former oncologist in Decatur has been sentenced for illegally prescribing drugs, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer. Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Sammy Fuad Becdach , 58, to 24 months in prison followed by a year of home confinement. Becdach was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine. According to the plea agreement, Becdach worked as an oncologist in Decatur, Alabama, including during 2018 through 2021, when the illegal prescribing occurred. In August 2022, the Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama revoked Becdach’s medical license for unprofessional conduct related to his romantic relationship with a woman to whom he had written opioid prescriptions and who later died from a drug overdose. Becdach wrote illegal prescriptions for controlled substances to three individuals who were not his patients. The three filled the prescriptions at Becdach’s request and then gave him the pills they received. Becdach gave some pills to women with whom he was romantically involved. The prescriptions included opioids and benzodiazepines. The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward prosecuted the case.


title: Florida Man Sentenced To 80 Years For Producing And Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Brett Avery Tipton (42, Rockledge) to 80 years in federal prison for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material. The Court also ordered Tipton to forfeit the device used in the commission of the offense and to register as a sex offender. Tipton had entered a guilty plea on July 24, 2024. According to court documents, from approximately 2020 through 2021, Tipton groomed a minor victim (who was 12 years old when they met) and, through online gaming and social media platforms, convinced the victim to create pornographic images and videos of himself for Tipton. In return, Tipton sent gifts and food to the victim. Tipton also used the victim to “bait” other children on the internet into creating child sexual abuse material. Further, Tipton groomed a second minor victim and similarly convinced this victim to send pornographic pictures and videos of himself to Tipton in exchange for gifts. At one point, Tipton met the second victim in person and attempted to lure the victim into a public restroom for oral sex. Lastly, Tipton was also active in online chat groups, where he shared child sexual abuse material and instructed that other members would need to also share material or be removed. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Chang, Robert Sowell, and Courtney Richardson-Jones. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Pharmaceutical Company QOL Medical and CEO Agree to Pay $47M for Allegedly Paying Kickbacks to Induce Claims for QOL’s Drug Sucraid

component: Civil Division

body_text: Pharmaceutical company QOL Medical LLC (QOL) and its co-owner and CEO, Frederick E. Cooper, have agreed to pay $47 million to resolve allegations that they caused the submission of false claims to federal health care programs, in violation of the False Claims Act and similar state statutes, by offering kickbacks in the form of free Carbon-13 breath testing services to induce claims for QOL’s drug Sucraid. Sucraid is an FDA-approved therapy for the rare genetic condition Congenital Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency (CSID). CSID patients have difficulty digesting sucrose (table sugar) and suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating and gas. Beginning in 2018, QOL, with Cooper’s approval, distributed free Carbon-13 breath test kits to health care providers and asked providers to give the kits to patients with common gastrointestinal symptoms. QOL claimed that the test could “rule in or rule out” CSID. In fact, the test does not specifically diagnose CSID. Conditions other than CSID can cause a patient to test “positive” for low sucrase activity on a Carbon-13 breath test. Approximately 30% of the Carbon-13 breath tests from QOL were positive for low sucrase activity. QOL paid a laboratory to analyze the breath tests, report the results to health care providers and also provide the results to QOL. The results provided to QOL did not contain patient names, but did contain the name of the health care provider who ordered the test, along with the patient’s age, gender, symptoms and test result. Between 2018 and 2022, QOL disseminated this information to its sales force with instructions to make sales calls for Sucraid to health care providers whose patients had positive Carbon-13 breath test results. QOL tracked whether sales representatives converted “positive” Carbon-13 breath tests into Sucraid prescriptions. As QOL’s CEO, Cooper was aware of and approved the implementation and continuation of this marketing program. Some QOL sales representatives also made claims to health care providers regarding the Carbon-13 test’s ability to definitively diagnose CSID that were not supported by published scientific literature. For example, in slides at a 2019 national sales training, which Cooper reviewed, QOL suggested that sales representatives tell health care providers, “If you have a positive breath test, the patient will not improve unless you treat with Sucraid.” As part of the settlement, QOL and Cooper admitted and accepted responsibility for certain facts providing the basis of the settlement. “Participants in the federal healthcare system, including pharmaceutical manufacturers, may not offer improper inducements to generate business,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to protecting the integrity of federal health care programs, upholding the objectivity of treatment decisions by physicians and patients and preventing overutilization and waste in government health care programs.” “QOL provided free goods to doctors and patients in order to induce prescriptions for the very expensive drug QOL manufactured,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts. “Not all kickbacks come in the form of cash going into a doctor’s or a patient’s pocket. Here, the defendants relied on free breath tests and misleading sales tactics to drive patients to their product. This conduct unnecessarily drained money from the federal health care programs and improperly influenced treatment decisions by physicians and their patients.” “Kickback arrangements can compromise medical decisions and threaten the integrity of the Medicare program,” said Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We are committed to protecting taxpayer-funded health care programs and the patients served by those programs, and we will thoroughly pursue allegations of False Claims Act violations.” “Kickbacks have no place in our healthcare system,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This settlement should send a message that the FBI is committed to finding fraudsters and investigating all those who try to exploit the healthcare system at the expense of patients.” “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, has placed a high priority on pursuing companies that engage in fraudulent activity at the expense of the U.S. military,” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “This settlement demonstrates our commitment to protecting the TRICARE program, and we will continue to work with our partners to ensure critical healthcare funds are utilized in the appropriate manner.” The allegations resolved by the settlement agreement were, in part, originally brought in a case filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Elizabeth Allen, Lauren Canlas, Donald Johnson and Stacey Adams, who are former QOL Medical employees. The case is captioned United States ex rel. John Doe 1 et al. v. QOL Medical LLC, et al. , No. 1:20-cv-11243 (DMA). The False Claims Act permits private parties to sue for fraud on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. The act also permits the government to intervene in such actions, as the government did, in part, in this case. Of the total $47 million recovery, approximately $43.6 million constitutes the federal portion of the recovery and approximately $3.4 million constitutes a recovery for State Medicaid programs. The whistleblowers will receive approximately $8 million from the federal portion of the recovery. The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, with investigative support from HHS-OIG, the FBI Boston Field Office, DCIS and Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of the Inspector General. Trial Attorneys Emily Bussigel and Paige Ammons of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian LaMacchia and Lindsey Ross for the District of Massachusetts handled the matter. With the exception of the facts admitted by QOL and Cooper, the claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: New York Doctor Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A New York doctor pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston for receiving kickbacks in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans. Dr. Kenneth Fishberger, 75, of East Setauket, N.Y. pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 25, 2025. Fishberger, an internist in Long Island, N.Y., was a licensed medical doctor in the State of New York for approximately 47 years. From approximately June 2013 through December 2019, Fishberger conspired with others, including a principal for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, and a salesperson for the company, to order hundreds of medically unnecessary TCD scans in exchange for kickbacks. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. Fishberger and his co-conspirators used false diagnoses to order the unnecessary brain scans, for which a co-conspirator would submit claims to Medicare and other insurance companies, including private insurance companies, on behalf of the medical diagnostic company for payment. In exchange, Fishberger was paid cash kickbacks of approximately $100 per test. According to the charging documents, the scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $891,978 to Medicare and private insurance companies. The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years 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. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Carol S. Hamilton, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard Locker and Mackenzie Queenin of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.


title: Winter Park Man Sentenced To More Than Five Years In Federal Prison For Receiving Child Sex Abuse Images

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Kevin Thompson (35, Winter Park) to five years and six months in federal prison for receipt of child sex abuse material. Thompson entered a guilty plea on July 22, 2024. According to court documents, an undercover FBI agent discovered an Internet Protocol (IP) address that was sharing files containing child sex abuse material. The investigation traced the IP address back to Thompson and his Winter Park residence. During the execution of a search warrant at Thompson’s residence, the FBI located dozens of files depicting the sexual abuse of children on Thompson’s smartphone device. During an interview with FBI agents, Thompson admitted to utilizing his smartphone to download and view child sex abuse material while at his residence. Thompson further told agents that he had been viewing child sex abuse material for approximately 14 years. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sartoian. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.