title: Truck driver sentenced to life in federal prison for kidnapping leading to death

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: A truck driver who kidnapped a 25-year-old woman and dumped her dead body in the woods in August 2024 was sentenced today to life in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson. Naasson Hazzard, 28, of Austin, was indicted in October 2024 on federal charges of kidnapping resulting in death, which carried a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. Hazzard’s victim was an army veteran who entered the military immediately after high school. Information shared during the sentencing hearing today revealed that there were full military honors at her funeral. After an eight-day trial in late January this year, a jury convicted Hazzard. Today, U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay sentenced him to life in federal prison. “The tremendous, relentless work of multiple law enforcement partners brought the terrible acts of this predator to light, and the jury answered the call for justice by finding him guilty,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “Now, the life sentence he will serve reflects the value and sanctity of this victim’s life. We hope that this sentence helps her family in the healing process.” “This defendant has been justly sentenced to prison for his abhorrent actions, ensuring that society will be safe from his predatory behavior for the remainder of his life,” said Travis Pickard, Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “I applaud the unwavering commitment of the North Texas Trafficking Task Force, and all the law enforcement partners whose persistence led to this outcome. May today’s judgment provide some solace to the victim’s family, reassuring them that HSI will never relent in our pursuit of sexual predators who aim to exploit and harm unsuspecting victims.” According to evidence presented at trial, surveillance video caught Hazzard’s victim, a young woman, entering his semi-truck in Dallas at 9:27 p.m. on Aug. 15, 2024. Eight days later, her decomposing body was found in a wooded area off Texas Highway 11 in Pittsburg, Texas with a black plastic bag tied around her head. Cell phone records showed that on the evening of Aug. 15, Mr. Hazzard traveled from the pickup location to a nearby parking lot, where he remained for approximately 17 minutes. Evidence at trial reflected that Hazzard picked up the victim with the expectation of engaging in a sex act. He then drove over three hours to a wooded area off Highway 11 in Pittsburg, Texas, where he texted his boss that he would be out sick the following day and remained for almost an hour before completing a load for work. The next day, he and his wife returned to the scene before going to dinner in Tyler, Texas. In the days that followed, Mr. Hazzard switched cell phones and deleted his Google and Life360 location sharing accounts. He also cleaned the truck with bleach and searched “how many years for first second and third degree murders.” Meanwhile, his wife searched for “Pittsburg Texas news.” On Aug. 23, the same day the victim’s body was recovered, agents found the victim’s cell phone shattered on the side of the road along Mr. Hazzard’s route the night she was killed. “Your Honor, Naasson didn’t just take a life. He destroyed futures. He created a ripple effect of suffering that reaches further than he could ever understand,” the victim’s brother told the Court during his impact statement at today’s sentencing hearing. “I ask you, please don’t see my sister as just a name in a case file. She was a daughter. A sister. A mother. A light in the lives of everyone who knew her. Her life mattered. And her death must mean something.” The North Texas Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of the following agencies: the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, the Dallas Police Department, the Midlothian Police Department, the Texas Rangers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Titus County Sheriff’s Office, the Buda Police Department, the Austin Police Department, the Hayes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office leads the Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandie Wade and Renee Hunter prosecuted the case with the help of appellate liaison AUSA Jonathan Bradshaw.


title: Convicted Sex Offender On Federal Supervised Release Is Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – David Michael Dakoski, 62, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger also ordered Dakoski to serve a lifetime of supervised release, to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison, and to pay $88,000 in restitution. Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement. According to court records, this case arose from a probation violation after Dakoski was convicted in a previous case. In January 2018, Dakoski was convicted in federal court of possession and receipt of child pornography and was sentenced to prison. In November 2022, Dakoski was released from prison and began a term of court-ordered supervised release under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office (USPO). In April 2024, USPO conducted an unannounced home visit at Dakoski’s residence, as part of the terms of his post-release supervision. During the visit, USPO officers found Dakoski’s unauthorized cell phone that contained sexually explicit images of minors. As a result, Dakoski’s supervised release was revoked, and he was taken into custody. He was later sentenced to two years in prison for the supervised release violation on his prior conviction. Court records show that Dakoski’s contraband cell phone was turned over to HSI. A forensic examination of the phone revealed that Dakoski possessed more than 8,270 images and six videos of CSAM, some of which depicted toddlers and infants being sexually abused. New federal charges were filed against Dakoski, and on April 25, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography involving minors under the age of 12. Dakoski is in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked HSI for their investigation of the case and commended the USPO for their invaluable assistance investigating a repeat offender. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: 10-time illegal reentry felon sentenced to 69 months for unlawfully reentering U.S. again

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 47-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced to federal prison again, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Josue Rodriguez-Rodriguez pleaded guilty on March 14. U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. has now ordered Rodriguez-Rodriguez to serve 69 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Rodriguez-Rodriguez’s previous 41-month sentence for illegal reentry failed to deter him. Rodriguez-Rodriguez has felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as two convictions for aggravated assault-family violence and possession with intent to deliver or manufacture a controlled substance. He was first removed in 2000. On May 5, 2014, authorities discovered Rodriguez-Rodriguez near Carrizo Springs for a 10th time. Rodriguez-Rodriguez was later sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and removed again. Authorities found him once more on Feb. 23, 2021, in Houston. “Our nation’s immigration laws are not mere suggestions, they are backed by criminal penalties,” said Ganjei. “The defendant could have easily avoided further prison time by simply remaining in Mexico, but he instead chose to break the law…again…and again…and again. Perhaps with today’s sentence, Mr. Rodriguez-Rodriguez will finally understand the lesson he should have learned long ago.” Rodriguez-Rodriguez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franklyn prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood .


title: Dallas man who trafficked a 17-year-old minor victim sentenced today to over 21 years in federal prison

body_text: A Dallas man who trafficked a 17-year-old minor victim was sentenced today to more than 21 years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson. Renald Antae Brown, 42, pleaded guilty to federal charges of Sex Trafficking of a Minor in January 2025. He was sentenced today to 262 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown, who also ordered him to pay $25,000 in restitution to the minor victim. According to court documents, in January 2023, agents with the North Texas Trafficking Task Force received a lead from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) concerning a suspected victim of Child Sex Trafficking. Law enforcement agents located a commercial sex advertisement containing photographs of the minor female and organized an operation to rescue the child. The victim was recovered from a Dallas-area hotel. The minor victim told law enforcement that she met Brown after running away from foster care in November 2022. Brown offered her a place to stay but demanded that she perform sex acts and turn all of the proceeds over to him. The victim understood that if she did not complete these acts, she would be kicked out of the residence. In plea documents, Brown admitted that he managed the minor victim’s advertisements and coached her on how to interact with customers. At today’s sentencing, prosecutors informed the Court that Brown had previously been convicted of Compelling Prostitution. Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson praised the efforts of the law enforcement agents and officers with the North Texas Trafficking Task Force, led by Homeland Security Investigations, who conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Winters prosecuted the case.


title: USAID Official and Three Corporate Executives Plead Guilty to Decade-Long Bribery Scheme Involving More Than $550 Million in Contracts; Two Companies Admit Criminal Liability for Bribery Scheme and Securities Fraud

component: Criminal - Criminal Fraud Section

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – Four men, including a government contracting officer for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and three owners and presidents of companies, have pleaded guilty for their roles in a decade-long bribery scheme involving at least 14 prime contracts worth more than $550 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars. Roderick Watson, 57, of Woodstock, Maryland, who worked as a USAID contracting officer, pled guilty to bribery of a public official; Walter Barnes, 46, of Potomac, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud; Darryl Britt, 64, of Myakka City, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official; and Paul Young, 62, of Columbia, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official. In addition, Apprio and Vistant, both of which contracted with USAID, have agreed to admit criminal liability and enter into three-year deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) in connection with criminal informations filed today in the District of Maryland. As part of these resolutions, both Apprio and Vistant admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud. The DPAs entered into with Apprio and Vistant require each company to, among other obligations, provide ongoing cooperation with and disclosures to the Justice Department, implement a compliance and ethics program, and report to Justice Department regarding remediation and implementation of these compliance measures. “Watson was entrusted to serve the interests of the American people – not his own – and his criminal actions for his own personal gain undermines the integrity of our public institutions,” said Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. “Public trust is a hallmark of our nation’s values, so corruption within a federal government agency is intolerable. This office, along with our law-enforcement partners, will continue to pursue and prosecute corruption at every level to ensure accountability and protect public trust.” “The defendants sought to enrich themselves at the expense of the American taxpayers,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their scheme violated the public trust by undermining the integrity of the Federal government’s procurement process. Anybody that cares about good and effective government should be concerned about the waste, fraud, and abuse in government agencies, including USAID. Those who engage in bribery schemes to exploit the U.S. Small Business Administration’s vital economic programs for small businesses—whether individuals or corporations acting through them—will be held to account.” "The guilty verdicts reflect the FBI’s unwavering commitment to holding accountable all those who abuse the authority and responsibility of public service,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI's Criminal Division. "The actions of the defendants in this scheme serve to erode public trust. The FBI is focused on rebuilding this trust and protecting American taxpayers from corruption through investigations such as these.” “Corruption in government programs will not be tolerated. Watson abused his position of trust for personal gain while federal contractors engaged in a pay-to-play scheme,” said USAID OIG Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean Bottary. “USAID OIG is firmly committed to rooting out fraud and corruption within U.S. foreign assistance programs. Today's announcement underscores our unwavering focus on exposing criminal activity, including bribery schemes by those entrusted to faithfully award government contracts. We appreciate our longstanding partnership with the Department of Justice in holding accountable those who defraud American taxpayers.” “Watson exploited his position at USAID to line his pockets with bribes in exchange for more than $550 million in contracts. While he helped three company owners and presidents bypass the fair bidding process, he was showered with cash and lavish gifts. Through its financial crime investigations, IRS-CI works to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure government funds are awarded based on merit—not corruption. In close coordination with our law enforcement partners, IRS-CI helped put an end to their greed and criminal conduct. Now, Watson and his co-conspirators will face justice,” said Guy Ficco, Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation. Overview of Bribery Scheme According to court documents, beginning in 2013, Watson, while a USAID contracting officer, agreed with Britt to receive bribes in exchange for using Watson’s influence to award contracts to Apprio. As a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, which helps socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, Apprio could access lucrative federal contracting opportunities through set-asides and sole-source contracts exclusively available to eligible contractors without a competitive bid process. Vistant was a subcontractor to Apprio on one of the contracts awarded through Watson’s influence. After Apprio graduated from the SBA 8(a) program and it was no longer eligible to be a prime contractor for new contracts with USAID under this program, the scheme shifted so that Vistant became the prime contractor and Apprio became the subcontractor on USAID contracts awarded through Watson’s influence between 2018 and 2022. During the scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them through Young, who was the president of another subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant. Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives. The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices. Watson is alleged to have received bribes valued at more than approximately $1 million as part of the scheme. In exchange for the bribe payments, Watson influenced the award of contracts to Apprio and Vistant by manipulating the procurement process at USAID through various means, including recommending their companies to other USAID decisionmakers for non-competitive contract awards, disclosing sensitive procurement information during the competitive bidding process, providing positive performance evaluations to a government agency, and approving decisions on the contracts, such as increased funding and a security clearance. Apprio and Vistant also agreed to resolve concurrently with the Justice Department in its separate Civil False Claims Act investigations relating to the bribery scheme. Overview of Vistant Securities Fraud Scheme According to court documents, in 2022, Barnes and Watson defrauded a licensed small business investment company (SBIC), in furtherance of the bribery scheme, by inducing it into executing a credit agreement with Vistant. Through the credit agreement, Barnes caused Vistant to issue stock warrants that, if exercised, would result in the SBIC having a 40% equity stake in Vistant. The credit agreement also provided for a $14 million loan to Vistant from which Barnes could pay himself a $10 million dividend. Prior to executing the credit agreement, Watson agreed at Barnes’s request to speak with the SBIC about Vistant’s performance as a government contractor on USAID contracts. When speaking with the SBIC, Watson omitted that Barnes had bribed Watson to obtain USAID contracts for years. Watson’s endorsement of Vistant thereafter induced the SBIC to enter into the credit agreement with Barnes. Overview of Apprio Securities Fraud Scheme According to court documents, in 2023, Apprio, acting through Britt, engaged in a scheme in which Apprio fraudulently induced a private equity firm, which had an investment pool that was licensed as a SBIC, to purchase from Apprio’s parent company a 20% equity stake in the company for $4 million and simultaneously extend it a $4 million loan secured by shares of Apprio stock. In addition to making false material representations in the stock purchase and loan agreements, Britt intentionally omitted during his negotiations the material fact that he had bribed Watson for years, which was intended to deceive and induce the private equity company into executing the agreements. Deferred Prosecution Agreements with Apprio and Vistant The Justice Department reached its resolution with Apprio based on several factors, including Apprio’s credit for clearly accepting responsibility for its criminal conduct, fully cooperating in the investigation and engaging in timely remedial measures. Based on these factors, the criminal penalty calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines reflects a 10% reduction off the bottom of the applicable Guidelines fine range pursuant to the Criminal Division Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). According to court documents, Apprio agreed that the appropriate criminal penalty based on the law and facts in its case is $51,673,185; however, Apprio also met its burden of establishing an inability to pay the criminal penalty sought. Based on the Justice Department’s independent analysis, it determined that paying a criminal penalty and civil settlement greater than $500,000 would substantially threaten the continued viability of Apprio. Accordingly, the Justice Department determined that the appropriate resolution of this case is a DPA and a payment of $500,000 in a civil settlement. Similarly, the Justice Department reached its resolution with Vistant based on a number of factors, including Vistant’s credit for clearly accepting responsibility for its criminal conduct and cooperating with the investigation. Although Vistant’s cooperation was initially delayed and limited, Vistant began to fully cooperate thereafter. Vistant also received credit for engaging in timely remedial measures. Based on these factors, the penalty calculated under the Guidelines reflects a 5% reduction off the bottom of the applicable Guidelines fine range pursuant to the CEP. Vistant agreed that the appropriate criminal penalty based on the law and facts in its case is $86,407,740; however, Vistant also met its burden of establishing an inability to pay the criminal penalty sought. Based on the Justice Department’s independent analysis, it determined that paying a criminal penalty and civil settlement greater than $100,000 would substantially threaten the continued viability of Vistant. Accordingly, the Justice Department determined that the appropriate resolution of this case is a DPA and a payment of $100,000 in a civil settlement. Watson faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 6. Young faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 3. Britt faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for July 28. Barnes faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 14. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, USAID OIG, and IRS-CI who are investigating this case. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Kibbe and Trial Attorneys Matt Kahn and Brandon Burkart, Department of Justice, Criminal Division Fraud Section, who are prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: East Granby Woman Admits $1.1 Million Pandemic Relief Program Scheme

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that KAREN GASTON, 44, of East Granby, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to offenses stemming from a scheme to defraud COVID-19 pandemic relief programs of more than $1.1 million. In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). The PPP was overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”), and individual PPP loans were issued by private lenders, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders’ own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA. The CARES Act also authorized SBA to distribute Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), which provided working capital to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietors, to meet operating expenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, Gaston controlled certain entities including LNK, Elegant Clinical, Ruby Red LLC, and Diamond Shine LLC. LNK and Diamond Shine LLC were operational, but shared resources and employees. Ruby Red LLC had only one client and Gaston was its sole employee. Elegant Clinical was no longer operational. Beginning in approximately April 2020, Gaston submitted loan applications to the PPP and EIDL programs that falsely represented the status of the operations, resources, and employees of these entities. She also filed loan applications at separate financial institutions in order to disguise the true nature of her criminal activity. Specifically, Gaston’s loan applications falsely represented that her businesses were all active and operating concerns; falsely represented the number of employees and the amount of wages purportedly paid by the businesses; included copies of fraudulent tax returns and tax related documents; and falsely represented that a family member, used as an applicant on an application, was a part owner of one of her entities. Gaston received $1,163,910 in PPP and EIDL loan funds through this scheme. Instead of using the funds for payroll or other operating expenses, she spent the money on personal expenditures, including travel, food, luxury home goods, expensive jewelry, cars, and paying off her home mortgage. Gaston pleaded guilty to wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and making illegal monetary transactions, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Gaston has agreed to make full restitution. She also has agreed to the forfeiture of a ring she purchased in July 2020 from the jeweler Harry Winston for $39,521.63. Gaston is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled. This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry. Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Man Arrested for Murder of Woman Whose Body was Found in Trash Dumpster

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Richard Dyson, 58, of the District of Columbia, was arrested yesterday on charges of second-degree murder while armed, for the murder of 62-year-old Donnella Bryan on or about April 15, 2025. The arrest was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Dyson was arraigned today before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Robert J. Hildum, where he entered a plea of not guilty. Judge Hildum found probable cause for second degree murder and ordered Dyson held without bond until his preliminary hearing on June 18, 2025 before Judge Michael Ryan. On April 19, 2025, at approximately 8:00 a.m., Fifth District officers responded to the 1600 block of Maryland Avenue, Northeast, for the report of an unconscious person. Upon arrival, officers located a female victim inside a dumpster. The victim was identified as Donella Bryan of the District of Columbia. DC Fire and EMS responded to the scene and after finding no signs consistent with life, the victim was pronounced deceased. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Cocuzza. Charges are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Mexican national sentenced to federal prison for trafficking illegal immigrants

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas –A Mexican national living in Plano has been sentenced for immigration violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Ana Maria Villa-Flores, 42, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport aliens into the United States and conspiracy to conceal or harbor aliens. Villa-Flores was sentenced to the maximum term of 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III, on June 12, 2025. According to information presented in court, in January of 2022, twenty-four illegal aliens were located at one of Villa-Flores’ homes. During the investigation, it was determined that Villa-Flores was responsible for recruiting drivers as well as coordinating the smuggling of the undocumented individuals from Mexico to the United States, bringing them to Plano to stay until they could be transported along other routes throughout the United States. The male individuals were instructed to remove their pants to keep them from escaping. Federal agents determined that Villa-Flores was responsible for smuggling approximately 254 illegal aliens. In 2023, Villa-Flores was prosecuted in the Western District of Texas in connection with her alien smuggling activities. She was sentenced to four years in federal prison for smuggling approximately 124 illegal aliens. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). This case was investigated by the Dallas and El Paso Homeland Security Investigations and the Plano Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Batson. ###


title: Tenderloin Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced To More Than 11 Years In Federal Prison For Drug Trafficking Offenses

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Maria Valle-Rodriguez, 47, a Honduran national, was sentenced yesterday to 135 months (11 years and three months) in federal prison for drug trafficking offenses in the Bay Area. Her co-defendants, Emilson Valle-Zuniga, 33, and Jonsan Valle-Rodriguez, 31, both Honduran nationals, were previously sentenced on May 21, 2025, to federal prison terms of 42 months and 24 months, respectively. U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley handed down all three sentences. A federal grand jury indicted all three defendants in December 2023, and all three pleaded guilty on Aug. 21, 2024. Maria Valle-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to distribution of 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Valle-Zuniga pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jonsan Valle-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to their plea agreements, between August and December 2023, Maria Valle-Rodriguez, Valle-Zuniga, and Jonson Valle-Rodriguez engaged in a drug trafficking conspiracy with each other and unindicted co-conspirators to sell fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other controlled substance in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco and in Oakland. Maria Valle-Rodriguez admitted to engaging in multiple sales of fentanyl and/or methamphetamine. For part of this time, Maria Valle-Rodriguez had multiple vehicles registered to her name that she and her codefendants used to drive from Oakland into the Tenderloin District during the nighttime hours to deal drugs. The defendants, who are related, lived together with several minor children in an apartment in Oakland that was used for drug trafficking. Maria Valle-Rodriguez admitted knowing that there was fentanyl in the apartment where she resided with several minor children. On Dec. 12, 2023, law enforcement executed search warrants on the defendants’ residence and vehicles connected to and being driven by them. In total, law enforcement recovered approximately eight pounds of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue, two gross pounds of methamphetamine, as well as over $127,000 in cash at the premises and in the vehicles connected to the drug trafficking conspiracy. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris made the announcement. Maria Valle-Rodriguez had been out of custody pending sentencing so she could receive medical care. While out on bond, she was arrested on April 29, 2025, by San Francisco Police Department officers at an apartment where officers were executing a search warrant related to a drug trafficking operation. Large quantities of drugs were found at the apartment where Maria Valle-Rodriguez was residing. A minor child was also living at the residence. In addition to the prison term, Judge Corley also sentenced Maria Valle-Rodriguez to a four-year period of supervised release. Valle-Zuniga and Jonsan Valle-Rodriguez were each sentenced to a three-year term of supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ivana Djak is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lance Libatique and Gabriel Flesher. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA.


title: Former State Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty To Planting Prison Contraband That He Then Pretended To Discover

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Avelino Ramirez, a former K-9 sergeant at California state correctional facilities, pleaded guilty in federal court today to one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to plant contraband that he would then discover. Ramirez, 52, of Vallejo, Calif., was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 31, 2024. According to his plea agreement, from approximately 2013 to September 2022, Ramirez worked as an Investigative Services Unit K-9 Officer with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation at San Quentin State Prison. In September 2022, he was promoted to K-9 sergeant and began working at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, Calif., around November 2022. From October 2021 to February 2024, Ramirez engaged in a scheme to smuggle and then plant contraband in common areas of San Quentin State Prison and the California Medical Facility, which he would then pretend to discover. Ramirez did so in order to hold himself out as a successful K-9 officer with the hope that it would help him obtain a promotion to K-9 sergeant. The contraband items Ramirez planted included drugs, such as methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine; drug paraphernalia; tobacco; cell phones; and weapons. At times, Ramirez mixed the narcotics he planted in the prisons with salt and/or sugar and mixed the marijuana he planted in the prisons with lawn trimmings. Ramirez also sought to inflate his salary by claiming overtime related to searches where contraband was recovered pursuant to his fraudulent scheme and writing reports of these false discoveries. In total, Ramirez fraudulently obtained approximately $8,200 in overtime pay. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement. Ramirez is currently released on bond. Ramirez’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 18, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick. Defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin K. Kleinman is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James and Lance Libatique. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.


title: Jamaican Citizen Sentenced

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: HAMMOND – Kevin D.M. Hunter, age 54, a citizen of Jamaica and resident of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to felony Reentry of Removed Alien, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. Hunter, who has been detained since the date of his arrest on October 3, 2024, was sentenced to time served, followed by 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. According to documents in the case, Hunter has a previous felony conviction for Aggravated Fleeing or Attempt to Elude a Peace officer, Possession of Cannabis with Intent to Deliver in Cook County, Illinois, and was removed from the United States in 2018. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Gary, Indiana Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.


title: Crafton Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Drug and Money Laundering Violations

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa - A former resident of Crafton, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to twenty three years of imprisonment and five years of supervised release on his convictions of Conspiracy to Distribute Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine and a Kilogram or More of Heroin and Conspiracy to Launder Drug Trafficking Proceeds, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Andrew Beatty, age 41, on June 11, 2025. According to information presented to the Court, an extensive investigation that included court-authorized wire taps revealed that Beatty was the leader of a large-scale Pittsburgh-area drug trafficking organization that obtained kilogram quantities of heroin and cocaine from a Mexican drug trafficking organization and distributed those drugs throughout the Pittsburgh area. Beatty communicated directly with sources of supply based in Mexico who arranged for associates in California to hide heroin and cocaine inside vehicles that were then shipped to Pittsburgh (and several other cities) via commercial car carriers. Beatty, with the assistance of others, received the cars and unloaded the heroin and cocaine at residences in Pittsburgh. After the drugs were sold, Beatty, with the assistance of others, utilized the same method to transport large money payments to the Mexican organization in California via commercial car carriers. On December 17, 2013, DEA agents arranged for the Ohio Highway Patrol to conduct a traffic stop of a car-carrier truck. The truck was carrying a car that Beatty had shipped to the Mexican organization in California. A search of that car resulted in the seizure of approximately $130,000 in U.S. currency. Following that seizure, Beatty began utilizing a Colombian broker to arrange the services of a personal courier to transport money payments from Beatty to the Mexican organization. Unbeknownst to the defendants, the courier was an undercover DEA agent. On January 12, 2014, and again on February 9, 2014, the undercover DEA agent posing as a money courier, received from Beatty and/or his associates approximately $225,000 (on each occasion). In the days leading up to March 5, 2014, agents intercepted communications between the source of supply in Mexico and Beatty that revealed a car containing cocaine had been shipped to Pittsburgh and left in a parking lot for Beatty to retrieve. On March 5, 2014, the agents located the car before Beatty had an opportunity to retrieve it. A law enforcement search pursuant to a warrant revealed approximately four kilograms of cocaine and one kilogram of heroin hidden in metal containers bolted to the wheels inside the tires. Search warrants, along with arrest warrants for Beatty and a conspirator, were executed on March 19, 2014. The search warrants led to the seizure of approximately $400,000 in cash, $267,000 of which was found in Beatty’s storage locker. The following day, on March 20, 2014, agents located one of Beatty’s several vehicles parked on a city street. A search warrant for the vehicle was executed, and inside a trap compartment in the door panel agents found approximately 3.5 kilograms of heroin, three firearms, and four cell phones belonging to Beatty. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the numerous law enforcement agencies and officers involved in this case from the Pittsburgh region and from New York and California, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Beatty. The agencies included the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service, and the police departments involved included the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Munhall Police Department, the Scott Township Police Department, and the Baldwin Police Department. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, 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). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Delaware Resident Indicted for Making False Statements in a Passport Application and Aggravated Identity Theft

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Wilmington, Delaware, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of making false statements in a passport application and aggravated identity theft, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The two-count Indictment named Alexis Morgan Young, a/k/a Omar Core, age 43, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, Young used the identification of another person to apply for a United States passport in 2024. Count one provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. At Count Two, the law provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 24 months incarceration plus a fine of $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Diplomatic Security Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Ocala Man Indicted For Wire Fraud And Price Gouging Related To The Sale Of COVID-19 Facemasks

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Frank Adriel Romero Leandro (34, Ocala) with wire fraud and price gouging. If convicted, Romero faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud offense and up to 1 year in federal prison for the price gouging offense. The indictment also notifies Romero that the United States intends to forfeit $1,234,360.46, which are funds that are alleged to be traceable as proceeds of the offenses. According to the indictment, between March 16, 2020, and February 10, 2021, Romero was the sole creator and editor of a website, trendeploy.com, through which he sold goods under the business name “Trend Deploy.” Romero made false representations on his website that he sold N95 facemasks. When customers ordered N95 facemasks from Romero over the internet, he would instead purchase cheaper alternatives (not N95 facemasks) to fulfill the orders. He also sold the facemasks at prices more than the prevailing market prices. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Trade Commission. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by visiting the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Jury Convicts Omaha Gang Member of Fentanyl and Firearm Charges

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that a federal jury in Omaha, Nebraska, returned guilty verdicts on June 6, 2025, against Clifford Wright III, 35, of Omaha, for three charges – possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm. The verdicts followed a seven-day trial in front of Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. Judge Rossiter scheduled sentencing for August 29, 2025. Wright faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The evidence at trial established Wright, a documented member of the 29th Street Bloods in Omaha, arrived at a gas station in north Omaha around “bar close” time on October 31, 2022. Shortly after Wright arrived, the parking lot filled with vehicles. Multiple people approached Wright’s vehicle for apparent hand-to-hand transactions. After Wright loitered in the parking lot for approximately 13 minutes making the apparent hand-to-hand transactions, shots erupted toward the crowded parking lot from across the street. Wright exited his vehicle holding a handgun, but his handgun appeared to malfunction or not fire. The shooters fled in a car, and Wright drove after them into a neighborhood. Omaha police responded to the gas station, finding no gunshot victims but approximately 60 shell casings in the area. Detectives with the firearms and gang intelligence units reviewed surveillance footage from the gas station. They identified Wright based upon prior investigations and their knowledge of Wright as a gang member. Wright has two prior convictions in federal court for illegal firearm possession, including a conviction for which he was on supervised release at the time. Wright was arrested on November 2, 2022. After being booked into Douglas County Jail, Wright made phone calls about a “box.” The “box” was located and turned out to be a Sentry safe. Search of the safe pursuant to a warrant uncovered approximately 850 fentanyl pills and three loaded handguns, including a 9mm handgun that was visually consistent with the handgun Wright tried to fire at the gas station on October 31, 2022. The 9mm was the only handgun from the safe that had a round in the chamber. Two of the handguns had been reported stolen, including one stolen from the inventory of a federal firearms licensee in Omaha during a burglary. Review of extracted data from Wright’s cell phone showed that he had been dealing drugs dating back to February 2022, the month after he was most recently released from federal prison. Wright’s drug customers would inquire about “blues” and “30s,” which are terms describing illicit “M30” fentanyl pills. Wright appeared to also be selling cocaine, ecstasy, other pills, and marijuana, based upon his text messages. This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department. An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also testified as a firearms expert at trial. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Take Back America Task Force Operation in South Omaha

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

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that a federal civil search warrant was executed on June 10, 2025, at an Omaha, Nebraska, business in relation to a Take Back America Task Force worksite enforcement operation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and with other federal law enforcement partners entered the Glenn Valley Foods facility in search of workers who were not authorized to work in the United States. HSI performed an audit of Glenn Valley Foods’ employee I-9 Forms to verify the authenticity and validity of employee identity documents. The audit revealed a large number of suspected fraudulent identification documents or documents that did not authorize certain identified employees to legally work in the United States. The audit also revealed that multiple identities of United States citizens were being fraudulently used by workers at that location, and numerous victim complaints were received at HSI in connection with those stolen identities prior to the enforcement operation. During the operation, HSI encountered approximately 76 unlawfully present aliens at the facility. These workers were using Social Security numbers that had not been issued to them. HSI referred several criminal allegations to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska. Among the criminal allegations referred are allegations of fraudulent use of Social Security numbers, assaults on federal officers and damage to federal property, illegal reentry of previously deported aliens, and other criminal concerns. Possible charging determinations have not been made at this time as this is an active and ongoing investigation. This case is part of the Take Back America Task Force, led by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Foreign National Sentenced For Unlawful Reentry

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Adelby Isloa Martinez Mendez, age 36, of Honduras, was sentenced to 63 months in prison for one count of Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien Subsequent to an Aggravated Felony Conviction. The charge arose from investigations by the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division. On December 31, 2024, Martinez Mendez, pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 5, 2024, Martinez Mendez, an alien, was found in the United States after having been previously removed twice without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States. The second removal was after an April 2019 conviction for a felony offense punishable by five years or more years in prison. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Martinez Mendez will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick M. Flanigan represented the United States.


title: Ohio Resident Indicted on Sexual Exploitation of a Minor Charges

body_text: ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Garrettsville, Ohio, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of minors, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The six-count Indictment named Robert Alan Pepus, 26, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, from in and around September 2024 through in and around October 2024, Pepus engaged in interstate travel for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with a minor and, on several occasions, induced that minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct. Pepus also possessed child sexual abuse material. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life plus 130 years in prison, a fine of up to $1.5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: McLaughlin Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison  for Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on June 9, 2025. Verl Antonie Janis, age 44, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Janis was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 20, 2025. On September 23, 2024, in McLaughlin, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, a Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer observed Janis intoxicated by alcohol in violation of a court order. Janis resisted the officer’s attempt to arrest him. As Janis and the officer scuffled, both fell to the ground. Janis’ hands were near the officer’s duty belt. Concerned Janis might disarm him, the officer punched Janis, fracturing a bone in his, the officer’s, hand. Janis was eventually handcuffed and taken into custody. Janis has two prior federal convictions for assaulting law enforcement officers. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case. Janis was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Erie Resident Indicted on Social Security Fraud Charges

body_text: ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of theft of government property, Social Security fraud, and false statements to retain Supplemental Security Income benefits, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The four-count Indictment named Simone Renell Carr, 59, as the sole defendant. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 25 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Ohio Man Sentenced for Large-Scale Multi-National  Business Email Compromise Scams

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: OXFORD, MS – An Ohio man was sentenced yesterday to over four years in prison and ordered to pay more than $547,000.00 in restitution for committing wire fraud and money laundering in connection with scamming companies in Mississippi and throughout the country. According to court documents, Gabriel Waters, 54, of Chillicothe, Ohio, was involved in a wire fraud and money laundering scheme where fraudsters spoofed email accounts which imitated corporate email accounts of employees who control company finances at victim companies. In this scheme, fraudsters bought domain names that looked very similar to the legitimate domain names owned by the victim businesses. The fraudsters used those imitation email accounts to direct employees, customers, or partners of a victim company to send money to a bank account controlled by the fraudsters. The fraudsters directed an employee to wire funds under the disguise of legitimate business transactions. Gabriel Waters was crucial to the scheme by setting up bank accounts in the U.S., receiving money directly from the victims, and laundering the money around to different accounts before finally converting it to cryptocurrency to send overseas to the emailing fraudsters. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Waters to serve 57 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $547,455.80 in restitution to his victims. Following the sentencing, federal leaders acknowledged the importance of this investigation and prosecution to the State of Mississippi and condemned the defendant’s fraudulent actions. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue criminal prosecutions against scammers who victimize American businesses and individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Reach out to law enforcement immediately if you have fallen prey to an online scam so that evidence can be gathered, and money can possibly be recouped.” “Elaborate fraud schemes against unsuspecting Mississippi companies will not be tolerated,” stated Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “Mr. Waters' sentencing exemplifies the FBI's commitment to holding individuals accountable for their criminal actions, motivated by greed. FBI Jackson and the U.S. Attorney's Office will continue protecting Mississippi companies and the public from these damaging schemes.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clyde McGee and John Herzog prosecuted the case.


title: Convicted Connecticut Child Sex Offender Sentenced To 30 Years In Federal Prison For Attempted Child Enticement

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Andrew Thomas Bull (37, Tolland, CT), a/k/a Andrew Thomas Picard, to 30 years in federal prison for attempting to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing photos of her own sexual abuse. The court also ordered Bull to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and forfeit the electronic device that he used to commit this offense. Bull is a convicted sex offender who was convicted of importation and possession of child pornography in Connecticut in 2013, and was on court-ordered probation when he was arrested on May 25, 2023. Bull was detained and transported to Jacksonville. He pleaded guilty on February 18, 2025. According to court documents, on November 15, 2022, an FBI agent (UC) in the Jacksonville area was conducting an online undercover operation to identify adults seeking to meet and engage in sexual activity with children. The UC posted a text message in a public chat room on a social media application (app) indicating that the UC had access to an 11-year-old “child.” Later that same day, user “brdr1066,” subsequently identified as Bull, contacted the UC directly using the private online text messaging feature of the app. Bull asked the UC to confirm the age and sexual experience of the “child.” Bull sent the UC explicit photos of himself to show to the “child.” Between November 2022 and May 2023, during text conversations on the app, Bull confirmed his desire to have sex with the “child,” and he sent the UC photos depicting young children being sexually abused. He solicited the UC to take and send to Bull pornographic photos of the “child,” and directed the UC as to how the UC could accomplish this. On May 9, 2023, Bull asked the UC, “do i get live pics tonight? / before she goes to bed hopefully / you ask to see her [genitalia] yet?” On May 25, 2023, FBI agents arrested Bull and executed a federal search warrant at his residence. A search of Bull’s cellphone revealed that it contained at least 15 videos and 40 photos depicting children being sexually abused, including an infant. “Protecting kids from predators is among the most important work that we do at the FBI,” said Jason Carley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “Let this case be a warning - the FBI is relentless in our efforts to identify and stop child predators from abusing our kids.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and New Haven, Connecticut. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys D. Rodney Brown and Kelly S. Milliron. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify, locate, and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Doctor at L5 Pain Clinic Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison,  Ordered to Pay $35,000 Fine and $200,000 in Forfeiture

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A former doctor, who concealed health care fraud and prescribed highly-addictive opioid painkillers to at-risk patients at pain clinics in Central and Southwest Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to 40 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $200,000 in forfeiture and a $35,000 fine. Duane Dixon, 66, of Bedford, Massachusetts, pled guilty in 2023 to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and other opioids without a legitimate medical purpose and failing to report a pattern of health care fraud at clinics operated by L5 Medical Holdings—an LLC which was doing business as Pain Care Center, a line of pain clinics that formerly operated in Woodlawn, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg. Dixon agreed as part of his plea agreement to surrender his medical licenses and to never practice medicine again. “Duane Dixon prioritized profit over patient care,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “Our nation is fighting an opioid epidemic on a scale we have never seen and doctors like this, who take advantage of the addictions of others for their own greed, must be held accountable.” “We will not tolerate anyone who abuses their position and betrays the trust of American citizens by exploiting their vulnerabilities. Dr. Dixon clearly showed a lack of respect for human life, as his reckless and fraudulent practices prioritize profits over the delicate lives of others. Our team is dedicated to the safety and well-being of all individuals across the nation. This commitment includes ensuring that licensed professionals adhere to the law and report any hazardous conduct,” DEA Washington Division Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian said. "This doctor betrayed his oath, exploited vulnerable Virginians, and pumped dangerous opioids into our neighborhoods, fueling addiction and tearing families apart. His selfish, reckless scheme contributed to the opioid epidemic and left entire communities to deal with the devastating consequences. Virginia’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit will continue to aggressively pursue any healthcare provider who abandons their oath, preys on vulnerable patients, and fuels addiction for profit," said Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. “The defendant’s illegal prescribing practices and violation of public trust endangered patients and took advantage of the addiction of others, all for personal gain,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Philadelphia Regional Office. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure individuals involved in schemes that threaten patient safety and target our most vulnerable populations are held accountable.” According to testimony and court documents, Dixon pre-signed dozens of blank prescriptions over several years at L5. With Dixon’s knowledge, staff filled out the prescriptions for Schedule II opioids, including fentanyl and oxycodone, and distributed them to patients who had not seen a qualified medical provider. Dixon admitted to agents that, shortly after starting work at L5, a local pharmacist said he was a “pill pusher” and L5 was a “pill mill,” and some pharmacies refused to fill his prescriptions. As part of his guilty pleas, Dixon agreed he facilitated illegal distribution of Suboxone by other medical providers who lacked the authority to prescribe the drug. Dixon did so by sharing his unique identification number, which is necessary to prescribe controlled substances, with those unqualified providers for them to use when relaying prescriptions to pharmacists. Additionally, to obtain insurance payments, Dixon acknowledged in interviews and court filings he approved and signed patient files for patients he had not actually treated. The other doctor whose records Dixon falsified—former Dr. Wendell Lewis Randall—was sentenced in March 2024 to 18 months in prison for his role and was known to Dixon and others within L5 to issue medically illegitimate prescriptions. In a recorded interview played at sentencing, Dixon stated Randall’s patient file notes were “lousy,” did not “justify[] why” Randall “was giving the pain medications,” and would have been insufficient even for a medical student. In addition to Dixon and Randall, five others have pled guilty in connection with drug or fraud crimes at L5 between 2015 and 2020. Charles Wilson Adams, Jr.—falsely held out by L5 as a trained medical professional—was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in 2022. Nurse practitioner Debra Shaffer received jailtime and a fine in 2023. L5 owner John Gregory Barnes, former COO Jennifer Adams, and L5 itself have also pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing later this year. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys S. Cagle Juhan, Jason Scheff and Special Assistant United States Attorney and Assistant Attorney General Janine Myatt prosecuted the case for the United States.


title: Armed Drug Trafficker Convicted by Federal Jury

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted an Elizabeth City man Tuesday on one charge of possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Charles Gregory, 36, was stopped for a traffic violation in Elizabeth City on August 7, 2022. An Elizabeth City police officer observed Gregory, the sole occupant of the car, toss an item out the window before coming to a stop. Officers recovered the tossed item from the street and found it to be a bag containing multiple smaller baggies of crack cocaine. Officers placed Gregory under arrest and searched the vehicle, where they found a stolen pistol in the glovebox. Gregory later made statements on recorded jail phone calls about the drugs and gun. Gregory is a convicted felon who has multiple prior felony drug convictions, including possession of cocaine and sell/deliver a Schedule II controlled substance. Charles Gregory faces a mandatory minimum of five years of imprisonment and a statutory maximum of life imprisonment when sentenced on a later date. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Elizabeth City Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office and the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Jermaine Sellers prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-CR-14. ###


title: Puerto Rican Man Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison For Trafficking Fentanyl into Maine

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Bayamon, Puerto Rico man was sentenced on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Rafael Omar Ojeda Lopez , 44, to a term of imprisonment of 57 months, to be followed by five years of supervised release. According to court records, in September 2023, at the direction of agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a confidential source negotiated the purchase of a kilogram of fentanyl from Lopez for $40,000, following several smaller “test” buys. While Lopez and the source were working to finalize the transaction in Rockland, Maine, HSI agents arrested Lopez and seized the fentanyl, which was later lab confirmed to contain a mixture of fentanyl, caffeine, heroin, and xylazine, a powerful tranquilizer. The mixture of fentanyl and xylazine is particularly dangerous to drug users: because xylazine is not a narcotic, its effects cannot be reversed by naloxone, which serves to heighten the risk of overdose death. HSI and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) investigated the case. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. ###


title: Pickleball Company Owner Waives Discharge of Over $47M in Unsecured Debt After USTP Investigation

component: U.S. Trustee Program

body_text: A pickleball entrepreneur who was forced into bankruptcy by investors he lured with promises of generous returns recently agreed to waive his bankruptcy discharge after an investigation by the Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP), preventing the discharge of more than $47 million in unsecured debt. On May 14, the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana approved a voluntary waiver of discharge by debtor Rodney Grubbs, owner of All About Pickleball LLC, an apparel and equipment company that did business as Pickleball Rocks. As a result, Grubbs remains personally liable for his debts, and creditors are free to pursue payment from him after the case is closed. Grubbs solicited investments from pickleball players and fans from across the United States, usually in the form of promissory notes with purportedly guaranteed interest rates of 10 percent or higher. In December 2023, several unpaid investors filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition against Grubbs under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. Grubbs opposed the petition, but after a hearing in which he testified to using new investors’ funds to pay back previous investors, the bankruptcy court granted the involuntary petition and ordered the case to proceed. Grubbs eventually disclosed nearly $1.6 million in assets and more than $47 million in liabilities, the vast majority of them unsecured debts owed to hundreds of individuals. As part of its extensive investigation, the USTP’s Indianapolis office obtained Grubbs’ personal and business financial records and examined him under oath. Ultimately, Grubbs — who also faced allegations from multiple creditors consistent with a Ponzi scheme — elected to waive his bankruptcy discharge. “The USTP is committed to addressing fraudulent and abusive conduct that threatens the integrity of the bankruptcy system,” said U.S. Trustee Nancy J. Gargula for Region 10, which includes the Southern District of Indiana. “Our commitment to protecting consumers and those who fall victim to various schemes that come to light in bankruptcy is unwavering.” The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust .


title: Veterans Affairs Contractor Agrees to Pay $4.3 Million to Resolve Claims of Overbilling for Products

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – Omnicell, a company based in Delaware, has agreed to pay $4,366,660 to resolve claims that it fraudulently overbilled the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for medical device hardware and software, announced Richard R. Barker, the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. Between January 2017 and February 2023, Omnicell held a federal contact with the VA to sell and lease products at a set price or negotiated discounted price. According to the settlement agreement, a False Claims Act (FCA) claim arose from allegations that Omnicell did not always charge the correct prices for products purchased and leased by federal agencies. When Omnicell became aware of certain pricing issues related to specific individual orders, including when federal government customers raised concerns and questions, Omnicell at times issued credits or otherwise corrected prices charged to federal government customers. However, Omnicell did not always timely correct the known issues in its sales and pricing system in a systemic way, nor did Omnicell undertake an analysis to determine whether other federal government customers that may have been previously overcharged due to the pricing issues in order to provide those customers with refunds of overcharges. In August 2023, a former Omnicell employee came forward with allegations of fraudulent product overcharging. This individual, known as a “Relator,” filed a qui tam complaint under seal in the U.S. District Court (EDWA). When a relator files a qui tam complaint, the False Claims Act requires the United States to investigate the allegations and elect whether to intervene and take over the action or to decline to intervene and allow the relator to go forward with the litigation on behalf of the United States. The relator is generally able to then share in any recovery. As part of the settlement agreement, the relator will receive $785,998.80 of the settlement amount. $2,183,330 of the settlement amount has been designated as restitution, meaning that it will be returned to the VA. “Veterans who served our country deserve the best health care possible. It is important that companies who do business with the VA and the federal government are accurate in how they charge for goods and services,” stated Acting United States Attorney Barker. “I am grateful that Omnicell quickly accepted responsibility and has taken steps to comply with its billing obligations going forward.” “This settlement sends a clear message that the VA OIG will actively investigate allegations involving contractors overbilling for products provided to VA,” said Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northwest Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with the US Attorney’s Office to ensure the integrity of VA programs and services.” The settlement was the result of an investigation jointly conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the VA Office of Inspector General. The USAO’s investigation and prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jacob E. Brooks.


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced To More Than 6 Years In Federal Prison For Involvement In Elder Fraud Scheme

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Pranav Patel (33, New Jersey) to six years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $1,791,301, the proceeds of the offense. Patel pleaded guilty on December 23, 2024. According to court documents, between October and December 2023, Patel was involved in a fraud scheme targeting senior citizens. Conspirators involved in the scheme called from call centers abroad and fraudulently identified themselves as government agents such as officers from the United States Department of the Treasury. In some instances, the conspirators told victims that there were outstanding warrants for their arrest, and they needed to pay to clear the warrants. On other occasions, the conspirators told victims that they needed to provide their money and gold to the officers for safekeeping. Patel served as a money mule in the fraud scheme. He drove from New Jersey to pick up money and gold from senior citizens in the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere along the east coast of the United States. During the sentencing hearing, one victim from whom Patel picked up fraud proceeds advised the court that because of the scam, he was unable to afford his mortgage payments, had to sell his house, and had to depend on Social Security benefits for all his living expenses. In December 2023, Patel traveled to a residence in Hillsborough County to retrieve what he believed was a box of gold. Unbeknownst to Patel, he did so while under law enforcement surveillance, and Patel was promptly arrested after picking up the box. In total, Patel laundered $1,791,301 as part of the fraud scheme. “Preying on vulnerable, unsuspecting elderly victims to rob them of their hard-earned money is despicable. Even worse, the defendant’s co-conspirators posed as government agents to defraud victims of nearly $2 million, threatening them with arrest if they didn’t follow their demands. Thanks to the men and women of the Tampa Field Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida for their diligent work,” said U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Robert Engel of the Tampa Field Office. This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer L. Peresie and Maria Guzman.


title: Couple Indicted and Arrested for Marriage Fraud

component: USAO - Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment on June 5, 2025, charging Shokir Kurbonovich Khalilov, from Uzbekistan, and Keily Maisonet-Ortiz, San Juan, with marriage fraud. According to court documents, from February 29, 2024, through on or about April 29, 2025, the defendants entered into a marriage for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws of the United States. Shokir Kurbonovich Khalilov and Keily Maisonet-Ortiz obtained a marriage license and got married on March 13, 2024, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. On October of 2024 Maisonet-Ortiz submitted an I-130 Petition for Alien Relative in favor of defendant Shokir Kurbonovich Khalilov before the Department of Homeland Security and on the same date, Khalilov submitted a I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adult Status pursuant to his marriage to defendant Maisonet-Ortiz. The defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and marriage fraud. Defendant Maisonet-Ortiz is scheduled for her initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López Soler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Defendant Khalilov will have his initial court appearance next week. If convicted, the defendants face a sentence of up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Reggie Johnson, Chief Patrol Agent for the Ramey Sector of the US Border Patrol made the announcement. US Border Patrol is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emelina M. Agrait Barreto is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Monticello Man Charged With 2017 Murder

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia; and the District Attorney for Sullivan County, New York, Brian Conaty, announced the filing of a Superseding Indictment charging DWAYNE JOHNSON with the May 2017 murder of Shaniece Harris (the “Victim”), as well as additional controlled substance and firearms offenses. JOHNSON was previously taken into custody on controlled substance and firearms charges following the recovery of, among other things, marijuana and approximately 30 firearms from his residence in May 2023. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti. Earlier today, JOHNSON was arraigned on the charges in the Superseding Indictment. “As alleged, more than eight years ago, Dwayne Johnson murdered Shaniece Harris in Monticello, New York, in connection with a long-running drug conspiracy,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Thanks to the hard work of the prosecutors in this Office and our law enforcement partners at FBI, New York State Police, NYPD, and the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, Johnson will be held to account for this cold-blooded crime. This brutal murder shows the harsh truth that drug trafficking and violence go together, and drug trafficking poses incredible dangers to communities throughout New York. As this Superseding Indictment shows, we work every day to deliver justice for the victims of senseless violence—no matter how many years have passed. We hope this prosecution brings some measure of peace to the victim’s loved ones.” "Dwayne Johnson allegedly murdered Shaniece Harris as part of his drug trafficking operation," said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. "We are committed to ending the senseless and irreparable damage caused to our communities by violence connected to drug trafficking. The FBI has a long memory. No matter how much time has passed, we will not cease in our efforts to find justice for victims of murder and other violent crimes." “I am thrilled that this arrest is the first step in bringing closure to the family and loved one’s of Shanice Harris," said District Attorney Brian Conaty. "I applaud the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Southern District of New York. I am proud that members of my office were able to assist these entities in this investigation. I thank all the law enforcement entities involved for their unwavering dedication to investigating and apprehending the individual who was responsible for this heinous crime. It is law enforcement collaborations such as this that send a stark message that the victims of violent crime will never be forgotten.” As alleged in the Superseding Indictment and other public filings: [1] On or about May 29, 2017, JOHNSON shot and killed Shaniece Harris in Monticello, New York, in furtherance of his long-running conspiracy to traffic over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere. Following a series of searches in 2023, law enforcement recovered multiple videos made by JOHNSON in which Johnson displayed his cache of firearms and articulated his intent to shoot anyone who attempted the steal his marijuana or marijuana proceeds. On or about May 24, 2023, law enforcement recovered from JOHNSON’s residence body armor, a large quantity of ammunition, and approximately 30 firearms, including multiple short-barreled rifles. * * * JOHNSON, 46, of Monticello, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of murder through use of a firearm, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of death or life in prison; one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of possession of a short-barreled rifle in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison to be served consecutively to any other term of prison imposed and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of unlawful possession of firearms, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences 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 praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the FBI Hudson Valley White Collar Crime Task Force, the New York State Police, the NYPD, the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, and the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaiya Arroyo and Jorja Knauer are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam Ronan. The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. u.s._v._johnson_superseding_indictment.pdf [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact descried therein should be treated as an allegation.


title: Former Business Owner And Town Of Cortlandt Employee Sentenced To Prison For $2.4 Million Environmental Crime Scheme

body_text: Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that GLENN GRIFFIN, the owner and president of Griffin’s Landscaping Corporation, was sentenced to two years in prison for a scheme in which GRIFFIN bribed a Town of Cortlandt employee to gain unauthorized access to a Town facility to dump loads of unauthorized materials. GRIFFIN was also sentenced for a separate bid-rigging scheme. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti. On May 20, 2025, ROBERT DYCKMAN, the former Assistant General Foreman for the Town of Cortlandt, was sentenced by Judge Briccetti to a year and a day in prison for his participation in the bribery and dumping scheme. As part of their sentences, GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN were each ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution to their victims. “Glenn Griffin and Robert Dyckman’s corruption not only damaged public land and fragile wetlands but also undermined the public’s faith in our government and institutions” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Griffin, a successful business owner and president, bribed Dyckman so that he could save money and, in the process, illegally dump harmful, unauthorized materials on public property generating $2.4 million in damages. Moreover, Griffin then took government money to remove and haul away the very materials that he had illegally dumped. Together with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to rooting out such brazen and wasteful corruption.” According to statements made in public filings and court proceedings: Illegal Dumping Scheme From 2018 until February 2020, GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN engaged in an unauthorized dumping scheme. DYCKMAN gave GRIFFIN and his employees unauthorized access to Arlo Lane, a Cortlandt facility, to dump hundreds of large truckloads of unauthorized materials such as thick concrete, cement with rebar, tiles, bricks, large rocks, and soil. After the illegal dumping, GRIFFIN billed and received payments from the Town of Cortlandt for removing and hauling away the very materials that GRIFFIN had illegally dumped at Arlo Lane with DYCKMAN’s assistance. DYCKMAN generally allowed GRIFFIN and his employees to access Arlo Lane on Saturdays or after working hours. To carry out the scheme, DYCKMAN would attempt to clear senior Town of Cortlandt management away from Arlo Lane around the time of the unauthorized dumping. When DYCKMAN arranged for a subordinate Town of Cortlandt worker to work overtime when GRIFFIN was dumping unauthorized loads, DYCKMAN would falsely record the worker’s overtime as having occurred during the week in order to conceal the scheme. In exchange for access to Arlo Lane, GRIFFIN paid DYCKMAN cash bribes. GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN were ordered to pay the Town of Cortlandt and the Westchester Land Trust, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization which owns damaged wetlands abutting the Town of Cortlandt’s Arlo Lane property, a total of $2.4 million to remediate and restore their property following GRIFFIN’s and DYCKMAN’s criminal conduct. Bid-Rigging Scheme Between 2015 and 2018, Griffin also engaged in a bid-rigging scheme. GRIFFIN defrauded the village of Croton-on-Hudson for work on its schools, and the hamlet of Verplanck for work at its fire department. GRIFFIN made sham, non-competitive, and inflated bids on behalf of entities that GRIFFIN did not work for or have authorization to submit bids on behalf of, so that GRIFFIN would be the low bidder in a pool of purportedly competitive bids and receive public money for work on the projects. Based on these sham, non-competitive, and inflated bids, GRIFFIN was awarded contracts with a combined value exceeding $133,000. * * * In addition to the prison term, GRIFFIN, 56, of Cortlandt, New York was sentenced to three years of supervised release and a $50,000 fine. He was also ordered to forfeit $220,000 and pay $2.4 million in restitution, with $1.2 million due to the Town of Cortlandt and $1.2 million due to the Westchester Land Trust. On August 26, 2024, GRIFFIN pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In addition to the prison term, DYCKMAN, 53, of Verplanck, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution, with $1.2 million due to the Town of Cortlandt and $1.2 million due to the Westchester Land Trust. On August 26, 2024, DYCKMAN pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Reznik to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Westchester County Police Department in this investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance in the investigation. This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David R. Felton and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Grand Jury Indicts Two Individuals for Involvement with Online Groups Dedicated to Monkey Torture and Mutilation

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: A grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging two individuals for their alleged involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys. The indictment alleges that Katrina D. Favret, of Tennessee, and Robert M. Craig, of North Carolina, conspired with previously charged defendant Ronald P. Bedra, of Etna, Ohio, to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.” Favret is also charged with creating and with distributing animal crush videos. According to court documents, the defendants conspired with others to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against juvenile and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera. The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy included depictions of monkeys being sodomized with a heated screwdriver and a monkey having its genitals cut with scissors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Douglas Ault of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement. The FBI and USFWS investigated the case. Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.