Source: US FBI
A resident of Sharon, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to fentanyl and cocaine trafficking within 1,000 feet of an elementary school.
Former West Virginia Supervisory Correctional Officer Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison for Conspiracy and Obstruction Crimes
Source: US FBI
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in covering up an assault by correctional officers that resulted in the death of inmate Quantez Burks on March 1, 2022. Lester, 35, of Odd, West Virginia, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
On January 27, 2025, a federal jury convicted defendant Lester on three felony obstruction of justice charges, including conspiracy to tamper with witnesses; witness tampering; and giving false statements. As part of these efforts to cover up the fatal assault other officers committed, the defendant threatened subordinate officers with violence and retaliation, added false statements to multiple officers’ reports, instructed officers to give a false cover story to investigators, and personally gave false statements to internal investigators. The evidence showed that the defendant also provided false information relating to the assault of Burks during a voluntary interview with FBI agents.
Seven correctional officers pleaded guilty in connection with the assault of Burks; several of those former officers testified against Lester during the trial. In November 2024, Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks, resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled before U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 16, 2025. On August 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Burks’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled before U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 9, 2025.
Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. Andrew Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk on July 14, 2025. Chief U.S. District Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to nine years in prison on May 8, 2025.
“This defendant wrongfully decided to obstruct an investigation into a fatal assault of an inmate,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I am proud of the Criminal Section within the Civil Rights Division and their counterparts in the Southern District of West Virginia for their work on this case.”
“On the defendant’s watch, correctional officers killed an inmate, and the defendant conspired with them to cover up their crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “The defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system he had sworn to uphold.”
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-188.
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Iranian Company and Two Iranian Nationals Charged with Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and for Scheme to Procure U.S. Technology for Iranian Attack Drones
Source: US FBI
Concurrent Action with Department of the Treasury Targets Illicit Iranian Weapons Procurement Network
A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Hossein Akbari, 63, and Reza Amidi, 62, both of Iran, and an Iranian company, Rah Roshd Company (Rah Roshd), with conspiring to procure U.S. parts for Iranian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, also known as drones), conspiring to provide material support to the IRGC – a designated foreign terrorist organization – and conspiring to commit money laundering.
Akbari is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rah Roshd. Amidi is the company’s commercial manager and was previously the commercial manager of Qods Aviation Industries (QAI), an Iranian state-owned aerospace company. They are both citizens of Iran and remain at large.
“Today’s charges lay bare how U.S.-made technology ended up in the hands of the Iranian military to build attack drones,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will continue to put maximum pressure on the Iranian regime. We will relentlessly dismantle illicit supply chains funneling American technology into the hands of Iran’s military and terrorist organizations and pursue those complicit in operations that threaten our country.”
“As alleged in the complaint, the defendants conspired to obtain U.S.-origin parts needed to manufacture drones for military use in Iran and send those parts to Iran in violation of export control laws,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “The charges filed today demonstrate the commitment by my office and our law enforcement partners to dismantle illicit supply chains and prosecute those who unlawfully procure U.S. technology in support of a foreign terrorist organization. The IRGC and QAI have been core players in the Iranian military regime’s production of drones, which threaten the lives of civilians, U.S. personnel and our country’s allies. These charges should serve as a warning to those who violate U.S. export control laws and who unlawfully seek to aid Iran’s drone program.”
“The allegations in this case demonstrate the lengths Iranian companies take to evade U.S. sanctions, victimize U.S. businesses, and support the IRGC’s production of drones,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “The FBI and our partners will use all authorities to stop those who seek to evade sanctions and engage in money laundering schemes that support terrorist activities and threaten the lives and interests of Americans and our allies.”
According to court documents, Akbari and Amidi operate Rah Roshd which procures and supplies advanced electronic, electro-optical and security systems to the Government of Iran and designs, builds, and manufactures ground support systems for UAVs. Rah Roshd’s clients include the IRGC and several Iranian state-owned aerospace companies and drone manufacturers, including QAI, Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), Shahed Aviation Industries Research Center (SAIRC) and Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group (SBIG).
Between January 2020 and the present, Amidi and Akbari used Rah Roshd in furtherance of a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions and procure U.S.-origin parts for use in Iranian-manufactured UAVs, including the Mohajer-6 UAV. At least one of those parts was manufactured by a Brooklyn, New York-based company (Company-1). In September 2022, the Ukranian Air Force shot down an Iranian-made Mohajer-6 drone used by the Russian military in Ukraine. The drone recovered by the Ukrainian Air Force contained parts made by several U.S. companies, including Company-1)
To facilitate their scheme, Amidi and Akbari falsely purported to represent companies other than Rah Roshd, including a company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Company-2) and a company based in Belgium (Company-3). The defendants used a “spoofed” email address, containing a misspelled version of Company-2’s name, to communicate regarding the procurement of parts, including parts manufactured by U.S. companies. The defendants also used various “front” or “shell” companies to pay for UAV parts and to obfuscate the true end destination and the true identities of the sanctioned end users, including QAI and the IRGC, which were acquiring U.S.-made parts through Rah Roshd. Amidi and Akbari also used aliases to obfuscate their true identities in furtherance of the scheme.
Additionally, the defendants conspired to provide material support to the IRGC by providing goods and services, including constructing military shelters, providing cameras and drone field hangers and conspiring to procure drone parts as well as parts to operate drones, including servo motors, pneumatic masts, and engines, for the benefit of the IRGC’s military campaign. The investigation uncovered correspondence from the IRGC, signed by the head of the UAV Command for the IRGC’s Aerospace Force, thanking Rah Roshd for its work on behalf of the IRGC and praising Rah Roshd’s achievements in designing and manufacturing “servo motors” for defense equipment. The letter also included a quote from the Supreme Leader of Iran regarding the importance of self-sufficiency and domestic production to strengthen Iran’s economy and “disappoint the enemies of the Islamic Republic.” The letter also noted continued efforts of Rah Roshd “in strengthening the defensive capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Both Amidi and Akbari possessed documents indicating that they had purchased servo motors for delivery to Iran, including a servo motor contained in the Mohajer-6 drone. Akbari also emailed supplier companies located in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and noted that he was purchasing parts for drones to be shipped to Iran.
Finally, Amidi and Akbari conspired to commit money laundering. They used at least three shell companies, which were all based in the UAE, to pay a PRC-based company that sent invoices to Rah Roshd for the sale of motors. Those payments were processed through U.S.-based correspondent bank accounts. The defendants also used two of these shell companies to pay a separate PRC-based company for the sale of pneumatic masts, which are a component of the operation of the Mohajer-6 drone.
Concurrent with today’s criminal complaint, the Department of Treasury announced sanctions targeting a network of six entities and two individuals based in Iran, the UAE, and the PRC responsible for the procurement of UAV components on behalf of QAI — a leading manufacturer for Iran’s UAV program. According to the Treasury, this network has also facilitated procurement for other entities in Iran’s military-industrial complex, including Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) and SBIG. Today’s action marks the second round of sanctions targeting Iranian weapons proliferators since the President issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 on Feb. 4, ordering a campaign of maximum pressure on Iran.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nina C. Gupta and Lindsey R. Oken for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth, Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Trial Attorney Charles Kovats of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Defacing Religious Property in Vandalism of Synagogue Building
Source: US FBI
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy and defacing and damaging a religious building, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Talya A. Lubit, age 24, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Lubit and her codefendant, Mohamad Hamad, conspired from July 2024 to July 29, 2024, to damage and deface the Chabad of Squirrel Hill. The Chabad is a center for Jewish educational programming and occupies a building for Jewish religious services in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. In the early morning hours of July 29, 2024, acting on their plan to cause damage to a Jewish institution, Lubit and Hamad spray-painted the words “Jews 4 Palestine” with an inverted triangle onto the exterior of the building with red paint. The inverted triangle first appeared in videos posted online by Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization, of the current fighting in Gaza where it was used to mark an Israeli target about to be attacked by Hamas fighters. The act of vandalism was born from Hamad’s and Lubit’s shared growing animosity towards Israel since the terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, and the war that ensued between Israel and Hamas.
In connection with the guilty plea, Lubit agreed to pay full restitution for the damage done to the Chabad property, as well as graffiti that she and Hamad spray-painted on an entry sign to the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh the same day.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for September 10, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court continued Lubit’s bond with special conditions including home detention.
Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch and Nicole Vasquez Schmitt are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Lubit.
Preston County Man Admits to Federal Child Exploitation Offenses
Source: US FBI
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Steven David Seeger, 46, of Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, has admitted to the coercion and enticement of a minor for sex and production of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Seeger was communicating with minor girls online. During those communications, he persuaded multiple victims to produce and send him sexually explicit images and videos.
Seeger faces 10 years to life in federal prison for the enticement charge and faces 15 to 30 years for the production of child pornography charge. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine the appropriate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia State Police, and the Preston County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Jefferson County Man Admits to Role in Drug Trafficking Operation in Eastern Panhandle
Source: US FBI
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Matthew David Viands, age 32, of Summit Point, West Virginia, has admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl and other illicit drugs in the Eastern Panhandle.
According to court documents, Viands was a distributor of fentanyl for the organization. Viands also admitted to failing to appear following his pretrial release in the case.
Viands faces up to 20 years in prison for the drug charge and faces up to 10 years for failing to appear. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Of the 82 defendants, 80 others have been convicted. Fifty-nine defendants have been sentenced. One defendant, Charles Delroy Singletary, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, remains a fugitive. More in a recent release here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/six-more-sentenced-eastern-panhandle-fentanyl-drug-trafficking-operation
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia).
This investigation is 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).
FBI Philadelphia Recognizes National Senior Fraud Awareness Day
Source: US FBI
National Senior Fraud Awareness Day is May 15, and FBI Philadelphia wants to remind families, friends, and caregivers, of the fraud schemes that target older Americans.
In April, the FBI released the annual Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Elder Fraud report. This annual publication provides statistics about incidents of elder fraud—or fraud that explicitly targets older Americans’ money or cryptocurrency—that are reported to IC3. The goal of this report is to inform the public of the scams impacting the country and prevent future and repeat incidents.
In 2024, those over the age of 60 filed over 147,000 complaints to the IC3, with over $4.8 billion in reported losses, a 43% increase in losses from 2023. Across the nation, phishing and spoofing schemes were the most reported scams impacting older Americans, with over 23,000 complaints. Investment fraud resulted in the most reported victim losses, with about $1.8 billion in losses.
“Criminals continue to launch calculated and deliberate attacks against a uniquely vulnerable population, our senior citizens. Threat actors systematically prey on their savings, their identity, and their sense of security,” said FBI Philadelphia Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicole Sinegar. “National Senior Fraud Awareness Day is a critical reminder of the growing threat that financial scams and frauds pose to our older citizens. We urge families, friends, and caregivers to have an open and continuous dialogue about the scams threatening older Americans and empower them to report suspected schemes to law enforcement.”
Ways to protect yourself include:
- Recognize scam attempts and end all communication with the perpetrator.
- Search online for the contact information (name, email, phone number, addresses) and the proposed offer. Other people have likely posted information online about individuals and businesses trying to run scams.
- Resist the pressure to act quickly. Scammers create a sense of urgency to produce fear and lure victims into immediate action. Call the police immediately if you feel there is a danger to yourself or a loved one.
- Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, mailings, and door-to-door service offers.
- Never give or send any personally identifiable information, money, jewelry, gift cards, checks, or wire information to unverified people or businesses.
- Make sure all computer anti-virus and security software and malware protections are up to date. Use reputable anti-virus software and firewalls.
- Be careful what you download. Never open an email attachment from someone you don’t know, and be wary of email attachments forwarded to you.
If you or someone you know may have been a victim of elder fraud, contact FBI Philadelphia at (215) 418-4000, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. If the suspected fraud was Internet-facilitated, you can also file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
To find additional elder fraud resources, visit: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/elder-fraud
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Two in the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Source: US FBI
The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators.
Texas Man Sentenced to 33 Months’ Imprisonment for Embezzling Over $900,000 From Two Companies
Source: US FBI
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Vincent Villarreal, age 35, of Sachse, Texas, was sentenced yesterday, May 7, 2025, by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 33 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud. Villarreal was also ordered to pay restitution.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, Villarreal previously admitted that he embezzled approximately $475,000 from a building-products company headquartered in central Pennsylvania while employed by the company in an information technology position. Villarreal made numerous unauthorized transfers from his company credit card, and then improperly accessed the company’s accounting system to delete records of those transfers. Villarreal further admitted that after he was terminated from the company, he was employed in an information technology position for a software company, where he fraudulently purchased over $470,000 worth of technology products for his own benefit.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.
Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking and Other Charges Related to the Sexual Extortion and Death of a Local Young Man
Source: US FBI
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Imoleayo Samuel Aina, aka “Alice Dave,” 27, of Nigeria entered a plea of guilty before United States District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky Monday to cyberstalking, interstate threat to injure reputation, receiving proceeds of extortion, money laundering conspiracy, and four counts of wire fraud, in connection with the sexual extortion and death of a young man in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Aina and co-defendant Samuel Olasunkanmi Abiodun, 25, were arrested on a complaint and warrant in Nigeria, taken into custody by the FBI on July 31, 2024, and extradited to the United States to face charges in this case. They and another Nigerian co-defendant, Afeez Olatunji Adewale, 25, were then charged by indictment in August 2024.
Aina is scheduled to be sentenced on August 11 and faces a statutory maximum of lifetime imprisonment.
Abiodun pleaded guilty in December to money laundering conspiracy and four counts of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10 and faces a statutory maximum of 100 years’ imprisonment.
Adewale has also been charged with money laundering conspiracy and four counts of wire fraud. He remains in Nigeria, pending extradition to the U.S.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Abington Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Brown.
Aina and Abiodun were extradited to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania with assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché in Abuja, and the FBI. The support and assistance of Nigerian security authorities was essential to this effort, notably that of Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Justice’s International Criminal Justice Cooperation Department, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.