Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Florida businesswoman pleaded guilty today to an information in the District of Vermont for participating in a conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks.

According to court documents, Evelyn Herrera, 62, of Loxahatchee, Florida, owned a durable medical equipment company called Merida Medical Supplies Inc. (Merida). After obtaining the identities of individuals residing in Vermont, across New England, and elsewhere in the United States, Herrera, using Merida, submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for wrist, knee, and back braces that were never requested or received by patients. In total, Merida fraudulently billed Medicare approximately $6.5 million, and Medicare paid Merida approximately $2.8 million based on those claims.

As part of the scheme, Herrera tried to hide the source of the funds generated fraudulently by Merida. For example, she transferred more than $300,000 in fraud proceeds to a cryptocurrency exchange and sent another $125,000 of illicit funds via international wire transactions for the purchase of a property in Tulum, Mexico. After the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a payment suspension letter to Merida for suspected fraud, Herrera withdrew large amounts of cash from a bank and transferred some of the funds to benefit herself and members of her family.

Herrera is scheduled to be sentenced on May 11, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the Department of Health and Human Services, Officer of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks of the FBI made the announcement.

HHS-OIG and FBI are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Sarah Rocha, Thomas Campbell, and Tiffany Wynn 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.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Orlando, Florida – Jaime Pelletier (39, Melbourne) has been sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Pelletier pleaded guilty on October 16, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Earl Joe Nelson and Monekea Smith-Taylor appeared in Federal Court before District Judge Sharion Aycock in Aberdeen today and pled guilty to conspiracy to commit embezzlement.  They join Mario Willis, who also pled guilty to the same conspiracy in October 2025. These individuals used their position as school superintendents to enter into contracts and generate payments for consulting services at an inflated rate of payment and for consulting services that were not actually provided. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – A Bridgewater, Mass. woman was sentenced on Jan. 16, 2026 in federal court in Worcester for providing a controlled substance in the form of a synthetic cannabinoid, also known as “K2,” to an inmate at the federal prison FMC Devens. The inmate was granted clemency on Jan. 17, 2025, reducing his 2022 federal prison sentence for drug distribution.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Four pharmacies located in West New York, Bayonne, Union City, and Jersey City have agreed to pay $4,325,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal health care programs for medications never dispensed.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Two individuals connected to a drug trafficking organization (DTO) pleaded guilty last week to charges stemming from a 2022 murder in Miami. Tsvia Kol, 37, of Hallandale, Florida, and Jimmy Sanchez, 37, of Spring Valley, California, face up to life imprisonment for their crimes.

“This case illustrates that drugs and violence go hand in hand,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As part of their drug operation, these defendants shipped large amounts of methamphetamine, and when they thought the victim stole their product, they killed him in cold blood. The Criminal Division will continue prosecuting serious drug crimes, with and without violence involved, to protect the public from the grave consequences that occur, like they did here.”

“These guilty pleas lay bare the deadly reality of drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This was a cold-blooded murder driven by the drug trade, where intimidation and greed turned narcotics trafficking into violence and death. Our Office will use every federal tool available to dismantle these organizations and hold accountable anyone who chooses violence as a means of doing business.”

“This transnational investigation is the result of law enforcement partners pulling resources and working together to bring these criminals to justice,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Bobbitt of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division.

“Illegal drug trafficking inherently results in violence which is inflicted by the criminal drug networks that distribute them,” said Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office. “The impact on our communities is real and devastating. The FBI is committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners in our common goal of making our communities safe by combating drug-related violence.”

“Postal Inspectors are committed to maintaining the safety of the community and employees of the U.S. Postal Service,” said Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue anyone who uses the nation’s mail system for illegal or dangerous use.”

Court documents and statements made in court show that the defendants admitted to murdering a Miami man (the victim) in connection with a missing package containing about 11 pounds of methamphetamine, the street value of which totaled approximately $90,000. Kol and Sanchez believed that the victim stole the package of drugs. In retaliation, Kol and Sachez met the victim in a hotel room. Kol armed Sanchez with a firearm. While inside the room, the victim called 911 and attempted to provide his location, but the audio of the call portrayed a physical altercation ensuing and gunshots firing. Sanchez admitted that he shot and killed the victim in the hotel room and left his body, which was not discovered until the following morning. Hotel security footage revealed Kol and Sanchez fleeing the property after the murder.

As part of their plea agreements, the defendants admitted that they each committed the murder and that they distributed almost 11 pounds of methamphetamine. Their sentencing hearings are scheduled to take place later this year.

The DEA, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Miami Dade Sherriff’s Office, the Hialeah Police Department, and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.

Trial Attorney Jessica A. Massey from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monique Botero and Jacob Koffsky for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Miami. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute offenders and prevent violence.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Delaware corporation with a place of business in Fairfield, New Jersey entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by applying for and receiving a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for which the company was not eligible.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

On January 13 and January 14, 2026, the last two defendants in the Stephen Crane Village drug trafficking case – the enforcer who murdered one of their own and the main drug supplier – were sentenced to 540- and 211-months’ imprisonment, respectively, for their roles in the organization.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A federal jury in Memphis, Tennessee, convicted a man on Friday for a series of brazen bank robberies, one of which ended with the defendant shooting two people with an assault rifle. At trial, the defendant was convicted of robbing three banks and joining a conspiracy that robbed a total of five bank branches. This is the last of eight defendants indicted in this case, which charged robberies and related firearm charges. All defendants have now been convicted either by guilty plea or at trial.

“This defendant was part of a violent robbery crew whose actions put lives in grave danger and seriously injured innocent people,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The series of bank robberies committed by these eight defendants terrorized bank employees and customers and threatened the lives of hardworking Americans. The Criminal Division will aggressively prosecute those who commit violence, just as it has here.”

“Bank robbery committed with a firearm is an inherently violent offense and threatens the very fabric of our financial institutions that provide commercial services to citizens and the community,” said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. “These brazen and disturbing armed robberies of multiple Memphis banks by Patterson and his co-conspirators terrorized the community and inflicted fear and harm on multiple victims. Now they will have plenty of time in federal prison to suffer the consequences of their violent criminal conduct, and the citizens of Memphis will be safer for it.”

“Friday’s conviction should send a strong message that violent crime will not be tolerated, and law enforcement will not rest until violent offenders are caught, prosecuted, and held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work alongside our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to fight violent crime in communities across Tennessee.”

Evidence at trial proved that over about eight months between April 2023 and December 2023, the defendant, Mario Patterson, 45, joined a conspiracy with his co-defendants to rob banks throughout Memphis. The robbers even attempted to rob the same bank branch twice.

Patterson carried a gun in each robbery, and during one attempted robbery he shot two people with an assault rifle. In another robbery, Patterson wore a bulletproof vest and pointed a rifle at bank employees while a co-defendant stole thousands of dollars from the bank. By the end of 2023, Patterson and his group stole over $160,000 from Memphis-area banks.

Patterson’s sentencing is scheduled for April 24. Three of Patterson’s co-defendants ─ Robert Haley, Devin Hinds, and Joshua Cribbs ─ were sentenced in late 2025 for their role in the offenses, with Haley receiving 17 years in prison, Hinds receiving 16 years and 1 month in prison, and Cribbs receiving 12 years in prison. The four additional co-defendants, Travis Drain, Monterrio Trenell, Marquarius Trenell, and Courtney Trenell, face sentencing later this year.

The FBI and the Memphis Police Department’s Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case. This case is part of the Safe Streets Task Force’s efforts to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee and surrounding areas.

Trial Attorney Ashleigh Atasoy of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, with assistance from Trial Attorney Aaron Hendricks, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory A. Wagner and Tony Arvin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland unsealed a superseding indictment today, charging three cousins in connection with a tax-fraud scheme. Daiwor “Mark Brown” Woah-Tee, 52, of Belcamp, Maryland; Dekwii Woah-Tee, 47, of Baltimore, Maryland; and Laiworpaye Woah-Tee, 49, of Nottingham, Maryland, are charged with conspiracy to submit false, fictitious, and fraudulent claims.