title: U.S. Trustee Program Obtains More Than $392,000 in Penalties and Three-Year Suspension Against National Consumer Bankruptcy Firm

component: U.S. Trustee Program

body_text: The Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently obtained a judgment against a nationwide consumer bankruptcy law firm imposing more than $392,000 in penalties and a three-year suspension based on the firm’s false and misleading disclosures in more than 200 bankruptcy cases. On Sept. 17, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan entered summary judgment against Recovery Law Group APC (RLG). The court found that RLG intentionally violated provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and Bankruptcy Rules governing disclosure of attorney compensation and the practices of debt relief agencies. The court credited the USTP’s evidence of 220 cases filed in the district since 2020 in which RLG was responsible for untrue or misleading disclosures about its involvement or its fee-sharing arrangements with the attorneys it contracted with to represent its debtor clients. Based on the fees RLG collected for 217 of those cases, the court imposed a civil penalty of $392,471. Additionally, the court suspended RLG from soliciting or filing bankruptcy cases in the Eastern District of Michigan for three years. “Transparency and robust disclosure are essential in bankruptcy,” said Acting Director Ramona D. Elliott of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees. “Professionals threaten the integrity of the system when they are opaque about their payment arrangements, misrepresent their services, and fail to help their vulnerable clients.” The USTP’s enforcement action stemmed from a case involving a senior couple who contacted RLG seeking help with responding to collection efforts on a judgment against them. After the couple paid a fee of $1,835 to retain RLG, the firm assigned one of its Michigan-based attorneys, Sheena Majors, to file a chapter 7 bankruptcy petition for the couple. The mandatory form for disclosure of compensation and fee-sharing arrangements did not mention RLG, among other mistakes and misrepresentations. Because of a litany of failures by RLG and Majors, the couple eventually lost their home and a substantial share of their home equity. RLG’s involvement came to light only when it was revealed by the couple during a hearing — which Majors failed to attend — in an unsuccessful effort to save the home. The couple and the chapter 7 trustee administering their bankruptcy case have a pending lawsuit against RLG, Majors, and two related defendants. The court has already found the defendants liable for malpractice, with damages still to be determined. The USTP also prevailed in a separate enforcement action against RLG earlier this year. In April, the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia entered an order holding RLG and one of its affiliated attorneys, Thomas Watson, in contempt for providing deficient legal services and violating court orders. The court required the firm to pay $48,000 in sanctions and refund four chapter 7 debtors’ fees; suspended RLG from practicing in that district for two years; and disbarred Watson from practicing in the district. The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 88 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust .


title: Three Arrested on Methamphetamine Distribution Charges

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – Three individuals from West Virginia, who allegedly conspired with numerous others to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in the Western District of Virginia, were arrested last week on federal drug charges. Terry Headen, Charles “Chuck” Williams, and Taylor Headen, all of Welch, West Virginia, were arrested last week on a criminal complaint. Six of their coconspirators were arrested earlier this year: Stephen Stewart, of Appalachia, Virginia; Eric Mullins, of Appalachia, Virginia; Gerald McCoy, of Coeburn, Virginia; Danny Dearry, of Coeburn, Virginia; Lisa Poole, of Big Stone Gap, Virginia; and Jonathan Lake, of Artemus, Kentucky. Mullins, McCoy, Poole, and Lake have all pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Mullins further pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl, as well as an additional methamphetamine charge. In July, a federal grand jury in this district indicted Stewart on twelve counts involving methamphetamine, fentanyl, and firearms, related to this conspiracy. According to court documents, Stewart, Mullins, McCoy, Poole, Lake, Dearry, and others traveled—or caused others to travel—from the Western District of Virginia to West Virginia to obtain pounds of methamphetamine, supplied by Terry Headen, Chuck Williams, and Taylor Headen, for redistribution in the Western District of Virginia. At times, fentanyl was also supplied for distribution. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, and the West Virginia Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Macon and Corey Hall are prosecuting the case. An indictment and criminal complaint are merely an accusation. The defendants who have not pleaded guilty are presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Long-Term International Investigation into Conspiracy to Steal American-Funded Aid Concludes with 2 Indicted, 1 Convicted

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: CHARLESTON, S.C. — A long-term investigation concluded today with the unsealing of an indictment in the District of South Carolina charging two foreign nationals with conspiring against the United States to illegally divert U.S.-funded global health commodities from a Kenyan government-run corporation, Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA). Eric Ndungu Mwangi, 40, a Kenyan national, and Davendra Rampersaud, 42, a Guyanese national, and their associated businesses were charged in a 2021 superseding indictment brought by a federal grand jury in the District of South Carolina. The superseding indictment was originally filed under seal to protect the ongoing investigation. The investigation, led by the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), focused on the approximately $650 million USAID-funded KEMSA Medical Commodities Program (MCP). The purpose of KEMSA MCP was to establish and operate a safe, secure, reliable, and sustainable supply chain management system for HIV/AIDS commodities needed to provide care and treatment of persons with HIV/AIDS in Kenya, and to support the warehousing and distribution of select family planning, nutrition, and malaria commodities. Beginning in 2014, Mwangi and his company, Linear Diagnostics (LD), systematically stole HIV test kits and other commodities intended for KEMSA. The stolen goods found a buyer in Rampersaud and his Guyanese company, Caribbean Medical Supplies, Inc. (CMS). In 2015, Rampersaud fraudulently secured a "Letter of Authority" to operate as an authorized distributor. This allowed him to secure a lucrative, sole-source contract with the Guyana Ministry of Health for the products he was acquiring illegally. Between 2015 and 2019, Rampersaud paid Mwangi over $177,000 for the diverted medical supplies, including the stolen, USAID-funded HIV test kits meant for Kenya. Rampersaud then profited again by selling these stolen health commodities to the Guyanese government. Rampersaud and CMS also acquired and sold test kits stolen from another separate USAID program. “This was an incredibly complicated investigation, spanning years and an ocean,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina “These defendants jeopardized a vital public health mission and caused a significant loss to the American taxpayers.” In February 2021, Kenyan authorities arrested Mwangi on charges relating to theft and fraud. He is currently awaiting trial in Kenya. On the American charges, Mwangi faces up to 20 years on various counts, fines, and a term of supervised release. In January 2023, Rampersaud was arrested on charges arising out of the superseding indictment when he flew into Miami in the United States during a flight layover, while attempting to travel back to Guyana. He was transported to Charleston, South Carolina, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to stealing or converting health commodities that USAID paid for as part of a health care benefit. He was sentenced by United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel. Rampersaud received credit for time served and was additionally sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay an $84,000 fine. This case was investigated by Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Justice Department and USAID OIG appreciate the substantial assistance provided by the Office of International Affairs, the Department of State’s Regional Security Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Georgetown, Guyana, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Kittrell and Dean Secor are prosecuting the case. All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Newburgh Woman Who Made Headlines For False Claims About Homeless Veterans Sentenced For Wire Fraud And Stolen Valor

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that SHARON TONEY‑FINCH, who made false public claims about assisting homeless veterans, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day by U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti for a years-long scheme to defraud military veterans’ charities and falsely claiming that she was a Purple Heart recipient. TONEY-FINCH previously pled guilty in March 2025 to wire fraud and stolen valor offenses. In issuing the Court’s sentence, Judge Briccetti described TONEY-FINCH’s conduct as “appalling” and “disrespectful to [her] fellow veterans.” “Sharon Toney-Finch falsely claimed to be a Purple Heart recipient and used her foundation to defraud donors and others induced by that lie,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Let today’s sentence reaffirm that fraud built on lies about service and sacrifice will carry a heavy price.” As alleged in the Indictment and in statements made in public filings and public court proceedings: TONEY-FINCH is an Army veteran and founder of the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation (the “YIT Foundation”), a registered 501(c)(3) charity that was established in Sullivan County. TONEY-FINCH was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army with various commendations, but she never received a Purple Heart award. TONEY-FINCH’s YIT Foundation reportedly strived to raise awareness of premature births, offer assistance to premature babies and their families, and provide a place to stay or transportation while the babies were in the neonatal intensive care unit. The YIT Foundation also claimed to help homeless and low-income military service veterans in need of living assistance. In fact, the YIT Foundation was largely a fraud. TONEY-FINCH helped virtually no military veterans and, instead, used the money that had been donated to the YIT Foundation by bona fide military veterans’ charities principally for her own benefit, including to pay for her BMW, a gym membership, travel, meals, and other personal expenses. In raising funds for the YIT Foundation, TONEY-FINCH also lied extensively about her military service, claiming falsely that she had been injured in an improvised explosive device attack in Iraq and doctoring her military discharge paperwork to reflect that she had received a Purple Heart, among other things. In total, TONEY-FINCH obtained approximately $85,000 as part of the scheme. For example, in June 2022, TONEY-FINCH induced a local foundation that donates money to charities that serve veterans, food pantries, and domestic violence survivors to give the YIT Foundation $10,000 ostensibly to fund the construction of housing for homeless veterans. TONEY-FINCH used this grant money not to construct a home for veterans but rather principally to pay for her luxury vehicle and for her personal expenses at bars, restaurants, and gyms. In May 2023, TONEY-FINCH made national news after claiming to a newspaper that the YIT Foundation had been supporting numerous homeless veterans who were being evicted from a hotel in Newburgh to make room for migrants who were being bussed from New York City. This claim caused at least one donor to wire the YIT Foundation $25,000. TONEY‑FINCH’s claims about housing homeless veterans who were supposedly displaced by migrants were false. In the process of soliciting other donations for the YIT Foundation, TONEY-FINCH frequently and fraudulently held herself as a military hero who had received a Purple Heart medal. For example, in September 2021, TONEY-FINCH submitted a doctored military discharge certificate to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor and was honored at a Purple Heart ceremony alongside commissioned military officers. And in July 2022, TONEY-FINCH appeared on a video podcast to discuss the YIT Foundation and her claimed military record. At the outset of this appearance, TONEY-FINCH stated that she is the founder of the YIT Foundation and falsely claimed that she was “a Purple Heart and Valor Award recipient.” TONEY-FINCH then told an elaborate and false story about being the victim of an improvised explosive device attack in Iraq, in which TONEY-FINCH supposedly sustained injuries that required dozens of surgeries and simultaneously saved the lives of multiple fellow servicemembers. * * * In addition to the prison term, TONEY-FINCH, 43, of Newburgh, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $84,000 in restitution and $85,000 in forfeiture. Mr. Clayton praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Hudson Valley White Collar Crime Task Force, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison and Margaret N. Vasu are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former Office Manager Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $1.7 Million From Ocean City Home Builder

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – Tammy Barcus, 56, of Berlin, Maryland, pled guilty to a three-count Information, charging her with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and tax evasion. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington D.C. Field Office. Barcus, a former office manager and bookkeeper for an Ocean City-based home builder, admitted to embezzling at least $1,790,000 from her former employer. She forged a business owner’s signature on business checks at least 500 times. Barcus then concealed the embezzlement from her employer and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by making false entries into the business’ books and records. In her guilty plea, Barcus acknowledged that she worked for the home builder as a trusted employee with substantial control over business records and financial accounts. As part of her daily job duties, Barcus had access to payment systems and accounting records that belonged to the home builder. She worked with a high degree of independence. From 2016 through 2024, Barcus used her position of trust to embezzle money by issuing more than 500 fraudulently authorized checks from the home builder’s business bank account. Barcus forged the signature of one of the owners on the face of the business checks and then deposited the checks into bank accounts she controlled. She then used the money for her personal enrichment. The former office manager and bookkeeper concealed the scheme by hiding the embezzled income from the IRS. She also made materially false and fraudulent edits and entries into the home builder’s internal accounting records to cover up the fraudulent payments and commingled the embezzled funds into a bank account she controlled. Barcus is facing a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud, five years for tax evasion, and a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Judge Maddox set sentencing for Monday, February 9, 2026, at 10 a.m. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended IRS-CI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Murphy and Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry Gruber, who are prosecuting the federal case, and Paralegal Specialists Joanna B.N. Huber and Shelbe Mascaro, for their valuable assistance. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Hungarian-Spanish Citizen Sentenced in Scheme to Export U.S. Military-Grade Radios to Russian Government End Users

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Bence Horvath, 47, a dual citizen of Hungary and Spain who resided in the United Arab Emirates, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 31 months in prison in connection with conspiring to illegally export U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian end users without a license, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Horvath pleaded guilty on June 17, 2025, to one count of conspiring to unlawfully export goods to Russia. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates ordered Horvath to serve three of supervised release and to pay a fine of $5,000. Horvath will be subject to deportation on completion of his sentence. According to court documents, beginning at least around January 2023, Horvath and others initiated discussions with a small U.S. radio distribution company about procuring and exporting to Russia U.S.-manufactured military-grade radios and related accessories. Over several months Horvath worked to secure those items, which he intended to transship to Russia via a freight forwarder in Latvia. As part of the conspiracy, Horvath purchased 200 of the military-grade radios and intended to export them to Russia. But Horvath was not successful. U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained the shipment and prevented the radios from falling into the hands of prohibited Russian end users. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Southeast Field Office, and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California provided valuable assistance. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Maeghan Mikorski for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. 24cr401


title: Justice Department Opens Investigation into Des Moines Public Schools for Race-Based Employment Practices

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) to determine whether it engages in employment practices that discriminate based on race, color, and national origin in violation of Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964, as amended. According to its website, Des Moines Public Schools requires that its teaching and learning staff match the student population in terms of “demographics and cultural responsivity.” DMPS also set specific quotas for “increas[ing] the number of teachers of color” in an affirmative action plan. Its staff retention strategy prioritizes “lift[ing] up voices of our People of Color” and “creat[ing] a safer environment for People of Color.” DMPS also operates the “3D Coalition” project, a recruitment and hiring program for “aspiring minority teachers.” “DEI initiatives and race-based hiring preferences in our schools violate federal anti-discrimination laws and undermine educational priorities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “School districts must cease these unlawful programs and restore merit-based employment practices for the benefit of both students and employees.” You can read the notice letter here .


title: Rapid City Sex Offender Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a man from Rapid City, South Dakota, convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025. Matthew Zook, 46, was sentenced to ten years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $95 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Forfeiture was also ordered. A federal grand jury indicted Zook for the charge in June 2024. He pleaded guilty on July 15, 2025. In April 2024, Zook used Snapchat to communicate with a 14-year-old minor female. Zook described how he would use condoms for birth control and discussed his desire to try different sex positions with the young girl. Zook told the girl the reason he wanted to have sex with her was because his mother was sick and his girlfriend was mad at him. On April 20, 2024, just after midnight, Zook drove to the minor’s house and parked in her driveway. Unbeknownst to Zook, the minor had informed one of her parents, who alerted law enforcement. Zook was arrested while parked in the driveway. Zook was previously convicted in 2012 for Fourth Degree Rape of a minor when he was 33 years old, for which he received a suspended prison sentence. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the Rapid City Police Department, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case. Zook was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Maine Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Trafficking Whale and Bird Parts

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Sergey Bachkovsky, of Greene, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland, Maine, to trafficking whale and bird parts in violation of the Lacey Act. According to court records and statements during today’s hearing, between June 2023 and March 2024, Bachkovsky imported wildlife items from Eastern Europe and sold them online to buyers across the United States. The items included sperm whale and marine mammal teeth (both raw items and scrimshaw art pieces), blue whale and Antarctic minke whale ear bones, and a broad-winged hawk carcass. The charging document also includes a notice of forfeiture for wildlife items that Bachkovsky intended to sell, including marine mammal and bear teeth, whale vertebrae, and feathers and wings from eagles, hawks, owls, and vultures. It is a violation of the Lacey Act, the oldest U.S. wildlife trafficking law, to trade in wildlife taken, possessed, transported or sold contrary to another U.S. or state law. The sperm whale and blue whale have been protected by the Endangered Species Act since 1973. The Marine Mammal Protection Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibit the sale and transportation of whale and migratory bird items without a permit, such as for public display, scientific study, or enhancement of species survival. Bachkovsky will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the illegal activity. Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Craig Wolff for the District of Maine, and Assistant Director Doug Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement. Bachkovsky was investigated and charged as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Operation Raw Deal, which targeted the unlawful import and resale of whale teeth and bone ( such as in a South Carolina case recently sentenced ). Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Scott for the District of Maine are prosecuting the case.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to 3 ½ Years in Federal Prison  for Illegally Possessing Ammunition

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a man from Rapid City, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025. Dylan Sanchez, 33, was sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Sanchez was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He pleaded guilty on July 21, 2025. On April 10, 2024, in Rapid City, SD, Sanchez was stopped by law enforcement for traveling above the posted speed limit. After failing a field sobriety test, Sanchez was arrested and his vehicle inventoried. In his vehicle, law enforcement located over 200 rounds of ammunition, pistol magazines, including an extended magazine, cocaine, and distributable amounts of marijuana. Sanchez is prohibited from possessing ammunition because of a previous felony conviction. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case. Sanchez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Tacoma man sentenced to long prison term for producing images of child sexual abuse

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – A 29-year-old Tacoma resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 15 years in prison for production of images of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Demitri Super pleaded guilty in June 2025. He will serve his federal prison sentence concurrent with a Pierce County Superior Court sentence for sexual abuse of a toddler. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle told him, “What you did was monstrous.” “This defendant preyed on a young child at the behest of a co-conspirator he met on the internet,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “Mr. Super willingly violated the toddler for a stranger overseas. Congress has established mandatory minimum sentences for such horrific conduct.” According to records filed in the case, a foreign law enforcement organization contacted the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Computer Crimes Center about a Skype video showing the rape of a toddler. The video had been seized from a male U.K. sex offender who had posed online as a female. HSI quickly worked to identify the person in the video seen molesting the child. Agents interviewed and arrested Super. The victim child was identified, and the parents were notified. In asking for the 15-year sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “The seriousness of Super’s crime cannot be overstated. He committed vile acts of sexual abuse against a defenseless toddler in his care. That toddler’s parents had every reason to trust Super with their child, and Super breached that trust in the most devastating manner possible.” Super will be on 15 years of supervised release following his prison term. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hampton. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Cuban National Admits to Interstate Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Distribution

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christian Mur-Santana, age 39, a Cuban national residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, pled guilty on Friday to conspiracy and methamphetamine distribution charges in connection with his distribution and possession with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine and fentanyl. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement. Mur-Santana admitted that between April and July 2023, he mailed several packages containing pure methamphetamine and fentanyl from Las Vegas to co-conspirator drug distributors in the Capital Region. During the conspiracy, Mur-Santana used the U.S. Mail to distribute more than five kilograms of methamphetamine and 10 grams of pressed pills containing fentanyl. In September 2023, law enforcement searched Mur-Santana’s Las Vegas residence and recovered approximately 391 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded 9mm pistol. Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Christian Mur-Santana, while a guest in this country, repeatedly shipped deadly and addictive drugs, several thousand miles, to the Capital Region. He will now be serving at least 10 years in prison. Mailing highly toxic and lethal substances through the U.S. Mail places our Postal workers in danger. We will aggressively pursue abuse of our U.S. Mail system by dangerous criminals like Mur-Santana. I am grateful for and commend the outstanding investigative work of our federal law enforcement partners who worked this important case.” DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III stated: “The DEA remains committed to stopping the flow of dangerous substances, like methamphetamine and counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, from reaching our towns and communities. Today’s plea is the result of the tireless work the DEA and our law enforcement partners do when targeting those who weaponize our mail system to traffic illicit narcotics and ensuring justice is delivered. We remain committed to targeting those responsible for fueling addiction and causing needless deaths from the poison they push.” USPIS Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward stated: “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service takes very seriously any abuse of our nation’s mail system for criminal purposes. Today’s plea is the result of rigorous investigative work and demonstrates that the U.S. Mail is not a safe harbor for drug traffickers. We will continue to safeguard the integrity of the mail and support efforts to protect public health and safety.” Mur-Santana was one of nine defendants to be charged in this investigation. The following defendants have pled guilty and have been sentenced or are pending sentencing: Todd Austin was sentenced to 78 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release; Andrew Deleon was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release; Stefanie Plass was sentenced to 24 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release; Ahmad Burke was sentenced to 14 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release; Flor Arencibia is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2025; Melissa Karwan is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2025; and Keisha Duboise is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7, 2026. Charges against the remaining defendant, Felix Arencibia , are pending. The charges in the indictment against Felix Arencibia are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. At sentencing, Mur-Santana faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. He will be sentenced on January 23, 2026, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. These cases are being investigated by the DEA and USPIS. Assistant United States Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the cases. These cases are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Kansas Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for  Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl in South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a woman from Prairie Village, Kansas, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025. Amanda Acosta, 43, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Acosta was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in February 2025. She pleaded guilty on July 17, 2025. Acosta became involved with a California-based drug trafficking organization, operating out of Sioux Falls, in July 2024. She acted as a sub-distributor for the organization, purchasing significant quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and then selling the drugs for a profit to individuals in Sioux Falls and other areas throughout South Dakota. She also allowed the organization to ship packages of fentanyl pills directly to her residence through the mail. Acosta’s involvement with the organization ended with her arrest in September 2024. 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). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case. Acosta was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Three Guatemalan Citizens Charged with Conspiracy to Sell Phony United States Identification Cards

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Norma Yanari Ayala (34), Rigoberto Vasquez-Vasquez (42), and Edgidio Vasquez-Mencho (41) were arrested in Grand Rapids on September 30, 2025. All three were indicted by a grand jury with charges alleging that they conspired to transfer false identification documents and actually transferred false documents. Ayala and Vasquez-Mencho are also charged with illegal reentry into the U.S. after having been removed from the country previously. Defendants: Charges Norma Yanari Ayala Conspiracy to Transfer False Identification Documents Transfer False Identification Documents Alien Reentry Rigoberto Vasquez-Vasquez Conspiracy to Transfer False Identification Documents Transfer False Identification Documents Edgidio Vasquez-Mencho Conspiracy to Transfer False Identification Documents Transfer False Identification Documents Alien Reentry The indictment alleges that from on or before June 2024 through June 2025, the defendants conspired to transfer and sell false permanent resident cards and social security account number cards that appeared to have been issued by or under the authority of the United States knowing that they were unlawfully produced. The cards were sold to persons believed to be present in the United States illegally. The indictment also charges 7 instances of such sales to confidential sources which were observed by HSI agents. U.S. Attorney VerHey said, “These cases are a priority. Illegal immigrants come to the United States because they know they can get phony work documents allowing them to take U.S. jobs. We know whatever we can do to disrupt the fraudulent document business will help us get control of illegal immigration.” In addition, the indictment charges Norma Yanari Ayala, who has been removed on 4 occasions, and Edgidio Vasquez-Mencho, who has been removed once, with reentering the United States without authorization. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Daniels is prosecuting it. The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Create and Distribute Videos Depicting Monkey Torture and Mutilation

body_text: Note: the release has been updated to include only information about Morelli. Additional information about another individual who has been charged in the case has been removed. A New Jersey man was sentenced to prison today in connection with his involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys. Giancarlo Morelli, of Wharton, New Jersey, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for conspiring to create and distribute animal crush videos. “Those making or sharing animal crush videos have reason to fear capture and swift justice in the form of sentences like today’s,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Congress has said clearly that this conduct has no place in our society. Beyond dark corners of the web, it is reviled. Anyone who sees it should turn in perpetrators to federal law enforcement. We will prosecute everyone we can, as we did with this chat group. If you’re involved in these groups, get out and get help.” “If you pay others to torture animals or to share images of that horrific abuse, you can expect to be held accountable as if you committed the torture firsthand,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “Today’s sentence shows our resolve to punish everyone who participates in these despicable and sadistic conspiracies.” “The acts of torture and abuse of young monkeys in this case are beyond disturbing,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Adam Lawson of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office. “As a result of the work of the FBI, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and our Department of Justice partners, those involved in the creation and distribution of these repulsive animal torture videos are being held accountable for their criminal actions.” “Those who produce or distribute animal crush videos should know that federal law enforcement is fully committed to identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting these offenders,” said Assistant Director Doug Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement. “Such acts are universally condemned, and we commend vigilant members of the public who report these crimes when they are discovered. As demonstrated by this successful prosecution, we will aggressively pursue all who participate in these abhorrent acts.” According to court documents, Morelli paid another individual 19 times for videos depicting the torture and abuse of monkeys. Morelli also kept up an extensive correspondence with the individual supplying him with the videos, providing feedback on the content of the videos, and offering suggestions for future videos. According to statements of facts signed by Morelli, the videos included depictions of baby and adolescent monkeys being tortured in a multitude of ways, including having their genitals burned and cut off. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney Adam C. Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section is prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Oakley for the Southern District of Ohio also helped prosecute the case.


title: Federal Jury Finds Charleston Man and Woman Guilty of Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After five days of trial, a federal jury convicted Tiwan Robert Bailey, also known as “Quick,” 49, and Carrie Roy, also known as “Carrie Ash,” 52, both of Charleston, on Monday, September 29, 2025, for their roles in a sex trafficking conspiracy that operated in the Charleston and Rand areas of Kanawha County. Evidence at trial showed that between November 2023 and July 2024, Bailey trafficked four different female victims, including a 17-year-old girl, requiring each to engage in commercial sex acts and provide all they money they received to him. Bailey also obstructed the federal investigation of the sex trafficking conspiracy by seeking to interfere with any potential cooperation and testimony by the minor female victim. Bailey coerced his adult victims through threats and violence, including by sending them threatening voice messages through Facebook Messenger and physically beating and sexual assaulting them. Bailey supplied drugs to the victims who suffered from substance use disorders and withheld drugs from them as punishment. Roy aided and abetted Bailey and conspired with him and others in the trafficking of the minor female. Roy also transported the three adult victims to and from meetings for commercial sex acts and collected money from these acts for Bailey. Bailey became a fugitive after a warrant for his arrest was issued in the case on July 23, 2024. The United States Marshals Service (USMS) captured Bailey on January 17, 2025, in Lexington, Kentucky. The jury found Bailey and Roy guilty of one count each of sex trafficking of a minor and conspiring to commit sex trafficking of a minor. The jury also found Bailey guilty of three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and one count of obstruction of justice. Bailey and Roy are scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2026. Bailey faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison. Roy faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. “Bailey was particularly brutal in his mistreatment of the victims of this case, subjecting them to violent threats and assaults. Sex trafficking is a depraved crime of exploitation, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia is committed to delivering justice for the victims of sex trafficking,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I commend the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Charleston Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office for their investigative work in this case, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the West Virginia Fusion Center for the assistance they provided. I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Jennifer D. Gordon and our trial team for securing guilty verdicts on all counts against Bailey and Roy.” United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the jury trial. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-118. ###


title: Five San Fernando Valley Street Gang Affiliates Arrested on Federal Complaint Alleging Murder-for-Hire Plot Against Local Crime Boss

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Five members and associates of the San Fernando Valley-based Vanowen Street Locos and Elmwood Rifa 13 gangs were arrested today on federal criminal complaints – four of them charged with taking part in a murder-for-hire plot targeting an Armenian Organized Crime boss but which instead resulted in his significant other getting shot and wounded in front of their two young children earlier this year. The defendants arrested today are: Carlos Armando Ochoa Grimaldi, 47, a.k.a. “Spanky,” of Sylmar; Christopher Ayala, 29, a.k.a. “Hits,” of Sylmar; Edir De La Cruz, 34, a.k.a. “Temper,” of Van Nuys; and Maria de Jesus Mares, 39, a.k.a. “Mary Oceans,” of Van Nuys. Also arrested on a complaint today was Vanowen Street Locos gang member Jose de Jesus Gonzalez, Jr., 49, a.k.a. “Listo,” of Llano, who is separately charged in connection with the August 2023 shooting of Vahan Harutyunyan, 49, of Hollywood, Florida, who is now in federal custody on kidnapping charges. Approximately five firearms, a silencer, firearm parts, and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition were seized during the search warrant services. Grimaldi, Ayala, De La Cruz, and Mares are charged with use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. Gonzalez is charged with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The defendants are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles. According to affidavits filed with the complaints, Armenian Organized Crime, a Russian Mafia and Mexican Mafia-affiliated transnational criminal organization, has made Los Angeles County a center of its U.S. operations. Since 2022, two local leaders within the organization, also known as avtoritet , which in Russian means “authority,” allegedly have engaged in a power struggle for control in their territory, resulting in multiple assaults, murder attempts, and a kidnapping. Robert Amiryan, 47, of Hollywood, an avtoritet , has been the target of an assault and attempted murders ordered by a rival avtoritet , Ara Artuni, 41, of Porter Ranch. Amiryan and Artuni are in federal custody after being charged earlier this year with a series of crimes and are scheduled to go on trial in December 2025 and August 2026, respectively. Artuni is principally charged with ordering the murder of Amiryan on multiple occasions in 2023. In retaliation, Amiryan conspired with members of his own criminal organization to kidnap and torture one of Artuni’s associates in June 2023. In early 2025, Grimaldi, Ayala, De La Cruz, and others began stalking Amiryan and renewed efforts to kill him. For example, in February 2025, Ayala informed De La Cruz that he and others were still working “on th[e] job” to kill Amiryan. On March 14, 2025, Grimaldi and Vahagn Stepanyan, 40, of Burbank, shot and wounded Amiryan’s significant other as she arrived home in her car with their two children. Stepanyan is currently in federal custody and is charged with racketeering, fraud, and firearms offenses. After the shooting, Mares called De La Cruz and reported that the “job [was] done,” and Stepanyan would pay her $50,000 for her role as the getaway driver, according to court documents. In the days afterward, Mares told De La Cruz, that she believed she would not be getting paid because “it was the wife not him.” Stepanyan ultimately paid Mares a reduced rate because Amiryan was not killed. A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The Los Angeles Police Department Major Crimes Division – Transnational Organized Crime Section; the Burbank Police Department; Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Northridge and Ventura offices; the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); IRS Criminal Investigation; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi Allsop and Kenneth R. Carbajal of the Major Crimes Section and Tara B. Vavere of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case. The Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section provided substantial assistance. 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: Lewisville man sentenced to federal prison for string of bank robberies

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – A Lewisville man has been sentenced to federal prison for bank robbery in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Kyung Heo, 31, pleaded guilty to bank robbery and was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on September 30, 2025. According to information presented in court, on November 18, 2022, Heo entered the Comerica Bank on State Highway 121 in Lewisville and approached the bank manager asking if the bank could process a cashier’s check. When told the bank could only process cashier’s checks for clients, Heo produced a handgun and pointed it at the manager. Heo pushed the manager out of the way, pointed the handgun at the tellers, and demanded they give him money. After taking the money, Heo exited the bank and departed the area on foot. On April 6, 2023, Heo entered the American National Bank on Cross Timbers Road in Flower Mound, approached a teller station, pulled out a handgun, jumped over the counter, and instructed the tellers to empty their cash drawers. Heo then placed the money in a plastic bag before departing the area on foot. Shortly after the robbery, officers searched the area and located a plastic bag containing $18,943 cash in a nearby drainage ditch. American National Bank reported an additional loss of $10,208 for a total amount of loss is $29,151. An analysis of surveillance videos from the two robberies was also used to link Heo to the June 6, 2023, robbery of the Citizen’s National Bank in Weatherford. Heo was convicted in the Northern District of Texas for that robbery and sentenced to 57 months in federal prison. His Eastern District of Texas sentence will run concurrently to the sentence for the Weatherford bank robbery. This case was investigated by the FBI, Lewisville Police Department, and the Flower Mound Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson. ###


title: Pair Sentenced for Attempted Armed Kidnapping and Robbery of Apartment Property Manager

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

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Two people who attempted to kidnap and rob a St. Louis apartment property manager at gunpoint in 2024 have been sentenced to prison for that and other crimes. U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced Emma M. Cunningham, 33, to 112 months in prison. Judge Schelp sentenced Jervonz L. Williams, 49, to 225 months in prison on September 24. Cunningham bought the .38-caliber revolver used in the attempted kidnapping months earlier. On Feb. 20, 2024, she lied on Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Form 4473 when she claimed she was buying the gun for herself and when she denied being an unlawful user of a controlled substance. She bought it for Williams, her boyfriend and a convicted felon who is barred from possessing firearms. Williams used the gun to threaten others, including one of Cunningham’s neighbors. He also admitted using it to rob a drug dealer of $17, a gun and cocaine base in late June of 2024. Williams struck the dealer on the head with the revolver multiple times during the robbery. Williams and Cunningham used that gun again during the Aug. 5, 2024, attempted kidnapping. The property manager arrived to meet Cunningham, her tenant, for a final apartment walkthrough that had been scheduled in advance by Cunnigham. After the victim arrived, Cunningham locked the apartment door. Williams threatened to kill the victim when she tried to call 911. Williams then demanded cash and the password to the victim’s phone so that the couple could access the victim’s financial accounts. They secured her to a chair with duct tape, but she broke free and was able to escape, even though Cunningham and Williams ripped off her shirt and tore out clumps of her hair trying to keep her from leaving. Two days later, police arrested the couple. Williams had the revolver and Cunningham was in possession of a box of ammunition. “This case is a stark reminder of the devastation that follows when someone illegally buys a gun for another person,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bernard “Butch” Hansen, of the Kansas City Field Division. “A straw purchase is not a harmless favor. It’s a federal crime that can arm dangerous felons and fuel violent acts like the attempted kidnapping and robbery we saw here. ATF and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold accountable anyone who thinks they can skirt the law and put our communities at risk.” Both Cunningham and Williams pleaded guilty in June. Cunningham pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping, transfer of a firearm to a convicted felon and making a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm. Williams pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping, robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.


title: Jacksonville Child Sex Offender Sentenced To 10 Years For Accessing Child Sexual Abuse Materials Using The Internet

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Sean-Michael Smith (36, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for using the internet to access child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). The court also ordered Smith to serve a 15-year term of supervised release after incarceration and to forfeit his computer device. Smith is a registered child sex offender who was convicted in federal court in 2014 of distributing videos and photos of children being sexually abused. Smith was arrested on December 18, 2024, and he pleaded guilty on June 11, 2025. After serving his federal prison sentence, and while on supervised release, Smith admitted that he had drawn sketches depicting nude children and had also accessed the internet several times. On December 10, 2024, U.S. Probation Officers conducted a search of Smith’s residence. During an interview, Smith admitted that he had accessed CSAM using the internet during August, September, and December 2024. He advised that he used a particular electronic device to access these materials. Officers seized the device and later forwarded the device and its internal computer chip to the FBI for further investigation. On February 18, 2025, the FBI extracted the contents of the device’s computer chip. A review of the materials revealed that the device had been used by Smith to access at least 35 photos depicting young children being sexually abused. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Former Children’s Physician Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Chicago, Illinois, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 48 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal law regarding the sexual exploitation of minors, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Ashok Panigrahy, 54. Judge Wiegand also ordered Panigrahy to pay a $25,000 fine, a $17,000 assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018 (AVAA), a $5,000 assessment pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA), and $10,000 in restitution to his minor victims. According to information presented to the Court, from on or about November 21, 2022, through on or about November 22, 2022, Panigrahy knowingly possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. At the time of his criminal conduct, Panigrahy was a children’s physician in the Western District of Pennsylvania. The Sentencing Memo submitted by the United States explained the following: “The nature and circumstances of the Defendant’s offense is extremely serious. While Panigrahy did not possess a vast collection of child sexual abuse material, the circumstances of Panigrahy’s possession demonstrated that he obtained his material through online conversations on an encrypted platform with other like-minded individuals. The child sexual abuse material Panigrahy saved was all video content, which is arguably more egregious, and included some depictions of very young victims, including toddlers and prepubescent minors being sexually abused. Such conduct is unacceptable, period. However, it is more reprehensible when it is committed clandestinely by an individual who is entrusted with caring for children and is given privileged access to a facility dedicated to helping and treating children. Thus, beyond victimizing the children whose depictions of sexual abuse he possessed, the Defendant’s conduct represents a disturbing betrayal of trust to our community of children and their families in the Western District of Pennsylvania.” Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended Homeland Security Investigations (Pittsburgh and Chicago) for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Panigrahy. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Justice Department Files Complaint Against Social Media Company Iconic Hearts Holdings Inc. and Its CEO Hunter Rice Alleging Targeting of Children with Deceptive Practices in Violation of Federal Law

component: Civil Division

body_text: The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announces the filing of a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Iconic Hearts Holdings Inc. and its founder and CEO Hunter Rice for violations of the FTC Act, the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA), and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and its implementing regulations (COPPA) in connection with the social media messaging app known as Sendit. “The Department of Justice is committed to preventing companies from using unfair and misleading business practices to profit off of American children,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the FTC to enforce federal consumer protection laws to protect young people from such conduct.” In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the United States alleges that Defendants generated and sent millions of anonymous and often provocative, romantic, or sexual messages to users of the Sendit app, many of whom are children or teenagers. As alleged, Defendants, in violation of the FTC Act’s prohibition on unfair and deceptive business practices, falsely led users to believe the messages were from their social media contacts rather than the Sendit app itself, and that purchasing a “Diamond Membership” would reveal the senders’ identities. The Complaint also alleges Defendants violate COPPA by collecting personal information from app users who are children under the age of 13 while failing to provide notice to their parents or obtain verifiable parental consent. Additionally, as alleged, Defendants violate ROSCA by failing to clearly and conspicuously disclose the material terms of their Diamond Memberships, which automatically renew and cost as much as $9.99 per week. Defendants allegedly generated tens of millions of dollars in revenue from Diamond Membership purchases. The complaint seeks civil penalties, restitution for consumers, and injunctive relief. The United States is represented in this action by Trial Attorney Marcus P. Smith and Assistant Director Zachary A. Dietert of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. Siobhan C. Amin, Miles D. Freeman, and John D. Jacobs represent the FTC. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . The claims made in a complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove by a preponderance of the evidence.


title: Cape Girardeau Men Sentenced for Stealing from Gun Store

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a man who helped steal a pistol from a Cape Girardeau County gun store to 40 months in prison. Danaje Raymond Webster and his co-defendant, Dayvion Jyraud Parker, will also have to pay restitution of $1,999. Parker was sentenced in March to 70 months in prison. On June 17, 2024, Webster, of Cape Girardeau, removed a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol from the display case at a federally licensed firearm dealer in Cape Girardeau County and handed it to Parker. Parker first hid the pistol under his jacket before handing it to Webster, who hid it between Parker’s back and the back of Parker’s wheelchair. Parker then bought ammunition and a magazine for a different firearm and both men left the store. After store employees noticed the missing pistol, they discovered the culprits by reviewing surveillance video. On June 25, law enforcement officers performing a court-approved search of a home in Cape Girardeau found Parker, who is a felon, lying on a bed with two pistols between the bed frame and the wall. Both pistols were equipped with auto sears, or “switches,” converting them into fully automatic weapons. Webster, 24, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in July to one count of stealing a firearm from a licensed dealer. Parker, now 22, pleaded guilty in October of 2024 to five felonies: stealing a firearm from a licensed dealer, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession of a machine gun. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.


title: Stipulated Court Order Resolves Allegations that Chinese Toy Maker Apitor Technology Co. Violated Children’s Privacy Law

body_text: The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announced today that a federal court has entered a stipulated order resolving a case alleging that China-based toy maker Apitor Technology Co., Ltd. (Apitor) violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and its implementing regulations (COPPA) in connection with its programmable robotic toys. “The Justice Department will vigorously work to ensure businesses respect parents’ rights to decide when their children’s personal information can be collected and used,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the FTC to stop unlawful intrusions on children’s privacy.” COPPA prohibits operators of online services from knowingly collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under the age of 13 (hereinafter, children), unless they provide notice to and obtain consent from those children’s parents. In a civil complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, the government alleges Apitor collected geolocation data from children who used Apitor’s app to control its robotic toys, without notifying parents or obtaining parental consent. The stipulated order resolving this case enjoins Apitor from collecting or using data from children without making reasonable efforts to directly notify parents and obtaining verifiable parental consent, and it also requires Apitor to delete children’s personal information that was previously collected without parental consent. The order additionally imposes a $500,000 civil penalty, which is suspended due to Apitor’s inability to pay. This matter is being handled by Trial Attorney David Crockett, Senior Trial Attorney Daniel Crane-Hirsch, and Assistant Director Zachary Dietert from the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Sapna Mehta for the Northern District of California and Shining Hsu and Evan Rose from the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch .


title: Hickory Man Sentenced To 50 Years In Prison For Production And Transportation Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: HARLOTTE, N.C. – Kelly Lee Setzer, 64, of Hickory, N.C., was sentenced to 50 years in prison today for producing and transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in what the sentencing judge called “horrendous torture of babies,” announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Setzer was ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison. Setzer was ordered to pay $84,000 in restitution. The Court also ordered forfeiture of, among other things, Setzer’s primary residence in Hickory, where he produced and transported the CSAM. James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Bryan Adams of the Hickory Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. “Setzer committed some of the most depraved crimes imaginable: preying on young children and producing horrific abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Fifty years behind bars ensures he will never harm a child again. I hope it is a message to others so future children are spared from similar actions.” “There are no words to describe the lasting impact of Mr. Setzer’s vile behavior on his victims. At his age, a 50-year sentence is effectively a life sentence. Thankfully, he can never harm another child again. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue predators who victimize innocent children,” said Special Agent in Charge Barnacle. According to filed documents and the sentencing hearing, on November 3, 2023, officers with the Hickory Police Department executed a search warrant at Setzer’s residence for suspected CSAM activity. The officers seized two computers and other electronic devices from the residence. A forensic examination of the seized devices revealed that on at least four occasions Setzer sexually abused a prepubescent child and produced videos depicting the abuse. Setzer also possessed an extensive CSAM library that contained over 48,000 videos and images of children being sexually abused, some as young as infants and toddlers. During the investigation, law enforcement also determined that Setzer had developed an online relationship with a minor and had induced the minor to send him CSAM on multiple occasions. Setzer pleaded guilty to four counts of production, one count of transportation, and one count of possession and access with intent to distribute child pornography. He remains in custody pending placement at a federal facility by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In announcing Setzer’s very significant sentence, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell said, “we are talking about babies here and horrendous torture of babies.” The FBI and the Hickory Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Cervantes and Benjamin Bain-Creed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution and forfeiture proceedings in this case, respectively. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: New Orleans Resident Guilty of Demanding Ransom for Release of Kidnapping Victim

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –JANETTE RAMIREZ (“RAMIREZ”) , age 34, pleaded guilty on September 25, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe to interstate transmission of a ransom demand, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(a). According to court documents, the victim was kidnapped by RAMIREZ ’s co-defendants, Hector Mondragon-Flores and Edwin Salgado-Nunez. They bound the victim’s hands and legs together, held him at gunpoint in Mondragon-Flores’s apartment, and demanded the payment of a $7,000 ransom from the victim’s father for the victim’s release. Salgado-Nunez was arrested by New Orleans Police Department officers during a ransom exchange after the victim’s father paid Salgado-Nunez’s associate $3,000 in cash. Following Salgado-Nunez’s arrest, Mondragon-Flores took the victim to RAMIREZ ’s apartment. Mondragon-Flores then instructed the victim to facilitate a payment from the victim’s girlfriend for the victim’s release. RAMIREZ translated a conversation concerning the ransom payment, between the victim and his girlfriend, from English to Spanish for Mondragon-Flores so that he could monitor the conversation. RAMIREZ also agreed to use her CashApp account to receive the ransom payment and sent the victim’s girlfriend CashApp payment requests knowing that they would be viewed as a request for ransom for the victim’s release. RAMIREZ faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David Berman and Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Leader of Conspiracy to Fraudulently Register Vehicles in Missouri Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man to five years in prison for bribing employees of Missouri motor vehicle license offices to fraudulently register motor vehicles. Judge Schelp also ordered Gary Wilds, 48, to pay restitution of $335,218, including $319,778 to the state of Missouri. Wilds bribed employees of motor vehicle license offices to falsely represent to the Missouri Department of Revenue that vehicles had passed emissions and safety inspections, that owners had paid their property taxes and had proof of insurance or other evidence of financial responsibility. Wilds also bribed employees into submitting forged documents claiming that vehicle owners were eligible for sales tax exemptions, thus reducing tax assessments from thousands of dollars per vehicle to as little as $11. Wilds recruited Michelle Boyer and Megan Leone to aid his conspiracy. When Leone was promoted to manager, she told Ashlyn Graeff, who was her subordinate and who began working at the office in 2018, to fraudulently complete vehicle registration documents on behalf of Wilds. Wilds paid his recruits up to $100 for each transaction. Graeff initially conducted one or two fraudulent registrations per week for Wilds but that eventually grew to as many as 10 per day. Some of the customers of Wilds’ business, Pinnacle Concierge, knew that Wilds was going to fraudulently register their vehicles because their vehicles could not pass emissions tests, they had outstanding child support orders or they had been barred from registering vehicles by another state agency. Customers who weren’t aware have suffered financial losses because Wilds only submitted part of their fees to the state and the fraudulent registrations were subsequently revoked. Even though these customers paid Wilds for their registrations, they are unable to properly register their vehicles without submitting the unpaid taxes and paying taxes and penalties to the state. In one example in Wilds’ plea agreement, Wilds and Graef fraudulently registered a 2022 Dodge Ram for a customer on Sept. 13, 2022. Wilds told his customer that $1,350 would satisfy the fees and taxes due, but Wilds only sent $14.50 to the Missouri Department of Revenue. Wilds and Graeff avoided paying sales taxes by submitting a fraudulent form that falsely claimed that the vehicle weighed 24,000 pounds and was being leased to an interstate carrier registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Gary Wilds pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 22 counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft and six counts of making a false statement. Graeff, now 40, pleaded guilty to three counts of making a false statement. Leone, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of making a false statement. Boyer, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Boyer was sentenced on September 18 to five years of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $206,847. Graeff was sentenced on July 17, 2024, to four years of probation and ordered to pay $84,554 in restitution. Leone is scheduled to be sentenced on October 8. The case was investigated by the Missouri Department of Revenue and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.


title: Seven More Associates of St. Louis Drug Gang Plead Guilty

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Seven more people associated with a south St. Louis drug gang have pleaded guilty to drug and gun crimes, U.S. Attorney Tom Albus announced Tuesday. Michelle Harris, 47, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises. The six others have already pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced over the next three months. Talito “Scoot” Amos, 32, of Beverly Hills, Missouri, pleaded guilty August 6 to four felony counts: conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He admitted selling fentanyl and meth as part of the “55 Boyz” drug trafficking organization. He also admitted sourcing the drugs, telling drug users who called or texted where to go to buy drugs and selling directly to the users, including an undercover law enforcement officer. He also admitted directing others in the conspiracy to answer calls and texts and meet users to sell fentanyl and meth. On Jan. 23, 2024, shortly after Talito Amos sold an undercover ATF agent 312 capsules containing fentanyl and offered to sell a pound of meth, investigators conducted a court-approved search of a home on Castilon Avenue in St. Louis County. Talito Amos, Norey Amos and Jayvaughn Taylor were there, along with 1,178 capsules containing fentanyl, an AK-style pistol, meth, a pill press, digital scales, fentanyl powder and a drug ledger. Talito Amos had the phone being used by the drug trafficking organization to communicate with customers and over $1,900 in cash, his plea says. They also searched a home he sometimes used in Florissant, finding a disassembled AR-style rifle and 85 capsules containing fentanyl. Fifteen other members or associates of the 55 Boyz were sentenced last year in a separate case . At one point, the gang was responsible for a significant amount of the fentanyl being sold in south St. Louis. Carlos “Los Bandz” Amos, 28, entered an open plea on August 11 to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams of more of methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Xavier Amos, 23, pleaded guilty on September 25 to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. He admitted acting as a driver for others, answering calls and texts from drug users and selling fentanyl and meth. Norey Amos, 25, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He admitted discarding a bag of 154 capsules containing fentanyl while being pursued by police. John Ford, 64, pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams of more of meth. Jayvaughn Taylor, 24, pleaded guilty in July to possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Taylor, Talito Amos, Xavier Amos and Norey Amos are half-brothers. Carlos Amos is a cousin. Harris is the mother of Taylor and Talito Amos. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.


title: Bucks County Man Charged With Child Pornography Offenses

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Richard Adamsky, 66, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with one count of receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant will make his initial appearance in federal court tomorrow. The indictment alleges that, on or about June 15, 2024, Adamsky knowingly received a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment further alleges that Adamsky possessed two computers and two flash drives containing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. These depictions included prepubescent minors and minors under 12 years of age. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov . The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency, the Warminster Township Police Department, Upper Merion Township Police Department, and Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maureen McCartney. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.


title: Mays Landing Woman Admits to Conspiring to Defraud The IRS

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Mays Landing woman admitted to conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by filing false employment tax returns that concealed a company’s cash payroll, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced. Denise Davis, 52, of Mays Landing, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to an information charging her with one count of conspiring to defraud the IRS. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Davis worked at Davis Brothers Chimney Sweep & Masonry (“Davis Brothers”), a business located in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, owned by Davis’s spouse. Davis admitted that between January 1, 2018 and April 30, 2024, she conspired with Henry Collins, the business’s bookkeeper, to defraud the IRS. As part of the conspiracy, Collins utilized a commercial check casher to negotiate a substantial amount of Davis Brothers’s gross receipts checks. Collins used some of the resulting cash to pay himself and other Davis Brothers employees in cash. Collins provided the rest of the cash to Davis and her spouse. Davis and Collins then provided false and misleading information to the business’s outside accounting firm that resulted in the preparation and filing of false payroll tax returns that omitted the employees paid in cash and their cash wages. Davis also admitted that she failed to file individual income tax returns for herself and her spouse during the same time period. Davis admitted that the conspiracy resulted in a tax loss of approximately $1.18 million. The count of conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for February 4, 2026. Collins previously pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced in December 2025. Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden. ### Defense counsel: Michele Finizio, Esq., Moorestown, New Jersey davis.information.pdf


title: Two Companies and Three Executives Indicted for Fraudulently Selling Chinese Forklifts to U.S. Government as “Made in America” and Evading Tariffs

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A federal grand jury in Denver returned an indictment on August 21, 2025, charging two Denver-area companies and the companies’ top executives for defrauding the federal government on sales of forklifts and conspiring to avoid paying proper tariffs on forklifts imported into the United States. According to court documents, Endless Sales Inc. (Endless), Octane Forklifts, Inc. (Octane), current executives Brian Firkins and Jeffrey Blasdel, and former executive J.R. Antczak allegedly conspired to import forklifts from China, disguise the Chinese origin of the forklifts, and then sell the forklifts to federal government agencies by fraudulently representing the forklifts as being manufactured in the United States. The indictment also alleges that Endless, Octane, Firkins, Blasdel, and Antczak conspired with an unnamed Chinese national and a Chinese manufacturer to create fake commercial invoices that fraudulently undervalued the cost of forklifts that Endless and Octane imported into the United States, thereby defrauding the government of over $1 million in applicable tariffs, duties, and fees. Firkins, Blasdel, and Antczak are each additionally charged with separate wire fraud charges, and Blasdel is also charged with making false statements to the government. “Defrauding the United States to profit from goods made in adversarial nations like China undermines our economic and national security,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting American taxpayer dollars, defending our national security against those who would undermine it, and holding accountable anyone who pursues illegal profits over our country.” “Defendants fraudulently hid the origins of the products they sold the government and conspired to avoid paying tariffs,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force and its law enforcement partners will continue to prosecute and hold accountable those who seek to fraudulently obtain taxpayer funds.” “Today’s indictments are the result of the collaboration among the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who seek to violate America’s trade laws to enrich themselves,” said Acting Inspector General Steve Stebbins of the Department of Defense. “DCIS remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of the DoD contracting process.” “Federal contractors are expected to be honest in their dealings with the government,” said Deputy Inspector General Robert Erickson of the U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General. “These indictments demonstrate our special agents’ commitment to pursue allegations of procurement fraud and protect the government’s supply chain.” “My office is committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and the integrity of federal procurement,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D of DHS OIG. “Octane Forklifts, Endless Sales, and their executives allegedly engaged in a brazen scheme to sell rebranded Chinese made forklifts to FEMA and the Department of Defense , all while falsely certifying their compliance with the Buy America Act. It is especially reprehensible that this alleged fraud involved a FEMA contract using disaster funds. I commend our law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, and DOJ’s Antitrust Division for their steadfast commitment to holding these individuals accountable.” “This indictment reflects the commitment of the Air Force to uphold the integrity in public contracting and protect taxpayer dollars,” said Director Jason T. Hein, Office of Procurement Fraud Investigations, Office of Special Investigations, USAF. “Procurement fraud undermines trust in government and diverts resources from maintaining our national security and missions they’re meant to serve. We will continue to pursue accountability wherever public funds are at risk.” “Intentionally violating the Buy America Act to defraud the US Government, isn’t just a legal issue, it is a demonstration of complete disregard for US law and the safety and security of our US military.” said Special Agent in Charge Derek Tilton of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division. “The US Army will not tolerate contract fraud and will vigorously pursue all available legal recourse.” “This indictment demonstrates the VA OIG’s commitment to protecting taxpayer funds and ensuring companies who do business with the government are held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Heddell with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Western Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of VA’s programs and services.” Firkins, Blasdel, Antczak, Endless, and Octane are charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. Firkins, Blasdel, and Antczak are similarly charged with individual counts of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. For the individuals, each count of conviction carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. For the corporations, the maximum penalty is a fine of $500,000. Firkins, Blasdel, Antczak, Endless and Octane are also charged with conspiring to enter goods into the United States by means of false or fraudulent statements. For the individuals, a count of conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. For the corporations, the maximum penalty is a fine of $500,000, or twice the gain derived from the offense, or twice the loss caused by the offense. Finally, Blasdel is charged with making false statements to the government, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the United States Army Criminal Investigative Division, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigation, U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Defense Contract Audit Agency. The Westminster, Colorado, Police Department provided valuable assistance. In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), 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 . Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above. 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: New Jersey Man Sentenced for Failing to Stop for Inspection at Calais International Port of Entry

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A New Jersey man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for failing to report his arrival and present himself for inspection at the international port of entry in Calais. U.S. Magistrate Judge John C. Nivison sentenced Jason Brenner , 53, to 115 days of imprisonment, followed by a year of supervised release. Brenner pleaded guilty on August 12, 2025. According to court records, on July 1, 2025, Brenner drove a vehicle traveling outbound from the United States and entered Canada. After a brief encounter with Canadian immigration officials, Brenner turned his vehicle around and sped back towards the U.S. Instead of stopping his vehicle and presenting himself for inspection at the Calais port of entry, Brenner entered the U.S. by traveling in the outbound lane in the wrong direction, bypassing the incoming traffic inspection lanes. Following a pursuit where Brenner reached speeds of over 100 mph, he crashed the vehicle and was found in the woods with a loaded firearm, two loaded magazines, and wearing body armor. Another loaded firearm was found inside the vehicle. U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Border Patrol and the Baileyville and Indian Township police departments. ###