Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler sentenced a Manderson, South Dakota, man convicted of First Degree Felony Murder, Assault With Intent to Commit Arson, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Arson. The sentencing took place on May 18, 2026.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced the settlement of a lawsuit against ROCKLAND COUNTY (“ROCKLAND COUNTY”), which will result in the completion of 36 units of affordable rental housing within the County over the next five years.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Three Florida men were sentenced Tuesday to prison for their participation in a scheme to defraud Medicare and launder more than $2.2 million in illicit health care fraud proceeds.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the defendants owned and operated two fraudulent durable medical equipment (DME) companies: Braces and Orthotics LLC, located in the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stone Oak Durable Medical Equipment LLC, located in the Southern District of Florida. Between January 2022 and February 2023, the fraudulent DME companies submitted approximately $6.9 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for orthotic braces that were medically unnecessary and ineligible for Medicare reimbursement. The conspiracy involved illegal kickbacks and bribes paid to an offshore marketing company exchange for the referral of beneficiaries and fraudulent doctors’ orders. The three men conspired to launder the proceeds of their fraud through a series of shell companies under their control or the control of their associates — ultimately laundering more than $2.2 million in illicit funds for their own benefit and the benefit of their co-conspirators.
In December 2025, Scamarone, Mendez, and Vazquez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. At sentencing, Scamarone and Mendez were ordered to pay $2,217,840.35 in forfeiture and $3,016,324.20 in restitution. Vazquez was ordered to pay $1,723,773.18 in forfeiture and $2,249,392.09 in restitution.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida; Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott Lampert for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles for the FBI Miami Office; and Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito for the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General (DOL-OIG) made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, FBI, and DOL-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Claire Horrell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Pogozelski for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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 federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 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
A 41-year-old citizen of Cuba living in the Southern District of Texas, is set to make his initial appearance in Houston on multiple charges for allegedly using threats, violence, and other coercive means to compel four Cuban nationals to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial gain.
According to court documents, Michel Cedeno-Castillo used false promises of lucrative employment in the United States to entice four victims to travel from Cuba to Texas. After the victims arrived in the United States, Cedeno-Castillo allegedly transported the victims within the Southern District of Texas knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that they had entered the United States in violation of the law. He then allegedly used threats of violence, physical abuse, and other coercive means to compel the victims to engage in commercial sex acts for his monetary benefit.
“The defendant has been indicted for luring vulnerable women from Cuba to the United States with promises of financial stability only to force them to have sex with men for money for his monetary gain,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Michel Cedeno-Castillo will now face these human trafficking charges. No matter where it originates, the Criminal Division will pursue sex traffickers who target and exploit vulnerable victims.”
“Cedeno-Castillo allegedly lured women with lies and forced them into prostitution,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas. “Any human trafficker who tries to flee the United States should know that we will work with our international partners, pursue every legal avenue, and wait as long as it takes to bring them to justice. The Southern District of Texas does not give up.”
“The successful apprehension and extradition of this alleged sex trafficker sends a powerful message of deterrence to transnational criminal organizations across the globe that are involved in human trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston Field Office. “HSI and our law enforcement partners are committed to eradicate this modern-day form of slavery from society and will bring every resource we have to bear to track you down and hold you to account for your alleged crimes.”
Cedeno-Castillo is charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, importing an alien for immoral purposes, conspiracy to transport an alien in the United States for financial gain, transporting for purposes of prostitution, extortion, and cyberstalking. If convicted, he faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and up to life in prison.
The HSI Houston Field Office is investigating the case. The U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Investigative Strike Team provided valuable assistance.
Acting Deputy Chief Leah Branch of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ekua Assabill for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Panama to secure the arrest and extradition from Panama of Cedeno-Castillo.
The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated prosecutors from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; and more than 345 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This investigation is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Houston comprises agents and officers from ICE HSI; FBI; DEA; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Interpol/Department of State; and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
An indictment is merely an allegation. 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
SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann sentenced a Bryant, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on May 18, 2026.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Second Degree Murder, Commission of a Crime of Violence While Failing to Register as a Sex Offender, Robbery, Assault With a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on May 18, 2026.
Source: United States Airforce
A 162nd Wing aerospace medical service specialist is recognized by the Tucson Fire Department for providing critical, life-saving emergency medical care to a civilian at the scene of a severe motor vehicle crash while off duty.
Source: United States Airforce
U.S. Airmen from the 317th Airlift Wing were awarded the Philippine Military Merit Medal for their significant contributions to Exercise Balikatan 2026, enhancing rapid airlift capabilities and strengthening regional security alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Source: United States Army
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AGADIR, Morocco — U.S. Africa Command accelerated battlefield innovation through the integration of the Mobile Ad Hoc Network–Cloud High Mobility Radio system during African Lion 26, the largest multinational exercise held in Africa, April 20-May 8.
By bridging critical communication gaps between industry capabilities and operational forces, MCHMR (pronounced “MC Hammer”) reshapes how data moves, processes and drives decisions across the joint and combined force.
“We identified a critical gap [of] no unified pathway to integrate industry-provided data, from geolocation to full-motion video, into our operational systems,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Ramon N. Leonguerrero, African Lion future operations chief, chief of fires, and innovation division project manager for U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF). “MCHMR solved that problem by creating a streamlined information pathway that connects the tactical edge directly to the combined joint task force headquarters through a shared common operational picture.”
Through MCHMR, allied and partner nations participating in AL26 accessed and contributed to a shared common operational picture, significantly improving interoperability and collective decision making.
AL26 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Raquel Birk)
VIEW ORIGINAL“AL26 integrates readiness, lethality and innovation by placing emerging technologies directly in the hands of the warfighter alongside our allies and partners,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Daniel L. Cederman, deputy commanding general–reserve, SETAF-AF. “By testing and refining these capabilities in a multinational environment, we are strengthening interoperability and ensuring we are prepared to meet evolving threats.”
This convergence drove the rapid fielding and refinement of systems like MCHMR, turning experimentation into operational advantage.
“MCHMR integrates operational and tactical sensor data across the formation, ensuring leaders at every level have access to comprehensive, real-time information,” Leonguerrero said. “That connectivity enables faster, more informed decisions in complex environments.”
MCHMR directly supports USAFRICOM’s priorities to strengthen partner capacity and operational effectiveness throughout the theater.
AL26 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 civilian and military personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Raquel Birk)
VIEW ORIGINAL“We are enhancing partner integration into the common operational picture by leveraging a hardware-agnostic platform that can securely share diverse data types across multiple partners,” said U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Bryan G. Duncan, J6 chief technical advisor for U.S. Africa Command. “Our focus is on building resilient data pathways that enable seamless collaboration in both connected and disconnected environments, ultimately empowering decision dominance at the tactical edge.”
Several first-of-their-kind achievements during AL26 underscored the system’s impact.
“In a breakthrough for coalition communication, USAFRICOM, in coordination with SETAF-AF, validated a multilanguage artificial intelligence capability that delivers real-time, Arabic-to-English translation over MPU5 radios integrated into the MCHMR network,” Leonguerrero said. “This advancement reduces reliance on human translators and enables faster, clearer communication during multinational operations.”
Building on this advancement, the system also expanded how coalition partners share and access real-time intelligence.
“In another milestone, the innovation team successfully integrated Moroccan ‘WanderB’ unmanned aerial system feeds into the MCHMR cloud environment and next-generation command and control systems, marking the first time partner-nation intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data has been directly shared across the network,” Leonguerrero said. “The integration allows full-motion video to move from ground control stations to CJTF operations centers and connected end-user devices, enhancing shared situational awareness across the coalition.”
At the tactical level, joint service members directly enabled these capabilities by integrating hardware and systems across multiple nations in real time.
“We’re integrating MPU5 radios with multiple U.S. and partner systems, including unmanned aerial platforms, to push real-time data across different networks and classification levels,” said U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Caleb Hilton, a radio frequency transmission operations specialist for 355th Communications Squadron, 355th Mission Support Group, 355th Wing. “This is the first time we’ve successfully tested real-time, Arabic-to-English translation on these systems, and seeing different services and nations work seamlessly together to make that happen has been a huge step forward.”
This expanded data-sharing capability sets the conditions for further advancements in C2 integration.
“Additionally, following an intensive six-day development cycle, the team achieved the first integration of full-motion video into next-generation C2 systems operating on Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network architecture within the USAFRICOM area of responsibility,” Leonguerrero said. “This capability provides critical support for target identification and battle damage assessment, accelerating the decision-making process.”
Together, these innovations highlighted the rapid pace at which new capabilities are developed and fielded in a live training environment.
“African Lion demonstrates that service members can rapidly adopt and employ emerging technologies,” Leonguerrero said. “Through iterative cycles of testing, failing, fixing and validating, we are delivering capabilities at the pace modern warfare demands.”
Rather than relying on traditional acquisition timelines, these efforts emphasized rapid experimentation and immediate operational feedback to refine capabilities in real time.
“USAFRICOM and SETAF-AF drive meaningful, cost-efficient innovation for the joint and combined force,” Leonguerrero added. “We integrate artificial intelligence, robotics and next-generation digital technologies to dominate today’s complex challenges. Our purpose is to translate vision into battlefield-ready capabilities that are intuitive, scalable and immediately impactful.”
MCHMR carried AL26’s momentum forward, enabling integrated, data-driven operations that will define future coalition success.
About African Lion
African Lion 2026 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.
African Lion content can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).
About SETAF-AF
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.
Follow SETAF-AF on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
URBANA, Ill. – A Bourbonnais, Illinois, woman, Octavia Renee Murphy, 37, of the 700 block of Double Jack Street, was sentenced on May 19, 2026, to one year in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.