Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 233 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Nov. 14 to Nov. 20. Charges were brought against individuals with multiple prior removals, DWI convictions, kidnapping convictions, and at least two with prior convictions for sex crimes, including child sex crimes.

Salvadoran national Elmer Alexander Ramirez Cerna was charged with illegal re-entry in Austin. Ramirez Cerna was found in the Williamson County Jail on Nov. 4. He was convicted of sexual assault of a child in 2017 and removed from the U.S. to El Salvador in April 2019.

In Del Rio, USBP agents arrested Honduran national Noel Jose Funez-Antunez. Funez-Antunez was previously deported twice, most recently in June 2024 after he was convicted of sexual assault in Houston and sentenced to two years of confinement. Funez-Antunez was also convicted in 2010 for kidnapping.

Honduran nationals Marcos Joel Contreras-Max and Edwin Javier Chinchilla-Lopez were arrested during a multi-agency operation conducted in San Antonio on Nov. 16. Databases revealed that both individuals were in the United States illegally and had previously been removed from the U.S. to Honduras. The two defendants are each charged with one count of illegal re-entry. If convicted, they face up to two years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

In El Paso, Mexican national Miriam Lizeth Gutierrez-Montanez was arrested and charged with human smuggling after she allegedly attempted to enter the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry with two minors in her vehicle. A criminal complaint alleges that the Customs and Border Protection officer received a system-generated alert that Gutierrez-Montanez was a possible child smuggler. Further inspection allegedly revealed that the minors were found to be Mexican citizens and not in possession of any legal documents to enter or be present in the U.S.

A U.S. citizen was also arrested and charged with human smuggling in El Paso. U.S. Border Patrol agents allegedly tracked Luis Ramon Carmona to the Cielo Vista Mall after he had picked up seven illegal aliens near the U.S./Mexico border. All eight individuals were placed under arrest and transported to the Clint Border Patrol Station for further processing. A criminal complaint alleges that Carmona was being paid $500 per illegal alien and that he had participated in the same smuggling scheme once before.

Mexican national Agustin Cano-Quintero was charged with illegal re-entry after he was found in the Travis County Jail. Cano-Quintero has been convicted three times for driving while intoxicated and has also been previously convicted for improper entry by an alien as well as illegal re-entry.

On Tuesday, USBP agents arrested Mexican national Amado Tovar-Tovar, who has three DWI convictions and, in August 2024, was removed from the U.S. to Mexico for the fourth time.

Pablo Orozco-Vasquez, also a Mexican national, was arrested near Webb after being previously deported for the fifth time in April. Orozco-Vasquez has been convicted of two DWI charges, along with reckless driving, improper entry and illegal re-entry.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

These cases are 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and 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

BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Worcester has been indicted by a federal grand jury for distributing fentanyl pills.

Miguel Gonzalez Duarte, 37, has been indicted on one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Gonzalez Duarte was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Oct. 29, 2025 and remains in federal custody.  

According to the charging documents, on Aug. 21, 2025, Gonzalez Duarte distributed approximately 191 counterfeit pills that contained fentanyl, methamphetamine and xylazine, with a total approximate weight of 21.9 grams, in a store parking lot on Main Street in Worcester. On Sept. 3, 2025, Gonzalez Duarte allegedly distributed approximately 482 pills, weighing approximately 54.9 grams, containing the same mixture in the same parking lot. It is further alleged that, in the store parking lot on Sept. 24, 2025, Gonzalez Duarte distributed approximately 2,000 suspected fentanyl pills with an approximate weight of 226 grams.

On Oct. 15, Gonzalez Duarte also allegedly distributed approximately 20,000 suspected fentanyl pills in the parking lot of a restaurant in Worcester. It is alleged that, when approached by law enforcement shortly after the transaction, Gonzalez Duarte dropped the bag of pills and attempted to flee before being apprehended.

At the time of the alleged offenses, Gonzalez Duarte was on probation for an April 2025 conviction of possession with intent to distribute Class A and B drugs in Worcester District Court.

The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl each provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.        

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan O’Shea and Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office are prosecuting the case.  

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced on October 21, 2025, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, illegal possession of a machine gun, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

According to court documents, Dominique Thompson, 30, was sentenced to 8 years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a Ruger, Model AR-556, 5.56 caliber pistol, a Glock, Model 17 Gen5, 9-millimeter pistol, ammunition, a machine gun, and for possessing the Ruger in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Thompson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. 

On May 23, 2023, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Thompson was convicted of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, illegal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree Schedule I heroin, and illegal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree Schedule II fentanyl (two counts).

On March 18, 2021, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Thompson was convicted of receiving stolen property and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Thompson has related and pending charges in Jefferson Circuit Court alleging criminal attempt murder of a police officer and wanton endangerment in the first degree. 

Mr. Bumgarner stated, “This an extremely important case for our office and demonstrates our responsibility and commitment to protecting our law enforcement officers that courageously serve our community. This case also demonstrates our commitment to working with the Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Louisville Metro Police Department and ATF to aggressively prosecute firearms crimes.”

“Violent crime targeting members of our community, including law enforcement officers, will not be tolerated. ATF remains committed to eradicating Machinegun Conversion Devices (MCD) from our streets because of the increased threats they pose.  This case and the resulting sentence reflect the strength of the partnership between federal and local law enforcement,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the Louisville Field Division.

“This man’s long criminal history, including charges of attempting to kill an LMPD officer, underscores the serious threat he poses to our community,” said LMPD Police Chief Paul Humphrey. “We remain committed to working with our federal partners to keep dangerous criminals off our streets so families can feel safe.”

There is no parole in the federal system. 

This case was investigated by the ATF and LMPD.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia P. Gomez prosecuted the case.

This conviction is a 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).     

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment, charging Philip Andrew Turner, 46, of Linthicum Heights, Maryland, with sexual exploitation of a minor, online coercion and enticement, receipt of child sexual abuse material, and possession of child sexual abuse. Turner, who is currently detained, is slated for his initial appearance on Wednesday, December 3, in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before Judge Chelsea J. Crawford. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore; Colonel Michael A. Jackson, Acting Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MDSP); and Anne Colt Leitess, State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County.

According to the 15-count indictment, Turner used an online account to connect with known child traffickers in the Philippines.  Turner submitted payment after negotiating a price and then selected children that he wanted to watch, and the sex acts he wanted to see.  He also received child sexual abuse material images from the traffickers that he saved to an online account.  Additionally, Turner possessed commercially available child sexual abuse material images on his laptop computer.

If convicted, Turner faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count of sexual exploitation of a child.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.

Know2Protect is a national public awareness campaign from the Department of Homeland Security. Know2Protect’s aim is to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults and policymakers to prevent, combat and report online child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information, please visit Know2Protect’s YouTube playlists at Know2Protect Campaign PSA Playlist and Know2Protect Digital Safety Series Playlist on DHS’ main channel. Additional resources are available at Know2Protect.gov, Instagram, Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, the MDSP, and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen E. McGuinn who is prosecuting the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 21, 2025, Markita Barnes, the owner and operator of a now-defunct Prenatal Care Coordination Company called Here for You, was convicted of twenty federal charges, including Healthcare Fraud, False Statements related to Healthcare Matters, Anti-Kickback Statute violations, Aggravated Identity Theft, Obstruction of a Healthcare Fraud Investigation, and Money Laundering.

The evidence presented at trial established that Barnes and her employees exploited vulnerable pregnant women and young mothers by luring them into the company’s prenatal care coordination program with kickbacks in the form of cash enrollment bonuses and free baby items such as car seats, pack ‘n plays, diapers, and wipes. Once enrolled, Barnes’s company unlawfully used the women’s personal information to submit claims to Medicaid for services that were never provided, often backdating the claims to months before anyone at the company had met or enrolled the client. In reality, participants often received only occasional deliveries of diapers and wipes, and in some cases, nothing at all. The evidence also demonstrated that Barnes used her fraud proceeds to finance a lavish lifestyle, including luxury travel, designer clothing, and even a $75,000 Mercedes.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on March 17, 2026, by United States District Court Chief Judge Pamela Pepper. Markita Barnes faces a mandatory minimum 2-year sentence on the aggravated identity theft charges, and a maximum 20 years’ imprisonment for each of the healthcare fraud charges.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie F. Stewart and Kate M. Biebel prosecuted the case.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

TUCSON, Ariz. – Kevin Lamorris McKenzie, 49, of Tucson, was sentenced on October 16, 2025, by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 14 years in prison, to be served concurrently with an additional 5-year prison sentence. McKenzie previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Embezzlement from an Indian Tribal Organization.

From 2015 through 2023, McKenzie, first as Chief Operating Officer and then as CEO of Apache Behavioral Health Services (ABHS), engaged in a scheme to defraud millions of dollars from ABHS and the White Mountain Apache Tribe. McKenzie used two contracts as a front to funnel money from ABHS to himself. Under the first contract, ABHS paid over $35 million to Helping Everyday Youth (HEDY). Thereafter, based on a secret agreement with McKenzie, HEDY funneled approximately $16 million in fraudulent proceeds to a shell company McKenzie controlled. McKenzie concealed this backdoor financial arrangement from ABHS. McKenzie conducted significant efforts to hide his scheme through financial transactions conducted through his shell company. He also attempted to corruptly persuade a witness to lie to investigators.  

From 2018 through 2023, McKenzie, also as CEO for ABHS, entered phony referral contracts with his co-defendant Corina Martinez. These contracts were used to fraudulently funnel ABHS money through Evolved Health Care Inc. (EHI), a company controlled by Martinez. Under the contracts, EHI would refer qualified employees to ABHS in exchange for compensation. However, EHI never referred any employees to ABHS. Using the phony agreements, McKenzie caused ABHS to pay approximately $16.5 million to EHI. Portions of the fraudulent proceeds were split amongst McKenzie and Martinez. Martinez gave McKenzie large sums of cash, paid $800,000 of his personal credit card bills, and purchased other luxury items: including a $128,000 Rolls Royce Ghost and a $928,000 home for McKenzie’s family. EHI did not perform any services for ABHS.

As part of his sentence, McKenzie was ordered to pay $33,155,701 in restitution to ABHS. He was also ordered to forfeit various real estate properties; 2013 Rolls Royce; 1966 Ford Galaxie; 2018 Land Rover Range Rover; 2018 Utility Trailer; a 2021 Cadillac Escalade and $55,000 in U.S. currency. McKenzie also agreed to apply over $364,447 that had been seized in a related case toward the restitution judgment.    

The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office conducted the investigation in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Unit, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:          CR-23-02258-SHR-MAA
RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-164_McKenzie

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Florida returned an indictment Wednesday charging a U.K. citizen for his role in a conspiracy to submit fraudulent claims for telehealth services associated with prescriptions for genetic testing and for causing the submission of false Medicare enrollment documents.

According to the indictment, Marek Rex Vernon Harrison, 61, a U.K. citizen living in Plant City, Florida, was the true beneficial owner and manager of purported telemedicine company CTD Network LLC (CTD). As alleged, CTD employed medical providers to authorize prescriptions for genetic tests, including tests designed to assess cancer risk. The providers conducted purported telehealth consultations in which they approved genetic-testing orders for Medicare beneficiaries referred by marketing companies or laboratories, even though the providers had no prior relationship with the beneficiaries and did not treat them or use the test results for treatment. At Harrison’s direction, CTD allegedly billed Medicare for these telehealth services, which were medically unnecessary and/or not provided as billed. In total, CTD submitted more than $2.7 million in false and fraudulent claims for telehealth services to Medicare, and Medicare paid over $600,000 on those claims.

As further alleged, part of the scheme involved falsifying Medicare enrollment documents submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to conceal Harrison’s role in CTD. CMS requires submitting entities to disclose all persons with a 5% or greater ownership interest or managing control, and to identify whether such individuals have been the subject of a final adverse legal action. At Harrison’s direction, CTD allegedly submitted Medicare enrollment forms falsely listing other individuals as owners and/or managers and concealing Harrison’s 2019 bank fraud conviction.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office; and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.

Acting Assistant Chief Catherine Wagner and Trial Attorney Miriam Glaser Dauermann of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. 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.

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