Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that HENRY YAU, a former supervisory deportation officer in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon to conspiring to solicit and accept bribes and gratuities.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, Florida – Jonathan James Elder (35, St. Petersburg) has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with using the telephone to make a threat to kill, injure, intimidate, or damage a building. If convicted, Elder faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, Florida – Ann Mary Zheng (27, Land O’Lakes) has been charged by indictment with assisting after the fact related to her brother, Alen Zheng, placing an improvised explosive device at the MacDill Air Force Base Visitor’s Center in Tampa and evidence tampering. If convicted on all counts, Ann Mary Zheng faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Ann Mary Zheng that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $5,000, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, Florida – Alen Zheng (20, Land O’Lakes) has been charged by indictment with attempted damage of government property by fire or explosion, unlawful making of a destructive device, and possession of an unregistered destructive device. If convicted, Zheng faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Darnell Jones, also known as “EJ,” was sentenced today by United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry in federal court in Brooklyn to 145 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. During the height of the COVID‑19 pandemic, from March 2020 through August 2021, Jones used stolen personal identifying information to fraudulently obtain more than $800,000 from federally funded unemployment insurance programs established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Three family members were sentenced today to prison following a jury trial that resulted in convictions for their roles in a multimillion-dollar tax refund fraud scheme. David Hunt was sentenced to 92 months in prison, his son Baylon Hunt was sentenced to 38 months in prison, and Baylon’s half-brother Corey Burt was sentenced to 94 months in prison for orchestrating a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled. A fourth family member who was also convicted at trial is scheduled to be sentenced in May.
According to statements made in court and evidence presented at trial, the Hunts, of Arlington, Texas, Burt, formerly of Long Beach, Mississippi, and another family member orchestrated a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled. In total, they sought more than $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. As part of their scheme, Baylon Hunt and the other family member submitted additional fake documents to the IRS including falsified financial instruments and altered money orders. Even after receiving warning letters to discontinue their fraudulent submissions, they continued filing false returns and other documents with the IRS.
As a result of the scheme, the co-conspirators received over $1.7 million in fraudulent proceeds from the IRS, which they shared and used to purchase luxury goods, furniture, cryptocurrency, a Cadillac Escalade and a house in Mississippi.
All four defendants were convicted at trial of conspiracy to defraud the United States. David Hunt, Burt, and the other family member were also convicted of multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Baylon Hunt was acquitted of two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, the defendants were jointly ordered to pay $1,774,864 in restitution to the United States.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McDonald of the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
BOSTON – United States Attorney Leah B. Foley has named two federal prosecutors to lead the newly formed Benefit and Voter Fraud Team in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered in Massachusetts. The Team’s mission will be to actively and aggressively root out benefit fraud in Massachusetts, including SNAP fraud, MassHealth fraud, childcare subsidy fraud and voter fraud, just to name a few. In support of this effort, a new hotline has been established for members of the public to report suspicion of benefit fraud: 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland gynecologist agreed to a settlement in connection with federal False Claims Act violation allegations. Valinda R. Nwadike, MD, agreed to pay the United States $507,500 to resolve allegations for her role in a telemarketing scheme designed to defraud Medicare and TRICARE.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Orlando, FL — Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (collectively, the “Department”) filed a lawsuit against United Parks & Resorts Inc. and its subsidiaries (UPR), alleging UPR’s policy banning guests with disabilities from using wheeled walkers with seats, including rollators, violates Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). UPR is a global theme park and entertainment company that owns, leases, or operates twelve parks and experiences in the United States, including SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Discovery Cove Orlando, and Aquatica Orlando.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Elizabeth Danielle Rowe (25, Tampa), a/k/a Simon Roe, guilty of transmitting interstate a threat to injure. Rowe faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 24, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.