Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Two indictments were unsealed today charging a South Carolina man with defrauding Medicare through a laboratory test scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic and with defrauding customers of his private charter jet company, AeroVanti Inc.

As alleged in the first indictment, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Patrick Britton-Harr, 41, of Charleston, South Carolina, formerly of Annapolis, Maryland, offered COVID-19 screening tests to nursing home patients across the country. Britton-Harr then allegedly fraudulently billed Medicare, through his company Provista Health, for expensive respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) tests for these patients. As alleged, these RPP tests were medically unnecessary, were never ordered by a treating physician as required, and many were never actually performed, including for patients who had died. Through Provista Health, Britton-Harr allegedly caused more than $15 million in fraudulent claims for RPP tests to be submitted to Medicare, for which Medicare paid more than $5 million.

As alleged in the second indictment, Britton-Harr owned and controlled AeroVanti and its affiliated entities. AeroVanti was a private air club that offered members a la carte access to private jets. Britton-Harr allegedly encouraged “Top Gun” members to pay $150,000 upfront to secure block flight hours. In return, Britton-Harr allegedly promised to use their money to purchase specific aircraft, in which the Top Gun members would have a securitized interest. Britton-Harr allegedly recruited nearly 100 Top Gun members, who collectively paid nearly $15 million in upfront payments, to purchase five aircraft. Instead of buying those aircraft, Britton-Harr allegedly misappropriated members’ money for his own personal benefit, including to purchase yachts and jewelry, to pay his living expenses, and to rent a property near Tampa, Florida. As alleged, Britton-Harr then attempted to conceal his fraud by obtaining a $1.5 million loan to purchase one of the aircraft he had already claimed to have purchased with Top Gun member funds by withholding material information from the lender to obtain the loan.

“The defendant allegedly perpetrated two fraud schemes, first exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud Medicare out of millions of dollars and then stealing millions more from customers of his aviation company, all for his personal benefit,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These indictments demonstrate the Criminal Division’s commitment to rooting out bad actors who steal from taxpayer-supported health care programs and defraud American consumers.”

“It is unconscionable for someone to defraud the government and others for personal gain, especially as we faced a global health crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Britton-Harr showed a total disregard for those who depend on our Medicare system for health care services and for the individuals he scammed through his private-jet company. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our federal law enforcement partners to bring those to justice who break the law and take advantage of others.”

“Patrick Britton-Harr’s repeated crimes reveal a man with no moral compass motivated by pure greed. His deceit and scheming resulted in a staggering amount of loss to American taxpayers and the public,” says Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “He tried to fleece the U.S. government out of millions by taking advantage of a national crisis. After his laboratory testing business failed, Britton-Harr again turned to deception. Time and again, he chose to lie, steal, and deceive. No more. This investigation holds Britton-Harr accountable for his crimes and sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will not allow such despicable behavior to go unchecked.”

“Individuals who steal from Medicare waste taxpayer dollars and create incisions in the fabric that holds our health care system together,” stated Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue the pursuit of upholding the integrity, trust, and confidence in federal health care programs, which benefits the people they serve. HHS-OIG, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continuously investigate alleged attempts to defraud these programs.”

“The scope of the alleged fraud is staggering and underscores the extraordinary lengths to which individuals will go to deceive and exploit others under the guise of legitimate business, including private aviation services,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Thompson of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region. “The DOT-OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to working in coordination with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to pursue those who engage in egregious schemes designed solely for personal enrichment.”

Britton-Harr is charged with five counts of health care fraud and one count of money laundering in the indictment related to his RPP scheme. Additionally, Britton-Harr is charged with six counts of wire fraud in the indictment related to his AeroVanti scheme. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each wire fraud count and 10 years in prison on each health care fraud  and money laundering count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI, HHS-OIG, and DOT-OIG are investigating the cases.

Trial Attorneys David Peters and Chris Wenger of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Phelps and Ari D. Evans for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the cases.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Two men were sentenced today in the District of Minnesota after being convicted at a jury trial for their roles in an international human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of four Indian nationals, including a three-year-old and 11-year-old child, in January 2022.   

Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, an Indian national formerly of Florida, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison for his role in the conspiracy. Patel will be removed from the United States following his sentence. His co-conspirator, Steve Anthony Shand, 50, of Florida, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at trial, Patel and Shand were part of a large-scale human-smuggling operation that brought Indian nationals to Canada on fraudulent student visas and then smuggled them into the United States across the northern border. Patel organized the logistics of smuggling aliens from Manitoba, Canada, into the United States, with other co-conspirators, and Shand picked up the aliens just south of the Canadian border in the United States and drove them to Chicago. Both men were paid for their roles in the conspiracy and disregarded the risks posed to the aliens by the cold weather at the northern border. According to evidence at trial, the going rate to be smuggled from India through Canada into the United States was $100,000.

“Patel and Shand endangered thousands of lives for their personal enrichment and are responsible for the deaths of two small children who froze to death on their watch,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case demonstrates the grave danger associated with human smuggling operations. I thank the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners in the U.S. and in Canada who are working to secure the northern border and end the perilous smuggling of aliens into the United States.”

“Every time I think about this case I think about this family—including two beautiful little children—who the defendants left to freeze to death in a blizzard,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick for the District of Minnesota.  “As we’ve seen time and time again, human traffickers care nothing for humanity. I am proud of the work of our law enforcement partners in holding these defendants accountable for their unspeakable crimes.”

On Jan. 18 and 19, 2022, Patel and Shand, despite repeated warnings about the dangers, organized the smuggling of 11 aliens from Canada into the United States on foot in severe winter weather conditions, including a family of four – two adults, and their 11-year-old daughter and three-year-old son. On the evening of January 18, Shand sent Patel a screenshot with a blizzard alert warning of wind gusts as high as 50 mph and wind chill temperatures below -45 degrees. The recorded wind chill temperature on the morning of Jan. 19 was -36 degrees. In the early morning hours of Jan. 19, during blizzard conditions in Minnesota, a U.S. Border Patrol agent found Shand’s van stuck in the snow and arrested Shand along with two aliens. Contrary to Shand’s statement to law enforcement that there were no other aliens out in the snow, five more aliens emerged from the fields, including one suffering hypothermia with an internal temperature below 90 degrees who was airlifted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Later that day, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) found the dead bodies of the family of four frozen in an isolated area on the Canadian side of the international border. The boy was wrapped in a blanket with his father’s frozen glove covering his face. As proven at trial, Patel and Shand had been paid to smuggle the family into the United States.

In November 2024, a federal jury convicted both defendants of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, conspiracy to transport aliens within the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, attempted transportation of aliens for commercial advantage or private financial gain, and aiding and abetting the attempted transportation of aliens.

“Today’s sentencing marks a crucial moment of accountability in a case that revealed the harrowing realities of human smuggling,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul. “The callous disregard for life that led to the tragic deaths of an entire family will not be forgotten. At HSI, we remain steadfast in our mission to work with our partners across borders to dismantle criminal smuggling networks, bring justice to those responsible, and safeguard human dignity.”

HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. The RCMP and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.

The sentencings are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

This case was also supported by the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

Trial Attorney Ryan Lipes of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. McBride of the District of Minnesota prosecuted the case.

This case is 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A California man pleaded guilty today to sexual exploitation of children and distribution and receipt of child pornography.

According to court documents, Monico Erich Gastelo, 43, of Fresno, sexually exploited children using different methods. For example, in January 2019, Gastelo created a social media account where he claimed to be an 18-year-old boy. Gastelo then used the account to converse with at least one minor and request sexually explicit content from them.

“Today’s plea should serve as a reminder of the Justice Department’s commitment to securing justice for victims of online child sexual exploitation,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “I am grateful for the efforts of the investigators and prosecutors who continue to work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute those who harm children.”

“Not only did this defendant revictimize abused children depicted in the images, but attempted to victimize actual children within his orbit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of child sexual predators.”

“Today’s guilty plea represents our agents’ and analysts’ continued focus on targeting predators who exploit children online,” said Special Agent in Charge Tatum King of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco. “Through collaboration with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Fresno Police Department and the Central Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, we will make every effort to identify, locate, and arrest these criminals to help prevent the harm that they cause to our children. We appreciate the prosecutorial work by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in furtherance of this investigation.”

Between Jan. 1, 2020, and March 23, 2020, Gastelo communicated with other individuals who were sexually attracted to children on Wickr, Snapchat, and Telegram. He sent and received multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on these platforms. Forensic review of Gastelo’s phones showed that he had over 1,500 images and videos of suspected CSAM.

Gastelo’s conduct escalated in May of 2020. A minor victim reported to law enforcement that he had been sexually exploited online and that an individual, who was later identified to be Gastelo, had added him on Snapchat. Gastelo sent over a dozen images of his penis to the minor victim and insisted that the minor victim send back CSAM of himself.

Gastelo pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 8, 2025 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison up to 30 years in prison on the sexual exploitation count and a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison up to 20 years in prison on the distribution and receipt count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Fresno County Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security investigated the case.

Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of CEOS and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A former Killen, Alabama, Police Department (KPD) officer was sentenced today in the Northern District of Alabama to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman while on duty and for receiving sexually explicit photos of a minor.

According to documents filed in connection with this case, on Nov. 12, 2023, KPD Officer Jarrod Gailen Webster violated the civil rights of a woman after initiating a traffic stop on the woman’s vehicle. Webster asked the woman to step out of her vehicle and asked her what she wanted to do to “get out of this.” When the woman told Webster that she was not going to do anything for him, Webster handcuffed the woman and sexually assaulted her.

Further, between June 2016 and October 2018, Webster communicated with a minor by phone, and he asked the minor to produce and send him sexually explicit images. The minor victim sent multiple photos to Webster at his request, at least one of which constituted child sexual abuse material.

Webster pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of sexual exploitation of children on March 4, 2025.

“Jarrod Webster forcibly assaulted a woman after a traffic stop, and exploited a minor to receive sexually explicit images,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This was a gross abuse of his authority as a police officer and a betrayal of the public trust. I am proud of our DOJ Civil Rights team for holding him accountable.”

“This sentence sends a clear message that such criminal conduct will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “I commend the dedication of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to ensure that Webster was held accountable for his actions.”

“Law enforcement officers are entrusted with significant responsibility and are therefore held to a higher standard,” said Special Agent in Charge David R. Fitzgibbons of the FBI Birmingham Field Office. “Today’s sentencing clearly demonstrates there are serious consequences when someone tarnishes the badge by breaking the law. Jerrod Webster brought shame to the badge by committing the horrific crimes of sexually assaulting a woman in his care and receiving sexually explicit images of a minor. His sentencing confirms that the FBI has zero tolerance for officials who prey on the citizens they are sworn to protect.”

The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Royster for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Navy

San Diego, Calif. – Ensuring the health and well-being of its personnel is critical to maintaining Naval Special Warfare’s (NSW) position as the nation’s premier maritime special operations force. Unauthorized use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) during training and operations poses a serious threat, potentially leading to injury, death, and long-term health problems.

Source: United States Navy

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Retired and active operators, civilians, and combat support representing warfighters from every era of American combat since the Vietnam War, reunited with former and current teammates on May 22, 2025, to celebrate a milestone – 50 years of Naval Special Warfare Group (NSWG) 1.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Texas man pleaded guilty today before Magistrate Judge Richard W. Bennett for the Southern District of Texas to not reporting and paying over employment taxes that his company withheld from its employees’ paychecks. The plea must be accepted by a U.S. district court judge.

The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Joseth “Joe” Limon, of Harris County, owned and operated Platinum Employment Group Inc., a company that supplied laborers to businesses in the Houston area. From 2013 through 2018, Platinum did not file employment-tax returns, and, according to its payroll records, did not pay more than $8.8 million in employment taxes. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government, because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.

After closing Platinum, he set up another labor-staffing company, Rockwell Staffing LLC, in the name of his then 18-year-old daughter. When he later found out that the IRS was attempting to collect Rockwell’s unpaid employment taxes, he caused his daughter to submit an affidavit to the IRS that falsely claimed that Rockwell had been a victim of identity theft and had no employment tax liability.

Limon is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 6. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Curtis Weidler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina State Board of Elections for failure to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

The lawsuit alleges that the State of North Carolina, in violation of HAVA’s mandate and clear Congressional intent, used a State voter registration form that did not require a voter to provide identifying information such as a driver’s license or last four digits of a social security number. Voters were then added to the State’s voter registration roll without the required information, and many of these voters remain on the registration rolls without it.

On March 25, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14248 entitled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” to ensure that elections are being held in compliance with federal laws that guard against illegal voting, unlawful discrimination, and other forms of fraud, error, or suspicion. The election integrity issues raised in this action are a core component of the Federal election laws that Congress has statutorily charged the Attorney General of the United States, through the Civil Rights Division, to enforce.

“Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in North Carolina are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that maintain inaccurate voter registration rolls in violation of federal voting laws.”

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Robbinhood Ransomware Scheme Caused Tens of Millions of Dollars in Losses and Major Disruption of Public Services in U. S. Cities

Source: United States Navy

Chesapeake, Va. – Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command (NCDOC) held a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 9, supported by Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) and Naval Network Warfare Command (NNWC) leaders to officially open TRIDENT – Technical Readiness in Defensive Cyber Operations {DCO} Education and Network Training – Center for NCDOC and NNWC personnel.