Finance Director Charged With Insider Trading

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging JESSE MITCHELL with securities fraud.  

St. Augustine Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Defrauding Senior of More Than $2 Million

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Jacksonville, Florida – Eric James Stone (43, St. Augustine) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jordan E. Pratt to six years and eight months in federal prison for committing wire fraud and money laundering. Stone was also ordered to pay $2,037,103 in restitution to his victim. He pleaded guilty on March 24, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. 

Pennsylvania Man Indicted for Conspiring to Defraud the United States

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania returned a superseding indictment today charging Jimmy Fabian of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with engaging in a scheme to underpay over $7 million in employment taxes owed by his business and filing false tax returns for the business. This indictment supersedes an earlier, August 2025 indictment that charged Fabian and two co-conspirators.

According to court documents, Fabian was the president, owner and operator of Celebes Staffing Services Inc. (Celebes), a labor-leasing company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which provided temporary workers to client businesses for a fee, including Companies A, B, and C. From approximately in or about September 2020 through at least in or about June 2024, Fabian and two co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to fraudulently underpay employment taxes by underreporting the number of Celebes’ employees, many of whom were not authorized to work in the United States, and the wages and compensation paid to them. Fabian also caused the preparation and filing of false corporate income tax returns for Celebes, in which he substantially underreported Celebes’ gross receipts and disguised his 100 percent ownership of Celebes by listing a co-conspirator as 50 percent owner. 

Fabian is charged with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States, thirteen counts of willfully failing to collect, account for, and pay over employment taxes, and four counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns. If convicted, Fabian faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and for each count of willfully failing to collect, account for, and pay over employment taxes, and three years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in preparation and presentation of false tax returns.

IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.

Assistant Deputy Chief Thomas F. Koelbl and Trial Attorney Joseph D. G. Castro of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case. 

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (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.

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

Country Club Agrees to Pay Over $1 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of Improper Receipt of Paycheck Protection Program Loan

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Ferris Pirro, announced today that Secession Golf Club, Inc. (“Secession”) agreed to pay $1,047,991 to resolve allegations that the club violated the False Claims Act when it applied for and received a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) for which it was not eligible.

Candidate for New York City Public Advocate Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Angela Aquino, a 2025 candidate for New York City Public Advocate, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with her scheme to defraud New York City’s campaign finance system to obtain public matching funds.  The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Vera Scanlon.  When sentenced, Aquino faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. 

Security News: Danville Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Multiple Drug Charges, Including Drug-Induced Homicide

Source: United States Department of Justice

A Danville, Illinois, man, Marcus “Slim” McKinney, 50, was sentenced on August 14, 2026, to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole on three drug trafficking charges, including his involvement in a drug conspiracy that resulted in the overdose death of Maggie Avelar on August 19, 2023, and the overdose of another victim who suffered serious bodily harm on April 15, 2023.

Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Evading $2M in Taxes

Source: United States Department of Justice

A Mississippi man pleaded guilty yesterday to evading the payment of more than $2 million in federal income taxes.

According to court documents, Eric Brian Rosenberg tried to hide money from the government after he learned that an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revenue officer was trying to collect the income taxes that he owed.

Between 2016 and 2020, in a practice known as “check churning,” Rosenberg repeatedly removed most of the funds from his checking account by purchasing a cashier’s check, and holding that check until he wanted cash. When Rosenberg wanted money, he would deposit the cashier’s check into his bank account, withdraw the cash he wanted, and remove the unspent funds via another cashier’s check. Later, Rosenberg took additional steps to avoid paying the taxes he owed by forming a company, opening a bank account in the company’s name, depositing money into that nominee bank account, and continuing to churn checks. At the same time, from 2016 through 2021, Rosenberg spent over $1 million gambling at casinos.

Rosenberg pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 16 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Matthew Hicks of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting 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.

Security News: Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Evading $2M in Taxes

Source: United States Department of Justice

A Mississippi man pleaded guilty yesterday to evading the payment of more than $2 million in federal income taxes.

According to court documents, Eric Brian Rosenberg tried to hide money from the government after he learned that an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revenue officer was trying to collect the income taxes that he owed.

Between 2016 and 2020, in a practice known as “check churning,” Rosenberg repeatedly removed most of the funds from his checking account by purchasing a cashier’s check, and holding that check until he wanted cash. When Rosenberg wanted money, he would deposit the cashier’s check into his bank account, withdraw the cash he wanted, and remove the unspent funds via another cashier’s check. Later, Rosenberg took additional steps to avoid paying the taxes he owed by forming a company, opening a bank account in the company’s name, depositing money into that nominee bank account, and continuing to churn checks. At the same time, from 2016 through 2021, Rosenberg spent over $1 million gambling at casinos.

Rosenberg pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 16 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Matthew Hicks of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting 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.

Security News: North Fort Myers Felon Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Explosives and Firearms-Related Offenses

Source: United States Department of Justice

Fort Myers, Florida – Jesse William Korff (32, North Fort Myers) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to 24 years in federal prison for possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of unregistered silencers, possession of an unregistered destructive device, and attempted malicious use of an explosive while on federal supervised release. Korff pleaded guilty on January 14, 2026. The court also ordered Korff to forfeit the firearms, ammunition, silencers, and destructive device used to commit the offenses. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.