DOJ Indictments

Portsmouth man sentenced to over two years in prison for auto loan fraud scheme

Deviyon Nichols, 33, of Portsmouth, was sentenced today to two years and six months in prison for bank fraud involving an auto loan scheme. Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Tulsa Man Sentenced for Admittedly Strangling Girlfriend

A Tulsa man was sentenced today after admitting to strangling his girlfriend, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Bangladeshi National Returned to the United States in International Sextortion Case

A Bangladeshi national is scheduled to make his initial court appearance today in the District of Alaska to face charges that he operated an international child sexual exploitation enterprise. Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Over $12 Million Medicaid Fraud Scheme Leads to 14 Years of Prison for Substance Abuse Facility, Owner, Compliance Officer, and Office Manager

NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal judge has handed down more than 14 years in federal prison to participants in a $12.7 Million Medicaid fraud scheme that paid more than $1 Million in kickbacks to drug addict patients. The case also resulted in the permanent closure of the fake substance abuse facility that carried…
North Carolina Man Who Trafficked Fentanyl into Virginia Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Charges

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A North Carolina man who trafficked fentanyl from North Carolina into Virginia pled guilty this week to federal drug charges.Semaj Montaque Sledge, 35, pled guilty to one count of distributing 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Source: U.S. Department of Justice
FEDERAL FELON SENTENCED FOR ESCAPE

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Derek Somerset, 46, of Tallahassee, Florida was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to escape from the custody of the Attorney General and the Attorney General’s authorized representative. Source: U.S. Department of Justice
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Cares Act Fraud and Money Laundering

NEW ORLEANS – IRVIN C. FRANCOIS, III (“FRANCOIS”), age 54, of New Orleans, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey, after previously pleading guilty to making false statements, and money laundering related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. Source: U.S. Department…
Vance Woman Charged with Embezzling More Than $10 Million From Former Employer

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Vance woman has been charged in connection with her embezzlement of more than $10 million from her former employer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.A seven-count information filed in U.S. District Court charges Laura Lynn Tucker, 56, with six counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. A…
Brockton Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Selling Fentanyl; Multiple Machineguns and Kilograms of Fentanyl Recovered During Searches

BOSTON – A Brockton man associated with Brockton-based Harvard Street Gang (HSG) was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for selling fentanyl to a cooperating witness during multiple controlled purchases. At the time of the controlled purchases, the defendant was on probation for a 2019 fentanyl conviction and on pretrial release for a separate…
Two Wild 100s Gang Members Convicted of Murder for Hire Resulting in Death

Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that Ronnell Bowman of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Houston, Texas, and Lawrence Turner, of Milwaukee, were convicted yesterday after a week-long jury trial. Both Bowman and Turner were convicted of murder for hire resulting in death, conspiracy to commit murder for hire…
Slidell Man Charged with Cares Act Fraud

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On February 27, 2026, MARCEL GROSS, age 51, of Slidell, was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Manager Of Investment Firm Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Investors In “Pre-IPO” Scheme

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that GIOVANNI PENNETTA pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary Stein to wire fraud for running a scheme to fraudulently induce multiple investment clients to part with millions of dollars in exchange for economic exposure to shares of non-public companies. Source:…
Sex offender sentenced to prison for distributing child sexual abuse material while on supervision for previous conviction

David Christopher Schaefer, 38, of Newport News, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for distributing child sexual abuse material while on supervision for a previous CSAM conviction. Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Waukesha Medical Equipment Company Agrees to Pay Nearly $7 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Billings to Federal Healthcare Programs

Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that Kinex Medical Company, LLC, agreed to pay $6,925,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to Medicare, TRICARE, and other federal programs.Based in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Kinex sells and distributes durable medical equipment, including…
New York Woman Indicted for Allegedly Smuggling Eight Kilograms of Cocaine from the Dominican Republic Hidden in Duty-Free Alcohol Boxes

BOSTON – A New York woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly smuggling more than eight kilograms of cocaine in duty-free alcohol boxes via a commercial flight from the Dominican Republic to Boston Logan International Airport. Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Boonville Man Charged with Drugs, Firearm

Johntelle Bona Millens, 40, Boonville, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury with cocaine, methamphetamine, and gun charges. Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Daytona Beach Man Sentenced to Over Four Years for Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity Theft

Orlando, Florida – Craig Stevens (34, Daytona Beach) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. to four years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $19,762.38, the proceeds Stevens obtained…
Pittsburgh Woman Sentenced and Ordered to Pay Over $54,000 in Restitution for SNAP Trafficking at Her African Food Store

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on March 4, 2026, to two years of probation, including 90 days of home confinement, and ordered to pay over $54,000 in restitution on her conviction of food stamp fraud, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.United States District Judge Marilyn J.…
First Defendant Sentenced for Scheme to Bribe Feeding Our Future Juror

MINNEAPOLIS – Abdulkarim Farah, a Minneapolis man, was sentenced in United States District Court to 57-months imprisonment followed by one year of supervised release for his role in providing a cash bribe to a juror in the first Feeding Our Future trial, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.On April 22, 2024, seven defendants went to…
St. Louis County Woman Who Had Her Fiancé Murdered Sentenced to 225 Months in Prison

Victoria Rena Williams pleaded guilty and admitted conspiring to have Charles Harris III killed. Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Miami Man Sentenced for Installing Card Skimmers on Grocery Store Payment Terminals in Central Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that a Miami, Florida, man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a scheme to install card skimming devices on grocery store terminals in Alabama’s River Region.On February 25, 2026, a federal judge sentenced 40-year-old Yosniel Sotomayor Rodriguez to 18 months…
Mescalero man sentenced for sexual abuse of a minor

John Albert Carrillo, Jr. was sentenced to 11 years in prison for sexual abuse of a minor. Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Columbia Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Fatal Quantity of Fentanyl to USC Student

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Vernon Antwan Martin, 37, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for the distribution of fentanyl to a 20-year-old University of South Carolina student, resulting in her death. Source: U.S. Department of Justice
THIRD MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO COMMITTING COVID RELATED UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD FROM PRISON

Gulfport, MS – A Nachez, Mississippi man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud today.According to court documents and information presented to the Court, Kev’Veonta Short, 32, conspired with other inmates at the South Mississippi Correctional Institute to submit false unemployment insurance claims during the Covid 19 pandemic. Short provided his personal details to…
Roanoke Man Sentenced for Possessing Child Sexual Exploitation Material

ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke, Va. man, who used the Kik social media app to send three videos containing child sexual exploitation material to an undercover FBI officer, was sentenced yesterday to 40 months in federal prison.Christopher Allan Johnson, 55, pled guilty in December 2025 to one count of possessing child sexual exploitation materials involving…
MAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR THEFT OF FUNDS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Anthony Brewer, 47, was sentenced to two years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to theft of government property valued at over $50,000 in Department of Veterans Affairs funds. Source: U.S. Department of Justice
FEDERAL CHARGES FILED FOR CRIMINAL THREATS AGAINST THE PRESIDENT

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Markus E. Hamlett, 46, has been indicted in federal court on one count of threat upon the President of the United States. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge. Source: U.S. Department of Justice
District of Arizona Charges 156 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Feb. 21 through Feb. 27, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 156 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 106 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 40 aliens…
Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Committing COVID Relief Fraud While in Prison

Gulfport, MS – A Louisiana man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to conspiring with another individual to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits related to the COVID-19 pandemic while he was in prison.According to court documents and statements made in court, Travis Thorn, 45, of Monroe, Louisiana, conspired with another individual to fraudulently apply for…
Florida Man Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft and Fraud Committed Against at Least 450 Victims

A Florida man was sentenced to 55 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing approximately 450 fraudulent, stolen or counterfeit access devices, which included others’ credit card numbers, social security numbers, and means to gain access to bank accounts. Source: U.S. Department of Justice