Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging six defendants with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft for their roles in a financial fraud scheme. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison and a maximum of 30 years.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A Bergen County man and former Revenue Agent for the Internal Revenue Service was arrested yesterday for embezzling more than $12 million and money laundering as the then-Chief Financial Officer and Controller of a fuel company based in New Jersey.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
OAKLAND – Former Bureau of Prisons correctional officer Jeffrey Wilson was sentenced today to 52 months in prison for sexually abusing a female inmate at the Federal Correction Institution in Dublin, California, a low-security federal prison for females, and for making false statements to federal agents
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A Texas man appeared in federal court on April 30, 2026, after being charged by criminal complaint on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, for allegedly possessing a substance containing methamphetamine with intent to distribute it, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A).
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from April 25 through May 1, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 217 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 126 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 74 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 13 cases against 17 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SAN DIEGO – Samuel Melvin Cooper of El Cajon was sentenced in federal court today to 121 months in prison for directing a 15-year-old girl to perform commercial sex acts for his financial benefit in San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson. Cooper pleaded guilty on October 14, 2025, to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking through Force, Fraud or Coercion. According to his plea agreement, Cooper was arrested in September 2024 by San Diego Police detectives during a traffic stop in an area known for street-based prostitution. Police discovered Cooper was tracking locations of two female teens, ages 15 and 18, on a cell phone application – a common method used by pimps to track the location of commercial sex victims under their control.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that CARSEN MANSFIELD was sentenced to six years in prison by U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel for receipt and distribution of child pornography and extortionate interstate communications.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
NEW ORLEANS, LA – LARRY G. TURNER, (TURNER), age 52, of Tangipahoa Parish, was recently sentenced by U.S. District Judge Barry W Ashe to 168 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney David I Courcelle. TURNER previously pled guilty to Conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, more than 400 grams of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); §841(b)(1)(A), and 846.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On April 29, 2026, LIONEL ANTOINE DUNCAN a/k/a “Headbaby,” age 36 of Thibodaux, LA was found guilty by a jury, after previously being indicted, of conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 841(b)(1)(C) (Count One),and Use of Communications Facility, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b) (Count Four), following a three day trial before United States District Judge Brandon S. Long, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Modern Nuclear Inc. (MNI), a provider of mobile positron emission tomography (PET) scans headquartered in La Habra, California, has agreed to pay a total of $8,334,350.71, plus additional amounts based on future revenues, to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it paid referring cardiologists excessive fees to supervise PET scans in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS). This settlement is based on MNI’s ability to pay.
The United States alleged that between Sept. 1, 2016, and Jan. 14, 2025, MNI knowingly submitted false or fraudulent claims to federal health care programs arising from violations of the AKS. Specifically, MNI allegedly paid kickbacks to referring cardiologists in the form of above-fair market value fees, ostensibly for cardiologists to supervise PET scans for the patients they referred to MNI. The United States alleged these fees substantially exceeded fair market value for the cardiologists’ services because MNI paid the referring cardiologists for time they spent in their offices caring for other patients or while they were not on site at all, or for additional services beyond supervision that were never or rarely actually provided. MNI purported to rely on an attorney-opinion letter regarding fair market value that the United States alleged was premised on fundamental inaccuracies and that the consultant ultimately withdrew.
“We will diligently pursue and hold accountable healthcare providers that seek patient referrals through illegal kickbacks and other unlawful financial inducements,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “By rooting out financial relationships between healthcare providers and referring physicians that corrupt the medical decision-making process, we will continue to protect and safeguard taxpayer dollars.”
“Paying illegal kickbacks to cardiologists so they refer patients undermines the integrity of federal healthcare programs and needlessly increases costs,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “Patients deserve care based on their medical need and not on a doctor or company’s financial interest. Our office will continue to bring such cases to hold wrongdoers accountable.”
“Paying kickbacks to physicians — as alleged in this case — can undermine the integrity of the Medicare program by interfering with impartial medical decision-making,” said Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “This resolution demonstrates our agency’s continued commitment to holding Medicare providers accountable and ensuring that medical decisions are driven by patient needs, not illegal incentives.”
“Modern Nuclear Inc.’s civil settlement acknowledges its role in compromising the Federal health care system,” said Special Agent in Charge John Helsing of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “DCIS remains committed to combating health care fraud by holding providers accountable and protecting TRICARE, the Department’s primary health care program, from abuse. The work done by DCIS, our investigative partners, and the Department of Justice ensures that resources are preserved for the legitimate care of our service members, their families, and retirees.”
In connection with the settlement, MNI entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the HHS-OIG. The CIA requires, among other compliance provisions, that MNI implement measures designed to ensure that arrangements with referring physicians are compliant with the AKS. The CIA also requires that MNI implement a compliance program to identify and address the AKS risks associated with other financial arrangements and retain an Independent Compliance Expert to perform a review of the effectiveness of the compliance program.
The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relators Matt Lieberman and James Whitney. Under those provisions, a private party or relator can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Lieberman v. Modern Nuclear, Inc., et al.,case number 8:23-cv-01646-DOC-KES in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The relators will receive 16% of the total recovery in this matter.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from the HHS-OIG and the Defense Health Agency 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 HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Sanjay M. Bhambhani of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul B. La Scala for the Central District of California.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.