Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Terence G. Reilly, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging ALAZIM BAKER with two counts of committing hate crimes in connection with his assaults of Jewish victims in Manhattan on October 27, 2025.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Orlando, Florida – Quentes Durrelle Simpson (33, Melbourne) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger to 30 years in federal prison for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Simpson to forfeiture firearms and ammunition, which were used in the offense, and $600 which constituted proceeds from his drug distribution. Simpson was found guilty by a jury on October 23, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, Florida – Armoni Tyree Moody (24, Davenport) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle to 11 years and 9 months in federal prison for carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of the carjacking, and possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. Moody was found guilty by a federal jury on October 22, 2025. The court also ordered Moody to forfeit the firearm and assorted rounds of ammunition used in the commission of the offense. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Armando Gomez Nunez, a Mexican national and senior leader of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), was charged in a two-count indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine for importation into the United States and carrying and using firearms, including machine guns and destructive devices, in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Source: United States Spaceforce
The formation, featuring two Air Force B-1 Lancers and two F-15C Eagles, alongside a pair of Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets and two F-35C Lightning IIs is a symbol of the nation’s journey and independence.
Source: United States Spaceforce
U.S. Air National Guard Col. Erika Boenisch assumed command of the 121st Air Refueling Wing Maintenance Group from Col. Lance Kollstedt during a change of command ceremony at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio, January 10, 2026.
Col. Andrew Powers, 121 ARW commander, presided over the ceremony, delivering his remarks on the experiences and accomplishments of both Boenisch and Kollstedt.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Ahmed Alaahri was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric Komitee to 11 years in prison for kidnapping and sexually abusing a 17-year-old victim (John Doe). In March 2023, Alaahri and co-defendant Bilal Nagi, along with a co-conspirator (CC-1), lured John Doe into their car and filmed themselves restraining him after pulling off his clothing and brutally assaulting him. In February 2025, Alaahri and Nagi pleaded guilty to kidnapping. In August 2025, Nagi was sentenced to 17 ½ years in prison. Alaahri and Nagi are citizens of Yemen and both face deportation from the U.S. after the completion of their sentences.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
On Jan. 16, the United States filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against Priority Hospital Group LLC (PHG), a Louisiana-based hospital management company, three PHG-managed long term care hospitals, and a doctor, alleging False Claims Act violations based on medically unnecessary care and patient referrals in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law.
Long term care hospitals (LTCHs) provide inpatient hospital services for patients whose medically complex conditions require long hospital stays and programs of care. Medicare reimburses LTCHs based, in part, on a patient’s length of stay. According to the United States’ complaint, PHG and the LTCH defendants allegedly held patients in the hospital longer than medically necessary in order to increase their Medicare reimbursement. The United States alleges that PHG and the LTCH defendants delayed discharging certain patients, even when their course of treatment had been completed or when they could have been transferred to a lower level of care, because doing so would have resulted in lower payments from Medicare.
The United States’ complaint also alleges that one LTCH, Riverside Hospital of Louisiana, entered into medical directorship agreements with a doctor, and provided him other remuneration, to induce him to refer patients to Riverside in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration of items or services covered by Medicare and other federally funded programs. The Stark Law forbids a hospital from billing Medicare for certain services referred by physicians that have a financial relationship with the hospital. The Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law seek to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are instead based on the best interests of their patients.
“Medicare patients deserve to receive care based on their clinical needs, not the financial interests of a hospital or doctor,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department is committed to pursuing cases where financial interests have improperly influenced the medical decision-making of providers participating in federal health care programs.”
“Billing federal healthcare programs for medically unnecessary treatment undermines the viability of those programs and exploits our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana. “Our Office will continue to combat fraudulent billing by unravelling these schemes and holding the perpetrators accountable.”
“Schemes that involve false claims and unlawful referrals erode the integrity of federal health care programs and betray the trust placed in providers,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The False Claims Act is a critical tool for protecting Medicare and ensuring that patient care decisions are driven by medical necessity—not financial gain. HHS-OIG will continue to work with or partners to hold accountable those who put profits over patients.”
The LTCHs named in the United States’ complaint are: Riverside Hospital LLC and Riverside Hospital of Louisiana, Inc. (collectively doing business as Riverside Hospital); Post Acute Enterprises, LLC (doing business as Mid Jefferson Extended Care Hospital); and New Lifecare Hospital of North Louisiana, LLC (doing business as Ruston Regional Specialty Hospital).
The lawsuit was originally filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Michaela DeVos, a former employee of Riverside Hospital. Under the False Claims Act, private parties file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the recovery. The False Claims Act permits the United States to intervene in and take over the action, as it has done here. If a defendant is found liable for violating the False Claims Act, the United States may recover three times the amount of its losses plus applicable penalties.
The investigation and prosecution of this matter illustrates 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 Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana (W.D. La.) are handling the matter with assistance from HHS-OIG. The case is captioned United States ex rel. DeVos v. Priority Hospital Group LLC, et al., No. 20-cv-01041 (W.D. La.).
This case is being handled by Trial Attorney Emily Bussigel of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Theriot for the Western District of Louisiana.
The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Note: View complaint here.
A federal criminal complaint has been unsealed charging Taylor Ryan Prigmore, 30, of McLoud, Oklahoma, with threatening to kill federal agents and others.
“As attacks on law enforcement rise around the country, this Department of Justice will continue to identify and prosecute violent threats against the brave men and women who keep us safe,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Hiding behind a screen will not protect you from severe legal consequences.”
“This individual allegedly made statements that he would kill ICE agents and others. If you threaten to harm law enforcement officers, the FBI and our partners will find you and hold you accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “There will be no free passes for threats against the hard-working men and women who wear the badge and protect our communities.”
According to court records, on Jan. 17, the FBI received information from Google regarding several threatening statements made by a YouTube user. The YouTube account holder — alleged to be Prigmore — posted several comments on videos between May 9, 2025, and Jan. 17 threatening to kill Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and others. Court records further reflect that Prigmore left eight threatening comments last week alone expressing his desire to kill federal agents and others. Prigmore also threatened to kill any law enforcement officers that came to his residence, stating he would kill “as many as possible.”
On Jan. 19, Prigmore was charged by complaint with communicating a threat through interstate commerce. He was arrested by the FBI the same day. He appeared yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma and was ordered detained pending trial. If found guilty as charged, Prigmore faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma joined in making today’s announcement.
The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arvo Mikkanen and Matt Dillon for the Western District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the case.
A complaint merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A Jacksonville businessman pleaded guilty yesterday to evading millions of dollars in federal income taxes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Phillip Mak, a sales representative, earned more than $10 million during 2008 through 2020. Mak owed more than $3.7 million in federal taxes on that income but did not pay them when required to do so. The IRS sent Mak notices about paying his taxes and filed a Notice of Federal Tax Lien against his property. Nevertheless, by the end of 2021, Mak still had not paid any federal income tax for the last 13 years.
Mak also took steps that moved his assets out of the reach of the IRS. Between 2019 and 2021, Mak, instead of paying his taxes, transferred $1 million to his domestic partner. He also transferred ownership of his personal residence to a trust created and controlled by his domestic partner. Finally, he created a corporate entity and deposited his personal income into the corporate entity’s bank account. Mak admitted that he committed at least one of these acts with an intent to evade payment of his taxes and knew that his conduct was against the law.
Mak faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The court has not yet scheduled a sentencing date.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd and Michael Jones of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Cannizzaro for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.