Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Baltimore, Maryland – A New Jersey man received a federal-prison term, today, for his role in a multi-million-dollar bank fraud conspiracy. As part of the scheme, co-conspirators fraudulently obtained more than $35 million in Small Business Administration loans from financial institutions to purchase hotels.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
ROANOKE, Va. – A married couple was sentenced today to lengthy prison terms for grooming a teenager online before picking her up in Virginia and repeatedly sexually abusing her as they drove back to their apartment in Missouri.Justin Johiah Curtright, 41, was sentenced today to 45 years in federal prison. His wife, Christin Marie Curtright, 33, was sentenced to 27 years. The Curtrights, of Springfield, Missouri, pled guilty in 2025 to sexual exploitation of a minor and transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Source: United States Army
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — U.S. Army Master Sgt. Nikole Jurecko, operations noncommissioned officer in charge for the G-6, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, was promoted from sergeant first class during a ceremony at Panzer Kaserne in Kaiserslautern, June 12, marking her entry into the Army’s senior noncommissioned officer ranks.
Her parents, Penny and Tommy Jurecko, pinned on her new rank during the ceremony, which was attended by family, friends, leaders and fellow Soldiers.
The ceremony carried special meaning for Jurecko as her parents traveled from Red Oak, Texas, to participate in the promotion and celebrate her achievement.
Lt. Col. Holly Glisson, assistant chief of staff, G-6, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, praised Jurecko’s commitment to mission accomplishment and Soldier care.
“She will go above and beyond for anyone,” Glisson said. “You can always come to her with a problem. She will figure it out.”
Sgt. Maj. Adam Dement, G-6 sergeant major, said the promotion reflects both Jurecko’s accomplishments and the increased responsibility that comes with joining the Army’s senior noncommissioned officer ranks.
“You are going to become the scarcity, the expert that’s in the room,” Dement said. “They look to us to give them the unvarnished truth.”
Dement said the promotion expands Jurecko’s responsibilities beyond technical expertise and into advising commanders, developing Soldiers and helping shape future signal operations.
After reciting the noncommissioned officer charge, Jurecko reflected on the people who helped shape her career and the challenges she overcame along the way.
She thanked her parents for supporting her and the Soldiers she served alongside, recalling their efforts to provide care packages and holiday stockings to deployed service members throughout her career.
“There was a time in my career when I honestly only saw myself retiring as a staff sergeant,” Jurecko said. “People will try to put you in a box. They will look at a profile or a limitation and tell you what you cannot do. Do not listen to them.”
Jurecko credited mentors who challenged her to look beyond perceived limitations and pursue opportunities she once believed were out of reach.
She encouraged Soldiers to remain focused on their goals despite setbacks or criticism.
“Keep pushing. Keep proving them wrong and never let anyone else write your story,” Jurecko said.
The promotion marks Jurecko’s entry into the Army’s senior noncommissioned officer ranks, where she will continue serving as a leader, mentor and technical expert within the Signal Corps.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
An Albuquerque, New Mexico man is in custody on federal charges for allegedly damaging religious property during back-to-back attacks at two local Jewish facilities.
According to court documents, on June 2, Rex Crofton, 25, targeted two Jewish community facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during a series of motivated attacks. At approximately 4:31 PM, Crofton arrived at Congregation Albert in a silver sedan. He exited the vehicle and used a tool to shatter the synagogue’s glass entry doors. After “flipping off” the building and shouting an indecipherable statement, he fled the scene. Roughly eight minutes later, at 4:39 PM, Crofton arrived at the Jewish Community Center (JCC). Surveillance footage captured him running to the front doors and repeatedly striking them with a metal tool appearing to be a crowbar. When JCC security guards approached and pursued him, Crofton threw the tool into his passenger window. A security guard managed to pepper spray Crofton through the window before Crofton sped out of the busy parking lot. The incident forced the JCC to issue an emergency closure, disrupting camp pickup and alarming numerous witnesses.
Following the attacks, Crofton sent threatening text messages to a family friend, boasting, “… I just hit two synagogues in 5 minutes,” and stating he would love to kill any police officers who intervened. Law enforcement tracked Crofton to an Albuquerque residence, where he surrendered and was arrested on June 3, by the Albuquerque Police Department. A subsequent federal search warrant executed on his residence and vehicles uncovered the crowbar-like wrecking bar used in the attack, the clothing he wore, a revolver, high-capacity magazines, various other weapons including a machete and brass knuckles, and a torn Ukrainian flag defaced with a drawn swastika.
Crofton is charged with damage to religious property. If convicted of the current charge, the defendant faces up to three years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico, and Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tavo Hall and Meg Melick for the District of New Mexico and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Daijon West, 29, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 42 months in connection with a years-long conspiracy to distribute fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills in the Washington, D.C., area, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Conti Attacked Over 1,000 Victims, Resulting in at least $150 Million in Ransom Payments
Following his extradition from Ireland, Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, 44, a Ukrainian national, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a conspiracy to deploy Conti, a ransomware variant that infected more than 1,000 computers and networks worldwide.
“The defendant and his conspirators used the Conti ransomware to terrorize people and businesses in the United States and around the world, causing millions of dollars in damage,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Ransomware continues to pose a threat to all business organizations, from critical infrastructure to small businesses. The Justice Department will continue to work with international partners to bring to justice anyone, anywhere who attacks the United States with ransomware.”
“Targeting transnational criminal organizations who victimize American citizens with these outrageous ransomware attacks are among the highest priorities of our office and the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee. “These criminal enterprises are sophisticated, but our prosecutors are up to this challenge and are dedicated to rooting these thieves out and holding them accountable.”
“Lytvynenko’s guilty plea is a significant step toward holding cyber criminals accountable for the damage they inflict on victims worldwide,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Lytvynenko profited from fear and coercion, conspiring to use Conti ransomware to extort victims and steal their data. This case demonstrates that the FBI and our partners will relentlessly pursue those responsible for cybercrimes, regardless of where they operate, and bring them to justice.”
“This guilty plea is a powerful reminder that cybercriminals — whether acting alone or as part of a larger group — cannot hide behind their keyboards or international borders,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Forrest of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Criminal Investigative Division. “While this individual played a role in a group responsible for significant harm, this guilty plea demonstrates our commitment to tracking down every member of these criminal networks. The Secret Service will continue to work with our partners here and around the world to disrupt ransomware operations and ensure those responsible are held accountable.”
According to court documents, Lytvynenko, of Cork, Ireland, conspired with others to deploy Conti ransomware to extort victims and steal their data. Court filings allege the conspirators hacked into victims’ computers and networks, encrypted data, and demanded a ransom to restore the victims’ access to their files and to avoid public disclosure of the stolen information. From 2020 until 2022, Conti was used to attack computers and networks in 47 states, 31 foreign countries, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The FBI estimates that, as of January 2022, Conti ransomware attacks resulted in at least $150 million in ransom payments.
Lytvynenko admitted to joining the Conti conspiracy no later than approximately September 2021. He admitted to possessing data from eight U.S. and four overseas victims which had been stolen by Conti conspirators. Lytvynenko further admitted to joining a team run by a Conti conspirator during which time Lytvynenko was directed to work on coding a “loader,” which is typically a type of malware, or malicious software, that is used to load programs necessary to execute other malicious attacks.
Lytvynenko pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In September 2023, an indictment charging four other Conti conspirators was unsealed in the Middle District of Tennessee.
The FBI’s San Diego, Nashville, and El Paso Field Offices and the U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Phillips for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Irish Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration, the Irish Office of the Attorney General and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau provided valuable assistance to secure the arrest and extradition of Lytvynenko.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
This action is part of Operation Riptide, an ongoing FBI campaign targeting the criminal actors, infrastructure, and financial networks behind cybercrime, cyber-enabled crime, and fraud against the American people. Last year, Americans reported over $20 billion in losses to cybercrime, a 26 percent single-year increase. Operation Riptide is the FBI’s sustained enforcement response to that threat.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted a convicted felon on firearm charges in connection with a domestic-violence incident. Marquis Thomas, 34, of Baltimore, is charged with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. Thomas knowingly possessed a Hi-Point JHP .45 Auto Pistol loaded with nine rounds of ammunition.
Source: United States Army
POZNAN, Poland — U.S. and Polish military leaders rededicated the Michael H. Ollis Warrior Grill at Camp Kosciuszko on June 12, honoring the newly minted Medal of Honor recipient and reaffirming the powerful bond between the two nations.
The ceremony unveiled an updated plaque for Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis, whose Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded posthumously to the Medal of Honor earlier this year for his actions in Afghanistan.
Ollis, of the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, was killed on Aug. 28, 2013, during a fierce insurgent attack at Forward Operating Base Ghazni. Moving alongside Polish Army 2nd Lt. Karol Cierpica, Ollis shielded his wounded ally from a suicide bomber, sacrificing his own life to save another.
Originally dedicated to the Staten Island, New York native in 2023, the Warrior Grill is the first Polish military dining facility named for an American service member. Leaders said the rededication not only reflects Ollis’s Medal of Honor, but also the enduring significance of his sacrifice to U.S.-Polish military cooperation.
“Staff Sergeant Ollis did not do this because of a formal treaty alliance,” said Col. Jeremy McHugh, U.S. Army Garrison Poland commander.
“He did it for brotherhood, for kinship that develops between Soldiers in harm’s way.”
The event’s timing added extra meaning, coinciding with the Army’s 251st birthday and taking place at a camp named for Polish and American Revolutionary War hero Tadeusz Kosciuszko.
“May both individuals serve as examples of the friendship and relationship between our nations for the future,” McHugh said.
Lt. Col. Grzegorz Holubowicz, deputy commander of Poland’s 14th Garrison Support Unit, called Ollis’s actions a lasting symbol of the values shared by both militaries.
“His actions remind us that the soldiers of Poland and the United States are united by common values — honor, courage, loyalty and steadfast commitment to serving and protecting others,” Holubowicz said.
Command Sgt. Maj. Phillip B. Blaisdell, V Corps senior enlisted leader, reflected on his connection to Ollis and his family, tying the soldier’s sacrifice to the long-standing alliance between the United States and Poland.
“We’re here for Poland because on Sept. 11, 2001, Poland was here for us,” Blaisdell said, referencing Poland’s support alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
After the White House Medal of Honor ceremony on March 2, Poland awarded Ollis the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, its highest honor for foreign citizens.
The rededication concluded with an Army birthday cake-cutting, linking Ollis’s legacy of service to the Army’s ongoing commitment to its Soldiers, allies and partners.
Source: United States Army
A unit tribute plaque for Fort Leavenworth, Kansas’ U.S. Disciplinary Barracks was added to the Wall of Honor at the National Museum of the United States Army during a dedication ceremony May 21, 2026, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The ceremony took place 152 years after Congress passed a law to establish a military prison at Fort Leavenworth. The USDB is one of the oldest organizations in the U. S. Army Military Police Corps. The inclusion of the USDB plaque was the culminating event of the USDB’s sesquicentennial celebration, which took place in 2024 at Fort Leavenworth.
The USDB tribute plaque was installed along the Path of Remembrance walkway leading to the museum entrance. The unit tribute program is a donor recognition program managed by the Army Historical Foundation, the National Army Museum’s non-profit organization.
At the ceremony last week, I welcomed the group that consisted of current Army corrections professionals, USDB staff, former USDB commandants, retired USDB alumni, family members and American Correctional Association leaders. I thanked all who donated their time and resources to preserving the storied history of the USDB with this unit tribute plaque.
USDB Commandant Col. Douglas Curtis’ remarks were read during the ceremony.
“From the stone walls of the original ‘Castle’ at Fort Leavenworth to the modern facility that operates on the fort today, generations of soldiers and civilians have served there with professionalism, compassion and unwavering dedication to duty. They carried out one of the Army’s most difficult and least understood missions: enforcing military justice while preserving human dignity and providing the opportunity for retribution, rehabilitation and re-entry,” Curtis’ said in his provided remarks. “Equally important is the institution’s commitment to rehabilitation and successful reentry. The USDB’s education, vocational, behavioral health and reintegration programs are second to none within military corrections, designed to provide offenders the greatest possible opportunity to return to society as productive citizens. In doing so, the USDB not only fulfills an obligation of justice and stewardship, but also reduces long-term strategic risk to the armed forces and the communities to which these former service members return.”
Brig. Gen. Sarah Albrycht, commanding general of Army Corrections Command and the provost marshal general of the Army, said the USDB was born from a need to reform and professionalize the way the military handles corrections and discipline.
Years ago, Brig. Gen. Thomas F. Barr, widely known as the “Father of the USDB,” saw the dire conditions in which military prisoners were held and advocated for a single, humane and rehabilitative institution. His vision laid the groundwork for the “Military Center for Corrections Excellence” that we know today. The unit’s motto perfectly encapsulates its purpose: “Our Mission – Your Future.” It is not just a place of confinement, but a place of real transformation.
Retired Maj. Gen. Mark Inch, former USDB commandant, ACC commanding general and provost marshal general, spoke about the role the USDB plays not only in the military, but in society.
The National Museum of the United States Army is for everyone in the nation to come see, celebrate and remember the symbols of what the Army has done for the nation. The USDB plaque does this for corrections professionals. The soldiers, men and women who have passed and those who continue to serve at the USDB are now represented there among other great Army units. The history of military corrections is so deeply engrained with the American Correctional Association, dating back to 1870s and setting the standards and professionalism among corrections professionals. Service members who made the worst mistakes are all confined in one social environment where they conform under the leadership of the USDB officers and NCOs, who provide discipline, training, rehabilitation and education to set them up for success in society upon their release.
Additionally, the officers and NCOs who are trained at the USDB are needed by the Army to go forward when necessary to ensure strategic success. It has been shown what a difference having USDB correctional professionals meant at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Afghanistan; and Iraq.
In 1971, the USDB adopted the motto, “Our Mission – Your Future.” This motto symbolizes the can-do attitude, the spirit of team work and the philosophy of the USDB. The entire custodial staff provides individualized treatment to inmates to prepare them for a self-reliant, trustworthy and respectable future.
We reflect on the past only to build for the future. We emphasize behavior, education, vocational skills and a chance to choose. We emphasize the positive, not the negative. We focus on participation, not punishment; restoration, not retribution; on privileges, not privation; and on partnership and progress, not isolation and humiliation. Discipline is necessary to maintain order, for without order, nothing can be learned, and without knowledge, there is no hope for a new and brighter day. We accept the principle that a man has a right for a new start in life.
On Jan. 18, 1971, Col. F.E. Payne, USDB commandant, concurred with the recommended design of a distinctive insignia for the USDB. This design incorporated the motto, “Our Mission – Your Future,” which was recommended by Maj. Charles A. Hines, Military Police Corps, a student at the Command and General Staff College in 1970-1971. On Feb. 12, 1971, Maj. Gen. Lloyd B. Ramsey, the provost marshal general, approved the design. Upon design completion by the Institute of Heraldry, it was fielded on March 1, 1972.
The USDB Distinctive Unit Insignia is a gold color metal and enamel device that consists of a gold sun on a blue enamel area with nine gold rays radiating upward and surmounted vertically overall by a gold sword between the green enamel post oak leaves, vertical with stems conjoined in bottom below pommel, all between two white enamel columns at the sides and the two end enamel scrolls above and below the columns, the upper scroll surmounting the rays and the sword inscribed, “Our Mission,” and the lower scroll inscribed “Your Future,” all in gold letters.
The sun on the USDB Distinctive Unit Insignia symbolizes authority, healing, knowledge and a new beginning representing the overall mission of the organization. The sword denotes all military personnel. The oak leaves and columns refer to military and civilian stability in rehabilitation. The columns and inscribed scroll simulate a doorway and allude to the custodial guidance of the unit.
The National Museum of the United States Army is owned and operated by the U.S. Army and is open daily with free admission. For more information visit www.theNMUSA.org. For more information about the Unit Tribute Program, visit www.armyhistory.org.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Tennessee returned an 11-count indictment charging a middle Tennessee man with multiple crimes related to his running of a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme while a resident of Shelby County. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the indictment today. As alleged in the indictment, Misam M. Abidi, 47, of Nolensville, Tennessee, executed a scheme to defraud millions of dollars from investors across the country through his cryptocurrency investment firm, Star Credit Holdings, between 2020 and 2024. Abidi made a variety of misrepresentations to his investors in order to convince them to invest…