Category: Security

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.

In the one-week period ending May 2, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

• 79 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
• 11 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
• 12 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
• 130 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) and 50 U.S.C. 797, violation of a military security regulation, arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for alien smuggling, felon in possession, criminal sexual contact, and DUI.

Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border security. During this time period, two plainclothes Border Patrol agents near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, attempted to stop a suspicious Jeep Liberty believed to be involved in human smuggling. After stopping the vehicle, the agents questioned the driver, Roberto Jaciel Vazquez-Sanchez, and asked to see his phone, where they observed evidence suggesting involvement in smuggling activity. When confronted, Sanchez attempted to lock his phone and physically resisted the agents, pushing, kicking, and striking one agent in the face during the struggle. The agents subdued Sanchez, placed him in handcuffs, and transported him to the Santa Teresa Border Patrol Station.

From the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025 through the end of February 2025, 40 El Paso Sector Border Patrol Agents have been assaulted, following 103 assaults in Fiscal Year 2024. U.S. Border Patrol is collaborating closely with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure that those who assault federal officers are brought to justice. This interagency cooperation is crucial in protecting the men and women who serve on the frontlines of our nation’s border security efforts and in deterring future attacks on law enforcement personnel.

These cases 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.

These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.

The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 4 years in prison for a brutal attack that left the victim with life-threatening injuries.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on January 1, 2024, Tyrell Jordan Benally, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted Jane Doe at a residence in Shiprock, New Mexico. Benally repeatedly struck Jane Doe with a closed fist and strangled her until she lost consciousness. As a result, Jane Doe suffered serious bodily injury, including life-threatening injuries from the strangulation.

Upon his release from prison, Benally will be subject to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case. 

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni Pueblo couple has been sentenced for a brutal assault in which they attacked a man in his home, prevented him from seeking help, and continued the assault in the presence of a witness and two minor children.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on September 3, 2023, Shannon Concho, 47, and LouAnn Johnson, 29, both enrolled members of the Pueblo of Zuni, assaulted John Doe at his residence on the Zuni Pueblo. The incident began as a verbal dispute and rapidly escalated when Johnson repeatedly slapped the victim. Concho and Johnson then prevented the victim from calling for help by seizing his phones and attempting to access a bedroom where a witness and two minor children were present.

Concho continued the assault on John Doe by striking him over the head with a chair, nearly rendering him unconscious. Concho then instructed Johnson, who was wearing boots, to kick John Doe in the head. After Johnson complied, Concho continued the attack until Johnson alerted him that a witness had contacted law enforcement. Concho and Johnson fled the scene and remained at large until their subsequent apprehension in Arizona.

Concho was sentenced to 57 months in prison, and Johnson was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Upon their release, Concho and Johnson will be subject to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro. 

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Jemez man pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a minor.

According to court documents, Tyler Chinana, 35, an enrolled member of the Jemez Pueblo, admitted that in 2012, he engaged in unlawful sexual contact with a minor victim who was under the age of 12 at the time. In a separate incident, Chinana also admitted that in November 2022, he engaged in similar unlawful sexual contact with a second minor victim who was also under the age of 12.

At sentencing, Chinana faces up to life in prison followed by no less than five years and up to life of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Jemez Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meg Tomlinson and Timothy Trembley are prosecuting the case.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Pinehill man was sentenced today to 27and a half years in prison for a fatal family shooting.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on the morning of December 22, 2023, Ellery Brent Yazzie, 38, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, fatally shot his father and brother, shot and seriously injured his sister, and tried to shoot his mother in their family home. Yazzie then attempted to take his own life, but he survived.

Upon his release from prison, Yazzie will be subject to five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramah Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caitlin L. Dillon and Jena Ritchey are prosecuting the case. 

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey man was arrested for allegedly inducing multiple minors to send him sexually explicit videos and pictures over online platforms, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Julian Nova, 19, of Bayonne, New Jersey is charged by complaint with two counts of production of child pornography, two counts of coercion and enticement, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. Nova appeared on April 17, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and was detained.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In or around October and November 2023, Nova coerced multiple minor victims to produce child pornography, which he then distributed online. After gaining the victims’ trust, including by posing as a teenage girl, Nova enticed the victims to send child pornography of themselves. Nova then blackmailed the minor victims into producing additional child pornography, some of which included acts of self-degradation, by threatening to distribute the existing images and videos to the minor victims’ family and friends if they did not comply.

The charges of production of child pornography carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charges of coercion and enticement carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit with the investigation leading to the charges.  She also thanked the FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence Reilly for their assistance.

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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Kober of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Adam Braskich of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: Carol Dominguez, Esq.

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man who was employed as a New Jersey high school teacher, admitted to producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Michael Hamilton, 53, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court to one count of producing child pornography.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Hamilton admitted to meeting a minor victim and engaging in sexual conduct with that victim, which Hamilton recorded on video. Law enforcement seized a copy of that video during the search of his home in October 2023. Hamilton also admitted to receiving and possessing sexually explicit messages, pictures, and videos of two other minor victims.

The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Sentencing is scheduled for September 9, 2025.

U.S. Attorney Habba credited FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation.  U.S. Attorney Habba also thanked the Springfield Police Department and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.

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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The government is represented by Rebecca Sussman and Robert Taj Moore of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Randy Davenport, Esq.

Source: US FBI

Tony Clanton has been convicted on all counts of a superseding indictment charging him with Hobbs Act robbery and firearm crimes.

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – Two operators of a New Jersey marketing company were sentenced to prison for their roles in conspiracies to commit health care fraud and to pay and receive illegal kickbacks, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Eric Karlewicz a/k/a “Anthony Mazza,” 46, of Rockland County, New York, and Nicco Romanowski, 33, of Roswell, Georgia, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court following their guilty pleas to Informations charging conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback statute and conspiracy to commit health care fraud.  Karlewicz was sentenced to 51 months in prison and Romanowski was sentenced to 80 months in prison.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From in or around June 2017 through in or around May 2019, Karlewicz and Romanowski participated in a scheme with durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies, telemedicine companies, and doctors to submit false claims to health care benefit programs, including Medicare and TRICARE, based on a circular scheme of kickbacks and bribes.  Karlewicz and Romanowski controlled a New Jersey-based marketing company, Empire Pain Center Holdings LLC (“Empire”), though which they and their co-conspirators identified Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries to target.  Employees of Empire called the beneficiaries to pressure them to agree to accept DME, frequently consisting of back, shoulder, and knee braces. Karlewicz and Romanowski paid Empire’s employees commissions, bonuses, and incentives to encourage them to convince as many beneficiaries as possible to accept DME, regardless of medical necessity.

Karlewicz and Romanowski, through Empire, then paid kickbacks to telemedicine companies, which in turn paid kickbacks to doctors in exchange for prescriptions for the DME. As agreed upon, the doctors signed the prescription orders regardless of medical necessity, often without ever speaking to the patient.  Karlewicz and Romanowski distributed the prescriptions to DME suppliers around the country, with which Empire had additional kickback arrangements. These DME suppliers submitted claims for reimbursement to health care benefit programs including Medicare and TRICARE, and thereafter sent a portion of the proceeds to Empire as payment for the doctor’s orders generated through the conspiracy.  Empire received more than $63 million from DME suppliers in exchange for the referrals. 

In total, Karlewicz and Romanowski caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs totaling in excess of $127 million for DME.  Using proceeds from the scheme, Karlewicz and Romanowski purchased luxury vehicles, including a Ferrari, and Lamborghini, a Bentley, and a BMW.

In addition to the prison terms, Judge Salas sentenced each defendant to three years of supervised release and ordered them to pay $127,600,000 in restitution.  Karlewicz was ordered to forfeit over $63 million, and Romanowski was ordered to forfeit over $5.5 million.

United States Attorney Habba also announced that Karlewicz and Empire entered into a civil settlement agreement. As part of that civil settlement agreement, Karlewicz and Empire admitted to violating the False Claims Act and agreed to the entry of a consent judgment against them in the amount of $63.8 million.

The civil settlement agreement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The relator, Robert Jackson Tyler, Jr., will receive a share of the funds recovered by the United States pursuant to the False Claims Act.

United States Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, and U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Silvestro, with the investigation.

The government is represented in the criminal case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Barbara Ward of the Bank Integrity, Recovery, and Money Laundering Unit in Newark.

The government is represented in the civil case by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Trial Attorney Martha Glover of U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Fraud Section. 

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Defense counsel: Darren Gelber, Esq. (for Eric Karlewicz)

                            Alyssa Cimino, Esq. (for Nicco Romanowski)

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man was sentenced to 36 months in prison for his role in a $38 million employment tax fraud scheme involving nursing homes he owned across the country, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Joseph Schwartz, 65, of Suffern, New York, previously pled guilty to two counts of an indictment charging him with willfully failing to pay over employment taxes withheld from employees of his company, and willfully failing to file an annual financial report (Form 5500) with the Department of Labor for the employee 401K Benefit Plan Schwartz sponsored, before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Schwartz, an insurance broker and operator of Skyline Management Group LLC (“Skyline”), with headquarters in New Jersey, willfully failed to pay employment taxes relating to numerous health care and rehabilitation facilities that Skyline operated in 11 states.

According to the indictment, Schwartz was required to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) trust fund taxes withheld from the pay of employees of Skyline and related companies.  From October 2017 through May 2018, Schwartz caused taxes to be withheld from employees’ pay but failed to then pay over more than $38 million in employment taxes to the IRS.  As an administrator of the Skyline 401K plan, Schwartz further had an obligation to file an annual Form 5500 financial report with the Secretary of Labor for calendar year 2018, but knowingly and willfully failed to file the report.

U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; Investigators with the Department of Labor-Employee Benefits Security Administration, under the direction of Regional Director Mark Seidel in the New York Regional Office; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly; and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz in the New York Regional Office, with the investigation that led to the sentencing in this case.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel H. Rosenblum and Kendall R. Randolph of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Shawn Noud of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

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Defense counsel: Kevin H. Marino, Esq.