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Category: Finance

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced for More Than $500,000 COVID-19 Relief Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS – A Nevada man was sentenced yesterday to two years and four months in prison for fraudulently obtaining over $500,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and then laundering the money through family, friends, and others.

    According to court documents, Brandon Casutt, 52, of Henderson, submitted multiple false and fraudulent applications to the SBA and four SBA lenders on behalf of two entities he controlled, seeking to fraudulently obtain more than $5.7 million. Two of Casutt’s fraudulent applications ultimately received funding: a PPP loan for approximately $350,000 in the name of a purported business called Sky DeSign, and an EIDL program loan for approximately $150,000 in the name of a purported charity called Skyler’s CF Foundation. While the loan applications affirmed falsely that each entity had numerous employees, significant payroll expenses, and substantial revenue, neither entity had employees nor paid any wages.

    After receiving the PPP money, Casutt laundered it by writing dozens of fake payroll checks – each in the amount of approximately $8,330 – to himself, family members, and friends. On many of the checks, Casutt falsely wrote “pandemic pay” or “back pay” in the check memo. Casutt cashed or deposited these fake paychecks. Then, within days and at Casutt’s direction, the money was diverted back to a bank account under Casutt’s control. Casutt then used the money to buy a house in Henderson.

    On Aug. 26, 2020, Casutt pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of concealment money laundering.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Al Childress of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Phoenix Field Office, and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.

    IRS-CI and the FBI Las Vegas Field Office investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Sara Hallmark and Assistant Chief Cory E. Jacobs of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric C. Schmale for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Oliva and Daniel Hollingsworth for the District of Nevada.

    In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nevada CPA Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns

    Source: US FBI

    A Nevada man pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns for his role in a purported investment scheme to sell false tax deductions.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Lance K. Bradford of Henderson, was a certified public accountant (CPA) and founder and manager of an accounting firm, LL Bradford & Company (LLB). LLB provided accounting services including tax preparation, audit and consulting services. Bradford also operated a real estate business that developed office buildings and other real property. In connection with Bradford’s real estate development activities, he operated and controlled a real estate investment partnership entity.

    In 2011, Bradford began offering LLB’s high-net-worth clients an “investment opportunity” through which the clients would make a payment to his partnership entity and, in exchange, receive a large tax deduction of approximately five to seven times the amount of money the client “invested.” Bradford advised that the clients’ payments would entitle them to claim the large tax deduction based on losses derived from the partnership entity even though the tax laws did not permit the sale of such deductions in exchange for an investment or money and the partnership did not incur the losses or depreciation in the amounts Bradford was selling. Bradford also did not report the purported investments as losses on the clients’ tax returns as promised. Instead, he caused the clients’ returns to report large false deductions for cost of goods sold, professional and consulting fees or nonpassive losses. In total, Bradford’s scheme caused a tax loss to the IRS of at least $8 million.

    As part of the investment scheme, in 2014, Bradford asked a client to make a $417,780 “investment” to his partnership entity in exchange for purported depreciation-based losses to be placed on his client’s 2013 corporate tax return (Form 1120S). But instead of reporting depreciation related to the investment, Bradford caused LLB to prepare and file a Form 1120S that falsely inflated the company’s cost of goods sold by $2,110,000, causing a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $860,627.

    Bradford is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 16, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada made the announcement.

    IRS-Criminal Investigation are investigating the case with the assistance of the FBI.

    Trial Attorney Patrick Burns of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three New Jersey Men Convicted for Racketeering Conspiracy and for Their Roles in Three Gang-Related Murders

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark jury convicted three New Jersey men for their roles in a violent racketeering conspiracy, three murders, and related firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Myron Williams, aka “Money,” aka “Tunchi,” 31, of Newark, Khalil Kelley, aka “Billski,” 25, and Roger Pickett, aka “Zy Gz,” 24, both of Jersey City, were convicted in connection with a multi-count Indictment predicated upon their respective roles in the racketeering conspiracy.  Williams was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, causing death through the use of a firearm, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.  Kelley was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm.  Pickett was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, three counts of murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, three counts of causing death through the use of a firearm, and Hobbs Act robbery.

    “These three Marion street gang members brazenly committed three murders in the name of their gang. Two rival gang members were lured to their deaths through social media accounts that gang members used to impersonate the victims’ friends, and a third individual was killed during the course of a robbery committed against him.  The senseless killing of these three men caused incredible danger to the community. Myron Williams, Khalil Kelley, and Roger Pickett now face mandatory life sentences for their crimes, and the District of New Jersey is safer as a result. As this case demonstrates, my office is committed to working closely with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office and the Jersey City Police Department, alongside our federal law enforcement partners, to protect the community.  This commitment to prosecuting violent crime ensures that serious consequences will follow for individuals who commit violence and have no regard for human life.”  

    U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger

    “Today’s guilty verdicts bring accountability to violent criminals whose actions disregard criminal law, human life, and public safety. ATF remains steadfast in identifying and apprehending those who are terrorizing our neighborhoods with gang violence and disorder. We will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners and secure the safety of our communities.”

    ATF SAC L.C. Cheeks, Jr.

    “This verdict is a testament of our commitment in law enforcement to ensure that justice is always served. The defendants in this matter intentionally disregarded human life and instilled fear in neighborhoods across Jersey City. I thank our local, state, and federal partners who continuously work collaboratively with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office to ensure residents feel safe in their own communities.”

    Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    Williams, Kelley, and Pickett are all members and associates of the neighborhood street gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. Since 2013, they have committed numerous acts of violence, including three separate murders, on March 29, 2021, Nov. 20, 2021, and Nov. 1, 2022.

    On March 29, 2021, Kelley and other gang members lured a rival gang member outside by sending him Instagram messages pretending to be the victim’s fellow gang member.  When the victim opened the door to his residence, Kelley and another gang member brandished firearms, and the victim was shot multiple times in the chest, killing him. Pickett and Williams then picked up Kelley and other gang members after they abandoned the murder vehicle in Newark.

    On Nov. 20, 2021, Williams, Pickett, and another gang member lured a rival gang member outside by sending him Instagram messages pretending to be the second victim’s fellow gang member. Williams and another gang member shot the victim when he opened the door to his residence.

    On Nov. 1, 2022, a gang member facilitated the murder of the third victim by coordinating a narcotics transaction with the victim and an associate of the victim. When the victim and his associate arrived at the Marion Gardens Housing Complex to complete the narcotics transaction, they were robbed of their narcotics supply. During the robbery, Pickett and another gang member held the victim and his associate at gunpoint. After a struggle ensued, Pickett shot and killed the victim while his associate fled. Pickett then fled the Marion Gardens Housing Complex in his vehicle.

    Investigators observed and documented hundreds of narcotics transactions in and around the Marion Gardens Housing Complex during the monthslong investigation.  In addition, when Williams was arrested on March 17, 2023, he possessed controlled substances packaged for distribution.

    Eight other individuals originally were indicted with Williams, Kelley, and Pickett.  All have since pleaded guilty for their roles in the racketeering enterprise.

    The racketeering conspiracy count of which all three were convicted carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Each was also convicted of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory life sentence, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and causing death through the use of a firearm, which carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. Pickett was also convicted of Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and Williams was convicted of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, which also carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for April 22, 2025.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited investigators of the Gang Intelligence Unit and the Homicide Unit of the Major Case Division of Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez and Chief of Detectives James A. Parker, and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., and investigators of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to the convictions. He also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, and the U.S. Marshals, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos, for their assistance.

    This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Maloy and Javon Henry, of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—An Oklahoma man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy that resulted in the trafficking of firearms to Mexican cartels. Andrew Scott, Pierson, 46, of Jay, Oklahoma, was sentenced this afternoon by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.

          In May 2017, an Arkansas resident received a shipment of firearm components that had been sent to him for cerakoting, a process in which a polymer-ceramic coating is added to a firearm or its parts to improve durability. The parts appeared to be 80% Colt lower receivers, and this individual recognized these firearm parts as counterfeit. He contacted law enforcement. The counterfeit receivers were traced to an organization in Laredo, Texas, which was transporting firearm parts to Pierson in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Pierson assembled the parts into functioning weapons for the Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).

          Pierson was arrested at the southern United States border on December 10, 2018. Pierson admitted to ordering and receiving firearm parts from the United States and manufacturing automatic weapons in Mexico for the CDN and CJNG cartels. Law enforcement later confirmed cartel firearm availability was impaired following Pierson’s arrest.

          On September 3, 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Pierson and seven others for their involvement conspiracies to traffic in counterfeit goods and to violate the Arms Export Control Act. Five codefendants have previously pleaded guilty, and one co-defendant remains a fugitive. In November 2021, Pierson pleaded guilty to Count 2 of the Fourth Superseding Indictment, conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act. 

          “Mr. Pierson’s participation in the exportation and manufacturing of illegal firearms to Mexican cartels is an inexcusable contribution to the violence carried out by these groups,” said United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross. “We are committed to prosecuting any case that will help prevent violent criminal organizations from obtaining firearms.”

          “Our Special Agents worked diligently on this investigation to intercept illegal weapon components being trafficked to criminal organizations in Mexico,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn. “Our goal is to disrupt and dismantle the illegal activity and this sentencing sends a message to those who seek to aid violent criminals that it will not be tolerated.  ATF works aggressively to identify and investigate individuals who arm the ruthless organizations that are responsible for a majority of the extreme violence in Mexico.”

          “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service values our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Arkansas who helped bring this investigation to a successful conclusion,” said Thomas Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the Fort Worth Division. “Illegal shipments of weapons threaten the safety of all our communities. These crimes are a priority for Postal Inspectors and demonstrate the importance of our mission that includes the safeguarding of the Postal Service, its customers, and preventing the illegal use of the U.S. Mail.” 

          This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

          Essential support and coordination for Operation Thor’s Hammer was supplied by Special Operations Division (SOD) personnel, including assigned agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and attorneys from the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Pine Bluff Police Department were also instrumental in the investigation, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner.

    # # #

    This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    Twitter:

    @EDARNEWS

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jennifer LaBonte Pleads Guilty to Embezzling From Employer

    Source: US FBI

    Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that Jennifer LaBonte, 45, of Essex Junction, Vermont pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Rutland to a charge of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Mary K. Lanthier released LaBonte on conditions pending sentencing, which is scheduled for March 4, 2025.

    On October 2, 2024, the United States Attorney filed an information charging LaBonte with a single count of wire fraud. That is the charge to which she pleaded guilty. According to the information, between 2001 and January 2024, LaBonte was employed by automobile dealerships located in Burlington. From about 2012 until her termination, LaBonte served as office manager for the dealerships, a position that gave her oversight over all accounting matters. LaBonte had check-signing authority.

    The information charges that, beginning no later than 2013, LaBonte began embezzling from the dealerships. For the most part, LaBonte stole cash receipts that had been paid by dealership customers, but she also issued checks to herself for non-business-related purposes. LaBonte tried to cover up her thefts by manipulating and falsifying entries about individual transactions in the dealerships’ computerized accounting systems. An officer at the dealerships uncovered the fraud in January 2024, and LaBonte was immediately fired. The total loss resulting from her embezzlement is about $191,000. In court, the parties announced that LaBonte has provided the dealerships with a check that repaid them in full for the stolen funds.

    LaBonte faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    LaBonte is represented by Brooks McArthur, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Amherst Woman Pleads Guilty to Threatening a Witness

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jessica Leyland, 37, of Amherst, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer to witness retaliation, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis A. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that in July 2019, Leyland approached an individual (Victim) at a bar in Buffalo, NY, and asked if she could speak with the Victim. The Victim agreed and then Leyland accused the Victim of “talking to the feds” and threatened to “(expletive) kill” the Victim. Leyland then placed the Victim in a headlock, causing bodily injury. Leyland ultimately had to be physically separated from the Victim by employees at the bar.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.

    Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bloods Gang Leader Charged with Narcotics Distribution Resulting in One Death and Three Additional Poisonings

    Source: US FBI

    Defendant Allegedly Distributed Narcotics throughout Long Island Over Seven Year Period

    Earlier today, Gary Johnson, a Bloods gang leader also known as “G Money,” was arraigned in federal court in Central Islip on new charges in a 26-count second superseding indictment charging him with distributing controlled substances, including fentanyl and cocaine base, that caused the death of a woman and caused serious bodily injury to three additional victims.  Johnson is also charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl in Long Island, additional narcotics distribution offenses, various firearms offenses and destruction of evidence.  Today’s arraignment was held before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack. Johnson previously was detained pending trial.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the charges.

    “Our district has suffered terribly from the opioid epidemic, and as alleged in the superseding indictment, Johnson sold large amounts of dangerous narcotics for his own profit, without regard for the deadly consequences of his actions, even after a victim was fatally poisoned by the defendant’s drugs,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “With these new charges, this Office continues its tireless efforts, in conjunction with our federal and local law enforcement partners, to prosecute drug traffickers responsible for the opioid crisis. It is my hope that the charges will bring some measure of closure to the family members of the victim whose death was caused by the defendant.”

    “Gary Johnson, a Bloods gang leader, allegedly sold substantial quantities of illicit drugs, which resulted in a known death of one victim and poisonings of three others. These alleged actions threatened public safety by exposing neighborhoods to a supply of dangerous substances,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue its mission to assuage the flow of lethal narcotics from polluting our communities and apprehending those responsible for its pipeline.”

    “For years, Gary Johnson knew the poison he was selling posed deadly consequences, yet, his only concern was about making money,” stated SCPD Commissioner Catalina.  “We will continue to work with our federal partners to take down drug traffickers while undoubtedly saving lives in the process.”

    As alleged in court filings, Johnson is a leader of the G-Shine set of the Bloods gang. Between June 2013 and November 2020, when Johnson was arrested on federal charges, the defendant conspired to sell narcotics throughout Long Island. The drugs that Johnson sold – including heroin, fentanyl and cocaine base – resulted in at least four victims suffering poisonings. Specifically, on March 3, 2020, Johnson distributed narcotics which were ingested by John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 in the parking lot of Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, New York.  John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 lost consciousness and were revived by emergency medical personnel who administered CPR and Narcan on both victims.  They were resuscitated and survived.  On May 1, 2020, Johnson distributed narcotics ingested by John Doe #2 and Jane Doe #2. John Doe #2 was found unconscious by coworkers in St. James, New York, and was revived with Narcan. Jane Doe #2, a 39-year-old mother of a three-year-old son, was found deceased in her home in Rocky Point, New York. Her cause of death was determined to be acute mixed drug intoxication caused by a combination of cocaine and fentanyl – these drugs were supplied by the defendant.

    The charges in the second superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, Johnson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment.

    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.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Misorek, Meredith A. Arfa and Stephen Petraeus are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Dejah Turla.

    The Defendant:

    GARY JOHNSON
    Age:  41
    Bellport, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-518 (S-2)(JMA)

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Durham Man Who Fled From Law Enforcement Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

    Source: US FBI

    GREENSBORO – A Durham man who pleaded guilty to a firearm charge has been sentenced, announced Sandra J. Hairston, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina.

    MARIO DEANDRE TAYLOR, age 44, was sentenced yesterday, November 12, 2024, to 144 months of imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release. Sentencing was held in Greensboro, North Carolina, before United States District Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. 

    TAYLOR pleaded guilty in August to one count of felon in possession of a firearm, a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun.

    According to court documents, on October 5, 2023, members of the Durham County Sheriff’s Office patrol division attempted to apprehend TAYLOR, who had outstanding state warrants for armed robberies, felony larcenies, assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault, and robbery with a dangerous weapon, among other alleged crimes that took place between July 28, 2023, and October 5, 2023.  Around 11:00 p.m. that night, TAYLOR, who had already eluded capture twice that day, led deputies on a high-speed chase through residential and business areas in Durham, driving at high rates of speed, running through stop signs and stop lights, side-swiping a truck, and nearly hitting a city bus. Eventually, TAYLOR slowed down on South Buchanan Boulevard in a residential neighborhood, jumped out of the vehicle with a loaded weapon in his possession, and ran.  After a short foot chase, TAYLOR was arrested but did not have a gun on his person.  Approximately fifteen to twenty feet from the location of TAYLOR’s arrest, a K-9 found the loaded .40 caliber handgun that TAYLOR had thrown during the pursuit.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Raleigh-Durham Safe Streets Task Force (SSTF) and the Durham County Sheriff’s Office.  The lead investigator was an FBI Task Force Officer from the Durham County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Jeanne Dildine.   

    Since 1992, the FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative has successfully aligned FBI Agents, state and local law enforcement investigators, and federal and state prosecutors onto SSTFs to reduce violent crime. This nationwide initiative brings resources together in a “force multiplier concept” and utilizes the expertise of each agency.  SSTFs focus primarily upon street gang and drug-related violence through sustained, proactive, coordinated investigations to obtain prosecutions on violations such as racketeering, drug conspiracy, and firearms violations.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Drug Trafficker with Gun Sentenced to 20 Years After Leading State Troopers on High-Speed Chase

    Source: US FBI

    RALEIGH, N.C. – Shoun Lamelle Wright Jr., 28, a resident of Sumter, South Carolina, was sentenced to 240 months in prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses after he led law enforcement on a high-speed chase. These charges included possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, as well as possession of a firearm by a felon. On August 4, 2024, he pled guilty to the charges.

    “This armed drug runner tried to flee from state troopers at 135 miles per hour before ditching his dope out the driver’s side door,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “Running from law enforcement never works, and puts innocent motorists at risk. Many thanks to the NC Highway Patrol and Jacksonville Police for taking this dangerous felon off the streets.”

    “This case not only highlights the risks that our members incur during the performance of their duties, but also the perilousness that hard-working North Carolinians can face as a result of such actions as they travel on our state’s highways,” said Colonel Freddy Johnson Jr., Commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. “Our mission is to ensure the safety of our state’s motorists and inhabitants, and we greatly value the partnership of the Department of Justice in their pursuit to place accountability of criminals at the forefront to help us accomplish this mission. The decisiveness of this sentencing is undoubtedly a victory for the people of North Carolina.”

    “Mr. Wright’s complete and utter disregard for the safety of others is disturbing.  Not only was he involved in activities that harmed our community, but he also deliberately put resident’s lives at risk with his actions.  I am thankful no one in the community was physically harmed by his actions.  I commend the members from the Jacksonville Police Department, N.C. State Highway Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their service to our community and for their excellent collaboration in bringing this case to a successful resolution,” said Jacksonville Police Chief Jarad Phelps.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, the N.C. State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Wright on July 21, 2021. Wright initially pulled over and then fled as the trooper approached his vehicle, driving up to 135 miles per hour. Law enforcement made a successful stop when the vehicle entered Jacksonville. Once stopped, Wright dropped a bag containing 26 grams of crack out of the driver’s door, and a search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of marijuana.

    On July 29, 2021, officers with the Jacksonville Police Department (JPD) responded to a call from a security guard at the Platinum Gentlemen’s Club who saw an armed individual bagging narcotics in the establishment’s parking lot. The security guard stated that the individual, later identified as Wright, had pointed a pistol at him as he approached the vehicle. Later that day, a JPD officer identified the vehicle driven by Wright parked at a residence known to law enforcement due to previous narcotics and violent crime investigations. After Wright left the residence, the JPD officer initiated a traffic stop on his vehicle. Officers returned to the residence and conducted a search where they seized a loaded 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number, a 27-round magazine, a second 9mm pistol, and a loaded .380 caliber pistol. They also seized nearly 2,000 grams of marijuana, more than 55 grams of crack, more than eight grams of cocaine, and over $7,000 in cash. Wright claimed ownership of the drugs and guns found at the residence. As a previously convicted felon, Wright cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

    Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The NCSHP, the JPD, and the FBI investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Foxx and Leonard Champaign 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. 7:21-CR-00100-BO.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chowan County Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    RALEIGH, N.C. – Kevin Lassiter, of Tyner, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possession of child pornography after online CyberTips led local sheriff’s deputies to search his devices.  On August 5, 2024, Lassiter, 40, pled guilty to the charge.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, on September 27, 2023, the Perquimans County Sheriff’s Office received 12 CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).  Electronic service providers submit CyberTips to NCMEC to report users who possess child sexual abuse material on their systems.  A cloud-based storage provider for the Verizon network reported 12 CyberTips of a user uploading images depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sex acts between July 29 to August 25, 2023.

    Investigators were able to link the tips, through an associate phone number, to Lassiter, and a residential billing address in Tyner.  Investigators confirmed Lassiter’s address and found that he was a registered sex offender after state convictions in 2013 for 3rd degree sexual exploitation of a minor in Carteret County. 

    Later the same day, investigators obtained and executed a search warrant for Lassiter’s residence.  During a search with Lassiter present, investigators found a Samsung Galaxy phone on the stairwell that rang when they dialed the number associated with the CyberTips. 

    Investigators seized a computer downstairs at a desk, which Lassiter admitted was his. The computer was connected to a USB hub with four cables plugged into it, but no devices connected to those cables. Deputies then found multiple hard drives under the desk. When they picked up a 6TB Western Digital MyBook hard drive, Lassiter called out that it was a router. After a deputy responded that it was a hard drive and would be seized, Lassiter became noticeably distraught and hung his head. 

    During a recorded interview at the sheriff’s office, Lassiter admitted the device he claimed was a router was a hard drive that contained child pornography.  Lassiter explained that he would copy images from the hard drive to his phone.

    A forensic review of the 6TB Western Digital external hard drive revealed approximately 10,000 files of child sexual abuse material.  The files included infants through teenage minors, with an estimated 90% of files depicting minors 10 years old or younger.

    Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle.  The Perquimans County Sherriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted.

    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. 2:24-cr-0014-BO.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Children’s Hospital Employee Pleads Guilty to Sharing, Receiving Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Nationwide Children’s Hospital employee who treated child burn patients pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to downloading, exchanging and receiving child pornography.

    Ryan Ramos, 38, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing and receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. He faces an imprisonment range of five to 20 years in prison.

    Ramos worked at Nationwide Children’s Hospital from 2018 until 2020 and then at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in the ICU in burn trauma until 2023.

    According to court documents, a 2020 FBI investigation in their Brooklyn-Queens office led agents to discover Ramos’s participation in a Signal app group dedicated to the exchange of child pornography.

    Ramos shared hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse, including abuse of young boys and infants, to the chat group.

    Further investigation into Ramos revealed that, in 2018, he had paid a sexual offender in New York City and received child pornography created by the offender in exchange for his payment. Ramos sent more than $500 via PayPal to the child exploiter.

    Ramos’s iPhone contained more than 346,000 Signal, Telegram and other online chat messages, in most of which Ramos was distributing, seeking, receiving or discussing child pornography.

    Ramos was charged by a bill of information on May 6 and pleaded guilty during his arraignment in federal court this afternoon. He is in custody pending sentencing.

    Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rite Aid Corporation and Elixir Insurance Company Agree to Pay $101 Million to Resolve Allegations of Falsely Reporting Rebates

    Source: US FBI

    The Justice Department announced that Rite Aid Corporation and Rite Aid subsidiaries, Elixir Insurance Company, RX Options LLC and RX Solutions LLC, have agreed to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by failing to accurately report drug rebates to the Medicare Program. As part of the settlement, Elixir Insurance and Rite Aid will pay the United States $101 million, and RX Options and RX Solutions will grant the United States an allowed, unsubordinated, general unsecured claim for a total of $20 million in Rite Aid’s bankruptcy case pending in the District of New Jersey. The settlement is based on the companies’ ability to pay and was approved on June 28 by the bankruptcy court as part of Rite Aid’s plan of reorganization, which is expected to become effective later this summer. In addition to operating one of the country’s largest retail pharmacy chains, Rite Aid offered Medicare drug plans and pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) services through Elixir Insurance, RX Options and RX Solutions.  

    “Participants in Medicare’s drug program must accurately report price concessions, including drug manufacturer rebates, to ensure that the government receives the benefit of those concessions,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to hold accountable entities that pursue their own financial interests at the expense of taxpayer programs.”

    “Rite Aid and its Elixir subsidiaries lined their corporate pockets with millions of dollars of manufacturer rebates that should have been reported to Medicare,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Each of those dollars could have been used to benefit Americans with genuine health care needs. Our office will not tolerate deceptive health-insurance practices, and we will vigorously pursue those who violate the FCA.”

    Under Medicare Part D, private entities known as Part D Plan Sponsors offer and administer insurance plans that provide prescription drug coverage to enrolled Medicare beneficiaries. Part D Sponsors must submit annual reports to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with information about rebates and other remuneration the Plans received from drug manufacturers in connection with the Part D drugs provided to beneficiaries, which ensures that the government receives the benefit of any price concessions provided by drug manufacturers to purchasers of the drugs covered under the Part D plan. CMS relies on the reports in the annual reconciliation process that determines payments due to the Plans or CMS at the end of the year.

    The settlement resolves allegations that, between 2014 and 2020, the defendants improperly reported to CMS portions of rebates received from manufacturers as bona fide service fees, even though manufacturers did not negotiate with the defendants to pay such fees. The United States further alleged that Elixir Insurance knew the retained rebates did not meet the regulatory definition of bona fide services fees.

    “Truthful and accurate documentation in the delivery of health care goods or services is crucial to the integrity of federal health care programs,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Improper submission of manufacturer drug rebates and fees by Part D Plan Sponsors for pharmaceutical products in order to make more money will not be tolerated. Collaborating with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is committed to preventing and investigating health care fraud in Medicare and other taxpayer-funded health care programs.”

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought in 2021 under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by Glenn Rzeszutko, who previously worked for RX Options. The FCA authorizes a private party to sue on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Rzeszutko v. Rite Aid Corporation et al., No. 5:21-CV-574 (N.D. Ohio). The relator’s share of these proceeds has not yet been determined.

    Trial attorneys Christopher Wilson and Dan Schiffer of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson Froliklong for the Northern District of Ohio handled this matter. HHS-OIG and the FBI Cleveland Field Office provided substantial assistance in the investigation. Trial Attorneys Mary Schmergel, Gregory Werkheiser and Ryan Lamb of the Civil Division’s Corporate/Financial Litigation Section are handling the Rite Aid bankruptcy.

    The settlements illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

    Settlement

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Court Permanently Prohibits Ohio Physician From Prescribing Opioids and Imposes $4.7 Million Judgment for Alleged Unlawful Opioid Distribution

    Source: US FBI

    CLEVELAND – A federal court prohibited a Sandusky, Ohio-area physician from prescribing opioids and other controlled substances and ordered him to pay $4.7 million in a case alleging violations of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the False Claims Act (FCA).

    In a civil complaint filed in August 2018, the United States alleged that Gregory Gerber, MD, age 59, of Port Clinton, Ohio, who operated an office in Sandusky, unlawfully issued prescriptions without a legitimate medical basis for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the CSA and the FCA. The complaint alleged that one patient died from an overdose of fentanyl patches prescribed by Gerber. The complaint further alleged that Gerber received kickback payments from a drug manufacturer as part of a scheme to unlawfully prescribe Subsys, a powerful opioid drug containing fentanyl, in violation of the FCA.

    “Medical professionals who knowingly facilitate the abuse of opioids violate their legal obligations,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will pursue justice against anyone who seeks to profit from unlawfully prescribing opioids.”

    “All doctors must follow the law when prescribing opioids — their patients, and the public more generally, rely on such compliance,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Gerber’s patients trusted him. But instead of safeguarding that trust, Gerber accepted payments from a drug company in exchange for prescribing dangerous, addictive drugs and wrote thousands of prescriptions that were not for a legitimate medical purpose. Our office will use all available tools — civil and criminal — to fight the opioid epidemic and protect patients and their families so that doctors like Gerber do not profit from abusing our healthcare system.” 

    “Dr. Gerber betrayed the trust placed in him and willfully violated his oath to protect the public and the provisions of the Controlled Substance Act,” said Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s Detroit Field Division. “His reckless behavior contributed to the opioid crisis gripping the nation and brought suffering to many communities in northern Ohio. This ruling will hopefully deter other medical practitioners who are inclined to put profit over patient health and safety.”

    “Health care professionals who exploit opioid addiction for financial gain do so at the risk of endangering their patients and undermining critical public health efforts to address the opioid epidemic,” said Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of Investigations of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to work to ensure that bad actors are held accountable for such schemes in order to protect both patients and taxpayers.”

    “Ignoring the law by distributing prescriptions to opioids for illicit profit harms the communities that physicians are meant to help,” said Executive Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch. “The FBI is glad that Gerber will not be able to prescribe controlled substances ever again.”

    Gerber agreed to a consent judgment to settle the allegations in the complaint. The order entered by the court permanently prohibits Gerber from prescribing opioids or other controlled substances, permanently prohibits him from managing, owning or controlling any entity that dispenses controlled substances and requires Gerber to pay approximately $4.7 million under the FCA. Gerber was also sentenced in March to 42 months in prison and one year of home confinement in a related criminal case brought by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

    U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick entered the judgment and permanent injunction in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. In August 2018, Judge Helmick issued a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction prohibiting Gerber from prescribing opioids or other controlled substances.

    The DEA, FBI, HHS-OIG, Ohio Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy and State Medical Board of Ohio investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Fitzgerald and Angelita Cruz Bridges for the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Scott B. Dahlquist of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch handled the case.

    The claims made in the complaint are allegations that the United States would need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence if the case proceeded to trial.

    View Consent Decree

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mum paid daughter almost £200,000 in company money from failing Scottish machinery parts firm

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Mum paid daughter almost £200,000 in company money from failing Scottish machinery parts firm

    The company owed hundreds of thousands of pounds to creditors at the time

    • Mother and daughter Hazel Lamont and Nicola Murray decided to wind-up their Scotparts UK Ltd. company in 2023 as it was insolvent 

    • However, Lamont paid her daughter almost £200,000 in company money in the days following their decision to cease trading 

    • More than £300,000 had been paid into Scotparts’ bank account in the days before their decision to shut the company down

    A Scottish mother paid nearly £200,000 to her daughter using funds due to a supplier just days after they decided their company was insolvent and would cease trading. 

    Hazel Lamont, 74, and her daughter Nicola Murray, 54, were directors of Scotparts UK Ltd., which was described on Companies House as being involved in the sale of machinery, industrial equipment, ships and aircraft. 

    The company, which had been trading since March 2006, was in financial trouble by October 2023 and both Lamont and Murray jointly decided Scotparts should stop trading due to debts it was unable to pay. 

    However, just two days earlier, the company received more than £300,000 from a customer. 

    Within one week of this payment, Lamont gave Murray £194,400 knowing that the company was insolvent and owed money to creditors. 

    Further amounts totalling £148,144 were paid by the pair to two connected companies during the same period. 

    Lamont, of Elliston Road, Howwood, Renfrewshire, and Murray, of Manse Road, Motherwell, have been banned as a directors for the next nine years. 

    Scotparts owed more than £900,000 when it went into liquidation in January 2024. 

    Mike Smith, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: 

    Hazel Lamont and Nicola Murray knew, or at the very least, ought to have known that their company had significant liabilities to creditors. 

    Despite knowing the perilous financial state of their company, Lamont paid £194,400 to her daughter. This was not her money – it was company money which should have been paid to customers and suppliers. 

    The pair also transferred money to two connected companies, again depriving creditors of these funds. 

    Lamont and Murray have now been banned as company directors until May 2034 following our investigations into their misconduct.

    Scotparts received £301,543 from a customer during the period of 18 and 19 October 2023. 

    The company also owed another creditor – a manufacturer of goods – £362,585 in outstanding invoices. 

    Lamont and Murray decided that Scotparts would cease trading on 20 October. 

    However, between that date and 25 October, Scotparts paid £194,400 to Murray. 

    In the week following the pair’s decision to place the company into liquidation, £96,899 was also transferred to I&H Distribution and Scotparts UK Ltd where Murray was a director. 

    An additional £51,245 was transferred to Scotparts Holdings Ltd, which listed Lamont as one of its directors. 

    No refunds or payments were made to either the buyer of goods or the manufacturer. 

    Six creditors submitted claims with a total of £916,899 when Scotparts went into liquidation. 

    The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted disqualification undertakings from Lamont and Murray, and their bans started on Tuesday 20 May and Friday 23 May respectively. 

    The undertakings prevent them from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

    Further information

    • Hazel Lamont is of Elliston Road, Howwood, Renfrewshire. Her date of birth is 13 August 1950 

    • Nicola Murray is of Manse Road, Motherwell. Her date of birth is 27 August 1970 

    • Scotparts UK Ltd. (company number SC298273) 

    • Individuals subject to a disqualification order or undertaking are bound by a range of restrictions  

    • Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct.

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    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fraud Charges Added Against Health Care Staffing Executive in Las Vegas

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS – A federal grand jury in Las Vegas returned a superseding indictment yesterday charging a health care staffing executive with conspiring to fix the wages of Las Vegas nurses — and then fraudulently concealing that conspiracy and the government’s investigation so that he could sell his company for over $10 million.

    According to the six-count felony indictment, Eduardo Lopez, of Las Vegas, held executive positions at three different home health agencies. For each company, Lopez oversaw recruitment, hiring, retention and assignments of nurses and other health care staff. Count one of the superseding indictment charges Lopez and other unnamed co-conspirators with agreeing to suppress and eliminate competition for the services of nurses between March 2016 and May 2019.

    Counts two through six of the superseding indictment charge Lopez with wire fraud. According to the indictment, in December 2021, Lopez sold his health care staffing company for over $10 million and falsely represented to the buyer of his company that federal law enforcement was not investigating him or his company. But, according to court documents, Lopez knew that was false. FBI special agents had questioned Lopez, served Lopez with a grand jury subpoena addressed to his company and seized his cell phone pursuant to a search warrant.

    “Wage fixing hurts workers,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will aggressively investigate and prosecute wage-fixing conspiracies and any fraudulent conduct aimed at keeping the illicit profits of such conspiracies.”

    “Today’s superseding indictment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to enforce federal antitrust laws and to ensure workers have an opportunity to compete for employment in a fair marketplace,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “We will continue to work with the Antitrust Division and our law enforcement partners to protect the right of workers to earn a fair wage, and to root out wrongdoers who commit unlawful anticompetitive conduct.”

    “The FBI and its partners will not tolerate the illicit practice of fixing wages,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “As today’s indictment shows, we will continue to pursue anyone engaging in fraudulent activity and combat any attempts made to evade the consequences of those actions.”

    A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals and a maximum penalty of a $100 million fine for corporations. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum. A violation of the wire fraud statute carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and the FBI’s International Corruption Unit investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.

    The charges in this case were brought in connection with the Antitrust Division’s ongoing commitment to prosecute anticompetitive conduct affecting American labor markets. Anyone with information on market allocation or price fixing by employers should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Assistant Dean Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Million-Dollar Embezzlement From Essex County Graduate School

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – A former assistant dean of an Essex County graduate school was sentenced yesterday to 36 months in prison for defrauding her former employer of more than $1.3 million, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Teresina DeAlmeida, 59, of Warren, New Jersey and her co-conspirators, Rose Martins, 44, of East Hanover, New Jersey, and Silvia Cardoso, 61, of Warren, NJ, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals in Newark federal court.

    “The defendant abused her position of trust as an assistant dean to orchestrate an elaborate embezzlement scheme for more than a decade. In doing so, she and her co-conspirators stole more than $1.3 million intended to benefit the school and its students.  My office is committed to relentlessly prosecuting those who commit financial frauds.”

    U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger

    “By choosing to utilize her position for illicit profit, Teresina DeAlmeida chose to enrich herself first and serve the students of the University last,” stated Jenifer L. Piovesan, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office. “Financial fraud like this will not be tolerated and IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out and investigate these financial crimes.”

    “Trust is an intangible thing, a faith that people who have access to large sums of money won’t steal it. DeAlmeida took funds meant for students at the university and did so for more than a decade,” FBI Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Nelson I. Delgado said. “Students and most average citizens cannot see into finances of institutions, to question where it’s going and why it’s missing. The FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners have the tools to investigate wrongdoing and hold accountable those who don’t think anyone will notice $1.3 million is missing.”

    “I am proud of the contribution of OIG Special Agents in holding former Assistant Dean DeAlmeida accountable for her criminal actions. Her willful diversion and theft of funds that were intended for the school and its students was completely unacceptable,” said John Carlo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Regional Office.  “The OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of Federal education funds.”

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    Between 2009 and July 2022, DeAlmeida, Martins, and Cardoso conspired to fraudulently misappropriate more than $1.3 million from their former employer, a graduate school of a university in Essex County, New Jersey.  During the scheme, DeAlmeida was an assistant dean responsible for financial functions, and Martins served as her assistant.  Cardoso, DeAlmeida’s sister, was also employed by the graduate school in a support staff role.  

    The defendants used a variety of methods to defraud the university.  For instance:

    •    Beginning in 2009, DeAlmeida directed a graduate school vendor to pay Martins and Cardoso as though they worked for the vendor, even though they did not perform any services.  DeAlmeida and Martins then caused the vendor to submit false invoices to the graduate school over the course of approximately four years to reimburse the vendor for the amounts fraudulently paid to Martins and Cardoso.  

    •    From 2010 through 2022, DeAlmeida and Martins directed graduate school vendors to order hundreds of thousands of dollars of gift cards and prepaid debit cards the co-conspirators used for their personal benefit, and then to submit fraudulent invoices to the school purporting to be for goods and services that were never provided.  The co-conspirators also misused DeAlmeida’s school-issued credit card to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars of gift cards and prepaid debit cards from the school’s bookstore.  DeAlmeida routinely fraudulently approved these charges and Martins forged the signatures of other employees on internal approvals.

    •    In 2015, Martins opened a shell entity called CMS Content Management Specialist LLC.  Although CMS never rendered any services to the graduate school, Martins submitted, and DeAlmeida approved, fraudulent invoices totaling more than $208,000.  

    •    The co-conspirators also used DeAlmeida’s school-issued credit card to make tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized personal purchases.  For example, DeAlmeida and Martins used the card to make over $70,000 in purchases at an online retailer shipped directly to their homes, including woman’s shoes, smart watches, and bed linens.  DeAlmeida and Martins fraudulently altered certain receipts before submitting them to the school for payment.  

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Neals sentenced DeAlmeida to 2 years of supervised release and ordered restitution of approximately $1,397,000.  

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Internal Revenue Services, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark; special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark; and special agents of the Department of Education, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge John Carlo with the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Silane and Aja Espinosa of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mercer County Man Charged with Multiple Armed Robberies of Business Owners and Causing the Death of One Victim Through Use of a Firearm

    Source: US FBI

    TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County man made an initial appearance on charges of three armed robberies of Trenton-area businesses, including one during which the man caused the death of a victim through use of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Paul X. McNeil, 38, of Trenton, was charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, three counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of murder during and in relation to a crime of violence, one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. McNeil made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    McNeil targeted certain local businesses and/or business owners based upon the victims’ access to the businesses’ cash proceeds. On September 30, 2022, as an employee of an auto recycling shop in Ewing, New Jersey, was in the process of collecting the shop’s cash proceeds, McNeil and a coconspirator entered the shop. McNeil pointed a firearm at the employee before he and the coconspirator took from the employee approximately $150,000 of the shop’s cash proceeds and the employee’s lawfully registered firearm. Later that day, McNeil purchased a new car, paying $9,500 in a down payment, comprised of ninety-five $100 bills.

    On August 10, 2023, McNeil followed the owner of a Trenton cannabis shop from the shop to the owner’s residence in Lawrence Township. Moments after the cannabis shop owner entered the residence, McNeil followed the owner into the residence and robbed the owner of the cannabis shop’s cash proceeds which the owner had carried into the residence. As overheard by the cannabis owner’s spouse, who was in the residence, the owner stated to McNeil, “No, no, no … please, here, you can have it,” moments before McNeil shot and killed the owner with a firearm. In addition to taking from the owner the cannabis shop’s cash proceeds, McNeil also took from the owner jewelry the owner was wearing at the time of the robbery. Photographs recovered from McNeil’s cellphone depict McNeil wearing the owner’s jewelry, which was recovered later from McNeil’s vehicle.

    On September 23, 2023, McNeil entered the Ewing residence of an owner of a Trenton-area house-flipping business. Upon entering the residence, McNeil encountered three victims, including two minors. The owner of the business was not in the residence at the time.  McNeil pointed a handgun at the three victims and demanded money. McNeil then bound the victims’ hands behind their backs with zip ties and forced them at gunpoint into the basement, while he searched the residence. McNeil took approximately $4,500 in cash proceeds from the house- flipping business as well as some personal items belonging to the business owner and the three victims. Law enforcement later recovered from McNeil’s residence approximately $4,000 in cash and some of the personal items belonging to the business’s owner and the three victims.

    “These charges allege that the defendant targeted several local business owners for robbery and murdered one of them. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, together with its federal and local law enforcement partners, will spare no effort to investigate and prosecute violent offenders who target the businesses and residents of New Jersey.” 

    U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger 

    “We allege McNeil went into a Ewing business, held it up at gun point, and while the owner was attempting to hand over money McNeil shot and killed him. We also have evidence showing he also took part in several other brutal attacks and robberies. Violent offenders should take this investigation as a warning that the FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners are pursuing criminals who believe they can act with impunity and not face justice,” Acting SAC Nelson I. Delgado said.

    The count of murder during and in relation to a crime of violence is punishable by death, or a term of imprisonment up to life. The counts of Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison.  The brandishing and discharging of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, where the brandishing count has a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years in prison and the discharging count has a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 year in prison, which sentences must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed. Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting SAC Nelson I. Delgado, members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force, under the direction of Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Theresa L. Hilton, and detectives with the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief Albert Rhodes, with the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew and Special Assistant Laura Sunyak of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

    The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    24-447

    Defense counsel: Benjamin West, Esq.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Syracuse Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm Crimes

    Source: US FBI

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Anthony Beverly, age 34, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 84 months in federal prison following his convictions for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person (convicted felon).

    United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Joseph L. Cecile, Chief of the Syracuse Police Department (SPD), made the announcement.

    As part of his previous guilty plea, Beverly admitted that on October 26, 2023, he knowingly possessed in his Onondaga County apartment three pistols, extended ammunition magazines, and approximately 615 rounds of ammunition of various calibers. Beverly further admitted that when he possessed the firearms and ammunition, he knew that he had previously been convicted of a felony. Specifically, in 2015 he was sentenced in Onondaga County Court to 2 to 6 years’ imprisonment as a result of his conviction of possession of a forged instrument in the first degree. Beverly further admitted that in his apartment he possessed various controlled substances which he intended to distribute to others, including cocaine base, powder cocaine, N,N-Dimethylpentylone (sold as “molly”), fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

    Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release to follow his term of imprisonment.

    The FBI and Syracuse Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie prosecuted the case as 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Baldwinsville Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Distribution and Receipt of Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    Kenneth Koegel, Jr. Has a Prior Conviction for Sexual Abuse in the 1st Degree Involving a 6-Year-Old

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Kenneth Koegel, Jr., age 40, of Baldwinsville, New York pled guilty today to seven (7) counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, one count of Commission of a Felony Offense Involving a Minor by a Registered Sex Offender, one count of Distribution of Child Pornography, and one count of Receipt of Child Pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the announcement.

    As part of his guilty plea today, Koegel admitted that he was previously convicted in 2004 in Monroe County (New York) Court of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree for exposing his penis to a 6-year-old girl in a public park and touching her vagina with his hand, and that he was required to register as a sex offender because of that conviction. He further admitted that starting in or about 2014 and continuing until October 2022, he sexually abused a girl from the time she was approximately 2 years old until she was approximately 9 years old. During that time, Koegel created numerous sexually explicit images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of his victim, including Koegel subjecting her to multiple sex acts. He also used a social messaging application to distribute the material he produced to someone else, with whom he also traded thousands of other child pornography files.

    Sentencing is scheduled for March 5, 2025, before United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. If the Court accepts the parties’ agreed-upon disposition, Koegel will be sentenced to serve between 35 and 50-years imprisonment, with a lifetime term of supervised release to follow. Koegel also will have to pay restitution to the victim of his exploitation and to the victims in whose depictions he trafficked. He also will continue to be required to register as a sex offender upon release.

    The case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force – comprised of FBI Special Agents, and state and local police investigators, including from the New York State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael D. Gadarian and Adrian S. LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Childhood.

    Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rapids Theatre Owner and Associate Named in Superseding Indictment for Defrauding the Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Paycheck Protection Programs Out of More Than $750,000

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging John L. Hutchins, 70, of Lewiston, NY, and Roberto Soliman, 40, of Niagara Falls, NY, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, bank fraud, and wire fraud. In addition, defendant Hutchins is charged with making a false statement and defendant Soliman is charged with engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived property. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Bonanno and Douglas A. C. Penrose, who is handling the case, stated that the superseding indictment charges Hutchins and Soliman with filing fraudulent loan applications under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG). The loans available for these programs were designed to provide emergency financial assistance pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES Act). The defendants applied for loans under the following companies owned by defendant Hutchins:

    •              Rapids Theatre Niagara Falls, USA, Inc.

    •              1711 Main, LLC

    •              Bear Creek Entertainment, LLC

    •              Hutch Enterprises, LLC

    •              The Hutchins Agency, LLC

    •              CWE Entertainment, Corp. (owned by defendant Soliman)

    Between March and August 2020, Hutchins and Soliman received four Economic Injury Disaster Loans totaling $749,500.00. In support of each of the loans, Hutchins and Soliman submitted false revenue and expense figures for the businesses on the loan applications. Hutchins and Soliman used the loan funding for their own personal expenses, such as payments for residential properties in North Tonawanda, NY, and Lewiston, NY, a 2020 BMW, a 2020 Cadillac, homeowner association fees on a Florida condominium, and payments to relatives.

    In addition, Hutchins and Soliman applied for and received two Paycheck Protection Program loans totaling $115,978.

    In November 2020, Hutchins is accused of making a false statement to a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and to an Investigator of the United States Attorney’s Office, falsely denying applying for, or authorizing anyone to apply for, any Economic Injury Disaster Loans or Paycheck Protection Program loans, with the possible exception of one PPP loan for Rapids Theater.

    Soliman is also accused of engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived property for using the fraudulent loan proceeds to pay personal expenses.

    The superseding indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Fattorusso, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Rose Brophy, Director of Field Operations, and the New York State Office of Professional Discipline. 

    The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.  

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    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lackawanna Man Pleads Guilty to His Role in Kidnapping Conspiracy Attempting to Force Sister to Marry in Yemen

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Waleed Abughanem, 32, of Lackawanna, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to misprision of felony, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles M. Kruly and Maeve E. Huggins, who are handling the case, stated that Abughanem is the son of Khaled Abughanem and the brother of Adham Abughanem. Waleed Abughanem has several other siblings, including an adult sister (Victim). On September 1, 2021, the Victim traveled from Lackawanna to Guadalajara, Mexico, to temporarily stay with her fiancé, whom she had known for several years. The Victim did so out of fear that family members would require her to enter into a non-consensual arranged marriage. Khaled and Adham Abughanem, and the Victim’s  mother traveled to Guadalajara, and told the Victim that she would be allowed to marry her fiancé if she returned to the United States, which the Victim agreed to do. Waleed Abughanem knew that Khaled and Adham Abughanem did not intend to allow the Victim to marry her fiancé after she returned to the United States.

    After the Victim returned to the United States, Khaled, Adham, and Waleed Abughanem restricted her freedom of movement and forced her to stay in the Abughanem family’s Lackawanna residence for several weeks in September and October 2021. In October 2021, Khaled and Adham tricked the Victim into thinking that she would be permitted to marry her fiancé if she traveled with Khaled and Adham Abughanem, and other family members to Egypt, and later to Yemen. Waleed Abughanem drove the Victim and other family members to an airport in Cleveland, Ohio, for the purpose of traveling to Egypt. Khaled and Adham Abughanem intended to find a man for the Victim to enter into a non-consensual arranged marriage, which Waleed Abughanem was aware of.

    The Victim was held involuntarily in Cairo, Egypt and then in Sana’a, Yemen, from October 2021 until April 6, 2023. During this time, she did not have free access to her United States passport, and, as an unmarried woman, the Victim was not permitted to freely travel or leave Yemen without the approval of family members. Waleed Abughanem knew the Victim was being held involuntarily, and during some of this period, he was present in Yemen. When he was not present in Yemen, Waleed Abughanem instructed his wife to monitor and supervise the Victim. In December 2022, Waleed Abughanem traveled from Yemen to the United States. When questioned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as to the whereabouts of his siblings, Waleed Abughanem told the CBP Officer that the Victim was in the United States. By making a false statement, Waleed Abughanem concealed that the Victim had been kidnapped and was being involuntarily held in Yemen.

    Charges remain pending against Khaled and Adham Abughanem. They are scheduled to go to trial in October, 2024.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, under the direction of Diplomatic Security Director Carlos Matus and Deputy Assistant Secretary Paul Houston. Additional assistance was provided by the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Packard, Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and CPB in Boston, Massachusetts.

    Sentencing is scheduled for January 24, 2025, before Judge Sinatra.

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    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Carolina Woman Pleads Guilty to $1.7 Million Embezzlement Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Kristin Turney, 54, of Catawba, South Carolina, pleaded guilty in federal court today to wire fraud for embezzling more than $1.7 million from her employer, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents, from 2016 to 2023, Turney executed a scheme to defraud her employer, a Charlotte-based company, by embezzling more than $1.7 million. Turney was in charge of the company’s financial matters, including bank accounts, payroll, accounts payables and receivables, and tax filings. As part of the scheme, Turney misused her access and control over the company’s bank accounts and books and records to write company checks to herself without proper approval or authorization and then deposited the checks into bank accounts under her control. As a result, Turney caused at least 1,000 fraudulent and unauthorized deposits totaling more than $1.7 million to be made from the bank account of the victim company to Turney’s bank account. Turney then covered up the fraud by, among other things, making false accounting entries in the company’s books and records, providing false information to the company’s tax return preparer, and giving false information to the company’s owner and employees. Turney generally spent the embezzled funds to pay for personal expenses, that included hundreds of thousands of dollars in shopping trips, car payments, mortgage payments, tuition payments, and vacation expenses.

    The wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI for their investigation of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mooresville Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Multimillion-Dollar Investment Scheme and COVID-19 Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Steven Andiloro, 53, of Mooresville, N.C., pleaded guilty today to securities fraud and wire fraud for orchestrating a multimillion-dollar investment fraud scheme and fraudulently obtaining more than $2.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Jason Byrnes, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina, and Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Inspector General of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

    According to the plea agreement and documents filed in the case, from 2018 to 2021, Andiloro operated an investment fraud scheme and induced victims to invest money in businesses that were both real and fictitious, by making false representations about where and how the money would be invested. For example, some of Andiloro’s victims were told their money would be invested into his car service business. Other victims believed their money would be invested into a non-existent marijuana dispensary business. Contrary to representations made to victims, Andiloro did not invest the money as promised. Instead, Andiloro used the funds to pay for personal expenses and to make Ponzi-style payments to other investors.

    In addition to the investment scheme, Andiloro also engaged in COVID-19 fraud. Court records show that, from April 2020 to March 2021, Andiloro obtained funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) by submitting fraudulent applications for disaster relief loans intended for businesses that suffered economic hardship due to the pandemic. To obtain the PPP funds, Andiloro submitted applications that contained false financial information about his businesses, including fake employment data and inflated revenues, costs, and payroll expenses. Andiloro received more than $2.6 million in disaster relief funds, which he used to fund his personal lifestyle and to make payments in furtherance of the investment fraud scheme.

    Andiloro was released on bond. The securities fraud and the wire fraud offense each carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. A sentencing date has not been set.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, and the SBA-OIG for the investigation which led to the charges.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Graham Billings and Katherine Armstrong with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Charlotte Man is Sentenced to Prison for Robbing a Convenience Store at Gunpoint

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jonah Terrell Bryant, 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for the armed robbery of a local convenience store, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents and information presented at court hearings, on August 18, 2022, at approximately 6:19 a.m., CMPD officers were dispatched to an armed robbery call at the Circle K convenience store located at 10000 N. Tryon Street, in Charlotte. The store clerk had called 911 to report the crime. When CMPD officers arrived at the scene, they spoke with the store clerk who said that the robber had walked up to the counter and asked to buy a cigar. When the store clerk put the cigar on the counter and rang up the sale, the robber pointed a firearm at the clerk and demanded money.  The store clerk told the robber that he didn’t have access to the safe. The robber then ordered the store clerk to open the drawer and proceeded to come around the counter and grab the money that was in the register.

    According to filed court documents, during the investigation, law enforcement used video surveillance footage to identify Bryant’s white Dodge Charger and a fingerprint recovered from the scene to determine the robber’s identity. CMPD officers arrested Bryant on August 26, 2022, while he was driving the white Dodge Charger. In the front center console of the vehicle, law enforcement found a black 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a round in the chamber and rounds in the attached magazine.

    On October 26, 2023, Bryant pleaded guilty to possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Bryant is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    The FBI and CMPD investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

     

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Charlotte Men Are Sentenced to Prison for Bank Robbery and Third Defendant Has Pleaded Guilty

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Charlotte men were sentenced to prison today on bank robbery charges, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Sherrod Davidson, Jr., 33, was sentenced to 139 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Rashad Jackson, 44, was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. A third individual, Dominique Duggins, 33, has pleaded guilty for his role in the robbery and is awaiting sentencing.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents and court proceedings, on September 9, 2020, two Garda World Cash Services employees were servicing a Bank of America ATM machine in Charlotte. Davidson, Jackson, and Duggins were sitting in a parked vehicle on a hill overlooking the ATM. Duggins and Davidson exited the vehicle while Jackson stayed behind as the getaway driver. Surveillance video recovered during the investigation shows Duggins approach the first employee who was standing at the ATM machine servicing it. Duggins put a gun to the employee’s back and forced him to the ground, while Davidson approached the Garda van where the other employee was refilling the ATM cassettes with cash. Davidson pointed a gun at the second employee and grabbed multiple bags of cash. Duggins and Davidson returned to the getaway vehicle and fled the scene. Over the course of the investigation, Duggins was identified as one of the three suspects. Duggins had worked from June to July 2020 at Garda World Cash Services before he was fired. Investigators later identified Davidson and Jackson as the other two accomplices.

    On April 29, 2022, Duggins pleaded guilty to bank robbery. On June 28, 2024, Davidson pleaded guilty to bank robbery and aiding and abetting, and Jackson pleaded guilty to possession and brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence.

    Davidson and Jackson are in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. A sentencing date for Duggins has not been set.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Boykin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Centerville Man Who Made Online Threats to Commit School Shooting Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Possessing Machine Gun

    Source: US FBI

    DAYTON, Ohio – A Centerville, Ohio, man was sentenced in federal court here today to 72 months in prison for possessing a machine gun. The defendant used an uzi-style weapon during a YouTube video in which he threatens to commit a mass shooting at a California school.

    The Court imposed an upward variance from the sentencing guidelines in the sentence imposed today against Alex Jaques, 23.

    According to court documents, on Nov. 15, 2022, the FBI National Threat Operations Center received a tip about a video Jaques posted on YouTube.

    In the video, Jaques uses multiple firearms to shoot a Chromebook computer and threatens to attack Washington Middle School in Salinas, California. The Chromebook has a Washington Middle School sticker affixed to it.

    Before shooting the computer, Jaques stabs it multiple times with a screwdriver and uses a power drill on it. The video shows an uzi-style weapon being discharged in rapid succession and multiple shots fired from a rifle-style weapon.

    Law enforcement communicated with school officials in Salinas, California, and discovered that Jaques had been a student at a school within the same county. Jaques says in the video that he plans to return to the area to “fill out my list of duties” and has kept “names and addresses of people who have wronged me.” Just before shooting the computer, Jaques says, “yeah okay so Washington Middle School you are next.”

    Other videos on Jaques’s YouTube page depict the defendant driving while shooting a pistol at street signs.

    Jaques also commented publicly on a YouTube video of family members of the mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida in which 17 people were killed. Jaques commented “Bullies families get their final day in court” and “I will do my own parkland.”

    While executing a search warrant on Jaques’s residence, vehicle and person, FBI agents seized eight firearms, including an uzi-style weapon, hand grenades and other explosives equipment.

    Jaques was arrested in November 2022. He pleaded guilty to a superseding bill of information in March 2023.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Christina Mahy and Nicholas Dingeldein are representing the United States in this case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Business Partner of Former Cincinnati City Councilman Sentenced to Prison for Serving as Middleman in Bribery Schemes

    Source: US FBI

    CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man who served as a middleman for a former city councilman’s bribery schemes was sentenced in federal court here today to 12 months and one day in prison.

    Tyran Marshall, 38, conspired with then-councilmember Jeffrey Pastor. Marshall coordinated bribery payments and “sanitized” money through a non-profit he created. He pleaded guilty in December 2023 to money laundering.

    While serving as a city councilman in fall 2018, Pastor, 40, of Cincinnati, received a $15,000 cash bribe in return for his official action to advance development projects in the city. Pastor pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud and was sentenced in December 2023 to 24 months in prison.

    According to court documents, in September 2018, Marshall and Pastor flew to Miami, Florida, on a private plane to meet with investors regarding a real estate development project. During the trip, Pastor explained he would ensure favorable action on behalf of the city for the project and could receive money through Marshall’s non-profit entity (which had been incorporated two weeks prior). Pastor discussed “compensation” and agreed to accept $15,000 for helping with the project.

    In October 2018, Marshall met with an individual to discuss getting city council votes from Pastor and return compensation for Pastor. Marshall solicited payment from the individual on more than one occasion. He accepted a check made out to his non-profit entity knowing it was in exchange for bribery.

    Marshall also participated in soliciting corrupt base salaries of $200,000 per person for him and Pastor to continue working with the investors. Their solicitations were rejected.

    Marshall and Pastor were indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2020.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Deputy Criminal Chief Emily N. Glatfelter and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew C. Singer are representing the United States in this case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armored Truck Company Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing Cash Meant for ATMs

    Source: US FBI

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – An employee of an armored truck company that delivered cash to bank branches and ATMs pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to embezzling money as a bank agent.

    Justin Eskridge, 37, of Reynoldsburg, admitted he took more than $220,000 from PNC ATMs. Eskridge was employed as an armed service technician for Loomis LLC and delivered cash for and to federally insured financial institutions. Loomis contracted with PNC Bank to transport money to various ATMs and bank branches. 

    Eskridge was employed with Loomis beginning in July 2021 and transported bags of money by armored vehicle to various PNC branches and ATMs. The thefts began around Dec. 14, 2022, and continued through Jan. 9, 2023.

    PNC bank tellers reported shortages totaling approximately $226,000 cash when they balanced the residual amounts on certain ATMs. An investigation by Loomis identified Eskridge as the technician servicing that route.

    Eskridge eventually admitted to Loomis that he had taken the money and led Loomis to recover approximately $144,000 cash hidden in his car. As part of his plea, he will pay the remaining balance to Loomis.

    Theft or embezzlement by a bank employee or agent is a federal crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Damoun Delaviz is representing the United States in this case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Longtime Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Stealing Nearly $1 Million in Campaign Funds

    Source: US FBI

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man who served as a campaign treasurer for more than 100 candidates since the 1980s pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud related to stealing nearly $1 million in campaign funds.

    William Curlis, 76, was charged by a bill of information in April 2024. He pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud.

    According to the court documents, from 2008 until June 2023, Curlis defrauded candidates of approximately $995,231 of campaign funds.

    As part of his plea, Curlis admitted that he wrote checks from the bank accounts of certain candidates and one PAC to himself for personal use. The defendant transferred funds between campaign accounts without candidates’ knowledge to conceal the deficit he created.

    For example, from 2000 to 2023, Curlis was the primary signatory on at least 111 bank accounts, and of those, he was the only signatory on 108 accounts.

    Curlis wrote at least 179 checks to himself from campaign accounts belonging to 18 different candidates and one PAC.

    Curlis sold his home in 2016 to cover the cost of campaign expenses, including campaign media costs and account balances, to prevent the discovery of his theft.

    Wire fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. As part of his plea, Curlis will pay $995,231 in restitution.

    U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker, FBI Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the guilty plea offered on May 8 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King.

    This case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes agents and officers from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), Columbus Division of Police and Ohio Auditor’s Office. The Ohio Secretary of State’s office was also an integral part of the investigation.

    Deputy Criminal Chief Jessica W. Knight is representing the United States in this case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Columbus Vice Detective Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Depriving Victims’ Civil Rights, Obstructing Justice

    Source: US FBI

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Columbus vice detective was sentenced in federal court today to 132 months in prison for crimes related to kidnapping victims under the guise of an arrest.

    Andrew K. Mitchell, 60, of Sunbury, pleaded guilty in December 2023 to two counts of depriving individuals of their civil rights while acting under color of law and one count of obstructing justice.

    Mitchell was employed by the Columbus Division of Police from 1988 until 2019 and was assigned to the vice unit from 2017 until 2019. As part of his duties in that role, Mitchell conducted law enforcement actions for solicitation offenses.

    “As a member of the vice unit and a long-serving police officer, Mitchell was well aware of the special vulnerabilities of the sex workers and often drug addicted females with which he came into contact,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Instead of helping them seek refuge, Mitchell was the type of predator who purposely targeted these women. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is dedicated to upholding the community’s work to connect victimized women to services and to prosecuting those who prey on vulnerable victims, no matter who they are.”

    According to court documents, in July 2017, Mitchell picked up a sex worker who was working in the Hilltop near Sullivant and Whitethorne avenues. Mitchell was in plain clothes and an unmarked black sedan. He told the victim he was a police officer and acted as if he were doing a check for any outstanding warrants on the victim.

    Mitchell used this ruse to handcuff the victim to the doorknob of his vehicle. He drove the victim to a nearby parking lot with multiple dumpsters and forcible held and detained the victim against her will before dropping her off at her boyfriend’s residence.

    Similarly, in September 2017, Mitchell picked up a second sex worker in the Hilltop. Mitchell was again in plain clothes and was driving a dark SUV. He began discussing the victim’s rates for sexual activity before announcing that he was an officer with the vice unit and said she was going to jail.

    Mitchell kidnapped the victim and drove her to Lindbergh Park, holding her against her will.

    Mitchell was also sentenced today for obstructing justice. Specifically, during the federal investigation into Mitchell’s civil rights crimes, he directed several individuals to assist him in cleaning out one of the rental properties he owned, located on Denune Ave. The individuals disposed of evidence including photos, clothing, bedding and rental records, and used bleach extensively in the apartment to clean a bed, couch, ottoman and floor.

    Mitchell was charged federally and arrested in March 2019.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025
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