Source: United States Department of Justice
Richeline Anisso Fung, 46, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, and formerly of Maryland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims while working as a full-time employee for the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (DHS-CISA), announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Source: United States Department of Justice
Zachary Babitz was sentenced to life plus 26 years in federal prison for a series of armed robberies and carjackings across New Mexico in 2024, including the fatal shooting of an 83-year-old Santa Fe man during a carjacking.
Source: United States Department of Justice
Alvin Ponson, 67, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 50 months in prison in connection with the armed robberies of two fast-food restaurants in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury indicted a Baltimore man, today, for firearm crimes in connection with the FBI’s Summer Heat 2.0 initiative. Larry Arntay Thompson, Jr., 25, is charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, Héctor Ramírez-Carbó, Acting United States Attorney, in conjunction with our partner agencies in the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) announce the following prosecutorial results for the week of August 24 through August 28, 2026. The HSTF is a permanent, interagency law enforcement task force created by executive order to combat transnational criminal organizations—including cartels, trafficking networks, and foreign terrorist organizations.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A coordinated, multi-agency law enforcement operation targeting the 10 most dangerous offenders identified by tribal and local law enforcement partners has resulted in federal charges against individuals accused of violent crime, firearms offenses and narcotics trafficking in northern New Mexico.
Source: United States Department of Justice
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
Thank you all for attending. I will begin with opening remarks and then I will take questions. Next week we commemorate 25 years since the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. As we reflect upon the immeasurable tragedy endured that day, we honor the lives of those we lost that day and the heroism of those who responded in a time of unprecedented crisis, and the resilience of those who have been impacted by 9/11-related health effects.
Twenty-five years since that day, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund has served tens of thousands of victims and their families, and we continue to receive over 750 new claims each month – a clear indication of the ongoing importance of our mission.
The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) provides compensation to individuals (or a personal representative of a deceased individual) who were present at one of the three plane crash sites during the following timeframes, and who have since been diagnosed with a 9/11-related physical illness:
The VCF is not limited to first responders. Compensation is also available to those who work at the sites. This includes journalists, camera operators and others attached to the work, those that worked or volunteered in construction, clean-up, and debris removal; power lines and telephone work for example as well as people who lived, worked, visited, or went to school in the NYC Exposure Zone.
People do not have to be sick to register with the VCF. Registration preserves their right to file a claim in the event that they (and we hope not) do get sick with a 9/11 related illness.
Claimants do not need a lawyer to register or file their claim.
The President’s signing of the “Never Forget the Heroes, James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act” in July 2019, fully funded the VCF to pay all eligible claims and extended the claim filing deadline to October 1, 2090. This means our funding is secure.
In 2025 alone, the VCF notified claimants of over 9,800 awards determinations, with more than $1.8 billion awarded.
And as of August 31st, 2026, the VCF has received over 112,000 claims, awarding over $18.56 billion to over 77,000 claimants since reopening in 2011.
Twenty-five years since the events of September 11th, 2001, we know it has become increasingly challenging for claimants to find documents needed to prove their presence at an eligible location, which is one of the key requirements to be eligible for compensation.
In response to this challenge, and as part of our ongoing focus to make navigating the claims process as straightforward and supportive as possible, we launched an updated “How to Prove Presence” page on our website and a new Interactive Presence Guide.
This guide walks claimants step-by-step through a process to identify what type of documentation they need to submit with their claim or who they can contact for documentation.
Our team is committed to ensuring no claimant feels lost or overwhelmed when submitting a claim. We have a great Helpline with real live people who can answer or refer any questions that come in. They engage in over 4,000 calls a month on average. We encourage folks to call 1-855-885-1555 with any questions.
As Special Master for over the past three years, I am constantly looking for creative solutions and making policy decisions to ensure that processes and policies are fair and equitable for our claimants.
Expanding outreach efforts also remains one of my central priorities and we appreciate the role of the local and national media to help spread this critical message.
It is estimated that as many as 400,000 people – those who lived, worked, went to school, or visited the area within the VCF’s New York City Exposure Zone – may have been exposed to the toxins.
We’ve made tremendous progress in forging relationships with strategic partners who are working to amplify our message to their audiences across the country.
We are also working to build an informal network of ambassadors who can spread the word about the VCF.
We ask everyone to think about the people you may know who might have been present in the New York City Exposure Zone, the Pentagon site, or the Shanksville, PA site during the eligible time periods.
We ask that they share VCF information with their friends, family, community members or platforms, and visit our website at www.vcf.gov for information they can share.
We want to build this vast network, and everyone can be a partner.
It is an honor to lead the VCF team in this work, and to be in service to this incredible community, which I am a part of as a born and bred New Yorker.
If individuals have questions about the claims process, please call our toll-free Helpline at 1-855-885-1555 or visit www.vcf.gov. If it is not .gov it is not the VCF.
Thank you all for joining us as messengers in this vital effort to spread awareness to 9/11 victims.
I look forward to answering any questions.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Chad Barclay pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a victim, Jane Doe #1. Additionally, as part of his plea agreement, Barclay stipulated that he kidnapped six additional women. The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Seth D. Eichenholtz. When sentenced, Barclay faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and up to life in prison.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Jackson, TN – Lytrice Adams, 36, of Savannah, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today. According to information presented in court, in July 2023, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force began investigating a…
Source: United States Department of Justice
Jackson, TN – Lytrice Adams, 36, of Savannah, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today. According to information presented in court, in July 2023, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force began investigating a…