title: Former Massachusetts Woman Arrested for Fraudulent Receipt of Emergency Rental Assistance Under a COVID-19 Relief Program

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Minnesota woman, formerly of Holliston, Mass., has been arrested and charged with fraudulent receipt of emergency rental assistance funds intended to provide housing assistance for individuals unable to pay rent due to financial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yvonette Joseph, 45, of Minneapolis, Minn., was charged by complaint with theft of government money. She was arrested on Aug. 26, 2025 and appeared in federal court in the District of Minnesota yesterday. She will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. In 2021, Congress established the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program to provide financial assistance to eligible low-income households to cover the costs of rent, rental arrears, utilities and other house-related expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to court records, in or about November 2021, Joseph allegedly received more than $100,000 in emergency rental assistance funds from the California Department of Housing & Community Development, the administrator of the ERA program for the state of California, after purported tenants submitted applications identifying Joseph as the landlord of a property in Los Angeles. Upon receipt of the funds, Joseph allegedly wired a portion of the funds to a bank account in Nigeria and converted the remainder of the funds to her own use. The charge of theft of government money provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, forfeiture and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Loren J. Sciurba, Deputy Inspector General of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Inspector General made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: TALLAHASSEE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSION OF FIREARM BY A CONVICTED FELON

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

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Eddie Lee Shular Jr., 36, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the excellent work of our local and federal partners to make our community safer by getting this dangerous individual off the streets. My office remains committed to fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by targeting criminals who are endangering our communities with the full force of the law.” Court documents reflect that in March 2025, an officer from the Tallahassee Police Department found a vehicle illegally parked in Jack McLean Park overnight. The officer made contact with two occupants and could smell marijuana and see drug paraphernalia. During a search of the vehicle, a firearm was found in the glovebox. Subsequent DNA testing found Shular’s DNA on the firearm. Shular has 17 prior felony convictions. He faces imprisonment for up to 15 years. The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain. Sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2025, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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). As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Armed Atlanta Drug Dealer Sentenced to More than 12 Years in Federal Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ATLANTA – Omari A. Nicks, a convicted cocaine trafficker, was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl out of his Atlanta apartment while illegally possessing a loaded AR-style rifle. “Nicks is a serial drug trafficker who posed a serious threat to public safety by dealing fentanyl and other dangerous drugs while armed with a loaded, high-powered rifle that he was not allowed to have,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Nicks’s sentence is just one more example of the positive, collaborative impact that law enforcement partners in north Georgia achieve in our communities.” “When criminals mix deadly drugs with guns, the danger is magnified,” sad Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This sentence makes clear they will be held accountable.” “Bartow County continues to aggressively target those who sell fentanyl and other dangerous drugs in our community,” said Major Mark Mayton of the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force. “We will continue to work with our partners to identify and arrest those people who are furthering the fentanyl crisis.” “The Cartersville Police Department takes great pride in working with our federal law enforcement partners, especially when our collaboration results in holding criminals accountable who bring dangerous weapons and drugs into our community,” said Chief Frank McCann of the Cartersville Police Department. “By continuing these partnerships, our goal is to make it clear to all criminal organizations that the City of Cartersville will not be a haven for your illicit activity.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In January 2025, Nicks was selling methamphetamine and fentanyl from his apartment complex in Atlanta, Georgia to customers who traveled from as far as Bartow County. On February 6, 2025, DEA agents searched Nicks’s apartment after seeing him sell methamphetamine and fentanyl. When agents entered the apartment, Nicks attempted to flee by climbing out a third-story window, but he fell off the side of the building and was arrested by agents. Inside Nicks’s apartment, agents found approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine, one kilogram of cocaine, 50 grams of fentanyl, a hydraulic press to form powdered drugs into bricks, approximately $5,400 in cash, and an AR-15 style rifle loaded with a 30-round magazine. Law enforcement also recovered approximately 100 grams of heroin that Nicks’s co-conspirator dumped out the window when agents entered the apartment. Yesterday, United States District Judge Eleanor L. Ross sentenced Nicks, 47, of Smyrna, Ga., to twelve years and six months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Nicks was convicted of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on April 8, 2025, after he pleaded guilty. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, and the Cartersville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold, III and Thomas M. Forsyth, III prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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). This effort is part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Federal Jury Convicts Drug Trafficker of 4 Counts in Del Rio

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A federal jury convicted a U.S citizen and Mexico City resident on all counts of an indictment that charged him with trafficking cocaine from Mexico into the United States. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jordy Alexander Amaya, 27, approached the Eagle Pass Port of Entry on Sept. 16, 2024. During an inspection of his vehicle, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered approximately 1.9 kilograms of cocaine. Testimony during the trial revealed Amaya had ties to a Texas-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributes methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Records also indicate that Amaya previously crossed into the U.S. in a known DTO vehicle in 2022 and 2023. Amaya was indicted in October 2024 on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of conspiracy to import cocaine, and one count of importation of cocaine. He faces five to 40 years in federal prison on each of the four counts, as well as a fine of up to $5 million per count. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Warsame Galaydh and Tyler Fleming are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). ###


title: U.S. Attorney announces immigration case updates for the Eastern District of Virginia

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced today case updates on six immigration cases in the district. On Jan. 20 the President signed executive orders addressing the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. Protecting the American People Against Invasion recognized that enforcing our Nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States, and that it is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people. The order tasked the Department of Justice with prioritizing the prosecution of criminal offenses related to the unauthorized entry or continued unauthorized presence of aliens in the United States. Securing Our Borders prioritizes the pursuit of criminal charges against illegal aliens who violate immigration laws and against those who facilitate their unlawful presence in the United States. Honduran national Oscar Armando Duarte-Salinas, 42, was removed from the United States on June 27, 2005, again on Jan. 26, 2011, and once more on Aug. 10, 2012. On April 18, 2022, officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Duarte-Salinas had returned to the United States following his arrest in Fairfax County. Duarte-Salinas was arrested for public drunkenness 11 times since April 2022, eight of which led to convictions, and charges remain pending for public drunkenness, felony breaking and entering, petit larceny, and failure to appear. Duarte-Salinas pled guilty today to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-cr-228 Pursuant to a final order of removal, on May 22, 2019, Salvadoran national Pablo Arnoldo Argueta Gonzalez, aka Jose Rodriguez-Montoya, 43, was removed from the United States. On March 14, ICE agents learned that Argueta-Gonzalez had unlawfully returned to the United States when he was detained at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail in James City County following his arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). On Aug. 19, Argueta-Gonzalez pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 4:25-cr-39 Pursuant to a final order of removal, on June 29, 2011, Guatemalan national Jiber Nemias-Lucs, 34, was removed from the United States. Less than three months later, Nemias-Lucs again illegally entered the United States and was removed. After illegally reentering a third time, in 2015 Nemias-Lucs was charged in Arlington County with assault and battery of a family member and in 2016 was found guilty in absentia of driving the wrong way on a roadway and driving without a license. In August 2017, Nemias-Lucs was convicted of DUI and refusal in Arlington County, and he was removed again. He subsequently returned to the country and in February 2018 was convicted of illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He once again illegally reentered the United States and in August 2023 was charged and convicted in absentia in Arlington County for being drunk in public. In June 2024 he was convicted of obstruction of justice. In November 2024 he was charged with two counts of assault and battery, and in December 2024, he was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. On Feb. 17, Nemias-Lucs was arrested for robbery by force and on Feb. 18 ICE entered a detainer. On June 24, Nemias-Lucs was again arrested for being drunk in public and was taken into federal custody. On Aug. 20, Nemias-Lucs pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-cr-240 On July 22, 2014, pursuant to a final order of removal, Salvadoran national Marlon Omar Flores Quintanilla, 35, was removed from the United States. Flores Quintanilla subsequently reentered the United States illegally and on Dec. 1, 2015, was removed again. On May 16, ICE officers learned that Flores Quintanilla was detained at the Prince William County Adult Detention Center. On Aug. 21 Flores Quintanilla pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-cr-237 Pursuant to a final order of removal, Guatemalan national Abel Enrique Carrillo Cobo, 29, was removed from the United States on Oct. 6, 2014, again on Jan. 27, 2015, and once more on May 21, 2018. After his most recent removal, Carrillo Cobo unlawfully reentered the United States and on July 20, 2022, was arrested in Fairfax County for carrying a concealed weapon. ICE agents learned of the arrest on April 3, 2025. Carrillo Cobo pled guilty yesterday to illegal reentry after removal subsequent to a felony conviction. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-cr-187 Guatemalan national Jose Adolfo Veliz, 53, illegally entered the United States on Aug. 14, 1990. On Aug. 24, 2009, a designated immigration officer with the San Bernardino County (California) Sheriff’s Department encountered Veliz and, pursuant to a warrant of removal, Veliz was removed from the United States on Oct. 19, 2009. On April 21, Veliz was arrested by the Hanover County Police Department for charges related to sexual battery. On Aug. 26, Veliz pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 3:25-cr-86 Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for the case number provided above.


title: Davenport Man Sentenced To Six Years In Federal Prison For Trafficking Fentanyl

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Byron has sentenced Jose David Figueroa Pacheco (33, Davenport) to six years in federal prison for trafficking over 40 grams of fentanyl. Figueroa Pacheco was found guilty by a jury on June 11, 2025. His codefendant, Alberto Ismael Salinas Valencia, pleaded guilty on January 23, 2025, and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between August 2023 and August 2024, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office conducted a joint investigation to identify firearms and narcotics traffickers in the Orlando area. As part of that investigation, an undercover officer arranged to purchase a firearm and fentanyl pills from Salinas Valencia. Salinas Valencia arrived with the firearm at the buy location as a passenger in Figueroa Pacheco’s truck. Figueroa Pacheco then made phone calls to coordinate the delivery of the fentanyl pills, inspected the pills, and facilitated the transaction. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Varadan and Risha Asokan.


title: Former Middle School Employee Sentenced To 14 Years For Attempted Enticement Of A Minor

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Terrell Myron Foy (33, Winter Park) to 14 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Foy to forfeit his cellphone, which was involved in the charged conduct. Foy pleaded guilty on April 24, 2025. According to court documents, Foy was an employee at an Orlando middle school when he developed a romantic relationship with a 13-year-old student in December 2023. In January 2024, the Orlando Police Department (OPD) received a “Speak Out” complaint about Foy’s communications with the student and opened an investigation. During the investigation, OPD and the Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained warrants for Foy’s home, cellphone, and multiple social media accounts that were used by Foy and the student. The investigation revealed hundreds of messages exchanged between Foy and the student where Foy was enticing the student to engage in sexual activity, as well as buying gifts and arranging meet ups with the student both on and off school grounds. Additionally, messages were located that showed Foy instructing the student not to speak with law enforcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sartoian. 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 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 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: Safety Inspectors Charged With Fabricating Hundreds Of Gas Pipeline Test Results Throughout New York City And Westchester

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and the New York State Inspector General, Lucy Lang, announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging LIAM TREIBERT and MICHAEL VASCONCELLOS with wire fraud arising out of their scheme to defraud a regulated utility company (“Utility-1”) in connection with fraudulent safety inspections of natural gas pipelines that Utility-1 was installing throughout New York City and Westchester County. TREIBERT was arrested today in North Carolina and will be presented in Raleigh federal court. VASCONCELLOS was arrested today in New York and will be presented in White Plains federal court. “As alleged, Liam Treibert and Michael Vasconcellos violated the trust placed in them to ensure the safety of natural gas pipelines that were being installed throughout New York City and Westchester County,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “They lied about having performed hundreds of inspections and then covered up those lies with fraudulent paperwork. Their actions put the lives of New Yorkers at risk. The safety of New Yorkers is of paramount importance to our Office.” “When deliberate misconduct - as alleged here - puts entire communities at risk, those responsible must face swift and decisive consequences,” said New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang. “Today’s arrests, made in partnership with the Southern District of New York, demonstrate my agency’s unwavering commitment to protecting critical infrastructure and pursuing accountability on behalf of all New Yorkers.” As alleged in the Indictment: [1] Between at least in or about 2016 and 2023, TREIBERT and VASCONCELLOS were supposed to perform safety inspections of welds on natural gas pipelines that were being installed throughout New York City and Westchester County. Those inspections were necessary to ensure that the welds did not contain defects that could cause gas leaks or explosions. TREIBERT and VASCONCELLOS lied about having inspected hundreds of welds that they never actually reviewed and created fraudulent records to cover up what they had done. As a result, Utility-1 paid for hundreds of sham inspections and were deceived by TREIBERT and VASCONCELLOS into thinking that its pipelines had passed critical safety tests that TREIBERT and VASCONCELLOS never performed. As part of the pipeline installation process, Utility-1 or its contractors would typically place gas pipelines into the ground in segments and then weld those segments together. Before a pipeline could be put into service, the welds throughout the pipeline had to be inspected to assess their quality. Those inspections included non-destructive testing. One common form of non-destructive testing of pipeline welds involved radiographs, often referred to as x-rays. Radiographic testing required a team to radiograph each weld and then examine the films to identify any defects in the welds. If a defect was identified, then the weld would have to be repaired before the pipeline was put into service. Failure to repair a defect before a pipeline was put into service could have led to critical failures, including gas leaks or explosions. During the period alleged, TREIBERT and VASCONCELLOS, while performing radiographic testing for Utility-1, repeatedly engaged in a practice referred to in the non-destructive testing industry as “radaring.” Radaring typically involved radiographing the same weld twice and then passing off one copy of films as having come from a second weld. For instance, a radiographer might radiograph Weld A twice, and then claim that the second set of films are of Weld B, even though the radiographer never inspected Weld B. In total, hundreds of welds across Utility-1’s pipelines installed throughout the Bronx and Westchester County between in or about 2016 and 2023 were affected by radaring engaged in by TREIBERT and VASCONCELLOS. And although TREIBERT and VASCONCELLOS did not actually inspect those welds, invoices for those inspections were submitted to Utility-1. Utility-1 paid those invoices through, among other methods, bank transfers. * * * TREIBERT, 30, of Wendell, North Carolina, and VASCONCELLOS, 44, of Mahopac, New York, are each charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton praised the investigative work of the Offices of the New York State Inspector General and the special agents with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Markewitz and Jay McMahon are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. u.s._v._treibert_et_al._indictment.pdf [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitutes only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.


title: Candler Man Sentenced To Prison For Social Security Benefits Fraud

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Mark Alan Barnes, 44, of Candler, N.C., was sentenced today to 16 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for Social Security benefits fraud, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. According to court documents, from 2015 to 2020, Barnes collected approximately $77,770 in Social Security Retirement Benefits intended for a beneficiary who was deceased. Instead of reporting the beneficiary’s death to the Social Security Administration (SSA) as required, Barnes continued to collect the beneficiary’s SSA retirement benefits, using a debit card associated with the beneficiary’s bank account to withdraw funds from ATMs in the area. On February 8, 2025, Barnes pleaded guilty to theft of government funds. “Stealing Social Security benefits is stealing from every taxpayer,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “For Social Security to work, benefits must go only to those who earned them—not fraudsters. I appreciate the strong partnership of the Social Security Administration in holding fraudsters accountable.” “Mr. Barnes knowingly engaged in a scheme to steal Social Security benefits,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Acting Inspector General, Social Security Administration. “I would like to thank our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, whose work is essential in holding accountable those who defraud vital benefit programs.” The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General handled the investigation. This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina to deter theft of government funds and bring to justice individuals who steal government benefits that millions of Americans rely on. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Eric Frick. Mr. Frick is a prosecutor with the Social Security Administration and is assigned to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, where he focuses on prosecuting SSA fraud cases. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the SSA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. To report suspected fraud, waste, or abuse against Social Security, you can submit a report online at oig.ssa.gov or contact the SSA-OIG’s fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271 .


title: New Jersey fast-food restaurants owner pleads guilty to $2.4M tax fraud scheme

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A New Jersey man who owns fast-food restaurants in multiple states pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiring to commit tax fraud. As part of his plea, Ali Shahid Butt, 56, of Princeton Junction, New Jersey, has agreed to pay more than $2.4 million in restitution to the IRS. According to court documents, from 2015 through 2021, Butt partially owned several fast-food restaurants throughout the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, including in Zanesville. He frequently controlled the relationship with the restaurant franchisor. With Butt’s knowledge, his franchise co-owners and managers paid certain employees in cash and did not report or pay over tax withholdings for those employees. In many cases, these employees were paid in cash because they were illegal aliens without work authorization. For example, co-conspirator Bahadar “Sam” Durrani and Butt caused a tax loss of more than $1.2 million by failing to withhold, account for and pay over employment taxes on cash wages for employees at several restaurants, including in Zanesville. Butt was charged by a bill of information on Aug. 11 and pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit tax fraud. Durrani has also pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced in October. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Six-Time Felon Who Threatened Metro Bus Passenger with a Gun and Caught with a Switch Sentenced to Nearly 10 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Clenest Demon Wells Jr, age 28, has been sentenced in U.S. District Court to 116 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release for illegally possessing firearms as a felon and possessing a machinegun, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Minneapolis belongs to the families who ride the bus to work, the parents who take their children to school, and the residents who build this community, not to felons who terrorize it,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Wells is a six-time felon armed with guns and a switch who threatened an innocent passenger on a Minneapolis bus. He is now going to federal prison for nearly a decade.” According to court documents, a federal jury convicted Wells proceeded to trial and a federal jury found him guilty on all four counts. Evidence presented at trial proved that on three separate occasions between 2020 and 2023 law enforcement caught Wells illegally carrying firearms. On April 6, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to reports of a passenger wearing a black vest and grey winter hat on a Metro Transit bus in Minneapolis threatening another passenger with a firearm. Law enforcement officers located and boarded the Metro Transit bus at the intersection of Penn and Lowry Avenue North, identified a passenger who closely fit the description, and conducted a pat-down search. The passenger was later identified as Wells, who was found in possession of a black HiPoint 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol. On May 23, 2022, Minneapolis Police Department officers on patrol observed a Pontiac G6 speeding through a residential area and conducted a traffic stop. Wells was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. Officers searched the car and found Wells in possession of a black Springfield Model XD9 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol. On July 30, 2023, Wells fled from law enforcement in a busy entertainment district of downtown Minneapolis while he possessed a loaded machinegun, an extended firearm magazine, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Wells’ Glock pistol was equipped with a “switch” conversion device that enabled the firearm to fire in fully automatic mode. The gun was capable of firing 10 rounds of ammunition in well under a second. Prior to 2020, Wells has been convicted of six felonies, so he was prohibited from possessing firearms. His prior convictions include multiple felony assault convictions for attacking and throwing bodily fluids at law enforcement officers while in jail. Wells was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge Donovan W. Frank to 116 months imprisonment. When handing down his sentence Judge Frank noted, “The amount of gun violence we are having in Minnesota is just off the charts.” This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Metro Transit Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David B. Green and Syngen Kanassatega prosecuted the case.


title: Final Co-Conspirator Sentenced for Role in Gun Store Heist

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – The fifth and final co-conspirator involved in a scheme to break into a Virginia pawnshop and steal firearms was sentenced yesterday to 86 months in prison. Austin Blake Hixon, 36, of Christiansburg, Virginia, previously pled guilty to possessing stolen firearms and perjury. Hixon is the final defendant to be sentenced for his role in the scheme. Previously, Malcom Stanton, Ronald Perry, and Justin Cumbee were each sentenced to 10 years in prison. Michael Hall was sentenced to 27 months. According to court documents, on November 1, 2022, Perry broke into1st Pawn in Fairlawn, Virginia and stole approximately 15 firearms which he divided up with Stanton & Hall. Several of those guns were later illegally sold or traded for drugs. Law enforcement tracked three of the stolen firearms to Hixon’s residence. When interviewed about the whereabouts of the stolen firearms, Hixon said that he threw them in the New River, a claim he testified to under oath. However, Hixon later admitted selling or trading the firearms for methamphetamine. Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, and Anthony Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Radford Police Department, and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with assistance from the Pulaski County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, the Christiansburg Police Department, the Virginia State Police Search and Recovery Team, and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly McGann and Lee Brett are prosecuting the case.


title: Home health agency owner sentenced to more than six years in Medicare fraud and identity theft scheme

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 64-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison after his conviction on all counts as charged for leading a Medicare fraud scheme involving the submission of falsified medical records, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The jury deliberated for less than two hours following a three-day trial before finding Paul Njoku guilty May 21. U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has now ordered Njoku to serve 75 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted his familiarity with the evidence and noted Njoku’s aggravating role in the fraud conspiracy. Njoku owned and operated a home health care agency called Opnet Health Care Services Inc. doing business as P & P Health Care Services. Njoku was the owner and CEO. The jury heard testimony from witnesses that Njoku, or others working at his direction, forged signatures of doctors and nurses. Specifically, Njoku and others cut out old signatures and taped them onto newly created doctors’ orders, nursing notes and nursing assessments. Medicare required home health agencies to maintain these documents to obtain payment for providing home health services. Njoku then submitted the falsified records in response to a request for records from Medicare. The jury also heard about a registered nurse who had departed Opnet in 2017. Njoku continued using her signature on nursing notes and assessments—including records which had to be signed by a registered nurse—in 2018 and 2019 without her knowledge or consent. A witness also testified that Njoku bribed a doctor in exchange for approving home health services. From 2015 to 2019, Opnet billed Medicare over $400,000 in claims for home health services and received over $360,000. Opnet did not maintain the required documentation for many of them and later falsified records to support the claims. During the trial, a representative testified that Medicare would not have paid these claims had Medicare known there was no documentation or that they were based on falsified records. The defense attempted to blame another person for the fraud. The jury did not believe those claims and found Njoku guilty as charged. Njoku was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General and Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christian Latham and Kathryn Olson are prosecuting the case.


title: Baltimore Man Indicted for Illegal Possession of a Firearm While Under Domestic Violence Restraining Order

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted Delantae Phillips, 37, of Baltimore, Maryland, charging him with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person while under a domestic violence restraining order. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD). According to the indictment, on May 24, 2025, Phillips knowingly possessed a Glock model 21 semi-automatic handgun loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition. At the time of the offense, Phillips was prohibited from possessing a firearm because the District Court of Baltimore County had issued a Final Protective Order against him. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office — in partnership with our federal, local, and state partners — works hard to keep firearms out of the hands of those who are not authorized to carry them. This helps prevent violence and save lives,” Hayes said. “We support prioritizing our residents’ safety and well-being through our commitment to community trust, strategic enforcement, and violence prevention, especially for those experiencing intimate-partner violence.” “We are committed to working with our state and local partners to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers,” Doerrer said. “Cases like these highlight the excellent work of our local police, local prosecutors, federal agents, and federal prosecutors.” This indictment follows the U.S. Justice Department’s designation of Baltimore City under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA). The City of Baltimore — along with 77 other communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia — is focusing on reducing intimate partner firearm violence and prioritizing the prosecution of domestic violence offenders who are prohibited from owning firearms under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g). In response, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is working closely with its federal, local, and state partners — along with Baltimore City community organizations — to reduce violent crime and enhance public safety. This partnership and coordination between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the City of Baltimore ensures that federal resources are leveraged effectively to address intimidate-partner firearm violence. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 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. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their collaborative efforts in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Godwin and Assistant U.S. Attorney LaRai Everett who are prosecuting this case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn . # # #


title: Kalispell man sentenced to over 2 years in prison on illegal firearm possession

body_text: MISSOULA – A Kalispell man who possessed a firearm illegally was sentenced today to 32 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Caelus James Hattel, 22, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The government alleged in court documents that in August 2023, Hattel was convicted of criminal endangerment, a felony, and criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony, in Flathead County District Court. Hattel was sentenced to five years to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, with four of those years suspended, on each count, to run concurrently. On September 26, 2024, the owner of Raven Rock Armory in Kalispell, MT, reported that a white male with a beanie and hand tattoos stole a Ruger SR-1911 10mm stainless steel pistol from his store, then fled. On October 3, 2024, Law enforcement officers contacted Hattel and located the stolen Ruger SR-1911 inside Hattel’s pants against his inner left thigh. The owner of Raven Rock Armory identified Hattel as the thief who took the firearm in September. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, and Kalispell Police Department. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . XXX


title: Former Chicago Attorney Sentenced to Two and a Half Years in Prison for Tax Fraud and Witness Tampering

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A former Chicago attorney has been sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for committing tax fraud, attempting to tamper with a witness, and violating a court order. MICHAEL ABRAMSON provided more than $1 million in personal expenses to a woman with whom he was romantically involved and then deducted the payments on his individual taxes by falsely characterizing them as commissions or loans. He also listed the fraudulent loans as an asset in corporate tax returns that he caused to be filed for a company in which he held an ownership interest. The payments related to a condo in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, several luxury automobiles, and travel, shopping, and restaurant expenses. Following the indictment in this case, the Court ordered Abramson not to have any contact with witnesses, including Abramson’s bookkeeper, whom Abramson knew would be an important government witness at trial. Weeks before trial was initially set to begin, Abramson gave the bookkeeper a copy of her previous court testimony, on which he had made handwritten notes changing, supplementing, or otherwise scripting her answers, and told her to review it before trial. Although Abramson told the bookkeeper not to bring the notes to a meeting with law enforcement, the bookkeeper nonetheless turned the scripted transcript over to law enforcement. A jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago last year convicted Abramson, 76, of Wilmette Ill., on all 15 tax fraud, witness tampering, and violation of court order charges against him. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah sentenced Abramson to 30 months in federal prison and fined him $25,000. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Jason Bushey, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. “Defendant, an attorney practicing in the State of Illinois for decades, defrauded the IRS, repeatedly attempted to obstruct the IRS and FBI’s investigation into his misconduct, and tampered with a key witness in violation of a court order during his prosecution,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Rothblatt and Edward A. Liva, Jr. argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “As an attorney well-versed in business, tax, and financial matters, defendant knew better, yet sought to conceal and profit from personal payments to his mistress.”


title: Newport News man sentenced to over eight years in prison following neighborhood shooting

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to eight years and one month in prison for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Nov. 5, 2023, Newport News Police (NNPD) responded to a report of a man brandishing a firearm. As police arrived, Jimmy Lee Scott, 33, was firing a handgun. The shooting damaged multiple vehicles. Scott fled the scene but was arrested in a neighboring back yard after a brief pursuit. During a search of a residence associated with Scott, investigators recovered six firearms, including a stolen revolver. One of the firearms recovered from the residence matched all twenty casings recovered from the scene of the shooting. Scott was previously convicted for disorderly conduct, driving on a suspended license (twice), carrying a concealed weapon (twice), trespassing, possession with intent to distribute marijuana (twice), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. As a previously convicted felon, Scott cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-21.


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections to Improve Communication Access for Incarcerated People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department today secured an agreement with the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections (NCDAC) to ensure that incarcerated individuals with hearing disabilities are provided effective communication and the opportunity to participate equally in NCDAC’s prison services, programs, and activities. NCDAC operates more than 50 prison facilities and houses more than 30,000 individuals. The agreement resolves complaints under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) alleging that NCDAC fails to provide incarcerated individuals with hearing disabilities with sign language interpreters, hearing aids, cochlear implants, text telephones, videophones, and other auxiliary aids and services. Under the settlement agreement, NCDAC will identify and accommodate incarcerated individuals with appropriate auxiliary aids and services, as well as provide training on the ADA to staff. “The ADA requires effective communication for incarcerated individuals with hearing disabilities so they have access to critical programs, including religious and vocational services,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to eliminating barriers, including communication barriers, that prevent individuals with disabilities from participating fully in prison programs.” To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt , and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov . For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov .


title: Kimberly-Clark Corporation to Pay Up to $40M to Resolve Criminal Charge Related to the Sale of Adulterated MicroCool Surgical Gowns

component: Civil Division

body_text: Note: This press release has been updated to more accurately reflect the terms of the DPA. Kimberly-Clark Corporation (Kimberly-Clark), a U.S.-based multinational consumer goods and personal care company, has agreed to pay up to $40.4 million to resolve a criminal charge relating to the company’s sale of adulterated MicroCool surgical gowns. “Kimberly-Clark betrayed the trust placed in it by consumers and healthcare providers when it chose to defraud the FDA and bring adulterated surgical gowns to market for its own financial gain,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s resolution demonstrates the Criminal Division’s unwavering commitment to holding corporations accountable when they threaten the integrity of our healthcare system. This resolution, in which the company has agreed to pay up to $40 million, sends a clear message that those who endanger patients and medical professionals will face significant criminal penalties.” “Companies that sell medical products cannot misrepresent the safety and quality of those products,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce laws that protect patients and medical professionals.” A criminal information filed today in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas charges Kimberly-Clark with one count of introducing adulterated surgical gowns into interstate commerce with an intent to defraud and mislead. According to court filings, a Kimberly-Clark employee conducted fraudulent testing on Kimberly-Clark’s MicroCool gowns to avoid having to submit a premarket notification to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after Kimberly-Clark made a change to the gowns. A premarket notification is meant to show FDA that a medical device is as safe and effective as an already legally marketed device. Based on the fraudulent testing, Kimberly-Clark sold the gowns after the change without a new premarket notification, marketing the gowns as providing the highest level of protection against fluid and viruses. Under the terms of a deferred prosecution agreement filed with the criminal information, Kimberly-Clark will pay up to $40,400,000, which consists of a monetary penalty of $24,500,000, a forfeiture of profits of $3,900,000, and up to $12,000,000 in victim compensation. The deferred prosecution agreement resolves a criminal investigation into Kimberly-Clark’s sale of its adulterated MicroCool surgical gowns under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). According to court documents, surgical gowns sold in the United States are subject to regulation by the FDA, which recognizes a system of classification set forth by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) — known as the ANSI/AAMI PB70 standard. The ANSI/AAMI PB70 standard was first established in 2003 and revised to be more rigorous in 2012. Under the standard, the highest protection level for surgical gowns — AAMI Level 4 — is reserved for gowns intended to be used in surgeries and other high-risk medical procedures on patients suspected of having infectious diseases. To establish compliance with the standard, a surgical gown needs to demonstrate blood-borne pathogen resistance in each of several critical zones, including the sleeve, by preventing fluids from penetrating the gown. As part of the deferred prosecution agreement, Kimberly-Clark admitted that, with an intent to defraud and mislead and to avoid filing a 510(k) premarket notification with FDA for its MicroCool gowns, an employee of Kimberly-Clark directed the preparation of test samples for the surgical gowns that did not meet the requirements of AAMI Level 4 testing. Kimberly-Clark further admitted that between late 2013 and late 2014, it sold millions of adulterated MicroCool surgical gowns labeled as AAMI Level 4 after the fraudulent testing and without a new 510(k) FDA premarket notification. In total, Kimberly-Clark sold approximately $49,000,000 worth of adulterated MicroCool gowns to customers in the United States and abroad. The deferred prosecution agreement requires Kimberly-Clark to, among other obligations, provide ongoing cooperation with and disclosures to the Justice Department, implement a compliance and ethics program, and report to the Justice Department regarding remediation and implementation of these compliance measures. The government reached this resolution with Kimberly-Clark based on a number of factors, including the nature and seriousness of the offense conduct and that Kimberly-Clark ceased manufacturing the surgical gowns at issue in this matter. Kimberly-Clark did not voluntarily and timely self-disclose the conduct to the department, but did receive full credit for its cooperation with the department’s investigation, which included meeting requests from the government promptly, making regular factual presentations and updates to the government, and producing extensive documentation to the Offices, including documents located in foreign jurisdictions. The criminal case was investigated by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations. Trial Attorneys David Gunn, Max Goldman, and Amanda Kelly of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, and Jacob Foster, Acting Chief of the Criminal Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case. The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting health care fraud (HCF) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s HCF enforcement efforts can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: St. Louis Sheriff Indicted on Civil Rights Charge

body_text: ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery was indicted Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on a civil rights charge. He appeared in court Thursday morning and pleaded not guilty. Montgomery, 28, was indicted on a misdemeanor count of deprivation of rights under color of law, namely the right to be free from unreasonable seizure. The indictment alleges that on Feb. 14, 2025, Montgomery deprived the acting commissioner of the St. Louis City Justice Center of her right to be free from unlawful detention by a person acting under color of law, when he directed and participated in the restraint and detention of her. The charge is punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $1,000 or both prison and a fine.. A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug is prosecuting the case.


title: Former Battle Creek Doctor to Pay Over $700,000 to Resolve Federal Lawsuit for Issuing Improper Drug Prescriptions

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS – Former Battle Creek doctor Shekhar Thakur has agreed to pay $705,075 to resolve a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleging that he violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Thakur previously owned and practiced at Parkside Medical in Battle Creek, Michigan. On July 9, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office sued Thakur for, among other things, regularly prescribing opioids and other controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice. For example, the federal lawsuit alleged that Thakur routinely prescribed highly addictive and dangerous controlled substances, often Schedule II opioids, without objectively verifying the patient’s reported ailment through physical examination, medical records, and/or testing. The United States also alleged that Thakur issued prescriptions despite numerous indications that the patients were abusing or diverting substances, including failed urine drug screens showing that patients were taking illicit drugs, or not taking the medications he prescribed. In addition, the United States alleged that Thakur prescribed dangerous combinations of controlled substances, including opioids and benzodiazepines. The complaint alleged that this illegitimate prescribing had consequences. It stated, “many patients sought out Thakur to feed their addictions to opioids or benzodiazepines. Some of Thakur’s patients shared their drugs with others or sold them on the street.” Thakur agreed to pay the over $700,000 settlement in exchange for the government’s agreement to dismiss the case and not prove his conduct in a trial. He did not admit responsibility for the conduct alleged, however, during 2022 and 2023 he was stripped of his licenses to practice medicine. In 2020, Thakur voluntarily surrendered his DEA registration, thereby losing his ability to prescribe controlled substances. As part of his settlement with the government, Thakur agreed never to apply for reinstatement of his DEA registration. U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey said, “When doctors prescribe drugs without a proper medical purpose, they are drug dealers. This settlement highlights my office’s commitment to hold medical professionals responsible when they cross that line.” Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Detroit Field Division stated, “Physicians who recklessly prescribe controlled substances endanger patients’ lives and erode communities. We will tirelessly investigate and hold accountable the people responsible for flooding Michigan with illegitimate drugs, to include doctors and healthcare professionals.” The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Whitney M. Schnurr and Ryan D. Cobb investigated and litigated this case alongside Stacy Race from DEA’s Office of Chief Counsel. The complaint and other filings can be found on the Court’s online docket under United States v. Thakur , 1-24-cv-00707 (W.D. Mich.). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Mexican National With Three Prior Deportations And Multiple Felony Convictions Sentenced To More Than Three Years In Prison For Illegally Reentering The United States

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Gloria Navarro to 40 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after being removed from the country on three prior occasions. According to court documents and statements made in court, Salvador Gonzalez-Sanchez was found by immigration officials in Nevada after he was previously deported in 2011, 2017, and 2023. Gonzalez-Sanchez has four previous felony convictions: illegal alien in possession of a firearm from 2010, deported alien found unlawfully in the United States from 2016, assault with firearm on person from 2021, and conspiracy to violate uniform controlled substance act from 2023. Gonzalez-Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of Deported Alien Found in the United States. This was his second such conviction, as he was convicted in 2016 for the same crime. After Gonzalez-Sanchez serves his sentence, he will be deported to Mexico for a fourth time. Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Jason Knight made the announcement. The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case. Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form . ###


title: TALLAHASSEE VIOLENT FELON PLEADS GUILTY TO ESCAPE

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Derek Somerset, 46, of Tallahassee, Florida pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday August 22, 2025, to escape from the custody of the Attorney General and the Attorney General’s authorized representative. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I commend the efforts of our local law enforcement partners, working with the U.S. Marshal’s office, to get this violent felon off our streets and back in federal custody.” Court documents reflect that on October 15, 2024, Somerset was furloughed from federal prison, where he was serving a 48-month sentence for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Somerset was to report the next day to a residential re-entry facility in Tallahassee to complete his sentence. Somerset, though, failed to report and was found a little over two months later in a motel parking lot overdosing on fentanyl. Somerset faces up to five years’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release when he is sentenced. The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the United States Marshal’s Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Man Indicted on Federal Fraud and Tax Charges for Allegedly Defrauding Individuals out of $2.6 Million and Evading Income Taxes

body_text: CHICAGO — A man has been indicted on federal fraud and tax charges for allegedly defrauding numerous individuals out of at least $2.6 million and willfully evading income taxes. An indictment returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges JAWAD FAKROUNE, also known as “Angelino Escobar,” “Anjelino Escobar,” “Angelo Escobar,” “Giovanni Escobar,” and “Angelo Baldini,” 45, with seven counts of wire fraud, four counts of tax evasion, and four counts of failing to file income taxes. Arraignment in federal court has not yet been scheduled. According to the indictment, Fakroune is a foreign national who recently resided in the Chicago area. In 2022, Fakroune fraudulently obtained approximately $2.45 million from an individual by falsely representing that Fakroune would invest the money in a shipping container business and a marijuana growing operation, the indictment states. Instead of investing the money, Fakroune used nearly all of it for his personal purposes, including purchasing a residence in Lemont, Ill., paying rent for a residence in New York, funding restaurant and shopping trips in New York City, purchasing a 2022 Cadillac Escalade, and buying multiple high-end watches, the indictment states. The indictment alleges that Fakroune engaged in similar fraud schemes between 2023 and 2025. One scheme involved Fakroune obtaining $150,000 from a victim by falsely representing that Fakroune would invest the money in a coffee shop or Mexican restaurant. Fakroune allegedly caused this victim to sign a lease on Fakroune’s behalf for a residence in Michigan City, Ind., based upon Fakroune’s false representations that, in exchange for signing the lease, Fakroune would repay the victim $300,000 in connection with the purported coffee shop or Mexican restaurant investment. In fact, Fakroune did not repay any of the victim’s money, the indictment states. The tax charges accuse Fakroune of attempting to evade income taxes and willfully failing to file income taxes for the calendar years 2020 through 2023. The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Jason Bushey, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Hennessy and Richard M. Rothblatt. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. fakroune_indictment.pdf


title: Kansas City Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Fraud and Identity Theft

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to a scheme to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans, guaranteed by the SBA under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Rasheda McDaniel, 42, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, on or about March 22, 2021, McDaniel and co-defendant Briauna Adams used the personal identification information of another person to submit an online application for a COVID-19 relief PPP loan in that individual’s name. The loan application listed a business with Schedule C gross receipts of $147,412 and a net income of $98,562. The true business tax return listed zero taxable income and did not have a Schedule C. On or about April 2, 2021, the PPP loan was approved and $20,832 was wire deposited. On the same day, $2,000 was transferred to an account controlled by Adams. An amount of $18,830 was transferred to defendant McDaniel’s account. On or about Feb. 27, 2021, co-defendant Adams submitted an online application in McDaniel’s name, using personal identification information McDaniel provided to Adams, for a separate COVID-19 relief PPP loan. The application and supporting documents stated that McDaniel was a sole proprietor of a business established July 7, 2017, that had an average monthly payroll of $8,333. As part of the application, a 2019 Form Schedule C was submitted listing gross receipts of $144,080 and a profit of $99,982. McDaniel did not have a business during that time with gross or net income in those amounts. On or about March 4, 2021, the defendant’s personal account received a $20,832 wire deposit. The same day, McDaniel made a $15,000 cash withdrawal from the account. McDaniel’s co-defendant, Briauna Adams, pleaded guilty to multiple fraud charges on May 7, 2025, and is awaiting sentencing. McDaniel faces up to 22 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentence of the defendant will be determined by the court based upon the advisory sentencing guidelines and other factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to 12 Months for Unlawfully Reentering the US

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States. Jose Raul Falcon-Reyes, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry after deportation and was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes. Falcon-Reyes was previously convicted of improper entry by an alien in 2015 and was subsequently deported to Mexico that same year. He illegally returned to the United States one month after he was deported. On Feb. 15, 2025, he was arrested in Pettis County, Mo., for this charge. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, and Enforcement & Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Texas Woman Pleads Guilty to Multiple Fraud Offenses

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine : A Texas woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland today to bank fraud, false use of a passport, and aggravated identity theft. According to court records, in June 2024, Andrea Cochran , 51, entered a credit union in Westbrook and used a falsified passport card to withdraw money from a victim’s accounts. The falsified passport card presented by Cochran bore her picture but had the personal information of the victim account holder. She also presented the victim’s Social Security number and forged the victim’s signature for each withdrawal. Cochran faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $1 million to be followed by up to five years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service investigated the case, with assistance from the Westbrook Police Department and the Windham Police Department. ###


title: Federal Jury Finds Clearfield County Man Guilty for Role in Targeted Bombing Resulting in Death

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - After deliberating for four hours, a federal jury on August 27, 2025, found Kris Joseph Nevling, 48, of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, guilty on charges of conspiracy to maliciously destroy property by explosive or fire and possession of an unregistered destructive device, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Nevling was tried before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The evidence presented at trial established that, in and around early October 2019, Nevling and co-defendant Clint Addleman aided and abetted each other in the construction and possession of a destructive device—a bomb—which was subsequently concealed inside a package addressed to the victim using her nickname. At approximately 4:30 a.m. on October 4, 2019, the package containing the bomb was dropped off and left outside of the door to the victim’s first floor apartment in a multi-unit rental property in Clearfield. Later that morning, the bomb detonated inside the victim’s apartment, killing the victim and causing a fire that destroyed the building. The jury also determined the victim’s death to be a result of the commission of the offense of conspiring to maliciously destroy property by explosive or fire. Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for January 7, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Nevling’s co-defendant Addleman is scheduled for trial in late October. Assistant United States Attorneys Maureen Sheehan-Balchon, Shaun E. Sweeney, and Samantha A. Stewart prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Clearfield Regional Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Nevling.


title: Investment Firm Owner Sentenced to 151 Months for Defrauding More Than 60 Elderly and Other Victim Investors Over More Than Three Decades

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, NJ. – A New Jersey man was sentenced on August 26, 2025, to 151 months in prison for orchestrating a decades-long scheme to defraud more than 60 victim investors out of more than $6 million, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced. Vincent Dispoto Jr., 68, formerly of Belmar, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud. Judge Quraishi imposed the sentence in Trenton federal court. According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: Dispoto owned and operated Giddeon Financial Services, a purported investment services firm. Beginning in or around 1988, Dispoto raised money through Giddeon Financial Services and other entities by falsely claiming to victims, many of whom were elderly, that he would invest their money in low-risk investment products with guaranteed rates of return, including municipal bonds and certificates of deposits. Dispoto also told some victims that he was using their investments to fund loans and mortgages for medical professionals, which would generate long-term returns through interest payments. To perpetuate his fraud, Dispoto mailed victims false and fraudulent financial statements that purported to show significant increases in the value of their investments. In reality, Dispoto did not invest the victims’ money as promised. Instead, he used it to make Ponzi-like payments to other victims, which he falsely claimed to be “returns” on investments. He also misappropriated victim money to fund his gambling and other personal expenses. Dispoto’s scheme collectively resulted in more than approximately $6 million in losses to victims. In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Dispoto to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $6,083,419.84 to the victims of Dispoto’s offense. Judge Quraishi separately entered a forfeiture money judgment of $6,990,635.62. Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kozar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Areeb Salim, Esq. and John Yauch, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defenders, Newark


title: U.S. Air Force Major Sentenced To Five Years In Federal Prison For Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Steven Dennis Mack (40, Tampa) to five years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Mack was also ordered to pay $42,500 in restitution; $40,000 in fines; and will be required to register as a sex offender. Mack entered a guilty plea on March 6, 2025. An Air Force court martial is pending. According to court documents, Mack, while in another state, sent an image of CSAM from his personal email address to an individual with an email address that geo-located to the Philippines. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Mack’s email address and found hundreds of emails exchanged with the Philippines user in which they discussed engaging in sexual activities with minors. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Mack’s Tampa residence, where they seized a cellphone and laptop computer. A search of the laptop showed that Mack searched terms consistent with CSAM and accessed pornographic content. A search of the cellphone revealed that it contained 64 images of CSAM. Further investigation revealed that Mack had viewed most of those images in Tampa in June and December 2023. This case was investigated by the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 340 at MacDill Air Force Base and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts. 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 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 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: Three Federal Inmates Plead Guilty To Retaliating Against A Government Witness After Vicious Attack

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Jose Carbajal (35, Palm Springs, CA), Edward Camacho (21, Winter Garden), and Jose Lugo (41, Kissimmee) have pleaded guilty to retaliating against a government witness and conspiracy to retaliate against a government witness. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to records and information presented in court, in November 2024, Carbajal was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for drug and money laundering conspiracies. For several years, Carbajal had shipped large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to his partner in a drug trafficking organization operating in the Middle District of Florida. During the course of that investigation, several cooperating sources came forward, including Witness 1. On December 26, 2024, Carbajal was in the Seminole County Jail awaiting transport to begin serving his prison sentence for the drug and money laundering conspiracies. Witness 1 was accidentally placed in the same jail housing unit with Carbajal. Within a few minutes, Carbajal recruited two other federal inmates, Camacho and Lugo, to help him retaliate against Witness 1. While Witness 1 was sitting at a table with his back turned, Carbajal, Camacho, and Lugo snuck up from behind and attacked Witness 1. The three inmates knocked Witness 1 to the ground and punched, kicked, and stomped him repeatedly. Carbajal also used a jail telephone to beat him. Detention deputies were able to stop the attack after more than a minute and a half, just after Carbajal shattered a broomstick over Witness 1’s head and back. After the attack, Carbajal, Camacho, and Lugo all made incriminating jail calls indicating their motive and coordinated involvement in the attack. Camacho (4 years, 3 months) and Lugo (7 years, 8 months) are currently serving federal prison sentences for separate offenses. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie K. Boyer. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Donora Man Convicted at Trial of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – After deliberating for four hours, a federal jury in Pittsburgh on August 27, 2025, found Tre Robert Goins guilty of one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Goins, 31, of Donora, Pennsylvania, was tried before Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti. The evidence presented during the day and a half trial established that, on May 24, 2024, Goins fled from a traffic stop initiated by the City of Duquesne Police Department, leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase at speeds in excess of 100 mph that ended with Goins totaling his vehicle. From the vehicle, police recovered fentanyl, cocaine, and a stolen loaded firearm. The jury found that Goins possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. In July 2025, Goins pleaded guilty to two other charges relating to the same incident: possession with intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. For these charges, the law provides for a total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both, with Goins facing a total sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison (to be served consecutively to the drug trafficking crime sentence), a fine of up to $250,000, or both, on his trial conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for Goins’ three violations of federal drug trafficking and firearms laws for October 22, 2025. Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly M. Locher and Katherine C. Jordan are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the City of Clairton and Duquesne Police Departments, and the Elizabeth Township Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Goins. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Anchorage man, Indian national charged in nine-year fraud, money laundering scheme

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment last week charging an Anchorage man and an Indian national with conspiring together in a $4.5 million fraud scheme that lasted roughly nine years and impacted at least 28 victims across the U.S. and abroad. According to court documents, Michael Edward Gregg, 62, of Anchorage, and Vikash Pandey, 36, a foreign national residing in India, and other co-conspirators conducted the alleged scheme by pretending to be employees of different tech support or security businesses to contact primarily elderly and vulnerable individuals. As part of the alleged scheme, co-conspirators contacted victims via email or pop-up messages online indicating a service issue with their computer’s virus protection. Co-conspirators then offered refunds to the customers for disputed charges, typically totaling $400-$500. Then, they falsely stated that they accidentally refunded too much, roughly $40,000-$50,000, and urgently needed that money back. Co-conspirators typically instructed victims to return the funds by check, wire, cash or Bitcoin. Gregg and another co-conspirator created multiple bank accounts and provided those account numbers to the other co-conspirators to receive fraudulent funds. It is alleged that co-conspirators would often claim the funds did not come through or fabricate a reason why the victims should send more money. On one occasion in spring 2024, an elderly victim received an email from an antivirus software company indicating she was charged $499.99. The victim contacted a number she believed to be associated with the company and was instructed by a member of the conspiracy to submit an online form for reimbursement. The victim was told she was reimbursed $50,000, when in fact the victim received nothing. Over roughly five months, the victim was repeatedly instructed to send money. The victim sent money via bitcoin ATM, in person delivery of U.S. currency, and mailed cashier’s checks to Gregg. These money transfers totaled over $2 million. Once Gregg and the other co-conspirators received funds into U.S. bank accounts, Gregg would receive a commission or percentage of the money, often 3-20%, before moving the remaining proceeds to individuals in foreign countries, including, but not limited to, India, Hong Kong and Singapore. Pandey was one of his international contacts allegedly involved in the international money laundering scheme. Throughout this scheme, financial institutions flagged Gregg’s accounts, or accounts he had control over, and either closed the accounts or restricted their activity. Gregg controlled over two dozen bank accounts allegedly used in the conspiracy. Gregg and Pandey are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of international money laundering conspiracy. Gregg is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Sept. 9, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. Pandey remains at large in India. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison, or a fine of $500,000 or up to twice the value of the laundered money. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke of the IRS Criminal Investigation Seattle Field Office made the announcement. The IRS Criminal Investigation Seattle Field Office is investigating the case, with support from the FBI Anchorage Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson is prosecuting the case. Fraud schemes have become increasingly sophisticated. Take extra steps to protect your personal and financial information. Do not respond or click links in text messages, emails or social media posts that appear suspicious or are unsolicited. If you or someone you know may be the victim of financial fraud, please contact your local law enforcement or seattlefieldoffice@ci.irs.gov . 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: Austin Man Arrested for Threatening Presidential Staffer

body_text: AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin man was arrested Wednesday on criminal charges related to his alleged threats against a presidential staff member. According to court documents, on the night of Aug. 25, Thomas Austria Crouse allegedly called the personal phone of an individual working for the President of the United States. When the call went to voicemail, Crouse left a recording in which he allegedly threatened to find the administration official, decapitate them, and kill the victim’s family. Given the violent nature of the voicemail and the references to the victim’s job as a presidential staffer, the voicemail was reported to the FBI. The criminal complaint alleges that further investigation revealed the phone call came from Austin. Crouse was identified as the caller. The complaint alleges that during an Aug. 26 investigative interview with the FBI, agents urged Crouse to cease making direct threats, to which he agreed. After the interview, however, Crouse allegedly left a series of five new voicemails on the administration official’s phone telling the victim to commit suicide. Crouse was arrested on Aug. 27 based on a criminal complaint accusing him of transmitting an interstate communication containing a threat to injure the person of another. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and Washington, D.C. Capitol Police are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Roomberg is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Brazilian National Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully residing in Worcester, Mass. was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Thiago Aquino De Paula, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to six months in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In June 2025 , Aquino De Paula pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. In April 2025 , Aquino De Paula was indicted by a federal grand jury. Aquino De Paula was deported from the United States on three previous occasions including on or about Nov. 4, 2021. Sometime after his removal, Aquino De Paula illegally reentered the United States without permission. Aquino De Paula was found in Massachusetts after being arrested in Uxbridge for allegedly operating under the influence. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.


title: Wise County Man to Serve 15 Years on Narcotics and Illegal Firearms Charges

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – A Wise County, Virginia man, who trafficked large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin into Southwest Virginia, was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison. James Edward Williams, 43, pled guilty in February 2025 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. “Methamphetamine and fentanyl have had devastating consequences on Southwest Virginia. This defendant contributed to that devastation by trafficking large quantities of these drugs into the region,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “Today’s sentence reflects the commitment of this office to aggressively prosecute those who poison our communities for profit.” According to court documents, on two occasions in April 2024, Williams sold confidential informants approximately 41 grams of methamphetamine from his Wise County residence. In July 2024, Williams and another individual were involved in a single-car vehicle accident. Upon a search of the surrounding area, and the vehicle Williams was driving, police found a black back containing a loaded handgun, approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine, two baggies of green plant material, and two metal smoking devices. Two weeks later, after leaving a known drug house in Wise County, Williams was pulled over and failed a standard sobriety test. A search of Williams’ person revealed a small plastic baggy containing methamphetamine. In his vehicle, officers found approximately 44 grams of methamphetamine and three lock boxes, each containing a pistol. Officers also found an illegal silencer and a plastic bag containing fentanyl and/or xylazine. Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Thomas Cullen. The case was investigated by the Southwest Drug Task Force, Wise County Sheriff’s Office, Norton Police Department, Virginia State Police, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher is prosecuting the case for the United States.


title: Providence Resident Admits to Trafficking Fentanyl

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Providence man found to be in possession of more than 1,500 fentanyl-laced pills and more than 400 grams of fentanyl powder today pleaded guilty to a charge of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Court records reflect that during a court-authorized search of his residence in November 2022, Carols Molina, 35, was found to be in possession of 1,503 fentanyl-laced pills designed to look like prescription drugs (weighing a total of 170.6 grams) and a mixture of powder containing fentanyl weighing 411.75 grams. Leading up to the search of his residence, while under surveillance by DEA agents and DEA Drug Task Force officers, Molina made multiple sales of fentanyl-laced counterfeit prescription pills to another induvial. A total of 2,416 pills were seized immediately following the transactions. Molina is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2, 2025. The sentence imposed in this matter will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey A. Erickson. The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force. ###