title: Owner of Chicago-Area Convenience Stores Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Defrauding Low-Income Food Program

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced the owner of several Chicago-area convenience stores to four years in prison for scheming to defraud a low-income food program for women and children. From 2010 to 2018, HASSAN ABDELLATIF schemed with eight other convenience store owners or workers in the Chicago area to fraudulently redeem checks from the Women, Infants, and Children (“WIC”) program, a federally funded initiative designed to provide a nutritious diet to low-income children and pregnant, breastfeeding, and post-partum women. Abdellatif and the others knowingly allowed customers to provide their WIC checks as payment for ineligible items at the stores, often at inflated prices. In all, ten stores involved in the scheme redeemed more than $19 million in WIC checks. A federal jury last year convicted Abdellatif, 37, of Chicago, on all five counts against him, including two counts of wire fraud, one count of fraudulently obtaining government benefits, and two counts of willfully failing to file corporate tax returns. In addition to the four-year prison term, U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso on Tuesday ordered Abdellatif to pay more than $8.8 million in restitution to the government. Eight others were charged in federal court as part of this investigation. All eight have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Shantel R. Robinson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Midwest Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kartik K. Raman and Rick Young. “Hassan Abdellatif and his co-schemers engaged in conduct that was extremely serious, complex, and wide-ranging in scope,” AUSA Raman argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Vulnerable communities are impacted when individuals steal from those programs.”


title: Founder of Acton-Based Animal Welfare Organization Arrested on Federal Charge that He Plotted Former Employee’s Kidnapping

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An actor who is the founder and president of an animal welfare organization based near the Antelope Valley has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with the attempted kidnapping of a former employee who won a $6.7 million wrongful-termination judgment against him, the Justice Department announced today. Leo Grillo, 77, of Acton, is charged with attempted kidnapping, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. He was arrested Tuesday and is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Grillo leads an Acton-based animal welfare organization called Dedication and Everlasting Love to Animals (DELTA) Rescue, which bills itself as the largest no-kill animal sanctuary of its kind in the world. Grillo also is a film actor and producer. In November 2024, the victim won a judgment of $6,680,950 in Los Angeles Superior Court after a jury found DELTA Rescue liable for wrongful termination and other causes of legal action. DELTA Rescue – which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2025 – is appealing that judgment. In December 2025, Grillo met in Burbank with an individual to discuss the wrongful-termination litigation as well as a documentary targeting his liability insurance company that he believed had treated him poorly. He then asked the individual to use his contacts in Mexico to find out more about the plaintiff who successfully sued him. During January 2026, Grillo asked the individual – whom Grillo didn’t know was then cooperating with law enforcement – for another in-person meeting and began talking in code about a “documentary” in which the woman who defeated him at trial would be kidnapped along with a family member and for them to be held hostage in Mexico. While in confinement, she would be forced to cooperate with Grillo to settle the litigation. He also said he would be willing to pay $100,000 to make that happen and that he wanted her child and she to be flown out of an airfield in Lancaster. In February 2026, Grillo mailed the individual a check from “Animals Are People Too” for $20,000 and confirmed that he wanted to get the victim on an airplane to Mexico, where her husband and she would be held hostage. The memo on the check stated, “Production,” consistent with Grillo’s coded terminology for the kidnapping plot. On March 3, the individual met again with Grillo in Burbank, told him, “They’ve got ‘em,” and showed Grillo a fake photograph on the individual’s cellphone showing what appeared to be the victim and a man tied up with zip ties and with the victim having duct tape over her mouth. The individual then told Grillo that the plan had hit a snag and the victim and her husband had not yet left Lancaster and would need to be taken to a different place in Mexico. Grillo worried aloud that their sons could contact law enforcement. Grillo eventually wrote a $10,000 check to the individual to further advance the kidnapping plot. A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. The FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler of the Major Crimes Section and Kevin B. Reidy and Haoxiaohan H. Cai of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Felon Sentenced to Additional Prison Time for Possessing Shotgun and Ammunition while Awaiting Trial in Another Federal Case

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MIGUEL RIVERA, also known as “Macho,” 33, of Shelton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 40 months of imprisonment, consecutive to a 60-month prison term that Rivera is currently serving, for unlawfully possessing a shotgun and ammunition as a felon. According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of July 5, 2020, Waterbury Police officers responded to a shots-fired complaint in the area of William Street and Laurel Street in Waterbury. When officers arrived on William Street, Rivera, who was wearing a body armor vest, attempted to flee by climbing over a fence. Rivera was apprehended, and a search of the area from which he had run revealed a Romarm/Cugir, AK Type Model, 7.62 x 39mm caliber, semiautomatic rifle containing a fully loaded 30-round magazine. Rivera also possessed one round of ammunition in his pocket. On June 21, 2022, while he was released on bond and awaiting trial, Rivera unlawfully possessed a stolen 12-gauge shotgun, ammunition, and two Kevlar bullet proof vests. Rivera’s criminal history includes convictions for felony firearm, robbery, and burglary offenses. 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. On October 19, 2023, a jury found Rivera guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon related to his criminal conduct in July 2020. On November 22, 2024, he was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 60 months of imprisonment for that offense. On December 1, 2025, Rivera pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon related to his criminal conduct in June 2022. Rivera has been detained since July 13, 2022. This investigation has been conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Waterbury Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Patricia Stolfi Collins.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Tennessee Man Of Trafficking Methamphetamine

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal jury in Asheville returned a guilty verdict yesterday against Sean Christopher Williams, 54, of Johnson City, Tennessee, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. According to filed documents, evidence presented at trial, and witness testimony, on April 29, 2023, at 2:12 a.m., an officer with the Western Carolina University campus police observed a vehicle parked in a Tuckasegee River Access parking lot near campus. The officer further observed an individual, later identified as Williams, in the driver seat who appeared to be passed out. The officer approached the vehicle and noticed an opened silver case in the passenger seat with various drug paraphernalia. Evidence established that the officer woke up Williams and asked him to step out of the vehicle. After a short conversation, Williams was detained, and officers searched his vehicle. In a blue duffle bag in the passenger floorboard under a television, officers uncovered over 15 ounces of pure methamphetamine in five separate containers, over eight ounces of cocaine in two separate containers, and two digital scales. Four months later, Williams made two calls from the Laurel County Correctional Center in Kentucky where he admitted possessing the methamphetamine for distribution. Williams remains in federal custody. At sentencing, he faces a minimum of 10 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. Williams is facing additional charges in the Western District of North Carolina for alleged possession and transportation of child sexual abuse material. In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Western Carolina University Police Department for their investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Annabelle Chambers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville are prosecuting the case. Ms. Chambers is a state prosecutor with the office of the 43rd Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Ashley Welch to serve as SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville. Ms. Chambers is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the office of the 43rd Prosecutorial District and the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA position helps ensure the effective and vigorous prosecution of federal court cases that impact the counties within the 43rd Prosecutorial District.


title: Tyler County Woman Admits to Methamphetamine Offense

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – An Alma, West Virginia woman is facing 15 years in prison after pleading to a methamphetamine charge, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. Jamie Ann Tanner, 44, of Alma, West Virginia, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. During an investigation into Tanner’s drug activity, officers executed a search warrant at her home, where they seized more than 1200 grams of methamphetamine. Tanner is facing 180 months in prison per the plea agreement. She will be sentenced at a later date. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. Investigative agencies include Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office; and the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office. U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided. This case is a part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.


title: Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Gregory Magin, age 45, of Glenville, New York, pled guilty on March 2, 2026 to one count each of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division Craig Tremaroli; and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement. As part of his guilty plea, Magin admitted that in July 2024, he used an Internet-based messaging application (“application”) to encourage the production of multiple child pornography videos by another user who was actively sexually abusing a 14-year-old child. Magin then used the application to distribute one of those child pornography videos to another user. Additionally, during that same month, Magin possessed and distributed approximately 14 child pornography videos to other users of the application, including a video depicting the sexual abuse of a prepubescent child. First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone stated: “As admitted through Magin’s plea agreement, Magin actively encouraged the sexual abuse of a minor and promoted the creation of multiple child pornography videos capturing that abuse. Magin’s monstrous crimes will not be tolerated by this Office and now Magin will be off the street and unable to victimize children for a long, long time. Let this be a warning to those who promote the sexual abuse of children: this Office will stop at nothing to identify you, prosecute you, and remove you from our communities. I thank the FBI and New York State Police for their steadfast dedication to investigating and bringing to justice those who prey on children.” FBI Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli stated: “Not only did Mr. Magin encourage the abuse of a child, but he further exploited the victim by sharing the disgusting images of the abuse with other predators. Today’s plea ensures he will spend a substantial amount of time in federal prison for his horrific acts. The FBI will continue to use every resource available to our Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force to investigate and hold accountable dangerous predators preying on our most vulnerable.” NYSP Superintendent Steven G. James stated: “Acts that threaten the well-being of children are unconscionable, and we will continue to seek justice for those who have been victimized. Anyone who preys upon and is involved in predatory acts against children must understand that such crimes will not be tolerated. I thank our State Police members, the United States Attorney’s Office, and partners in law enforcement for their unwavering proactive work on this case.” At his sentencing on July 2, 2026, Magin faces a term of imprisonment of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. Magin also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. He will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. This case was investigated by FBI with the assistance of the Colonie Police Department and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney A.J. Vickey is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: West Bloomfield Pair Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud,  Husband Arrested for Obstruction of Justice

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – West Bloomfield residents Peter Valente and Angela Toma have been charged with conspiracy to commit over $2.6 million in wire fraud relating to pandemic assistance loans, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced. Valente also faces an obstruction of justice charge. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Detroit. According to a criminal complaint unsealed today, Valente and Toma collaborated to fraudulently obtain $2,609,210 from the Paycheck Protection Program. Valente and Toma are alleged to have submitted false loan applications to Paycheck Protection Program lenders using inactive businesses and falsified bank records. When federal agents began investigating the loan fraud, Valente approached them and repeatedly claimed that Toma was solely responsible, and he was unaware of the crime until it had concluded. Further investigation revealed that Valente was in fact an active collaborator in the scheme, going so far as to celebrate with Toma when a fraudulent loan was approved. A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is complete, determinations will be made whether to seek felony indictments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Craig Welkener and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.


title: Indiana County Resident Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Unlawful Possession of Firearm

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Penn Run, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 57 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Eldon Sajko, 55. According to information presented to the Court, on or about March 21, 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Sajko possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine along with quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin. On the same date, Sajko—who had been previously convicted of a felony—unlawfully possessed a firearm and ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Further, on July 27, 2022, Sajko possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine. Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency Safe Streets Task Force, Pennsylvania State Police, and Indiana Borough Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sajko.


title: Two Montgomery Men Sentenced on Federal Firearms Charges

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced that two Montgomery men have been sentenced to federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm. On February 25, 2026, a federal judge sentenced 37-year-old Stacy Rodrekus Calloway, of Montgomery, Alabama, to 60 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for violating the terms of his federal supervised release. The court also imposed three years of supervised release to follow his term of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. According to his plea agreement and court records, Calloway was residing in Montgomery in 2025 while on supervised release after completing a 148-month federal sentence imposed in 2013 for drug and firearms convictions. On April 11, 2025, law enforcement officers with the Montgomery Area Crime Suppression (MACS) Unit conducted a traffic stop after observing a traffic violation. Before bringing the vehicle to a stop, officers observed the driver, later identified as Calloway, throwing an object from the window. Officers recovered the object, which was a handgun. Because of his prior felony convictions, federal law prohibited Calloway from possessing a firearm. His possession of the handgun also violated the conditions of his supervised release. Officers also identified a passenger in the vehicle, 47-year-old British Tremain George, of Montgomery. George, who has prior felony convictions, was also found in possession of a handgun. As a convicted felon, George is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition. On November 3, 2025, both Calloway and George pleaded guilty to being felons in possession of firearms. The court sentenced George to 20 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Probation Office for the Middle District of Alabama investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted this case.


title: Gang member sentenced to 35 years for role in sex trafficking operation

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 34-year-old member of the 52 Hoover Gangster Crips has been ordered to federal prison for sex trafficking young teenage girls, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Clarence Christopher Chambers aka Crazzi Chris pleaded guilty Nov. 24, 2025. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now sentenced Chambers to serve 420 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard information and evidence detailing Chambers’s exploitation and victimization of numerous teenage girls. The court emphasized the lasting trauma the victims suffered including physical abuse, threats, and profound psychological harm. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted Chambers lacked genuine remorse and characterized him as a predator who should not be free to prey on others. Chambers will serve 10 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term, after which he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date. “Chambers stole his young victims’ dignity and innocence,” said Ganjei. “They were beaten, threatened, and treated as commodities for someone else’s profit. Today’s sentence is about these courageous victims, recognizing the depth of harm they endured and affirming that they matter and their lives are not disposable. My office will continue to stand with victims and use every federal tool available to hold human traffickers accountable.” From April to September 2019, Chambers and others worked to recruit young teenage girls and forced them to engage in sex acts with “clients” for money in cars and motels around the Bissonnet “blade” or “track.” The Bissonnet blade is an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street in Houston where pimps and traffickers place their victims to engage in commercial sex. Chambers targeted vulnerable teenage girls, including runaways from foster care and unstable homes, some as young as 14. He lured them with false promises of financial security, affection, and housing. He then used violence and threats to coerce them into engaging in commercial sex for his profit. Chambers forced the young victims walk the blade while he and others kept the profits. Co-conspirators Michael Anthony Gonzalez aka Mumbles, 29, Jerreck Michael Hilliard aka Jmoney, 37, and Javon Yaw Opoku aka Glizzy, 25, all of Houston, were previously sentenced to 240, 292 and 365 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the sex trafficking conspiracy. Chambers will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Suh, Sharad Khandelwal, Anthony Franklyn, Amanda R. Alum, and former AUSA Richard W. Bennett prosecuted the case. The Houston Police Department conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Harris County District Attorney’s Office. HTRA law enforcement includes members of HPD, FBI, ICE-HSI, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor, DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties. Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.


title: Maryland Man Sentenced for Laundering Fraud Money

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A Maryland man has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison and ordered to repay $5.45 million to victims of a series of frauds, U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus announced Wednesday. James Marcus Dyett, 60, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy in November. He admitted conspiring with at least seven other people to conceal the source of funds obtained via fraud and transfer that money into cryptocurrency accounts or other accounts. The conspirators received at least 34 wire transfers totaling $8.3 million from at least 36 victims of business email compromise (BEC) wire fraud schemes or romance fraud. Dyett began communicating with “Victoria” via WhatsApp in October of 2022. Victoria hired Dyett for a job at Coins2Trade, which she described as a cryptocurrency transaction processor, in exchange for a 3.5% commission on transactions he processed. Victoria provided paperwork to the defendant to form JMD Consultant Services LLC in Maryland and then introduced him to Richard Charles Appelbaum and “E.S.” They trained him via WhatsApp messages and phone calls, telling him to create business entities and open numerous business and personal bank accounts and accounts at various cryptocurrency exchanges under his own name. They told Dyett to provide the account information to Victoria and E.S. and move funds from the bank accounts into cryptocurrency accounts as soon as possible. Dyett and his conspirators falsely claimed on the corporate organization documents that the businesses would be involved in auto purchasing consulting, boating supplies, real estate management and life skills consulting when their real purpose was attempting to appear legitimate and receive large wire transfers. Between February 2022 and April 2023, the conspirators opened at least 24 business bank accounts at various institutions. Dyett’s co-defendant, Lisa Mae Burnett, was listed on the corporate documents of JMD and met him at a bank in April of 2023, where they tried to arrange for a fraudulent $2 million wire transfer. Burnett, 64, is serving a five-year prison sentence. She was also ordered to repay $5.45 million. Appelbaum, 41, is serving a three-year sentence. He was ordered to repay $2.3 million. The FBI and the Baltimore County (Maryland) Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case. Report fraud to ic3.gov , the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.


title: McKeesport Felon Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Possession and Use of Firearm While on Federal Supervised Release

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 76 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 46 months of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal firearms law, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Thomas Thornton, 49. According to information presented to the Court, on December 19, 2024, Thornton discharged 10 rounds of ammunition from a stolen 9mm semi-automatic pistol into an occupied residence within the City of Pittsburgh. Officers with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police detained Thornton within minutes of the incident, and, following the execution of a search warrant on Thornton’s vehicle, recovered the 9mm pistol Thornton used in the shooting. At the time of the offense, Thornton was on federal supervised release following a 37-month sentence in federal prison for a drug trafficking and firearms conviction. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Thornton. 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: Mother Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Fraud Scheme Involving Quadriplegic Son

body_text: A Lubbock woman was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining, forging, and cashing Texas Medicaid checks payable to a former health worker for her quadriplegic son, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. Judy Terecia Sanchez, 60, was sentenced to 204 months’ imprisonment on February 19, 2026, by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, after Sanchez pled guilty in July last year to one count of bank fraud. Judge Hendrix also ordered Sanchez to pay restitution of $227,377 to Texas Health and Human Services. “The defendant inflicted unimaginable suffering on her son by fraudulently pretending he received the care he needed and deserved,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Justice in the form of this lengthy prison sentence is deserved for the defendant’s callous exploitation of her son’s tragic condition for her own gain.” “This sentencing was the culmination of a tremendous team effort, and I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and the Texas Office of Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their hard work and dedication in seeing that justice was served,” said Texas HHS Inspector General Raymond Winter, whose agency initiated the investigation. “This case was about something much more troubling than fraud; it was about a severely disabled young man who was deprived of services paid for by taxpayers. Ms. Sanchez received more than $200,000 under false pretenses—monies intended to provide professional help for her own quadriplegic son to perform basic functions that most of us take for granted. Instead, her son went without for more than six years while she stole taxpayer dollars and lied about it. I hope today’s sentencing serves as a potent reminder that Texans will not tolerate this behavior and that the pursuit of justice will be relentless.” Court records reflect that Sanchez’s son suffered a debilitating injury that left him severely disabled, bed-ridden, blind, non-verbal, non-mobile, and breathing via a tracheostomy. These disabilities made him wholly dependent on others for all of his needs and qualified him for home health care through the Texas Medicaid program. In 2015, Sanchez selected a certified nurse aide to assist with her son’s bathing, toileting, repositioning in bed, hygiene care, and restorative activities. According to court documents, the nurse aide resigned after approximately two weeks, but Sanchez did not replace her with another aide to provide her son’s care. Instead, for the next six years, Sanchez falsified time sheets as if the nurse aide was still caring for her son and submitted the time sheets to Medicaid for payment. Sanchez directed Medicaid to mail the checks – each of which were payable to the nurse aide—to a post office box controlled by Sanchez. Sanchez then forged and cashed the checks. According to information presented at sentencing, Sanchez’s fraud was discovered when her son was found in an extreme state of neglect and misery toward the end of his life after Sanchez left him unattended. During the investigation, an EMS worker stated that, in her nine-year career, she had never seen a living person in such a state. When imposing the 17-year sentence, Judge Hendrix observed that Sanchez’s fraud had prevented qualified Medicaid care for her son and noted details about his condition, involving pus-filled bed sores and a severe maggot infestation covering his body. The Office of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office—Lubbock Resident Agency, and Texas Health and Human Services conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey prosecuted the case.


title: Lubbock Chapter President of the Banditos Motorcycle Club Charged with Methamphetamine Distribution

body_text: A Lubbock man and chapter president of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club was federally charged for his role in possessing large quantities of methamphetamine for distribution, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. Steven Glenn Ryals, 74, of Lubbock, Texas, also known as “Hot Tub,” was charged by federal complaint on March 2, 2026, with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ryals appeared before a United States Magistrate Judge in Lubbock that same day for his initial appearance on the charges. He remains in federal custody pending further court proceedings. If convicted, Ryals faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in federal prison. According to the complaint, in early 2025, law enforcement agents initiated an investigation into Ryals, who was the Banditos Notorious Chapter President, and other Banditos members suspected of methamphetamine trafficking the Lubbock area. On February 27, 2026, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant for the Banditos Notorious clubhouse, which was also Ryals’s residence. Inside an office, agents located approximately 3.2 pounds of suspected methamphetamine inside a locked drawer of a wooden filing cabinet. Next to the cabinet was another cabinet containing Ryals’ BMC paraphernalia, as depicted below: In other areas of the office, agents found multiple items commonly used in the distribution of controlled substances, including numerous small plastic baggies, digital scales, and a concealed compartment located inside a bookshelf. This investigation was a joint operation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lubbock Texas Anti-Gang Center, and Caprock Hi-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The Texas Anti-Gang Center is composed of agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lubbock Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt is prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Homedale Man Sentenced to Over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Idaho

body_text: BOISE – Richard Marlin Kellogg, 50, of Homedale, Idaho, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. According to court records, the investigation began when the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (“ICAC”) received a CyberTip report from a cloud storage platform. A CyberTip is a report submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”). NCMEC gathers leads and tips regarding suspected online crimes against children and forwards them to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement determined that a cloud account, later identified as belonging to Kellogg, had been used to upload and store child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the contents of Kellogg’s cloud account and located numerous files of child sexual abuse material. ICAC subsequently executed a search warrant at Kellogg’s Homedale residence. During the execution of the search warrant, Kellogg refused to exit the residence and was later found hiding in a hidden room inside the residence. Investigators seized his cellphone and located hundreds of files of child sexual abuse material on the cellphone. Chief U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Kellogg to serve a lifetime period of supervised release following his prison sentence and to pay $6,000 in restitution to the victims in the images that he possessed. Kellogg will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of his conviction. U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Idaho ICAC Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations in Boise and Spokane, which led to the charge. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kassandra McGrady prosecuted the case. These cases were 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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Sandston business owner pleads guilty to filing false tax returns and fraudulent pandemic relief applications

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Sandston man pled guilty today to subscribing to a false tax return and wire fraud. According to court documents, Kevin Alphonso Starlings, 40, was the sole owner and operator of several businesses, including Jeremiah Enterprises, Starlings Enterprises, The Service Sharks, ProSource Property Solutions, and Jeremiah Entertainment LLC. Starlings issued Form W-2 Wage and Tax Statements from his five businesses to himself, purportedly reflecting the wages, tips, and other compensation he was paid, and the trust fund taxes and federal income tax that were purportedly withheld and paid over to the IRS on his behalf. For calendar years 2016 through 2022, Starlings filed false Forms 1040 falsely reporting, among other things, that his companies had withheld hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal tax from his income and that he had paid those funds to the IRS. In total, for years 2016 through 2022, Starlings falsely reported that he had withheld and paid to the IRS $827,290. None of Starlings’ companies made any withholding or payment of federal taxes to the IRS on Starlings’ behalf for those years. From April 2020 through at least September 2021, Starlings fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief funds by submitting false and misleading applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA), Virginia Employment Commission (VEC), and North Carolina Division of Employment Security (DES). For example, despite owning and operating his companies and reporting on his tax return that he earned $628,450 in wages in 2020, Starlings filed unemployment applications with the VEC and DES falsely claiming that he was laid off, terminated, or separated from his employment on March 20, 2020. Unaware of Starlings’ fraud, the VEC and DES approved the fraudulent applications and Starlings received approximately $61,726 in unemployment funds. Starlings also submitted fraudulent applications SBA for loans through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, intended to enable small businesses to meet financial obligations and operating expenses during the pandemic. Starlings submitted 11 EIDL applications for his businesses with misrepresentations including false gross revenue and costs and inflated or fabricated employee counts. Most of Starlings’ EIDL applications were rejected by the SBA, but one application was approved causing the agency to disburse $15,000 to Starlings. Starlings is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16. He faces up to 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla Jordan-Detamore is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:26-cr-21.


title: Worcester Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Offense

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Worcester man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to drug offenses involving methamphetamine and materials for pressing illicit pills. Tong Tran, 35, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for June 4, 2026. Tran was charged in April 2025 . According to the charging documents, on or about Sept. 19, 2024, Tran was identified shipping a package at a Worcester Post Office. A search of the package revealed approximately 2.4 kilograms of orange pills containing methamphetamine – concealed in the packaging of a children’s toy. A partial fingerprint on the wrapping materials inside the toy’s box belonged to Tran. On April 14, 2025, during a search of Tran’s residence, a pill press, binding agent and additional equipment used to manufacture pills, including pill dyes were located. The search also resulted in the seizure of 3.3 kilograms of methamphetamine and approximately $8,000 in cash. The charge of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office; Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Auburn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.


title: Bronx man pleads guilty to bank fraud conspiracy and ID theft

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Michael Herrera, 45, of the Bronx, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, which carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno, who is handling the case, stated that in January 2025, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, co-conspirator Vance Ashley was recruited by members of the conspiracy to pose as other persons and make unauthorized withdrawals from the other persons’ bank accounts. Ashley agreed to do this in exchange for money. Between January 28 and February 3, 2025, Ashley drove with Herrera, and two other co-conspirators, to bank branches in Wilmington, Delaware, Liberty, NY, and Lock Haven, PA, where Ashely used the identifications of other individuals to make, or attempt to make, unauthorized withdrawals from the victims’ bank accounts. On February 5, 2025, the defendants drove to a Northwest Bank branch in Lockport, within the Western District of New York. Ashley made an unauthorized withdrawal of from the account of an individual residing in Erie, PA. Ashley also purchased a bank check using funds from the account. That same day, the defendants drove to another Northwest Bank branch in Williamsville, within the Western District of New York, and again Ashley made an unauthorized withdrawal from an account and purchased a bank check using funds from the account of a victim from North East PA. Also on February 5, 2025, Hererra illegally used the identification of another person during the commission of a felony. The total loss amount, including actual loss and intended loss, is $91,300.00. Ashley was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Harry Chavis and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. # # # #


title: Russian Ransomware Administrator Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – A Russian national pled guilty in federal court today to a charge connected to a ransomware conspiracy. Evgenii Ptitsyn, 43, administered the sale, distribution, and operation of Phobos ransomware. Phobos ransomware, through its affiliates, victimized more than 1,000 public and private entities in the United States and around the world, and extorted ransom payments worth more than $39 million. Ptitsyn, who authorities extradited from South Korea in November 2024, pled guilty in federal court to wire fraud conspiracy. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, Department of Justice (DOJ) – Criminal Division, Assistant Director Brett Leatherman, FBI Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office. According to the guilty plea, beginning in at least November 2020, Ptitsyn and others conspired to engage in an international computer hacking and extortion scheme that victimized public and private entities through the deployment of Phobos ransomware. As part of the scheme, Ptitsyn and his co-conspirators developed and offered access to Phobos ransomware to other criminals or “affiliates” to encrypt victims’ data and extort ransom payments from victims. The administrators operated a darknet website to coordinate the sale and distribution of Phobos ransomware to co-conspirators and used online monikers to advertise their services on criminal forums and messaging platforms. Affiliates then hacked into the victims’ computer networks, often using stolen or otherwise unauthorized credentials; copied and stole files and programs on the victims’ networks; and encrypted the original versions of the stolen data on the networks by installing and executing Phobos ransomware. Then affiliates extorted the victims for ransom payments in exchange for decryption keys to regain access to encrypted data by leaving ransom notes on compromised victims’ computers and calling and emailing victims to initiate the ransom payment negotiations. Additionally, affiliates threatened to expose victims’ stolen files to the public — or to the victims’ clients, customers, or constituents — if the victims didn’t pay. After a successful Phobos ransomware attack, criminal affiliates paid fees to Phobos administrators like Ptitsyn for a decryption key to regain access to the encrypted files. Each deployment of Phobos ransomware was assigned a unique alphanumeric string to match it to the corresponding decryption key, and each affiliate was directed to pay the decryption key fee to a cryptocurrency wallet unique to the affiliate. From December 2021 to April 2024, the decryption key fees were then transferred from the unique affiliate cryptocurrency wallet to a wallet Ptitsyn controlled. Ptitsyn also received a portion of the ransomware payments made by victims. Ptitsyn faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud count. Sentencing is set for Wednesday, July 15, at 2:30 p.m. U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the FBI, along with law enforcement partners in South Korea, the United Kingdom, Japan, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, France, Romania, and Europol, and the U.S. Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan, along with Senior Counsel Frank Lin of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), who are prosecuting this federal case. Additional details on protecting networks against Phobos ransomware are available at StopRansomware.gov , including Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Advisory AA24-060A. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: Maryland Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of Children

body_text: HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Maryland man has been indicted on child-exploitation charges, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby. A three-count indictment charges Donald Bernard Mewhort, Sr., 42, of Lexington Park, Maryland, with sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement of a minor, and transfer of obscene matter to a minor. The indictment alleges that these events occurred between January 6, 2026, and January 12, 2026, in Limestone County, Alabama. The FBI Birmingham Field Office and FBI Baltimore, Maryland Field Office investigated the case along with the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office and the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case. If you suspect or become aware of the possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org . The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . An indictment is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.


title: Peruvian National Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering U.S.

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTIAN MAXIMO CASTANEDA NEGRETE, 47, a citizen of Peru, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to six months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the United States after being deported. According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2001, Castaneda Negrete was admitted to the U.S. on a nonimmigrant visa lasting for a period not to exceed one year. In February 2004, Castaneda Negrete was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court in New Britain of burglary in the first degree and unlawful restraint, and was sentenced to six years of incarceration, suspended after nine months. In March 2012, Castaneda Negrete was removed to Peru. Castaneda Negrete illegally reentered the U.S. and, on November 20, 2024, was arrested by the Hartford Police Department and charged with sexual assault in the second degree. This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Lembo. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: District Man Sentenced to 15-Year Prison Term For March 2024 Armed Carjacking in Deanwood

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Maurice Edwards, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for a March 2024 armed carjacking in the Deanwood neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Edwards was found guilty of one count of armed carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence by a D.C. Superior Court jury on November 21, 2024. Edwards was sentenced to 15 years of incarceration for armed carjacking and five years of incarceration for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, with those sentences to run concurrently, for a total of 15 years in prison. Armed carjacking carries a 15 year mandatory minimum sentence and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence carries a five year mandatory minimum sentence. The Court denied Edwards’ request to apply the Youth Rehabilitation Act (“YRA”), which would have voided the mandatory minimums, noting that Edwards already once received a YRA sentence and was out on pretrial release for a separate gun offense at the time he committed this armed carjacking. According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of March 11, 2024, Edwards drove a car through a stop sign and struck the victim’s vehicle at the intersection of a residential neighborhood at 48 th Place and Lee Street Northeast, as the victim was driving home from work. Edwards and his then-girlfriend, co-defendant Auzsa Beatty, got out of their car and began yelling at the victim. Edwards then used a handgun to intimidate the victim, causing the victim to retreat from his driver’s side door, allowing Beatty to get into the driver’s seat of the victim’s car and drive off. Beatty pleaded guilty to unarmed carjacking and was sentenced to seven years in prison on January 9, 2026. Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Cocuzza and Mark Levy. 2024 CF3 005662


title: Maryland Man Charged with Distributing Child Pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – A complaint was unsealed today in U.S. District Court charging Frank Olivarria, 35, of Maryland, with distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. According to court documents, starting on Aug. 1, 2025, Olivarria began communicating with a user on a dating application and subsequently an encrypted messaging application regarding his sexual interest in children. Olivarria stated during the exchange, “I really like cute toddlers man.” Olivarria then distributed approximately eight videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including one video depicting a child being bound. Olivarria was previously employed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office. This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell. This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 26mj42


title: Final Defendant Sentenced in $100M Dietary Supplement Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah man was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow for his involvement in a years-long moneymaking scheme that misled banks and deceived consumers. Phillip Gannuscia, 55, of Salt Lake City, pleaded guilty on April 9, 2025, to conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to his term of imprisonment, the court ordered Gannuscia to 24 months of supervised release and the forfeiture of his Porsche 911 convertible that was traceable to the scheme. According to court documents and statements made at Gannuscia’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, from around December 2018 through April 2022, Gannuscia engaged in a scheme and artifice to defraud. The scheme involved applying for credit card processing accounts with fake companies, created with the personal information of family and friends. These accounts would be used to process consumer sales of nutraceutical and dietary products. Because the sales came from misleading and deceptive advertising, the credit card processing accounts would get shut down frequently due to high numbers of refunds or “chargebacks.” To work around these shutdowns, Gannuscia, along with others, helped set up the fake companies, used the credit card processing accounts for payments from consumers, and then laundered the proceeds. At the time of his involvement in the scheme, Gannuscia was subject to a court order permanently enjoining and restraining him from credit card laundering and making or assisting others in making false statements to obtain credit card processing services. He admitted to setting up the operations for the scheme to shield himself from public view and accountability. He directed others to forge and paste signatures on documents for the fake companies. Gannuscia admitted to laundering money on numerous occasions, each involving more than $10,000 of fraud proceeds. The total gain attributable to Gannuscia was more than $1.5 million. See prior press release . The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and FDA Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Brent L. Andrus and Luisa Gough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.


title: Las Vegas Man Sentenced To Prison For Trafficking Large Quantity Of Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for selling a large quantity of methamphetamine. According to court documents, on July 17, 2024, Josiah Judah was introduced by co-defendant Urkeno Walter as the co-defendant’s “right hand man”. During the conversation, Judah said Walter used him in drug sale negotiations with Mexican drug traffickers and Judah often received complimentary rooms at a hotel which he used to sell drugs. On August 28, 2024, in a parking lot, Judah sold two pounds of methamphetamine for $2,800. Judah pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine. “Today’s sentencing sends a stern message to drug traffickers who peddle drugs and endanger the safety and wellbeing of our communities,” said Anthony Chrysanthis, Special Agent in Charge of the Los Angeles Division, which oversees Nevada. “One by one, you will be held accountable. The strong partnership between local, state, and federal agencies demonstrates DEA’s relentless commitment to bringing drug criminals to justice and halting the flow of methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs.” First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Chrysanthis made the announcement. The DEA investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Brister prosecuted the case. ###


title: Lucas County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – A 55-year-old Lucas County man has been sentenced to prison for sharing sexually explicit photos of children in online child sexual abuse chat groups. Steven Nowak, of Toledo, Ohio, has been sentenced to 180 months (15 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp, after pleading guilty in September 2025 to Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $18,000 in restitution. Judge Knepp imposed the sentence March 3. According to court documents, federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New England were investigating online groups that trafficked CSAM. From about January through April of 2025, Nowak was identified as a member of several groups and found to be actively sharing content showing the sexual abuse of children. Some of the victims in the videos included infants and toddlers. During a search warrant executed at Nowak’s residence, agents seized his electronic devices. The investigation of his cellphone revealed that he was in possession of numerous images and videos of CSAM. Nowak later admitted that he shared photos of a minor family member online to elicit sexual feedback and engagement from others involved in the group. This investigation was led by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Sara Al-Sorghal i for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC . To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org , or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


title: California Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Offense

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, announced that JOSE NUNEZ, 26, of Santa Clarita, California, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to receipt of child pornography. According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2024, Nunez began chatting on Roblox, a gaming and chat platform, with a 13-year-old minor female from Connecticut. The conversation transitioned to text messaging, where Nunez sent the victim several sexually explicit photos of himself. As the conversation progressed, Nunez requested sexually explicit photos of the minor female, which he received on his smartphone. On August 7, 2024, HSI special agents arrested Nunez and seized his smartphone. A search of the phone revealed evidence of his conversations with the minor victim and sexually explicit images of the minor victim. Nunez pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Nunez has been detained since his arrest. A sentencing date is not scheduled. This investigation has been conducted by HSI and the Cromwell Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings with the assistance of the Office of the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Middlesex. This case is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Career Offender from Little Rock Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Maurice Morning, who has a previous federal conviction and several state felony drug convictions, will spend the next 144 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller. On January 7, 2025, Morning, 33, of Little Rock, was indicted by a federal grand jury in an Indictment charging him with one count for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine and two counts for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On October 22, 2025, Morning pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Judge Miller also sentenced Morning to five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. An investigation revealed that on July 10, 2024, deputies from the Saline County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to serve a warrant at a residence. Upon their arrival, deputies observed Morning place an unknown object in a blue Ford truck. Deputies determined Morning was on federal supervised release with a search waiver on file. Deputies conducted a search of Morning’s person and located methamphetamine and keys that belonged to the truck. When deputies conducted a search of the truck, they located methamphetamine on the floorboard between the driver and passenger seat and $3,109 in the glove compartment. On July 29, 2024, officers enlisted a confidential informant (CI) to conduct a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Morning. The CI contacted Morning to purchase fentanyl and methamphetamine. Morning replied he did not have any fentanyl, but he did have methamphetamine the CI could purchase. Officers conducted surveillance and observed Morning arrive at a hotel to deliver the methamphetamine to the CI. As Morning was walking to the hotel room, he saw the officers and attempted to flee on foot and destroy the methamphetamine. A search of Morning’s person revealed $3,411 in his pocket and approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine. During a search of Morning’s truck, officers located a scale and $1,700 in a clear purse. Because Morning has two prior felony convictions involving possession with intent to distribute drugs, he is therefore classified as a career offender and subject to an enhanced sentence. Morning’s criminal history includes a federal conviction on August 2, 2019, for being a felon in possession of a firearm where he was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. He committed the current offense less than four months after his release from federal prison. Morning also has felony convictions for possession of cocaine with purpose to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver, and possession of oxycodone with purpose to deliver. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, Little Rock Police Department, and the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. # # # 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: St. Tammany Parish Man Indicted for Assaulting Federal Court Security Officer

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – JOSEPH E. MCMANUS , (“MCMANUS”) , age 48, of Pearl River, was indicted on February 26, 2026 for assaulting a federal officer, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court documents, on or about October 6, 2025, MCMANUS , assaulted a Special Deputy United States Marshal while he was engaged in, and on account of, his official duties. For the offense, MCMANUS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of eight (8) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Marshal’s Service, Federal Protective Services, and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is prosecuting the matter. * * *


title: Three Drug Dealers Sentenced to Federal Prison For Trafficking More Than 69 Kilograms of Illegal Substances

body_text: CLEVELAND – Three Ohio men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic dangerous and illegal drugs—including fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine—throughout Greater Cleveland. The defendants were each sentenced to imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty to their roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy. All three men were previously incarcerated for drug convictions and were therefore eligible to be designated as career offenders to receive enhanced penalties. The defendants’ sentencings are as follows: Chantez Moore, 45, of Westlake, Ohio, was sentenced to 276 months (23 years) in prison and ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment. He previously pleaded guilty to: Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances Distribution of Methamphetamine Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fluorofentanyl Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine Kevin Lanier, 42, of Highland Heights, Ohio, was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison and ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment. He previously pleaded guilty to: Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances Distribution of Fentanyl Distribution of Methamphetamine Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fluorofentanyl James C. Lang, 36, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison and ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment. He previously pleaded guilty to: Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine Felon in Possession of a Firearm The case began in early 2023 when federal agents were investigating significant drug trafficking activity in the Cleveland area believed to be connected to Mexican drug cartels. According to court documents, from about February 2023 to May 2024, defendants Moore, Lanier, and Lang were observed conducting drug transactions and making frequent visits to several apartments. Some apartments in question were later discovered to be rented under false names. Moore was found to be leasing apartments under fake names at two locations, and Lang also used a fake name to lease an apartment. During executions of search warrants at residences suspected of being connected to the drug conspiracy, agents seized: 67 kilograms of fentanyl with 57 kilograms in pill form disguised as Percocet 30s One kilogram of cocaine One kilogram of methamphetamine Numerous firearms: a Taurus G3C 9mm pistol, a Glock 42 .380 pistol, an Anderson AM-15 rifle, and a KelTec Sub 2000 9mm rifle. The investigation was led by the FBI Cleveland Division, the Cleveland Division of Police, and the Cartel, Gang, Narcotics, and Money Laundering Task Force, a Cleveland-area, multi-agency entity comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Vasile C. Katsaros for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.


title: FCI Aliceville Correctional Officer Indicted for Sexual Assault of Inmates

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Aliceville was charged in an indictment, unsealed today, with eight counts of deprivation of rights under color law arising out of his sexual assault of seven female inmates. According to the indictment, between May 2022 and September 2024, Felix Sylvester Wilder, 37, violated the civil rights of seven women when he sexually assaulted them while they were incarcerated at FCI Aliceville and he was on duty as a FCI Aliceville correctional officer. If convicted of all the charges, Wilder faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby for the Northern District of Alabama, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Special Agent in Charge Eric Fehlman of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Southeast Regional Office, and Special Agent in Charge David R. Fitzgibbons of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Field Office made the announcement. The case was investigated by DOJ OIG Southeast Regional Office and the FBI Birmingham Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John B. Ward and Olivia C. Brame for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.


component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Aliceville was charged in an indictment, unsealed today, with eight counts of deprivation of rights under color of law arising out of his sexual assault of seven female inmates. According to the indictment, between May 2022 and September 2024, Felix Sylvester Wilder, 37, violated the civil rights of seven women when he sexually assaulted them while they were incarcerated at FCI Aliceville and he was on duty as a FCI Aliceville correctional officer. If convicted of all the charges, Wilder faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby for the Northern District of Alabama, Special Agent in Charge Eric Fehlman of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Southeast Regional Office, and Special Agent in Charge David R. Fitzgibbons of the FBI Birmingham Field Office made the announcement. This case was investigated by DOJ OIG Southeast Regional Office and the FBI Birmingham Field Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John B. Ward and Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia C. Brame for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.


title: Billings woman sentenced to over 7 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS – A Billings woman who distributed methamphetamine was sentenced today to 87 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Rita Denny, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that on September 21, 2022, law enforcement officers arranged to purchase methamphetamine and fentanyl from a co-defendant. Agents arrived and arrested the co-defendant, who was in possession of 50 fentanyl pills and approximately 64 grams of meth. The co-defendant’s passenger told agents “Rita” supplied the drugs to the co-defendant. Agents obtained a search warrant for the co-defendant’s phone and located messages between the co-defendant and Rita Denny. Those messages indicated Denny was supplying the co-defendant with drugs and dictating the price at which the co-defendant should sell the drugs. On September 30, 2022, agents obtained a search warrant for Denny’s residence. They seized 179.9 grams of methamphetamine and $5,694 in cash. Denny agreed to speak with agents and admitted to traveling to California to purchase bulk amounts of methamphetamine. Specifically, she told agents she took two recent trips to California to purchase five pounds of methamphetamine each time. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and the DEA conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Serial Robber Sentenced to over 32 Years for Terrorizing More Than a Dozen Victims in Philadelphia Between 2022 and 2023

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Montez Moore, 32, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to 32 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay over $200,000 in restitution to victims by United States District Court Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for robbing several cellphone stores and individuals who sold high-end merchandise on Facebook Marketplace, and, in one instance, kidnapping and carjacking an employee of a business. Moore was charged in three separate indictments filed in October 2023, December 2023, and March 2025. As charged in the first indictment, in March 2022, Moore robbed a jeweler at gunpoint after Moore tricked the jeweler into believing that Moore intended to purchase a high-end watch from him on Rising Sun Avenue. As charged in the second indictment, in December 2022, Moore and several other defendants robbed a Castor Avenue cellphone store at gunpoint and stole a firearm from the manager of the store. In May 2023, Moore was arrested at his Henry Avenue apartment in possession of the manager’s firearm. In that same case, also in December 2022, Moore also conspired with others to rob a Castor Avenue check cashing business that resulted in the owner of that business being kidnapped and carjacked at gunpoint. As charged in the third indictment, Moore and several other defendants robbed two cellphone stores at gunpoint, one on South Broad Street in December 2021, and one on Castor Avenue in November 2022. Prior to the robbery on South Broad Street, Moore and his codefendants kidnapped and carjacked an employee of the store. Additionally, Moore committed seven additional gunpoint robberies and one burglary in Philadelphia between December 2022 and February 2023. In November 2025, Moore pled guilty to interference with interstate commerce by robbery, kidnapping, carjacking, and using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. At the time of his guilty plea, all of Moore’s charges in indictments were consolidated for sentencing. The facts of Moore’s three cases revealed one constant, overarching theme— Moore was a conman who robbed innocent victims after deploying trickery or ambush. He selected his victims either by using the internet or stalking businesses that he thought would be easy to rob. In some instances, Moore created a phony Facebook Marketplace account and purported to be a man from Delaware who moonlighted as a high-end jewelry salesman and sold goods on the secondary market. Moore then solicited transactions from individuals who offered to sell him watches, jewelry, and handbags, and arranged to meet his victims under the guise of engaging them in legitimate financial transactions. But, when the victims arrived at the agreed upon location to conduct business, Moore stuck a gun in their faces and stole their property. On one another occasion, Moore selected a cellphone store on South Broad Street as a business to rob. He recruited two accomplices to follow an employee of the store home on New Year’s Eve in 2021. When the victim arrived at the parking lot of his apartment complex, Moore’s accomplices forced the victim into his own car at gunpoint and drove him back to the store where Moore met them and used the victim’s keys to access the store and steal cellphones, tablets, and videogame consoles worth tens of thousands of dollars. In all, Moore harmed fourteen people in the wake of his crimes. He decided to use a gun to exert power over victims who had what he wanted: cash, cellphones, watches, jewelry, handbags, and electronics. The seriousness of the offenses cannot be overstated, and the severe punishment he received is warranted and necessary to protect the public. The citizens of this district and country expect that violent crimes committed against innocent, hardworking people are treated seriously and carry significant consequences. The lengthy sentence Moore received accounts for the public’s basic expectations and serves to promote respect for the law and how it is enforced. The case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Division and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Ashenfelter.


title: Felon Sentenced To Prison For Unlawful Possession Of A Firearm

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A felon was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to 42 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a semiautomatic pistol. According to court documents, on December 17, 2021, Ricardo Heriberto Miranda, also known as “Pee-Wee,” was released from the Southern Nevada Detention Center to begin a new term of supervised release in a separate case. He did not report to the United States Probation Office. On December 29, 2023, Miranda and another person were in a stolen car that collided at a high speed with two parked vehicles. After the collision, Miranda placed a loaded 9x19mm semiautomatic pistol in his pocket and walked to a nearby residence. He then placed the pistol inside a wheel well of a pickup truck parked at the residence. Miranda and the other person left the scene of the collision. The pistol had been stolen from a licensed firearms dealer in Las Vegas. Miranda has prior felony convictions for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a controlled substance in the District of Wyoming, and attempt possession of stolen vehicle in Clark County, Nevada. Miranda pleaded guilty to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge John Wester, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) made the announcement. This case was investigated by the ATF and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods. ###


title: Philadelphia Correctional Officer and His Former Supervisor Convicted at Trial in Connection with Violation of Inmate’s Constitutional Rights

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that a correctional officer and his former supervisor were convicted at trial, in connection with the violation of an inmate’s constitutional rights and an attempt to cover it up. Jahaan Andrews, 34, and Georgia Malloy, 58, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, worked at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility. Andrews was a correctional officer (“C.O.”) and Malloy was a lieutenant with the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (“PDP”) who supervised him. Andrews and Malloy were charged by indictment in September of last year, along with another C.O., Oneil Murray, 31, of Philadelphia, with Deprivation of rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and aiding and abetting, Falsification of records, and other related charges. Murray pleaded guilty to the charges earlier this month. As proven at trial, on or about October 6, 2020, Andrews detained Inmate 1, a pretrial detainee, in a holding room, purportedly because Inmate 1 was wearing the wrong color jumpsuit. The defendants, along with the correctional sergeant, charged elsewhere, and another C.O. subsequently removed Inmate 1 from the holding room and escorted him to his cell, to conduct a strip search of Inmate 1 and have him change into the correct jumpsuit. Once inside Inmate 1’s cell, the group of correctional officers ordered Inmate 1 to strip. They then punched, kicked and assaulted Inmate 1 numerous times, knocking him to the ground. As a result of the assault, Inmate 1 was hospitalized with injuries to his face, ribs, and scrotum, and had to undergo emergency surgery. After any use of force by a C.O. against an inmate, PDP correctional officers who used force, and those who witnessed another C.O. use force, were required to complete reports about what happened, prior to the end of their shift. In the weeks that followed the assault, the defendants and the correctional sergeant conspired to falsify records, with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation and proper administration of a matter within the jurisdiction of the FBI. Andrews and Murray wrote their use of force reports about the October 6 incident, and Malloy her investigation report, so that they exaggerated the aggressiveness of Inmate 1 and disclosed as little of the true nature of the force the C.O.s used against him as they believed was necessary, to avoid scrutiny of their conduct by their superior officers and others. The reports also falsely claimed that the correctional sergeant did not use force in the October 6, incident. Andrews faces a maximum possible sentence of 35 years in prison and Malloy a maximum possible sentence of 40 years in prison. “Correctional officers hold extraordinary power over those in their custody, and with that power comes a clear obligation to protect individuals’ rights while in custody,” said U. S. Attorney Metcalf. “The defendants abused that authority by violently assaulting an inmate and then attempting to conceal their misconduct. This guilty verdict affirms that civil rights violations, especially by those sworn to uphold the law, will be investigated and prosecuted, and those responsible will be held accountable.” "Let these convictions show that no law enforcement officer is above the law," said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Field Office. "Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to aggressively investigate potential abuses of power and civil rights violations in our community. We remain steadfast in investigating and bringing to justice those who abuse their authority." This case was investigated by the FBI, with significant assistance from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Michael Miller.


title: Former Gladwyne Entrepreneur Who Bilked Investors Out of Millions of Dollars Sentenced to over Nine Years in Prison

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Josh S. Verne, 48, formerly of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, now a resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was sentenced today to 111months in prison, 3 years supervised release, $1300 special assessment and forfeiture in the amount of $12,173,759 by United States District Judge John F. Murphy for a series of schemes through which the defendant defrauded dozens of investors, prospective investors, employees, and business partners out of millions of dollars. The defendant was charged by indictment in August 2024 and, in March of last year, pleaded guilty to nine counts of wire fraud, three counts of securities fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. As detailed in case filings and admitted to by the defendant, Verne carried out a series of schemes from at least in or about 2017 to 2020, through which he defrauded dozens of investors, prospective investors, employees, and business partners out of millions of dollars, forged documents, and obstructed justice by threatening, intimidating, and retaliating against others in connection with the federal criminal investigation. Verne held himself out as a wealthy and successful businessman, entrepreneur, and investor, and he carried out his fraudulent activities through a series of limited liability companies, of which he was the chief executive and over which he maintained control. Among other things, Verne falsely represented his prior business successes, falsely represented his personal net worth, falsely represented his own investments, and falsely represented the financial health of his companies and investments, in order to induce others to invest in or provide loans to him or his companies. For instance, he provided an investor with a forged Goldman Sachs statement that showed family investment holdings for Verne of more than $50 million, when, in fact, Verne did not have an investment account at Goldman Sachs in his own name or in his family’s names, much less an account with a market value of more than $50 million. Further, Verne misused business and investor funds to repay prior debts and to finance an affluent lifestyle he could not afford, such as personal expenses related to renovations to his showcase vacation property on the Jersey shore, travel on private jets, contributions to political candidates, personal charitable contributions, and country club payments. In order to delay and prevent discovery by law enforcement of his own misconduct, Verne later sent bank and FedEx confirmations purporting to confirm delivery of funds to investors to whom he had promised repayment; the bank and FedEx confirmations were false and fraudulent. At one point, Verne stole the identity of a former employee from his company, forging the employee’s signature on a sales agreement to disguise an unauthorized sale of the employee’s shares of stock. Verne obtained $150,000 from the unauthorized sale and used those funds to make payments to himself and to a prior investor. Finally, after Verne met with FBI agents and learned details about the investigation, the defendant obstructed justice by contacting the former employee and threatening to divulge false, embarrassing information about him because the employee provided information to law enforcement. This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Shapiro and Jerome Maiatico. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office investigated civil securities fraud charges against Verne, which are pending.


title: Bethlehem Man Convicted at Trial of Election Fraud Offenses

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Matthew Laiss, 32, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was convicted today at trial of election fraud offenses in connection with the 2020 presidential election. The defendant was charged by indictment in September of last year with one count of voting more than once in a federal election and one count of voter fraud and was convicted on both charges. As detailed in court filings, from at least October 2012 until about August 2020, Laiss resided in, and was lawfully registered to vote in, Ottsville, Pennsylvania, a municipality located in Bucks County. In or around August 2020, Laiss moved his primary residence from Ottsville, Pennsylvania, to Frostproof, Florida. The same month, he applied for and obtained a Florida driver’s license and registered to vote in Florida. In or about October 2020, the Bucks County Board of Elections mailed a ballot for the November 2020 general election to the defendant’s former address in Ottsville, Pennsylvania, where Laiss’s parents continued to reside. As proven at trial, on or about October 31, 2020, Laiss filled out and returned the Pennsylvania mail-in ballot, casting a vote for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States of America. Then, on or about November 3, 2020, Laiss went to a polling location in or around Frostproof, Florida, and voted in the 2020 general election, casting a vote for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States of America. “Today’s conviction reinforces a simple principle: our elections must be fair, secure, and lawful, " said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Casting a ballot in more than one jurisdiction undermines public trust and dilutes the votes of others. Our office will continue to protect the integrity of federal elections and hold accountable those who violate the law.” The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced June 10, 2026, and faces a maximum possible sentence of five years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $10,000 to $250,000 fine, for each of the charges on which he was convicted. This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Department of State, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff.