title: Dallas man sentenced to lengthy federal prison sentence under Homeland Security Task Force for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas –A Dallas man has been sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison under the Homeland Security Task Force for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Marvin Alexander Portillo, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on March 31, 2026. According to information presented in court, in June of 2023, Portillo was identified during a drug trafficking investigation involving the distribution of fentanyl-laced pills in the Eastern District of Texas. Portillo admitted to being involved in a conspiracy responsible for distributing at least 400 grams of a substance containing fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson. ###


title: Lakeland Couple Pleads Guilty to Committing String of Armed Robberies

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL - Andres Correa (39, Lakeland) and Cassandra Kerr (46, Lakeland) have pleaded guilty to a string of Hobbs Act robberies that occurred in August 2025. Correa pleaded guilty to four Hobbs Act robberies, four counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and conspiring to commit the robberies. Kerr pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and conspiring to commit the robberies. Sentencing dates have not yet been set. Each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court records, on July 28, 2025, Correa and Kerr robbed a food truck on Sheldon Road in Tampa. During the robbery, Correa entered the business and brandished a firearm while demanding money from two victims. Kerr acted as a lookout for Correa during the robbery. On August 5, 2025, Correa and Kerr robbed a gas station in Tampa. Correa brandished a pistol and demanded money. Correa pointed a firearm into one of the victim’s stomachs until he received money. Kerr acted as a lookout for Correa outside the store in her vehicle. Two days later, Correa and Kerr robbed a food mart in Tampa. Correa entered the business and produced a pistol from his chest area while demanding money. Correa held one of the store clerks at gunpoint until receiving cash from the register. Kerr again acted as a lookout for Correa during this robbery. On August 19, 2025, Correa robbed a smoke shop in Seffner. After pulling a pistol from his chest area, Correa grabbed a customer and moved him back towards the counter. He pointed a gun at the back of his head and demanded cash. The clerk complied by handing Correa the cash register drawer. On August 26, 2025, FBI and ATF agents, along with detectives from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, executed search warrants in two residences. Inside one of the homes they found clothing consistent with surveillance footage, a firearm consistent with the firearm used in the robberies, a stomach holster, and a ledger with a list of banks and smoke shops along with directions to get to those businesses. This case is the result of joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. 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 Neighborhoods (PSN).


title: DeKalb County felon indicted for possessing firearm in connection with shooting

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Shikino Quantavius Reid has been arraigned on federal charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after Reid allegedly discharged a firearm in a Decatur neighborhood last summer. Reid was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 24, 2026. “Shikino Reid’s dangerous and violent alleged actions put himself and others at serious risk of injury or death,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We will continue our efforts to prevent and punish gun crime in our community by prosecuting unlawfully armed felons.” “Repeat offenders pose a serious threat to public safety,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd. “ATF is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On July 23, 2025, Shikino Quantavius Reid allegedly attempted to start an altercation at his neighbor’s residence in Decatur, Georgia by discharging two firearms into the air. After Reid returned to his vehicle, the neighbor’s associates drew their own firearms and fired at Reid, striking him in the arm as well as a house across the street. Reid is a multi-convicted violent repeat offender, having been convicted of Attempted Burglary, Aggravated Assault, and Aggravated Battery, as well as being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Shikino Quantavius Reid, 31, of Decatur, Georgia, was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John K. Larkins III. Reid will remain in federal custody through the conclusion of his case. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Bircoll is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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 further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Great Falls man sentenced to 15 years in prison for illegal possession of firearm

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

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man who was prohibited from possessing firearms was sentenced yesterday to 180 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said. During an October 2025 trial, a jury found Daniel Lee Evenson, 35, guilty of one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents and at trial that in September 2023, Daniel Lee Evenson, a convicted felon on state supervision, was the suspect of new crimes in the Great Falls area. As part of the investigation, law enforcement searched Evenson’s residence and seized a loaded, 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol from a floor vent in his bedroom. The pistol was stolen from a local vehicle in June 2023. During Evenson’s interview, he acknowledged his prior felony convictions, his prohibition from possessing firearms, and the stolen nature of the 9mm pistol. Evenson further acknowledged committing two hotel robberies with a BB gun but ultimately denied committing a third robbery. Evenson acknowledged being on probation since around 2017 or 2018. Evenson knew roughly what neighborhood the firearm came from but claimed he did not steal it. When officers showed him a photograph of the 9mm pistol, Evenson acknowledged it was the same firearm found in the vent in his bedroom. At the time of the offense, Evenson had been convicted of at least three prior offenses for violent felonies. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The ATF, Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, and Montana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. 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. XXX


title: Southern Indiana Tax Preparers Sentenced to Federal Prison for Multi Million Dollar Tax Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: EVANSVILLE- Two tax preparers have been sentenced to federal prison for orchestrating a multi-year tax fraud scheme that generated millions in fraudulent refunds. Both defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false and fraudulent tax return, and filing false tax returns. Angel De La Rosa, 41, of Jasper, was sentenced to four years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $15,005,149.83 in restitution. Yaimy Real, 34, of Louisville, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $ 15,019,543.84 in restitution. According to court documents and information presented in court, De La Rosa and Real operated a tax return preparation business, “De La Rosa Multiservices,” in both Jasper, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky. From January 2018 through July 2021, they prepared approximately 5,892 fraudulent federal tax returns for tax years 2017 through 2020. Their conduct caused an estimated $10,577,612 in tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service. A central component of the scheme involved filing returns that falsely claimed the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC). The pair routinely submitted Form 8863 (Education Credits) asserting that taxpayers were enrolled at one of two institutions: Sacerdotes Del Sagrado Corazon, located in Louisville; or YMR Language Services LLC, located in Jasper. Neither entity qualified as an eligible educational institution under federal law. By fabricating tuition and education‑related expenses, the defendants generated inflated refunds for clients who were not entitled to receive them. When the IRS began scrutinizing their clients’ returns, the defendants attempted to conceal their fraud by creating and submitting false records. These fabricated documents included enrollment verification letters and receipts designed to make it appear that their clients qualified for the AOTC. De La Rosa and Real also prepared returns that falsely claimed self-employment losses on Schedule C and inflated itemized deductions on Schedule A. When preparing returns for their clients, the defendants acted as ‘ghost’ return preparers. Federal law requires paid tax return preparers to sign the returns they prepare and include a valid Preparer Tax Identification Number. De La Rosa and Real failed to identify themselves as the preparers, which allowed the returns to be filed without disclosing their involvement. Through the scheme, the defendants collected approximately $736,500 in fees from their clients. De La Rosa also filed false personal tax returns for tax years 2017 through 2020, causing a tax loss of approximately $6,374 . Real filed false personal returns for tax years 2017 and 2018, resulting in a tax loss of approximately $4,000 . “Due to the defendants’ deceit, the United States lost over ten million dollars in unjustified refunds. The defendants compounded their fraud by creating and submitting false records during the IRS’ investigation,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Preparing or filing false tax returns is a serious crime that deprives the government of vital revenue for public services, and today’s sentence sends a clear warning to anyone considering such fraudulent conduct.” “Angel De La Rosa and Yaimy Real hid in the shadows as ghost preparers, filing fraudulent returns to line their pockets while leaving honest taxpayers to pick up the tab,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “IRS-CI special agents followed the money, unraveled the fraud, and brought it into the light. We will continue using our forensic accounting expertise to track down and hold accountable any preparer who thinks they can cheat the tax code without consequences.” The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young. U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Justice Department Sues New Jersey Township Over Natural Gas Ban

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Morris Township, New Jersey, over its ordinance banning natural gas, propane gas, and fuel oil infrastructure and appliances in certain new construction. This lawsuit is another example of the Department hard at work in keeping President Donald J. Trump’s promise to the American people to restore consumer freedom and cut energy costs. As detailed in the complaint, filed Tuesday in the District of New Jersey, Morris Township’s natural gas ban drives up energy costs for everyday American consumers and weakens our Nation’s energy dominance. Such policies reflect a radical left effort to outlaw federally regulated gas stoves, furnaces, water heaters, dryers, and other appliances that American families rely on daily to cook their meals and heat their homes. “This latest litigation in New Jersey follows two successful lawsuits in California as this Department of Justice fights to make energy more affordable for Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Radical environmentalist policies that drive up costs and limit consumer choice will not stand.” “The Department brought this lawsuit to protect American citizens the Township abandoned by kowtowing to progressive fearmongering in passing its natural gas ban,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “The Township’s illegal interference with national energy policy must be stopped,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate. “Congress preempted local efforts to outlaw gas stoves and other appliances Americans count on and prefer. This case is about upholding that choice.” “Where the federal government has exclusive authority to regulate appliances and infrastructure, we will fight state and local overreach,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Banning natural gas is illegal. It makes heating, cooking, drying, and other life functions more unaffordable for consumers. This Administration is committed to unleashing American energy and empowering Americans.” Read the full Department of Justice complaint here . The case is the latest action from the Justice Department fighting back against state and local overreach. Earlier this year, the Department successfully sued two California cities, for similar progressive natural gas bans. As a result of the Department’s suit, the City of Morgan Hill and the City of Petaluma passed ordinances earlier this month rescinding their previous prohibitions on natural gas, in recognition of their unlawfulness.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office brings federal firearms charges in 8 cases in Dayton as part of downtown gun violence initiative

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: DAYTON, Ohio – Federal and local law enforcement officials announced today eight recent cases involving violations of federal firearms laws. “It’s my job as U.S. Attorney to keep our communities in Southern Ohio safe. Doing that requires strong partnerships between our local police departments and our federal law enforcement agencies. And we have those strong partnerships here in Dayton,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “We want to make it clear to criminals, if you illegally possess or use a firearm or ammunition in Dayton, or anywhere else in our district for that matter, expect to see federal charges.” The federal defendants include: JaMichael Craver On Monday, March 30, federal charges were filed against JaMichael Craver for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Craver was arrested on Friday night during operations conducted by the Dayton Police Department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Initiative between the City of Dayton and the State of Ohio. According to charging documents, Craver fled on foot from a vehicle being tracked by Dayton police officers and an aviation unit from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. He was apprehended by officers after a foot pursuit and allegedly found to be in possession of a loaded 9mm handgun. At the time of this incident, Craver was a wanted fugitive with multiple warrants for his arrest on state charges, including aggravated trafficking in drugs and having weapons while under disability. Craver has previously been convicted in state court of aggravated robbery and kidnapping. Terrence Gay On March 24, Terrence Gay was charged with assaulting federal agents with a deadly weapon, attempted murder of federal agents, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. As alleged in the criminal complaint, Gay was a federal fugitive out of Missouri who had failed to surrender after being sentenced for drug trafficking in 2021. The Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST) tracked Gay to a home a Dayton on March 23. After strike team officers announced their presence and attempted to convince Gay to exit the residence, Gay opened fire on the officers. Officers ultimately secured Gay and recovered multiple weapons from the residence. Johnny Ray Perkins and Elisah Lobbley On March 10, Johnny Ray Perkins and Elisah Lobbley were indicted for trafficking drugs in the vicinity of the RTA bus hub in downtown Dayton. During these sales, Perkins allegedly kept a firearm on him and is charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Anton Hurston On Feb. 10, a federal grand jury in Dayton indicted Anton Hurston for possession of a firearm fitted with a high-capacity magazine during a traffic stop in Dayton’s central business district. Rondell Coleman On Feb. 10, a federal grand jury indicted Rondell Coleman for possession of a machinegun and possession of a stolen firearm. As alleged in an earlier criminal complaint, while responding to a domestic violence incident on Feb. 1, Dayton police encountered Coleman carrying a stolen machinegun in his pants. Dylan Hiner On Feb. 4, Dylan Hiner pleaded guilty to illegally shipping, transporting and receiving ammunition while under indictment for a felony offense. Hiner repeatedly discharged a handgun near the University of Dayton’s campus. At the time of this shooting, Hiner was under indictment on state weapons charges. Colby Smith On Jan. 13, Colby Smith was indicted for kidnapping, carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. As alleged in an earlier criminal complaint, during the morning of Dec. 9, 2025, Smith used a handgun to rob two Dayton-area residents of their vehicles and personal belongings as they traveled to their jobs. Jacquan Sims, Miyauhn Vineyard, Raheem Goff and Joshua Haggins On Dec. 9, Jacquan Sims, Miyauhn Vineyard, Raheem Goff, and Joshua Haggins were federally indicted for conspiring to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Law enforcement officials seized multiple firearms in that case, including one machinegun. Illegally possessing a firearm or ammunition as a convicted felon is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Possessing an unregistered firearm or a machinegun is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Illegally shipping, transporting, or receiving ammunition while under indictment for a felony offense is punishable by up to five years in prison. Possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime requires a mandatory minimum of at least five years in prison in addition to any other sentence imposed. Brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence requires a mandatory minimum of at least seven years in prison in addition to any other sentence imposed. Discharging a firearm during a crime of violence requires a mandatory minimum of at least 10 years in prison in addition to any other sentence imposed. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and United States Marshal Michael D. Black announced the charges. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi and Assistant United States Attorneys Christina Mahy, Erica Lunderman, Ryan Saunders, Rob Painter and Kelly Rossi are representing the United States in these cases. Indictments and criminal complaints merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: United States and State of Wisconsin Obtain Over $140M Judgment and Permanent Injunction Against Operator of Deceptive Timeshare Exit Services Aimed at Elderly Consumers

component: Civil Division

body_text: The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri granted summary judgment to the Department of Justice and State of Wisconsin against Defendant Christopher Lee Carroll, finding he was a “mastermind” of an unlawful timeshare exit services scheme that harmed over 11,000 consumers. As part of its ruling, the court permanently enjoined Carroll from marketing timeshare exit services and from engaging in other unfair and deceptive trade practices. The court also ordered Carroll to pay over $95 million to redress harm caused to consumers and over $45 million in civil monetary penalties for his misconduct. “The Justice Department will hold accountable anyone who uses unlawful high-pressure sales tactics and deception to take advantage of and exploit consumers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Americans deserve to be treated fairly and honestly.” In a memorandum and order, the district court held that Carroll was at the center of an unlawful enterprise that violated the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act’s prohibition on unfair or deceptive trade practices, the federal Cooling-Off Rule’s requirement that consumers be given three business days to cancel certain purchases made at locations other than the seller’s regular place of business, and Wisconsin state laws concerning fraudulent misrepresentations and direct marketing. The court found that Carroll and his co-defendants used high pressure tactics and false and misleading statements to induce consumers to pay from $5,000 to over $80,000 to businesses including Square One Group LLC, and Consumer Law Protection LLC, for a purported release or exit from the consumers’ timeshare contracts. Carroll and his co-defendants often did not actually provide those services, did not inform consumers of their right to cancel the sales contracts within three business days without penalty, and denied consumers refunds when they or law enforcement officials complained. Carroll was the final remaining defendant in this action. The court previously also imposed permanent injunctions against seventeen other defendants. Those defendants include several interrelated corporate entities, which were also held liable for the over $140 million monetary judgment against Carroll, and four other individual defendants, who agreed to stipulated orders under which they are collectively liable for over $11 million in monetary penalties, partially suspended due to their demonstrated inability to pay. The United States is represented in this action by Trial Attorneys Meredith L. Reiter and Zachary L. Cowan and Assistant Director Zachary A. Dietert, from the Enforcement Section of the Civil Division’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch, in coordination with staff at the FTC. The United States was previously also represented by former Trial Attorney Wesline N. Manuelpillai. Lewis W. Beilin represents the State of Wisconsin. For more information about the Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch .


title: Luzerne County Man Charged With Pandemic Fraud Offenses

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that George Moses, age 45, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on wire fraud, mail fraud, and bank fraud charges. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Moses submitted applications for unemployment compensation, pandemic unemployment compensation, economic injury disaster loan, and paycheck protection program loan benefits falsely representing that he had qualifying income from the operation of multiple businesses in 2019 and 2020. Based upon the false representations, Moses is alleged to have received benefits totaling $134,083.88. The indictment further alleges that during the same time-period, Moses orchestrated a bank fraud scheme, writing checks to himself from financial institution accounts which had been closed or did not maintain sufficient funds, and then depositing those checks, causing total losses of approximately $11,656.90 to financial institutions. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & industry (PA DLI) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's efforts to combat fraud related to the COVID19 pandemic, particularly with respect to the resources made available by Congress through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for programs including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, and the Provider Relief Fund. The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Massachusetts Man Arrested for Threatening President Trump

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Great Barrington, Mass., man has been arrested and charged for allegedly threatening President Donald J. Trump. Defendant allegedly posted messages on Facebook threatening to injure and kill the President. Andrew D. Emerald, 45, was indicted by a federal grand jury on eight counts of interstate transmission of threatening communications. Emerald was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Springfield, Mass., at 2:30 p.m. today. According to the indictment , from May 2025 to July 2025, Emerald intentionally made eight separate Facebook posts in which he threatened to injure President Trump. Specifically, it is alleged that Emerald made the following posts: May 3, 2025 : “When I see to it that Trump is put to death. It will be the the day the purpose creation put me here for beyond creating. My daughter is fulfilled. (because what she is destined to do for the world is far greater than mine, taking out the orange menace!)” May 13, 2025 : “Oh, I’m not just watching!! Either Trump is dead and in the ground by 2026 or I am hunting him down and putting him there. Do you hear that FBI and any other organization that wants to show up at my f****** door? 🚪Put the enemy of the United States in a f****** body bag or I will.” May 15, 2025 : “Cause and effect. Trump being a monster to humanity caused this family suffering, and they might never choose to have children because of him Affect we’re going to f****** kill Trump on public television so the world sees what we do to f****** monsters and then we’re gonna hang him from the Statue of Liberty until his pathetic bloated corpse rots off falls in the ocean, and I swept out the to see with humanities trash 🚮 After what I just heard if Trump is not dead by 2026 I’m going to Mar-a-Lago and I’m going after myself.” May 15, 2025 : “That’s not a threat that’s a f****** promise and I don’t have Trump arrangement syndrome. The bulls*** they made up. I’m going after him for taking my second amendment rights on constitutionally for calling him the Russian asset that he is! Cause and f****** affect!!!’ I’m going after him because I’m an actual f****** patriot. By the way, if there’s any arrangement syndrome caused by Trump it’s what his cult is inflicting on the rest of us!!!! That is going to end up going down in the psychological history books. Including the bulls*** that is Trump arrangement syndrome. I have very good reason to threaten his life and to go after it whether I have my second amendment rights or not. If the people that are supposed to have not gone after him by the new year, I am hear Trump I’m coming for you you little b****.” May 30, 2025 : “If others have not taken care of you before the end of the year, Trump, I will, and I won’t make the mistake of not knowing where the f*** you are when I come for you. I’ll make sure you’re at Mar-a-Lago when I burn it to the f****** ground.” May 30, 2025 : “And you shouldn’t have listened to my father when he said I wasn’t dangerous. I burned a house to the ground once in my life on accident when I burn you to the ground, it will very much be by intention, and I will revel in it instead of regret it for the rest of my life.” June 14, 2025 : “Because killing is not wrong defending your life or putting down a predator you see taking others through murder. Which is why I’m coming for you, Trump. You’ve killed millions of people by proxy. And you’re a monster to f****** humanity and it is my mission in this life to end your f****** existence. And I won’t be murdering you I will be executing a monster. I will be fulfilling my constitutional duty to execute a criminal citizen that’s committed high treason just like the constitution tells me too, tells us all f****** too.” July 7, 2025 : “Trump either you’re dead by 2026 or I’m coming for you personally and if I’m the one that kills you, you’re gonna suffer you little f****** b****.” The charge of interstate transmission of threatening communications provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. 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 Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Secret Service; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and the Great Barrington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: Chester man pleads guilty to child pornography charges

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Chester man accused of possessing images and videos depicting child pornography admitted to charges yesterday, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said. The defendant, Brandon Wayne Roos, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography which carries the following penalties: a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and not less than five years to a lifetime of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided. U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set for a later date. Roos was released on conditions pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that on September 24, 2023, Brandon Wayne Roos attempted to cross into Montana from Canada at the Sweetgrass Port of Entry. Acting on a tip, officers from Customs and Border Protection's Office of Field Operations (CBP-OFO) seized Roos’ cell phone and searched it, finding several videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The investigation revealed the images were downloaded to Roos’ phone via the Telegram application and officers found a total of 151 images and 49 videos of child pornography. When interviewed, Roos admitted purchasing and downloading child pornography images via Telegram to both his phone and computer at his home in Chester. Law enforcement traveled to Roos’ home and seized his computer. A forensic examination revealed 50 images and eight videos of child pornography. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations, CBP-OFO, and the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . XXX


title: Spring resident sent to prison for over 13 years after distributing child sexual abuse material

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 41-year-old area man has been ordered to federal prison for multiple child pornography convictions, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Joshua Jerome Finney pleaded guilty Jan. 5. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now imposed a total 160-month-term of imprisonment – 160, 160 and 120 months for the respective counts of distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography to be served concurrently. At the hearing, the court heard and considered additional evidence regarding the lifelong damage Finney caused to the minor victims and how he encouraged further abuse for his pleasure. Finney was further ordered to pay restitution and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completing of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to the internet. In December 2023, authorities discovered child sexual abuse material on a dark web forum. The investigation eventually led to Finney who had been communicating with others. In some of the text messages, Finney discussed having sex with minors and received several CSAM images and videos. A search warrant at Finney’s residence resulted in the seizure of his cell phone. Forensic examination ultimately uncovered 178 images and 260 videos depicting CSAM. The material depicted children under the age of 12, sadistic or masochistic conduct, bestiality and acts of violence such as the penetration of the minors. Communication on that device also showed he was receiving and distributing child pornography with other individuals through his Telegram account. Finney has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. FBI - Houston conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Kimberly Leo are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Creating and Distributing Animal Crush Videos

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Joseph Garrett Buckland, of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to create and distribute “animal crush” videos. Buckland was charged on Feb. 26 with violating the federal Animal Crushing statute. According to court documents and statements made in court during a change of plea hearing, Buckland was a member of several online chat groups and private payment groups dedicated to the creation, distribution, and discussion of sexual and violent videos depicting monkeys being tortured, including baby and adult monkeys having their limbs broken and genitals mutilated. Buckland personally collected money to create and distribute obscene torture videos. “Today’s plea should serve as a warning: animal crush videos are illegal, and we will prosecute individuals engaged in this sadistic behavior,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Investigating and prosecuting cases like this is not easy, and we commend all who worked to bring this perpetrator to justice.” “Producing and trafficking in animal crush videos is a serious federal crime,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “Intentionally inflicting harm and torture on innocent animals not only feeds a broader market of criminal depravity, it also often is linked to, or leads to, additional dangerous and violent conduct that further erodes society and public safety. With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate and prosecute all crimes involving violations of federal law relating to horrific acts of cruelty to animals.” “Buckland’s decisions, actions, and financial investments directly contributed to the brutal torture of defenseless animals,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans. “Thanks to the diligent investigative efforts of our special agents, in collaboration with the FBI, he has now admitted his role and will face justice in federal court. HSI will continue to investigate these heinous crimes and work with our law enforcement partners, domestically and abroad, to identify, pursue, and hold offenders accountable.” Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 29. Buckland faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to create and/or distribute animal crush videos. A U.S. District Court judge will determine sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. HSI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Emily R. Stone of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Locher for the Western District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.


title: White Plains Man Arrested And Charged For Manufacturing, Stockpiling, And Detonating Explosive Devices

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced federal criminal charges against RAYMOND ELDERS for manufacturing and possessing suspected improvised explosive devices in his apartment in White Plains and detonating them on a residential street. ELDERS was arrested by the FBI and presented yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court and detained. “By allegedly manufacturing dozens of suspected explosive devices and storing them in his apartment, Raymond Elders put everyone in his community at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “But he didn’t stop there. As alleged in the complaint, and over a period of months, he lit these devices and detonated them in his neighborhood in White Plains, causing unexplained explosions that his neighbors repeatedly reported to the police. It should go without saying that anyone who tosses illegal explosives onto New York residential streets should expect to face serious consequences, including federal criminal charges brought by our Office.” “Raymond Elders allegedly constructed dozens of IEDs and detonated at least two in his neighborhood,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “Elders’s alleged actions repeatedly disregarded the public’s safety by subjecting innocent bystanders to potentially devastating harm. We thank the White Plains Police Department and the Westchester County Bomb Squad for their prompt response and for protecting the residents of Westchester County. The FBI continues to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities from violence.” As alleged in the Complaint: [1] ELDERS, a convicted felon, was captured on surveillance video on at least two occasions in March 2026 igniting suspected improvised explosive devices and tossing them onto Odell Avenue in White Plains. Below are excerpts from surveillance footage obtained from residential premises on Odell Avenue during the afternoon of March 18, 2026: Below are additional excerpts from surveillance footage depicting Odell Avenue during the early morning hours of March 30, 2026: In response to multiple 911 calls on March 30, White Plains Police Officers responding to the scene found an apparent pipe bomb on the steps of ELDERS’s apartment building. A warrant-authorized search of ELDERS’s apartment returned at least approximately 25 suspected explosive devices, in addition to materials and supplies ELDERS allegedly used to assemble explosive devices. Law enforcement evacuated all residents of the apartment building while FBI explosives specialists secured the scene. Law enforcement’s analysis of the suspected improvised explosive devices remains ongoing. An associate of ELDERS informed law enforcement that he has seen ELDERS assemble the suspected explosive devices while sitting on the living room couch in his apartment, which is on the first floor of a multi-family residence. * * * ELDERS, 65, is charged with one count of use of a weapon of mass destruction, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of possession of destructive devices after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; as well as one count of receipt and possession of explosives after a felony conviction, one count of unlawful possession of destructive devices, and one count of unlawful manufacture of destructive devices, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Office Westchester Safe Streets Task Force and Joint Terrorism Task Force, the White Plains Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha Briggs and John Sarlitto are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: West Virginia Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy Against Inmates’ Rights

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A former corrections officer at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia pleaded guilty Monday for his role in a conspiracy in which he and other correctional officers would use unreasonable force against inmates, including pretrial detainees, as a form of punishment and retaliation. Michael Pack pleaded guilty to one count of violating 18 U.S.C. § 371. According to his plea agreement and during the plea hearing, Pack acknowledged that he and his co-conspirators would strike, assault, and harm inmates they believed or perceived to have engaged in misconduct. As part of this conspiracy, Pack and his co-conspirators would bring inmates to “blind spots” – areas of the jail that were not captured on surveillance cameras – so that they could use unreasonable and unjustified force against the inmates without being recorded and thus avoid being held accountable for their actions. Pack further admitted that, as part of the conspiracy, he and his co-conspirators would prepare false reports denying their unreasonable uses of force against inmates and failing to document injuries that inmates sustained during use of force incidents, so that the conspirators would not be investigated or held accountable for their actions. Pack pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn. He will be sentenced on July 24. According to his plea agreement, Pack faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and former Trial Attorney Sam Kuhn of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.


title: Jamaican national sentenced to six years in prison for trafficking cocaine and returning proceeds to Mexico

component: Diversion Control Program (DEA)

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Jamaican national was sentenced today to six years in prison for his role in an international cocaine trafficking conspiracy investigated as part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative. According to court documents, since at least early 2022, Jason Kristian Duncker, 54, conspired with others in the United States and Mexico to traffic multi-kilogram loads of cocaine and collect the proceeds to be sent to co-conspirators in Mexico. In all, Duncker trafficked between 75 and 100 kilograms of cocaine in 2021 and 2022. On July 22, 2022, Duncker coordinated a bulk cash pickup of cocaine-trafficking proceeds in Chesapeake, after which law enforcement conducted a traffic stops. Investigators searched Duncker’s vehicle and recovered $250,004 destined for Mexico. After his arrest, Duncker fled to Mexico. On Oct. 2, 2025, Mexican law enforcement, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), located Duncker and arrested him in General Teran, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Mexican immigration authorities transported Duncker to Laredo, Texas, where he was turned over to U.S. law enforcement. Duncker pled guilty on Dec. 22, 2025, to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to manufacture and distribute cocaine; distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. The DEA’s Washington Division investigated this case with assistance from USMS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Hudson, former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Butler, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Stolle prosecuted the case. The HSTF is a United States government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, transnational gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) worldwide. This initiative identifies TCOs engaged in a wide range of criminal schemes that violate federal law, while dismantling cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks that fuel violence and instability that threatens the safety and security of the United States and its global partners. It also places a particular emphasis on criminal offenses involving children and ensures the use of all available law enforcement tools to prosecute offenders and/or facilitate the removal of criminal aliens from the United States. 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. 2:24-cr-24.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced in Possessing Two Loaded Revolvers and Resisting Arrest

body_text: WASHINGTON – Phillip Alphonso Mayes, 74, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 10 months in prison for unlawful possession of two handguns and ammunition and 6 months in prison for resisting arrest, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Mayes pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2025, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and to resisting arrest. In addition to the prison term, Judge McFadden ordered Mayes to serve 1 year of supervised release. According to court documents, on Aug. 22, 2025, a Metropolitan Police Department officer was dispatched to a multiunit housing building in the 3800 block of W Street SE, where a .38 Special revolver had been found in a mailbox. While the officer was guarding the firearm, Mayes descended the stairs, attempted to retrieve it, and stated “that’s mine” before the officer forcefully removed it from his grasp. The officer attempted to place Mayes under arrest. Mayes struggled with the officer, pushed her against a wall, and pulled her up two flights of stairs before she broke free and returned to the ground floor, sustaining scratches to her right forearm and the right side of her face. Following his arrest, officers executed a search warrant at Mayes’ unit and recovered a second loaded firearm, a .357 Magnum revolver, concealed in a bag in a closet. Mayes admitted both weapons belonged to him. Mayes was prohibited from possessing any firearm due to prior felony convictions: a 2001 conviction for possession of a controlled substance in Illinois for which he was ultimately sentenced to two years in prison, and two 1992 convictions for retail fraud and being a habitual offender in Michigan for which he was sentenced to a prison term of between 16 months and two years. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Blake J. Ellison and John Parron. This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. Make D.C. Safe Again is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump’s Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenses, and seek detention for federal firearms violators. Still Photo of Mayes Holding the Firearm After Taking It from the Mailbox 25cr276


title: Cleveland Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CLEVELAND – A 43-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for selling illegal narcotics throughout Cuyahoga County and the surrounding areas. Omari Clifton, of Garfield Heights, Ohio, was sentenced to 292 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan for the following offenses: Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Felon in Possession of a Firearm; previous convictions include Drug Trafficking in 2021 and 2018; Drug Possession in 2015; and Felonious Assault in 2013 Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime Clifton was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment. According to court documents, in October 2024, a local drug task force began an investigation into suspected trafficking of crack cocaine in Northeast Ohio. Clifton was identified as a drug trafficker. In December 2024, a search warrant was executed at his residence in Garfield Heights, where task force officers seized distribution quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base (crack), scales, baggies multiple cellphones, and cash. Two loaded firearms— a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun and a Glock 23 .40 caliber handgun —and ammunition were also seized. This investigation was conducted by the Southeast Area Law Enforcement Task Force and the FBI Cleveland Division Cartel, Gang, Narcotics, and Laundering Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Payum Doroodian for the Northern District of Ohio.


title: Members of Richmond-area cocaine conspiracy sentenced to prison

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – Two Richmond men and a woman from Colonial Heights are the latest defendants sentenced to prison for their roles in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy investigated by the FBI’s Richmond Field Office and the Richmond Police Department. According to court documents, Timothy Keon Cousins, 40, led a cocaine distribution conspiracy based in Southwood Apartments in Richmond. Cousins was the source of cocaine for other members of the conspiracy, who then returned proceeds to Cousins. From Aug. 23, 2024, through July 17, 2025, law enforcement conducted a series of seven controlled buys during which Cousins sold cocaine. Cousins’ co-conspirators Aiyanah Keturah Holloway, 25, and Dequan Duane Evans, 27, participated in some of those transactions. Evans sold cocaine during separate transactions, during one of which Evans used a juvenile to distribute the cocaine to and receive payment from the buyer. On Aug. 20, 2025, investigators searched Cousins’ residence and seized four firearms, approximately 173 cartridges of ammunition, and two scales with suspected drug residue. On Oct. 23, 2025, Cousins pled guilty to distribution of cocaine and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. On March 31, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. On Oct. 23, 2025, Holloway pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. She was sentenced today to five years in prison. On Nov. 13, 2025, Evans pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, employing minors in drug trafficking, and distribution of cocaine. Evans was sentenced on March 23 to six years in prison. During the same investigation, law enforcement identified Jamale Raquon Kelly, 26; Atio Terrain Walton, 22; and Davante Aandrell Jefferson, 20. On March 21, 2025, Kelly was arrested with 5.81 grams of cocaine, $635, and a digital scale. Kelly pled guilty on October 23, 2025, to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on March 26 to one year and six months in prison. On July 10, 2025, Walton was arrested in possession of 5.24 grams of cocaine. On March 20, Walton pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21 and faces up to 20 years in prison. On Sept. 13, 2025, Jefferson committed an armed robbery and carjacking and was arrested on Sept. 30, 2025. On Feb. 19, Jefferson pled guilty to carjacking and use, carry, brandish a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16 and faces a mandatory minimum of seven years and up to life in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Anthony and Katherine E. Groover prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-131.


title: Former Employee Of The Croatian Mission To The U.N. Charged With Embezzling $750,000 Through Fraudulent Invoicing Scheme

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Michael Alfonso, announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging RENATA SUPINA-SALTUS in connection with a long-running wire fraud scheme in which she fabricated invoices to embezzle approximately $750,000 from her then-employer, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations (the “PMRC”). SUPINA-SALTUS was arrested and presented today in the District of Connecticut before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia. “When someone is given access to an organization’s finances, they are being trusted—plain and simple,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Renata Supina-Saltus allegedly abused that trust and turned the Croation Mission into a personal piggy bank, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars.” “Renata Supina-Saltus held a position of trust as member of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso. “She’s alleged today to have absolutely exploited that trust, enriching herself to the tune of $750,000. Financial crime and corruption undermine institutions and HSI will leverage our international footprint to aggressively pursue those who abuse their positions to benefit themselves.” According to the allegations contained in the Complaint: [1] From at least in or about July 2017 through in or about November 2023, SUPINA-SALTUS worked at the PMRC in a financial administrative capacity. By virtue of her position, SUPINA-SALTUS had unique access to the PMRC’s vendor payment systems and was authorized to submit and process invoices on the PMRC’s behalf. For approximately six years SUPINA-SALTUS used her access and position to carry out a fraudulent invoicing scheme to embezzle funds from the PMRC’s accounts into her own personal bank accounts. SUPINA-SALTUS carried out this scheme by at least two different means. SUPINA-SALTUS sometimes made double payments for certain invoices, which typically involved an authorized payment to the vendor for the PMRC and then a second payment of the same amount to one of SUPINA-SALTUS’s own bank accounts. At other times, SUPINA-SALTUS created fake invoices—sometimes from fictitious vendors—and billed them to the PMRC, but then directed the fraudulent payments to bank accounts under her control. In total, SUPINA-SALTUS embezzled at least approximately $750,000 over the course of her fraudulent invoicing scheme and used the funds for her personal benefit. * * * SUPINA-SALTUS, 59, of West Haven, Connecticut, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and two counts of money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton thanked the State Attorney's Office of the Republic of Croatia, Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime. Mr. Clayton also praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI, its New England Field Office and Attache in Vienna, as well as the New York City Police Department. The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Pavlis is in charge of the prosecution. The Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training Regional Resident Legal Advisor at U.S. Embassy Zagreb, Croatia provided assistance. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Texas Resident Charged with Five Fraud Schemes

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On March 30, 2026, JESSICA LACOUR (“LACOUR”) , age 38, currently of Texas and formerly of the Eastern District of Louisiana, was charged with participating in multiple acts of fraudulent conduct, including generating fake evidence for a lawsuit, stealing from two COVID-19 assistance programs, creating over $200,000 in fake store receipts, and misusing persons’ identities, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. The bill of information charges LACOUR with five counts of wire fraud, with each count alleging a different fraud scheme. As alleged in the first count, LACOUR used a fake tax return to obtain a forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loan, which was a type of assistance authorized during the COVID-19 pandemic. As alleged in the second count, LACOUR used the identities of other people to obtain emergency rental assistance, which was another type of COVID-19 aid. As alleged in the third count, LACOUR created hundreds of fake Walmart receipts purporting to have been issued by at least 10 stores totaling at least $228,114. It is alleged that the receipts were used by an accomplice to steal merchandise, which was then sold. As alleged in the fourth count, LACOUR helped generate false evidence for a lawsuit filed in Orleans Parish Civil District Court. As alleged in the fifth count, LACOUR misused people’s identities to open accounts, such as utility and financial accounts. As part of that scheme, LACOUR allegedly used her job at a French Quarter hotel to take pictures of a hotel guest’s driver’s license and credit card, which she then sent to an accomplice. Each of the five wire fraud charges is punishable by up to 20 years of imprisonment, which may be followed by up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 special assessment. U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the defendant’s guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. 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 at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: Former West Virginia Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy Against Inmates’ Rights

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Michael Pack, 39, of Beckley, a former corrections officer at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, pleaded guilty on Monday, March 30, 2026, for his role in a conspiracy in which he and other correctional officers would use unreasonable force against inmates, including pretrial detainees, as a form of punishment and retaliation. Pack pleaded guilty to one count of violating 18 U.S.C. § 371. According to his plea agreement and during the plea hearing, Pack acknowledged that he and his co-conspirators would strike, assault, and harm inmates they believed or perceived to have engaged in misconduct. As part of this conspiracy, Pack and his co-conspirators would bring inmates to “blind spots” – areas of the jail that were not captured on surveillance cameras – so that they could use unreasonable and unjustified force against the inmates without being recorded and thus avoid being held accountable for their actions. Pack further admitted that, as part of the conspiracy, he and his co-conspirators would prepare false reports denying their unreasonable uses of force against inmates and failing to document injuries that inmates sustained during use of force incidents, so that the conspirators would not be investigated or held accountable for their actions. Pack is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and United States Attorney Moore Capito for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement. The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and former Trial Attorney Sam Kuhn of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:26-cr-30. ###


title: Philadelphia Man Indicted For Drug Trafficking

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tahid Green, age 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that on March 3, 2026, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Green distributed more than 40 grams of fentanyl; and that on March 25, 2026, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Green possessed with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson is the assigned prosecutor. The maximum penalty under federal law for each of these offenses is forty years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Teleworkaholic pleads guilty to claiming to work multiple government jobs at once

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A King George woman pled guilty today to wire fraud for submitting timecards for the same hours at multiple government jobs. According to court documents, from May 2022 through at least in or around April 2025, Nehemie Almonor, 41, electronically submitted timecards certifying that she had performed full-time work during overlapping hours for multiple entities, including a private company, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Air Force Reserves. Almonor commonly submitted timecards for full-time work at three positions simultaneously, attesting to having worked 120 hours or more in single 40-hour periods. Almonor, a human resources specialist, would commonly keep at least three work laptops open next to each other to falsely represent to her employers that she was online and working full-time solely for each of them. Over the course of being employed by at least three full-time positions simultaneously, TSA received multiple complaints that Almonor was commonly unreachable during the hours she was certifying on her timecards. While employed in various full-time telework positions at once, Almonor applied to other government agencies claiming to be unemployed and therefore available to start immediately. Almonor also claimed full-time work while on military orders with the U.S Air Force at the same time she claimed full-time work for three other entities. Almonor collectively defrauded her employers of at least $291,905. Almonor is scheduled to be sentenced on July 22 and faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Transportation Security Administration, Office of Law Enforcement/Investigations investigated this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Drucker is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-cr-45.


title: VENEZUELAN NATIONAL PLEADS GUILTY TO ATTEMPTED COERCION AND ENTICEMENT OF A MINOR

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that Kleider Enrique Garcia Ochoa, age 30, a Venezuelan national who is present in the United States without authorization, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. According to admissions made during his plea, Ochoa used social media applications and the name “Conociendo” in an attempt to convince someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy in Denham Springs, Louisiana, to have an illegal sexual relationship with him. Ochoa agreed to travel to Denham Springs, Louisiana, to pick up the supposed 15-year-old boy to engage in sexual acts. An undercover law enforcement officer posed as the 15-year-old boy and officers arrested Ochoa when he arrived at the location. During his conduct, Ochoa sent the undercover officer a picture of himself and his genitals and requested that the supposed 15-year-old boy send him sexually explicit images of himself. Ochoa also asked for the undercover officer’s location and expressed his desire to engage in illegal sex acts in person. Ochoa’s conviction is punishable by a minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, up to a lifetime period of supervised release, and includes sex offender registration requirements. He is also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completing his sentence. “This guilty plea is the result of great teamwork between our law enforcement partners and our prosecutors,” stated U.S. Attorney Wall. “An illegal immigrant, who was attempting to commit a sex offense with someone he believed to be 15-years-old, will now be going to prison for a long time. This is a good day for justice!” This matter was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner, who also serves as Lead Homeland Security Task Force Trial Attorney, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Allen Ross. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc . This case is also 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 Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Brook Park Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Trafficking Nearly 2,000 Child Sexual Abuse Images

body_text: CLEVELAND – A 53-year-old Cuyahoga County man has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking thousands of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) across the internet. Ernest A. Fuller II, of Brook Park, Ohio, has been sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison by U.S. District Benita Y. Pearson, after pleading guilty in December 2025, to Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $71,500 in restitution to victims. Court documents show that throughout a nearly three-year period, Fuller was regularly distributing CSAM using peer-to-peer computer applications. During a search warrant executed at his residence, Fuller’s electronic devices were seized. A forensic analysis of his devices revealed hundreds of saved images depicting the rape, torture, and abuse of children ranging from toddlers to teenagers. Most of the nearly 2,000 files in the defendant’s possession were of minors who were under the age of 12. In addition, investigators found evidence that Fuller regularly deleted CSAM files using a program to optimize speed and disk space. Along with the electronic devices, agents also found CDs that contained CSAM and a child-sized sex toy. The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Cleveland Division. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC . To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org , or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


title: Peoria Tax Preparer Indicted for Preparing Fraudulent Tax Returns

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – On March 17, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a tax preparer in Peoria, Arizona, with 17 counts of tax evasion. Butoyi Mechack, 38, of Peoria, is charged with three counts of Making and Subscribing a False Tax Return and 14 counts of Willfully Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation of False or Fraudulent Tax Returns. According to the indictment, from 2019 to 2023, Mechack prepared and assisted in the preparation of numerous false and fraudulent tax returns on behalf of clients of his business, PTPS Tax Services, LLC. In helping prepare these returns, Mechack overstated and misrepresented tax credits, deductions, income, and expenses to fraudulently reduce the taxpayers’ tax liability and claim refund amounts to which they were not entitled. Mechack also filed individual tax returns for himself for tax years 2021, 2022, and 2023, that substantially underreported his income. Mechack’s arraignment was held on March 26, where he pleaded not guilty to charges and was released on conditions. A conviction for Making and Subscribing a False Tax Return carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. A conviction for Willfully Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation of False or Fraudulent Tax Returns carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Rapp, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. As we head into the final weeks of tax season, IRS Criminal Investigation wants to remind the public to protect themselves when choosing a tax preparer. Keep these tips in mind: Be wary of tax return preparers who claim they can obtain larger refunds than others can. Avoid tax return preparers who base their fees on a percentage of the refund or who offer to deposit all or part of your refund into their financial accounts. Ensure you use a preparer with a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). Paid tax return preparers must have a PTIN to prepare all or substantially all of a tax return. Use a reputable tax professional who enters his or her PTIN on the tax return, signs the tax return, and provides you a copy of the return (as required). Consider whether the individual or firm will be around for months or years after filing the return to answer questions about the preparation of the tax return. Never sign a blank tax form. Good preparers will ask to see your records and receipts. They’ll also ask questions to determine your total income, tax deductions and credits. Check the preparer’s history. Taxpayers can ask the local Better Business Bureau about the preparer. Check the preparer’s credentials. Only attorneys, CPAs, and enrolled agents can represent taxpayers before the IRS in all matters, including audits, collections, and appeals. Other tax return preparers who participate in the IRS Annual Filing Season Program have limited practice rights to represent taxpayers for audits of returns they prepared and signed. See Annual Filing Season Program for more information. CASE NUMBER: CR-26-00247-PHX-KML (JZB) RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-054_Mechack # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Colorado Springs Man Sentenced To 46 Months After Being Convicted On Charges Arising From Hate Crime Hoax

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Derrick Bernard, 36, of Colorado Springs was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment after being found guilty by a federal jury for conspiring to threaten or convey false information about a threat when he burned a cross in front of a Black political candidate’s campaign sign defaced with a racial slur and publicized the threatening activity. The cross burning took place on April 23, 2023, just over three weeks before the Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election was being held. Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that ten days before the cross burning, Bernard sent a message to the threatened candidate in which he explained he was “mobilizing my squad in defense. Black ops style big brother” and then immediately texted co-defendant Ashley Blackcloud, “I got a plan.” After the burning occurred, Bernard and Blackcloud then worked together to send an email to the candidate, media outlets, and other local, state, and national organizations. Attached to the email was a short video of the cross burning and a still photograph. The email falsely blamed the candidate’s political opponent for the crime. The defendants then worked together to maliciously convey false information about the cross burning via social media platforms. The conspiracy was uncovered when the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) gathered surveillance footage around the scene of the cross burning. The CSPD’s extensive review of the footage revealed three people prowling through the darkness between 2:30 and 3:30 in the morning to stage the crime. Additional investigative work by the CSPD and exhaustive efforts by the FBI ultimately identified Bernard and Blackcloud, self-declared activists and social media personalities, as two of the culprits. United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the FBI Denver Field Office, with substantial assistance from the Colorado Springs Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Fields and Candyce Cline. CASE NUMBER: 24-cr-00320-RMR


title: Two Defendants Plead Guilty in Transnational Fraud Scheme Targeting Elderly Victims

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE –Two individuals have pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island for their roles in orchestrating and executing a transnational fraud and money laundering scheme targeting elderly victims in the United States and Canada, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. Fangzheng Wang, 25, of Westborough, MA, a Chinese national and Cynthia Jia Sun, 25, of Houston, TX, a naturalized United States citizen born in China pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Sun and Wang are both scheduled to be sentenced on July 8, 2026. The sentences imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to court documents, Wang and Sun were part of a transnational fraud scheme targeting elderly victims in the United States and Canada. Members of the conspiracy used pop-up messages and telephone calls falsely claiming that the victims’ financial accounts had been compromised or were at risk. The pop-up message contained information that directed victims to call a “live agent,” who informed the victims that their financial assets were at risk or could be garnished, but that they, the agent, could assist in protecting their assets. During a series of calls, victims were connected with other persons who falsely claimed to be “representatives” of the victim’s financial institutions and/or government agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Reserve Bank. Those “representatives” were, in fact, members of the conspiracy. Some victims were told to transfer their funds via wire transfers and cryptocurrency into accounts controlled by conspiracy members. Other victims were directed to withdraw cash or purchase gold bars with withdrawn cash and provide the cash or gold bars to a purported government courier, after being told that the courier would transfer the cash or gold to a secure government location until the issue with the victims’ accounts was resolved. Wang and Sun participated in the scheme by communicating and coordinating with co-defendants to make pickups of cash and gold from victims, traveling to the victims’ residences and picking up the cash and gold from the victims, and thereafter transporting and transferring the victims’ cash and gold to other conspiracy members. At the time of the indictment, law enforcement had identified approximately 300 individuals in at least 37 states, including several in Rhode Island, who have been defrauded. To date, victims of the conspiracy group of which Wang and Sun were members are estimated to have suffered known losses exceeding $5 million. However, investigators have identified a bank account through which approximately $16 million in additional suspected fraud funds appear to have been laundered. The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, followed by a term of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise M. Barton. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Providence and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, as part of the Rhode Island Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), a multi-agency task force focused on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. 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: Lynn Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Two Women

body_text: BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for benefitting financially from trafficking two women for sex and knowingly persuading and coercing both women to travel to another state to engage in prostitution. Anthony Coleman, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 12 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Coleman was also ordered to pay $77,000 in restitution. In December 2025 , Coleman pleaded guilty to two counts of benefitting financially from trafficking and two counts of knowingly persuading and coercing a person to travel to engage in prostitution. Coleman was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024 and subsequently arrested in April 2024 . He has remained in federal custody since. Coleman targeted victims who had lost their jobs or homes during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns in March through August of 2020. Coleman had his victims move in with him, posted or controlled online commercial sex advertisements for them, provided them scripts to negotiate payment and terms with commercial sex buyers and transported his victims to hotels and other places to engage in commercial sex. The victims were required to give Coleman all the money they made. Coleman also regularly coerced his victims to have sex with him. Specifically, in March 2020, Coleman recruited one victim who had lost her job due to the pandemic. The victim would sometimes be forced to engage in sex acts with 10-16 clients per day, with Coleman taking all the profits. Coleman also took the victim to Florida on multiple occasions to engage in commercial sex. Coleman also physically abused the victim – one time holding the victim underwater and threatening to drown her. Around March and April 2020, Coleman recruited a second victim, convincing her to come live with him after she was kicked out of her home. The victim was unable to get a job because many businesses were closed due to COVID-19. The victim began engaging in commercial sex for Coleman and in May 2020, Coleman persuaded the victim to travel to California to engage in commercial sex. After she left him, Coleman threatened the victim – telling her he would hurt her mother and her sibling. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Revere and Cambridge Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Restaurateur Charged In Multimillion-Dollar Insurance Fraud Scheme And Money Laundering Conspiracy

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today the arrest of ZHAN PETROSYANTS, a/k/a “Johnny,” in connection with the unsealing of an Indictment charging PETROSYANTS with operating an extensive no-fault insurance fraud scheme that submitted tens of millions in fraudulent medical claims and laundering the proceeds. PETROSYANTS was taken into federal custody last night and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Ona T. Wang in Manhattan Federal Court. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero. “As alleged in the indictment, Zhan Petrosyants orchestrated a complex scheme to cheat insurance providers out of millions of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “No-fault insurance fraud schemes raise costs for everyone and reduce benefits to consumers, an unnecessary burden we all unfortunately share. Today’s arrest demonstrates this Office’s continuing commitment to rooting out this pernicious type of fraud that imposes costs on all New Yorkers.” “Zhan Petrosyants allegedly stole money by submitting fabricated medical claims to receive millions of dollars in unauthorized payments,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI remains dedicated to dismantling fraudulent schemes that exploit benefits at the expense of New Yorkers.” According to allegations in the Indictment and other publicly filed information in this case: [1] Under New York State Law, every vehicle registered in New York State is required to have no-fault automobile insurance, which enables the driver and passengers of a registered and insured vehicle to obtain benefits of up to $50,000 per person for injuries sustained in an automobile accident, regardless of fault (the “No-Fault Law”). The No-Fault Law requires prompt payment for medical treatment, thereby obviating the need for claimants to file personal injury lawsuits in order to be reimbursed. Under the No-Fault Law, patients can assign their right to reimbursement from an insurance company to others, including medical clinics that provide treatment for their injuries. New York State law also requires that all medical clinics in the State be incorporated, owned, operated, and/or controlled by a licensed medical practitioner in order to be eligible for reimbursement under the No-Fault Law. Insurance companies will not honor claims for medical treatments from a medical clinic that is not actually owned, operated, and controlled by a licensed medical practitioner. PETROSYANTS and his co-conspirators defrauded automobile insurance programs designed to provide health care benefits for motor vehicle accident victims out of millions of dollars. PETROSYANTS and his co-conspirators agreed to and did submit fraudulent claims to the insurance programs for services that were never provided, services that were unnecessary and excessive, and services that were billed under the names of medical corporations that were not actually owned, operated, and controlled by licensed medical professionals, as required by New York State laws and regulations. If insurance companies had known that the nominee medical corporations were actually owned and controlled by non-medical professionals, the insurance companies would have denied payment for claims submitted by the nominee medical corporations. To carry out the scheme, PETROSYANTS and his co-conspirators recruited purported physicians, psychologists, and other clinicians under whose names the fraudulent no-fault insurance claims were submitted, and prepared fraudulent no-fault insurance claims to obtain benefits from the automobile insurance companies. When preparing these fraudulent bills, the conspirators frequently used the license information and signatures of licensed psychologists and medical professionals on fraudulent billing records submitted to insurance companies. In furtherance of the scheme, PETROSYANTS and his co-conspirators obtained advance payments based on the fraudulent claim amounts through financing agreements with funding companies. In particular, PETROSYANTS arranged for his-conspirators to use the services of a funding company (“Funding Company-1”) affiliated with a law firm, which provided quick access to criminal proceeds through advances paid by the funding company and provided a veneer of legitimacy to the scheme. In exchange for securing financing from Funding Company-1, PETROSYANTS received a referral fee from Funding Company-1 as well as kickback payments from his co-conspirators representing a portion of the advances paid by Funding Company-1 to the scheme participants. Some of the kickback payments were paid to PETROSYANTS using blank, pre-signed checks drawn on accounts nominally controlled by certain of the No-Fault Providers, which were filled out by co-conspirators in PETROSYANTS’s presence. Further, PETROSYANTS caused Funding Company-1 to pay millions in advances on no-fault medical claims to two shell corporations. Neither shell company was a provider of medical services and the bank accounts in their names that received Funding Company-1’s advances were not controlled by a medical professional. Substantially all of the money that these shell companies received from Funding Company-1 was then transferred to a bank account nominally held by a jewelry business based in the Diamond District of midtown Manhattan. As a result of their fraudulent scheme, PETROSYANTS and his co-conspirators caused insurance providers to be billed tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent no-fault medical claims. * * * ZHAN PETROSYANTS, 44, of Edgewater, New Jersey, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI. The case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cecilia Vogel, Christopher Brumwell, and Eli J. Mark are in charge of the prosecution. [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 should be treated as an allegation.


title: Four Rockford Men Indicted in Federal Court on Drug Trafficking Charges

body_text: ROCKFORD — A federal drug investigation has resulted in criminal charges against four individuals for allegedly trafficking cocaine in the Rockford area. The investigation, led by the FBI and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, utilized covert surveillance operations, undercover narcotics purchases, and wiretapped communications to shut down an alleged drug trafficking organization involving four Rockford men—AMJED ALSADUN, 38, AHMED ALSADUN, 38, NAMARIO L. HALEY, 38, and WILL A. EVANS, 32. An indictment unsealed on Tuesday in federal court in Rockford charges the four defendants with drug conspiracy and drug distribution. Amjed Alsadun, Ahmed Alsadun, and Haley were arrested on Tuesday morning and pleaded not guilty during their arraignments that afternoon in federal court in Rockford. Detention hearings for Amjed Alsadun and Ahmed Alsadun are set for April 3, 2026, while a detention hearing for Haley will be held on April 7, 2026. Evans is currently in state custody in Winnebago County on an unrelated charge. His arraignment in federal court is set for April 6, 2026. The charges and arrests were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Gary Caruana. Winnebago County Sheriff. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim. The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. alsadun_indictment.pdf