Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Braden John Karony, the Chief Executive Officer of SafeMoon US LLC, a digital asset company registered in Utah (SafeMoon) was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric Komitee to 100 months in prison for conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud investors in a decentralized finance digital asset called “SafeMoon.” As part of the sentence, Karony was ordered to forfeit approximately $7.5 million. The amount of restitution to the victims will be determined at a later date. Karony was convicted by a federal jury following a three-week trial in May 2025. The jury also issued a verdict to forfeit two residential properties.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A business owner who devised a corporate shell game to hide assets from creditors both before and after bankruptcy agreed to waive his bankruptcy discharge of more than $8.4 million in debts after an investigation by the Department of Justice’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP).
On January 29, the Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Missouri approved a voluntary waiver of discharge by debtor Bradley James Carlson. As a result, Carlson remains liable for his debts, and creditors are free to pursue payment from him after the case is closed.
Carlson was the owner and chief executive of a holding company and multiple subsidiaries operating several businesses, including real estate ventures and entities that manufactured and sold commercial food trucks. In November 2023, a state court appointed a receiver over the corporate assets after the businesses defaulted on payments to their primary lender — which also alleged that Carlson and other senior company executives had diverted business funds to buy luxury items, including sports cars and watches, and pay for personal projects such as the remodeling of Carlson’s multimillion-dollar residence. On the eve of the receiver’s appointment, Carlson transferred the business assets to new entities created by his girlfriend and another executive. Carlson continued to manage the businesses while he and his staff told customers and other employees that the old companies were being rebranded.
In February 2024, Carlson filed an individual chapter 7 bankruptcy case to attempt to avoid liability on several personal financial guarantees related to his enterprises. As part of its investigation, the USTP’s Kansas City office subpoenaed bank and business records, which prompted Carlson to create more new entities and transfer business assets again. Ultimately, Carlson agreed to waive his discharge.
“The USTP is committed to combating fraudulent and abusive conduct that threatens to undermine the integrity of the bankruptcy system,” said Acting U.S. Trustee Jerry Jensen of Region 13, which includes the Western District of Missouri. “The USTP will enforce the law against those who try to use the system to gain an unfair advantage.”
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 82 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Joshua Rosser, 28, residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to eight months in prison in connection with purposely ramming a U.S. Marshal’s vehicle and then leading officers on a 10-minute high-speed chase, crashing into a second law enforcement vehicle, as he attempted to evade arrest.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
ABINGDON, Va. – A Bristol, Virginia man, who spent two years on the run as a fugitive in Mexico before being arrested in March, was sentenced recently to 18 months in prison for failing to register as a convicted sex offender.Corey Richard Parton, 36, pled guilty in September 2025 to failing to register and update a registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”) and failing to provide information required by SORNA relating to intended travel in foreign commerce.
CINCU, Romania — In the rolling hills of central Romania, eight NATO nations gathered at the Land Forces Combat Training Center Getica with their eyes fixed on the virtual battlefield for the initial phase of Dynamic Front 2026.
This year, U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Multi-Domain Command Europe had the unique opportunity to train alongside NATO Allies and partners as they executed a command post exercise utilizing the Romanian simulation center in Cincu.
Modern warfare continues to shape artillery operations and requires a multi-domain approach to effectively fight and win. Exercises like Dynamic Front 26 are critical to test capabilities that counter anti-access/area denial and mass and momentum advantages through multi-domain kill webs.
Through numerous years of training, NATO allies and partners have proven their ability to execute live-fire missions together. As a result, Multi-Domain Command Europe has now shifted the strategic focus to simulation and command and control to test multinational integration of fires across a distributed battlefield.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Caleb Ayers, master gunner for launcher fires and a lead planner for the exercise assigned to Multi-Domain Command Europe, emphasized how Dynamic Front leverages technology to increase interoperability and maintain the advantage.
“The purpose of the exercise at this moment is to test artillery cooperation across Europe. Dynamic Front helps everyone to operate in a distributed battlefield through the Artillery Systems Cooperation Activities connections,” said Ayers.
U.S. Army Pvt. Julian Aguilar, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery (Long Range Fires Battalion), processes fires missions as part of the response cell during a command post exercise for Dynamic Front 26, Feb. 03, 2026, in Cincu, Romania. Dynamic Front is the practical application of the Eastern Flank Deterrence Line (EFDL) and trains U.S. and NATO’s ability to coordinate lethal and non-lethal effects in a distributed battlefield. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Capt. Regina Koesters)VIEW ORIGINALFrench Armed Forces Lt. Clement plots points on a map while processing fire missions during a command post exercise for Dynamic Front 26, Feb. 04, 2026, in Cincu, Romania. Dynamic Front is the practical application of the Eastern Flank Deterrence Line (EFDL) and trains U.S. and NATO’s ability to coordinate lethal and non-lethal effects in a distributed battlefield. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Capt. Regina Koesters)VIEW ORIGINAL
ASCA is a software program designed to allow shared data using the same tactical internet network across multiple nations. The technology creates a common digital language, increasing the speed and accuracy of multinational fire mission processing and reducing the likelihood of errors.
“You can have missions going across multiple countries with one control. For Dynamic Front 26, we have our control here in Romania, but we have missions that can go to Germany, Poland and Spain. We can disperse across the entire theater and maintain that communication,” said Ayers.
During execution of the command post exercise, ASCA served as the universal translator and allowed NATO participants to act as a unified front to protect the alliance. Regardless of nationality or location on the battlefield, the exercise confirmed U.S. and NATO’s ability to share information instantly and accurately to deliver precision fires.
Spanish armed forces soldiers assigned to 1-63 Multiple Launch Rocket System Battalion, Field Artillery Command Spain, process fire missions during a command post exercise for Dynamic Front 26, Feb. 03, 2026, in Cincu, Romania. Dynamic Front is the practical application of the Eastern Flank Deterrence Line (EFDL) and trains U.S. and NATO’s ability to coordinate lethal and non-lethal effects in a distributed battlefield. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Capt. Regina Koesters)VIEW ORIGINALGerman Armed Forces Soldiers assigned to 345th Artillery Battalion, process fire missions during a command post exercise for Dynamic Front 26, Feb. 05, 2026, in Cincu, Romania. Dynamic Front is the practical application of the Eastern Flank Deterrence Line (EFDL) and trains U.S. and NATO’s ability to coordinate lethal and non-lethal effects in a distributed battlefield. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Capt. Regina Koesters)VIEW ORIGINAL
Spanish Armed Forces Lt. Col. Francisco Morejón, commander of the 1-63 Multiple Launch Rocket System Battalion, Field Artillery Command Spain, spoke on how his unit effectively utilized these systems to communicate over 1500 miles away.
“This exercise is very important because it demonstrates the interoperability we have in terms of fires and command and control systems. We receive fire missions from 8th Brigade (Romania) and we translate it into real targets using the same command and control systems to connect to our platoons in Spain,” said Morejón.
Through the simulation, NATO forces replicated realistic scenarios and tested their ability to operate collectively in complex, contested operational environments. The command post exercise affirmed U.S. and NATO’s commitment to deterrence and stability across the European theater.
Ultimately, Dynamic Front continues to demonstrate how allied forces fight as one team when it matters most. U.S. and NATO forces have now transitioned to the live fire portion across four different countries to validate the digital command and control with tangible, real-world effects.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The Justice Department announced today that Colony Ridge Land LLC and its affiliates (Colony Ridge), a land developer and lender near Houston, TX, have agreed to pay $68,000,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that Colony Ridge targeted Hispanic borrowers with a predatory land sales and lending scheme that led to a cycle of foreclosures and financial hardship in violation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA).
“Intentionally targeting vulnerable borrowers with the American dream of homeownership and then trapping them in a predatory scheme is not only wrong, it also violates our civil rights laws. This DOJ will go after all lenders, financiers, and land developers who participate in schemes which ultimately encourage illegal immigration,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The changes required by this settlement will promote public safety, and affordable and sustainable homeownership in America, key priorities of this Administration.”
The Civil Rights Division’s investigation found that Colony Ridge intentionally targeted Hispanic consumers with a deceptive bait-and-switch, predatory scheme that used misleading advertisements and sales tactics, including misrepresentations about flooding risks. Colony Ridge also used seller-financed loans without verifying a borrower’s ability to repay, significantly increasing the possibility of default and resulting in high foreclosure rates.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the State of Texas’s Office of the Attorney General. The settlement resolves a December 2023 lawsuit filed by the Civil Rights Division and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a March 2024 lawsuit filed by the State of Texas Office of the Attorney General.
Under the settlement, defendants have agreed to:
Invest $48 million in infrastructure improvements, with $18 million specifically invested in drainage infrastructure to address severe and costly flooding damage to homes, and $30 million towards other general infrastructure improvements;
Increase housing affordability by adopting underwriting standards that assess borrowers’ ability to repay their Colony Ridge lot loans through consideration of borrowers’ income, assets, and debt;
Preserve homeownership by developing a policy to meaningfully reduce the number and frequency of foreclosures and deeds in lieu of foreclosures;
Protect homeowners by developing a default avoidance plan to help borrowers avoid defaulting on their Colony Ridge lot loans and to meaningfully reduce the overall default rate;
Protect borrowers by developing a plan to address harms to borrowers’ credit because of reports made by Colony Ridge for all borrowers who have defaulted on a Colony Ridge lot loan;
Address misrepresentations to consumers by ensuring honest and accurate advertisements that truthfully and accurately describe the properties for sale and applicable loan terms;
Represent accurately the state of properties by providing pre-sale disclosures that accurately state whether a property is “move in ready” or currently has “all city services” such as immediate access to all utility services;
Invest $20 million in increased law enforcement presence to ensure the safety of residents by coming into compliance with local, state, and federal agreements and to increase law enforcement presence and effectiveness in the Colony Ridge developments;
Utilize ILSA’s intrastate land sales exemption and require purchasers to present an unexpired Texas-issued driver’s license, a Texas-issued identification card, a limited-term Texas-issued driver’s license issued after January 1, 2025 or an unexpired passport and valid visa issued or renewed after January 1, 2025; and
Halt development of new residential plats for direct-to-consumer sales for three years.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
The Marine Corps Aviation Plan (AVPLAN) outlines the strategic vision, key capabilities, and future direction for Marine Corps Aviation, aiming to enhance readiness and address emerging threats. The 2026 AVPLAN marks a significant evolution from 2025, transitioning from strategic direction to concrete, data-driven implementation.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SASHA MAY, formerly known as Owen May, 24, of Pelham, New York, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to one day of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release, the first nine months of which May must serve in home detention with electronic monitoring, for a child exploitation offense.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The president of a metal fabrication and manufacturing company pleaded guilty on Feb. 5, to a conspiracy to rig bids for maintenance, repair, and operations contracts affecting United States military installations, earning his company more than $8.5 million dollars in rigged procurements.
According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Thomas C. Rollins, of Wilmington, North Carolina. Between at least 2015 and 2022, Rollins conspired with other individuals and companies to suppress and eliminate competition by rigging bids for the procurements administered by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which were awarded to subcontractors through a competitive bidding process. Rollins and his co-conspirators coordinated their submission of rigged bids by agreeing in advance which co-conspirator would submit the lowest pricing and instructing each other how to price “comp” or “cover” bids. In the plea agreement, Rollins admitted that the volume of commerce attributable to him and related to the conspiracy was approximately $8.47 million.
“For seven years, this defendant deliberately chose to cheat instead of compete, harming the Department of War and the American people in the process,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its partners in the Procurement Collusion Strike Force are laser focused on detecting and prosecuting those who seek to tilt the scales in their favor at the expense of American taxpayers and warfighters.”
“As the criminal investigative arm of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the Department’s acquisition process,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of DCIS’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “When individuals conspire to rig bids and eliminate fair competition, they erode taxpayer trust and jeopardize the readiness of our armed forces. Today’s outcome makes clear that this conduct will not be tolerated. DoD contracts must be awarded based on merit, consistent with the best interests of national defense.”
Rollins pleaded guilty to one felony count of restraining trade by conspiring to rig bids, in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. The maximum penalty for individuals is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine.
A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled in this case. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DoD-OIG) is investigating this case. The Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section is prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Jawana Washington, 45, of Clovis, was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd for aiding and abetting a felon in possession of a firearm as well as disposing of a firearm to a felon.