Court Orders Defendants to Stop Operating Website Selling Unlawful Bleach Product for Coronavirus Treatment

MIAMI, Fl. – Today, a federal judge in South Florida entered a temporary injunction halting the sale of an unapproved, unproven, and potentially dangerous coronavirus (COVID-19) treatment product, announced Ariana Fajardo Orshan, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

The civil complaint and accompanying court papers filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida allege that the defendants, Genesis II Church of Health and Healing (Genesis) and its principals, Mark Grenon, Joseph Grenon, Jordan Grenon, and Jonathan Grenon sell and distribute a product called Miracle Mineral Solution, also referred to as MMS. Genesis sells MMS through its websites claiming that it will cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent Coronavirus, which includes COVID-19, as well as other diseases including Alzheimer’s, autism, brain cancer, HIV/AIDS, and multiple sclerosis, among others. MMS is a chemical product which, when combined with the included activator, creates a powerful bleach product that the defendants market for oral ingestion.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has previously issued public warnings to consumers that MMS can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and symptoms of severe dehydration. The Justice Department sought emergency and preliminary relief from the court.

“We will zealously pursue perpetrators of fraud schemes seeking to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “Not only are these products potentially harmful, but their distribution and use may prevent those who are sick from receiving the legitimate healthcare they need.”

“The Department of Justice will take swift action to protect consumers from illegal and potentially harmful products being offered to treat COVID-19,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt. “We will continue to work closely alongside our partners at the Food and Drug Administration to quickly shut down those selling illegal products during this pandemic.”

The complaint alleges that defendants’ disease-related treatment claims are unsupported by any well-controlled clinical studies or other credible scientific substantiation.  Additionally, the complaint asserts that MMS’s labeling is false and misleading and that since defendants make disease-related treatment claims about MMS in the absence of any clinical data, the products are misbranded. 

On April 8, 2020, FDA, jointly with the Federal Trade Commission, issued a Warning Letter to Defendants notifying them that they are violating federal law (both the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act as well as the Federal Trade Commission Act) by, among other things, distributing unapproved new drugs and misbranded drugs in interstate commerce.  Despite this warning, the complaint alleges, the defendants not only continue to sell MMS with claims that it cures, mitigates, treats, or prevents Coronavirus, which includes COVID-19, but they have also expressly stated that they will not take corrective action.

“Americans expect and deserve proven medical treatments and today’s action is a forceful reminder that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will use its legal authorities to quickly stop those who have proven to continuously threaten the health of the American public.  It is vital that sellers of drug products comply with the FD&C Act and do not sell products with false and misleading claims, especially to treat COVID-19 and other debilitating diseases, such as autism and Alzheimer’s disease,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D.  “Despite a previous warning, the Genesis II Church of Healing has continued to actively place consumers at risk by peddling potentially dangerous and unapproved chlorine dioxide products.  We will not stand for this, and the FDA remains fully committed to taking strong enforcement action against any sellers who place unsuspecting American consumers at risk by offering their unproven products to treat serious diseases.”

FDA’s previous warning to consumers about the dangers of MMS can be found here: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/danger-dont-drink-miracle-mineral-solution-or-similar-products.

The enforcement action filed today is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Feeley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and Senior Litigation Counsel Ross S. Goldstein and David A. Frank from the Department of Justice, Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. Assisting with the enforcement action is Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement Joshua Davenport of the FDA, Office of General Counsel, Department of Health and Human Services.

The claims made in the complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove to receive a permanent injunction against the defendants.

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.  For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, visit its website at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.  For information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to stop illegal COVID-19-related activity, visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, consumers may visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO websites.    

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Brock A. Westrom, 36, of Gulf Breeze, Florida, was found guilty in federal court of attempted enticement of a minor. The conviction was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am incredibly appreciative of the invaluable investigative work performed by our state and federal law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and arrest the predators who seek to sexually exploit and victimize children, like this defendant. My office stands ready to aggressively prosecute these sick individuals to the fullest extent, and we will not rest until we can all be assured that the most vulnerable members of our communities are safe from these types of threats to their safety and innocence.”Evidence at trial demonstrated that in July 2024, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, along with other law enforcement partners, conducted an undercover operation, directed at finding people who were soliciting minors online for sex. On July 19, 2024, the defendant began talking with someone he believed was a fifteen-year-old child. He told the purported child the sexual acts he wanted the child to perform, the price he was willing to pay for those sexual acts, and he arranged a meeting location. When the defendant traveled to meet the purported child at the agreed upon location, he was arrested by law enforcement. Electronic evidence seized pursuant to a search warrant confirmed the defendant had, in fact, talked to the person he believed was a child and traveled to meet them.This conviction was the result of an investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith Steer and Eric W. Welch.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Two criminal complaints were unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging three correction officers employed by the New York City Department of Correction (DOC) at Rikers Island with federal program fraud.  Correction Officers Steven Cange, Monica Coaxum and Eduardo Trinidad were arrested earlier today, and their initial appearances are scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon. 

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) announced the charges.

“As alleged, in the midst of an ongoing staffing crisis at Rikers Island, the defendants defrauded New Yorkers by fraudulently obtaining their full salaries while taking over a year of sick leave.  These correction officers abandoned their oath to protect inmates and put the safety of their fellow correction officers at risk” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace.  “Today’s arrests demonstrate that this Office remains committed to rooting out corruption at Rikers Island and protecting New Yorkers from public officials who steal their tax dollars.”

“As alleged, the defendants deliberately violated their oath when they participated in an elaborate scheme to defraud our community.  The FBI and our partners are committed to disrupting these fraudulent scams and holding the public officials who perpetuate them accountable,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.

 DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “As charged, these New York City Correction Officers feigned illness and submitted false medical documentation to take sick leave during a staffing crisis, defrauding the City of New York of hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Today’s arrests hold these Correction Officers accountable for the shameful dereliction of duty alleged in the Complaints.  I thank the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their continuing partnership and efforts to bring to justice those whose misconduct jeopardizes the safety and stability of the City’s jails.”

As alleged in one complaint, New York City Correction Officer Steven Cange fraudulently obtained more than $160,000 in salary by being on sick leave from March 2021 to the present.  Although Cange claimed that he suffered from symptoms of vertigo and side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine, evidence obtained by law enforcement demonstrates that Cange was able to work.  During his sick leave, Cange submitted more than 100 fraudulent medical notes to DOC demonstrating that he was at physical therapy or another medical provider when records subpoenaed from those providers demonstrate that Cange was not at those appointments.  Law enforcement also observed Cange engaging in normal life activities with no apparent difficulty.

As alleged in a separate complaint, New York City Correction Officer Monica Coaxum fraudulently obtained more than $80,000 in salary by being on sick leave from March 2021 to May 2022, and her fiancée, Correction Officer Eduardo Trinidad, fraudulently obtained more than $140,000 in salary by being on sick leave from June 2021 to November 2022.  Although Coaxum claimed to suffer from multiple injuries, evidence collected by investigators shows that she was able to work.  During her sick leave, Coaxum submitted nearly 50 fraudulent medical notes to DOC stating that she had gone to a medical appointment at times law enforcement determined she was elsewhere.  Additionally, evidence shows that on some occasions where Coaxum claimed to be injured and at home, she was traveling and at parties.  When approached by law enforcement, Coaxum admitted to forging some medical documents.

Trinidad likewise obtained more than $140,000 by claiming to be too injured to work for over a year.  Although he went to medical appointments with DOC wearing some combination of a sling, cane, and/or boot, photographic and video evidence during the same period showed Trinidad doing normal life activities like home improvement work, bowling and traveling abroad, without any difficulty or help from equipment like a boot, sling or cane.

The charges in the complaints are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Pilmar and Andrew Grubin.

The Defendants:

STEVEN CANGE

Age:  49

Brooklyn, NY

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-MJ-1204

MONICA COAXUM

Age:  36

Harrison, NY

EDUARDO TRINIDAD

Age:  42

Yonkers, NY

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-MJ-1203

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Tuscaloosa man for sexually exploiting two young children, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

Chief U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced MATTHEW MILLER, 32, to 7,200 months in prison for producing child pornography.  Miller was charged in a 20-count indictment for enticing two children under the age of 5 to engage in sexual explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual production of such conduct.   A search warrant was obtained for the defendant’s electronic devices.  The forensic examination of those devices revealed 102 pornographic images that the defendant had produced of the children. Miller pled guilty to these charges in October 2019.

“Child predators seek out and victimize those that are the most innocent and vulnerable - children,” Escalona said.  “The sentences imposed today and yesterday in local child exploitation cases reflect the commitment of law enforcement in this district to prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law those who commit crimes against children.”

“The crimes for which Miller has admitted guilt are not only disturbing, they are sickening, and his actions robbed these children of their childhood,” Sharp said.  “I am proud of the work of the FBI on this case, and I applaud the sentence handed down today, as Miller will spend the rest of his natural life behind prison bars.”

FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case, along with the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crime Unit.   Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.

For Further Information, Contact:

Assistant U. S. Attorney Valerie Chu (619) 546-6750

SAN DIEGO – A strategically coordinated, six-week nationwide federal law enforcement action has resulted in criminal charges against 138 defendants, including 42 doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical professionals, in 31 federal districts across the United States for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes that resulted in approximately $1.4 billion in alleged losses.

The enforcement action includes criminal charges against four defendants here in the Southern District of California, involving more than $129 million in intended losses.

Nationwide, this action includes more than $1.1 billion in fraud committed using telemedicine, more than $29 million in COVID-19 health care fraud, more than $133 million connected to substance abuse treatment facilities, or “sober homes,” and more than $160 million connected to other health care fraud and illegal opioid distribution schemes across the country

"Federal dollars devoted to care for the sick and suffering in our community should not be diverted to line the pockets of greedy opportunists,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Now more than ever, we recognize the importance of our health care system and the important federal programs that care for elderly and Americans with disabilities."

“This nationwide enforcement action demonstrates that the Criminal Division is at the forefront of the fight against health care fraud and opioid abuse by prosecuting those who have exploited health care benefit programs and their patients for personal gain,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The coordinated law enforcement actions announced today send a clear deterrent message and should leave no doubt about the department’s ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety of patients and the integrity of health care benefit programs, even amid a continued pandemic. I am proud of the hard work and dedication of those throughout law enforcement who are working to safeguard our health care system and our nation.”

Today’s enforcement actions were led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, in conjunction with its Health Care Fraud and Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force program, and its core partners, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), as part of the department’s ongoing efforts to combat the devastating effects of health care fraud and the opioid epidemic. The Southern District of California worked with the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, and DEA in the investigation and prosecution of these cases.

Telemedicine Fraud Cases

The largest amount of alleged fraud loss charged in connection with the cases announced today – over $1.1 billion in allegedly false and fraudulent claims submitted by more than 50 criminal defendants in 11 judicial districts nationwide – relates to schemes involving telemedicine: the use of telecommunications technology to provide health care services remotely.

The continued focus on prosecuting health care fraud schemes involving telemedicine reflects the success of the nationwide coordinating role played by the Fraud Section’s National Rapid Response Strike Force, the creation of which was announced at the 2020 National Health Care Fraud and Opioid Takedown. The National Rapid Response Strike Force helped coordinate the prosecution of the telemedicine initiative, Sober Homes initiative, and COVID-19 cases that were announced today. The focus on telemedicine fraud also builds on the telemedicine component of last year’s national takedown and the impact of the 2019 “Operation Brace Yourself” Telemedicine and Durable Medical Equipment Takedown, which resulted in an estimated cost avoidance of more than $1.5 billion in the amount paid by Medicare for orthotic braces in the 17 months following that takedown.

COVID-19 Fraud Cases

Nine defendants in the cases announced today are alleged to have engaged in various health care fraud schemes designed to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the submission of over $29 million in false billings.

In the Southern District of California, Roselia Kubeck and Rosario Gonzalez pleaded guilty to having approached residents of senior complexes in El Centro and Calexico, California, who were Medicare beneficiaries, and offering COVID-19 screening tests for the residents. The defendants knew at the time that the tests would not actually test for COVID-19 but would be a general respiratory pathogens screening panel that tested for the presence of several kinds of respiratory pathogens.  They also took urine samples from the Medicare beneficiaries without explaining that the urine samples were not necessary to conduct a COVID-19 test.  The defendants then completed requisition forms for tests on the nasal swabs and urine samples, and inaccurately indicated on the forms that the beneficiaries needed the respiratory tests because they were suffering from acute respiratory infections and needed urine tests because the beneficiaries were long-term users of opiates or had urinary tract infections.  The laboratories that performed the tests subsequently submitted inaccurate and medically unnecessary claims to Medicare based on the inaccurate diagnoses that the defendants put on the requisition forms.

The law enforcement action today also includes criminal charges against five defendants across the country related to the misuse of Provider Relief Fund monies. The Provider Relief Fund is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted March 2020 designed to provide needed medical care to Americans suffering from COVID-19.

The COVID-19 cases announced today build upon the success of the COVID-19 Health Care Fraud Takedown on May 26, a coordinated law enforcement action against 14 defendants in seven judicial districts for over $128 million in false billings. The law enforcement action and the cases announced today were brought in coordination with the Health Care Fraud Unit’s COVID-19 Interagency Working Group, which is chaired by the National Rapid Response Strike Force and organizes efforts to address illegal activity involving health care programs during the pandemic.

Sober Homes Cases

The sober homes cases are announced on the one-year anniversary of the first ever national sober homes initiative in 2020, which included charges against more than a dozen criminal defendants in connection with more than $845 million of allegedly false and fraudulent claims for tests and treatments for vulnerable patients seeking treatment for drug and/or alcohol addiction. The over $133 million in false and fraudulent claims that are additionally alleged in cases announced today reflect the continued effort by the National Rapid Response Strike Force and the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Los Angeles Strike Force, with the participation of the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central District of California and the Southern District of Florida, to prosecute those who participated in illegal kickback and bribery schemes involving the referral of patients to substance abuse treatment facilities; those patients could be subjected to medically unnecessary drug testing – often billing thousands of dollars for a single test – and therapy sessions that frequently were not provided, and which resulted in millions of dollars of false and fraudulent claims being submitted to private insurers.

Cases Involving the Illegal Prescription and/or Distribution of Opioids and Cases Involving Traditional Health Care Fraud Schemes

The cases announced today involving the illegal prescription and/or distribution of opioids involve more than 13 defendants, including several charges against medical professionals and others who prescribed over seven million doses of opioids and other prescription narcotics. The cases that fall into more traditional categories of health care fraud include charges against 67 defendants who allegedly participated in schemes to submit more than $160 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and private insurance companies for treatments that were medically unnecessary and often never provided.

In the Southern District of California, Ronald Charles Green Jr. and Melinda Elizabeth Green were charged with conspiring to defraud TRICARE and Medicare out of more than $129 million.  In connection with a compounding pharmacy fraud, the defendants allegedly engaged in a scheme involving the submission of false and fraudulent claims to TRICARE for expensive and medically unnecessary pain creams, scar creams and multi-vitamins, which were billed through compound pharmacies. Thereafter, the defendants allegedly launched multiple durable medical equipment companies, and carried out a scheme to defraud Medicare through the submission of false and fraudulent claims for expensive durable medical equipment which were induced through a system of illegal kickbacks. Out of the $129 million in claims, Medicare paid the defendants’ companies more than $69 million.   

Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide enforcement action and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,600 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for approximately $23 billion. In addition to the criminal actions announced today, CMS, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, announced more than 15 payment suspensions to decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

To view Assistant Attorney General Polite’s remarks, see https://www.justice.gov/opa/video/assistant-attorney-general-kenneth-polite-jr-delivers-remarks-health-care-enforcement.

 

The Southern District of California cases discussed herein were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valerie Chu and Kevin Larsen and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General for the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Grossman thanked the prosecutors and law enforcement agencies for working hard to achieve justice in these matters.

 

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 bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

 

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

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

Defendants Allegedly Attempted to Avoid Government Regulation by Selling Products Through a Company They Deceptively Named Genesis II Church  

Miami, Fl. – Federal prosecutors in Miami have charged four Florida residents who allegedly marketed “Miracle Mineral Solution,” a toxic bleach, as a cure for COVID-19, with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and criminal contempt. 

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Catherine Hermsen, Assistant Commissioner of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, made the announcement. 

According to the criminal complaint affidavit, Mark Grenon, 62, and his sons, Jonathan Grenon, 34, Jordan Grenon, 26, and Joseph Grenon, 32, all of Bradenton, Florida, manufacture, promote, and sell Miracle Mineral Solution (“MMS”), a chemical solution containing sodium chlorite and water. The Grenons allegedly directed their customers to ingest MMS orally, which causes the solution to become chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach, typically used for industrial water treatment or bleaching textiles, pulp, and paper.  FDA has received reports of people requiring hospitalizations, developing life-threatening conditions, and dying after drinking MMS.

According to the affidavit, the Grenons claim that MMS can treat, prevent, and cure COVID-19.  The FDA, however, has not approved MMS for treatment of COVID-19, or for any other use.  Rather, in prior official warning statements, the FDA has strongly urged consumers not to purchase or use MMS, explaining that drinking MMS is the same as drinking bleach and can cause dangerous side effects, including severe vomiting, diarrhea, and life-threatening low blood pressure. See https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/danger-dont-drink-miracle-mineral-solution-or-similar-products.

The affidavit also alleges that, before marketing MMS as a cure for COVID-19, the Grenons marketed MMS as a miracle cure-all for dozens of other serious diseases and disorders, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, autism, multiple sclerosis, and HIV/AIDS, even though the FDA had not approved MMS for any use. The Grenons allegedly sold tens of thousands of bottles of MMS nationwide, including to consumers throughout South Florida. They sold this dangerous product under the guise of Genesis II Church of Health and Healing (“Genesis”), an entity they allegedly created in an attempt to avoid government regulation of MMS. According to the charging documents, Genesis’ own websites describe Genesis as a “non-religious church,” and Defendant Mark Grenon, the co-founder of Genesis, has repeatedly acknowledged that Genesis “has nothing to do with religion,” and that he founded Genesis to “legalize the use of MMS” and avoid “going [ ] to jail.”

In addition to charging these defendants with federal conspiracy, the complaint also charges the Grenons with criminal contempt. The United States previously filed a civil case against the defendants and Genesis II Church of Health and Healing. See United States v. Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, et al., Case No. 20-21601-CV-WILLIAMS. In that civil case, the United States obtained court orders halting the Grenons’ distribution of MMS. The criminal charges against the Grenons allege that they willfully violated these court orders. According to the complaint affidavit, the Grenons sent letters to the judge presiding over the civil case saying that they would not comply with the Court’s orders. The Grenons also threatened violence in the letters. The criminal complaint affidavit quotes from these letters.

“We continue to protect the public from criminal conduct that takes advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “Not only is this MMS product toxic, but its distribution and use may prevent those who are sick from receiving the legitimate healthcare they need. A United States District Court already has ordered the defendants to stop distributing this product; we will not sit idly by as individuals purposefully violate Court orders and put the public in danger.”

“Making claims that unproven drugs, especially potentially dangerous and unapproved chlorine dioxide products, can cure or prevent COVID-19 or any other disease is unacceptable. The Genesis II Church of Health and Healing has actively and deliberately placed consumers at risk with their fraudulent Miracle Mineral Solution and Americans expect and deserve medical treatments that have been scientifically proven to be safe and effective,” said Catherine Hermsen, Assistant Commissioner of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations. “We commend the efforts of our law enforcement partners for vigorously investigating this matter. The FDA will continue our efforts to make sure these and other like-minded sellers do not jeopardize the health of Americans during this pandemic and in the future.”

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the efforts of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, particularly its Miami Field Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael B. Homer and John Shipley are prosecuting this case.

A criminal complaint is a charging instrument containing allegations.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 20-MJ-03050.

Seattle – A Seattle man arrested in a car that had been stolen from a Children’s Hospital garage, was sentenced on Tuesday January 9, 2024, to eight years in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Timothy Robert Laucks, 42, pleaded guilty on September 26, 2023, to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge James L. Robart imposed three years of supervised release to follow the prison term.

According to records filed in the case, Laucks was spotted driving a car that had been stolen at the Childrens’ Hospital parking garage, while the owner was inside with a sick child. The car was taken on October 30th and just days later, on November 4, 2022, Seattle Police spotted the car in the Ballard neighborhood. Officers observed the car for a few hours while the driver, Laucks, drove to various homeless encampments in the Seattle area. At these locations, officers observed Laucks carrying a pizza box and trafficking narcotics to members of the homeless encampments.

Officers followed Laucks, who drove to a downtown grocery store parking lot. When officers pulled their marked patrol car pulled in front of the stolen car, Laucks hit the accelerator crashing into the patrol car. He attempted to flee on foot but was caught within moments.

While running, Laucks attempted to toss his jacket and backpack. Those were recovered by officers. In the jacket was a .40 semi-automatic pistol that had been reported stolen in Redmond, Washington. In the backpack were multiple narcotics packaged for distribution, including zanax, fentanyl pills, powder, cocaine, meth, and heroin. Laucks had a second handgun and more than $8,000 cash on him when arrested.

Laucks claimed he had purchased the car from someone else and didn’t realize it had been stolen from a family with a sick child, until he saw some medical paperwork in the car. He told officers he had intended to return the car and the paperwork but “got busy making drops,” or drug sales.

Laucks was indicted by the grand jury on March 1st, 2023.

Laucks has multiple prior convictions which prohibit him from possessing firearms, including felony convictions in Whatcom and Skagit Counties. In asking for a nine-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “As a prohibited person, the defendant was precluded from possessing any firearms, let alone using them to traffic drugs. Seattle Police officers observed the defendant peddling drugs thinly disguised in a pizza box to various homeless communities in the city. The defendant’s prior encounters with the criminal system have failed to deter or dissuade him from selling drugs and carrying firearms.”

The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.

          Five people have been charged federally in five separate mail theft cases brought in joint effort with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to combat identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes.  Mail and package theft is a heightened problem in the busy holiday shipping season.  These cases have taken some of the worst offenders off the street over the last few months.  Some of those charged have already entered guilty pleas, and face mandatory minimum sentences for aggravated identity theft.

 

            “Over the last several months we have worked with investigators from the Postal Inspection Service to federally prosecute mail thieves who repeatedly steal from homes, apartment buildings and other locations around western Washington,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “These cases should serve as a warning that there are significant consequences for those who steal mail and victimize so many people.”

 

            “The arrest and prosecution of prolific mail thieves is a top priority of the Postal Inspection Service,” said Inspector in Charge Tony Galetti.

 

            Some of the cases pursued in this initiative include:

 

CHARLLETTE MILLER, 35, of Olympia, Washington pleaded guilty to access device fraud and will be sentenced in March 2018.  MILLER used stolen mail, including drivers’ licenses to open bank and credit accounts in the names of her victims and then ran up thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges.

 

JESSE FRANKLIN DENHAM, 27, is scheduled for trial in January 2018 on an eight-count indictment charging bank fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.  Using stolen mail, DENHAM allegedly opened bank and credit accounts, and forged balance transfer checks associated with the accounts.  When arrested, DENHAM had mail from more than 50 victims in his car.  DENHAM remains in custody.

 

SHAWLEE GEIGER, 41, of Seattle, is scheduled for trial in June 2018 on an eight-count indictment charging her with multiple counts of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.  GEIGER allegedly used stolen checks to inflate the balances of bank accounts she controlled and then quickly withdrew cash before the bank was notified that the checks were invalid.

 

DENNIE DENG, 27, of Auburn, Washington is scheduled for trial in March 2018 on a four-count indictment charging him with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.  DENG allegedly used stolen checks to inflate the balance of his bank account and then withdrew cash.  In some instances he altered the stolen checks to further increase the amount of money fraudulently  deposited in his account.

 

TRAVIS SICKLOVAN, 34, pleaded guilty in October to bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and possession of stolen mail.  SICKLOVAN was arrested in November 2016, in a Snohomish County hotel with stolen mail from more than 60 victims.  SICKLOVAN used the stolen mail to make and cash fraudulent checks and to obtain fraudulent credit cards.

 

            Defendants convicted of aggravated identity theft face a mandatory minimum two years in prison in addition to any other sentence imposed based on other convictions. 

 

          The charges contained in a criminal complaint or indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.   

 

            The Seattle Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service employs a multi-faceted approach to address mail theft in western Washington.  Using prevention and investigative efforts to combat mail theft, postal inspectors work with local, state and federal agencies across the area.  Targeted enforcement data is used to identify, arrest and prosecute the mail thieves who are having the biggest impact on the community.  The inspection service also seeks out ways to improve the security of postal facilities and mailboxes leading the effort to secure US Mail to prevent access to would-be thieves.  Lastly, the Postal Inspection Service educates the public on ways to mitigate their risk of mail theft and to report it in a timely manner when it does happen.    

 

            These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andre Penalver, Stephen Hobbs and Seungjae Lee.

Seattle – The former Finance Director at two Seattle area non-profits was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 41 months in prison for embezzling more than $3 million from her employers, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Susana Tantico, 63, of Renton, Washington committed the embezzlement over an eleven-year period. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, he could not understand how Tantico went from defrauding one non-profit to another, especially since the first provided medical care to immigrant communities. “You were leaving people who are sick today without the money to treat them,” Judge Robart told Tantico.

“Ms. Tantico chose to victimize non-profit organizations, whose work is critical to our community: one employer provided medical care to those who cannot afford it; the other works to assist youth in the criminal justice system,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “But over 11 years, knowing she was putting critical services at risk, she stole millions to finance her mortgage, pay for her vacations, and finance her gambling losses.”

According to records filed in the case, in 1999 Tantico began working for a non-profit that provides healthcare to underserved populations. Ultimately, Tantico became the non-profit’s Finance Director. Between 2011 and June 2020, Tantico secretly embezzled millions of dollars from the healthcare organization. Bank records are available only for the period beginning in December 2016. Between December 2016 and 2020, Tantico stole nearly $2.3 million from the healthcare non-profit. She used the non-profit’s debit and credit cards to withdraw $1.6 million at casinos for gambling. She also used the debit and credit cards to pay for personal vacations, such as a $26,000 family trip to Florida, and trips to Las Vegas and San Diego. Tantico also used the healthcare non-profit’s debit and credit cards for more than $83,000 worth of purchases at Nordstrom, and $40,000 worth of purchases at Apple stores.

After running up these expenses, Tantico used the non-profit’s funds to pay the credit card bills and disguised the payments as legitimate expenses. For example, she categorized expenses for one vacation as “pharmacy supplies” in the accounting system. Throughout this timeframe, Tantico told the non-profit auditors that she was aware of no fraud at the non-profit. 

In 2020, Tantico went to work as Finance Director for a different non-profit -- one with a focus on criminal justice issues. Tantico used more than $485,000 of the non-profit’s funds for gambling at casinos. She transferred $21,000 from the non-profit to her mortgage servicer to pay her home mortgage. She also transferred money to her personal bank account. Tantico then altered the bank records to hide the embezzlement. 

At one point, Tantico was questioned by one of the organization’s banks about the pattern of withdrawals at casinos. She claimed that the non-profit held youth programs at the casinos, and that the withdrawals were for cash prize giveaways. In all, Tantico stole nearly $893,000 from the non-profit. The non-profit has incurred $132,000 in costs to forensically audit its books, fix its accounting procedures and records, and reply to vendors.

In court today, Dominique Davis spoke about the impact of the embezzlement on his organization, Community Passageways. “This was rough, this betrayal of trust. It almost ruined our whole organization. We barely survived this. We were made out to be villains,” Davis told the court.

In recommending a 41-month sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson noted, “Tantico abused positions of trust. Tantico was hired (twice) to safeguard the finances of her employers, and they trusted her to manage the funds with integrity. Instead, Tantico not only stole the money, but used her position to hide her theft. She created phony accounting entries that made her expenditures look like business expenses. She doctored bank statements. She lied to auditors. And she showed extreme duplicity by developing financial policies prohibiting the personal use of corporate credit cards, while knowing she was stealing millions of dollars by doing exactly that.” Tantico’s theft averaged about $550,000 per year between 2016 and 2022.

In court today, Tantico said “I am truly sorry… They were my work family…. It’s like I was two separate people…. I always meant to fix it.”

Following prison, Tantico will be on three years of supervised release. She has a restitution obligation of $3,121,572. She provided the court with a $60,000 check today from the sale of her home.

The case was investigated by the FBI. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson.

SAN JUAN, P.R. –The United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General has honored the US Attorney’s Office, District of Puerto Rico with two distinguished awards, the Inspector General Cooperative Achievement Award, and the Inspector General’s Award for Fighting Fraud, Waste, and Abuse, announced US Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez.

This year’s Inspector General Cooperative Achievement Award recognizes a group of individuals from different federal and state agencies in Puerto Rico whose leadership, commitment, hard work, dedication, and cooperative achievements in the relief efforts following the Hurricane María’s aftermath, also known as the Puerto Rico Quality of Care and Patient Relief Effort/Elderly Task Force.

The USAO-PR recipients are US Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, Executive Assistant US Attorney Jacqueline D. Novas, AUSA Olga Castellón-Miranda, and Paralegal Specialist Cristzayda Matos.

On September 20 2017, Hurricane Maria crossed directly over the island of Puerto Rico, which was still in the process of recovering from the effects of the previous Hurricane, Irma. The entire island was without power, water, and there was almost no cell service. There was severe flooding, buildings had sustained structural damage, and the roads were impassible due to downed electrical power lines and trees.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico partnered with HHS-OIG, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, other state and federal agencies and took a lead role on a quality of care initiative, conducting site surveys at elderly homes throughout the island, investigating potential quality of care issues while providing assistance and resources such as food, water, and hygiene products to those elderly homes residents. As a result of this initiative, a total of 839 elderly homes were visited and approximately 16,330 elderly patients were assisted as of December 2017. This initiative also led to the prosecution of an elderly homeowner who physically abuse of elderly patients.

During the initiative, these volunteers worked under challenging conditions in areas that had substantial debris and had no electrical power. Despite these obstacles, they made great contributions to the health and welfare of the sick and elderly citizens of Puerto Rico.

The Inspector General’s Award for Fighting Fraud, Waste, and Abuse, was granted to an outstanding team that investigated and prosecuted a group of government employees from the Puerto Rico Department of Health who conspired to defraud the Medicaid Program in PR. The recipients are: Assistant US Attorney and Criminal Division Chief José Capó-Iriarte, AUSAs Luke Cass, Seth Erbe, Rafael López, Chief of the Civil Division Héctor Ramírez-Carbó and Special AUSA Amanda Soto.

On February 24, 2016, a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a fourteen-count indictment against eight individuals for bribery, health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, mail fraud, false statements related to health care matters and aggravated identity theft.

The collaboration in this case marked the first time in which health care fraud violations related to the Medicaid program were charged in an Office of Investigation lead investigation in Puerto Rico. The collaboration also marked the first time criminal and civil actions were pursued against Medicaid participants. Furthermore, this collaboration also resulted in the administrative disenrollment of hundreds of Medicaid participants suspected of providing false statements during their enrollment process.

# # #

A physician who practiced in Oak Park pleaded guilty yesterday to writing prescriptions for oxycodone without medical justification, acting United States Attorney Daniel L. Lemisch announced today.

 

Lemisch was joined in the announcement by Timothy Plancon, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Manny Muriel, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.

 

Jennifer Franklin, 40, of Harrison Township, entered the guilty plea before U.S. District Judge George Caram Steeh.

 

As part of the plea agreement, Franklin, admitted that between the latter part of 2013 and April 2015, she conspired with Boris Zigmond, to prescribe medically unnecessary oxycodone. Franklin acknowledged that she earned approximately $200,000 from the scheme to distribute oxycodone. She also acknowledged that the street value of the oxycodone she prescribed without justification exceeded $2 million.

 

Boris Zigmond, Dr. Carlos Godoy, and six other codefendants have previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy.

 

"More people die from overdoses of prescription drugs in America than from overdoses of all other drugs combined,” Lemisch said. “We hope that prosecuting the doctors who are putting these drugs on the streets will deter others from contributing to this epidemic.”

 

IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Muriel, stated “It is unfortunate that greed and the desire for financial gain overpowers a physician’s Hippocratic Oath to use treatment to help the sick, but never with a view to injury and wrong-doing. The medically unnecessary prescribing of Oxycodone continues to be a contributing factor to the Opioid epidemic that is facing Michigan. IRS and its partners will continue to work to identify those who look to gain financial reward from medically unnecessary prescriptions.”

 

As part of their plea agreements, Zigmond, Franklin, and Godoy could receive a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment.

 

Sentencing is scheduled for December 18, 2017.

SAN FRANCISCO – U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey convened a press conference today bringing together numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities to announce “All Hands on Deck,” a law enforcement initiative to address what has become endemic drug dealing in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. U.S. Attorney Ramsey explained that the new joint initiative, focused on the Tenderloin, is designed to change the basic cost/benefit analysis for fentanyl dealers throughout the Northern District of California.

Representing several state and local entities were notables including San Francisco Mayor London Breed, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, Chief of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) William Scott, San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, Commander Sunshine Garside of the California Highway Patrol, and Deputy Chief of the Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Chris Vogan. They were joined on stage by federal law enforcement personnel: Brian Clark of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Robert Tripp of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Jennifer Cicolani of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Tatum King of Homeland Security Investigations; and Shawn Bradstreet of the U.S. Secret Service, as well as Acting U.S. Marshal Jay Bieber, Executive Director of the Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Mike Sena, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Rafael Nunez, and Internal Revenue Service– Criminal Investigation Supervisory Special Agent Steve Martins.

Although All Hands on Deck focuses on drug dealing in the Tenderloin, several of the elements have reach outside of the San Francisco neighborhood and throughout the Northern District of California. Elements of the initiative include the following:

•    ramping up arrests of street dealers and suppliers of fentanyl who sell fentanyl near federal buildings (including near the James R. Browning U.S. Courthouse at 7th and Mission Streets, the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building on 7th and Mission Streets, and the Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse at 450 Golden Gate Avenue);

•    expanding efforts to track down and hold accountable suppliers of fentanyl;

•    bringing additional charges against persons operating money services operations who turn a blind eye to drug trafficking and money laundering transactions on their networks;

•    using targeted wiretaps, arrests, and searches throughout the Bay Area to enable drug seizures and to stem the flow of drugs and dealers coming into San Francisco from nearby counties;

•    conducting regular joint federal and SFPD “jump out” operations in the Tenderloin to make on-the-spot arrests for open-air drug dealing;

•    “fast-tracking” certain federal cases so that they take as little as a month from time of arrest to disposition; and

•    federal “adoption” of state cases to raise the stakes by holding drug dealers accountable in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney Ramsey stated that “our drug crisis has been fueled in part because selling fentanyl has become a lucrative vocation for people who have found our neighborhoods, and principally the Tenderloin District, to be a convenient and risk-free marketplace.” The U.S. Attorney disclosed that several of the participants at the press conference have been coordinating closely for months to disrupt fentanyl distribution in San Francisco and to remove fentanyl dealers from San Francisco neighborhoods. The result, U.S Attorney stated, has been an increase in collaboration, cooperation, and coordination between all the participants at the press conference. “All Hands on Deck,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsey, “is designed to change the basic cost/benefit analysis for fentanyl dealers. Today’s message is simple: selling fentanyl in the Tenderloin will result in your arrest and prosecution.”

“The Tenderloin has become ground zero for drug tourism. On average, we lose three lives a day to drug poisoning from sales connected to this area,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark. “The community has said, loud and clear, that they are sick and tired of the death and destruction caused by this lawlessness. As leaders in law enforcement, I can tell you we are working tirelessly to hold accountable the people responsible for this devastation.”

“We’ve seen an increased and significant presence from federal law enforcement taking on drug enforcement,” said Mayor Breed, “and we greatly appreciate their partnership in this city. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney and his team and the DEA for dedicating resources to disrupting the flow of drugs on our streets and for their commitment to San Francisco. Their work, along with our state and local law enforcement, is having an impact on our streets.”

“Law enforcement approaches traditionally applied to drug dealing in our neighborhoods simply have not caught up the challenges presented by this new drug,” stated U.S. Attorney Ramsey. “Yet, the tools of law enforcement can address some of the root causes of this epidemic. We in law enforcement are determined to double-down, triple-down, and take all necessary steps to prevent this poison from reaching our streets.”

“Current conditions on our streets are completely unacceptable and require all levels of government to work together to close open-air drug markets and hold suspected drug dealers accountable for the unprecedented death and addiction that their trade has wrought on our city,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “I would like to thank Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for her steadfast leadership and tireless advocacy on behalf of San Franciscans, which accelerated the federal government’s approval of San Francisco for Operation Overdrive. Working together with our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, these federal law enforcement agencies, as well as state and local law enforcement agencies, we will be more able to identify, arrest and prosecute suspected drug traffickers at all levels. Every legal resource available to us must be used to deter and disrupt the flagrant drug trafficking in our community.”

“The SFPD will not tolerate people dealing drugs on our streets, and we will hold these dealers accountable, and sustain the effort over time,” Chief Bill Scott said. “I want to thank our federal partners and our officers for their hard work in helping make our beautiful city safe for everyone to enjoy.”

The participants at the press conference stressed that a new reality for San Francisco drug dealers exists and that the consequences for dealing drugs in the Tenderloin are changing. The chances of getting caught have increased and any hope for profits must now be weighed against unacceptable losses in time, money, seized drugs, and other disruptions that criminal convictions present. Over the past four months, nearly 50 kilograms of fentanyl were removed from the streets in the Tenderloin, nearly double the amount taken off the streets in the same area during the same period last year. Similarly, 12 kilograms of methamphetamine were seized in the last four months—a 169% increase from the same period last year.

Information shared at the press conference made clear that greater resources from each of the represented law enforcement partners are being deployed. U.S. Attorney Ramsey pledged that every criminal Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of California will be involved in this fight in one way or another. In addition, the DEA described how additional resources are being contributed through Operation Overdrive, and Mayor Breed, Chief Scott, and DA Jenkins all described devoting additional resources to respond to the fentanyl crisis. As stated by U.S. Attorney Ramsey, “‘All Hands on Deck’ means we are using our resources in a way that addresses the magnitude of the problem that fentanyl presents.”

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and John Gore, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, today announced a proposed settlement with the City of New York to compensate City-employed registered nurses and midwives who were subjected to discrimination because they are women.  The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York filed the proposed settlement along with a complaint in federal district court.  According to the allegations of the complaint, the City failed to recognize that the work of predominantly-female registered nurses and midwives was “physically taxing,” while deeming other predominantly-male occupations, including in the health care field, physically taxing.  As a result, City employees in the predominantly-male physically taxing jobs were allowed to retire with full pensions as early as age 50, while registered nurses and midwives, who are predominantly female, could not retire with full pensions until age 55 or 57.

“City nurses and midwives care for sick and injured adults, juveniles and infants through long days and nights under difficult circumstances, and rightfully should be recognized as doing physically taxing work,” said U.S. Attorney Donoghue.  “Equal treatment under law means just that, equal treatment and this Office is committed to ensuring that women are treated fairly and equitably in the workplace.”  He also thanked the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) for its investigative work prior to referring this matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“This Settlement Agreement will provide significant relief to a class of female nurses and midwives employed by the City of New York who were harmed by the City’s discriminatory employment practices,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore.  “We applaud the United States’ Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for prosecuting this matter and acknowledge the City of New York’s commendable efforts in ensuring that this matter was brought to resolution without protracted litigation.” 

Beginning in 1968, the City allowed certain City employees with 25 years of service the option of retiring with full pensions beginning at the age of 50, if the employees worked in jobs the City deemed physically taxing. At that time, the City refused to recognize the work of registered nurses and midwives, which was performed mostly by women, as physically taxing, but did recognize as physically taxing work performed mostly by men in occupations such as Emergency Medical Specialist - EMT, Exterminator, Motor Vehicle Dispatcher, Window Cleaner, Foremen and Plumbers.

  Beginning in 2004, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), a labor union representing City-employed registered nurses and midwives, began requesting that the City recognize the work of registered nurses and midwives  as physically taxing and also allow NYSNA’s qualifying members the option of retiring as early as age 50.  The City denied that request in 2004, and again in 2006 and 2008.  Thereafter, NYSNA and four of its members filed complaints with the EEOC.  The EEOC determined there was reason to believe that the City had discriminated against the nurses when it failed to recognize registered nurse and midwife occupational titles as “physically taxing” in 1968, and again when NYSNA made its requests in 2004, 2006 and 2008.  The EEOC then referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The settlement applies to a proposed class of approximately 1,665 registered nurses and midwives hired by the City from September 15, 1965, through March 31, 2012.  Subject to court approval, the City would pay these registered nurses and midwives, who would otherwise have been eligible to retire at an earlier age, between $1,000 and $99,000, depending upon their years of qualifying service and the number of years earlier they would have been eligible to retire.  The settlement also provides for the City to pay attorney’s fees and an additional $100,000 to the four nurses who initiated the EEOC complaint which led to today’s result.  

This matter was handled by Eastern District of New York Assistant United States Attorneys John Vagelatos and Michael J. Goldberger.

 

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CV-4100 (WFK)

ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Daniel Perryman Collins, 34, of Pineville, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 325 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on child pornography charges.  This case is the result of an investigation into individuals using the dark web to communicate with others regarding exploiting children on the internet and causing them to produce child pornography. From January to November 2023, Collins and his co-defendant, Michael Bo Peacock, both together and individually, for their sexual gratification, caused minor children to produce child pornographic and sexually explicit images and videos of themselves by the use of threats and blackmail. Collins conducted all of this illegal activity in Pineville, Louisiana, while Peacock was located in the Dallas, Texas area. According to information introduced in court, Collins and Peacock both participated in meeting children and coercing/blackmailing the children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and to produce videos of that conduct. Peacock would often contact a minor victim online and through various social media platforms, including SnapChat, and he and Collins would convince the minor victim to engage in sexually explicit activity and provide a video of that conduct. Collins and Peacock would then blackmail and threaten the victims to provide additional sexually explicit material. As part of the conspiracy, Collins utilized advanced security measures so that those images and materials could not be traced back to himself or Peacock. Collins and Peacock gave each other access to all of the child pornography they had caused minor victims to produce by obtaining an account with an overseas cloud-based file hosting service, so they could post and share the child pornography images and videos that they had produced or obtained. Both defendants had an encryption key to use to access the material they had posted to the site. Through their investigation, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Child Exploitation Operational Unit determined that Collins and Peacock exploited over 100 child victims and caused them to create child pornography. These images and videos were posted to their shared file hosting account.On November 16, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Collins’ residence in Pineville. During the search, law enforcement agents obtained access to the cloud-based file hosting account of Collins and Peacock and were able to download all of the child pornography images and videos which they had created and posted to the account. Collins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and one count of enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity on November 21, 2024. Peacock pleaded guilty to the same charges on December 23, 2024, and will be sentenced at a later date. “The sexual exploitation of minor children and the activities that these men participated in is horrendous and sickening,” said Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “These types of cases are becoming more prevalent in the United States and internationally and can happen in your own neighborhood. We encourage parents to be vigilant in keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity that your children could potentially be exposed to. We will continue to work to uncover this type of illegal activity and protect our minor children from offenders like this.”“Through relentless investigations and cutting-edge technology, the FBI works every day to uncover hidden networks, identify victims and bring perpetrators to justice,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough. “Today’s sentencing sends the message that the FBI is committed to protecting vulnerable lives and ensuring no predator can thrive at the expense of our children.”The case was investigated by the FBI’s Headquarter-based Child Exploitation Operation Unit, with assistance from the FBI’s New Orleans and Dallas Field Offices, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Danny Siefker.To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. # # #

PORTLAND, Ore.— Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Russ Burger, U.S. Marshal for the District of Oregon, provide the below statement on ongoing violence in Portland:

The U.S. Marshal will not cancel the cross-deputation of local and state law enforcement officers.  Law enforcement and law-abiding citizens of Portland have endured months of nightly criminal violence and destruction.  Officers have been repeatedly assaulted with bottles, bats, sledgehammers, lasers, rocks, and other weapons of convenience.  In addition, the public has seen repeated efforts by criminals to burn down public buildings.  These violent, senseless, and criminal acts have no bearing on social justice.  They only serve to exacerbate lawlessness in this city.  Federal cross-deputation of Oregon State Police, Multnomah County Sheriff and Portland Police Bureau personnel underscores the importance of providing accountability and deterrence for these criminal acts.  Importantly, the federal deputation supports front line law enforcement officers and their families in a way that they have not seen from City Hall.  Portlanders, and Oregonians in general are sick of the boarded-up and dangerous conditions prevalent in downtown Portland due to a lack of leadership.  We call upon citizens of this city and state to denounce violence, demand accountability, and work together to end the violence.

 

Billy J. Williams                                 Russ Burger

United States Attorney                      United States Marshal

District of Oregon                             District of Oregon

SALT LAKE CITY – Two Utah cases are included in a national health care fraud enforcement action announced Thursday morning by the U.S. Department of Justice.

“We take these health care cases very seriously in Utah.  Patients must be able to rely on their doctors to provide them with proper care and legitimate, FDA-approved drugs,” U.S. Attorney John W. Huber said today.  “Additionally, health care providers who submits claims to government programs like Medicare and Medicaid must abide by the rules and regulations those programs have in place, including maintaining treatment records and conducting accurate billing. These crimes exploit patients and fleece American taxpayers,” Huber said. 

Federal prosecutors in Salt Lake City filed a one-count misdemeanor information Tuesday charging Living for Life MD, LLC, doing business as SLC Med Spa, with receipt and delivery of adulterated devices.  The Information alleges the Salt Lake City business imported non-FDA approved drugs manufactured overseas from an unauthorized distributor and administered them to patients.  The foreign-sourced devices, specifically products labeled as Juvederm Ultra 2 were adulterated and lacked pre-market approval required under federal law.

The Information includes a notice of intent to seek a forfeiture money judgment of $250,000 representing the value of the misbranded devices.  A summons will be issued to the company to appear in federal court on the charges. Special agents with the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations are investigating the case.

In the second case, a grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday charging Colette Krum Kolesar, age 48, of Spanish Fork, Utah, with one count of destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in a federal investigation.  Kolesar worked for a home health and hospice center with an office in Provo.

The indictment alleges the defendant altered medical records, including therapy notices from nursing visits, with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence an investigation being conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The potential maximum penalty for the charge in the indictment is 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  A summon will be issued to Kolesar to appear on the charges in the indictment.  The Utah Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and special agents with the FBI and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are investigating the case.

Informations and indictments are not findings of guilt.  Individuals charged in these documents are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in court.

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE FRAUD TAKEDOWN RESULTS IN CHARGES AGAINST 601 INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER $2 BILLION IN FRAUD LOSSES 

Largest Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action in Department of Justice History Resulted in 76 Doctors Charged and 84 Opioid Cases Involving More Than 13 Million Illegal Dosages of Opioids

WASHINGTON - Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex M. Azar III, announced today the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action involving 601 charged defendants across 58 federal districts, including 165 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving more than $2 billion in false billings.

Of those charged, 162 defendants, including 76 doctors, were charged for their roles in prescribing and distributing opioids and other dangerous narcotics.  Thirty state Medicaid Fraud Control Units also participated in today’s arrests.  In addition, HHS announced today that from July 2017 to the present, it has excluded 2,700 individuals from participation in Medicare, Medicaid, and all other Federal health care programs, which includes 587 providers excluded for conduct related to opioid diversion and abuse. 

Attorney General Sessions and Secretary Azar were joined in the announcement by Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Deputy Director David L. Bowdich of the FBI, Assistant Administrator John Martin of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Deputy Inspector General Gary Cantrell of the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), Deputy Chief Eric Hylton of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Program Integrity Alec Alexander and Director Dermot F. O’Reilly of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS).

Today’s enforcement actions were led and coordinated by the Criminal Division, Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit in conjunction with its Medicare Fraud Strike Force (MFSF) partners, a partnership between the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI and HHS-OIG.  In addition, the operation includes the participation of the DEA, DCIS, IRS-CI, Department of Labor, other various federal law enforcement agencies, and State Medicaid Fraud Control Units. 

The charges announced today aggressively target schemes billing Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE (a health insurance program for members and veterans of the armed forces and their families), and private insurance companies for medically unnecessary prescription drugs and compounded medications that often were never even purchased and/or distributed to beneficiaries.  The charges also involve individuals contributing to the opioid epidemic, with a particular focus on medical professionals involved in the unlawful distribution of opioids and other prescription narcotics, a particular focus for the Department.  According to the CDC, approximately 115 Americans die every day of an opioid-related overdose.  

“Health care fraud is a betrayal of vulnerable patients, and often it is theft from the taxpayer,” said Attorney General Sessions.  “In many cases, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists take advantage of people suffering from drug addiction in order to line their pockets. These are despicable crimes. That’s why this Department of Justice has taken historic new steps to go after fraudsters, including hiring more prosecutors and leveraging the power of data analytics. Today the Department of Justice is announcing the largest health care fraud enforcement action in American history.  This is the most fraud, the most defendants, and the most doctors ever charged in a single operation—and we have evidence that our ongoing work has stopped or prevented billions of dollars’ worth of fraud. I want to thank our fabulous partners with the FBI, DEA, our Health Care Fraud task forces, HHS, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, Medicare, and especially the more than 1,000 federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers from across America who made this possible. By every measure we are more effective at finding and prosecuting medical fraud than ever.”

“Every dollar recovered in this year’s operation represents not just a taxpayer’s hard-earned money—it’s a dollar that can go toward providing healthcare for Americans in need,” said HHS Secretary Azar.  “This year’s Takedown Day is a significant accomplishment for the American people, and every public servant involved should be proud of their work.”

According to court documents, the defendants allegedly participated in schemes to submit claims to Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and private insurance companies for treatments that were medically unnecessary and often never provided.  In many cases, patient recruiters, beneficiaries and other co-conspirators were allegedly paid cash kickbacks in return for supplying beneficiary information to providers, so that the providers could then submit fraudulent bills to Medicare.  Collectively, the doctors, nurses, licensed medical professionals, health care company owners and others charged are accused of submitting a total of over $2 billion in fraudulent billings.  The number of medical professionals charged is particularly significant, because virtually every health care fraud scheme requires a corrupt medical professional to be involved in order for Medicare or Medicaid to pay the fraudulent claims.  Aggressively pursuing corrupt medical professionals not only has a deterrent effect on other medical professionals, but also ensures that their licenses can no longer be used to bilk the system.

“Healthcare fraud touches every corner of the United States and not only costs taxpayers money, but also can have deadly consequences,” said FBI Deputy Director Bowdich.  “Through investigations across the country, we have seen medical professionals putting greed above their patients’ well-being and trusted doctors fanning the flames of the opioid crisis.  I want to thank the agents, analysts and our law enforcement partners in every field office who work each and every day to stop these criminals and hold them accountable for their actions.”

“DEA is committed to ending the opioid crisis occurring in our communities and preventing prescription drug misuse,” said DEA Assistant Administrator Martin.  “DEA will continue to work with our partners every day to protect our citizens while ensuring that patients have adequate access to these critical medications.”

“This year’s operations, focusing on opioid-related schemes, spotlight the far-reaching impact of health care fraud,” said HHS Deputy Inspector General Cantrell.  “Such crimes threaten the vitally important Medicare and Medicaid programs and the beneficiaries they serve.  Though we have made significant progress in our fight against health care fraud; our efforts are not complete.  We will continue to work with our partners to protect the health and safety of millions of Americans.”

“It takes a special kind of person to prey on the sick and vulnerable as happened in many of these health care fraud schemes,” said Deputy Chief Hylton.  “Medical professionals and others callously placed individuals and vital healthcare services in harm’s way simply because of greed.  IRS-CI special agents continue to work side-by-side with other federal, state and local law enforcement officers to uncover these schemes and hold these criminals accountable for their actions.”

“CMS makes it a top priority to protect the health and safety of millions of beneficiaries who depend on vital federal healthcare programs,” said Alec Alexander, deputy administrator and director of the Center for Program Integrity.  “CMS’ Center for Program Integrity collaborates closely with our law enforcement partners to safeguard precious taxpayer dollars. Under Administrator Seema Verma, we will continue to strengthen this partnership with law enforcement in order to ensure the integrity and sustainability of these essential programs that serve millions of Americans.”

“Heath care fraud wounds our service members and veterans alike, as they rely upon and rightfully expect uncompromised care through the Department of Defense’s TRICARE Program,” said DCIS Director O’Reilly.  “Investigations that culminated in enforcement actions over the past several days underscore the steadfast commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and our investigative partners to vigorously investigate fraud impacting TRICARE.  We remain vigilant in our efforts to ensure the high standards of care our service members, military retirees, and their dependents deserve while safeguarding American taxpayer dollars.”

The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations are part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country.  The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in 10 locations nationwide.  Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,700 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $14 billion.

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For the Strike Force locations, in the Southern District of Florida, 124 defendants were charged with offenses relating to their participation in various fraud schemes involving over $337 million in false billings for services including home health care and pharmacy fraud.  In one case, an owner, medical director, and two employees of a sober living facility were charged with conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, substantive counts of health care fraud, and substantive counts of money laundering.  The indictment alleges a scheme that illegally recruited patients, paid kickbacks, and defrauded health care benefit programs for widespread fraudulent urine testing.  During the course of the fraudulent scheme, the facility submitted more than $106 million in claims for substance abuse treatment services.

In the Central District of California, 33 defendants were charged for their roles in schemes to defraud insurance programs out of more than $660 million.  For example, one indictment in a compounding pharmacy fraud case alleges an attorney/marketer paid kickbacks and offered incentives such as prostitutes and expensive meals to two podiatrists in exchange for prescriptions written on pre-printed prescription pads, regardless of the medical need for the prescriptions.  Once the prescriptions were filled, members of the conspiracy submitted approximately $250 million in fraudulent claims to federal, state, and private insurers for the compounded drugs.

In the Southern District of Texas, 48 individuals were charged in cases involving more than $291 million in alleged fraud.  Among these defendants are a pharmacy chain owner, managing partner, and lead pharmacist charged with a drug and money laundering conspiracy. According to the indictment, the coconspirators used fraudulent prescriptions to fill bulk orders for over one million pills of hydrocodone and oxycodone, which the pharmacy, in turn, sold to drug couriers for millions of dollars.  In the Northern District of Texas, a home health agency owner was arrested on a criminal complaint for a $2.6 million health care fraud scheme.

In the Eastern District of Michigan, 35 defendants face charges for their alleged roles in fraud, kickback, money laundering and drug diversion schemes involving approximately $197 million in false claims for services that were medically unnecessary or never rendered.  In one case, a physician was charged in separate kickback conspiracies with two home health agency owners, which resulted in more than $12 million in fraudulent insurance billings.

In the Northern District of Illinois, 21 individuals were charged for various fraud schemes involving home health and dental services.  These schemes involved allegedly over $54 million in fraudulent billing.  One case alleges a home health fraud and kickback conspiracy, which resulted in more than $32 million paid by Medicare based on the fraudulent billings.

In the Eastern District of New York, 13 individuals were charged with participating in a variety of schemes including kickbacks, services not rendered, identity theft and money laundering involving over $38 million in fraudulent billings.  For example, the owner of a Brooklyn ambulette company was charged in a $7 million conspiracy stemming from the alleged payment of kickbacks for the referral of patients, who subjected themselves to purported physical and occupational therapy and other services, and were transported by the ambulette company.

In the Middle District of Florida, 13 individuals were charged with participating in a variety of schemes involving more than $21 million in fraudulent billings.  In one case, a physician and clinic owner were charged with a conspiracy to defraud Medicare of more than $2.8 million for fraudulent home health billings.

In the Southern Louisiana Strike Force, operating in the Middle and Eastern Districts of Louisiana as well as the Southern District of Mississippi, 42 defendants were charged in connection with health care fraud, drug diversion, and money laundering schemes involving more than $16 million in fraudulent billings.  One case alleges that three pharmacy owners and a nurse practitioner conspired to unlawfully dispense controlled substances and defraud TRICARE and private insurance companies out of $12 million.

In the Corporate Strike Force, five defendants were charged in the Middle District of Tennessee with a kickback conspiracy at a durable medical equipment company, which allegedly resulted in more than $1 million in kickbacks and over $2.5 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare.

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In addition to the Strike Force locations, today’s enforcement actions include cases and investigations brought by an additional 46 U.S. Attorney’s Offices, including the execution of search warrants in various investigations conducted by the Central and Northern Districts of California, Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Georgia, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of North Carolina, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, and Western District of Washington.

In the Northern and Southern Districts of Alabama, 15 defendants were charged for their roles in eight health care fraud schemes involving compounding pharmacy fraud and unlawful distribution of controlled substances.

In the Eastern District of California, four defendants were charged for their roles in two health care fraud schemes, one of which included forged prescriptions.

In the Southern District of California, seven defendants, including a physician, were charged for their roles in three health care fraud schemes and one scheme involving identity theft and services that were not rendered.

In the District of Colorado, a defendant was charged with health care fraud related to billings to Medicaid and Medicare.

In the District of Connecticut, three defendants, including two medical professionals, were charged for their roles in two schemes involving compounding drugs and unlawful distribution of Schedule II and IV controlled substances.

In the District of Delaware, a physician/owner of a pain management clinic was charged with unlawfully prescribing more than two million dosage units of Oxycodone products.

In the District of Columbia, a durable medical equipment company owner was charged with defrauding Medicaid of $9.8 million.

In the Northern District of Florida, four defendants were charged in a scheme to defraud TRICARE and other private insurance companies out of over $8 million for medically unnecessary compounded creams and pills.

In the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Georgia, 12 defendants, including two physicians, were charged in nine health care fraud, drug diversion, or compounding pharmacy schemes involving over $13.5 million in fraudulent billings.

In the District of Idaho, three defendants, all of who are medical professionals, were charged for their roles in three separate fraud schemes involving controlled substances.

In the Central and Southern Districts of Illinois, seven defendants were charged in six separate schemes to defraud the Medicaid program.

In the Northern District of Indiana, eight defendants were charged in various health care fraud schemes to defraud both the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

In the Northern District of Iowa, two defendants – both medical professionals – were charged for their roles in two opioid-related schemes.

In the Districts of Kansas and the Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma, 12 defendants, including four physicians, were charged in various unlawful distribution of controlled substances schemes.  In the Western District of Oklahoma, one case marks the district’s first time charging unlawful distribution of controlled substances resulting in a death.

In the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky, 12 defendants, including five medical professionals, were charged in various schemes involving health care fraud, unlawful distribution of controlled substances, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.  One case involved the operation of two false-front medical clinics.

In the Districts of Maine and Vermont, two defendants were charged for their roles in two schemes to defraud various government programs including Medicare, Medicaid, and ones run by the HHS’ Administration for Children and Families.

In the District of Nebraska, seven defendants, including one physician, were charged in five separate schemes to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and various HHS programs.

In the District of Nevada, four defendants, including three medical professionals were charged with conspiracies to commit health care fraud and distribute controlled substances.

In the District of New Jersey, eight defendants, including a New York doctor, an anesthesiology technologist for a Philadelphia hospital, and the owner of a medical billing company, were charged for their roles in five schemes to defraud private insurance companies of over $16 million.

In the Southern District of New York, two defendants were charged in schemes involving health care fraud or drug diversion.

In the Middle District of North Carolina, two defendants were charged with a conspiracy to defraud Medicare out of over $4 million.

In the Southern District of Ohio, three defendants – all medical professionals – were charged for their roles in two health care fraud schemes, one of which involved illegal drug distribution and kickbacks.

In the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, 12 defendants were charged for their roles in three drug diversion schemes.

In the Western District of Pennsylvania, four defendants – all physicians – were charged in various health care fraud and drug diversion schemes. One scheme involved 32,000 dosage units of buprenorphine.

In the District of Rhode Island, one defendant was charged for participating in a theft and aggravated identity theft scheme.

In the District of South Carolina, three defendants were charged for their separate roles in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl.

In the District of South Dakota, two defendants were charged in separate cases, one of which involved a scheme to defraud the Indian Health Service.

In the Middle District of Tennessee, 10 defendants were charged in two separate schemes, including a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain oxycodone.

In the Eastern District of Texas, two defendants were charged for their role in health care fraud schemes to defraud the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

In the Western District of Virginia, eight defendants were charged for their alleged roles in health care fraud schemes.  One $45 million scheme to defraud Medicaid involved falsification of documents in patient files.

In the Eastern District of Washington, a dentist and another individual were indicted for distributing and conspiring to distribute hydrocodone and tramadol without a legitimate medical purpose.

In the Eastern District of Wisconsin, three defendants were charged in a scheme involving the unlawful distribution of controlled substances and aggravated identity theft.

In addition, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, and Washington, 97 defendants have been charged with defrauding the Medicaid program out of over $27 million.  These cases were investigated by each state’s respective Medicaid Fraud Control Units.  In addition, the Medicaid Fraud Control Units of the states of California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia participated in the investigation of many of the federal cases discussed above.

The cases announced today are being prosecuted and investigated by U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide, along with Medicare Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of Utah, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of Texas, Central District of California, Eastern District of Louisiana, Northern District of Texas, Northern District of Illinois, Middle District of Louisiana, and the Middle District of Florida; and agents from the FBI, HHS-OIG, DEA, DCIS, IRS-CI, Department of Labor, other various federal law enforcement agencies, and state Medicaid Fraud Control Units.

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

Additional documents related to this announcement will shortly be available here:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/documents-and-resources-june-28-2018.

This operation also highlights the great work being done by the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.  In the past fiscal year, the Department of Justice, including the Civil Division, has collectively won or negotiated over $2 billion in judgments and settlements related to matters alleging health care fraud.

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A former nursing assistant was sentenced today in federal court for murder and assault charges in the deaths of eight veterans at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Clarksburg, West Virginia, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.

Reta Mays, 46, of Harrison County, West Virginia, was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences, one for each murder, and an additional 240 months for the eight victim. Mays pleaded guilty in July 2020 to seven counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of veterans Robert Edge Sr., Robert Kozul, Archie Edgell, George Shaw, W.A.H., Felix McDermott, and Raymond Golden. She pleaded guilty to one count of assault with intent to commit murder involving the death of veteran Russell Posey.

“In a case where we are confronted with the horrific crimes committed by the defendant against those who gave so much of themselves to serve this country, justice is somewhat of an elusive concept. No amount of prison time will erase the pain and loss that the families of these eight brave and honorable men have experienced. These men are heroes in our community, state, and country, and deserved so much more,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bernard. “Mays will now spend every minute of the rest of her life where she belongs, in prison.”

Mays was employed as a nursing assistant at the VAMC, working the night shift during the same period of time that the veterans in her care died of hypoglycemia while being treated at the hospital. Nursing assistants at the VAMC are not qualified or authorized to administer any medication to patients, including insulin. Mays would sit one-on-one with patients. She admitted to administering insulin to several patients with the intent to cause their deaths.

“While responsibility for these heinous criminal acts lies with Reta Mays, an extensive healthcare inspection by our office found the facility had serious and pervasive clinical and administrative failures that contributed to them going undetected,” said VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal. “I hope that the victims’ families can find some measure of solace knowing that Mays was caught and punished, and that steps are being taken to help ensure other families do not suffer the same loss. I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the West Virginia State Police for their strong partnership throughout this complex investigation.”

“It is beyond disturbing that someone would seek out the opportunity to work as a medical professional to aid the sick, and then twist their duty and willingly end the life of their patients,” said FBI Pittsburgh Acting Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples. “I hope today’s sentence brings peace and closure to the families of these veterans. It certainly sends the message that when you break the trust you are given and, in the process break the law, there are consequences, no matter who you are or what your profession is.”

This investigation, which began in June 2018, involved more than 300 interviews; the review of thousands  of pages of  medical records and charts; the review of phone, social media, and computer records; countless hours of consulting with some of the most  respected forensic experts and endocrinologists; the exhumation of some of the victims;   and the review of hospital staff and visitor records  to assess their potential interactions with the victims.  Today’s sentence was the result of the tireless and comprehensive efforts of both criminal investigators and healthcare experts.  

Mays was also ordered to pay a total of  $172,624.96 to the victims’ families, the VA Hospital, Medicare, and insurance companies. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod J. Douglas and Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated. The West Virginia State Police and the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, assisted.

U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.

Montgomery, Ala. – On Tuesday, May 9, 2017, Dr. Robert M. Ritchea, 54, of LaGrange, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison for operating a “pill mill” through his medical practice and for money laundering, announced Acting United States Attorney A. Clark Morris. A “pill mill” is a medical clinic created to dispense controlled substances inappropriately, unlawfully, and for non-medical reasons.

 

According to court documents, Dr. Ritchea operated a family medical practice in Phenix City, Alabama. At that practice, Dr. Ritchea wrote prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, and hydromorphone, knowing that his patients did not actually need the drugs prescribed. Dr. Ritchea laundered the proceeds of his unlawful drug dealing by purchasing Schedule II pain medications—specifically, hydromorphone and hydrocodone—directly from a drug manufacturer. Dr. Ritchea then distributed the pills directly out of his medical practice. This was necessary to keep his “pill mill” operational since many pharmacists in and around Phenix City refused to fill the illegitimate and unlawful prescriptions Dr. Ritchea wrote.

 

At the sentencing hearing, the Government introduced evidence that, in at least one case, one of Dr. Ritchea’s patients died as a result of a methadone overdose just days after receiving a prescription for that drug from Dr. Ritchea.

 

The sentencing court also heard testimony from former patients of Dr. Ritchea’s who had maintained their addictions to prescription drugs by obtaining monthly prescriptions from him. These patients testified that they made cash payments to Dr. Ritchea of at least $150 each month in exchange for office visits and prescriptions. The patients described the horrible impact the addiction had on their lives and families.

 

Additionally, members of the medical community in the Phenix City-Columbus area testified. A pharmacist described the unusually large prescriptions Dr. Ritchea’s patients brought to his pharmacy. A physician who operated an addiction rehabilitation clinic told the court that he had given his patients an ultimatum—they could not remain in his rehabilitation program if they were simultaneously receiving prescription drugs from Dr. Ritchea.

 

When he imposed the sentence, Chief United States District Judge W. Keith Watkins told Dr. Ritchea that his conduct was not far removed from the conduct of a drug dealer operating on a street corner. The judge also stressed the need to deter other doctors from overprescribing prescription drugs. The 120-month sentence reflects one of the largest ever imposed by a federal judge in Alabama on a doctor for operating a pill mill.

 

“The abuse of opiates destroys careers, divides families, severs relationships, and, as we saw in this case, it takes lives,” said Acting United States Attorney Morris. “In exchange for monthly cash payments, Dr. Ritchea poured poison into his community. Society trusted Dr. Ritchea to care for the sick, not make people sick. Dr. Ritchea violated that trust and the harm he caused was immense. I believe the ten-year sentence was certainly justified.”

 

“IRS-CI, in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Alabama, our local and federal partners, is dedicated to eradicating pill mill operations,” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge, James E. Dorsey of IRS-Criminal Investigations. “The prescriptions obtained from pill mill clinics are most often sold or diverted on the streets feeding this epidemic and devastating communities. The laundering of these illegal profits enriches those who perpetuate the scheme. IRS-CI will remain committed to investigating those entrusted with patient well-being, who seek self-enrichment by promoting substance abuse through pill mills.”

 

“Opiate abuse is a major problem across the Nation, including throughout the Middle District of Alabama,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bret Hamilton. “The diversion of prescription pain medication contributes to the widespread abuse of opiates, is a gateway to heroin addiction, and is devastating our communities. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue anyone that illicitly distributes these drugs. And this sentencing is evidence to how egregious federal courts view these charges."

 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Tactical Diversion Squad and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations Division (IRS-CI), with assistance from the Opelika Police Department, the Chambers County Drug Task Force, the Auburn Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Russell County Sheriff’s Office, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners.

 

Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan S. Ross and R. Rand Neeley prosecuted the case.

The Justice Department, together with numerous law enforcement partners, met today at the Memphis Police Department’s (MPD) Real Time Crime Center to announce a new initiative to surge law enforcement tools and resources to target gangs and other violent groups who are threatening and upending the safety and security of communities in Memphis.

“Violent crime deprives communities of a fundamental sense of security in their own homes and neighborhoods,” said Acting Assistant Attorney Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This violent crime initiative will bring additional tools and resources used to investigate and prosecute violent crime and apply those tools to gangs and groups who are harming and disrupting communities here in Memphis.”

The new initiative includes federal prosecutors from the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, the nation’s foremost experts in charging federal racketeering (RICO) crimes, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys already working in Memphis and dedicated investigative agents, analysts, and forensic experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and MPD.

“Through data-driven, targeted, and focused enforcement against the worst-of-the-worst violent criminals and organized groups, coupled with a strong focus on crime prevention, intervention, and reentry, I believe all of us, working together, can make an incredible difference and secure a safer future for all of Memphis,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri.

“As U.S. Attorney and a lifelong Memphian, I know the citizens of this city are sick and tired of gun violence and violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “I am too. The threat from organized criminal enterprises requires that we bring significant resources to bear. These additional prosecutors, working hand-in-hand with our office’s experienced Assistant U.S. Attorneys and law enforcement partners, will build cases against gang members, trigger-pullers, and shot-callers.”

The initiative will also include efforts to invest in prevention and intervention, and the department will work with the Western District of Tennessee’s innovative Reentry Court Program and community organizations to assist offenders in reentering and reintegrating into their communities. As part of the announcement, Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri and U.S. Attorney Ritz met with community members to hear directly from them about the violence and gang activity in their neighborhoods. 

“Initiatives like this are not about one takedown – they’re about working in partnership to build a long term and sustainable plan to fight gun crime. ATF Memphis does that every day,” said ATF Director Steven M. Dettelbach. “This summer, with the MPD and other state, local, and federal partners, we focused efforts here, using crime gun intelligence to help protect the people of this great city. Now we are here with additional partners both locally and nationally to continue that work – that impact. By combining traditional investigative techniques with advancements in technology, ATF is creating data-driven investigations that turn into evidence-driven prosecutions of the most dangerous offenders.

“This violent crime initiative serves as a force multiplier to empower law enforcement, our partners, and communities to proactively fight against violent crime in big cities and small towns across our nation,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “The FBI, in close collaboration with the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners, is committed to tackling violent crime threats in a methodical and effective approach to dismantle the roots of crime and reclaim our communities, for a promising future for our neighborhoods.”

“FBI Memphis, our dedicated special agents, task force officers, intelligence analysts, and professional staff are ready to join our partners in supporting this new initiative to disrupt and dismantle the criminal enterprises that are threatening our communities," said Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “Together we not only investigate and enforce the law, but we also live in, and are a part of the communities affected by the violent crime that is overwhelmingly the result of violent gangs. It is only together that we will be able to target and bring to prosecution the gang members and others who are driving violence in Memphis and throughout the area.”

“I am excited about the announcement by our U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz regarding an increased focus on violent crime in the city of Memphis,” said MPD Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis. “This new initiative is a positive step in the right direction, which fosters a since of renewed hope for improved quality of life for our citizens and visitors.”

Joining Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri and U.S. Attorney Ritz in the press conference today were ATF Director Dettelbach, MPD Assistant Chief Shawn Jones, and FBI Special Agent in Charge DePodesta.

INDIANAPOLIS- Mario Parker, 22, of Brownsburg, Indiana, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material.

According to court documents, in June of 2021, investigators discovered that an individual living in California had been sharing sexually explicit images and videos via the social media application Kik with someone later identified as Mario Parker. In chats over Kik, Parker learned that the individual from California worked in a daycare and had a sexual interest in children. Knowing that, Parker asked the daycare employee to distribute sexually explicit images and videos of the children in the daycare to Parker knowing that it would result in their sexual exploitation. In one of the Kik conversations, Parker admitted that he would like to adopt a daughter with the intention of raping her.

On June 30, 2022, officers executed a federal search warrant at Parker’s residence in Brownsburg and found a Samsung Galaxy cell phone. During a search of the phone, investigators located several graphic sexual abuse videos of children as young as three years old being forcefully tied down and raped by adult men, as well as videos depicting bestiality. In total, officers recovered thousands of images and approximately 889 videos of child sexual abuse from Parker’s cell phone and accounts.

In an interview with investigators, Parker admitted to using social media applications such as Kik, Snapchat, and Telegram to communicate about and share child sexual abuse material with users who shared his sexual interest in children.

“This pedophile revictimized hundreds of children across the world, many of whom we will never know. Even more disturbing, communicated with other like-minded criminals, sharing these horrific videos and their sick desires to perpetrate these abuses on even more children,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Sexual abuse of children is more widespread than decent people understand, especially the proliferation of abuse images online. Our federal prosecutors will continue to partner with the FBI to identify these criminals, and work to put them where they cannot harm any more of our children.”

The FBI investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Parker be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for ten years following his release from federal prison and pay $24,000 in restitution to victims.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.

If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood

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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Today an additional defendant pled guilty in a long-running investigation into a prescription drug-billing scheme involving a Haleyville, Ala.-based pharmacy, Northside Pharmacy doing business as Global Compounding Pharmacy.  U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson, Defense Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent in Charge Cynthia Bruce, United States Postal Inspector in Charge, Houston Division Adrian Gonzalez, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Thornton announced the guilty plea. 

John Jeremy Adams, 39 of Panama City Beach, Florida entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler to one count of conspiring to commit health care and mail fraud, 16 counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiring to pay kickbacks to a prescriber, and seven counts of spending the proceeds of health care fraud.  According to the plea agreement, Adams stipulated to a 10-year sentence.

Adams is the former owner and chief executive officer of Northside Pharmacy doing business as Global Compounding Pharmacy.  Mr. Adam’s guilty plea brings the total number of defendants who have pled guilty in the larger investigation to 23.  Those who have previously pled guilty include two nurse practitioners, the COO, a vice president of sales, an operations manager, a district manager, and multiple sales representatives.  Trial against the four remaining defendants is set for June 29, 2020:

James A. Mays, III, 44 of Winfield, Alabama, a pharmacist, charged in 20 counts;

Jessica Linton, 37 of Clearwater, Florida, the manager of the billing team at Global, charged in 24 counts;

Lisa Holmes, 41 of Troy, Alabama, a district manager supervising sales representatives at Global, charged in 12 counts; and

John Gladden, 50, of Tallahassee, Florida, a district manager supervising sales representatives at Global, charged in nine counts.

“Our Office and partner agencies intend to investigate and prosecute all those who treat our health insurance plans as their personal piggy banks,” lead prosecutor Chinelo Diké-Minor said.  “It may take time, but we intend to see that justice is done.” 

“These defendants committed a reprehensible federal crime when they chose to steal funds designated to care for the sick,” United States Attorney Jay Town said.  “Especially in this day and time where our health care system has the potential to be overwhelmed, we can ill afford to allow the wellness of many to be sacrificed by the greed of a few.  I want to thank our partner agencies for their continued efforts to put a stop to health care fraud.  We will continue to stand with them to not only uncover these frauds...but see them prosecuted in a federal courtroom.”

“It is sad to think that there are those who are so greedy they would steal  from the sick,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Sharp said. “Today, Adam's has admitted to his greed and now, he along with his partners in crime, will be held accountable.”

“It’s more important than ever that we thoroughly investigate and bring to justice those who seek Federal health care programs as a way to line their own pockets,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta.  “Together with our law enforcement partners we will continue to flush out the health care fraud.”  

"I trust this sentence sends a message to those who would exploit government programs intended to help current and former military members and their families," DCIS Special Agent in Charge Cynthia Bruce said.  "The DCIS, with our law enforcement partnerships, will dedicate all the time that is needed and resources available to bring these offenders to justice."       

“In addition to undermining public health and safety, health care fraud cheats Americans out of more than eighty billion dollars a year in higher premiums and increased out-of-pocket expenses,” said Adrian Gonzalez, Postal Inspector in Charge, Houston Division.  “The United States Postal Inspection Service is committed to investigations with our law enforcement partners whenever health care fraudsters try to involve the U.S. Mail in their nefarious schemes, as in this case against John Jeremy Adams, who was doing business as Global Compounding Pharmacy.”

According to the plea agreement, Mr. Adams participated in a scheme to cause the pharmacy he co-owned to bill for medically unnecessary prescription drugs.  He paid prescribers to issue prescriptions and directed employees to get medically unnecessary drugs for themselves, family members, and friends, to alter prescriptions to add non-prescribed drugs, to automatically refill prescriptions regardless of patient need, to routinely waive and discount co-pays to induce patients to obtain and retain medically unnecessary drugs, and to bill for drugs without patients’ knowledge.  According to the plea agreement, when prescription drug administrators attempted to police this conduct, the defendants evaded and obstructed those efforts, including by providing false information in response to audits and diverting their billing through affiliated pharmacies.  The scheme targeted multiple health insurance plans, including the pharmacy’s Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama plan, as well as plans providing health insurance to the elderly, disabled, members of the military, and veterans—Medicare, TRICARE, and CHAMPVA, among others.

According to the plea agreement, Mr. Adams as directed the scheme and also joked about it. It describes a text exchange between him and another defendant in which they discuss altering prescriptions.  She tells him she will be getting him white out as a birthday gift, and he responds “Yep.  Made us money.”

The maximum punishment for the 18 U.S.C. § 1349 health care and mail fraud conspiracy charge is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for health care fraud is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The maximum penalty for the 18 U.S.C. § 371 kickback conspiracy charge is 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The maximum penalty for the 18 U.S.C. § 1957 spending statute charge is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 

The FBI, HHS-OIG, DCIS, USPIS, IRS-CI, investigated the cases, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chinelo Dike-Minor, Don Long, and Edward Canter are prosecuting.  The Veteran Affairs Office of Inspector General Criminal Investigations Division provided assistance in the investigation.

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –  A federal judge sentenced a Childersburg man yesterday for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

United States District Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Seth Thompson, 41, to 168 months in prison followed by 240 months supervised release. In September 2020, Thompson pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. This conviction will require him to register as a sex offender.

“Children are the most vulnerable victims and my Office will do everything in our power to prosecute criminals who victimize our children through the internet, videos, or photos,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said.

“I am pleased with the sentence handed down today that now holds Thompson accountable for these sickening crimes,” SAC Sharp said. “I encourage anyone who may have information about possible child sexual exploitation, including posts on social media, to report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at CyberTipline.org or by calling 1-800-THE-LOST. This case emphasizes the importance of concerned citizens making those reports.”

According to the plea agreement, law enforcement received Cyber-Tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children ("NCMEC") that images of child pornography had been uploaded to certain Facebook and Google accounts registered to Thompson.  Thompson was located and arrested by Childersburg police on unrelated charges, and a federal search warrant was obtained for Thompson’s cell phones.  During a forensic review of Thompson’s cell phones, a total of 153 images and 69 videos of children being sexually exploited were identified.  Thompson admitted he had seen images of child pornography and that he had received certain images and videos in a Kik group. 

The FBI investigated the case, along with Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and with the assistance of Childersburg Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case. 

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

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jericho Rayne Skipper, 30, of Panama City, Florida, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and ten years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to receipt of child pornography. Skipper will also be required to pay $66,000 in restitution to the victims. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “This case demonstrates the excellent work of our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to identify those who prey upon the most vulnerable of members of our community—our young children. My office will aggressively prosecute anyone caught peddling child porn, and we will not rest until every child is safe from the predations of these sick individuals.”According to court records, in July 2024, a team of law enforcement officers in the Panama City area determined that Skipper had been using social media and online chat applications to trade images of adults engaged in sexually explicit conduct with young children, infants, and toddlers. Following his arrest, Skipper confessed to collecting the illegal images.“The abhorrent crime of trafficking imagery of the sexual abuse of children online is abhorrent at every level, and contributes to their repeated victimization,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “HSI is committed to continue working side-by-side with our state and local partners to identify these predators, remove their online footprints, and get victims the help the so desperately need.”“Keeping kids safe is a top priority, and it takes strong teamwork across agencies to make that happen,” said Sheriff Tommy Ford of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. “I’m proud of the partnership that helped bring this predator to justice.”This conviction was the result of an investigation by the from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Panama City Police Department, and U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

A Coleman, Texas man was sentenced to 720 months in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.  According to court documents, in July 2024, a foreign partner referred child sexual abuse material posted on the dark web to the FBI’s Victim Identification Program.  In the videos, an unknown male subject with several distinctive tattoos – including the word “DABBY” on his chest,” the number “197x” on his left bicep, the words “CAST NO STONES” on his left forearm, and a Texas flag in the shape of a head on his right forearm – can be seen sexually assaulting a prepubescent male.  The FBI discovered a Twitter account of Coleman resident Christopher Lynn Driskill, 49, which contained photographs of Driskill and some of these tattoos.  Additionally, Coleman Police Department officers investigated a complaint that Driskill had molested a child.  Their recorded interview of Driskill revealed the same tattoos investigated by the FBI.  Driskill was arrested on a federal complaint in November 2024, remanded into federal custody, and indicted shortly thereafter for production of child pornography.  In February 2025, Driskill pled guilty to two counts of producing child pornography.In his plea documents, Driskill admitted that videos found on his phone show him engaging in sexually explicit conduct with minor male victims.  Driskill also admitted that he coerced or enticed the victims to engage in the conduct so that Driskill could produce a recording of the acts.  On July 29, 2025, United States Circuit Judge Andrew Oldham sentenced Driskill to the statutory maximum sentence of 360 months on each count, to run consecutively to each other, for a total of 720 months in federal prison.“The FBI’s meticulous work identifying this defendant brought an end to horrifying child abuse,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson.  “These types of sickening crimes deserve lengthy sentences for the sake of the victims, the safety of our communities, and to see justice served.”“The sentence imposed in this case underscores the seriousness of the crime. The defendant created child sexual abuse material and distributed it through the dark web for others to view it. A tip from a foreign partner resulted in law enforcement arresting a dangerous predator and preventing future abuse,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI does not tolerate the exploitation of children and works with our law enforcement partners to identify and arrest individuals committing these criminal acts. We will continue to prioritize the safety of the most vulnerable in our communities, which are our children, and ask that the public report any crimes against children to law enforcement.”The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, with the help of the Bureau’s Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) and the assistance of the Coleman Police Department, conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Tusing prosecuted the case.

Memphis, TN – The Justice Department, together with numerous law enforcement partners, met today at the Memphis Police Department’s (MPD) Real Time Crime Center to announce a new initiative to surge law enforcement tools and resources to target gangs and other violent groups who are threatening and upending the safety and security of communities in Memphis.

“Violent crime deprives communities of a fundamental sense of security in their own homes and neighborhoods,” said Acting Assistant Attorney Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This violent crime initiative will bring additional tools and resources used to investigate and prosecute violent crime and apply those tools to gangs and groups who are harming and disrupting communities here in Memphis.”

The new initiative includes federal prosecutors from the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, the nation’s foremost experts in charging federal racketeering (RICO) crimes, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys already working in Memphis and dedicated investigative agents, analysts, and forensic experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the MPD.

“Through data-driven, targeted, and focused enforcement against the worst-of-the-worst violent criminals and organized groups, coupled with a strong focus on crime prevention, intervention, and reentry, I believe all of us, working together, can make an incredible difference and secure a safer future for all of Memphis,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri.

“As U.S. Attorney and a lifelong Memphian, I know the citizens of this city are sick and tired of gun violence and violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “I am too. The threat from organized criminal enterprises requires that we bring significant resources to bear. These additional prosecutors, working hand-in-hand our office’s experienced Assistant U.S. Attorneys and law enforcement partners, will build cases against gang members, trigger-pullers, and shot-callers.”

The initiative will also include efforts to invest in prevention and intervention, and the department will work with the Western District of Tennessee’s innovative Reentry Court Program and community organizations to assist offenders in reentering and reintegrating into their communities. As part of the announcement, Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri and U.S. Attorney Ritz met with community members to hear directly from them about the violence and gang activity in their neighborhoods. 

“Initiatives like this are not about one takedown – they’re about working in partnership to build a long term and sustainable plan to fight gun crime. ATF Memphis does that every day,” said ATF Director Steven M. Dettelbach. “This summer, with the MPD and other state, local, and federal partners, we focused efforts here, using crime gun intelligence to help protect the people of this great city. Now we are here with additional partners both locally and nationally to continue that work -- that impact. By combining traditional investigative techniques with advancements in technology, ATF is creating data-driven investigations that turn into evidence-driven prosecutions of the most dangerous offenders.

“This violent crime initiative serves as a force multiplier to empower law enforcement, our partners, and communities to proactively fight against violent crime in big cities and small towns across our nation,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “The FBI, in close collaboration with the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners, is committed to tackling violent crime threats in a methodical and effective approach to dismantle the roots of crime and reclaim our communities, for a promising future for our neighborhoods.”

“FBI Memphis, our dedicated special agents, task force officers, intelligence analysts, and professional staff are ready to join our partners in supporting this new initiative to disrupt and dismantle the criminal enterprises that are threatening our communities," said Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “Together we not only investigate and enforce the law, but we also live in, and are a part of the communities affected by the violent crime that is overwhelmingly the result of violent gangs. It is only together that we will be able to target and bring to prosecution the gang members and others who are driving violence in Memphis and throughout the area.”

“I am excited about the announcement by our U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz regarding an increased focus on violent crime in the city of Memphis,” said MPD Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis. “This new initiative is a positive step in the right direction, which fosters a since of renewed hope for improved quality of life for our citizens and visitors.”

Joining Acting Assistant Attorney General Argentieri and U.S. Attorney Ritz in the press conference today were ATF Director Dettelbach, MPD Assistant Chief Shawn Jones, and FBI Special Agent in Charge DePodesta.