title: Billings man sentenced to 5 years in prison for sexual abuse on the Crow Indian Reservation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BILLINGS – A Billings man who sexually assaulted a child on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 60 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said. Matthew Paul Stopsatprettyplaces, 49, was convicted by a jury in December 2025 of abusive sexual contact of a child. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents and at trial that in 2019, Stopsatprettyplaces gave 9-year-old Jane Doe a ride to a family member’s residence in Hardin. En route, he took advantage of Jane Doe while she was asleep. He first put his hands on Jane Doe’s thighs, which woke her up. But Stopsatprettyplaces continued the assault by putting his hand on her inner thighs and then under her shirt, fondling her bare breasts. On a subsequent occasion at Jane Doe’s house in Hardin, Stopsatprettyplaces again assaulted Jane Doe, ten 10 years old, by kissing her all over and fondling her over her clothes. Jane Doe disclosed the sexual abuse a few years later to a therapist, who mandatorily reported to the child abuse hotline, which triggered an immediate investigation by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey Hendricks and Paul Vestal prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI. XXX


title: Phoenix Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Phoenix man was sentenced to 108 months in prison for sexually abusing a minor. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court records, in 2019, Jeremy Blueeyes , 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in sexual contact with a minor who had not yet attained the age of 12. Blueeyes subsequently pled guilty to abusive sexual contact of a minor. Upon his release from prison, Blueeyes will be subject to ten years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Three Former Employees of the Psychiatric Institute of Washington Indicted for Criminal Negligence in the Death of a Patient

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Nelson Kuma, 37, Richard Hounnou, 45, and Norma Munoz-Bent 68, all from Maryland, were indicted on charges of criminal negligence and appeared in court yesterday for their arraignment, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. After the arraignment, Kuma, Hounnou, and Munoz-Bent were released pending trial. They are scheduled to appear before the Honorable Carmen McLean on May 29, 2026. The indictment was returned by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on March 31, 2026. It is alleged that on the date of his death, and while in the care of PIW staff, G.W., a 58-year-old male, became unresponsive and stopped breathing. Kuma and Hounnou, who were employed by PIW as psychiatric counselors, and Munoz-Bent, a registered nurse, discovered G.W. in this condition, but failed to timely and properly assess G.W., failed to perform CPR, and failed to provide any potentially lifesaving measures. G.W. did not receive life saving measures for at least 21 minutes. By the time lifesaving measure started, it was too late, and G.W. could not be resuscitated. Joining the announcement was Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia. In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Inspector General Lucas acknowledged the work of those who are investigating and prosecuting the case from the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU). They commend the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Facci, who is prosecuting the case. The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia urges anyone with information regarding abuse of a vulnerable adult at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington to call our tipline at (202) 252-0809. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. 2026 CF2 005110; 2026 CF2 005111; 2026 CF2 005112 piw_indictment.pdf


title: BATON ROUGE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY  TO COMMIT BANK FRAUD AND THEFT OF MAIL

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: Marvell Trevenski Jackson, Jr., age 26, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Brian A. Jackson to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and theft of mail, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall. According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, between at least July 2023, and continuing through at least May 2025, Jackson conspired with others, known and unknown, to defraud federally insured financial institutions, including Neighbor's Federal Credit Union (“NFCU”), Essential Federal Credit Union (“EFCU”), First Guarantee Bank and Trust (“FGB”), Navy Federal Credit Union (“Navy FCU”), and Regions Bank, among others. Jackson and his co-conspirators employed a variety of methods, including stealing or obtaining stolen mail to obtain personal and financial information of bank customers; altering or washing checks stolen from the mail; creating counterfeit checks using stolen bank account information; disseminating spam text messages designed to trick bank customers into revealing bank account information and login credentials; and using that confidential information to unlawfully access and transfer funds from victims accounts. To further the purpose of the conspiracy and to evade detection, Jackson recruited other individuals, commonly known as “money mules,” to either open accounts or whose existing accounts could be used to receive the fraud proceeds. Once the stolen funds were deposited into the accounts held by the money mules or other co-conspirators, these individuals withdrew the funds, keeping a portion for themselves and providing the majority to Jackson. Between at least July 2023 and continuing until at least May 2024, Jackson conspired with others, known and unknown, to obtain personal identifying information (“PII”), along with personal and business checks, that were stolen from the U.S. mail. For example, between July 1, 2023, and September 26, 2023, Jackson communicated with a co-conspirator, a mail carrier and resident of Denham Springs, Louisiana, to purchase over $119,000 worth of checks stolen from the mail, including a check in the amount of $1,450. Members of the conspiracy later altered the check, changing the payee to that of a money mule and the amount payable to $60,000. Members of the conspiracy deposited the check at a Regions Bank in Baton Rouge. The funds were withdrawn before the bank identified the fraud, causing a loss of $60,000 to Regions Bank. In another instance, in or around February 7, 2024, Jackson stole mail, including personal and business checks totaling at least $20,378 that had been placed for collection in the blue boxes at the US Postal Service's office located on Florida Street in Baton Rouge. These stolen checks and others, totaling over $270,000, were later located in a residence used by Jackson, along with the tools and supplies required for printing counterfeit checks. In total, Jackson and his conspirators obtained or sought to obtain over $500,000 by negotiating, and attempting to negotiate, altered or counterfeit checks using checks and other financial data obtained from stolen U.S. mail. Members of the conspiracy also engaged in “smishing,” short for “SMS phishing,” a cyber-attack technique whereby perpetrators use Short Message Service (“SMS”) or text messages purporting to be from reputable companies to induce victims to reveal personal information, such as usernames, passwords, or bank account numbers. Between April and May 2025, members of the conspiracy sent fraudulent text messages to customers of NFCU, EFCU, and FGB. The text messages falsely reported unauthorized financial transactions and directed customers to provide login credentials and other confidential information needed to access their bank accounts. In some instances, members of the conspiracy followed fraudulent text messages with phone calls to customers to elicit personal and confidential information regarding their accounts by impersonating bank employees. Members of the conspiracy then used the bank account information provided by customers to conduct unauthorized electronic transfers of funds from victims' accounts. To conceal the fraud and evade detection, Jackson advertised the scheme using his Instagram account and recruited money mules to open bank accounts at NFCU, EFCU, and FGB, which could be used to receive unauthorized electronic transfers from customers’ bank accounts in exchange for keeping a portion of the funds. Thereafter, members of the conspiracy unlawfully accessed and transferred funds from customer's accounts to the accounts opened by money mules at NFCU, EFCU, and FGB. Jackson directed the money mules to withdraw or to electronically transfer the stolen funds to himself or other members of the conspiracy. Jackson and his co-conspirators executed the smishing scheme in East Baton Rouge Parish, Iberville Parish, Livingston Parish, and others, defrauding financial institutions including NFCU, EFCU, FGB, and their customers of over $300,000. Jackson’s convictions are punishable by a maximum of 35 years in prison, a $1,250,000 fine, and up to 8 years of supervised release. The Court may also order restitution. “Fraud comes in all shapes and sizes,” stated U.S. Attorney Wall. “This administration, and our office, are committed to using every tool available to pursue fraudsters and hold them fully accountable for their actions.” U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Postal Service, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig is in charge of the prosecution.


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Being Felon in Possession of Firearm

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On April 7, 2026, DAVID LOUIS IV (“LOUIS”) , age 23, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). United States District Judge Darrell J. Papillion sentenced LOUIS to 33 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release after imprisonment. The Court’s sentence will run consecutively to a yet to be determined sentence imposed in a pending state prosecution for possessing contraband in jail. The Court’s sentence will also run concurrently with sentences yet to be imposed for probation violations in two separate state court matters, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court records, on April 15, 2025, the New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) detectives conducting surveillance near Conrad Park, located in the 3400 block of Hamilton Street, in New Orleans, observed LOUIS and a female associate enter Conrad Park. LOUIS had a black backpack from which he removed marijuana and began smoking the marijuana while talking with his associate. LOUIS alsoremoved a black pistol from his waistband area. A silver Nissan Altima, being driven by LOUIS’s girlfriend, and occupied by another adult female, and minors, arrived at the park. LOUIS approached the Altima and engaged in a verbal argument with the vehicle’s occupants. During the argument, LOUIS removed the pistol from his waistband and waived it in the air. NOPD officers arrived after seeing LOUIS in possession of the firearm. Observing the officer’s approach, LOUIS entered the front passenger seat of the vehicle. While inside the Altima, LOUIS placed his pistol, a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber pistol, with an extended magazine, loaded with twenty-two (22) live rounds of ammunition, and his black backpack on the driver’s side floorboard, where the driver was seated. During a search of the Nissan Altima, NOPD detectives recovered LOUIS ’s pistol and backpack from the driver’s side floorboard. LOUIS ’s backpack contained three (3) live rounds of .40 caliber ammunition; a magazine containing eleven (11) live .40 caliber rounds of ammunition; a clear plastic bag containing marijuana; and a Louisiana identification card in LOUIS ’s name. LOUIS is a convicted felon and is federally prohibited from possessing firearms. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Trinitarios Gang Member Convicted Of Witness Retaliation For Assault At Detention Center

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced the conviction at trial today of BRIAN HERNANDEZ, a/k/a “Malaki,” for his role in an assault carried out at the Metropolitan Detention Center (“MDC”) in Brooklyn, New York on December 3, 2023. The conviction comes after a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman. HERNANDEZ is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2026. “With today’s verdict, the jury has found that the defendant, a member of the Trinitarios, committed this brutal attack in which another inmate was horribly stabbed and slashed across the face,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “They also found that this heinous and senseless crime was committed for the purpose of retaliating against his victim because the defendant believed he was cooperating with the government. We commend the jury for its careful consideration of the evidence, and this verdict repeats loud and clear for all to hear that New Yorkers will not tolerate the harassment and intimidation of any witness, let alone the kind of violence a notorious and violent street gang committed here. Regardless of who you are or who you may be affiliated with, if you retaliate against a witness, the women and men of this Office and our partners in law enforcement will bring you to justice.” As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings: On December 3, 2023, HERNANDEZ and other members of the Trinitarios, while incarcerated at MDC, coordinated and carried out an attack on another inmate believed by the attackers to be providing information to the Government. During the attack, the victim was slashed and stabbed multiple times, including by HERNANDEZ who slashed the victim above the eye, leaving a deep gash and causing substantial bleeding. * * * HERNANDEZ, 26, of New York, New York, was convicted of three total counts and faces up to 50 years in prison. Count Charge Sentence Count One Conspiracy to Retaliate Against a Witness 20 Years In Prison Count Three Witness Retaliation (Causing Bodily Injury) 20 Years In Prison Count Four Witness Retaliation (Causing Harm to a Person) 10 Years In Prison The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Bureau of Prisons. This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank J. Balsamello, Lisa Daniels, and William K. Stone are in charge of the prosecution. The team was assisted by paralegal specialist Ananya Sankar.


title: Dade City Woman Sentenced to Two Years for Committing  Aggravated Identity Theft While Stealing Social Security Benefits

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Vivina Barnwell (62, Dade City) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. to two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and access device fraud. Barnwell pleaded guilty on May 16, 2025. The court also ordered Barnwell to pay more than $96,000 in restitution to the Social Security Administration. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, Barnwell’s adult son, P.C., was a beneficiary of Social Security disability benefits. P.C. went missing in 2016 and remains missing to this day. Despite reporting him missing to the local police, Barnwell concealed his disappearance from the Social Security Administration, which continued to make monthly benefit payments onto P.C.’s debit card. Barnwell had control of that card and used it to withdraw and spend P.C.’s benefits for her own use. “The intentional deception perpetrated against the Social Security Administration in this case constitutes theft of taxpayers’ dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “Such fraud will not be tolerated against our federal programs.” “Stealing Social Security benefits intended for another is an egregious betrayal of trust. Ms. Barnwell’s guilty plea underscores our commitment to holding accountable those who exploit SSA programs for personal gain,” said Norman Jenkins, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Atlanta Field Division, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA OIG). “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect beneficiaries and ensure that funds meant to support disabled individuals are used for their care and well-being.” Department of Justice efforts support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and the New Port Richey Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.


title: Illegal alien sentenced for cartel-linked conspiracy to smuggle over 1900 aliens

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 27-year-old Mexican national illegally residing in Laredo has been ordered to federal prison for her role in a multi-year conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens for financial gain, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Giovana Lozano Hernandez pleaded guilty Sept. 3, 2025. U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now ordered Hernandez to serve 70 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, she is expected to face removal proceedings following her imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that the large-scale human smuggling organization operated as a “one-stop shop” for harboring and transporting illegal aliens on the United States side of the border. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the depth of her involvement and significant responsibility she had in this large-scale human smuggling organization. Further, the court noted the dangerous individuals involved in this organization. The investigation revealed Hernandez served as the group’s de facto chief financial officer, managing its books and finances alongside her husband, Danny Nunez. The couple worked directly with Cartel del Noreste and helped smuggle over 1,900 aliens which resulted in a substantial amount of illicit profits for both the CDN and the couple. Authorities tied Hernandez to multiple smuggling events dating back to March 2023. In one December 2023 incident, authorities observed several people being loaded into a white trailer at a warehouse. A subsequent search uncovered 101 aliens inside the trailer, including 12 unaccompanied minors. Several of the aliens reported difficulty breathing and feared for their lives due to the trailer’s conditions. A search of the couple’s home led to the discovery of cellphones, ledgers documenting smuggling activity, more than $36,000 in proceeds and two illegal aliens on the premises. Authorities also identified numerous digital images of paper ledgers and illegal aliens as well as voice messages exchanged between Hernandez and others detailing the transportation, housing and financial accountability for aliens who had already been transported and harbored. Nunez, 35, was previously ordered to serve 10 years in federal prison Jan. 7. Hernandez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Border Patrol and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department and ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Borrower at Failed Oklahoma Bank Charged with Bank Fraud and Money Laundering

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Oklahoma returned an indictment yesterday charging SHAUN U. CHRISTIAN (“Christian”), 57, of Lindsay, Oklahoma, with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering in relation to the now-defunct First National Bank of Lindsay (“FNBL”). According to court documents, Christian is alleged to have conspired with FNBL’s former President and CEO, Danny Seibel, 55, to defraud FNBL. The indictment alleges that, among other things, Christian and Seibel submitted false information in connection with multiple loans in 2021. Seibel is further alleged to have manipulated bank records related to Christian’s accounts to conceal overdrafts and past-due balances, allowing additional funds to be extended to Christian. The alleged scheme continued until shortly before FNBL’s failure in October 2024. The indictment also alleges that Christian laundered proceeds from the fraud through various personal expenditures. Christian is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, four counts of bank fraud, and three counts of money laundering. If convicted, Christian faces a maximum penalty for each count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud of 30 years in prison and a maximum penalty for each count of money laundering of ten years. On December 3, 2025, Seibel was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, six counts of bank fraud, ten counts of false bank entries, one count of obstructing the examination of a financial institution, and one count of failure to maintain an anti-money laundering program. If convicted, Seibel faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for each conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and false entry count, five years for obstructing the examination of a financial institution, and ten years for failure to maintain an anti-money laundering program. This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General, the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia E. Barry and Jackson D. Eldridge for the Western District of Oklahoma; and Trial Attorneys Mark Goldberg, Elysa Q. Wan, and J. Ryan McLaren of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture (MNF) Section Bank Integrity Unit are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Five Alleged Drug Traffickers Indicted, Approximately 52 Pounds of Narcotics Seized by Homeland Security Task Force

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned multiple indictments today against four illegal aliens from Mexico and one U.S. citizen for alleged drug trafficking in four separate cases after agents seized approximately 23,759.17 grams of narcotics (approximately 52.38 pounds) total during a two-day period last month. Jesus Cecilio Ceballos-Mendoza, aka Jesus Cecilio Caballas-Mendoza, 40, and Jesus Ivan Meza-Lopez, aka Manuel Tadeo Olivas-Sanchez, 42, both illegally residing in California, were initially charged by complaint on March 19, 2026. According to the allegations in court documents, in March 2026, law enforcement received information that Ceballos-Mendoza regularly transports large quantities of methamphetamine from Los Angeles to Salt Lake County, Utah. A controlled purchase with an undercover agent was organized and a traffic stop was conducted. During the execution of a search warrant, investigators located and seized approximately 9,355.7 grams of methamphetamine, 1,122.8 grams of heroin, and 439.8 grams of fentanyl inside the vehicle, all of which field-tested positive for their respective controlled substances. Ceballos-Mendoza, and Meza-Lopez are charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Their initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 9, 2026, at 10:15 a.m. in courtroom 8.4. The case is being investigated by a DEA Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake Metro Narcotics Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by ATF, Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake, the Salt Lake City Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. Luis Angel Cervantes Salinas, 24, of Salt Lake County, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on March 19, 2026. According to the allegations in court documents, On March 18, 2026, agents executed a search warrant at the residence and vehicle of Cervantes Salinas in Salt Lake County. During the search of the residence, agents located and seized approximately 1,678.27 grams of field-tested positive fentanyl, and a 12-gauge shotgun. As a previously convicted felon, Cervantes Salinas, is restricted from possessing a firearm and ammunition. During a search of his vehicle, agents located and seized approximately six grams of field-tested positive fentanyl. Cervantes Salinas was arrested. Cervantes Salinas is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and felon in possession of a firearm. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 16, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4. The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF) and the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF). Juan Carlos Gonzalez Soto, 26, of Mexico, illegally residing in West Valley City, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on March 19, 2026. According to the allegations in court documents, on March 18, 2026, agents executed a search warrant at the residence and vehicle of Gonzalez Soto in West Valley City. During the search of the residence, agents located and seized approximately 2,554 grams of field-tested positive cocaine, and approximately $20,500 of U.S. currency. In the vehicle, agents located and seized approximately six grams of field-tested positive cocaine. Gonzalez Soto was arrested a short distance away from the residence. Upon being booked at the Davis County Jail, agents also found approximately 31.6 grams of cocaine on Gonzalez-Soto. He is charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 9, 2026, at 10:45 a.m. in courtroom 8.4. The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF), and Homeland Security Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Jose Francisco Aguilar Lozano, 37, of Mexico, was initially charged by complaint on March 23, 2026. According to the allegations in court documents, on March 20, 2026, local law enforcement conducted a traffic stop for a traffic violation on a tractor truck and trailer on Interstate 80 near Park City. Aguilar Lozano was the driver and sole occupant of the tractor truck. During the traffic stop, a K-9 alerted for the odor of narcotics on the tractor truck. During the search, officers located a black backpack with rectangle shaped bundles wrapped in black tape or plastic. Homeland Security Investigators arrived on scene and arrested Aguilar Lozano. The bundles in the backpack were seized, and the substance tested positive for fentanyl. In total, eight bundles were seized with a combined weight of approximately 8.565 kilograms. Aguilar Lozano is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. A three-day jury trial is scheduled for June 12, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 8.1. The case is being investigated jointly by a Homeland Security Investigations agent assigned to the Homeland Security Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. All hearing for each case will be held at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. First Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement. The Organized Crime Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the cases. These cases are 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. These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The case was investigated by agents and officers of the HSTF Salt Lake and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: St. Louis County Fossil Company Operator Accused of Disability Fraud

body_text: ST. LOUIS – The owner of a fossil replica company was indicted Wednesday and accused of fraudulently seeking disability benefits. Scott A. Taylor, 50, is still on probation from a prior disability fraud case. The new indictment, on one count of making a false statement, accuses him of applying for Social Security disability benefits on Jan. 28, 2026, claiming that he had not worked since 1993. The indictment says Taylor has been self-employed since 2014. A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. Taylor’s disability benefits were initially discontinued after an investigation by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. Taylor pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in September to one felony count of theft of government money. He admitted opening Taylor Made Fossils, which made fossil recreations, after having been granted disability benefits. Taylor’s plea agreement says that while he repeatedly falsely claimed to be too disabled to work or perform many normal daily activities, he carried large or heavy objects, did yard work and walked normally while unassisted. On Dec. 9, 2025, he was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to repay $106,923 to the Social Security Administration. “Individuals who exploit disability programs for personal gain undermine critical support intended for those who truly need it,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Chancellor Melvin, SSA OIG, Chicago Field Division. “Our office remains committed to identifying and investigating fraud, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of Social Security programs and safeguard taxpayer dollars.” Department of Justice efforts support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The SSA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolene Taaffe is prosecuting the case.


title: Pakistani National Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Commit ISIS-Inspired Attack at Jewish Center in New York

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, also known as “Shahzeb Jadoon,” pleaded guilty to attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, for attempting to enter the United States and carry out a mass shooting with automatic weapons at a prominent Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York. Khan pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 12, 2026. “Khan planned a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks, with the explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Khan declared that New York City was the ‘perfect’ venue for his attack because of its large Jewish population and boasted that his plot could be the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. The National Security Division will work tirelessly to ensure that terrorists like Khan face the full weight of American law.” “Muhammad Khan planned to carry out a horrendous attack on a venerated Jewish center in New York City in support of ISIS,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners at the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, Khan’s plan was disrupted before he reached the United States. Today’s guilty plea makes unequivocally clear: terrorism and other hate-based violence have zero place in New York City. We will continue to ensure the safety of religious groups who have the fundamental right to gather peaceably and without fear of harm. That’s what New Yorkers want and that’s the American way.” “Khan planned to illegally enter the United States and conduct an ISIS-inspired attack on the Jewish community around the one-year anniversary of the attacks in Israel by Hamas,” said Acting Assistant Director Coult Markovsky of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “With this guilty plea, he will now face the consequences of planning a mass shooting in New York City that might have killed or injured many people. I want to thank the FBI teams and our partners for their work to prevent an attack and to bring this individual to justice.” “Muhammad Khan targeted a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn to honor the October 7th anniversary by attempting to conduct what he hoped would be the largest terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11,” said Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI New York Field Office. “Khan planned to inflict significant casualties and fear before he was intercepted 12 miles from our northern border. May today’s plea emphasize the FBI’s unwavering commitment to stand alongside our local law enforcement partners to defend our city from terrorists seeking to harm any of our citizens.” “Muhammad Shahzeb Khan intended to come to New York City and carry out an ISIS-inspired act of terror against our city’s Jewish community,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “The NYPD, in close coordination with our federal partners, was able to stop this dangerous plot before it could become a devastating attack. This case is yet another example of the sophisticated work that the NYPD does to protect our communities from harm and our ongoing commitment to stop hate-fueled violence.” As alleged in the charging instruments and other public filings: In or about November 2023, Khan, a Pakistani national residing in Canada, began posting on social media and communicating with others about his support for ISIS, including by distributing ISIS propaganda videos and literature. Khan subsequently began planning terrorist attacks in the United States in support of ISIS, including by communicating his plans with two individuals who, unbeknownst to Khan, were undercover officers (the UCs). Khan told the UCs that he and a U.S.-based associate (Associate-1) had been planning to carry out a terrorist attack in a particular U.S. city (City-1) using AR-style assault rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1].” [1] Khan repeatedly instructed the UCs to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified locations in City-1 where the attacks would take place. Khan also told the UCs that he had identified a human smuggler who would help him cross the border from Canada into the United States for the attack. In or about August 2024, Khan changed his target to New York City, telling the UCs that the target location would now be a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn, New York (Location-1). Khan conveyed that he hoped to carry out this attack on or around October 7, 2024 — which Khan recognized as the one-year anniversary of the brutal and deadly terrorist attacks in Israel carried out by the foreign terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023. Khan told the UCs that “New york is perfect to target jews” because it has the “largest Jewish population in america,” and, as such, “even if we dont attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.” Khan told the UCs that “we are going to nyc to slaughter them,” and later sent a photograph to the UCs of the specific enclosed area inside of Location-1 where Khan planned to carry out his attack. In the days that followed, Khan continued to urge the UCs to acquire AR-style rifles, hunting knives to “slit their throats,” and other equipment for the attack, and reiterated his desire to carry out this attack in support of ISIS. During one such communication, Khan noted that “if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11.” On or about Sept. 4, 2024, Khan attempted to reach the U.S.-Canada border using a human smuggler. Khan traveled from the vicinity of Toronto, Canada, toward the United States, before he was stopped and arrested in or around Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border. Khan, 21, a Pakistani citizen who was residing in Canada, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. The potential maximum penalty in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, and thanked the FBI’s Los Angeles and Chicago Field Offices, the New York State Police, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division for their assistance. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division worked with authorities in Canada to secure the arrest and June 2025 extradition of Khan. Mr. Clayton also thanked our law enforcement partners in Canada, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Department of Justice Canada’s International Assistance Group, for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky and David J. Robles for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. [1] “Chabad” is a branch of Hasidic Judaism, as well as a movement that operates Jewish religious and educational institutions around the world.


title: Former USP Big Sandy Lieutenant Sentenced  for Civil Rights Violations

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky. – A Harold, Ky., man, Michael Childers, 47, was sentenced on Wednesday to 17 months by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier for falsification of records. Childers was a Lieutenant at United States Penitentiary Big Sandy, located in Inez, Ky. According to his plea agreement, on April 13, 2021, Childers was in the lieutenants’ office, along with Lieutenant Terry Melvin, Lieutenant Kevin Pearce, Case Management Coordinator Samuel Patrick, and Captain’s Secretary Clinton Pauley, when an inmate who had requested protective custody was brought into the lieutenants’ office. The inmate pleaded for protective custody and then was assaulted by staff members without justification. After the assault, Childers wrote an incident report in which he falsely claimed that the inmate had struck him with his head as well as a closed fist. Childers admitted he wrote these things knowing they were false, bud did so in an attempt to impede the administration of justice regarding the investigation of the unlawful assault on the inmate. Childers is the final defendant to be sentenced for the assault. Melvin pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights and violating an individual’s rights under the color of law and was sentenced in April 2026 to 48 months. Patrick and Pauley – pleaded guilty for their roles in the assaults of inmates and were sentenced in November 2023 to 36 and 40 months, respectively. Pearce was convicted of writing false reports that covered up the assaults of inmates and was sentenced to 66 months. Finally, Ryan Elliott , also a former USP Big Sandy lieutenant, pleaded guilty to assaulting an inmate and writing a false report about the assault of a second inmate in an unrelated incident. Elliott was sentenced in March 2024 to 12 months and 1 day. "Today’s sentence underscores the serious nature of this misconduct and the violation of civil rights it involved," said Federal Bureau of Prisons Director William K. Marshall III. "The Federal Bureau of Prisons will not tolerate abuse of authority and is committed to holding individuals accountable while ensuring the safety of those in our custody.” “Today’s sentence marks a significant moment of accountability. BOP personnel are entrusted with authority and responsibility—positions that demand integrity, judgment, and a commitment to the rule of law. Instead, these defendants abused that authority, not only by engaging in unlawful conduct, but by taking steps to impede justice and conceal the truth,” said Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our office remains committed to pursuing justice wherever the facts lead and such misconduct will be met with accountability.” "The subject abused his position of power to lie about the assault of an inmate in an effort to cover up illegal actions,” said Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office. “The FBI will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers who exploit their authority and damage the public's trust placed in them." Under federal law, Childers must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for one year. Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Matthew Loux, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, Chicago Field Office; and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by DOJ-OIG and the FBI. – END –


title: Brooklyn Man Pleads Guilty to Setting NYPD Vehicles Ablaze

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Jakhi McCray pleaded guilty to committing arson of 10 New York City Police Department (NYPD) vehicles and one trailer in Brooklyn, New York. The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Seth D. Eichenholtz. When sentenced, McCray faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment, as well as a fine and restitution in an amount to be determined by the Court. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Division (ATF), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, NYPD, announced the guilty plea. “The defendant’s actions were not only dangerous, but they were also a direct attack on public safety and the rule of law,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “By deliberately setting fire to multiple police vehicles in the pre-dawn hours, the defendant put at risk the lives of first responders and residents asleep in their beds nearby, and ultimately, strained resources meant to protect the community. Today’s guilty plea ensures accountability and sends a clear message that acts of violence and destruction against law enforcement will be met with serious consequences.” “This defendant’s actions—setting fire to multiple NYPD vehicles and causing significant damage—demonstrates a blatant disregard for public safety and the rule of law. Arson is not a form of protest—it is a dangerous crime that puts lives at risk,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge DiGirolamo. “The swift work of the ATF New York Arson and Explosives Task Force, comprised of ATF, NYPD, and FDNY personnel, underscores the strength of our coordinated response to violent crime. We remain committed to working alongside our partners to protect our communities and ensure those who commit violent acts are brought to justice.” As detailed in court filings and facts presented during the plea proceeding, on June 12, 2025, McCray scaled a fence into a secure, private lot on DeKalb Avenue between Wilson Avenue and Central Avenue in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn that housed NYPD vehicles, and intentionally set on fire 10 NYPD vehicles and one trailer. Shortly thereafter, an NYPD officer assigned to inspect the lot saw the fire and observed McCray escaping through a hole in the fence. McCray ultimately self-surrendered on July 21, 2025. NYPD estimates the arson caused over $800,000 in damages. The arson was committed two days before protests were scheduled to be conducted over the June 14-15, 2025 weekend, compromising NYPD resources to protect and secure the public. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca M. Urquiola is in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : JAKHI MCCRAY Age: 22 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-68 (ENV)


title: Former Executive of Chicago-Area Non-Profit Sentenced to Prison for $1.9 Million Fraud Schemes

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A former executive of a Chicago-area non-profit organization has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for misappropriating nearly $1.9 million through a pair of fraud schemes. BARBARA HARRIS served as the Executive Director of the Center for Community Academic Success Partnerships (CCASP), which received government grants to provide after-school programs to schools in the Chicago area. From 2012 to 2017, Harris schemed with another CCASP executive, TONY BELL, to submit grant applications that inflated CCASP’s projected annual expenses and falsely claimed that the organization would receive services from five subcontractors. In reality, Harris knew that the subcontractors, two of which were other non-profit groups run by Harris and Bell, provided no actual services to CCASP. The scheme resulted in approximately $1.8 million in losses to the Illinois Department of Education. Harris also engaged in a separate fraud scheme before and after she was indicted in the CCASP fraud case. From 2021 to 2023, while serving as Co-Executive Director of another non-profit, specifically, the South Suburban Community Services (SSCS), Harris bilked the federally funded AmeriCorps VISTA program, which awards grants to non-profits working to bring communities out of poverty. Harris submitted grant applications falsely representing that VISTA members would work for SSCS programs in the south suburbs of Chicago. Harris knew, however, that those SSCS programs had already been funded. Harris nonetheless obtained approval for eleven VISTA members to work at SSCS, and none of them performed services in accordance with their assignment descriptions, causing a loss to the VISTA program of $98,699. Harris, 55, of South Holland, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge and admitted her criminal conduct in both schemes. On March 20, 2026, U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood sentenced Harris to 12 months in federal prison. Harris’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, John Woolley, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Midwestern Regional Office, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General, and the Illinois Office of Executive Inspector General. “This type of crime erodes the public’s faith in non-profit organizations generally and the federal programs that fund these organizations,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Walgamuth argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum in Harris’s case. “Additionally, because the misappropriated grant funds were competitive, Harris’s conduct likely denied other organizations critical federal funding opportunities.” Bell, 65, of Matteson, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge. Judge Wood scheduled Bell’s sentencing for Aug. 21, 2026, at 10:30 a.m.


title: Center City Real Estate Agent Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Lengthy Fraudulent Loan Scheme

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jonathan Barach, 47, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 37 months’ imprisonment and two years of supervised release by United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez, in connection with a fraudulent loan scheme in which he raised millions of dollars from individuals and businesses, supposedly for short-term real estate financing opportunities, when no such projects existed. Judge Perez also ordered Barach to pay a forfeiture judgment of $1,496,928.99, victim restitution in the amount of $1,496,928.99, and a $200 special assessment. The Court issued judgment after hearing live testimony from multiple victims of Barach’s crimes who described the enduring financial, emotional, and mental impact that Barach’s theft had on themselves and their families. The defendant was charged by information in August of last year and pleaded guilty in September to one count of wire fraud and one count of making an illegal monetary transaction. As detailed in court filings, Barach served as a licensed residential real estate agent and the co-founder and principal agent for The Barach Group, LLC, a Philadelphia-based real estate team, and formed a second company, TBG Real Estate, LLC, also based in the city. In addition to offering traditional residential real estate services, between July 2017 and April 2021, Barach used the Barach Group and TBG Real Estate to fraudulently solicit and raise approximately $3.1 million from 19 individuals and businesses for purported, but, in reality, non-existent, short-term real estate investments in Philadelphia. Barach raised these funds through a series of material misrepresentations, including by falsely stating that the money would be used to provide bridge loans to builders and contractors looking to purchase and flip distressed real estate properties or to complete renovation projects. However, there were no real estate projects, no financing opportunities existed, and Barach knew the newly raised capital would be used for his own purposes and debts. In fact, not a single dollar was invested in real estate. Instead, Barach typically transferred victim funds to his personal bank accounts, withdrew large sums of cash, made assorted personal expenditures — including a 4.7 carat diamond ring purchased for more than $46,000, designer clothing from Louis Vuitton, and expensive front-end seats at sporting events — and made five- and six-figure deposits at casinos and sportsbook operations. Barach manipulated and victimized people he knew personally, and many victims trusted him with their retirement accounts, children’s educational funds, and life savings. Although he paid back some of his earlier lenders with a portion of the funding secured from later lenders, over $1.49 million of the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds remain unpaid. This case was investigated by the FDIC Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the FBI, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Terri Marinari and Samuel Dalke.


title: Dominican National Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Carlos Alexander Martinez-Jimenez, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to one year in prison, to be served consecutive to his current state prison sentence. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In January 2026 , Martinez-Jimenez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2025 . In February 2017, Martinez-Jimenez was convicted of Furnishing a False Name or Social Security Number as well as Identity Fraud in Fall River District Court, for which he was sentenced to 134 days in state prison. He was subsequently removed from the United States in April 2017 after serving his sentence. Sometime after his April 2017 removal, Martinez-Jimenez unlawfully reentered the United States. On Jan. 31, 2024, Martinez-Jimenez was convicted of Trafficking 18 grams or more (Less Than 36 grams) of Heroin/Morphine/Opium/Fentanyl in Essex Superior Court. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half to five years in state prison and is currently serving that sentence. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Zachary Stendig of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Commemorates Sexual Assault Awareness Month

component: Office on Violence Against Women

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: This April, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine joins the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), communities across the U.S., and sovereign Tribal nations in observing Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine is proud to stand with victims, and announces that in Fiscal Year 2025, OVW awarded $ 9,635,137 to several grantees in Maine including the Family Violence Project, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, the Mi’kmaq Nation, Partners for Peace, the Penobscot Indian Nation, Pine Tree Legal Assistance, the Maine Department of Public Safety, Safe Voices, and the Next Step Domestic Violence Project. “Sexual assault has impacts that can reverberate through an entire community. These crimes leave lasting scars, and, as federal prosecutors, we have a responsibility to the citizens of Maine to pursue justice,” said United States Attorney for the District of Maine Andrew B. Benson. Victims deserve safety, dignity, and justice. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine is committed to prosecuting those who violate federal law and collaborating with local law enforcement and prosecutors to bring offenders to justice. Partners in our district have a key role in ensuring victims have access to resources for safety and healing. We encourage everyone in our district to learn more about sexual assault and take steps to support friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors who have suffered these crimes. By understanding the signs of abuse and connecting victims to available resources, we can all play a role in creating safer, supportive communities. For more information on sexual assault or to access resources, please visit mecasa.org . The Department of Justice funds essential victim services through its grants. Grantees of OVW andthe Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) run programs that support victims of sexual assault. There are many services available to help victims, including the Sexual Assault Hotline , 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), and the StrongHearts Native Helpline , 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483). In addition, OVW’s website has a ” Resources for Survivors ” page, which lists state sexual assaultcoalitions that can direct victims to local resources and services, as well as opportunities to get involved. ###


title: Umatilla County Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder, Robbery, and Prohibited Possession of a Firearm

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

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Umatilla County man pleaded guilty yesterday on the second day of trial to attempted murder, robbery, and felon in possession of a firearm (Armed Career Criminal Act) related to an armed robbery of the Wildhorse Resort and Casino on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in 2022. Javier Francisco Vigil, 54, pleaded guilty to attempted murder, robbery, and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon (Armed Career Criminal Act). According to court documents, on August 17, 2022, Vigil entered the Wildhorse Casino, walked straight to the cashier cage in the gaming area, and handed the cashier a note demanding $1 million. Vigil then drew a holstered pistol, pointed it at the cashier, and threatened to “bathe everyone in blood.” After getting nearly $70,000 in cash, Vigil exited the casino and shot at the responding Umatilla tribal police officer, who returned fire striking Vigil. On December 19, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 6-count superseding indictment charging Vigil with attempted murder, interference with commerce by robbery, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with a dangerous weapon, and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon (Armed Career Criminal Act). U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement. Vigil will be sentenced on August 4, 2026, before a U.S. district court judge. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Umatilla Tribal Police Department, with the assistance of ATF, the Hermiston Police Department, the Pendleton Police Department, Oregon State Police, Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, and Morrow County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassady Adams and Arin Heinz are prosecuting the case.


title: Saugus Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Thousands of Pills Containing Meth and Fentanyl

body_text: BOSTON – A Saugus man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving thousands of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl. George Krabey, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In November 2025 , Krabey pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, involving 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; three counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and one count of distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. In July 2025 , Krabey was indicted by a federal grand jury. Between December 2024 and April 2025, Krabey repeatedly met with a cooperating source and sold thousands of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl. On April 22, 2025, Krabey was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by law enforcement in Danvers. Krabey was enroute to Salisbury to sell the cooperating source 4,000 counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine. During a search of the vehicle, a shoebox was located containing 5,296 pills containing methamphetamine with a weight of approximately two kilograms. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jared A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Revere, Saugus and Peabody Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Former Philadelphia Probation Officer Sentenced to One Day in Custody and One Year of Home Detention for Conducting Years-Long Illegal Gambling Operation

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Joseph M. Moore, 43, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney to one day in custody, one year of home detention, three years of supervised release, $200,000 in forfeiture, and a $7,200 fine for owning and running a longtime illegal gambling operation. Moore and co-defendant James P. DeAngelo, 45, also of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty in October of last year to a one-count information charging them with conducting illegal gambling business. DeAngelo is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30. As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendants, from approximately January 2017 to February 2025, Moore, who was a Philadelphia probation officer, owned and conducted the sports wagering business (the “Moore Gambling Business”), and DeAngelo, who was a Philadelphia police officer, worked closely with him. The Moore Gambling Business allowed individuals to place various types of bets on sporting events, including wagers on the outcome of individual games, and wagers involving “block pools” and other sports gambling pools. The entry fee for these pools was as much as $500, which would generate thousands of dollars for the winners. Winners paid Moore approximately 10% of their winnings as a “tip” or fee for participating in the pool. For ordinary bets on sporting events, bettors paid a fee to Moore that was included in the cost of the bet. DeAngelo partnered with Moore and engaged another individual who provided access to an overseas gambling website that, for a fee, allowed a bettor to establish an account with the Moore Gambling Business and place bets on the overseas website. Moore paid DeAngelo a percentage of the losses suffered by bettors, as much as 20%, as a fee for DeAngelo’s role in the Moore Gambling Business. DeAngelo also accepted wagers on individual sporting events from gamblers. In some of those cases, he acted as the “bookmaker” on those bets, and in other cases, directed gamblers to Moore and the Moore Gambling Business. During the years of its operation, the Moore Gambling Business served hundreds of bettors who, in total, wagered hundreds of thousands of dollars on sporting events. This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.


title: Sex Trafficking Leader Pleads Guilty to Multiple Counts of Sex Trafficking

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Massachusetts woman pleaded guilty today for her role in conspiring with others and committing sex trafficking of two minors and one adult. According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Christy Parker, also known as “Lula,” 28, of Fall River, Massachusetts, used physical beatings, threats, intimidation, sleep deprivation, starvation and other means to coerce at least one adult victim and two minor victims to engage in repeated commercial sex acts in and around Fall River, Massachusetts between January and August 2023. Starting in January 2023, Parker coerced the adult victim to engage in repeated commercial sex acts by physically beating, threatening and verbally abusing the victim; imposing manufactured debts on the victim; plying the victim with alcohol and subsequently withholding it; and threatening to have the authorities take the victim’s 3-year-old child away from her. Parker later worked with a minor to recruit two minor victims for commercial sex with false promises of easy money. Parker and her co-defendants harbored the minor victims in a house and a Fall River hotel and provided them for commercial sex over the course of two months in July and August 2023. Parker physically beat and threatened the minor victims, prohibited them from sleeping so they could engage in more commercial sex, starved them, and confiscated all of their earnings. Parker’s scheme ended in August 2023, when one of the minor victims called her social worker and asked for help. The social worker contacted law enforcement, and Parker was arrested at the Fall River hotel where she was harboring the victims. Parker pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and one count of sex trafficking a minor. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Restitution is also mandatory for offenses involving sex trafficking. Four of Parker’s co-defendants were previously convicted and sentenced. Tyreik Reid, 22, and Cory Primo, 44, were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking each and sentenced to 70 months in prison. Avvani Jeffers, 24, was convicted of two counts of forced labor and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Tre’sean Reid, 23, was convicted of one count of forced labor and sentenced to time served, which amounted to 8 months in prison. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Grimming of the HSI New England Field Office made the announcement. The HSI New England Field Office and Fall River Police Department are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecution Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking .


title: Florida Man Indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute  Approximately 14 Pounds of Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A federal grand jury in Rhode Island has returned an indictment charging Andrew Urbano Perez, 34, of Florida, with possession with intent to distribute approximately 14 pounds of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. According to court documents, in December 2024, a Warwick police officer assigned to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)Task Force stopped a rental vehicle with Florida license plates operated by Urbano Perez. A K-9 working with law enforcement alerted to the presence of narcotics. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 14 pounds of crystal methamphetamine hidden inside the vehicle and Urbano Perez was taken into custody. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan. The matter was investigated by the DEA and the participating task force agencies. A federal criminal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Fuel Executive Gets Five Year Prison Sentence for Defrauding U.S. Military in Contract Bid Scam

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Jasen Butler, 38, of Jupiter, Florida was sentenced today in West Palm Beach to 60 months in prison and criminal forfeiture by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks. In January, a jury convicted Butler of 34 counts of wire fraud, forgery, and money laundering. According to the evidence at trial, Butler, the owner of Independent Marine Oil Services LLC, corrupted the competitive bidding process for military fuel contracts and submitted dozens of falsified documents such as wire transfer memos and invoices to multiple U.S. warships between August 2022 and January 2024. These ships were attempting to purchase fuel in international ports in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Croatia to defend strategic American interests around the globe. Butler received over $4.5 million dollars in payments for phony expenses that Butler had not incurred. After Butler came under scrutiny by Navy officials, he continued his scheme by concealing his identity from government officials. Butler adopted a false name and feigned employment by a fictitious fuel division of a different company. Butler used the millions in the proceeds of his crimes to personally enrich himself and purchase multiple multi-million-dollar properties in Florida and Colorado. Judge Middlebrooks has entered a preliminary order of forfeiture for those properties. “The defendant stole millions of dollars from our military with a fake job, fake identity, and fake invoices,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This administration takes defrauding the American military seriously with a prison sentence reflecting the seriousness of the crime.” “The Defendant made his choice: to rip off the federal government and the Navy to line his own pockets. The Justice Department made its choice: to pursue maximum incarceration for the Defendant. In response, Judge Middlebrooks rightly ordered the Defendant imprisoned for 5 years,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its wonderful staff have zero tolerance for those who seek to corrupt competition.” “This sentence reflects the seriousness of what the evidence at trial showed: a calculated scheme that targeted the U.S. military for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The defendant submitted false documents, stole millions in taxpayer funds, and then tried to hide behind a fake identity when scrutiny began. When you defraud our armed forces, you are not just committing fraud, you are undermining operations that protect this country. That conduct will be investigated, prosecuted, and punished.” “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: those who defraud the U.S. military will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Josh Packer, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office. “CGIS will continue to work with our investigative partners and the Department of Justice to identify, investigate, and hold those accountable who exploit government systems for personal gain.” “This outcome reinforces DCIS’s commitment to safeguarding DoD resources and ensuring taxpayer funds are available for their intended purpose: supporting the readiness and effectiveness of the warfighter,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “This scheme stole millions from the American taxpayer and threatened to undermine a program essential for our global military operations. DCIS, working alongside our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who seek to defraud our military and exploit systems designed to support our nation's warfighters.” “The sentencing of Jasen Butler sends the unequivocal message that the Department of the Navy has zero tolerance for fraud within its procurement systems,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “The SEA Card program is indispensable to the U.S. Navy's global readiness. NCIS, along with our federal partners, are committed to aggressively dismantling any criminal enterprise that attempts to exploit systems designed to enable U.S. warfighting capabilities around the globe.” The case was prosecuted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, as a part of the Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force. The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force . Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards .


title: Kansas City Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Jermaine J. Arrington, 42, was sentenced in United States District Court to one hundred eight months in prison without parole for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On May 20, 2025, officers were called to 31st and Prospect Ave., Kansas City, Mo., regarding an armed disturbance with shots fired. When officers arrived in the area, they encountered Arrington, who grabbed his waistband and began to walk away. Officers gave commands to Arrington to show his hands and get on the ground; however, Arrington refused and ran from officers. During the foot chase, Arrington pulled a black handgun from his waistband and tossed it over a vehicle. Arrington was taken into custody afterward. Following his arrest, officers found approximately 2 grams of methamphetamine in Arrington’s front pocket. Officers retrieved the firearm, which was a Smith & Wesson, Model M&P, 9mm pistol that had been reported stolen from Olathe, Ks, in 2023. The firearm was loaded with one round in the chamber and twelve rounds in the magazine. Arrington, who is a convicted felon, had been found guilty of six prior felony offenses before today’s hearing. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. Operation Take Back America 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: Former USP Big Sandy Lieutenant Sentenced for Civil Rights Violations

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A Harold, Kentucky, man, Michael Childers, 47, was sentenced today to 17 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier for falsification of records. Childers was a Lieutenant at United States Penitentiary Big Sandy, located in Inez, Kentucky. According to his plea agreement, on April 13, 2021, Childers was in the lieutenants’ office, along with Lieutenant Terry Melvin, Lieutenant Kevin Pearce, Case Management Coordinator Samuel Patrick, and Captain’s Secretary Clinton Pauley, when an inmate who had requested protective custody was brought into the lieutenants’ office. The inmate pleaded for protective custody and then was assaulted by staff members without justification. After the assault, Childers wrote an incident report in which he falsely claimed that the inmate had struck him with his head as well as a closed fist. Childers admitted he wrote these things knowing they were false, but did so in an attempt to impede the administration of justice regarding the investigation of the unlawful assault on the inmate. “Today’s sentence marks a significant moment of accountability. BOP personnel are entrusted with authority and responsibility — positions that demand integrity, judgment, and a commitment to the rule of law. Instead, these defendants abused that authority, not only by engaging in unlawful conduct, but by taking steps to impede justice and conceal the truth,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our office remains committed to pursuing justice wherever the facts lead and such misconduct will be met with accountability.” “The subject abused his position of power to lie about the assault of an inmate in an effort to cover up illegal actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “The FBI will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers who exploit their authority and damage the public's trust placed in them.” “Today’s sentence underscores the serious nature of this misconduct and the violation of civil rights it involved,” said Federal Bureau of Prisons Director William K. Marshall III. “The Federal Bureau of Prisons will not tolerate abuse of authority and is committed to holding individuals accountable while ensuring the safety of those in our custody.” Childers is the final defendant to be sentenced for the assault. Melvin pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights and violating an individual’s rights under the color of law and was sentenced in April 2026 to 48 months. Patrick and Pauley pleaded guilty for their roles in the assaults of inmates and were sentenced in November 2023 to 36 and 40 months, respectively. Pearce was convicted of writing false reports that covered up the assaults of inmates and was sentenced to 66 months. Finally, Ryan Elliott , also a former USP Big Sandy lieutenant, pleaded guilty to assaulting an inmate and writing a false report about the assault of a second inmate in an unrelated incident. Elliott was sentenced in March 2024 to 12 months and one day. Under federal law, Childers must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for one year. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Loux of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, Chicago Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by DOJ-OIG and the FBI.


title: Action Across the Country Today Prosecute Schemes to Defraud Over $260 Million in Taxpayer Funded COVID Relief and Social Security Disability Programs

body_text: The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division announced the following actions of the Department of Justice across the country today to hold individuals accountable for schemes that attempted or succeeded in defrauding taxpayer-funded programs of over $260 million. “The National Fraud Enforcement Division will vigorously pursue those who steal taxpayer dollars. We will find you and bring you to justice for the American people,” said Colin McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division. In the District of New Jersey: U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced that tax preparer Leon Haynes, 52, of Teaneck, New Jersey, who sought more than $170 million in fraudulent COVID-19-related tax refunds was sentenced today to 12 years in prison. Haynes was also ordered to pay more than $55 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Following a six-day jury trial in November 2025 before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini, Haynes was convicted of 15 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns, one count of mail fraud, and two counts of tax evasion. This is the largest COVID-19 tax relief fraud case to be tried to date in the country. In the District of Colorado: U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly announced that Ikponmwosa Erhinmwinrose, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Nyerhovwo Presley Agbure, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, were each sentenced in connection with a fraud ring that stole millions in government funds and victimized thousands of people nationwide. Erhinmwinrose will spend 17 years in federal prison, and Agbure will spend 57 months in federal prison for their involvement in this fraud ring. According to the evidence presented at the trial and sentencing of Erhinmwinrose, he and other conspirators, including Agbure, applied for more than $90 million in government benefits and stole more than $7.6 million in government benefits from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, multiple state unemployment insurance programs including from the state of Colorado, and tax refunds. The PPP and EIDL are economic relief programs launched by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Middle District of Florida: U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe announced that Viviana Barnwell was sentenced this morning in Tampa to two years in prison. Barnwell’s adult son, P.C., was a beneficiary of Social Security disability benefits. P.C. went missing in 2016 and remains missing to this day. Despite reporting him missing to the local police, Barnwell concealed his death from the Social Security Administration, which continued to make monthly benefit payments onto P.C.’s debit card. Barnwell had control of that card and used it to withdraw and spend P.C.’s benefits for her own use. The total loss was $96,186. In the Eastern District of Missouri: U.S. Attorney Thomas Albus announced that the owner of a fossil replica company was indicted Wednesday and accused of fraudulently seeking disability benefits. Scott A. Taylor, 50, is still on probation from a prior disability fraud case. In September 2025, Taylor pleaded guilty to one felony count of theft of government money. In December 2025, Taylor was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to repay $106,923 to the Social Security Administration. The new indictment accuses Taylor of applying for Social Security disability benefits in January 2026, falsely claiming that he had not worked since 1993. A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division . The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The Fraud Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: San Fernando Valley Clinic Operator Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Ring that Sold Illegal Opioid Prescriptions for Cash

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – A San Fernando Valley man who operated corrupt medical clinics was sentenced today to 216 months in federal prison for participating in a drug trafficking ring that sold thousands of illegal opioid prescriptions for cash. Justin Douglas Cozart, 48, of Woodland Hills, who operated and supervised the ChiroMed medical clinics, was sentenced by United States District Judge David O. Carter. In February 2025, at the conclusion of a five-day trial, a federal jury found Cozart guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and one count of concealment money laundering. From 2017 to January 2020, Cozart and others knowingly and intentionally participated in a conspiracy to distribute the opioid painkiller oxycodone outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. Cozart operated several medical clinics in Southern California. Other members of the conspiracy recruited sham patients to go to Cozart’s clinics – including ones in Inglewood, Santa Ana, and Anaheim – to obtain oxycodone prescriptions. Cozart employed doctors at the clinic, including John Korzelius, 74, a.k.a. “Dr. K,” of Long Beach, who wrote oxycodone prescriptions for the fake patients. The recruiters then paid Cozart for the fraudulent oxycodone prescriptions. Upon obtaining the prescriptions from the clinic, the recruiters took the sham patients to a pharmacy to fill the prescriptions. After collecting and consolidating the pills, co-conspirators shipped them to a drug customer in the Boston area, for distribution on the black market. On two occasions in October and December 2018, parcels containing their consolidated pills were seized by law enforcement. In November and December of 2019, at a clinic in Inglewood, Korzelius issued prescriptions for 60 30 milligram oxycodone pills – the highest dose of short-acting oxycodone available and the dose most popular among drug abusers – to a patient who actually was an undercover law enforcement officer. Korzelius did not conduct a physical examination of this “patient” and instructed the undercover officer to not fill the prescription at a large pharmacy such as Walmart or CVS. “[Cozart] was a primary, illegal source of supply of oxycodone, a dangerous and frequently abused drug, for an organization that was shipping thousands of pills across the country for sale,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “He converted otherwise lawful chiropractic clinics into drug trafficking businesses, and pulled their existing employees…into his scheme.” In total, prosecutors in this case have secured nine convictions. Korzelius pleaded guilty in February 2025 to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. His California medical license expired in December 2020. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 8. The Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Torrance Police Department provided substantial assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Rosalind Wang and Brian Yang of the Orange County Office are prosecuting this case.


title: Federal Indictment Charges Man With Defrauding Federal Emergency Management Agency In The Aftermath Of Tropical Storm Helene

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal grand jury in Asheville has indicted Christian Michael Hall, 49, of Drexel, N.C., on charges of defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by falsely claiming his property was damaged by Tropical Storm Helene when in fact he did not have an interest in the affected property, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. “Every dollar of federal assistance is needed to repair my district after the destruction caused by Tropical Storm Helene,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Those committing fraud and wasting those valuable dollars will not be tolerated.” On September 27, 2024, Tropical Storm Helene struck the Western District of North Carolina, causing massive devastation, including extensive property damage and loss of life. On September 28, 2025, a major disaster declaration was issued for areas impacted by Tropical Storm Helene, and federal agencies were able to provide relief to affected individuals and entities through financial assistance for property repairs and other disaster-related needs. FEMA made financial assistance and benefits available to individuals and families affected by the storm. Eligible individuals, including renters and property owners, who lost the use of their residences could qualify for FEMA benefits. Specifically, impacted individuals could receive assistance for relief for home repair, personal property damage, transportation, medical expenses, and housing assistance, among other benefits. The indictment alleges that, on or about September 30, 2024, Hall filed an application for disaster assistance with FEMA seeking benefits for a residence in Valdese, North Carolina, that had sustained damage from Tropical Storm Helene. According to allegations in the indictment, Hall falsely asserted that the impacted property was his primary residence, even though he did not own, rent, reside, or work in that residence. As a result of his fraudulent application, Hall obtained approximately $20,932.14 in FEMA benefits to which he was not entitled. Hall is charged with fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency benefits, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The charges against Hall are allegations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General and FEMA’s Fraud Investigations and Inspections Division for their investigation of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina is committed to protecting federal disaster relief programs from waste, fraud and abuse. To report suspected disaster-related fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 1-866-720-5721, or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm .


title: Rochester man pleads guilty to drug and gun charges

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Juan Sosa, 30, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $10,000,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon N. Gonzalez, who is handling the case, stated that on May 22, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at Sosa’s Northlane Drive residence, during which they seized approximately 193 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, approximately 142 grams of cocaine, approximately 16 grams of dipentylone, $4,813 in cash, a loaded pistol, an assault rifle with a sawed-off barrel, and drug paraphernalia. The warrant, executed as part of a large-scale narcotics trafficking investigation, was one of multiple warrants executed at locations throughout Monroe County. Sosa has three prior felony convictions in Monroe County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, the Webster Police Department, under the direction of Dennis Kohlmeier, Brighton Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Catholdi, the New York State Police, under the direction Major Amie Feroleto, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo. Additional assistance was provided by the Monroe County Crime Analysis Center. Sentencing is scheduled for August 21, 2026, before Judge Wolford. # # # #