Twelve people have been charged in a superseding indictment for their roles in an international conspiracy involving alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering schemes that brought thousands of aliens illegally into the United States for profit.According to court documents, the defendants operated a prolific alien smuggling operation (ASO) that facilitated the unlawful entry of Cuban nationals into the United States by preparing visa applications, laundering millions of dollars in payment, and exploiting the immigration process. “This DOJ is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.”“This indictment exposes a criminal organization that smuggled people into the United States on a massive scale, and then fraudulently secured immigration benefits for them,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Posing as a legitimate immigration service, the defendants used social media promotions and false legal filings to attract new clients and perpetuate their fraud. The Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners will continue to dismantle these schemes, protect vulnerable people from exploitation, and safeguard the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.”“The defendants in this case conspired with others to deliberately violate our nation’s immigration laws while personally seeking to enrich themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Because of the interagency coordination and diligence of our dedicated law enforcement agencies, their crimes have been thwarted. We will continue working with our partners to protect our national borders.”“This superseding indictment exposes the depth of a multi-year conspiracy of alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering that preyed on vulnerable individuals and weakened public trust in the immigration system,” said Acting Director Todd M. Lyons of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “This highlights the critical role ICE has in dismantling these criminal networks, combating immigration fraud, and ensuring criminals who abuse our systems are held accountable. We are absolute in our resolve to protect the integrity of our immigration system and safeguard our national security.“It is because of the unfettered Department of Justice support we charge criminals with every available statute to provide consequences to those that erode the moral fabric of our society,” said Chief Jeffrey J. Dinise of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Miami Sector. “The message is clear, the United States is closed to illegal immigration and terrorist organizations, and those that make an attempt, will be met with fierce consequences. We are committed to protecting our Florida communities and safeguarding our nation.”“Through diligent investigation, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and our partners exposed a multi-national, multi-year, multi-million dollar criminal conspiracy operated by aliens that attempted to undermine our immigration system and flood our country with illegal aliens — none of whom had any intention of following our laws,” said USCIS Director Joseph Edlow. “This criminal organization operated a front for fake asylum claims, churning out frivolous applications around the country. To criminals who seek to exploit our immigration system: we will find you, shut down your schemes, and you will face justice.”The superseding indictment charges:Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, 27, of Hialeah, FL (unlawfully residing in the United States);Yuniel Lima-Santos, 30, of Tampa, FL;Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, 26, unlawfully residing in Lebanon, TN;Marianny Lucia Lopez-Torres, 25, residing in Cuba, (formerly Hialeah, FL);Frandy Aragon-Diaz, 33, of Cuba, (formerly unlawfully residing in Tampa, FL);Erik Ventura-Castro, 23, residing in Hialeah, FL;Miguel Alejandro Martinez Vasconcelos, 30, of Tampa, FL;Walbis Pozo-Dutel, 30, residing in Katy, TX ;Emanuel Martinez Gonzalez, 28, unlawfully residing in Hialeah, FL;Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, 31, of Tampa, FL;Layra Libertad Treto Santos, 31, of Tampa, FL; andGisleivy Peralta Consuegra, 40, of Tampa, FL.According to the superseding indictment:All defendants except Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra are charged with conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for financial gain.Yuniel Lima-Santos and Frandy Aragon-Diaz are also charged with alien smuggling for financial gain.Yuniel Lima-Santos, Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, Frandy Aragon-Diaz, Layra Libertad Treto Santos, and Gisleivy Peralta Consuerga are charged with conspiracy to commit asylum fraud.Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, Yuniel Lima-Santos, Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, Frandy Aragon-Diaz, Erik Ventura-Castro, Miguel Alejandro Martinez Vasconcelos, Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, and Layra Libertad Treto Santos are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.From January 2021 through June 2025, the defendants promoted bogus visa services online, claiming Cuban nationals could secure U.S. entry through false claims of European citizenship. They filed hundreds of fraudulent Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) applications with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, using fake addresses and fabricated documents.The ASO promoted its services on social media accounts and encrypted messaging platforms, including a WhatsApp group titled, “TRÁMITE DE ESTA Y VISA DE TURISMO A USA PARA CIUDADANOS ESPAÑOLES” (Processing of ESTA and tourist Visas to the USA for Spanish citizens). One promotional video advertised the scheme by showing stacks of passports, airline tickets, and visa approvals.
What began as a small operation grew into a commercial enterprise. The defendants charged clients between $1,500 and $40,000, sometimes even chartering private planes to move groups of aliens. Records show they spent over $2.5 million on flights alone and funneled more than $7 million through payment apps such as Zelle. Based on a financial analysis conducted of 27 known accounts associated with the defendants and their co-conspirators, the alien smuggling organization took in over $18 million during the course of the conspiracy.The ASO also smuggled unaccompanied minors. In one case, a teenage girl was told to pose as the lifelong friend of an unrelated adult man when crossing the border.The defendants operated a sham immigration business, ASESORIA Y SERVICIOS MIGRATORIOS LLC, which promised asylum filings, work permits, and residency applications. In reality, the company churned out boilerplate asylum claims without clients’ knowledge or consent and even blocked them from accessing their own USCIS online accounts.ASESORIA marketed itself on Instagram with flashy ads for immigration services while simultaneously posting videos of aliens being smuggled into the country.
The investigation and superseding indictment were coordinated under 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 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 southern and northern borders. 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 (OIA), among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.HSI Tampa, U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector, and USCIS’s’ Fraud Detection and National Security led U.S. investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force. Authorities in the Cayman Islands provided valuable assistance.Trial Attorney Jenna Reed of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida are 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods.An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.Note: You can read the Indictment here
GREENSBORO – A Winston-Salem, North Carolina man was sentenced today in Greensboro to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to two firearm charges, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC). AMARI JAQUEZ HAIRSTON, age 21, was sentenced to consecutive sentences of 60 months imprisonment (Count Two) and 84 months imprisonment (Count Six), plus 5 years supervised release, by the Honorable William L. Osteen, Jr., United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison time, HAIRSTON was ordered to forfeit two Glock handguns, two machine gun conversion devices, extended magazines, and multiple rounds of ammunition.HAIRSTON pleaded guilty on August 7, 2024, to two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i).According to court records, the charges against HAIRSTON relate to two separate incidents:On July 15, 2022, Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) officers looking for a suspect in a gang-related shooting attempted to stop a black Honda carrying four people. The driver fled, traveling at extremely high speeds on Silas Creek Parkway and weaving in and out of traffic During the chase, pursuing officers saw HAIRSTON, who was a passenger in the back seat, throw drugs and guns from the left rear passenger window. WSPD officers and Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) deputies stopped and located items HAIRSTON threw from the black Honda while others continued the pursuit. The Honda was intentionally bumped by a FCSO deputy on Reynolda Road and wrecked. Items that HAIRSTON threw from the Honda included two Glock handguns, a large capacity magazine, ammunition, a baggie containing 5.8 grams of fentanyl, and approximately 340 grams of marijuana.On October 11, 2023, WSPD officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a blue Dodge Charger traveling north on Polo Road at a high rate of speed. The driver of the Charger fled and, while attempting to evade the police vehicle, crossed the double yellow line and collided with a tractor trailer heading west on Akron Drive. After the wreck, the driver, later identified as HAIRSTON, fled on foot. The Dodge Charger HAIRSTON was operating was stolen from Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 3, 2023. At the time of the theft, the vehicle contained three firearms, none of which have been recovered. In a search of the stolen Charger, officers located HAIRSTON’s North Carolina ID, a Glock handgun and a Machine Gun Conversion Device or “switch,” approximately 50 grams of marijuana packaged in individual baggies, a scale, 15 pills and several pill fragments containing fentanyl, and other controlled substances.The case was investigated by the Winston-Salem Police Department, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. The case was prosecuted by MDNC Assistant United States Attorney Robert A. J. Lang.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.###
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Preferred Pain Management & Spine Care, P.A. (PPM) and its owner, Dr. David Spivey, have agreed to pay $789,292.95 to resolve civil allegations that PPM violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs for medically unnecessary urine drug testing (UDT) between June 1, 2014 and May 24, 2017, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston.
The United States alleged that PPM knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims to federal health care programs for presumptive and definitive UDT, in circumstances where such testing was not medically reasonable or necessary. Presumptive UDT are tests that screen for the presence of drugs, and definitive UDT are tests that identify the concentration of those drugs in a patient’s system. The government alleged that PPM and Spivey automatically ordered both presumptive and definitive UDT for all patients at their monthly visits, without conducting individualized determinations of need or risk profile.
The United States further contended that PPM billed Medicare for specimen validity testing, a quality control process used to analyze a urine specimen to ensure that it has not been diluted or adulterated. Since January 2014, Medicare’s guidance has been explicit that specimen validity testing should not be separately billed to Medicare. The United States asserted that PPM nonetheless submitted claims to Medicare for specimen validity testing throughout 2014 and 2015.
This settlement resolves allegations originally brought in a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. The whistleblower will receive $118,911.12 as her share of the federal recovery in this case, excluding recovery for allegedly improper specimen validity testing separately identified by the United States. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can also be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
“Our District is committed to ensuring that federally-funded medical procedures are ordered based on each patient’s medical needs and not for the purpose of increasing a provider’s profits,” said Acting United States Attorney Sandra Hairston. “We will continue to identify and pursue providers who submit false claims that lead to unnecessary costs for taxpayer-funded health care programs.”
“It is vital that agencies work together to hold health care providers accountable for the misuse of taxpayer funds,” said Lori A. Ahlstrand, Regional Inspector General for Audit Services at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “With the use of forensic tools, our auditors identified suspicious billing and partnered closely with our Office of Counsel and the United States Attorney’s Office.”
This case was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Counsel to the Inspector General, as well as the North Carolina Attorney General’s Medicaid Investigations Unit, the Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Cassie Crawford.
The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Kovalich v. Preferred Pain Management & Spine Care, P.A. et al., No. 18-CV-44 (M.D.N.C.). The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The Settlement Agreement is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing by PPM.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - A former resident of Durham, NC was sentenced to 63 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution totaling $6,170,045.68 after pleading guilty to one count of the use of manipulative and deceptive devices and one count of wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina.NAYEEM CHOUDHURY, currently of Fort Worth, TX was sentenced to a 63-month term of imprisonment by the Honorable Loretta C. Biggs, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. In addition to prison time, CHOUDHURY was ordered to serve three years of supervised release.According to court filings, CHOUDHURY, while a resident of Durham, NC, began soliciting option trading investments for his company, Dream Venture Capital Group, LLC, through friends and family networks, as well as through social media accounts and webpages. CHOUDHURY told potential investors that their investments were no-risk because he guaranteed the principal, that he would pay investors exorbitant monthly returns sometimes as high as twenty-five percent, and that he had a proven track record of successful options trading and won far more than he lost. None of these statements were true. In fact, of the eleven months CHOUDHURY traded investor funds before his fraud was identified, he suffered net trading losses in nine of those eleven months. Despite this, CHOUDHURY continued to solicit new investors, repeating the same misrepresentations identified above. He also paid older investors with principal invested by new investors, representing it to be trading gains, in what is colloquially known as a Ponzi scheme.CHOUDHURY lost over $5 million dollars in investor funds and used other funds for extravagant personal purchases, including an $85,000 Mercedes Benz G63. In total, he was responsible for a loss of $6,170,045.68, victimizing 88 different individuals.“CHOUDHURY’s mendacity knew no bounds: he mined the trust of friends and family to find new victims, even as the losses were piling up,” said U.S. Attorney Hairston. “We are grateful to the agencies that investigated this unconscionable conduct and helped hold this defendant accountable.”“CHOUDHURY presented himself as an investment expert promising significant profits with little to no financial risks. He took money from his own family and friends to cover massive trading losses and fund extravagant personal expenses. While fraud of this magnitude can have a lasting impact, we hope CHOUDHURY’s federal prison sentence will bring a sense of justice to his victims,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.The investigation was undertaken by Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley E. Waid.###
Greensboro, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin of the Middle District of North Carolina today announced that more than $65 million in Department of Justice grants is available to help communities combat human trafficking and serve adults and children who are victimized in trafficking operations. “We are pleased to be able to have this channel of funding for our local partners to help us attack the evil of human trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Martin.
“Our nation is facing difficult challenges, none more pressing than the scourge of human trafficking. Human traffickers pose a dire threat to public safety and countering this threat remains one of the Administration’s top domestic priorities,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. “The Department of Justice is front and center in the fight against this insidious crime. OJP is making historic amounts of grant funding available to ensure that our communities have access to innovative and diverse solutions.”
The funding is available through OJP, the federal government’s leading source of public safety funding and crime victim assistance in state, local and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs support a wide array of activities and services, including programs that support human trafficking task forces and services for human trafficking survivors.
A number of funding opportunities are currently open, with several more opening in the near future.
Missing and Exploited Children Training and Technical Assistance Program
URBANA, Ill. – Brett Michael Bartlett, 37, of Fountain Valley, California, was sentenced on November 25, 2024, to 188 months in prison for wire fraud, mail fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering. Bartlett was also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment and to pay $22,502,092.66 in restitution to his victims.During his previous plea of guilty, Bartlett admitted that, using his California-based companies, Dynasty Toys, and 7M E-group, he devised a scheme to defraud investors and obtain their money by making materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. Bartlett, through Dynasty Toys and 7M E-group, purchased items at liquidation sales and resold those items online, especially through Amazon. Bartlett solicited and accepted money from Central Illinois investors, first to purchase inventory to be resold by 7M E-group at promised annual returns of 20% to 40% and later to purchase Dynasty Toys’ preferred stock shares, which Bartlett claimed were expected to double in value.Bartlett admitted that he induced investors to invest by dramatically overstating the success of the companies and the returns that the companies generated for investors, lying about the companies’ assets, failing to disclose the companies’ struggles even while continuing to solicit investments, and using investors’ funds for Bartlett’s own benefit. For example, Bartlett falsely told investors their existing shares were worth approximately $30 million in total, that Dynasty Toys owned hundreds of millions of dollars of gold assets, and that another company was going to purchase Dynasty Toys for $120 million. As a result, over 1,000 individuals, including over 50 investors from Central Illinois, invested over $22.5 million with Bartlett, 7M E-group, and Dynasty Toys.Bartlett further admitted that in May 2020, he mailed to Central Illinois investors checks totaling millions of dollars, but the checks bounced. Nonetheless, after that, Bartlett transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to his personal bank account and took his family members and employees to a luxury business retreat at Big Bear Lake in California. The Court found thatinvestors lost approximately $22.5 million as a result of Bartlett’s fraud.At the sentencing hearing, the prosecution presented evidence that numerous victims experienced substantial financial hardship as a result of Bartlett’s fraud scheme, in some cases losing their entire retirement savings. Many of the victims were devastated not only by the financial loss, but also the sense of betrayal because they had trusted Bartlett, who had repeatedly told the investors that they were his “family” and that he shared their faith in God.The prosecution told the sentencing judge that many of the victims felt guilty because they had encouraged other family members, friends, and church associates to invest with Bartlett based on his false representations.Also at the hearing, U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce found that a sentencing enhancement was appropriate because Bartlett’s scheme involved sophisticated means, including offering to convert investor’s shares to “gold contracts” that turned out to be worthless. Judge Bruce also ordered the criminal forfeiture of a property held in Tennessee in the name of one of Bartlett’s corporations. Bartlett faced a penalty of up to twenty years in prison on each fraud charge and a penalty of up to ten years in prison on the money laundering charge. Bartlett also faced a penalty of up to three years of supervised release on each charge. Although the charges also carried maximum fines of up to $6.25 million, the prosecution did not request a fine so that any money recovered from Bartlett would to go to restitution for his victims.“The defendant’s reprehensible conduct had life-changing and devastating repercussions for his victims in Central Illinois and across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “Our office is dedicated to pursuing those who deal in fraudulent investments. We are grateful to our federal law enforcement partners’ critical work in accomplishing that mission.”“Brett Bartlett’s greed left a trail of victims in the path of his fraudulent schemes,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson.” And while the victims lives and financial futures were sadly changed forever, this significant sentence brings justice and underscores the investigative efforts of FBI Springfield and the FDIC–Office of Inspector General.”“It is fitting that Mr. Bartlett was brought to justice for having engaged in a massive fraud that brought financial ruin to more than 1,000 unsuspecting and trusting investors,” said Special Agent in Charge Vincent R. Zehme, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Chicago Region. “His prison sentence and the restitution ordered is just punishment for luring investors with false representations and promises; betraying their trust; and selfishly using more than $22 million of their hard-earned funds for his personal benefit and to support his scheme. Adding insult to injury—he mailed some of them millions of dollars in checks that bounced. The FDIC OIG will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to bring a halt to such schemes that harm innocent consumers and undermine the integrity of our Nation’s banks.”The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government in the prosecution.
Greensboro, N.C. – Acting United States Attorney Sandra Hairston announced today that two High Point, NC women pleaded guilty on a superseding Bill of Information to conspiracy to defraud the United States’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program.
Ingram and Mary Frances Ingram, both of High Point, NC, pleaded guilty in federal court in Winston-Salem before United States District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder. Sentencing has been set for August 22, 2017, at 2 p.m. Each defendant faces a term of imprisonment of up to five years, and a fine of up to $250,000.00. The court may also order restitution to victims of the offense.
The Ingrams are sisters who own and operate Becky’s and Mary’s Restaurant in High Point. The Ingrams used SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards belonging to other persons at local grocery stores to purchase food for their restaurant. The investigation revealed that between January 2015 and October 2016, the Ingrams, along with others, used more than 180 EBT cards to purchase food for the restaurant. On November 29, 2016, a federal search warrant was executed at the restaurant owned by the Ingrams. During the search, 21 EBT cards and a notebook containing names, card numbers, and PIN numbers were seized. None of the cards belonged to the Ingrams.
“USDA-OIG is dedicated to working with its federal, state, and local partners to investigate schemes that are devised by criminals to defraud our programs and the American taxpayer. These sisters utilized a supplying scheme to traffic in EBT benefits by illegally obtaining recipients’ EBT cards and purchasing supplies for their restaurant with those cards. In exchange, EBT recipients were paid a reduced amount in cash for use of their cards. The prosecution of these sisters should serve as a strong message that fraud in USDA programs will not be tolerated,” said Karen Citizen-Wilcox, Special Agent-in-Charge for USDA-OIG.
The High Point Police Department and the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anand Ramaswamy.
