Source: United States Department of War
Mr. Alvaro Smith, deputy assistant secretary of war for China, Taiwan and Mongolia, met with China’s Major General Ye Jiang, deputy director of the Central Military Commission Office for International Military Cooperation, in Washington, for the 19th annual U.S.-China Defense Policy Coordination Talks.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Portageville, Mo., man, who was convicted following a January 2025 jury trial for trafficking methamphetamine and illegally possessing firearms, was sentenced in federal court yesterday.
Michael C. Patton, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 21 years and eight months in federal prison without parole.
On Jan. 14, 2025, Patton was found guilty after a two-day jury trial of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of firearms.
Patton was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by Springfield police officers on May 12, 2021. When officers searched the vehicle, they found a backpack in the front passenger floorboard that contained a loaded Beretta firearm, along with a plastic bag that contained 344 grams of pure methamphetamine and Patton’s Missouri identification. Officers also found a small black backpack in the backseat floorboard that contained a loaded revolver.
According to court documents, Patton has an extensive criminal history that includes prior felony convictions for stealing, possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, and possession of cocaine with intent to sell.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron A. Beaver and Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Richard Plummer (44, Tampa) with distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material and escape. If convicted on all counts, Plummer faces a maximum penalty of 65 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, in 2018, Plummer was convicted of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Between October 29 and 31, 2025, Plummer distributed and possessed a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On November 1, 2025, Plummer escaped from the Bureau of Prisons and the Tampa Residential Re-Entry Center, a facility where he was serving his sentence.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a man who committed bank fraud for years with checks stolen from the mail to 72 months in prison.
Judge Pitlyk also ordered Terron T. Brown, 23, to repay $51,932 to victims.
Brown pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. He admitted that between November 2021 and September 2024, he conspired with others to deposit forged and fraudulent checks that had been stolen from the U.S. Mail. Brown used his social media accounts and other methods to recruit people who would provide him with their debit cards and banking information and allow him to deposit fraudulent checks into their accounts. He also recruited his co-defendants, Justyn M. Boyd, Aaliyah A. Jones, Haiden Williams, and Jalen Wright, to recruit account holders. Together, they found dozens of people willing to participate in the scheme in exchange for some of the money.
Brown then used personal and business checks stolen from U.S. Postal Service collection boxes to create forged and fraudulent checks payable to the account holders. Brown altered the payee and amount payable on stolen checks or used stolen checks to create counterfeit checks. He then deposited those checks into the bank accounts that he had co-opted and withdrew the money himself or had the account holders do it.
After learning in January of 2024 that he had been indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, Brown fled to Los Angeles in a Greyhound bus and began living under the fake name “Amiri Leonard.” He relocated his scheme there in an attempt to avoid arrest and evade law enforcement. On Sept. 10, 2024, federal law enforcement agents conducted a court-approved search of Brown’s California residence and found multiple stolen and counterfeit checks with a value of $1.2 million, blank check stock, multiple debit cards in various names and electronic devices with images of at least $4.7 million worth of counterfeit checks dated between March 2022 and August of 2024. They also found $5,260 in cash and 19 USPS money orders totaling $10,551, proceeds from Brown’s check fraud scheme.
Brown admitted obtaining and possessing at least $6 million worth of counterfeit checks and checks stolen from the mail and intending to cause a loss of at least this amount. Brown and his co-conspirators deposited at least $116,834 worth of fraudulent checks and obtained at least $29,562 from the scheme.
Brown directly harmed the victims who had checks stolen, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow wrote in a sentencing memo, but also undermined public confidence in the mail at a time when mail theft was on the rise. He then assumed a fake name and fled St. Louis to avoid the consequences of crimes while thumbing his nose at law enforcement, Clow wrote.
“This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”
“The sentencing in this case illustrates that individuals who engage in mail theft will be held accountable for their actions,” stated Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Domicile. “The Inspection Service is proud to work with our local, state, and federal partners to bring mail theft perpetrators to justice and prevent financial crimes targeting local citizens, postal customers, and financial institutions.”
Boyd, of Northwoods, Jones, of St. Louis County, Williams, of St. Louis, and Wright, of St. Louis, have all pleaded guilty. All are 24 years old. Boyd was ordered to repay $9,354, Jones $6,000 and Williams $13,015. Wright is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 9, 2026.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the University City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Inc. (Dana-Farber) has agreed to pay $15,000,000 to resolve allegations that, between 2014 and 2024, it violated the False Claims Act by making materially false statements and certifications related to National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants.
Dana-Farber is a cancer treatment and research center headquartered in Boston, with locations across Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Dana-Farber receives research grant funding from federal government agencies, including NIH.
“NIH has limited resources to support important research being conducted at institutions across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that the Department of Justice will pursue grantees that undermine the integrity of federal funding decisions by failing to use research funds appropriately or by failing to abide by grant awards’ terms and conditions.”
“There is no place in scientific research, particularly cancer research, for fraud, waste and abuse, and my office will continue to investigate institutions, no matter how prestigious, to ensure that research data is not tainted and that taxpayer funds are used appropriately,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “Patients, and the medical community, rely on the important research conducted by institutions like Dana-Farber. It is critical, to say the least, that all research findings are accurately reported,”
“The alleged falsification of research data and improper use of federal funds represents a serious breach of public trust and threatens the rigorous standards that uphold the credibility of the scientific process,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Individuals who violate federal grant-making rules not only risk legal consequences but also compromise the stewardship of taxpayer resources. HHS-OIG remains firmly committed to ensuring accountability and safeguarding the integrity of Department programs.”
As part of the settlement, Dana-Farber admitted that its researchers used funds from six NIH grants to conduct research that resulted in 14 publications in scientific journals containing misrepresented and/or duplicated images and data. The publications reused images to represent different experimental conditions; duplicated images to represent different testing conditions, mice, and/or timepoints; or rotated, magnified, or stretched images. Further, Dana-Farber admitted that a supervising researcher failed to exercise sufficient oversight over these researchers, and that Dana-Farber spent funds from those six NIH grants that were unallowable. As part of the settlement, Dana-Farber also admitted that another researcher received four NIH grants after submitting grant applications that discussed a journal article authored by the researcher but did not disclose that certain images and data in that article were misrepresented and/or duplicated. The United States contends that Dana-Farber caused the submission of false claims to NIH by falsely certifying compliance with grant terms and conditions, spending grant funds on unallowable expenses, and obtaining grants through false and misleading statements.
Dana-Farber cooperated with the government in this matter and received credit under the Department’s guidelines for taking disclosure, cooperation, and remediation into account in False Claims Act cases. Among other actions, Dana-Farber summarized voluminous materials relevant to the government’s investigation, voluntarily disclosed additional allegations of research misconduct relevant to the government’s investigation, voluntarily produced materials without a subpoena, sought to resolve this matter expeditiously, accepted responsibility for its conduct, and implemented remedial measures.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Sholto David. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. David will receive $2,625,000 under today’s settlement. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Sholto David v. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc., No. 2:24-cv-11059-WGY (D. Mass.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Megan Engel of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olivia Benjamin and Brian LaMacchia for the District of Massachusetts.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
TEXARKANA, Texas –A Texarkana, Arkansas woman has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Terri Lynn Cooley, 55, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III on December 16, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on October 11, 2023, Cooley was stopped in Texarkana, Texas for driving at night without headlights. During the stop, it was discovered she had an active warrant and was arrested. A search of the vehicle following Cooley’s arrest led to the discovery of 109.85 grams of methamphetamine.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Texas Department of Public Safety; and the Texarkana, Texas, Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek.
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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
BOSTON – A member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges, including his participation in two murders and one attempted murder.
James Jimenez, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for March 24, 2026. Miliano was arrested and charged in February 2025, and was alleged to have participated in the murders of Jandriel Heredia and Abraham Diaz in September 2023.
The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to organize and execute violence and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.
In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multi jurisdictional investigation that began in the aftermath of four murders and a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. In March 2025, a Lynn member of the Trinitarios was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In June 2025, two members of the Trinitarios were charged with kidnapping a drug supplier. In July 2025, the leader of the Lynn Chapter was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Jimenez is the eighth defendant to plead guilty.
During today’s court proceeding, Jimenez admitted to his membership in the gang and participation in two shootings where the Trinitarios intended to kill rival gang members. The first incident took place in August 2023 following the death of a Trinitario member who was believed to have been killed by a rival gang member. Jimenez and five other Trinitarios set out to ambush and kill rival gang members who were at a music studio in Lynn.
Jimenez also admitted to his participation in the Sept. 2, 2023 murders of Jandriel Heredia and Abraham Diaz. Jimenez admitted to meeting with other Trinitario members prior to the shooting and learning about the plan to kill a rival gang member who the Trinitarios believed was present at a party on Essex Street in Lynn. Jimenez admitted to driving by the party a number of times, and relaying information about what he observed to the other Trinitarios knowing that the information would be used to further their plan to murder rival gang members. Later that night, members of the Trinitarios drove by the party and discharged numerous rounds at the people gathered outside celebrating a recent graduation. Seven people were shot during this incident, and Abraham Diaz and Jandriel Heredia later died from the gunshot wounds they sustained. After the shooting, Jimenez also worked with other Trinitarios and assisted in concealing and destroying evidence.
The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years 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; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
BOSTON – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc. (Dana-Farber) has agreed to pay $15 million to resolve allegations that, between 2014 and 2024, it made materially false statements and certifications related to National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants. Specifically, Dana-Farber admitted that its researchers mispresented data and images that resulted in misinformation about research being published in 14 scientific journal articles.
As part of the settlement, Dana-Farber admitted that publications reused images to represent different experimental conditions; duplicated images to represent different testing conditions, mice, and/or timepoints; or rotated, magnified, or stretched images. Further, Dana-Farber admitted that a supervising researcher failed to exercise sufficient oversight over the researchers responsible for these publications, and that Dana-Farber spent funds from six NIH grants for these publications that were unallowable. As part of the settlement, Dana-Farber also admitted that another researcher received four NIH grants after submitting grant applications that discussed a journal article authored by the researcher, but did not disclose that certain images and data in that article were misrepresented and/or duplicated. The United States contends that Dana-Farber caused the submission of false claims to NIH by falsely certifying compliance with grant terms and conditions, spending grants funds on unallowable expenses, and obtaining grants through false and misleading statements.
“There is no place in scientific research, particularly cancer research, for fraud, waste and abuse, and my office will continue to investigate institutions, no matter how prestigious, to ensure that research data is not tainted and that taxpayer funds are used appropriately. Patients, and the medical community, rely on the important research conducted by institutions like Dana-Farber. It is critical, to say the least, that all research findings are accurately reported,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley.
“NIH has limited resources to support important research being conducted at institutions across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that the Department of Justice will pursue grantees that undermine the integrity of federal funding decisions by failing to use research funds appropriately or by failing to abide by grant awards’ terms and conditions.”
“The alleged falsification of research data and improper use of federal funds represents a serious breach of public trust and threatens the rigorous standards that uphold the credibility of the scientific process,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Individuals who violate federal grant-making rules not only risk legal consequences but also compromise the stewardship of taxpayer resources. HHS-OIG remains firmly committed to ensuring accountability and safeguarding the integrity of Department programs.”
Dana-Farber is a cancer treatment and research center headquartered in Boston, with locations across Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Dana-Farber receives research grant funding from federal government agencies, including NIH. Dana-Farber cooperated with the government in this matter and received credit under the Department’s guidelines for taking disclosure, cooperation, and remediation into account in False Claims Act cases.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The relator will receive $2,625,000 under today’s settlement. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Sholto David v. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc., No. 2:24-cv-11059-WGY (D. Mass.).
U.S. Attorney Foley; AAG Shumate; and AIG Globerman made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olivia Benjamin and Brian LaMacchia, Chief of the Affirmative Litigation Unit, handled the matter, along with Trial Attorney Megan Engel of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section).
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
TULSA, Okla. – A Skiatook man was charged today for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country after being found incompetent to stand trial and was released.
According to court documents, Jacob Robin Gilmartin, now 22, was initially charged in 2023 with Second Degree Murder in
Indian Country. Gilmartin was driving under the influence in 2021 and wrecked into another vehicle, killing Clifton Smith.
While on pre-trial release, Gilmartin was in a second wreck, injuring only himself and being diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. After a medical evaluation, Gilmartin was deemed incompetent to stand trial and was ordered released in June 2025.
On December 9th, seven months after being released, court documents allege that Tulsa County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched in reference to a domestic violence call. The 10-year-old victim ran to a neighbor’s house after receiving a severe laceration to his right arm that cut to the bone. The neighbor applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. The victim told deputies he sustained the injury when Gilmartin threatened to kill him and threw the knife at him.
Court records show that deputies followed the blood trail back to Gilmartin’s residence, where he was detained.
Gilmartin is a member of the Cherokee Nation.
The FBI is investigating the case, and the defendant was arrested with the help of the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Richard is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
BILLINGS – A Sand Springs woman accused of tampering with drugs at a local health care center admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Kailyn Marie Smotherman, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with consumer products. Smotherman faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. District Court Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for April 15, 2026. Smotherman remains released with conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on January 19, 2023, Kailyn Marie Smotherman was discovered to have been tampering with controlled substances at the Garfield County Health Center in Jordan, Montana, where she worked as the Director of Nursing. Staff at the facility entered Smotherman’s locked office to retrieve a narcotics log and noticed several suspicious items, including hospital stock narcotics, an IV pole, tourniquets, needles, IV equipment, replacement vial caps, replacement medication labels, and what appeared to be blood on many surfaces. During a subsequent search of the office, staff and law enforcement found numerous vials of fentanyl that had been tampered with (caps removed and replaced) or had been emptied. They also discovered other controlled substances that had been replaced.
Staff reported concerns patients may have received saline solution instead of pain medication in the months preceding the incident.
A forensic chemist with the Food and Drug Administration conducted an analysis of the containers confiscated from Smotherman’s office and concluded the controlled substances had been tampered with and adulterated.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The DEA, FDA and Garfield County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
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