NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Allegedly Attempted to Smuggle Over 135 Pounds of Illicit Drugs Through Eagle Pass, Indicted for 12 Counts

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DEL RIO, Texas – A federal grand jury in Del Rio returned an indictment today charging a Mexican national with 12 counts for allegedly attempting to transport more than 95 pounds of cocaine, 26 pounds of methamphetamine and 14 pounds of heroin into the United States.

    According to court documents, Wara America Castanon Campos, 39, attempted to enter the U.S. through the Eagle Pass Port of Entry on May 1. She was referred during a Customs and Border Protection inspection to an x-ray scan, during which officers allegedly discovered anomalies in the rear of the vehicle. Further inspection allegedly revealed a total of 56 packages concealed in hidden compartments in the rear floorboard area, the vehicle’s rear quarter panels, and the spare tire of the vehicle. The packages allegedly contained three separate substances that tested positive for heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine. Castanon Campos was arrested and initially charged with importing a controlled substance.

    Castanon Campos is now charged in an indictment with four counts related to cocaine trafficking, four counts related to heroin trafficking, and four counts related to meth trafficking. She made her initial court appearance May 2 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Cordova of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. If convicted, she faces 10 years to life in prison for each count, a maximum fine of $10 million and at least five years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Kass is prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal alien serial felon sent to prison for third unlawful reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 44-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history and multiple prior removals has been sentenced once again for illegally reentering the United States without permission, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Juan Humberto Lara Molina pleaded guilty Feb. 13.

    U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Molina to serve 24 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In imposing the sentence, the court noted that his criminal history raises serious concerns, stating that if he kept coming back, he would be spending much more time in prison.

    Molina has a lengthy drug, weapons and immigration criminal history including two other illegal reentry convictions, one in 2007 and another in 2015. He was also convicted of dealing cocaine in Indiana and unlawful sale of firearms in Illinois. He has also been previously ordered removed from the United States on multiple occasions.

    Authorities removed Molina most recently in November 2021. However, law enforcement discovered him at the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint Dec. 12, 2024. He was one of seven individuals being transported farther north by human smugglers in a tractor-trailer.

    Molina will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Young Min C. Burkett prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Albanian National and American Wife Charged with Making False Statements and Marriage Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CAMDEN, N.J. – An Albanian national was charged with marriage fraud, and he and his wife, an American citizen, were both charged with making false statements on forms submitted to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Elvis Harizaj, 25, of Cherry Hill, and Natasha Flores, 27, of Newark, were both charged with making false statements to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”).

    According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in Court:

    Harizaj is a citizen of Albania and entered into a sham marriage with Flores for the purpose of obtaining permanent residence in the United States.  On forms submitted to USCIS, Harizaj falsely stated that he lived with Flores and Flores falsely stated that she had never been married before.  Flores, in fact, had previously been married to a Brazilian national who obtained U.S. citizenship based on his marriage to Flores. In addition, Harizaj was charged with marriage fraud.

    The counts of false statements and marriage fraud both have a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane in Camden.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Illinois Man Sentenced for Immigration Crime

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BECKLEY, W.Va. – Joseph Sanchez, 33, of Fairbury, Illinois, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation, including six months on home detention, for participating in an immigration marriage fraud conspiracy.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in or around August 2021, Sanchez was living in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. A foreign national who worked at a convenience store near Sanchez’s residence offered to pay Sanchez if he found a woman willing to marry the foreign national so he could obtain lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as a Green Card. Sanchez ultimately agreed to the request in exchange for $10,000 in cash. The understanding was that $5,000 would be paid upon the marriage being final, and another $5,000 would be paid once the foreign national received his Green Card.

    Sanchez arranged to have his sister-in-law marry the foreign national. Sanchez told his sister-in-law about the purpose of the arrangement and the financial benefits associated with it. The sister-in-law had only occasionally interacted with the foreign national, as a customer at his convenience store. The sister-in-law and Sanchez had no social connections to the foreign national beyond frequenting the convenience store.

    In September 2021, Sanchez’s sister-in-law and the foreign national were married in White Sulphur Springs. In March 2023, Sanchez traveled with the sister-in-law and the foreign national to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the trip was for the sister-in-law and the foreign national to attend an interview with U.S. immigration officials to trick those officials into believing the marriage was entered into in good faith and that the relationship between the sister-in-law and the foreign national was genuine. The scheme was unsuccessful, and the foreign national’s application was denied.

    The foreign national, Aakash Prakash Makwana, pleaded guilty on May 14, 2025, to aggravated identity theft. Makwana, 29, a citizen of India unlawfully residing in Ronceverte, admitted that he included the name and signature of a residential property manager without the individual’s authorization when he falsified a lease agreement as part of the marriage fraud scheme. Makwana is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2025.

    The sister-in-law, Kalee Ann Huff, pleaded guilty on February 20, 2025, to marriage fraud and perjury. Huff, 28, now living in Fairbury, Illinois, admitted to her role in the marriage fraud scheme and to testifying falsely before a federal grand jury about material facts relating to the government’s investigation. Huff is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2025.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

    Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-198.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Bronx, Ny., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to bank fraud involving a scheme to obtain fraudulent automobile loans using stolen identities.

    Theo D. Cooke, 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to one count of bank fraud.

    According to court documents, Cooke submitted applications online for automobile loans from local financial institutions.  To complete the loan applications, Cooke used the personal information of an identity theft victim, which included the identity theft victim’s name, date of birth, and social security number.  Cooke also submitted false and fraudulent supporting documentation with the loan application which consisted of a fake Certificate of Title for the automobile purportedly being purchased, a fake pay stub in the name of the identity theft victim, and a fraudulent Missouri-Proof of Auto Insurance Card in the name of the identity theft victim.

    After the loan application was approved, Cooke visited a bank branch location where he signed a security agreement and/or a promissory note in the name of the identity theft victim.  Cooke also presented a fraudulent driver’s license with his picture, but the information of the identity theft victim to bank personnel to finalize the loan.  Through this scheme, which occurred from approximately January through May 2023, Cooke victimized multiple banks in Missouri and the victim banks paid out at least $199,000 based on Cooke’s fraudulent automobile loans.

    Under federal statutes, Cooke is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Cooper. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Charleston Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Weapon Violation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Jacob Murrell Wilson, 24, of Charleston, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    Evidence presented to the court established that on Nov.10, 2023, Charleston Police Department officers encountered Wilson while patrolling a high-crime apartment complex. The officers recognized Wilson and were aware that he had an active arrest warrant. When they attempted to approach him, Wilson immediately ran from the officers. 

    During the chase, officers observed Wilson reaching for a loaded pistol equipped with a 24-round extended magazine and an illegal machine gun conversion device – commonly known as a switch. Wilson stopped, pulled out the gun, and pointed it in the direction of the pursuing officers, then threw the firearm over a fence and continued to run.

    When officers apprehended Wilson, they found 6.8 grams of crack cocaine, 8.98 grams of cocaine, 36.35 grams of marijuana, and 187 grams of promethazine in Wilson’s possession. Officers recovered the firearm nearby.

    Wilson has a prior felony conviction for attempted armed robbery and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

    United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Wilson to 106 months imprisonment to be followed by give years of court ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

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

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Charleston Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ecuadoran National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S. after Sex Assault Conviction

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ROBERTO MUY, 35, a citizen of Ecuador, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in February 2006, Muy was admitted to the U.S. using a fraudulent visitor visa under the alias of a Peruvian citizen.  In June 2012, Muy was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court in Torrington of sexual assault of a minor in the second degree, and was sentenced to 10 years of incarceration, suspended after 15 months, and 25 years of probation.  In June 2013, Muy was removed to Ecuador.

    It is further alleged that Muy illegally reentered the U.S. and, on November 9, 2024, was arrested by the Torrington Police Department and charged with illegal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drug.  On March 18, 2025, he was sentenced in state court to two years of incarceration for violating his state probation related to his 2012 conviction, and a concurrent two days of incarceration for the 2024 motor vehicle offense.  He is currently in state custody.

    If convicted of illegal reentry, Muy faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

    U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary G. Vitale.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Men Sentenced for Role in International Human Smuggling Conspiracy that Resulted in the Deaths of a Family of Four During a January Blizzard

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – Two men were sentenced today in the District of Minnesota after being convicted at a jury trial for their roles in an international human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of four Indian nationals, including a three-year-old and 11-year-old child, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    “Every time I think about this case I think about this family—including two beautiful little children—who the defendants left to freeze to death in a blizzard,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.  “As we’ve seen time and time again, human traffickers care nothing for humanity.  I am proud of the work of our law enforcement partners in holding these defendants accountable for their unspeakable crimes.”

    “Today’s sentencing marks a crucial moment of accountability in a case that revealed the harrowing realities of human smuggling. The callous disregard for life that led to the tragic deaths of an entire family will not be forgotten,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations St. Paul Special Agent in charge Jamie Holt. “At HSI, we remain steadfast in our mission to work with out partners across borders to dismantle criminal smuggling networks, bring justice to those responsible, and safeguard human dignity.”

    Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, was sentenced to 121 months in prison for his role in a human smuggling scheme.  The Court did not impose a term of supervised release on defendant Patel, citing the likelihood that Patel will be deported following his prison sentence.  Patel’s co-conspirator, Steve Anthony Shand, 50, received a sentence of 78 months followed by 2 years of supervised release.

    Trial evidence showed that Patel and Shand were involved in a major human smuggling operation that brought Indian nationals into Canada using fake student visas then illegally moved them across the U.S.-Canada border. Patel handled the coordination of smuggling individuals from Manitoba into the United States, while Shand picked them up after they crossed into the U.S. and transported them to Chicago. Both men were paid for their participation and ignored the life-threatening risks posed by the frigid conditions at the northern border. Testimony revealed that the going rate to be smuggled from India to U.S. from Canada was around $100,000.

    During a blizzard in January 2022, Shand and Patel, working with other co-conspirators, attempted to smuggle 11 aliens into the Unites States from Canada. Due to the storm conditions that night, Shand’s van got stuck in the snow. That turn of events forced the aliens to travel on foot for approximately seven hours in minus-36-degree wind chill and severe winter weather conditions while they searched for Shand’s vehicle. Two migrants found Shand while his van was stuck; the rest did not.

    A passerby pulled Shand’s van from the ditch. Soon thereafter, a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent arrived and suspected alien smuggling. Eventually, five additional aliens were located, one of whom was suffering from hypothermia so severe she had to be airlifted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police located the bodies of a family of four, two adults and two young children, who had separated from the larger group during the night.  The family died of hypothermia. The father was found still holding his infant child wrapped in a blanket. None of the 11 migrants was dressed appropriately for the severe, cold weather conditions.

    In November 2024, a federal jury found both defendants guilty of multiple charges, including conspiracy to bring aliens to the Unites States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, conspiracy to transport aliens within the Unites States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, attempted transportation of aliens for commercial advantage or private financial gain, and aiding and abetting the attempted transportation of aliens.

    “This case is a tragic reminder of the dangers of Human Smuggling. It is a clear example of how organizations exploit people for financial gain, regardless of the risk. The victims experienced the worst-case scenario firsthand; horrific conditions, injury, and death. We’re glad the smugglers are receiving consequences, but the crimes remain inexcusable. I’m proud of our agent’s persistence and collaboration between agencies; it is a testament to our commitment to border security,” said Special Operations Supervisor Ryan Gilberg of U.S. Border Patrol.

    In imposing sentence, U.S. District Court Judge John R. Tunheim explained that “Border smuggling is a very serious problem,” one that “exploits victims.” He noted that the night this family died was one “one of the coldest nights of the winter” and that these were “very dangerous conditions.”  Judge Tunheim said that the defendants “could have done something” and it “might have made a difference”—but they did nothing.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”). The RCMP and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.

    The sentencings are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organization and protect our communities for the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota and the Department of Justice’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. Acting United States Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick represented the government at the sentencing hearings.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Wewoka Resident Sentenced to 27 Years for Second-Degree Murder and Federal Firearm Crime

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joseph Celdon Mullins, age 22, of Wewoka, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 210 months in prison for one count of Murder in Indian Country – Second Degree.  Mullins was also sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  The terms are set to be served consecutively.

    The charges arose from an investigation by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police Department, the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

    On November 6, 2024, Mullins pleaded guilty to the charges.  According to investigators on June 20, 2023, Mullins pulled a 9mm pistol during an argument with a neighbor and fired twice.  One bullet struck the victim, who died on the scene.  The crimes occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Mullins will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Men Sentenced to Prison for Role in International Human Smuggling Conspiracy that Resulted in the Death of a Family of Four

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Two men were sentenced today in the District of Minnesota after being convicted at a jury trial for their roles in an international human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of four Indian nationals, including a three-year-old and 11-year-old child, in January 2022.   

    Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, an Indian national formerly of Florida, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison for his role in the conspiracy. Patel will be removed from the United States following his sentence. His co-conspirator, Steve Anthony Shand, 50, of Florida, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at trial, Patel and Shand were part of a large-scale human-smuggling operation that brought Indian nationals to Canada on fraudulent student visas and then smuggled them into the United States across the northern border. Patel organized the logistics of smuggling aliens from Manitoba, Canada, into the United States, with other co-conspirators, and Shand picked up the aliens just south of the Canadian border in the United States and drove them to Chicago. Both men were paid for their roles in the conspiracy and disregarded the risks posed to the aliens by the cold weather at the northern border. According to evidence at trial, the going rate to be smuggled from India through Canada into the United States was $100,000.

    “Patel and Shand endangered thousands of lives for their personal enrichment and are responsible for the deaths of two small children who froze to death on their watch,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case demonstrates the grave danger associated with human smuggling operations. I thank the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners in the U.S. and in Canada who are working to secure the northern border and end the perilous smuggling of aliens into the United States.”

    “Every time I think about this case I think about this family—including two beautiful little children—who the defendants left to freeze to death in a blizzard,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick for the District of Minnesota.  “As we’ve seen time and time again, human traffickers care nothing for humanity. I am proud of the work of our law enforcement partners in holding these defendants accountable for their unspeakable crimes.”

    On Jan. 18 and 19, 2022, Patel and Shand, despite repeated warnings about the dangers, organized the smuggling of 11 aliens from Canada into the United States on foot in severe winter weather conditions, including a family of four – two adults, and their 11-year-old daughter and three-year-old son. On the evening of January 18, Shand sent Patel a screenshot with a blizzard alert warning of wind gusts as high as 50 mph and wind chill temperatures below -45 degrees. The recorded wind chill temperature on the morning of Jan. 19 was -36 degrees. In the early morning hours of Jan. 19, during blizzard conditions in Minnesota, a U.S. Border Patrol agent found Shand’s van stuck in the snow and arrested Shand along with two aliens. Contrary to Shand’s statement to law enforcement that there were no other aliens out in the snow, five more aliens emerged from the fields, including one suffering hypothermia with an internal temperature below 90 degrees who was airlifted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Later that day, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) found the dead bodies of the family of four frozen in an isolated area on the Canadian side of the international border. The boy was wrapped in a blanket with his father’s frozen glove covering his face. As proven at trial, Patel and Shand had been paid to smuggle the family into the United States.

    In November 2024, a federal jury convicted both defendants of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, conspiracy to transport aliens within the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, attempted transportation of aliens for commercial advantage or private financial gain, and aiding and abetting the attempted transportation of aliens.

    “Today’s sentencing marks a crucial moment of accountability in a case that revealed the harrowing realities of human smuggling,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul. “The callous disregard for life that led to the tragic deaths of an entire family will not be forgotten. At HSI, we remain steadfast in our mission to work with our partners across borders to dismantle criminal smuggling networks, bring justice to those responsible, and safeguard human dignity.”

    HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. The RCMP and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.

    The sentencings are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    This case was also supported by the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

    Trial Attorney Ryan Lipes of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. McBride of the District of Minnesota prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Carolina Man Charged for Multimillion-Dollar Medicare Fraud and Ponzi Schemes

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Two indictments were unsealed today charging a South Carolina man with defrauding Medicare through a laboratory test scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic and with defrauding customers of his private charter jet company, AeroVanti Inc.

    As alleged in the first indictment, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Patrick Britton-Harr, 41, of Charleston, South Carolina, formerly of Annapolis, Maryland, offered COVID-19 screening tests to nursing home patients across the country. Britton-Harr then allegedly fraudulently billed Medicare, through his company Provista Health, for expensive respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) tests for these patients. As alleged, these RPP tests were medically unnecessary, were never ordered by a treating physician as required, and many were never actually performed, including for patients who had died. Through Provista Health, Britton-Harr allegedly caused more than $15 million in fraudulent claims for RPP tests to be submitted to Medicare, for which Medicare paid more than $5 million.

    As alleged in the second indictment, Britton-Harr owned and controlled AeroVanti and its affiliated entities. AeroVanti was a private air club that offered members a la carte access to private jets. Britton-Harr allegedly encouraged “Top Gun” members to pay $150,000 upfront to secure block flight hours. In return, Britton-Harr allegedly promised to use their money to purchase specific aircraft, in which the Top Gun members would have a securitized interest. Britton-Harr allegedly recruited nearly 100 Top Gun members, who collectively paid nearly $15 million in upfront payments, to purchase five aircraft. Instead of buying those aircraft, Britton-Harr allegedly misappropriated members’ money for his own personal benefit, including to purchase yachts and jewelry, to pay his living expenses, and to rent a property near Tampa, Florida. As alleged, Britton-Harr then attempted to conceal his fraud by obtaining a $1.5 million loan to purchase one of the aircraft he had already claimed to have purchased with Top Gun member funds by withholding material information from the lender to obtain the loan.

    “The defendant allegedly perpetrated two fraud schemes, first exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud Medicare out of millions of dollars and then stealing millions more from customers of his aviation company, all for his personal benefit,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These indictments demonstrate the Criminal Division’s commitment to rooting out bad actors who steal from taxpayer-supported health care programs and defraud American consumers.”

    “It is unconscionable for someone to defraud the government and others for personal gain, especially as we faced a global health crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Britton-Harr showed a total disregard for those who depend on our Medicare system for health care services and for the individuals he scammed through his private-jet company. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our federal law enforcement partners to bring those to justice who break the law and take advantage of others.”

    “Patrick Britton-Harr’s repeated crimes reveal a man with no moral compass motivated by pure greed. His deceit and scheming resulted in a staggering amount of loss to American taxpayers and the public,” says Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “He tried to fleece the U.S. government out of millions by taking advantage of a national crisis. After his laboratory testing business failed, Britton-Harr again turned to deception. Time and again, he chose to lie, steal, and deceive. No more. This investigation holds Britton-Harr accountable for his crimes and sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will not allow such despicable behavior to go unchecked.”

    “Individuals who steal from Medicare waste taxpayer dollars and create incisions in the fabric that holds our health care system together,” stated Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue the pursuit of upholding the integrity, trust, and confidence in federal health care programs, which benefits the people they serve. HHS-OIG, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continuously investigate alleged attempts to defraud these programs.”

    “The scope of the alleged fraud is staggering and underscores the extraordinary lengths to which individuals will go to deceive and exploit others under the guise of legitimate business, including private aviation services,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Thompson of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region. “The DOT-OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to working in coordination with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to pursue those who engage in egregious schemes designed solely for personal enrichment.”

    Britton-Harr is charged with five counts of health care fraud and one count of money laundering in the indictment related to his RPP scheme. Additionally, Britton-Harr is charged with six counts of wire fraud in the indictment related to his AeroVanti scheme. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each wire fraud count and 10 years in prison on each health care fraud  and money laundering count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI, HHS-OIG, and DOT-OIG are investigating the cases.

    Trial Attorneys David Peters and Chris Wenger of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Phelps and Ari D. Evans for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the cases.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Recidivist felon sentenced again for illegally possessing a firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to three years and eight months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    According to court documents, on Aug. 12, 2023, Richmond Police (RPD) officers responded to a 911 call reporting that Trevon Barfield, 28, had a gun and was pointing it at his ex-girlfriend. Barfield also had an outstanding arrest warrant.

    When the officers arrived at the apartment complex, they found Barfield sitting atop a stairwell. The officers approached Barfield and notified him of the arrest warrant. One of the officers observed a bulge in Barfield’s left front pants pocket that he believed was a firearm, and Barfield reached for the object. After a brief struggle, the officers detained Barfield and recovered a handgun, which was loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition. Officers also found cocaine in Barfield’s pocket.

    At the time of the arrest, Barfield had been convicted previously for, among other crimes, possession of cocaine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a weapon in a correctional facility. As a previously convicted felon, Barfield cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.

    Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, prosecuted the case.

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

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-160.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Nearly $9 Million in Fraud and Money Laundering Proceeds from Fraudulently Obtained Paycheck Protection Program Loans

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – On May 14, 2025, U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz entered a final judgment forfeiting to the United States approximately $7 million in fraud and money laundering proceeds, as well as a real property purchased with laundered fraud proceeds that has an estimated market value of nearly $2 million, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    On May 6, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture complaint against approximately $7 million in seized and frozen U.S. currency, as well as a real property in Cresskill, New Jersey, that was purchased with nearly $1 million in laundered fraud proceeds, alleging that the assets were the proceeds of fraud and money laundering offenses. As alleged in the complaint, between April 2020 and August 2020, Jae H. Choi (“Choi”) fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans totaling approximately $8,971,457, and then laundered those fraud proceeds through various financial accounts held in the names of Choi’s nominees, including Choi’s relative and various corporate entities that Choi controlled. According to the civil forfeiture complaint, Choi then spent the laundered fraud proceeds on personal expenses and purchased the Cresskill real property.

    United States Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Internal Revenue Service –Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General’s Boston New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, and special agents of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Braithwaite, with the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Laserna of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit of the Criminal Division in Newark.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Convicted of 2012 Drug-Related Murder in Hartford

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that a federal jury in New Haven today found MELKUAN SCOTT, also known as “Mel,” “Young God,” “Young,” and “YG,” 34, guilty of the drug-related murder of Serafin Velez, 27, in Hartford on February 16, 2012.

    According to the evidence introduced during the trial, the murder was in retaliation for a failed marijuana transaction that cost Scott and others tens of thousands of dollars.  Velez and an associate had brokered the marijuana deal with individuals in New York.  After receiving the cash, the New York individuals gave Scott and his associates fake marijuana.  After the failed transaction, Scott forced Velez into a vehicle and ultimately drove him to Waverly Street, where Scott and an associate shot and killed Velez.

    The jury found Scott guilty of kidnapping resulting in Velez’s death, and with causing the death of Velez through the use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Scott faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.

    Scott, formerly of Hartford, has been detained in federal custody since April 2014 and recently completed a 13-year federal sentence for another offense.

    This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reed Durham, Robert S. Ruff, and Christopher J. Lembo.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Firearm Possession Lands Oklahoma City Man in Federal Prison for Six Years Following Domestic Calls to Law Enforcement

    Source: US FBI

    OKLAHOMA CITY – AARON JOELRAYEL TURNER, 27, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 72 months in federal prison for illegal possession of firearms after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

    On February 25, 2025, Turner was charged by Superseding Information with three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to public record, in 2024, Turner had three separate interactions with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD). During the first incident on June 19, 2024, OCPD officers responded to a home on reports of a domestic dispute. Once at the home, the victim told police Turner gained entry into her residence despite a recent emergency VPO issued against Turner, and that Turner had struck her in the face before leaving the house. OCPD located and arrested Turner shortly after and discovered a firearm in his pocket. The second encounter with OCPD took place on August 23, 2024, after OCPD officers encountered Turner again at the same residence and seized two more pistols possessed by Turner.

    The third encounter with OCPD took place on October 23, 2024, after officers responded to another home on a welfare check. The calling party advised OCPD that Turner was in the home with a firearm, and that Turner had been having domestic issues with the calling party’s granddaughter. OCPD officers received consent to search the home, and seized two firearms and several live rounds of ammunition possessed by Turner.

    On February 25, 2025, Turner pleaded guilty to the Superseding Information and admitted he possessed a firearm on the three instances noted above, despite his previous felony convictions.

    On May 19, 2025, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones sentenced Turner to serve 72 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Jones noted Turner’s history of illegal firearm possession as well as his extensive criminal history. Public record reflects that Turner has previous felony convictions in Oklahoma County District Court that include two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm in case numbers CF-2020-1985 and CF-2017-5873.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Walters prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. This case is also part of “Operation 922,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of PSN, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Sentenced to 64 Months in Prison for Online Car Sales Scam That Defrauded Hundreds of Victims Out of More Than $10 Million

    Source: US FBI

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – Leo Shimizu, 39, of San Francisco, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 64 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $10.6 million in restitution for leading a nationwide money laundering conspiracy involving the proceeds of fraudulent online vehicle sales.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio previously prosecuted four other co-conspirators in this scheme, including a Columbus man who helped lead the conspiracy.

    According to court documents, the online car sales scam cheated at least 850 victims around the country out of more than $10.6 million total. Co-conspirators were part of a network that attracted online customers through fraudulent postings for vehicle sales.

    Shimizu, who is also known as “Lil Droppy,” posted and directed other individuals to post listings on websites like Craigslist and Cars.com for vehicles they were alleging to sell. In truth, the co-conspirators did not have the vehicles they claimed they were selling. 

    Shimizu and others communicated with victims through email and phone, posing as employees of eBay, and used third parties to open bank accounts in the names of shell corporations that appeared to be affiliated with eBay. They instructed victims to wire funds to various third-party bank accounts they set up. They claimed to be affiliated with eBay’s Buyer Protection Program, when in fact, no such relationship existed.

    Shimizu pleaded guilty in November 2024 to conspiring to commit money laundering.

    Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation; announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Norris recognized the assistance of United States Secret Service in Toledo, Ohio and Miami, Florida; the FBI’s Baltimore field office; United States Postal Inspection Service in Detroit; New York State Police; the Canton, Ohio, Butler Village, Ohio, Mayfield Heights, Ohio, Bloomfield Township, Michigan, Marlboro Township, New Jersey and Janesville, Wisconsin police departments; and the Walworth County, Wisconsin and Clarke County, Alabama sheriff’s offices.

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Child Exploitation Offenses

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A California man pleaded guilty today to sexual exploitation of children and distribution and receipt of child pornography.

    According to court documents, Monico Erich Gastelo, 43, of Fresno, sexually exploited children using different methods. For example, in January 2019, Gastelo created a social media account where he claimed to be an 18-year-old boy. Gastelo then used the account to converse with at least one minor and request sexually explicit content from them.

    “Today’s plea should serve as a reminder of the Justice Department’s commitment to securing justice for victims of online child sexual exploitation,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “I am grateful for the efforts of the investigators and prosecutors who continue to work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute those who harm children.”

    “Not only did this defendant revictimize abused children depicted in the images, but attempted to victimize actual children within his orbit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of child sexual predators.”

    “Today’s guilty plea represents our agents’ and analysts’ continued focus on targeting predators who exploit children online,” said Special Agent in Charge Tatum King of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco. “Through collaboration with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Fresno Police Department and the Central Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, we will make every effort to identify, locate, and arrest these criminals to help prevent the harm that they cause to our children. We appreciate the prosecutorial work by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in furtherance of this investigation.”

    Between Jan. 1, 2020, and March 23, 2020, Gastelo communicated with other individuals who were sexually attracted to children on Wickr, Snapchat, and Telegram. He sent and received multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on these platforms. Forensic review of Gastelo’s phones showed that he had over 1,500 images and videos of suspected CSAM.

    Gastelo’s conduct escalated in May of 2020. A minor victim reported to law enforcement that he had been sexually exploited online and that an individual, who was later identified to be Gastelo, had added him on Snapchat. Gastelo sent over a dozen images of his penis to the minor victim and insisted that the minor victim send back CSAM of himself.

    Gastelo pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 8, 2025 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison up to 30 years in prison on the sexual exploitation count and a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison up to 20 years in prison on the distribution and receipt count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Fresno County Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of CEOS and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Alabama Police Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation and Child Sexual Exploitation

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A former Killen, Alabama, Police Department (KPD) officer was sentenced today in the Northern District of Alabama to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman while on duty and for receiving sexually explicit photos of a minor.

    According to documents filed in connection with this case, on Nov. 12, 2023, KPD Officer Jarrod Gailen Webster violated the civil rights of a woman after initiating a traffic stop on the woman’s vehicle. Webster asked the woman to step out of her vehicle and asked her what she wanted to do to “get out of this.” When the woman told Webster that she was not going to do anything for him, Webster handcuffed the woman and sexually assaulted her.

    Further, between June 2016 and October 2018, Webster communicated with a minor by phone, and he asked the minor to produce and send him sexually explicit images. The minor victim sent multiple photos to Webster at his request, at least one of which constituted child sexual abuse material.

    Webster pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of sexual exploitation of children on March 4, 2025.

    “Jarrod Webster forcibly assaulted a woman after a traffic stop, and exploited a minor to receive sexually explicit images,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This was a gross abuse of his authority as a police officer and a betrayal of the public trust. I am proud of our DOJ Civil Rights team for holding him accountable.”

    “This sentence sends a clear message that such criminal conduct will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “I commend the dedication of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to ensure that Webster was held accountable for his actions.”

    “Law enforcement officers are entrusted with significant responsibility and are therefore held to a higher standard,” said Special Agent in Charge David R. Fitzgibbons of the FBI Birmingham Field Office. “Today’s sentencing clearly demonstrates there are serious consequences when someone tarnishes the badge by breaking the law. Jerrod Webster brought shame to the badge by committing the horrific crimes of sexually assaulting a woman in his care and receiving sexually explicit images of a minor. His sentencing confirms that the FBI has zero tolerance for officials who prey on the citizens they are sworn to protect.”

    The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Royster for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Five New Jersey Pharmacies Agree to Pay $1.935 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of Billing for Drugs Not Dispensed

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – Five pharmacies located in Jersey City, Bayonne, and Elizabeth have agreed to pay $1,935,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal health care programs for medications that they never dispensed, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.

    According to the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreements, inventory records showed that the below listed pharmacies did not purchase enough medications from wholesalers to fill the prescriptions billed to the federal health care programs.

    • 2818 JFK Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $1,000,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2020, through January 24, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.
    • 518 Summit Care Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2020, through March 28, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.
    • 1850 Greenville Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $133,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2020, through April 11, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.
    • 327 Alexandria Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $101,000 to resolve allegations that from March 26, 2020, through April 2, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.
    • 516 Broadway Care Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $101,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2020, through April 4, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.

    “All pharmacies that bill federal programs must ensure accurate billing and may not bill for medications they never dispensed.  The Office will continue to pursue entities that fail in their essential responsibilities and engage in fraud, waste, or abuse.”

    – U.S. Attorney Alina Habba

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll of the Health Care Fraud & Opioids Abuse Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Jennifer Cihon in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section).

    The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Great Falls man sentenced to prison for strangulation and child abuse

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man who assaulted a woman and her child on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation was sentenced yesterday to 31 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Lane Thomas Lamere, 37, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of strangulation and one count of felony child abuse.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

    The government alleged in court documents that on Friday, January 12, 2024, Lamere broke into the residence of Jane Doe 2, who was home with her three-year old daughter, Jane

    Doe 1. Lamere dragged Jane Doe 2 to her back bedroom and choked her. Jane Doe 1 walked into the room while this was happening. When Lamere saw Jane Doe 1, he grabbed her head and put her into a headlock. Jane Doe 2 was able to get away, but Lamere would not let go of Jane Doe 1. When Jane Doe 2 could not get Lamere to let go of her daughter, she ran next door to get help from her neighbor, who called the police as they ran back to Jane Doe 2’s house.

    When Jane Doe 2 and her neighbor returned to the house, Lamere was in the bathroom attached to the bedroom atop Jane Doe 1. The neighbor recalled seeing him bite Jane Doe 1 on her face. The neighbor also recalled Lamere squeezing Jane Doe 1, pulling her hair, and covering her nose and mouth. Both the neighbor and Jane Doe 2 tried to pull him off Jane Doe 1 and even struck him with a snow shovel, but he did not release Jane Doe 1.

    Law enforcement bodycam footage shows the neighbor hysterically crying for help, but Lamere remained in the back bathroom on top of Jane Doe 1. When he refused to follow law enforcement orders to get off Jane Doe 1, an officer tased him. The officer then removed Jane Doe 1 from beneath Lamere. EMTs arrived and transported Jane Does 1 and 2 to Northern Montana Hospital. Jane Doe 1 was treated for various contusions to her body as well as bite marks to her arm and face.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Browning man sentenced to prison for sexually abusing a child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS – A Browning man who sexually assaulted a minor was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Delbert Dwayne Mowitch, 23, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of sexual abuse of a minor.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

    The government alleged in court documents that in January 2024, Mowitch met 12-year-old Jane Doe. In April 2024, a witness reported to law enforcement that Mowitch and Doe were in a sexual relationship.

    Doe was interviewed and confirmed she and Mowitch had been together, and that she would stay at his house with him. She reported that when they were together they would drink alcohol and smoke dabs. She confirmed that during the time she stayed with Mowitch, they had sex twice. She said the first time it happened Mowitch was drunk, he took off her pants, and she just froze. He started penetrating her vagina with his penis and she described it hurting a great deal. She reported that during a second encounter, she remembered Mowitch asking her for sex and telling him no. She blacked out and when she woke up, she was in pain and had cramps. She saw a used condom she believed had been used on her. She reported Mowitch showed her a video from the night before purporting to show her consenting to the sexual act. Doe provided law enforcement screenshots of messages between her and Mowitch consistent with an ongoing relationship.

    A second witness told law enforcement that Mowitch admitted in February 2024 that he had engaged in sexual intercourse with Doe. The witness reported Mowitch knew Doe’s age at the time they started talking.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: South Carolina Man Charged in Maryland for Multi-Million-Dollar Medicare Fraud and Ponzi Schemes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore, Maryland – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland unsealed two indictments. The indictments charged a South Carolina man with defrauding Medicare through a laboratory test scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic and with defrauding customers of his private charter jet company.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Greg Thompson, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG).

    As alleged in the first indictment, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Patrick Britton-Harr, 41, of Charleston, South Carolina, and formerly of Annapolis, Maryland, offered COVID-19 screening tests to nursing home patients across the country. Britton-Harr then allegedly fraudulently billed Medicare, through his company Provista Health, for expensive respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) tests for these patients. The RPP tests were medically unnecessary, never ordered by a treating physician as required, and many were never actually performed, including tests for patients who were already deceased. Through Provista Health, Britton-Harr caused the submission of more than $15 million in fraudulent claims for RPP tests to Medicare.  Medicare eventually paid out more than $5 million.

    According to the second indictment, Britton-Harr owned and controlled AeroVanti, Inc. and its affiliated entities. Through AeroVanti, a private air club offering members a la carte access to private jets, Britton-Harr encouraged “Top Gun” members to pay $150,000 upfront to secure block flight hours. In return, Britton-Harr promised to use their money to purchase specific aircraft, in which Top Gun members would have a securitized interest.

    Britton-Harr recruited nearly 100 Top Gun members, who collectively paid approximately $15 million in upfront payments, to purchase five aircraft. Instead of buying the aircraft, Britton-Harr allegedly misappropriated members’ money for his own personal benefit, including paying for yachts and jewelry, his living expenses, and to rent a property near Tampa, Florida. Then Britton-Harr attempted to conceal his fraud by obtaining a $1.5-million loan to purchase one of the aircraft he already claimed that he purchased with Top Gun funds by withholding material information from the lender to obtain the loan.

    “It is unconscionable for someone to defraud the government and others for personal gain, especially as we faced a global health crisis,” Hayes said. “Britton-Harr showed a total disregard for those who depend on our Medicare system for health care services and for the individuals he scammed through his private-jet company. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our federal law-enforcement partners to bring those to justice who break the law and take advantage of others.”

    “The defendant allegedly perpetrated two fraud schemes, first exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud Medicare out of millions of dollars and then stealing millions more from customers of his aviation company, all for his personal benefit,” Galeotti said. “These indictments demonstrate the Criminal Division’s commitment to rooting out bad actors who steal from taxpayer-supported health care programs and defraud American consumers.”

    “Patick Britton-Harr’s repeated crimes reveal a man with no moral compass motivated by pure greed. His deceit and scheming resulted in a staggering amount of loss to American taxpayers and the public,” DelBagno said. “He tried to fleece the U.S. government out of millions by taking advantage of a national crisis. After his laboratory testing business failed, Britton-Harr again turned to deception. Time and again, he chose to lie, steal, and deceive. No more. This investigation holds Britton-Harr accountable for his crimes and sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will not allow such despicable behavior to go unchecked.”

    “Individuals who steal from Medicare waste taxpayer dollars and create incisions in the fabric that holds our health care system together. HHS-OIG will continue the pursuit of upholding the integrity, trust, and confidence in federal health care programs, which benefits the people they serve,” Dixon said. “HHS-OIG, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continuously investigate alleged attempts to defraud these programs.”   

    “The scope of the alleged fraud is staggering and underscores the extraordinary lengths to which individuals will go to deceive and exploit others under the guise of legitimate business, including private aviation services,” Thompson said. “The DOT-OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to working in coordination with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to pursue those who engage in egregious schemes designed solely for personal enrichment.”

    Britton-Harr is charged with five counts of health care fraud and one count of money laundering in the indictment related to his RPP scheme. Additionally, Britton-Harr is charged with six counts of wire fraud in the indictment connected to the AeroVanti scheme.

    If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count and 10 years in prison for each health care fraud and money laundering count. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, HHS-OIG, and DOT-OIG for their work in investigating these cases. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ari D. Evans and Matthew P. Phelps and Trial Attorneys David Peters and Chris Wenger, Criminal Division’s Fraud Section who are prosecuting these cases.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Heart Butte sex offender sentenced to over 20 years in prison for abusing multiple children

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS – A Heart Butte man who sexually assaulted several minors while being required to register as a sex offender was sentenced today to 272 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Bradley Joseph Guardipee, 27, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of commission of a sex offense by a registered sex offender.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

    The government alleged in court documents that in July 2024, Jane Doe 3 disclosed she was sexually assaulted by Guardipee in 2022, when she was 11 years old. She said she was home sick from school and was left alone with Guardipee at a home in Heart Butte. She was taking a nap in another child’s bedroom while the other kids were at school. She woke up in pain to find her legs open and Guardipee on top of her penetrating her vagina with his penis. She reported she knew at least four other girls who were sexually abused by Guardipee. Forensic interviews followed and six girls disclosed some type of abusive touching by Guardipee.

    Jane Doe 1 reported being sexually abused by Guardipee since she was about three years old. She recalled that on March 6, 2024, when she was 12 years old, she and Guardipee had taken his grandfather to dialysis in Browning. After they dropped his grandfather off, Guardipee told her she could drive and to sit on his lap. Guardipee grabbed Jane Doe by her arms and forced her onto his lap. Guardipee touched her on the breast and under her underwear, digitally penetrating her.

    At the time of the March 2024 assault of Jane Doe 1, the defendant was required to register as a sex offender, though he never complied with that requirement. Guardipee was required to register after being convicted by a guilty plea on May 22, 2023, to sexual assault in Cascade County District Court.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Gary Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Using a Firearm to Commit Murder

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HAMMOND–Devonte Hodge, 29 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and using a firearm to commit murder following a 6-day jury trial, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Hodge was sentenced to life in prison for using a firearm to commit murder. He was also sentenced to 480 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin. Both sentences are to run concurrently.

    According to documents in the case, in the summer of 2016, Hodge and others conspired to sell and sold cocaine and heroin from a residence located in Gary, Indiana. Additionally, on October 8, 2016, Hodge shot and killed a victim who was sitting in a car in Gary, believing the victim was cooperating with law enforcement about the drug conspiracy.   

    This case was investigated by the FBI/GRIT Task Force and ATF/HIDTA Task Force with the assistance of the Hobart Police, the Indiana State Police, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and the Gary Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Nozick and Joel Mathur.

    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. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Kansas Resident Charged with Assaulting Flight Attendant on Flight from Bradley International Airport

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that JULIUS JORDAN PRIESTER, 24, of Wichita, Kansas, has been arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with a charge related to his assault of a crew member on a flight from Bradley International Airport last night.

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on May 27, 2025, Priester was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 3359 that departed from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, at approximately 9:30 p.m. bound for Chicago.  Thirty minutes to an hour into the flight, Priester stood up, began to take off his shirt, then ran to the back of the plane yelling “Help me.”  He then grabbed a flight attendant (“the victim”), who was seated, shouted “you’re coming with me,” and forcefully brought the victim to the ground.  Priester then attempted to drag the victim up the aisle. With the assistance of intervening passengers, Priester was returned to his seat where he continued to act erratically and made incoherent statements.  The captain declared an emergency and the flight was diverted back to Bradley Airport.  After the plane landed safely at Bradley, Priester was removed by Connecticut State Police and taken by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation.

    Priester appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford.  He is detained pending a bond hearing that is scheduled for May 30.

    The complaint charges Priester with interference with flight crew members and attendants, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

    U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: 14 Arrested on Complaints Alleging More Than $25 Million in COVID-19 Relief and Small Business Loans Were Fraudulently Obtained

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – Fourteen defendants – including San Fernando Valley and Glendale residents – were arrested on two federal criminal complaints alleging they fraudulently obtained more than $25 million in taxpayer-funded COVID-19 relief funds and federally-guaranteed small business loans.

    The 18 total defendants named in the complaints – four defendants are believed to be in Armenia – are charged with conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims; false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims; wire fraud and attempted wire fraud; bank fraud and attempted bank fraud; money laundering conspiracy; laundering of monetary instruments; engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity; and/or structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements.

    The defendants arrested today include:

    • Vahe Margaryan, a.k.a. “William McGrayan,” 42, of Tujunga, who allegedly orchestrated a scheme to defraud numerous banks and the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Preferred Lender Program, a program designed to help small businesses that otherwise might not obtain financing. McGrayan allegedly directed owners of sham corporations to open bank accounts, make false statements, and concoct documents, including phony resumes and financial statements, to support loan applications to buy other sham corporations. McGrayan allegedly paid for phony tax returns that falsely reported millions in revenue and tens of thousands in tax due and owing. McGrayan, whose alleged criminal activity lasted from 2018 until January 2025, then directed the laundering of millions in fraud proceeds through various bank accounts.
    • Sarkis Gareginovich Sarkisyan, 37, a.k.a. “Samuel Shaw,” of Glendale, who allegedly, among other offenses, submitted a false application and bogus documents to obtain a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provided low-interest, forgivable loans to help small businesses retain their workforce and cover expenses. Sarkisyan allegedly applied in April 2021 on behalf of a fake business that received more than $700,000 in PPP funds.
    • Mery Babayan, 32, a.k.a. “Mery Diamondz,” of Van Nuys, together with co-defendants Margaryan and Hovannes Hovannisyan, 48, a.k.a. “John Harvard,” of Panorama City, in May 2021 allegedly defrauded a bank by representing the nonexistent sale of a sham business to another sham company to obtain an approximately $3 million federally guaranteed loan through the SBA’s Preferred Lending Program.
    • Felix Parker, 77, of North Hollywood, who in January 2023 allegedly made false statements and submitted fraudulent documents, including fake tax returns that falsely reported that his shell company, Canmar Promo, earned millions of dollars annually and owed tens of thousands in federal income taxes. Parker allegedly obtained more than $2 million in government-guaranteed funds earmarked to help small businesses.
    • Axsel Markaryan, 47, a.k.a. “Axel Mark,” of Pacoima, who in June 2023 allegedly fraudulently obtained more than $5 million in SBA loans via the submission of false statements and the submission of fake documents, including bogus tax returns. After the loans were obtained, Markaryan and his co-schemers in November 2023 laundered the money, including sending at least $100,000 to a co-schemer in Armenia.

    As a result of today’s takedown, law enforcement seized approximately $20,000 in cash, two money-counting machines, paper cash bands or currency straps in denominations of $2,000 and $10,000, multiple cell phones, multiple laptops, two loaded semi-automatic 9mm handguns, and boxes of 9mm ammunition.

    “Today’s enforcement action is intended to send a message to all criminals who take advantage of government programs designed to help those who need them most,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “If you took COVID-19 or SBA money you weren’t entitled to, your door could be the next one we visit. Together with our law enforcement partners, my office will aggressively prosecute individuals who cheat the system meant to protect and support law-abiding citizens.”

    “Scheming to fraudulently obtain federal funds that were meant to provide assistance to the nation’s small businesses is unacceptable,” said the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) Western Region Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Huang. “OIG will continue to ardently investigate fraudulently obtained SBA program funds, including COVID-19 pandemic-related loans, to protect taxpayers from fraud, waste, and abuse. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”

    “This transnational criminal network sought to defraud the government of millions of dollars and almost succeeded,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles Acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco. “Through the diligent work of the El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force and our federal partners, HSI is continuing to identify these criminal groups looking to profit from the pandemic and will use all available resources to criminally prosecute or remove them from the country.”

    “Today, 14 individuals were arrested in connection with a fraudulent loan scheme in which they allegedly obtained in excess of $25 million through the SBA Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs, and other federal funding programs,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, Los Angeles Field Office. “These programs were established to assist individuals and businesses in need of financial assistance and instead were pilfered by the named defendants. IRS-CI is dedicated to identifying and dismantling criminal organizations that prey on assistance programs set up for the benefit of our law-abiding citizens.”

    A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    If convicted, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of decades in federal prison.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolster 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 https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. 

    On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly head one of the three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams. 

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

    SBA-OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, and HSI are investigating these matters.

    The cases announced today were investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California. 

    Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Aveis and Gregg Marmaro of the Major Frauds Section and Maxwell Coll of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are prosecuting these cases.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Obtains Forfeiture of $214 Million in Proceeds From Alleged “Pump and Dump” Investment Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office has successfully obtained forfeiture to the government of approximately $214 million in proceeds from an alleged “pump-and-dump” investment fraud scheme that previously resulted in charges against seven individuals.

    From November 2024 to February 2025, the defendants engaged in misleading promotion and coordinated trading of shares of China Liberal Education Holdings, Ltd., a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands that purported to provide educational services in China, according to an indictment returned in March in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The scheme, known as a “pump-and-dump,” allegedly involved individuals in China posing as U.S.-based investment advisors on social media and messaging platforms and falsely promising significant returns from investments in the company.  The misleading promotion and coordinated trading caused the stock price to artificially rise, at which point the defendants sold thousands of shares and made millions of dollars in profits, the indictment states.  The stock price ultimately decreased significantly, at the expense of other investors, some of whom lost almost the entirety of their investment.

    During the investigation, federal law enforcement seized approximately $214 million in alleged proceeds from the fraud scheme. The funds are currently in U.S. custody. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso granted a motion by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago to have the money permanently forfeited to the United States.  The order allows for the government to return the money to victim investors.

    The forfeiture order was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the SEC’s Office of Inspector General.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten represents the government.

    “As alleged in the indictment and forfeiture complaint, the defendants defrauded U.S. investors through deceitful and coordinated trading activities,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Our attorneys and staff in this case placed a high priority on recovering funds for victims.  The large forfeiture order of more than $200 million should serve as a warning that federal law enforcement will aggressively pursue fraudulent profits from those who seek to prey upon investors by manipulating the U.S. stock market.”

    “Despite the overwhelming manipulation as alleged in this case, this serves as one of the premier FBI investigations in which the federal government was able to successfully recover victims’ hard-earned money before it disappeared into overseas bank accounts,” said FBI SAC DePodesta.  “This elaborate fraud scheme boasting bogus profit potentials has caused extensive harm to unsuspecting Americans.  The FBI will continue to work with our partner networks to ensure that justice is served against anyone who seeks to weaponize financial systems to gain personal profit.”

    Seven individuals were charged in the criminal indictment with wire fraud and securities fraud: LIM XIANG JIE CEDRIC, of Malaysia, MING-SHEN CHENG, of Taiwan, KO SEN CHAI, of Malaysia, KING SUNG WONG, of Malaysia, SIONG WEE VUN, of Malaysia, CHIEN LUNG MA, of Taiwan, and KOK WAH WONG, of Malaysia.  The defendants are not in custody and warrants have been issued for their arrests. The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    If you believe you or someone you know may have been victimized by the fraud scheme charged in the indictment, you are encouraged to notify the FBI by completing this online form or calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Who Fired Gun Outside Crowded S.F. Bar Sentenced To Three Years And Nine Months For Unlawful Possession Of Ammunition

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN FRANCISCO – Fernando Aguilera was sentenced yesterday to 45 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition.  Senior U.S. District Judge William Alsup handed down the sentence.

    Aguilera, 37, a national of Honduras, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 18, 2023.  On Feb. 12, 2025, Judge Alsup found Aguilera guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) after a bench trial.  According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Aguilera took a gun out of his waistband on two occasions at a crowded bar in San Francisco.  He then left the bar and fired into the air two separate times with people and cars nearby.  When law enforcement arrived, Aguilera fled from the police before being apprehended in the garden area of a nearby residence.  Law enforcement found a firearm with the wrong caliber bullet stuck in the chamber next to Aguilera and ammunition in his bag.  At the time of his arrest, Aguilera had four prior felony convictions for being an accessory, being a prohibited person with ammunition, and second-degree burglary.

    United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.  

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Alsup also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release.  The defendant has been in custody since the offense.  

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey Davidson and Sophia Cooper prosecuted the case with the assistance of Kevin Costello and Marina Ponomarchuk.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and San Francisco Police Department. 
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Orlando U.S. Postal Employee Sentenced In “Fenta-Pill” Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton today sentenced Orlando Rosa Rodriguez (59, Orlando) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and money laundering. The court also ordered Rosa Rodriguez to forfeit two vehicles, both of which were traceable proceeds of the offense. Rosa Rodriguez pleaded guilty on February 24, 2025.

    According to court documents, co-defendants Jayson Perez-Quinones (48, Orlando) and Jovan Rivera Rodriguez (36, Kissimmee) arranged to receive shipments of thousands of pills that were pressed to look like pharmaceuticals but contained fentanyl – (so-called “fenta-pills”). At their home in Orlando, Perez-Quinones and co-defendant Karen AltaGracia Perez (44, Orlando) packaged those pills into individual pill bags (pictured below) for street delivery.

    Perez-Quinones and Perez then distributed those bags to mid-level distributors such as Rosa Rodriguez for resale. Rosa Rodriguez distributed those pills to customers, including in the parking of his workplace at the U.S. Postal Service. Rosa Rodriguez earned more than $300,000 in one 20-month period on top of his salary from the U.S. Postal Service and VA disability benefits. He used those proceeds to purchase sports cars, including a Corvette worth approximately $80,000, a Porsche 911 Carrera Coup worth approximately $92,000, and a Porsche 718 Cayman Coup worth approximately $120,000.   

    On June 13, 2023, AltaGracia Perez was sentenced to five years and six months in federal prison for her role in the conspiracy. On August 8, 2023, Perez-Quinones and Rivera Rodriguez were sentenced to 15 years’ and 5 years’ imprisonment, respectively, for their roles in the conspiracy.

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.       

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Fraud Crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Donald A. Ennis, 43, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $513,072.28 in restitution for two counts of wire fraud. Ennis admitted that he filed false insurance claims to obtain $347,237.70 after setting fire to his residence and defrauded a volunteer fire department of $153,728 while serving as its finance and operations manager.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2018 Ennis purchased a residence on Ridgeview Way in St. Albans with assistance from a mortgage company that required him to insure the residence for loss. Ennis obtained a residential insurance policy with a maximum value of $161,100 for the dwelling and $120,825 for its contents. Ennis paid an annual premium of approximately $979.35 for the policy, which had effective dates from November 8, 2020, through November 8, 2021. The policy covered losses for multiple contingencies including fire, and explicitly excluded intentional acts of loss or damage by Ennis.

    Ennis admitted that he intentionally set fire to his residence on February 15, 2021. The fire department responded but could not extinguish the fire, which consumed the residence and left it and its contents a total loss. Ennis falsely reported the fire to his Indiana-based insurance company as an accident later that day and began the process of filing a claim. Ennis admitted that he placed a series of claims electronically from February 21, 2021, to March 19, 2021, fraudulently claiming losses from the fire. Ennis further admitted that he obtained $347,237.70 from the insurance company as a result of this wire fraud scheme. The fraudulent insurance funds were deposited in Ennis’ bank account.

    From at least 2009 through 2022, Ennis worked for a volunteer fire department serving the Tornado area of Kanawha County. As its finance and operations manager, Ennis had access to the fire department’s North Carolina-based bank debit card and regularly acted as its accountant. Ennis admitted that from some time prior to March 19, 2020 through about September 18, 2022, he fraudulently obtained $153,728 of the fire department’s funds through a series of ATM withdrawals and dozens of unauthorized online purchases with its debit card for his personal benefit.

    “This prosecution sends an important and firm message that those who commit arson for financial gain will be prosecuted and brought to justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “The fire put others at risk – first responders as well as neighbors. The defendant also deprived the volunteer fire department of vital funds.”

    Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner-Special Investigations Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-129.

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