Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted David Turner, 35, of Miami, Florida, charging him with interstate travel to commit domestic violence resulting in death and use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; J. Charles Smith, State’s Attorney for Frederick County; and Sheriff Charles A. Jenkins, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.

As alleged in the indictment, Turner traveled to Maryland from another state to kill his former spouse, Crimea Baker. During and in relation to that offense, Turner shot and killed both Ms. Baker and a second victim, Sean Lange.

An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Miami Dade Police Department, Miami Beach Police Department, Hialeah Gardens Police Department, Ft. Lauderdale Police Department, and Bartow County (Georgia) Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim Y. Hagan and James G. O’Donohue III who are prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Inmate granted clemency on Jan. 17, 2025, reducing 2022 federal prison sentence for drug distribution

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Carnisha Maurica Rogers (31, Jacksonville) to 36 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, false representation of a Social Security number involving a line of credit scheme, and wire fraud involving COVID relief fraud through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The court also ordered Rogers to pay $108,867.63 in restitution to the victims she defrauded and to forfeit $20,832, which is traceable to proceeds of the wire fraud offense involving COVID relief fraud. Rogers pleaded guilty in June 2025.

According to court documents, Rogers and her co-conspirators fraudulently obtained the Social Security numbers (SSNs) of others. From November 2017 through September 2019, Rogers and others recruited individuals to obtain lines of credit at various businesses using the SSNs. After fraudulently obtaining the lines of credit, they obtained jewelry and other merchandise. Rogers and her co-conspirators resold some of the merchandise and lines of credit on social media platforms.

In May 2021, Rogers submitted a PPP loan application to a lender authorized by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to lend funds for approved PPP loan applications. The PPP loan application falsely claimed that Rogers operated her own business. Throughout the loan application Rogers made multiple false statements regarding her purported gross income and expenses associated with operating her business. In support of her PPP loan application, she submitted a false IRS Form 1040 – Profit or Loss From Business containing false statements about operating expenses, gross income, and wage expenditures for her purported business. In truth, Rogers’s business did not exist. In reliance on the false statements in her loan application, her application was approved and she received a PPP loan totaling $20,832.

After receiving the PPP loan proceeds in her bank account, Rogers began making withdrawals and spending the funds on personal expenses. In October 2021, Rogers submitted a PPP loan forgiveness application to the SBA that included multiple false representations. In the application, she falsely claimed that she spent more than $18,000 on payroll costs and that the PPP loan proceeds were only used for eligible purposes. In reliance on her false statements, the SBA forgave the entire loan, plus accrued interest.

In March 2025, a related defendant, Crystal Denean Harvell (37, Jacksonville), was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving the line of credit scheme and wire fraud involving COVID Relief Fraud through the Paycheck Protection Program. The court also ordered Harvell to pay $131,782.63 in restitution to the victims she defrauded and to the United States government.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The asset forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.

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 www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – Chroma Systems Solutions, Inc. (Chroma Systems) has agreed to pay over $1.9 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that the company falsely certified its eligibility for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.

As detailed in the settlement agreement, Chroma Systems admitted that in January 2021 it applied for a second draw PPP loan and certified that it was eligible to receive the loan under the PPP rules. When it applied, Chroma Systems, together with its foreign affiliate, had over 1,800 employees.  

Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and the Economic Security Act (CARES Act) on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses through the PPP. On May 5, 2020, the SBA issued guidance that explained that, for purposes of meeting size eligibility requirements (i.e. whether the applicant is a “small business concern” or otherwise falls below the cap on employee headcount) an applicant must count all of its employees and the employees of its U.S. and foreign affiliates, absent a waiver of or an exception to the affiliation rules. SBA’s guidance also made clear that it would only enforce this rule prospectively, i.e. for applications made on or after May 5, 2020. On Jan. 8, 2021, SBA announced the availability of a second round of PPP loans, known as the “second draw” PPP loans. Businesses with more than 300 employees were not eligible for second draw loans.

The settlement credits Chroma Systems for cooperation under the Department of Justice’s Guidelines for Taking Voluntary Disclosure, Cooperation and Remediation into Account in False Claims Act Matters.  

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and the U.S. Small Business Administration made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Steven Sharobem of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the case.  

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – A Belen man pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges after submitting 21 fraudulent unemployment insurance applications using stolen identities during the pandemic.

According to court documents, between June 18, 2020, to October 15, 2021, Joseph Anthony Martinez, 44, submitted 21 fraudulent unemployment insurance claim applications through the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions using his own name, variations of his name, and the stolen identities of others. To that end, Martinez provided false employment information and opened bank accounts in other individuals’ names without authorization to receive the fraudulent payments totaling more than $50,000.

Martinez pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud and one count of theft of government property. At sentencing, Martinez faces up to 20 years in prison.  Upon his release from prison, Martinez will be subject to one year of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General investigated this case with assistance from NM Workforce Solutions and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office.  Deputy U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley is prosecuting the case.

This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 1, 2025, David E. Dejanovich (age: 52) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 336 months in federal prison by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach.

According to court records, Dejanovich is a lifetime registrant on the Wisconsin Sexual Offender Registry based on prior convictions in Dodge County, specifically two convictions for second degree sexual assault of a child and also for first degree sexual assault of a child conviction. In addition, Dejanovich was previously convicted in federal court in 2015 for possession of child pornography, for which he was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release. While serving that term of supervised release, Dejanovich again was found to be in possession of child pornography after downloading it from the internet.      

At his sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach said his crime was very serious and there was a strong need for deterrence. The judge cited Dejanovich’s disturbing history of abusing children as a factor that contributed to the need for a significant punishment. Upon completion of his federal prison sentence, the defendant will spend the remainder of his life on supervised release. He will continue to have to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.

This case was investigated by the Oshkosh Police Department and the Green Bay Office of United States Probation and Parole. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. 

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For further information contact:

Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero                                                                                    

(414) 297-1700

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – A Lexington, Mass. attorney was sentenced on Oct. 8, 2025 in federal court in Boston for defrauding multiple Massachusetts victims, including two relatives.

David Smerling, 75, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to nine years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution of $3,534,316 and forfeiture.  In June 2025, Smerling pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Smerling was sentenced in connection with three separate schemes. Between January 2016 and May 2020, Smerling worked as a bookkeeper for three Massachusetts companies and embezzled more than $2.8 million from the companies and their owners. He did so by transferring funds first to a bank account owned by one of the victims that Smerling controlled before moving the money to bank accounts in his own name, or directly from the companies’ accounts to bank accounts in his own name. Smerling concealed his scheme by changing the mailing address on victims’ bank statements to his home address and refusing to share the online banking password for the victims’ accounts. In April 2020, a victim discovered Smerling had transferred $350,000 from one of the companies to himself without authorization. After these funds were returned, Smerling changed the banking passwords and again transferred $350,000 from the company to himself.  

Between May 2020 and August 2021, Smerling embezzled more than $475,000 from a trust established for the benefit of a relative with special needs for which Smerling served as the trustee. Smerling transferred trust funds to bank accounts he controlled before sending the funds to bank accounts in his wife’s name or using the funds to pay for personal expenses. He concealed his scheme by making lulling payments to the beneficiary so he would not discover the trust had been depleted.  

Between May 2023 and April 2025, Smerling embezzled more than $175,000 from a relative with dementia for whom Smerling served as the financial power of attorney, including while he was on pretrial release after his January 2025 arrest in this matter. Smerling transferred funds from the victim’s accounts to accounts he controlled, used a credit card in the victim’s name for personal purchases and took out a loan in the victim’s name. To conceal this scheme, Smerling misrepresented the purpose of the transfers to the financial institutions in which the victim’s accounts were held.  

U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – A Wakefield, Mass. man has pleaded guilty to knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources intended for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

Mateo Ventura, 20, pleaded guilty on Oct. 15, 2025 to one count of concealment of financing of terrorism. U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper set sentencing for Jan. 8, 2026. Ventura was charged by complaint in June 2023 and was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2023.

According to the charging documents, Ventura provided multiple gift cards to an individual he believed was an ISIS supporter, with the intention that they be sold on the dark web for a little less than face value, and with the profits being used to support ISIS. Ventura stated that he wanted the proceeds to go to ISIS “for war on kuffar,” (disbelievers). In total between January and May 2023, Ventura made donations totaling $705.

The charge of attempting knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Assistant Attorney John A. Eisenberg for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy H. Kistner of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case. Valuable assistance was provided by Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – A Hobbs man was sentenced to 180 months in prison following the discovery of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and weapons during two traffic stops in July 2023.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, during a traffic stop on July 4, 2023, Lea County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Mark Liges, 34, on an outstanding warrant. A police canine alerted deputies to narcotics in the vehicle which was then towed pending a search warrant.

The following day, the LCSO and Lea County Drug Task Force executed the warrant on the vehicle. Inside, officers found 679.4 net grams of fentanyl and 199 net grams of pure methamphetamine. Authorities also found loaded two handguns, along with a digital scale and empty baggies. Further investigation using a search warrant for Liges‘ cellphone revealed text messages corroborating his drug distribution activities.

Just eight days after his initial arrest on July 12, 2023, Liges was arrested again in Hobbs, NM, this time for driving with a suspended license. During this arrest, Liges informed officers he was carrying another firearm, stating he knew it was illegal but claimed he needed it for protection. Liges has a history of felony offenses, including distribution of marijuana in 2010 and possession of a firearm by a felon in 2013, which legally prohibits him from possessing firearms.

Liges subsequently pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Upon his release from prison, Liges will be subject to five years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, made the announcement today.

The DEA’s El Paso Division investigated this case with assistance from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, 5^th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and the Lea County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Williams is prosecuting the case.

This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – An Artesia man was sentenced to 240 months in prison for selling pure methamphetamine and fentanyl pills to an undercover agent.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on April 3, 2024, Sammie Joe Peralta, 49, sold 859 grams of pure methamphetamine and fentanyl pills to an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent at a gas station in Artesia, New Mexico. When Peralta was arrested, he was found with three handguns and an additional 126 grams of pure methamphetamine.

Peralta pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Upon his release from prison, Peralta will be subject to five years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations – El Paso, made the announcement today.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from Pecos Valley Drug Task Force, and the Eddy County Sherrif’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Kirk Williams is prosecuting the case.

This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.