News and reports from the Department of Justice.

News Release: St. Croix, VI - United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Ashokkumar Prahladbhai Patel, 40, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III, to Re-Entry of Removed Alien.

News Release: TOPEKA, KAN.- A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas woman and three Florida residents in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare.

News Release: Defendant Pointed Firearm at Mother and Daughter.

News Release: ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A federal jury convicted a Washington, D.C. woman today on multiple charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, trafficking in unauthorized access devices, aggravated identity theft, unlawful possession of 15 or more access devices, and possession of access device-making equipment with intent to defraud.

News Release: LOS ANGELES - Pursuant to two settlements announced today, several Central Coast health care providers have agreed to pay a total of $22.5 million to resolve allegations that they violated federal and California law by causing the submission of false claims to Medi-Cal related to Medicaid Adult Expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

News Release: Ocala, Florida - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Henry Troy Wade (45, Ocala) with six counts of wire fraud related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES") Act. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count. In addition, the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture for at least $524,400, which represents the proceeds of the conduct charged in the indictment.

News Release: GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - Jorge Mario Velasquez, 40, of Nayarit, Mexico, was sentenced to 211 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.

News Release: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - Kayla Marie Cline, of Flemington, West Virginia, has admitted to her role in a drug trafficking operation, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.

News Release: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - A Hancock County man has been charged with acquiring more than 50,000 pills from Europe for redistribution in the United States.

News Release: Ocala, Florida - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Ricky Darnell Franklin, Jr. (31, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Franklin had been indicted on May 24, 2022.

News Release: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - ALEJANDRO MUNOZ, age 47, a resident of Houston, Texas, was sentenced on December 8, 2022 by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to a term of twenty (20) months’ imprisonment followed by a term of three (3) years’ supervised release and a 100.00 mandatory special assessment fee...

News Release: Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte today sentenced Christopher Michael Cline, a/k/a “Carisa Cline," age 46, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, to 24 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after the defendant pleaded guilty to bank robbery. The defendant also admitted violating two terms of supervised release for previous federal bank robbery convictions.

News Release: SAVANNAH, GA: A Chatham County man with a long, violent criminal history has been sentenced to federal prison after admitting to a kidnapping that left the victim robbed and badly injured.

News Release: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Paul Michael Astorga was sentenced on Dec. 8 to 26 years and eight months in prison. A federal jury convicted Astorga, 36, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Dec. 16 on one count each of being...

News Release: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Willard Haven Dedios was arraigned on Dec. 2 on a two-count indictment charging him with production of child...