Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Derick Lee Myron, 46, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to life in prison, plus 40 years. On April 29, 2024, Myron, an enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe, shot and killed an unarmed victim and shot and seriously injured two others on the Navajo Nation.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, Florida – Johan Smith Pavon Mejia (43, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. He faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Mejia’s sentencing hearing is set for October 15, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, Florida – Mario Jerome Bentley (44, Jacksonville) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday to four years and three months in federal prison for cyberstalking and possessing ammunition as convicted felon. The court also ordered Bentley to forfeit the ammunition and have no contact, directly or indirectly, with the victims. Bentley pleaded guilty in April 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Defendant dispensed 300,000+ pills to patients with no medical need at 10x the price
A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted a Florida licensed pharmacist and pharmacy owner yesterday for her role in dispensing over 300,000 oxycodone 30mg pills to pharmacy patrons who had no medical need for the drug.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Olushola Yusuf, 60, of Tampa, dispensed oxycodone to nearly all her pharmacy customers. Yusuf charged customers approximately 10 times the typical cost of the drug and required payment from them in cash. In total, Yusuf dispensed at least 335,351 pills of oxycodone 30mg during the conspiracy. Oxycodone 30mg is the maximum strength available of the drug and is both sought after and potentially dangerous due to its potency. It is typically prescribed to seriously ill patients, such as those suffering from chronic cancer pain or traumatic injuries.
“The defendant abused the public trust by using her pharmacies to unlawfully distribute deadly opioids,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This conviction sends an unmistakable message: whether you deal drugs on a street corner or from behind a pharmacy counter, the Fraud Division will hold you fully accountable under the law.”
“By distributing dangerous and highly addictive narcotics, the defendant demonstrated a clear disregard for their community and endangered countless residents who should have been able to trust their pharmacist,” said FBI Co-Deputy Director Christopher Raia. “The opioid epidemic continues to plague our nation, which is why the FBI, along with our partners, will continue to hold the criminals poisoning our communities with these drugs accountable.”
Yusuf owned and operated two pharmacies, Boots LLC d/b/a Striderite (Boots) in Margate, Florida, and Chans Pharmacy Plus, Inc. (Chans) in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Yusuf distributed oxycodone 30mg pills through these pharmacies. Customers drove long distances across the state of Florida to have Yusuf fill prescriptions that they could not get filled at any other pharmacy. Some customers paid as much as $1,000 a month in cash to Yusuf for the drugs. And some customers were drug dealers, who picked up oxycodone pills purportedly on behalf of dozens of patients at a time who were not present. According to witnesses at trial, Yusuf kept the doors to her pharmacies locked during business hours, directing employees only to open the door for certain identified customers. Yusuf continued to dispense the oxycodone in this way even after repeated warnings from her employees and the DEA about the dangers of her pharmacy operations.
Cash paid to Yusuf for oxycodone 30mg
“Olushola Yusuf did not simply ignore red flags. She built her business around them,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “She knowingly flooded South Florida communities with more than 335,000 high-dose oxycodone pills, even after her employees and the DEA warned her about the dangers of her conduct. Yusuf charged extraordinary cash prices, served drug dealers and customers who traveled long distances, and put profit ahead of patients, public safety, and her responsibilities as a pharmacist. Yesterday, a federal jury held her accountable.”
“Pharmacists occupy a position of public trust and serve as a critical safeguard against the diversion of controlled substances,” said DEA Chief of Operations Matthew W. Allen. “By dispensing hundreds of thousands of oxycodone pills to virtually anyone willing to pay inflated cash prices, the defendant abandoned that responsibility, exploited addiction, and endangered lives for personal profit. This conviction reinforces DEA’s commitment to the American people: no one is above the law when they violate the public’s trust and contribute to the unlawful distribution of dangerous drugs.”
“The defendant bought patient data and used it to generate sham medical orders, targeting seniors and people with disabilities for exploitation. This scheme sought to drain millions from federal health care programs meant to support Americans in need,” said Miranda L. Bennett, Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “This verdict makes clear that HHS OIG and our law enforcement partners will hold accountable anyone who tries to defraud these programs or prey on the people they serve.”
The jury convicted Yusuf of conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs and five counts of illegal drug distribution. Yusuf’s co-defendant, Saman Gimenez, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs and is scheduled to be sentenced in October of this year. Yusuf faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. A sentencing hearing will occur on October 14, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HHS-OIG, FBI, VA-OIG, and DCIS are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Angela Benoit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline DerOvanesian for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Source: United States Department of Justice
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, and Regional Director of the U.S. Federal Protective Service (“FPS”), Robert D. Sooter, announced charges against ANDREW ARRABACA after he set a fire outside of 26 Federal Plaza, sending flames and smoke up the outside of the building.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Fort Thompson man convicted of Using and Carrying a Firearm During and Relation to a Crime of Violence. The sentencing took place on July 20, 2026.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The Justice Department announced its authorization of the settlement of a lawsuit brought by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) for contract support costs owed under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA). ANTHC was formed in the 1990s to provide health services throughout the state of Alaska. Among other things, ANTHC operates the non-primary care functions of the Alaska Native Medical Center, which is one of the largest tribally run hospitals in our Nation.
“Congress directed, and the Supreme Court clarified, that Indian tribes should be reimbursed by HHS for qualifying administrative costs when administering their own healthcare programs,” said Acting Attorney General Blanche. “Our $400M settlement with ANTHC provides the consortium with support and autonomy for the healthcare services they provide to American Indians and Alaska Natives.”
“This settlement reflects our commitment to resolving litigation fairly and ensuring that federal resources are appropriately directed toward serving Native communities,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “We are pleased to have reached an authorized agreement that benefits American Indian and Alaska Native communities and remains consistent with the legal framework established by Congress.”
Through a compact with the federal government under ISDEAA, ANTHC is responsible for administering certain healthcare programs that the federal government otherwise would administer for the benefit of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Alaska. In 2021, ANTHC filed litigation claiming the government had failed to pay certain contract support costs owed under ISDEAA and the compact. Specifically, ANTHC claimed the government owed contract support costs on revenue that ANTHC had collected from third-party payers, such as Medicare and private insurers, while administering the federal healthcare programs.
While the litigation was pending, in 2024, the Supreme Court decided in a similar case, Becerra v. San Carlos Apache Tribe, that Title I of ISDEAA requires the federal government to pay contract support costs on revenue from third-party payers when the relevant ISDEAA contract requires the revenue to be used for the healthcare program.
Following that landmark decision, the Justice Department engaged in extensive negotiations with ANTHC to reach a fair resolution of ANTHC’s litigation and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche made an official visit to the state in July 2026.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Today, the Justice Department announced its authorization of the settlement of a lawsuit brought by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) for contract support costs owed under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA). ANTHC was formed in the 1990s to provide health services throughout the state of Alaska. Among other things, ANTHC operates the non-primary care functions of the Alaska Native Medical Center, which is one of the largest tribally run hospitals in our Nation.
“Congress directed, and the Supreme Court clarified, that Indian tribes should be reimbursed by HHS for qualifying administrative costs when administering their own healthcare programs,” said Acting Attorney General Blanche. “Our $400M settlement with ANTHC provides the consortium with support and autonomy for the healthcare services they provide to American Indians and Alaska Natives.”
“This settlement reflects our commitment to resolving litigation fairly and ensuring that federal resources are appropriately directed toward serving Native communities,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “We are pleased to have reached an authorized agreement that benefits American Indian and Alaska Native communities and remains consistent with the legal framework established by Congress.”
Through a compact with the federal government under ISDEAA, ANTHC is responsible for administering certain healthcare programs that the federal government otherwise would administer for the benefit of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Alaska. In 2021, ANTHC filed litigation claiming the government had failed to pay certain contract support costs owed under ISDEAA and the compact. Specifically, ANTHC claimed the government owed contract support costs on revenue that ANTHC had collected from third-party payers, such as Medicare and private insurers, while administering the federal healthcare programs.
While the litigation was pending, in 2024, the Supreme Court decided in a similar case, Becerra v. San Carlos Apache Tribe, that Title I of ISDEAA requires the federal government to pay contract support costs on revenue from third-party payers when the relevant ISDEAA contract requires the revenue to be used for the healthcare program.
Following that landmark decision, the Justice Department engaged in extensive negotiations with ANTHC to reach a fair resolution of ANTHC’s litigation and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche made an official visit to the state in July 2026.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
MOBILE, AL – An Atlanta, Georgia man was sentenced to 420 months in prison for engaging in a yearslong methamphetamine-trafficking conspiracy, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Source: United States Department of Justice
A California man was arrested yesterday after a grand jury sitting in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania returned an indictment charging him with conspiracy, mail fraud and money laundering.
According to the indictment, Christopher Slater was part of a multi-state conspiracy to defraud the United States of more than $52.7 million by filing hundreds of false tax returns claiming Paid Sick and Family Leave Credit (SFLC) and Employee Retention Credit (ERC) credits. Congress authorized the SFLC tax credit to reimburse businesses for wages paid to employees who were on sick or family leave and could not work because of COVID-19. Congress authorized the ERC to incentivize businesses to keep employees on their payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This indictment alleges that Christopher Slater orchestrated a multi-state fraud scheme that sought more than $50 million in taxpayer-funded pandemic relief funds,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This brazen fraud is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The Fraud Division will continue to hold anyone accountable who steals from American taxpayers and abuses programs intended to provide relief during a national crisis.”
Slater allegedly conspired with others to recruit business owners, use their information to file false tax returns and then launder the proceeds of the fraud. In total, Slater allegedly caused at least 290 false tax returns to be filed for 35 businesses claiming over $52.7 million in COVID-19 tax credits, of which the IRS paid out over $32.2 million.
The indictment also charged Mark Keagel, of York, Pennsylvania, with money laundering, conspiracy and theft of government property. Keagel owned two defunct businesses whose information he allegedly passed on to one of Slater’s co-conspirators. According to the indictment, Slater’s associates filed false tax returns on behalf of Keagel’s businesses. In response, the IRS mailed approximately $3.6 million in fraudulent Treasury checks to Keagel, who then allegedly laundered those proceeds.
If convicted, Slater faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison for each of the seven mail fraud and mail fraud conspiracy counts. Slater and Keagel also face a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison for each of the money laundering and money laundering conspiracy counts. Keagel faces a sentence of up to ten years in prison for each count of theft of government property.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller of the Middle District of Pennsylvania the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Deputy Chief Ezra Spiro of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma of the Middle District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.