title: Two Georgia Men Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Crimes

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, Reginald Bernard Daniely Jr., also known as “Yo,” 34, and Jacquis Christopher Moody, also known as “Jo,” 30, both of Macon, Georgia, each pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 20, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Huntington apartment where Daniely and Moody had been staying. Officers seized approximately 13.814 grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, approximately 38.827 grams of crack, and two firearms during the search. As part of their guilty pleas, Daniely and Moody each admitted to possessing the seized controlled substances. Daniely and Moody each further admitted to possessing the two seized firearms. Daniely and Moody are scheduled to be sentenced on October 14, 2025, and each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-17. ###


title: 16 “Anti-Tren” members and associates charged with cocaine and firearms trafficking

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – Several foreign nationals illegally residing in the Houston area are now in custody for drug trafficking and weapons charges following a law enforcement operation targeting Venezuelan nationals and alleged members or associates of the Anti-Tren transnational criminal organization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Most are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray at 2 p.m. The charges allege Anti-Tren is a criminal organization almost exclusively comprised of former members and associates of Tren de Aragua (TdA). Similar to TdA, purposes of Anti-Tren allegedly include preserving and protecting the power and territory of the organization and its members and associates through attempted murder, other acts of violence and threats of such. This includes targeting members and associates of TdA and enriching the members and associates of Anti-Tren through, among other things, the trafficking of firearms and controlled substances, according to the charges. Two criminal complaints charge 14 Anti-Tren members and associates with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. These include Luis Miguel Claros Sarmiento, 26, Dany E. Rojas, 28, Ismael Leon Belbin, 24, Andy Luis Alvarez Herrera, 28, Cesar Oskeiber Cabezas Pacheco, 26, and Cesar Mauricio Velasquez, 27; Venezuelan nationals Raul Armando Ramirez Correa, 24, Darwin Martinez, 37, Peter Davila, 34, Otis Jose Rodriguez Garcia, 31, Pedro Hernandez Delgado, 19, Jesus F. Fernandez Troconiz, 26, Embeer J. Gutierrez Ternawskyj, 24, as well as Raul Antonio Claros Sarmiento, 30, Honduras. According to the allegations, two groups of individuals agreed to transport kilogram quantities of cocaine in exchange for $15,000 for each load with each group accepting half as payment in advance. “The Southern District’s twin priorities are securing our border and the eradication of violent crime. This case implicates both,” said Ganjei. “Operation Take Back America means going on the offensive against transnational criminal organizations to ensure that they cannot take root in our community and endanger public safety. SDTX is going to be unapologetic in carrying out that mission.” “These arrests are the largest takedown of suspected Anti-Tren members and associates by the FBI, so far, and they happened right here in Houston,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office. “These individuals are accused of engaging in a turf war with TdA members and carrying out numerous violent crimes throughout our city, including a mass shooting at a local sports bar that left six people wounded. Fortunately, for the good and safety of our community, these individuals are now in federal custody facing U.S. justice.” If convicted, they face up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine. Correa, Ternawskyj, Garcia, Delgado and Pedro Jose Ramirez Delgado, 26, are also charged separately with various weapons offenses based on their alleged possession and sale of firearms. If convicted of those charges, they could receive up to 15 years in prison. Jose Miguel Briceno, 25, a Venzuelan national who resided in Houston illegally, is charged separately with unlawful possession of ammunition by an alien. The criminal complaint alleges he was involved in a mass shooting at the Latinas Sports Bar club in Houston in March where six people were wounded, four of whom were in critical condition. According to the complaint, Briceno used a firearm to shoot inside the doorway of the bar and then discarded the firearm which law enforcement never located. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 possible fine. The FBI Houston field office conducted this investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshals Service and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz are prosecuting the case along with Jason Harley from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). JTFV, which was created to combat MS-13 and now expanded to TdA under Attorney General Bondi, has been comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern District of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Ohio; Eastern District of Virginia; Southern District of California; District of Columbia and Districts of New Jersey, Utah, Massachusetts, Nevada and Alaska as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security and Criminal Divisions. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; ICE-Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; and Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners and spearheaded JTFV’s investigations. This case is also a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood . A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Justice Department Announces Coordinated, Nationwide Actions to Combat North Korean Remote Information Technology Workers’ Illicit Revenue Generation Schemes

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Note: This press release has been updated to reflect new information regarding the guilty plea of one defendant in the District of Massachusetts. The Justice Department announced today coordinated actions against the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK) government’s schemes to fund its regime through remote information technology (IT) work for U.S. companies. These actions include two indictments, an information and related plea agreement, an arrest, searches of 29 known or suspected “laptop farms” across 16 states, and the seizure of 29 financial accounts used to launder illicit funds and 21 fraudulent websites. According to court documents, the schemes involve North Korean individuals fraudulently obtaining employment with U.S. companies as remote IT workers, using stolen and fake identities. The North Korean actors were assisted by individuals in the United States, China, United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan, and successfully obtained employment with more than 100 U.S. companies. As alleged in court documents, certain U.S.-based individuals enabled one of the schemes by creating front companies and fraudulent websites to promote the bona fides of the remote IT workers, and hosted laptop farms where the remote North Korean IT workers could remote access into U.S. victim company-provided laptop computers. Once employed, the North Korean IT workers received regular salary payments, and they gained access to, and in some cases stole, sensitive employer information such as export controlled U.S. military technology and virtual currency. In another scheme, North Korean IT workers used false or fraudulently obtained identities to gain employment with an Atlanta, Georgia-based blockchain research and development company and stole virtual currency worth approximately over $900,000. “These schemes target and steal from U.S. companies and are designed to evade sanctions and fund the North Korean regime’s illicit programs, including its weapons programs,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with our law enforcement, private sector, and international partners, will persistently pursue and dismantle these cyber-enabled revenue generation networks.” “North Korean IT workers defraud American companies and steal the identities of private citizens, all in support of the North Korean regime,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of FBI’s Cyber Division. “That is why the FBI and our partners continue to work together to disrupt infrastructure, seize revenue, indict overseas IT workers, and arrest their enablers in the United States. Let the actions announced today serve as a warning: if you host laptop farms for the benefit of North Korean actors, law enforcement will be waiting for you.” “North Korea remains intent on funding its weapons programs by defrauding U.S. companies and exploiting American victims of identity theft, but the FBI is equally intent on disrupting this massive campaign and bringing its perpetrators to justice,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division. “North Korean IT workers posing as U.S. citizens fraudulently obtained employment with American businesses so they could funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to North Korea’s authoritarian regime. The FBI will do everything in our power to defend the homeland and protect Americans from being victimized by the North Korean government, and we ask all U.S. companies that employ remote workers to remain vigilant to this sophisticated threat.” Zhenxing Wang, et al. Indictment, Seizure Warrants, and Arrest – District of Massachusetts Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the National Security Division announced the arrest of U.S. national Zhenxing “Danny” Wang of New Jersey pursuant to a five-count indictment . The indictment describes a multi-year fraud scheme by Wang and his co-conspirators to obtain remote IT work with U.S. companies that generated more than $5 million in revenue. The indictment also charges Chinese nationals Jing Bin Huang (靖斌 黄), Baoyu Zhou (周宝玉), Tong Yuze (佟雨泽), Yongzhe Xu (徐勇哲 andيونجزهي أكسو), Ziyou Yuan (زيو) and Zhenbang Zhou (周震邦), and Taiwanese nationals Mengting Liu (劉 孟婷) and Enchia Liu (刘恩) for their roles in the scheme. A second U.S. national, Kejia “Tony” Wang of New Jersey, has agreed to plead guilty for his role in the scheme and was charged separately in an information unsealed today. “The threat posed by DPRK operatives is both real and immediate. Thousands of North Korean cyber operatives have been trained and deployed by the regime to blend into the global digital workforce and systematically target U.S. companies,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “We will continue to work relentlessly to protect U.S. businesses and ensure they are not inadvertently fueling the DPRK’s unlawful and dangerous ambitions.” According to the indictment, from approximately 2021 until October 2024, the defendants and other co-conspirators compromised the identities of more than 80 U.S. persons to obtain remote jobs at more than 100 U.S. companies, including many Fortune 500 companies, and caused U.S. victim companies to incur legal fees, computer network remediation costs, and other damages and losses of at least $3 million. Overseas IT workers were assisted by Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and at least four other identified U.S. facilitators. Kejia Wang, for example, communicated with overseas co-conspirators and IT workers, and traveled to Shenyang and Dandong, China, including in 2023, to meet with them about the scheme. To deceive U.S. companies into believing the IT workers were located in the United States, Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and the other U.S. facilitators received and/or hosted laptops belonging to U.S. companies at their residences, and enabled overseas IT workers to access the laptops remotely by, among other things, connecting the laptops to hardware devices designed to allow for remote access (referred to as keyboard-video-mouse or “KVM” switches). Kejia Wang and Zhenxing Wang also created shell companies with corresponding websites and financial accounts, including Hopana Tech LLC, Tony WKJ LLC, and Independent Lab LLC, to make it appear as though the overseas IT workers were affiliated with legitimate U.S. businesses. Kejia Wang and Zhenxing Wang established these and other financial accounts to receive money from victimized U.S. companies, much of which was subsequently transferred to overseas co‑conspirators. In exchange for their services, Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and the four other U.S. facilitators received a total of at least $696,000 from the IT workers. IT workers employed under this scheme also gained access to sensitive employer data and source code, including International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) data from a California-based defense contractor that develops artificial intelligence-powered equipment and technologies. Specifically, between on or about Jan. 19, 2024, and on or about April 2, 2024, an overseas co-conspirator remotely accessed without authorization the company’s laptop and computer files containing technical data and other information. The stolen data included information marked as being controlled under the ITAR. Simultaneously with today’s announcement, the FBI and Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) seized 17 web domains used in furtherance of the charged scheme and further seized 29 financial accounts, holding tens of thousands of dollars in funds, used to launder revenue for the North Korean regime through the remote IT work scheme. Previously, in October 2024, as part of this investigation, federal law enforcement executed searches at eight locations across three states that resulted in the recovery of more than 70 laptops and remote access devices, such as KVMs. Simultaneously with that action, the FBI seized four web domains associated with Kejia Wang’s and Zhenxing Wang’s shell companies used to facilitate North Korean IT work. The FBI Las Vegas Field Office, DCIS San Diego Resident Agency, and Homeland Security Investigations San Diego Field Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia, Jr. of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from Legal Assistants Daniel Boucher and Margaret Coppes. Valuable assistance was also provided by Mark A. Murphy of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of California. Kim Kwang Jin et al. Indictment – Northern District of Georgia Today, the Northern District of Georgia unsealed a five-count wire fraud and money laundering indictment charging four North Korean nationals, Kim Kwang Jin (김관진), Kang Tae Bok (강태복), Jong Pong Ju (정봉주) and Chang Nam Il (창남일), with a scheme to steal virtual currency from two companies, valued at over $900,000 at the time of the thefts, and to launder proceeds of those thefts. The defendants remain at large and wanted by the FBI. “The defendants used fake and stolen personal identities to conceal their North Korean nationality, pose as remote IT workers, and exploit their victims’ trust to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “This indictment highlights the unique threat North Korea poses to companies that hire remote IT workers and underscores our resolve to prosecute any actor, in the United States or abroad, who steals from Georgia businesses.” According to the indictment, the defendants traveled to the United Arab Emirates on North Korean travel documents and worked as a co-located team. In approximately December 2020 and May 2021, respectively, Kim Kwang Jin (using victim P.S.’s stolen identity) and Jong Pong Ju (using the alias “Bryan Cho”) were hired by a blockchain research and development company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and a virtual token company based in Serbia. Both defendants concealed their North Korean identities from their employers by providing false identification documents containing a mix of stolen and fraudulent identity information. Neither company would have hired Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju had they known that they were North Korean citizens. Later, on a recommendation from Jong Pong Ju, the Serbian company hired “Peter Xiao,” who in fact was Chang Nam Il. After gaining their employers’ trust, Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju were assigned projects that provided them access to their employers’ virtual currency assets. In February 2022, Jong Pong Ju used that access to steal virtual currency worth approximately $175,000 at the time of the theft, sending it to a virtual currency address he controlled. In March 2022, Kim Kwang Jin stole virtual currency worth approximately $740,000 at the time of theft by modifying the source code of two of his employer’s smart contracts, then sending it to a virtual currency address he controlled. To launder the funds after the thefts, Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju “mixed” the stolen funds using the virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash and then transferred the funds to virtual currency exchange accounts controlled by defendants Kang Tae Bok and Chang Nam Il but held in the name of aliases. These accounts were opened using fraudulent Malaysian identification documents. The FBI Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samir Kaushal and Alex Sistla for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case. 21 Searches of Known or Suspected U.S.-based Laptop Farms – Multi-District Between June 10 and June 17, 2025, the FBI executed searches of 21 premises across 14 states hosting known and suspected laptop farms. These actions, coordinated by the FBI Denver Field Office, related to investigations of North Korean remote IT worker schemes being conducted by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices of the District of Colorado, Eastern District of Missouri, and Northern District of Texas. In total, the FBI seized approximately 137 laptops. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Connecticut, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the Middle District of Florida, the Northern District of Georgia, the Northern District of Illinois, the Northern District of Indiana, the District of Oregon, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Ohio, the Western District of New York, and the Western District of Pennsylvania. *** The Department’s actions to combat these schemes are the latest in a series of law enforcement actions under a joint National Security Division and FBI Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions effort, the DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative. This effort prioritizes targeting and disrupting the DPRK’s illicit revenue generation schemes and its U.S.-based enablers. The Department previously announced other actions pursuant to the initiative, including in January 2025 and prior, as well as the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint in early June 2025 for over $7.74 million tied to an illegal employment scheme. As the FBI has described in Public Service Announcements published in May 2024 and January 2025 , North Korean remote IT workers posing as legitimate remote IT workers have committed data extortion and exfiltrated the proprietary and sensitive data from U.S. companies. DPRK IT worker schemes typically involve the use of stolen identities, alias emails, social media, online cross-border payment platforms, and online job site accounts, as well as false websites, proxy computers, and witting and unwitting third parties located in the U.S. and elsewhere. Other public advisories about the threats, red flag indicators, and potential mitigation measures for these schemes include a May 2022 advisory released by the FBI, Department of the Treasury, and Department of State; a July 2023 advisory from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and guidance issued in October 2023 by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). As described the May 2022 advisory, North Korean IT workers have been known individually to earn up to $300,000 annually, generating hundreds of millions of dollars collectively each year, on behalf of designated entities, such as the North Korean Ministry of Defense and others directly involved in the DPRK’s weapons programs. The U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $5 million in support of international efforts to disrupt the DPRK’s illicit financial activities, including for cybercrimes, money laundering, and sanctions evasion. The details in the above-described court documents are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Mexican national federally indicted in the Eastern District of Texas

body_text: TYLER, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Mount Pleasant, has been charged with federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Jose Solorio-Martinez, 38, was named in a federal indictment returned by a grand jury last week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported. The indictment alleges that on April 24, 2025, Solorio-Martinez was found illegally in Mount Pleasant, after having been previously deported to Mexico from the United States on August 8, 2017. 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). If convicted, Solorio-Martinez faces up to 2 years in federal prison and deportation. This case is being investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety, FBI, and Mount Pleasant Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Richards. A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results In 324 Defendants Charged In Connection With Over $14.6 Billion In Alleged Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers. “This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.” In the Middle District of Florida, United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the filing of criminal charges in 13 cases involving 19 individuals in connection with alleged schemes to defraud programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled, and to obtain controlled substances through fraud. “Millions of Americans rely on the ethical and lawful practices of healthcare professionals and providers to deliver critical services to patients every day,” said U.S. Attorney Kehoe. “When criminals exploit our federal healthcare programs and betray the trust of their beneficiaries, the integrity of our systems are compromised. Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ferret out these criminals and bring them to justice.” The following individuals have been charged in Middle District of Florida: William Balsamo ( 65, Spring Hill) was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive health care kickbacks in connection with a scheme to provide doctors’ orders to pharmacies, durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies, and laboratories in exchange for kickbacks, which led to at least $9 million in losses to Medicare. As alleged in the information, Balsamo was the Chief Financial Officer of Call MD Plus, a telemedicine company that purported to offer software that enabled pharmacies, DME companies, and laboratories to connect their patients with telemedicine doctors who performed consultations. Call MD Plus allegedly obtained signed doctors’ orders by paying kickbacks to companies that had relationships with telemedicine doctors, and then sold the orders to the pharmacies, DMEs, and laboratories (sometimes through intermediary marketers and resellers), in exchange for kickbacks. The orders were then used to bill for medically unnecessary prescriptions and other items. The case is being prosecuted by Acting Assistant Chief Gary A. Winters of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Mesrobian. Edward Cannatelli (60, Parkland), Robbyn Cannatelli (68, Parkland), Thomas Farese (82, Fort Lauderdale), and Virginia Lockett (55, Margate) were charged for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program, make false statements relating to health care matters, and offer and pay illegal kickbacks and bribes. They are also charged in a second conspiracy to commit wire and health care fraud and with related substantive counts concerning the falsification of records in the federal investigation leading to the indictment. The four charged, along with other conspirators, generated medically unnecessary physicians’ orders via a telemarketing operation for DME. Through the telemarketing operation, federal health care program beneficiaries’ personal identifying information and other health-related information was harvested to begin forming DME brace orders. The information related to the emerging brace orders was then transmitted to purported “telemedicine” vendors that, in exchange for a fee, paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to physicians who signed the orders, often without ever contacting the beneficiaries to conduct the required telehealth consultations. The fraudulent brace orders were then returned to the conspirators, who used the orders as support for bogus DME claims submitted to Medicare. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay G. Trezevant and Tiffany E. Fields. Greisys Cuellar Hernandez (41, Tampa) was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for contributing to the filing of fraudulent insurance claims for staged traffic crashes resulting in multiple payouts by insurance companies to a physical rehabilitation clinic in Tampa. Cuellar Hernandez worked at the clinic and was involved in recruiting individuals to seek treatment after staging traffic crashes. Cuellar Hernandez was paid approximately $52,000 for her role in the conspiracy. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields. Alexis Del Sol Perez (48, Spring Hill) and Carlos Del Sol (30, Tampa) were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their roles in submitting fraudulent insurance claims for staged traffic crashes. Del Sol was also charged with wire fraud for causing the transmission of fraudulently obtained insurance funds. Del Sol Perez was the owner of a physical rehabilitation clinic in Tampa and recruited individuals to participate in staged traffic crashes and seek medical attention at his clinic. Del Sol worked at the clinic and assisted patients from staged car accidents with completing insurance paperwork containing false statements. Additionally, Del Sol was responsible for making cash payouts to individuals involved in the staged traffic crashes. As a result of this scheme, the defendants and co-conspirators obtained at least $4.7 million in fraudulently obtained proceeds from the offenses. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields. Patrick Michael Flint (43, Coconut Creek) pleaded guilty to conspiring to solicit and receive kickbacks for referring Medicare beneficiaries for COVID-19 tests and to purchase and sell Medicare beneficiary identification numbers. According to court documents, Flint obtained identifying information from Medicare beneficiaries for the purpose of sending them COVID-19 tests that they had not otherwise requested. He then sold the identifying information to medical providers for the purpose of shipping the COVID-19 tests to the beneficiaries and billing Medicare for the tests. Flint’s actions caused the submission of approximately 84,600 fraudulent claims to Medicare, which resulted in reimbursements totaling approximately $7.9 million. As part of his plea, Flint agreed to forfeit to the government a total of $1,266,025 of proceeds that he obtained during the scheme. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier. Michelle Forsythe (61, Ocala) was charged with 14 counts of wire fraud and 1 count of aggravated identity theft in connection with using the names and insurance policy information of 22 individuals without their knowledge or consent to overbill health insurance companies. The fraudulent overbillings resulted in a loss of at least $483,000. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Watson. Leo Joseph Govoni ( 67, Clearwater) and John Leo Witeck ( 60, Tampa) were charged by indictment for their roles in a conspiracy to solicit, steal, and misappropriate beneficiary funds from clients of the Center for Special Needs Trust Administration (CSNT). CSNT was a non-profit that managed funds for individuals with disabilities and other special needs, including those who received court awards, settlements, and other payments. As of February 2024, the indictment alleges, CSNT managed more than 2,100 special needs trusts containing approximately $200 million. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Peresie and Trial Attorney Lyndie Freeman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. Lauren Hornbuckle ( 36, Seminole) was charged with one count of tampering with a consumer product in connection with her unlawfully acquiring and tampering with morphine at a hospital. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Pizzo. Paula Pirone (68, Ocala) and Sophie Dufort ( 56, Gainesville) were charged with various counts of conspiracy, health care fraud, and paying kickbacks in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare over $8.6 million for medically unnecessary orthotic braces. According to the indictment, Pirone and Dufort owned and operated DME companies that offered and paid illegal kickbacks to their co-conspirators in exchange for signed doctors’ orders for medically unnecessary DME that were then billed to Medicare. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jody King of the Florida Strike Force. Ricardo Ramos (49, Tampa) was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in conducting financial transactions involving proceeds of mail fraud. Ramos was a chiropractor at a physical rehabilitation clinic in Tampa. His co-conspirators recruited individuals to stage traffic accidents, file false police reports related to the staged traffic crashes, and then seek treatment at the clinic where Ramos worked. Ramos performed evaluations on the recruited individuals and directed them to report high levels of pain in order to diagnose purported injuries and prescribe future treatments. In some instances, no evaluations were performed and Ramos still generated diagnoses to facilitate the filing of fraudulent insurance claims. Ramos also completed medical forms with prescriptions for DME based on the fake injuries. These false claims were submitted to insurance companies and resulted in the insurance companies sending payments to the clinic where Ramos worked. These funds were then used to compensate Ramos and the recruited individuals for their roles in the scheme. As a result of the conspiracy, Ramos obtained approximately $169,000. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields. Chad Monroe (47,Tarpon Springs) was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and mail fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and to offer, pay, solicit, and receive health care kickbacks, violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans, and TRICARE for more than $28 million for orthotic braces and to receive approximately $15 million in illegal kickbacks and bribes related to genetic testing. As alleged in the indictment, Monroe owned several DME companies that purchased doctors’ orders for braces. Monroe was also a marketer who generated and sold doctors’ orders for genetic testing. He also is charged for submitting a false Economic Injury Disaster loan application and aiding and abetting in the submission of a false Paycheck Protection Program loan. Previously, a boat purchased for over $600,000 and more than $1 million from an investment account were seized. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Catherine Wagner and Trial Attorney D. Keith Clouser of the National Rapid Response Strike Force. Anagha Onuoha a/k/a “Frank Emeka,” (61, St. Petersburg) was charged for making a false statement in a passport application and theft of government funds. According to the indictment, Onuoha, a Nigerian citizen living in the United States, obtained two Social Security numbers by fraudulently claiming to be a United States citizen. Using these Social Security numbers, Onuoha applied for, and received, benefits from the United States to which he was not entitled. As part of his scheme, Onuoha obtained more than $2.2 million in Social Security Disability Insurance benefits and Medicare benefits. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Schmidt and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Del Mastro. Eric Strom Holland (55, Fort Myers) was charged with wire fraud and distributing and dispensing controlled substances in connection with an alleged scheme to deceive doctors into writing controlled substance prescriptions based on false pretenses. As alleged in the complaint, Holland recruited unwitting doctors for his all-virtual pain clinic using a series of lies designed to induce them to work for him and to prescribe controlled substances, including oxycodone. These lies included that the pain clinic had a physical location (when in fact all operations during the pertinent periods were purely virtual), that patients were being physically examined by medical practitioners, such as nurse practitioners, before doctors were asked to prescribe, that there were long-term doctors with whom the patients had a standing relationship and that the temporary doctors were just refilling prescriptions as part of an established regimen of care, and that safeguards to prevent against drug abuse, such as urine screens, were being used. Holland’s scheme resulted in the improper dispensing of more than 103,000 oxycodone pills. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Winter. An information or indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. The MDFL has worked with the Department’s Criminal Division and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute these cases, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigations. The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links: Graphics and Resources Case Descriptions Court Documents National Press Release


title: Nine Charged with Alleged Scheme to Generate Revenue for North Korean Government and Its Weapons of Mass Destruction Program

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: UPDATE: This press release was revised on July 3, 2025 to reflect that a 10th individual was charged in a separate charging document that was unsealed on July 2, 2025. BOSTON – Nine individuals have been indicted in Boston, Mass. including one New Jersey man and eight overseas actors from China and Taiwan in connection with an alleged scheme to generate revenue for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs. The alleged scheme involved the dispatchment of skilled information technology (IT) workers who, using stolen identities of U.S. persons, posed as domestic workers to obtain remote IT jobs with U.S. companies, including several Fortune 500 companies and a defense contractor. The following defendants have been indicted for their roles in the scheme, which generated at least $5 million in revenue for North Korea: U.S. national Zhenxing “Danny” Wang of New Jersey; Chinese national Jing Bin Huang (靖斌 黄); Chinese national Baoyu Zhou (周宝玉); Chinese national Tong Yuze (佟雨泽); Chinese national Yongzhe Xu (徐勇哲 andيونجزهي أكسو), currently residing in the United Arab Emirates; Chinese national Ziyou Yuan (زيو), currently residing in the United Arab Emirates; Chinese national Zhenbang Zhou (周震邦); Taiwanese national Mengting Liu (劉 孟婷); and Taiwanese national Enchia Liu (刘恩) Zhenxing Wang was arrested earlier today in New Jersey. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. A second U.S. national, Kejia “Tony” Wang of New Jersey, has also been charged in a separate charging document for his role in the scheme and has agreed to plead guilty. As alleged in court documents, in response to U.S. and U.N. sanctions, the DPRK government has dispatched thousands of skilled IT workers around the world, who stole identities of U.S. persons and posed as domestic workers to obtain remote IT jobs with U.S. companies and generate revenue for DPRK weapons of mass destruction WMD programs. The DPRK IT workers’ scheme involved the use of pseudonymous email, social media, payment platform and online job site accounts, as well as false websites, proxy computers, and third-party enablers in the United States and abroad. According to the court documents the IT workers employed under this scheme also gained access to sensitive employer data and source code, including International Traffic in Arms Regulations data from a California-based defense contractor that develops artificial intelligence-powered equipment and technologies “The threat posed by DPRK operatives is both real and immediate. Thousands of North Korean cyber operatives have been trained and deployed by the regime to blend into the global digital workforce and systematically target U.S. companies,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “We will continue to work relentlessly to protect U.S. businesses and ensure they are not inadvertently fueling the DPRK’s unlawful and dangerous ambitions.” “These schemes target and steal from U.S. companies and are designed to evade sanctions and fund the North Korean regime’s illicit programs, including its weapons programs,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with our law enforcement, private sector, and international partners, will persistently pursue and dismantle these cyber-enabled revenue generation networks.” “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to expose and mitigate these fraudulent IT schemes and provide unwavering support to victims of North Korean cyber actors. While we have disrupted this group, this is merely the initial phase of the problem. The government of North Korea has trained and deployed thousands of IT workers to carry out similar schemes against U.S. companies daily. Protect your business by thoroughly vetting fully remote workers. The FBI strongly advises organizations to closely monitor their data, strengthen their remote hiring processes, and report any suspicious activity or fraud to the FBI,” said Rafik Mattar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Las Vegas Division. “These Indictments should act as a deterrent for individuals and foreign entities attempting to illegally export critical defense information,” said John E. Helsing, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Western Field Office. “DCIS will continue to work aggressively with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who threaten our National Security and America’s Warfighters.” “This multiagency case demonstrates the power of law enforcement agencies collaborating to dismantle international fraudulent schemes involving technology,” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in San Diego. “Let this investigation prove that HSI will aggressively identify and bring to justice those who seek to steal intellectual property through illegal access to computer networks in order to financially profit and jeopardize U.S.-based businesses who have fallen victim to these actors.” According to the indictment, from approximately 2021 through October 2024, the defendants and other co-conspirators perpetuated a massive fraud scheme resulting in the transmission of false and misleading information to dozens of U.S. companies, financial institutions, and government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Social Security Administration (SSA). Specifically, these defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly compromised the identities of more than 80 U.S. persons; fraudulently obtained remote jobs at more than 100 U.S. companies, including several Fortune 500 companies and a cleared defense contractor; received laptops and other hardware from U.S. companies; accessed, without authorization, the internal systems of these U.S. companies, including sensitive employer data and source code; generated at least $5 million in revenue for the overseas IT workers; and caused U.S. victim companies to incur legal fees, computer network remediation costs, and other damages and losses of at least $3 million. The overseas IT workers were allegedly assisted in this scheme by Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and at least four other identified U.S. facilitators. These facilitators allegedly received and/or hosted laptops belonging to U.S. victim companies at their residences to deceive the U.S. companies into believing the IT workers were in the United States. It is further alleged that they facilitated remote access to the computers for the overseas IT workers through illicit means, including downloading software to the computers without authorization from the U.S. companies, connecting the U.S. companies’ computers to internet-connected KVM switches, and creating shell companies with corresponding websites and financial accounts, including Hopana Tech LLC, Tony WKJ LLC and Independent Lab LLC to make it appear as though the overseas IT workers were affiliated with legitimate U.S. businesses. These facilitators also allegedly established accounts at U.S. financial institutions and online money transfer services to receive money from victimized U.S. companies, much of which was subsequently transferred to overseas co-conspirators. In exchange for their services, it is alleged that Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and the other U.S. facilitators collected at least $696,000 in fees. According to court documents, in October 2024, seven locations in New York, New Jersey and California were searched and voluntary interviews at so-called “laptop farms” were conducted (that is, premises used to host U.S company laptop computers used in furtherance of the scheme), resulting in the recovery of more than 70 victim company devices. Additionally, 21 fraudulent web domains used to facilitate North Korean IT work have been seized, and 29 financial accounts, holding tens of thousands of dollars in funds, used to launder revenue for the North Korean regime through remote IT work. Also today, the Northern District of Georgia unsealed an indictment charging four North Korean nationals with a scheme to steal virtual currency held by two victim companies valued at over $750,000 and laundering the proceeds overseas. Unlike traditional North Korean IT workers, who usually seek employment with the goal of remitting their salaries back to North Korea, the defendants charged by the Northern District of Georgia allegedly sought employment with virtual currency-related businesses to earn the trust of those businesses and then stole those businesses’ virtual assets. Today’s announcement is the culmination of a multi-year investigation by federal law enforcement agencies and is one of several announced today as part of the Justice Department’s initiative, DPRK: Domestic Enabler. Under the initiative, Department prosecutors and agents continue to prioritize high-impact, strategic, and unified enforcement and disruption operations targeting DPRK’s illicit revenue generation efforts through remote IT workers, and the U.S.-based individuals who enable them. The U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $5 million in support of international efforts to disrupt North Korea’s illicit financial activities, including for certain information related to individuals who are sent outside of North Korea to work to generate money for the North Korean government or who facilitate the activities of such North Korean nationals. The charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to cause damage to a protected computer provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of conspiracy to commit identity theft provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. U.S. Attorney Foley; AAG Eisenberg; FBI Las Vegas Acting SAC Mattar; DCIS San Diego Acting SAC Helsing; and HSI San Diego SAC Shawn Gibson made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia, Jr. of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section. Valuable assistance was provided by FBI New York, Newark and San Diego Field Offices; HSI Newark Field Office; United States Postal Inspection Service’s San Diego Field Office; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of New Jersey, the Eastern District of New York and the Southern District of California. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert announces charges as part of DOJ’s national health care fraud enforcement action

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today, Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced criminal charges against six defendants. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown . “This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.” “This action underscores our efforts to holding accountable those who abuse our health care systems for personal profit,” said U.S. Attorney Siebert. “Health care fraud not only wastes valuable resources but also jeopardizes patient safety and trust. Under the leadership of Attorney General Bondi, my office, along with our stalwart law enforcement partners, will not stop until fraud, waste, and abuse are eliminated across the health care sector.” “The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.” “Health care fraud drains critical resources from programs intended to help people who truly need medical care,” said Director Kash Patel of the FBI. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who exploit the system for personal gain. With more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, this is the largest takedown for this initiative to date. Together, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal from the American people and undermine our health care systems.” The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Siebert are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss s and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets, and the Government, in connection with the Takedown, seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets. The following individuals were charged in the Eastern District of Virginia: Jawad Bhatti, 54, of Richmond, was charged by indictment with health care fraud, false statements related to health care matters, receiving adulterated and misbranded devices, and administering a misbranded drug in connection with schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. As alleged in the Indictment, in his first scheme, Bhatti received in interstate commerce three FDA-unapproved devices that produced medical ozone gas, which the FDA has described as “a toxic gas that with no known useful medical application in specific, adjunctive, or preventive therapy.” Bhatti then allegedly advertised these devices on his website and used them in his pain management practice. Bhatti allegedly advertised to patients the benefits of ozone, to include that it treats cancer, AIDS, arthritis, and lower back pain, and improves weight management, sexual stamina, energy, and mental acuity. When Bhatti allegedly injected ozone into patients’ necks, backs, toes, and scalps, many reported it to be the worst pain they had ever experienced. To disguise his unapproved ozone treatments from the FDA, Medicare, and Medicaid, he allegedly falsely billed ozone and other treatments as nerve blocks. In his second scheme, Bhatti allegedly falsely billed Medicare and Medicaid for using ultrasound to guide the insertion of a needle for his injections when in fact he either did not use an ultrasound at all or he only used the ultrasound after the injection was complete. Bhatti allegedly was by far the most prolific pain management biller of this procedure in Virginia. In total, Bhatti allegedly submitted and caused the submission of over $5,202,374.96 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea Gibbons of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Keri Ayres, 50, of Warrenton, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to overcharge Medicaid for environmental modifications to homes or vehicles such as installing wheelchair ramps, or grab bars in showers, which scheme cost Medicaid approximately $245,000. As alleged in the information, Ayres was the owner of Ability Unlimited, a Medicaid provider whose business centered on facilitating but not performing environmental modifications, and Medicaid did not allow facilitators that performed no actual labor to charge a separate profit margin. Unsatisfied, Ayres allegedly directed her employees to hide their arbitrary and often exorbitant profit margins in the subcontractor costs. For example, Ability Unlimited purchased a generator from Amazon.com for less than $1000 and had it shipped directly to the Medicaid recipient, but charged Medicaid $3,395.16, listing the generator cost in an altered invoice as $2,610.16, and including an additional labor cost of $785 despite the direct shipment of the generator. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea Gibbons of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Lori Adcock, 54, of Hampstead, North Carolina, was charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to overcharge Medicaid for environmental modifications to homes or vehicles such as installing wheelchair ramps or grab bars in showers, which scheme cost Medicaid approximately $213,210.69 attributable to Adcock. As alleged in the complaint, Adcock was the operations manager of Ability Unlimited, a Medicaid provider whose business centered on facilitating but not performing environmental modifications, and Medicaid did not allow facilitators that performed no actual labor to charge a separate profit margin. Adcock was the manager of the fraudulent scheme to hide Ability Unlimited’s arbitrary and often exorbitant profit margins in the subcontractor costs. For example, Ability Unlimited purchased a generator from Amazon.com for less than $1000 and had it shipped directly to the Medicaid recipient, but charged Medicaid $3,395.16, listing the generator cost in an altered invoice as $2,610.16, and including an additional labor cost of $785 despite the direct shipment of the generator. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea Gibbons of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Kevin White, 56, of Richmond, was charged by information with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to bill Medicaid for residential group home services when the Medicaid recipients were hospitalized, incarcerated, or otherwise outside the group home. As alleged in the information, White was the owner of Ithiel Group, a Medicaid residential group home provider. White allegedly billed Medicaid for often-months-long periods when Medicaid group home residents were outside Ithiel’s group homes when they were hospitalized, incarcerated, or visiting their families. White and his managers allegedly often sent employees home because they lacked residents for which to care, but White billed Medicaid as if the residents were present. White allegedly received funds from a separate Virginia agency to hold bed space for absent residents while at the same time charging Medicaid as if he were providing services to these same absent residents. As a result of the scheme, Medicaid was billed over $1,000,000, and paid $461,704.23, in false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea Gibbons of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Yvoune Kara Petrie, 54, of Leesburg, was charged by Information with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to bill CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) for medical services and products that were not provided to patients, not prescribed by a physician, and not medically necessary. As alleged in the information, Petrie was the president and chief operating officer of Virginia Integrative Health, a medical clinic that provided hyperbaric oxygen therapy (“HBOT”) to patients. Petrie allegedly recruited her family members and friends to participate in her fraud as patients and she submitted fraudulent claims based on profit rather than the services that were actually prescribed. Petrie allegedly hired physicians at her clinic, but then used at least four physician’s National Provider Identifiers (“NPIs”) without their knowledge or permission to submit fraudulent claims to CareFirst. For example, Petrie allegedly used one physician’s NPI to submit fraudulent HBOT claims for that physician, as if the physician prescribed HBOT treatment for himself, but the treatment was never provided nor prescribed. As a result of the fraud scheme, Petrie allegedly caused at least $1,900,000 in actual loss to CareFirst. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary H. Ray of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Cristina Schasse, 40, of Glen Allen, was charged by Criminal Information with three charges of Criminal Tampering. As alleged in the Criminal Information, Schasse, while working as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist at Chippenham and Johnston-Willis Medical Center, on three separate dates tampered with a Pyxis machine that contained fentanyl and Versed, by drawing syringes of fentanyl and Versed, placing them into her pockets, and then preparing syringes of Precedex (a non-scheduled sedative), mixed with saline, and then marked the syringes with preprinted labels misidentifying them as containing either fentanyl or Versed. Schasse then allegedly stored these mislabeled syringes in the Pyxis machine, knowing that the substituted drugs would be administered to patients. After the patient was sedated with Propofol, Schasse then allegedly administered the replacement substances she had placed inside the mislabeled syringes, to multiple patients during medical procedures. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Angela Mastandrea and Patrick J. McGorman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.” "Defrauding the American health care system is not a victimless crime," said Assistant Director in Charge Steven Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office. "It raises health insurance premiums, exposes patients to unnecessary medical procedures, and can lead to identity theft. Every dollar stolen is one fewer that's available to pay for needed care. The FBI will continue our relentless pursuit of those committing health care fraud and hold them accountable for their crimes." “Health care professionals who tamper with patients’ medications not only endanger those patients, but also undermine the trust Americans place in their medical providers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ronald Dawkins, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice health care professionals who tamper with patients’ medications.” “We are sending a strong message: if you abuse your position to harm patients or engage in criminal activities, you will lose the privilege of handling, distributing, and prescribing controlled substances in our country,” emphasized Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for DEA Washington Division. “The DEA targets individuals involved in fraud and criminal enterprises, regardless of whether they are disguised in white coats or blue scrubs. We are committed to pursuing anyone who exploits financial, pharmaceutical, and criminal systems.” The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle, District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle, District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER .


title: Activity in the U.S. Attorney's Office

component: USAO - Wyoming

body_text: Possession of Child Pornography Sean Joseph Brennan , 58, of Hudson, Wyoming, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison with 10 years of supervised release to follow for possession of child pornography, subsequent offense. The court ordered restitution of $33,000 to be paid to the victims identified in the child pornography Brennan possessed. According to court documents, on Sept. 10, 2024, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force was contacted by the Lander Police Department (LPD) who requested assistance with an investigation. LPD received information that Brennan had been engaged in online chats with an individual Brennan believed to be 13 years old. As part of their investigation, detectives were granted search warrants for his property and seized electronic devices containing thousands of images and videos of child sexual assault material, or CSAM. DCI – ICAC and LPD investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case. The defendant was indicted on Nov. 20, 2024, and pleaded guilty on April 3. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on June 25 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00166 Drug Trafficking Tyler Kihlstrom , 35, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison with five years of supervised release to follow for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents, from March 2024 through May 29, 2024, Kihlstrom, along with others in Wyoming and Colorado, conspired to obtain methamphetamine in Colorado and distribute it in Wyoming. In May, after agents conducted several controlled purchases from Kihlstrom, he was pulled over and arrested near Douglas. He was found in possession of 549 grams of methamphetamine and over $8,000 in U.S. currency. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Kihlstrom was indicted on July 18, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Dec. 2, 2024. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on June 26 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-00103. Illegal Reentry Jorge Perez-Romero, 51, of Mexico, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on April 6, 2025, Perez-Romero was arrested by the Wyoming Highway Patrol for traffic-related offenses. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was contacted, and they determined that Perez-Romero had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in June 2005. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence in Cheyenne on June 24. Case No. 25-CR-00077 About the United States Attorney’s Office The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Project Safe Childhood Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious. Operation Take Back America Operation Take Back America is 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. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Victim Witness Program The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect. To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime


title: Three West Tennessee Residents Charged in Connection with Over $28 Million in Alleged Health Care Fraud

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – Today, Interim United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. announced criminal charges against three defendants in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund (FECA). The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from a West Tennessee pharmacy which fraudulently billed FECA for medications that were not based on valid prescriptions and were not dispensed to the injured claimants. “This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.” The charges announced today by Interim United States Attorney Murphy are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets, and the Government, in connection with the Takedown, seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets. The following individuals were charged in the Western District of Tennessee: Kossie Lamon Simmons, 59 , and Katina Marzie Simmons, 48 , of Collierville, Tennessee, and Tritia Margalizita Townsend, 47 , of Memphis, Tennessee, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and health care fraud in connection with their scheme to defraud the FECA by billing for medications purportedly to be dispensed to injured United States Postal Service claimants, which were not based on a valid prescription and were not in fact carried in stock by the pharmacy or dispensed to the claimants. In total, the pharmacy, SarJo Pharmacy, Inc. (“SarJo”), fraudulently billed FECA approximately $28,738,532.90 and was paid approximately $16,262,445.70. As alleged in the indictment, Kossie Simmons was a beneficial owner and submitted claims for prescription medications purportedly dispensed. Katina Simmons was the listed 70% owner of the entities involved and managed the entities, and Tritia Townsend was the pharmacist in charge of SarJo. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle, District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle, District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available at the Department’s website: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/2025-national-health-care-fraud-takedown . The Western District of Tennessee, in particular, worked with the Department’s Criminal Division, the United States Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, and the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sara Porter of the Gulf Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force and Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### For more information regarding this case, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Nigerian man sentenced to 40 months in prison for scheme to steal identities and claim tax refunds

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A Nigerian citizen who was arrested and extradited from the U.K. on an indictment in the Western District of Washington was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 40 months in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Onomen Uduebor, aka Onomen Onohi, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for the scheme to steal and use income tax data for fraud. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “He freely participated in the fraud and had a substantial role in the scheme. Thirty years old is not a young man and he ought to have known better.” “This defendant participated in a conspiracy that involved tricking companies around the United States, including a Tukwila-based company, into providing W-2 information on their employees. If the targeted Human Resources employee resisted providing the information via email, a schemer berated them via email posing as the company CEO,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “This conduct damaged companies, employees, and the Internal Revenue Service. While the IRS caught most of the fake tax refund filings, it left the individual victims with tax headaches and a sense of fear since their identities had been stolen.” According to the indictment, between February 2016 and April 2017, the conspirators created false emails that appeared to come from a company executive asking the Human Resources Department for the W-2 data. The conspirators manipulated the email so that any reply would go to an email address that they controlled. The conspirators then used the information from the W-2s to file more than 300 bogus tax returns claiming more than $1 million in tax refunds. The conspirators targeted companies across the U.S. in this scheme. Uduebor admits that he filed 150 of the false tax returns and tracked the refunds and payments to bank accounts that the schemers set up in the names of the victims. While the IRS paid out about $140,000 to the fraudsters, Uduebor says he received only $10,000 from the scheme. The IRS was able to seize some of the money back from the conspirators, so the total restitution owed to the U.S. Treasury is $122,720. Uduebor was ordered to forfeit the $10,000 that he admitted to earning and pay $122,720 in restitution to the IRS. In asking the court for a three-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Miriam Hinman wrote to the court, “This scheme harmed individual taxpayers, victim companies, and the IRS…. Taxpayers had trouble filing their real tax returns, and they expended a large amount of time and emotional energy on resolving their tax situation. This process delayed refunds, sometimes causing problems for taxpayers who relied on receiving the refund funds. Taxpayers have had lasting stress and expenses related to protecting themselves from identity theft.” Speaking in court today Uduebor said “I have read the victim impact statements and I know an apology is not enough…. I was desperate to succeed in my music career. It is not an excuse, but it is the truth.” Uduebor was arrested in the United Kingdom in September 2023. He arrived in the U.S. in March 2025. He pleaded guilty in April 2025. Uduebor will likely be deported to Nigeria following his prison term. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Miriam Hinman. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance with the extradition process.