Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

            WASHINGTON – Fan Yang, 39, and Jing Tian, 37, both of Indianapolis, were arrested and charged in an indictment unsealed today for conspiring to commit securities fraud for allegedly using insider information to profit from a $3.7 billion corporate acquisition, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Yang, aka “Jocelyn Yang,” and Tian are charged in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. with two counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud.

            Yang was a finance executive at an Indiana manufacturing company for which her husband, Tian, also worked.

            According to the charging document, in 2021, their company began to hold internal discussions about acquiring a Michigan-based firm that made automobile components. On Feb. 22, 2022, their company announced an agreement to acquire the targeted firm at a price of $36.50 per share, for a total value of $3.7 billion. The targeted firm’s stock price rose to $35.55 before markets opened, an increase of about 44% from the prior day’s closing price.

            The indictment alleges that Yang began to collect material non-public information (MNPI) about the impending deal in October 2021 and with Tian began discussing and executing security purchases of the target company in November 2021. Communicating in Chinese on messaging apps, they allegedly shared MNPI with a group that grew to include at least five other people, including two graduate students at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. and a trader who was in China at the time.

            Members of the group used this inside information to purchase stock and options contracts in the target company based on information they knew was non-public and confidential.  On November 22, 2021, Yang allegedly sent a WeChat message to her husband Tian discussing their securities purchases, stating, “We have over 100,000 in there. If the acquisition is completed with 3.5b, we can get a Tesla. Trade in and don’t need a loan haha.”

            In a series of additional messages, Yang told another trader that she knew the target company stock would rise because her company was acquiring it, information that was not publicly known at the time.

            When the news of the corporate acquisition was made public, the group generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit.

            This case is being investigated by the Washington Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, Co-Chief of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section and Special Assistant United States Attorney Rami Sibay.

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

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Today, the Justice Department joined with the State of Texas in asking a federal district court to dismiss a long-running case that saw the State reform thirteen State-operated facilities for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division brought to completion years of work that now requires Texas to protect the rights of Americans who are in its care at these centers. Through a court order called a consent decree, Texas implemented reforms to protect residents from harm, provide clinical care and education, and provide services for people with IDD in integrated settings.

“We commend Texas for its tremendous progress in implementing this decree and its commitment to upholding the federal rights of people with intellectual disabilities living in state care,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We recognize and appreciate the dedication of the staff and leaders of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission who have transformed the state centers to protect the rights of all Americans — even some of the most vulnerable.”

This case began with an investigation of Lubbock State School (since renamed the Lubbock SSLC) in 2005, followed by investigations of the remaining 12 state-run centers in 2008 and 2009. In June 2009, the United States and Texas entered the decree, and the court approved it. With the court’s approval, the parties modified the decree in September 2021. The State worked collaboratively with the Civil Rights Division to implement the decree’s requirements for the last several years. Today’s joint filing details the State’s extensive improvements of the facilities in compliance with the decree, as verified by an Independent Reviewer.  

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WICHITA, KAN. – A Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was sentenced to 20 years in prison for violently attacking a federal law enforcement agent, the maximum punishment allowed under the statute.  

According to court documents, Diego Barron-Esquivel, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of forcible assault of a federal officer. 

On February 28, 2025, Barron-Esquivel intentionally assaulted and strangled an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deportation officer who was in Wichita performing his official duties, causing bodily injury to the officer.  

“Violence against law enforcement is completely unacceptable and will be dealt with very seriously,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Our society would cease to function without brave officers enforcing the law. We owe these officers our thanks and our respect. This sentence shows the how egregious the conduct was in this case.”

“This sentencing is a victory for justice and a clear warning to anyone who thinks they can assault law enforcement officers without consequences,” said HSI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito. “We are grateful to the Honorable Judge John Broomes for handing down a sentence that reflects the seriousness of this crime. HSI will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who threaten the safety of our officers and the rule of law are held accountable.”

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon prosecuted the case.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A former senior oil and gas trader was sentenced today in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to 15 months in prison for his role in a nearly eight-year-long scheme to bribe Brazilian government officials and to launder money to secure business for Arcadia Fuels Ltd. (Arcadia) and Freepoint Commodities LLC (Freepoint), two companies where he worked. He was also fined $300,000.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Glenn Oztemel, 66, of Westport, Connecticut, paid over $1 million in bribes to officials at Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), the Brazilian state-owned oil and gas company, in exchange for inside Petrobras information — including competitor bids and confidential pricing information from other U.S. companies — that gave Arcadia and Freepoint a competitive advantage in winning lucrative fuel oil contracts from Petrobras.

The evidence at trial showed that Oztemel and his co-conspirators caused Arcadia and Freepoint to make corrupt payments — disguised as purported consulting fees and commissions — to a third-party intermediary and agent, Eduardo Innecco, knowing that Innecco would pay a portion of those funds to Brazilian officials, including a Houston-based Petrobras trader, Rodrigo Berkowitz. To conceal the scheme, Oztemel, Innecco and their co-conspirators used coded language like “breakfast” and “freight deviation” to refer to the bribes and communicated using personal email accounts, encrypted messaging applications, disposable phones and fictitious names like “Spencer Kazisnaf” and “Nikita Maksimov.”

In September 2024, Oztemel was convicted of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of violating the FCPA and two counts of money laundering.

In a related matter, in December 2023, Freepoint admitted to bribing officials in Brazil in violation of the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. Freepoint entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. As a part of the resolution, Freepoint agreed to pay more than $98 million in criminal penalties and forfeiture.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan for the District of Connecticut; and Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Los Angeles Field Office’s International Corruption Squad investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Brazil, Latvia, Switzerland, and Uruguay provided assistance with the investigation.

Trial Attorneys Allison McGuire and Clayton P. Solomon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McGarry for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case.

The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone on Tuesday ordered a fossil company owner to repay $106,923 in Social Security disability benefits that he’d obtained through disability fraud.

Judge Bluestone also placed Scott A. Taylor on probation for five years. After having been granted disability benefits, Taylor opened Taylor Made Fossils, which made multiple-sized cast or molded fossil recreations. While repeatedly falsely claiming to be too disabled to work, Taylor was carrying large or heavy objects, doing yard work, using a cell phone, and walking normally while unassisted and alone. He claimed he had difficulty walking, standing, concentrating, feeding himself, shopping, using his arms, managing money, seeing, hearing, speaking and caring for his hair. He stated his vision caused him to walk into people and objects and frequently fall down the stairs, that he was in extreme constant pain, that it was dangerous for him to leave the house alone, that he could not feel his hands or feet and that even normal items would become too heavy to lift. Taylor falsely claimed he had received no wages or income and had no form of employment since 1997. Since 2014, the business generated income ranging from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars per month in all but three months.

After an investigation by the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Taylor’s disability benefits were discontinued. Taylor stole a total of $106, 923, his plea agreement says.

Taylor, 50, of Wellston, pleaded guilty in September to one felony count of theft of government money.

The SSA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A former senior oil and gas trader was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for his role in a nearly eight-year-long scheme to bribe Brazilian government officials and to launder money to secure business for Arcadia Fuels Ltd. (Arcadia) and Freepoint Commodities LLC (Freepoint), two companies where he worked. He was also fined $300,000.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Glenn Oztemel, 66, of Westport, Connecticut, paid over $1 million in bribes to officials at Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), the Brazilian state-owned oil and gas company, in exchange for inside Petrobras information — including competitor bids and confidential pricing information from other U.S. companies — that gave Arcadia and Freepoint a competitive advantage in winning lucrative fuel oil contracts from Petrobras.

The evidence at trial showed that Oztemel and his co-conspirators caused Arcadia and Freepoint to make corrupt payments — disguised as purported consulting fees and commissions — to a third-party intermediary and agent, Eduardo Innecco, knowing that Innecco would pay a portion of those funds to Brazilian officials, including a Houston-based Petrobras trader, Rodrigo Berkowitz. To conceal the scheme, Oztemel, Innecco and their co-conspirators used coded language like “breakfast” and “freight deviation” to refer to the bribes and communicated using personal email accounts, encrypted messaging applications, disposable phones and fictitious names like “Spencer Kazisnaf” and “Nikita Maksimov.”

In September 2024, Oztemel was convicted of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of violating the FCPA and two counts of money laundering. 

In a related matter, in December 2023, Freepoint admitted to bribing officials in Brazil in violation of the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. Freepoint entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. As a part of the resolution, Freepoint agreed to pay more than $98 million in criminal penalties and forfeiture.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan for the District of Connecticut; and Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Los Angeles Field Office’s International Corruption Squad investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Brazil, Latvia, Switzerland, and Uruguay provided assistance with the investigation.

Trial Attorneys Allison McGuire and Clayton P. Solomon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McGarry for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case.

The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Mansfield Davis, 69, of Morgantown, pleaded guilty today to failure to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

According to court documents and statements made in court, Davis was living in South Charleston when he failed to register as a sex offender as required following his conviction for possession of child pornography in United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia on May 20, 2024.

On September 5, 2024, Davis was sentenced in United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia to six years and 10 months in prison for possession of child pornography. Davis failed to self-report to prison on October 4, 2024, as required. Law enforcement officers arrested Davis in Williamsburg, Virginia, on October 15, 2024. On August 20, 2025, Davis was sentenced to one year in prison for failing to surrender for a federal sentence, with the sentence to run consecutive to the sentence for possession of child pornography.

Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2026, for the current offense and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).

United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.

SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-189.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kevin James Murphy, 30, of West Hamlin, pleaded guilty on October 6, 2025, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 11, 2025, Murphy was the front seat passenger in a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement officers in Huntington. During the traffic stop, officers asked Murphy to exit the vehicle and if he had any weapons. As part of his guilty plea, Murphy admitted that officers seized a Taurus Model G2C 9mm after he told them he had a firearm in his waistband. Murphy further admitted that the seized firearm was reported stolen, and that officers also seized approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, plastic bags, and 9mm ammunition from his backpack in the vehicle during the traffic stop. Murphy also admitted that he possessed and intended to distribute the seized methamphetamine and possessed the seized firearm in connection with that offense.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Murphy knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for attempt to commit a felony-possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance on March 29, 2016, and being a person prohibited from possessing firearms on June 29, 2019, both in Cabell County Circuit Court.

Murphy is scheduled to be sentenced on January 26, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department, the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-99.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Bharat Awasarmol defrauded 7 victims in 5 states.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

According to court documents, SANTOS was found in Orleans Parish on April 21, 2025. He had previously been removed to Honduras on December 21, 2018.

United States District Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced SANTOS to two years of imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.

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