Stories by DOJ Newswire on Federal Newswire


Romance Scammer Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison

News Release: A romance scammer with ties to a Nigerian organized crime syndicate was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.


News Release: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Edward Kelley, 33, of Maryville, TN, and Austin Carter, 26, of Knoxville, TN, with conspiracy, retaliating against a federal official, interstate communication of a threat, and solicitation to commit a crime of violence. Kelley and Austin...


News Release: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI"), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging BEVELYN BEATTY WILLIAMS and EDMEE...


News Release: FBI Atlanta Warns Georgians of Last Minute Holiday Scams.


News Release: A California man was sentenced yesterday to 42 months in federal prison for his role in accessing, monitoring and conveying confidential and sensitive information that could be used to identify and locate Twitter users of interest to the Saudi Royal Family.


Narcotrafficker Pleads Guilty to International Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy

News Release: Gerado Gonzalez-Valencia, aka Lalo, 45, pleaded guilty today to international cocaine trafficking.


News Release: FBI Portland Division Seeking Possible Victims of Man Charged with Abusive Sexual Contact.


News Release: BOSTON - A repeat convicted felon has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly possessing a firearm, multiple rounds of ammunition and fentanyl intended for distribution while on federal supervised release.


News Release: A federal grand jury in Phoenix returned an indictment today charging an Ohio man for allegedly sending threatening communications to an election official with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.


Baltimore Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Two Armed Carjackings and an Attempted Armed Robbery

News Release: Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Daquan Murphy, age 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.


Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Submitting Fraudulent COVID-19 CARES Act Relief Loan Applications

News Release: Baltimore, Maryland - Dana Lamar Antonio Hayes, Jr., age 37, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal wire fraud charge related to a scheme to obtain a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Relief loan application (EIDL loan) and several Paycheck Protection Plan loan applications (PPP loans), under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, from two financial institutions (Bank1 and Bank 2).


Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Forcibly Sex Trafficking a Minor on Backpage.com

News Release: PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Rodney Kent a/k/a “Hott Rodd," a/k/a “Hott," 51, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe after being convicted of sex trafficking earlier this year.


Leader of Nationwide Moving Company Scam Conspiracy Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison

News Release: CINCINNATI - A Miami, Florida, man was sentenced to 72 months in prison for conspiring in a racketeering enterprise to defraud individuals through moving companies located throughout the United States. Identified victims of the fraud lost more than $2.4 million total.


News Release: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced today that the last of seven defendants was sentenced for a retail theft and wire fraud scheme they executed at hundreds of Walmart stores in 38 states. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker sentenced the leader of the conspiracy, Adarius Ferguson...


News Release: RICHMOND, Va. - Six individuals were sentenced recently to approximately 31 combined years in prison for taking part in a conspiracy to defraud several retail financing providers through various schemes involving the use of the names and other personal identifying information of over 1,000 identity theft victims.


News Release: DENVER - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Adetomiwa Seun Akindele, age 37, of Minnesota, has been indicted on 10 counts of wire fraud and 11 counts of money laundering.


Two Individuals Charged with Wire Fraud in Second Superseding Indictment Connected with Vermont Kidnapping and Murder

News Release: The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that last Thursday, Serhat Gumrukcu, 39, of Los Angeles, California and Berk Eratay, 36, of Las Vegas, Nevada, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a murder-for-hire conspiracy and the January...


Jack Vicars Sentenced to 27 Months for Embezzling Nearly $350,000

News Release: GREENEVILLE, Tenn. - On Dec. 15, 2022, Jack D. Vicars, 49, currently of Bluff City, TN, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.


News Release: Following a week-long trial, former Police of Puerto Rico (POPR) Officer Jose Cartagena, 47, was convicted Tuesday for assaulting a juvenile victim and then attempting to cover up the abuse by falsifying an official police report and making misleading statements to a local official.


News Release: The Justice Department announced today it filed a complaint and proposed consent decree with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to resolve allegations that the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) violated Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).