Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced the guilty plea of MICHAEL BROWN for his operation of a nationwide online marketing scheme to make money by posting fake advertisements for rental properties across the United States on a classified advertisements website.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Today, the Justice Department announced the closure of the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF), effective March 31, 2026. The NCDF was established in the fall of 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to coordinate disaster fraud complaints from victims across the country. Since its founding, the NCDF processed more than a million complaints, and served as a national hub for disaster fraud referrals to federal, state, and local law enforcement.
Over the past two decades, the law enforcement landscape has evolved significantly. Following a 2023 program review, the Criminal Division determined that the NCDF’s intake function was no longer the most effective avenue for pursuing disaster fraud. Many of the NCDF’s original agency partners now operate their own dedicated hotlines, and advances in data analysis have given federal investigators powerful new tools to identify and pursue fraud at scale – particularly the large, multi-district schemes that represent the highest enforcement priorities. This closure will save the Department more than $600,000 per year.
Fraud targeting Americans in their most vulnerable moments, whether following natural disasters or during public health crises, is a serious federal crime that the Department of Justice will continue to investigate and prosecute vigorously. Victims of disaster fraud should report their complaints to the appropriate law enforcement agency based on the type of fraud. Reporting information can be found at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges has been selected by the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) as the Outstanding Prosecutor of Year. Hodges was presented with the Award by Daniel Neill, Executive Director, Midwest HIDTA, Office of National Drug Control Policy, during a ceremony at the Sioux Falls Police Department on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tallahassee, Florida – James Wiley Kelley, Jr., 51, of Altha, Florida, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act weapon, possession of a machinegun, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A Clarksburg, West Virginia woman has admitted to purchasing a firearm for someone who was prohibited from possessing firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. Shayla Ann Jackson, 27, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to straw purchase a firearm.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A Cumberland, Maryland woman has admitted to her role in a drug trafficking operation from Maryland to the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced. Alyssa Ellen Hockenberry, 23, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Pawtucket man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence to one count of possession of child pornography, including hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Nicole Daedone, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of OneTaste, Inc. (OneTaste), a sexual wellness education company founded in San Francisco, California, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Diane Gujarati in federal court in Brooklyn to nine years in prison for her role in a forced labor conspiracy. Also today, Rachel Cherwitz, OneTaste’s former Head of Sales, was sentenced by Judge Gujarati to 78 months in prison for her role in the scheme. Daedone and Cherwitz were convicted by a federal jury in June 2025 of forced labor conspiracy following a five-week trial. The Court also imposed a $12 million forfeiture money judgment against Daedone, and awarded $887,877.64 in restitution to seven victims of Daedone and Cherwitz.
Source: United States Army
SCRANTON, Pa. — Jason Shradnick appreciates being recognized for the work he puts in at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Pennsylvania.
However, Shradnick doesn’t like to take individual credit when he receives awards.
Shradnick was among 12 individuals named as an Army Materiel Command Employee of the Quarter for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025.
“It’s a team effort. My job is pretty easy, and it’s because everybody who works at Scranton does their job well,” said Shradnick, SCAAP’s deputy commander’s representative. “I appreciate the recognition, and it’s an honor.
“I always feel like I’m just doing my job, that I don’t need recognition for that, but I do appreciate it,” he added. “I’m happy at Scranton. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. The people and the mission are important.”
Shradnick, a 20-year Army Veteran, has been employed at SCAAP since 2011, and he’s held his current role for four years. Shradnick plays a key part in executing directives for the SCAAP’s daily operations. He integrates the plant’s complex activities and applies his expertise as a security strategist to ensure the continuous, secure operation of this vital defense production facility.
“Jason’s ability to align stakeholders, drive accountability, manage risk, and deliver measurable outcomes exemplifies a leadership style rooted in clarity, strategic foresight, and a relentless commitment to excellence. His approach not only accelerates progress but also builds trust, fosters collaboration, and ensures that complex initiatives translate into tangible results,” said Rich Hansen, SCAAP’s commander’s representative. “Jason communicates with purpose and empowers others to operate with confidence and precision.”
Shradnick sets a standard of excellence through proactive coordination, rigorous attention to detail, and alignment with Army priorities.
“Jason drove our preparation for the Army’s Real Property Accountability Assessment by coordinating weekly cross‑functional meetings, leading focused facility inspections, and working with the property specialist and contractor team to verify equipment and correct property records,” Hansen said. “Jason’s disciplined approach was the catalyst in SCAAP achieving the Army-mandated 60% audit readiness by the end of FY25, strengthening property completeness, supporting the Army’s material-downgrade objective, and safeguarding both mission readiness and organizational capability.”
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The mission of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division (NSD) is to protect and defend the United States against the full range of national security threats, consistent with the rule of law. Business organizations and their employees are at the forefront of protecting the national security of the United States by preventing the unlawful export of sensitive commodities, technologies, and services, as well as unlawful transactions with sanctioned countries and designated individuals and entities. Enforcing our export control and sanctions laws, and holding accountable those who violate them, is a top priority for NSD.
On March 10, 2026, the Department released its first-ever Department-wide corporate enforcement policy (CEP) for criminal matters, promoting uniformity, predictability, and fairness in how it pursues white-collar cases to protect the American people.
As the announcement explains, the “Department-wide CEP provides concrete benefits to incentivize companies to voluntarily disclose discovered misconduct, cooperate with our investigations, and timely and appropriately remediate the wrongdoing. For companies that do, absent certain limited aggravating circumstances, the Department will decline to prosecute the company. Incentivizing corporate self-disclosures — while still permitting prosecutions in appropriate circumstances — allows the Department to quickly pursue culpable individuals, secure justice for victims, and deter white-collar crime, all while not unduly burdening American businesses.”
Under the CEP, “disclosure must be made to the appropriate component of the Department,” CEP n.5, and all resolutions under the CEP “must be approved by the Assistant Attorney General (AAG) for the relevant Division.” CEP Background ¶ 4. The CEP also provides that a “[g]ood faith disclosure to one component where the matter is later brought to another appropriate component for investigation will also qualify” for declination. CEP n.5
As pertaining to national security laws, the Justice Manual (JM) assigns the “enforcement of all criminal laws affecting, involving or relating to the national security, and the responsibility for prosecuting criminal offenses, such as conspiracy, perjury and false statements, arising out of offenses related to national security . . . to the AAG of NSD.” JM § 9-90.010.
The scope of these matters, which includes violations of the U.S. government’s primary export control and sanctions regimes — the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), 22 U.S.C. § 2778, the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), 50 U.S.C. § 4801 et seq., and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 50 U.S.C. § 1701 et seq. – can be found at JM § 9-90.020.
While the conduct of business organizations and their employees has the greatest potential to implicate U.S. national security interests in the enforcement of export control and sanctions laws, the conduct of business organizations and their employees can also violate other U.S. national security laws, including laws prohibiting material support to and financing of foreign terrorist organizations, criminal violations in connection with the work of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector (Team Telecom). Companies are encouraged to voluntarily self-disclose to NSD any potential criminal violations of U.S. law relating to matters conducted, handled, or supervised by the NSD AAG.
All voluntary self-disclosures concerning potential criminal violations of U.S. national security laws should be sent, with the company name in the subject line, to NSD’s email inbox for voluntary self‑disclosures: NSD.VSD@usdoj.gov.