Source: United States Airforce
Chief Master Sgt. Katie McCool emphasized the impact of communities on military readiness as the Air Force prepares for future operational challenges, during a panel at the Air and Space Force Association’s Warfare Symposium.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Justin Whichard, 24, extorted two minor victims by chatting online with them, fostering a romantic and sexual dynamic, and threatening to reveal their identities to their families unless they produced CSAM for him. Whichard then used that CSAM to attempt to extort an adult by pretending to be the minors, sending images of the minors to the adult, and threatening to reveal the adult’s identity and engagement with minors unless he transferred money to Whichard.
While investigating Whichard for ordering a machinegun conversion device online, law enforcement searched Whichard’s residence on July 26, 2023. Whichard possessed 131 images and 15 videos of CSAM, including infants and toddlers. Whichard’s phone also contained 106 images of animated child exploitive material, as well as a script that specifically requested the production of CSAM.
While on bond on state charges, Whichard fled for several months across numerous states. Law enforcement apprehended Whichard in Tennessee in March 2024. Whichard pled guilty on Nov. 5, 2024.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton D. LaForge prosecuted the case.
Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Heck, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
The Virginia Beach Police Department and the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office provided invaluable assistance in the investigation.
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. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-76.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Today the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced the filing of federal lawsuits against six states — California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania — for failure to produce their statewide voter registration lists upon request.
“Clean voter rolls are the foundation of free and fair elections,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Every state has a responsibility to ensure that voter registration records are accurate, accessible, and secure — states that don’t fulfill that obligation will see this Department of Justice in court.”
“States are required to safeguard American elections by complying with our federal elections laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Clean voter rolls protect American citizens from voting fraud and abuse, and restore their confidence that their states’ elections are conducted properly, with integrity, and in compliance with the law.”
According to the lawsuits, the Attorney General is uniquely charged by Congress with the enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which were designed by Congress to ensure that states have proper and effective voter registration and voter list maintenance programs. The Attorney General also has the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA) at her disposal to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of the statewide voter registration lists.
These lawsuits were filed on Sept. 25, 2025, in the federal districts of the respective states.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Thomas Ray Hudson was arrested after attempt to meet 13-year-old Wisconsin girl failed
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Thomas Ray Hudson, 34, most recently of Grenada, Mississippi, was sentenced last week by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 22 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. The prison term will be followed by a lifetime period of supervised release. Hudson pleaded guilty to this charge on June 10, 2025.
In August of 2024, Hudson flew to Minnesota to meet a 13-year-old girl in Burnett County, Wisconsin, whom he was speaking with online. That attempt was thwarted when he could not find her home and got stranded in Minneapolis. Through a law enforcement tip, he was later identified, charged, and arrested. His electronics were searched, and multiple additional victims were identified. Law enforcement ultimately discovered that Hudson was an online administrator of a group with hundreds of members, dedicated to child exploitation. He was also involved in online groups where adult members threatened violence against minor girls who did not create sexually explicit material for the members of the group.
At the sentencing hearing, a relative of one of the child victims, who described Hudson as a “monster,” talked about the devastating emotional impact the crime had on the child and her family. She relayed that the child was now afraid to even go outside out of fear that Hudson was coming to get her. Judge Peterson called Hudson’s conduct cruel and manipulative and noted that this was among the worst case of this type that the Court had ever seen.
“Today’s sentencing reaffirms my office’s steadfast commitment to protecting our children, the most vulnerable among us, from predators who exploit and harm them online,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Elgersma. Elgersma also praised the extraordinary effort of the law enforcement agents around the country who worked tirelessly to bring Hudson and his cohorts to justice.
“Mr. Hudson’s inexcusable actions of exploiting minors online as a group administrator with hundreds of members will not be tolerated,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “The men and women of the FBI are committed to identifying and investigating those who victimize children. We will continue to leverage resources while working with our local, state, and federal partners to safeguard our communities.”
The charge against Hudson was the result of an investigation conducted by the Burnett County Sheriff’s Office; the Kentucky State Police; the Bothell, Washington, Police Department; and FBI field offices across the country, including offices in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Washington, Oregon, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case.
This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office encourages parents, educators, and community members to talk to children about the dangers of online predators and to review helpful safety resources available to the public, including those found at NCMEC’s NetSmartz website: missingkids.org/NetSmartz/home.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced the conviction of Oscar Hills, IV, age 53, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After a three-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson, the jury unanimously convicted Hills of two counts of wire fraud and two counts of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. Hills has been living in Honolulu, Hawaii since 2021.
As the evidence at trial demonstrated, between March 2020 and May 2020, Hills submitted several fraudulent loan applications. One of these loan applications was submitted in the name of a supposed business called Bootstate Financial Group under the Payment Protection Plan (“PPP”) program, created by Congress under the CARES Act. Another loan application was submitted in the name of a supposed non-profit called Baton Rouge Teen Summit under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program, expanded by Congress under the CARES Act.
In the PPP loan application submitted in the name of Bootstate Financial Group, Hills represented that Bootstate had 40 employees and over $270,000 in average monthly payroll, both of which were material fraudulent representations. The lender relied on these representations by Hills, approving the loan application and depositing PPP loan proceeds of $675,272 into a bank account owned and controlled by Hills. Days later, Hills used $75,500 of these PPP funds to purchase a Dodge Viper.
In the EIDL application submitted in the name of Baton Rouge Teen Summit, Hills represented that this supposed non-profit had 25 employees and over $184,000 in annual operating expenses, both of which were false. The SBA relied on these numbers to approve the loan application and deposited $159,900 in total funds to a bank account owned and controlled by Hills. Hills subsequently used $23,272 of these EIDL funds to pay eleven years-worth of unpaid property taxes on his residence.
The evidence also demonstrated that this is the second time Hills has been convicted of wire fraud in the Middle District of Louisiana. On April 26, 2010, Hills pled guilty to four counts of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud State Farm, Ascension Credit Union and Eagle Louisiana Federal Credit Union. On March 12, 2011, the late U.S. Chief District Court Judge Ralph E. Tyson sentenced Hills to 33 months imprisonment and ordered him to pay over $89,000 in restitution to his victims.
As a result of this most recent conviction, Hills now faces a maximum term of imprisonment of thirty years, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and supervised release per wire fraud count, and a maximum term of imprisonment of up to ten years, a fine of $250,000, and supervised release per money laundering count.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen L. Craig and John B. Casey.
Anyone with information about allegations of pandemic fraud can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
AUGUSTA, GA: On September 25, 2025, a Richmond County man who operated a “ghost” tax preparation business in Augusta, Georgia, has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for defrauding the IRS.
Allen Brown, 41, of Augusta, Georgia, was sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, said Margaret E. Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Brown to pay $1,003,631 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
As described in court documents and at sentencing, in 2022 and 2023, Brown and several individuals operated a “ghost” tax preparation business at 1850 Gordon Highway, Suite C, Augusta, Georgia, and at two other Augusta locations including a church and Brown’s residence. Brown operated as a “ghost” preparer because, contrary to IRS requirements he failed to identify himself as a paid preparer on the federal income tax returns that he prepared and filed for his clients. As a “ghost” preparer, Brown fabricated income to qualify his clients for tax credits, claimed fake deductions to boost the size of the refund, and charged clients a fee based on a percentage of the tax refund. Brown did not provide his clients with a copy of the tax returns he prepared, nor did he review the returns with clients before electronically filing them with the IRS. Brown and other “ghost” preparers who worked with him falsified 63 federal income tax returns for clients, causing the U.S. Department of Treasury to issue $1,003,631 in false tax refunds. The tax fraud scheme Brown executed entailed offering clients two filing options, the “Standard” option or the “I’m Not Scared” option. The “Standard” option generally resulted in a fraudulent tax refund of $2,000 – $9,000. The “I’m Not Scared” option resulted in a fraudulent tax refund of $14,000 – $30,000. For the “I’m Not Scared” option, Brown instructed his “ghost” preparers to falsely claim Fuel Tax Credits and falsely report gross income and other expenses on Schedule C and medical and dental expenses on Schedule A with the tax returns. For the “Standard” option, Brown instructed “ghost” preparers to falsely claim Sick and Family Leave Credits and other false items. Brown required his clients to pay him a ten-percent fee of each refund obtained.
“Tax preparers have a responsibility to accurately prepare tax returns on behalf of their clients. Brown undermined the American tax system and the trust of taxpayers relying on his expertise,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “The sentence imposed by the Court reflects the serious nature of Brown’s conduct. The criminal tax laws are designed to protect the integrity of the nation’s tax system and to obtain and preserve funds needed for public services. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia works closely with our partners at IRS Criminal Investigation to protect the law-abiding American public and the treasury by stopping this fraud.”
“Every year around tax season, ghost tax preparers like Allen Brown and other unscrupulous preparers open up shop to take advantage of unsuspecting taxpayers by convincing them into taking credits and benefits for which they don’t qualify,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are working to protect taxpayers from these unethical tax preparers by investigating and holding them accountable.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs, III.
For any questions, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – James Wiley Kelley, Jr., 50, of Altha, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act weapon, possession of a machinegun, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Kelley, Jr. appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on September 24, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for November 27, 2025, before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.
If convicted, Kelley, Jr. faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment for possession of an unregistered NFA weapon, an identical penalty for possession of a machinegun, and up to fifteen years’ imprisonment for possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with the assistance of the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jason R. Coody is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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 (TCOs), 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
MINNEAPOLIS – Nicholas Richard Lugo, 25, was sentenced today to 180 months imprisonment followed by 15 years’ supervised release for the Distribution of Child Pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“A 15-year sentence cannot undo the harm Lugo repeatedly inflicted on children, but it delivers justice and protection,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “We are prosecuting several cases like this in federal court today, and every one of them is heartbreaking. Minnesota’s children deserve protection, and those who prey on them will face federal consequences.”
In 2021, Lugo was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Hennepin County, Minnesota. He received a stayed sentence of 144 months’ imprisonment, 180 days in the workhouse, and five years of predatory offender supervision. In October 2024, while Lugo was on supervision, he obtained a cell phone prohibited by the terms of his release. He used that unauthorized cell phone to download a social media application and receive and distribute images and videos of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse material, depicting the sexual abuse of young children. The identified images and videos are of real children—real children experienced this abuse, which the defendant downloaded, consumed, and shared for his gratification.
Lugo was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before District Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan. When handing down the sentence Judge Bryan noted that this crime is “one of the more egregious crimes we have in our society.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office recognizes the suffering of the victims in this case and in Lugo’s prior sexual abuse case. No child should experience sexual violence and offenders must be held accountable.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Chaska Police Department and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead prosecuted the case.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Demetrius Howard, 34, Menomonie, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 2 ½ years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Howard pleaded guilty to this charge on June 24, 2025.
On December 20, 2024, a deputy with the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office stopped Howard’s vehicle for speeding. After further investigation, the deputy searched the vehicle and found a bag in the backseat that contained a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun. Howard told the deputy that he would have fled if his child was not in the car and further commented that there could have been a “shootout.” Howard claimed that he found the gun by a dumpster the day before and was going to throw it into the water.
Howard has a prior state conviction for party to the crime of armed robbery. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson found it unlikely that Howard found the gun by a dumpster. Howard then admitted that was not true and that he actively sought out the gun due to threats he was receiving. Judge Peterson reminded Howard that he was prohibited from possessing firearms and said that the crime was aggravated because Howard was on supervision at the time.
The charge against Howard was the result of an investigation conducted by the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF and task force officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
Federal criminal cases involving firearms are 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 (TCOs), 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
$1.6 Million in Stolen Funds Were Used for a Failed Restaurant, Wedding Expenses and Luxury International Travel
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Tony Ream pleaded guilty to wire fraud committed in connection with his employment as a credit supervisor for a Long Island Company (the Company). Over the course of four years, Ream sent wire transfers totaling approximately $1.6 million from the Company’s bank account to a bank account that he controlled, and used those funds for his own personal gain. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Sanket J. Bulsara. When sentenced, Ream faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea.
“Ream abused his authority and betrayed his employer and its customers to fund his own lavish lifestyle,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “In just a few years, Ream embezzled over $1.6 million and used the stolen money to pay for his wedding, luxury international travel, and for renovations to a restaurant he had opened. Ream will now be held accountable for this egregious conduct, thanks to the diligent work of our Office and our partners at the FBI.”
As set forth in court filings and statements made in court, the Company, headquartered in Melville, New York, is an American distributor of health care products and services, and serves as the world’s largest provider of health care solutions to office-based dental and medical practitioners worldwide. Ream was hired by the Company in 2019 to work in its credit department and became a credit supervisor. From approximately October 2020 through November 2024, Ream siphoned corporate funds from customer refund accounts, some of which were inactive, and diverted the funds to his own personal accounts, masking the fraud by recording each transaction as a refund that was issued to a customer. Ream also deceived his subordinates into unwittingly taking steps that facilitated his embezzlement scheme. In total, Ream embezzled approximately $1.6 million from the Company, which he spent on his wedding, luxury international vacations, and a failed restaurant venture in South Carolina. As part of his plea, Ream has agreed to make full restitution to the Company.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Charles P. Kelly is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder.
The Defendant:
TONY REAM (also known as “Tony Ream-Hendley” and “Tony Moul Ream”)
Age: 34
Greenville, South Carolina
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-179 (SJB)