Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on June 1, 2026.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The Civil Division issued the following statement on a recent ruling in the District of Rhode Island:
“Department of Justice attorneys are properly held to the highest standards of ethical conduct. In a May 13, 2026 order, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island accused Civil Division attorneys of misrepresenting or withholding information in litigation concerning certain administrative subpoenas.
“Such accusations against Department attorneys are rare and serious. The Department treats them accordingly and is committed to taking all appropriate remedial action where warranted.
“The Civil Division has thoroughly reviewed the District Court’s allegations and concluded that they are without merit. Our attorneys did not misrepresent facts, withhold relevant information, or otherwise mislead the Court. The Department stands behind its attorneys without reservation and has appealed the District Court’s erroneous order.”
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
An Alaskan man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release for trafficking in child pornography, including images of pre-pubescent children.
Anthaney O’Connor, 32, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty on July 31, 2025, to receipt of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse material or “CSAM.” According to court documents, O’Connor received CSAM from another offender, who was an active-duty Airman stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The CSAM included images depicting prepubescent children. The two of them also planned to view CSAM together using a virtual reality system. In stored messages with this other offender, O’Connor explained that he could use images of real children and make them sexually explicit for use in this system, so that the user could experience a virtual simulation of what the images depicted. O’Connor also distributed CSAM to other individuals and possessed multiple images of obscene visual depictions of child sexual abuse of children that were created by artificial intelligence.
“Anthaney O’Connor not only received, consumed, and distributed depraved images depicting sexual abuse of young children, but actively collaborated to view the material in virtual reality,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “He boasted about his ability to generate virtual reality simulations using images of real children. Some of the material he possessed was generated by sophisticated artificial intelligence tools. AI used in this criminal manner adds a new element to child sexual abuse crimes. The Criminal Division is already at the cutting edge to curb this dangerous avenue for child sexual abuse.”
“Possessing and exchanging CSAM, including AI-generated images of children, is an abhorrent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Protecting children and dismantling this predatory industry is a top priority for my office, and Mr. O’Connor is another example of our aggressive efforts to stop such disgusting conduct. Let this serve as a clear reminder that we will relentlessly pursue anyone who endangers children, period.”
“Protecting our children from the depraved actions of individuals like O’Connor is a top priority for the FBI and our law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Schlegel of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “O’Connor’s possession of real as well as AI-generated CSAM is alarming, abhorrent and will never be tolerated. The FBI will continue working aggressively with our partners to make sure those who harm our most vulnerable are held accountable for their crimes.”
The FBI and United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) investigated the case.
Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson of the District of Alaska prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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
A Texas man and woman pleaded guilty on Monday to operating a significant under-the-table cash payroll at their nationwide nail salon business.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Vinh Q. Ho, 53, and Thanh Lan Do, 34, owned and managed a business comprised of over 60 high-end nail salons across the United States, doing business as the Anthony Vince Nail Salons, Prive Nail Spas, and Zen Nail & Spas. Ho was the de-facto CEO and Do oversaw management of the salons.
The salons employed nail technicians, a significant portion of whose compensation was paid in cash. At the end of each year, the business prepared tax forms reporting each nail technician’s compensation. To help the technicians conceal that income and evade taxes, these forms did not include the cash compensation. Ho and Do trained salon managers to operate the under-the-table cash payroll. They also prepared false Forms 1099 and instructed employees to keep the true payroll hidden.
Ho also underreported income on his 2020 and 2021 individual income tax returns.
As part of his plea agreement, Do agreed that between 2016 and 2024, the nail salons paid over $116 million in cash compensation that was not reported to the IRS, which caused an estimated actual tax loss of at least $32 million.
Ho and Do both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, and Ho also pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. They are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. Ho faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Do 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 Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Community Care Health Network LLC, doing business as Matrix Medical Network (Matrix), DPN USA, doing business as HealthFair (HealthFair), and Shahriah “James” Ekbatani have agreed to pay a total of $56.5 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by causing the submission of false or invalid diagnosis codes to the Medicare Advantage program. Matrix will pay $36.5 million to resolve claims in a qui tam action filed in the Southern District of New York. HealthFair, which was acquired by Matrix, will pay $5 million and Ekbatani will pay $15 million to resolve claims in a qui tam action filed in the Eastern District of Texas.
Source: United States Spaceforce
The reactivation of the 354th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS) marked a new chapter in aircraft maintenance operations as the 355th, 365th and 18th Fighter Generation Squadrons (FGS) officially merged and deactivated during a ceremony at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 1, 2026.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A Maryland woman pleaded guilty yesterday to attempting to steal more than $1.1 million in government funds by filing false tax returns with the IRS.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between December 2019 and March 2020, Kendra Scarborough, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, filed three false tax returns in the names of purported trusts that she controlled. In total, these tax returns sought more than $1.1 million in refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. Scarborough’s scheme resulted in the IRS issuing a refund of $412,000 to one of the purported trusts. Scarborough used these funds to pay for, among other things, the mortgage on her personal residence.
Scarborough pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. She also faces 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.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Melissa Siskind of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section is 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.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney, in conjunction with our partner agencies in the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) announce the following investigative and prosecutorial results for the week of May 26 through May 29, 2026. The HSTF is a permanent, interagency law enforcement task force created by executive order to combat transnational criminal organizations—including cartels, trafficking networks, and foreign terrorist organizations.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The U.S. Department of Justice through the Department’s Office of Justice Programs – Bureau of Justice Assistance announced awarding the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) a $500,000 federal grant and the state of Kansas a $211,367 federal grant to improve forensic science capabilities.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today that it launched an investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at Arizona State University (ASU). Recent viral videos indicating ASU denied equal treatment to students based on race, color, or national origin — while attempting to hide its discriminatory practices from federal scrutiny — prompted the investigation.
“No student should be denied access to opportunities or resources because of race, color, or national origin,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The United States is committed to keeping universities free of unlawful discrimination — especially when they try to hide illegal conduct to avoid oversight and compliance.”
Federal law requires colleges and universities that receive federal funding to open their doors to students on an equal basis, regardless of race, color, or national origin. ASU is one of the nation’s largest universities and is a major recipient of federal funds. The Division’s investigation will examine whether ASU subjects its students to illegal discrimination through its DEI policies in admissions, recruitment, scholarships, tutoring, and the provision of educational support.
The Civil Rights Division has not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigation.