MIL Security Engine-1

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Setterstix Inc. and MAE-EITEL Inc. have agreed to pay, collectively, $1,757,603.65 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they obtained Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration for which they were not eligible.

In March of 2020 Congress created the PPP to provide emergency financial assistance to American small businesses suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A PPP loan was both forgivable and guaranteed by the SBA.  Among the requirements for eligibility to obtain a PPP loan and subsequent forgiveness, applicants were required to disclose and certify that the applicant, together with affiliates, did not exceed size thresholds.   

In 2020, Setterstix obtained a PPP loan after certifying that it had fewer than 500 employees. The government alleges that, at the time it applied for its PPP loan, Setterstix had more than 500 employees when accounting for employees of its parent entity and affiliated companies. Similarly, in 2021, MAE obtained a PPP loan after certifying that it had fewer than 300 employees. The government alleges that, at the time it applied for its PPP loan, MAE had more than 300 employees after accounting for the employees of its parent entity and affiliated companies. Setterstix and MAE are both part of the GESCO Group, a German-based conglomerate that acquires and holds medium-sized industrial companies.

“PPP loans were meant to help small business weather the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but too often large businesses obtained these funds through subsidiaries that failed to disclose their true size,” said U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “This office has been committed to recovering misspent money and, in 2025, more than $10 million has already been recovered from companies and entities that obtained PPP loans through false and fraudulent representations on PPP loan applications.”

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party—known as a relator—can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Verity Investigations, LLC v. Setterstix Inc.; MAE-AMERIKA GmbH, 25-cv-418 (W.D.N.Y.). The relator will receive a share of the settlement.

This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Coriell and Investigator Margaret McFarland, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel.

Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

# # # #

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Kevin Burns, 45, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 54 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Meredith A. Vacca.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who handled the case, stated that on November 5, 2024, the New York State Police executed a search warrant at the Burns’ residence in Irondequoit, because of a child pornography file he uploaded to Bing Image. During the search, electronic devices were seized, including a computer. More than 450 images of child pornography were found on the computer. Some of the images depicted violence against children and the sexual exploitation of an infant or toddler.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.

# # # #

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man currently serving a 20-year term of incarceration was sentenced yesterday to an additional 20 years in prison for leading a drug trafficking organization that was responsible for trafficking over eight kilograms of dangerous drugs in Alaska.

According to court documents, from April to December 2023, Rodney Godwin, 51, organized and operated a drug trafficking organization while under indictment for a separate drug trafficking crime. Godwin’s organization imported and distributed over 3.8 kilograms of fentanyl, 1.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1.6 kilograms of cocaine and 1.3 kilograms of heroin within Alaska. Godwin also possessed numerous firearms in connection to the drug trafficking organization.

On Sept. 12, 2023, Godwin was arrested after he failed to appear for sentencing in another federal drug trafficking case. Immediately prior to his arrest, Godwin was a passenger in a vehicle that left the area of two motorhomes he used for his drug operation. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, Godwin fled. He was apprehended later that day after a brief foot pursuit. Law enforcement officers discovered roughly $6,000 in cash on his person and a loaded handgun close to where he was arrested. He was sentenced in absentia to 20 years in federal prison earlier that day while in abscond status prior to his arrest.

Law enforcement continued their investigation and searched the vehicle. They found over $192,000 in cash, large amounts of drugs and a loaded firearm. Law enforcement also searched one of the motorhomes Godwin was using to traffic drugs and discovered large quantities of drugs and multiple firearms. Godwin continued to lead the organization from jail after he was arrested.

On May 23, 2024, Godwin and seven co-defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in this matter. On May 10, 2025, Godwin pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.  At sentencing, the Court ordered Godwin to serve his 20-year sentence consecutive to the 20-year sentence he received for his earlier federal drug trafficking conviction from 2023. In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized Godwin’s extensive criminal history, the significance of his crime and the message his sentence sends to the public. Specifically, the Court expressed that if criminals running the drug trafficking organizations targeting Alaska reoffend, there will be harsh consequences.

“Mr. Godwin has a long criminal history and chose to continue to engage in conduct that placed our community at risk, landing him in jail for nearly the rest of his life,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “This sentence should serve as a warning to offenders in Alaska that my office, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners at the federal, state and local level, will be relentless in our efforts to keep our community safe from drug trafficking and violent crime.”

“Godwin oversaw the importation and distribution of dangerous drugs into and throughout Alaska, jeopardizing public safety in a profound way,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “For his actions, he will now spend decades in federal prison. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not allow criminals like Godwin to operate with impunity in our communities.”

• Calvin Oktollik, 37, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2026.
• Miles Apatiki, 38, of Anchorage, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Apatiki’s case remains pending.
• Jennifer Godwin, 41, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty on July 11, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date.
• Andrew Akulaw, 42, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date.
• Reigna Archuleta, 40, of Anchorage, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of attempted possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and one count of carrying firearms during a drug trafficking crime. Archuleta’s case remains pending.
• David Henry, 51, of Palmer, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Henry’s case remains pending.
• Page Peak, 27, of Sterling, pleaded guilty on July 30, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date.

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case as part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Anchorage Domicile, IRS Criminal Investigation, Alaska State Troopers and U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Beausang and Mandy Mackenzie are prosecuting the case.

###

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Troy Campbell, 57, of Taylorsville, Utah, was sentenced today to 18 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud and money laundering after he engaged in a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program and the Small Business Administration by unlawfully submitting and obtaining $437,230 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan proceeds.

The COVID-19 PPP Loans were provided to small businesses for funding to meet specific obligations, including payroll and rent during the pandemic.

In addition to Campbell’s term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow ordered that he serve two years of supervised release and pay $437,230 in restitution to the victim.

According to court documents and statements made at Campbell’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, beginning in July 2020 and continuing until February 2023, Campbell, the registered agent and an owner of Salt IT Solutions LLC, a Utah business, fraudulently obtained $437,230 in PPP Loan proceeds. Campbell, who had control over SALT IT bank accounts, admitted that he submitted a PPP Loan application on behalf of SALT IT for $437,230 and received the proceeds via wire transfer after the fraudulent PPP Loan application was approved. Among other things, Campbell’s Salt IT PPP Loan Application falsely represented that SALT IT’s monthly payroll was $174,892.17 and that it had 22 employees. Campbell also submitted fake tax documents in support of the PPP Loan application that included grossly inflated wage information and, in fact, were never filed with the IRS.  

Additionally, Campbell admitted he wire transferred $75,000 in PPP Loan proceeds to another participant in his scheme.

“Mr. Campbell’s crimes impacted all taxpaying citizens and small business owners that legitimately needed pandemic-related assistance during a challenging time,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “My office, along with our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing justice to those who exploited the pandemic for their personal gain.”

“This sentencing underscores SBA-OIG’s unwavering commitment to recovering stolen taxpayer dollars” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Acting Special Agent in Charge Tim Larson. “We are thankful for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their continued dedication to ensuring justice is served.”

“Mr. Campbell enriched himself with money meant to keep Americans working during a national crisis,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. “This sentence reflects the FBI’s commitment to uncovering fraud and ensuring that those who steal from the public are held accountable.”

The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG).

Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Woolf and Mark Y. Hirata of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Defendant threatened and coerced a woman to sexually exploit a three-year-old victim

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department yesterday announced results from its six-month surge of FBI assets across the country to address violent crime in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing or murdered Indigenous persons.

The FBI sent 64 personnel, rotating in 30–90-day temporary duty assignments over a six-month period to support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Oreg.; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. The FBI worked in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions. This operation was the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date.  

“These dedicated efforts by FBI agents, together with the BIA and our tribal law enforcement partners, have solved crimes, protected victims of violence, and brought much needed safety and security to communities in Indian country,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will never forget the crime victims whose cases remain unsolved, and we will continue our pursuit until justice is served.”

“One of the biggest problems tribal communities face is the vast amount of land to account for, requiring significant resources to crush violent crime,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “As FBI Director, I’m committed to surging personnel to these areas and working hand-in-hand with Tribal partners. Operation Not Forgotten is a major step forward in giving these communities the justice that they deserve.”

FBI personnel were assisted by 36 personnel from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit (BIA MMU). Combined, those personnel provided investigative and intelligence support by assisting in over 330 investigations. BIA MMU also provided technical support and expertise through ground-penetrating radar, underwater cameras, and sonar searches.  Operation Not Forgotten contributed to the success of the FBI’s Indian Country program. In FY25 alone, the FBI’s Indian Country initiatives accomplished the following:  1260 individuals charged, 1123 arrests, 304 weapons recovered, and 458 child victims identified or located. 

“The United States Attorney’s Office in Arizona continues to bring the most cases related to crimes affecting tribal members in the country” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine.  “The national surge in resources brought much needed assets to tribal communities in a number of the twenty-two Indian reservations located throughout the state. Thanks to the continued work of our tribal, FBI, and BIA partners, Assistant United States Attorneys in our office will continue to bring justice for crime victims and their communities.”

“Agents assigned to Indian Country offices have significant caseloads and most of those cases include extremely violent crimes,” said FBI Phoenix Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Schaeffer. “The surge of resources here in Arizona thanks to Operation Not Forgotten provided our agents some additional help to move cases along quicker and served as a force multiplier with the primary goal of helping victims and ensuring that justice is served.”

In a sustained commitment to justice and public safety in tribal communities, the Arizona United States Attorneys’ Office united with the FBI during the six-month surge in Operation Not Forgotten. During the operation in Arizona, FBI personnel were assigned temporary duties at field offices in some of the most remote tribal communities throughout the state. Together, FBI agents and federal prosecutors addressed urgent law enforcement challenges, particularly crimes against women and children, crimes committed by juveniles, and missing or murdered Indigenous people in Indian Country. Additionally, agents and prosecutors worked closely with tribal law enforcement, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other community partners.

During the 2025 surge (from April 1st – September 30th), the United States Attorneys’ Office in the District of Arizona opened approximately 154 Indian Country-Violent Crime investigations, and obtained more than 73 indictments and complaints combined. Overall, Operation Not Forgotten contributed to removing violent criminals from tribal communities throughout Arizona.

Some of those defendants charged or convicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona include the following:

Kevin Ronnie Tungovia, 47, was arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a minor and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Tungovia is alleged to have provided methamphetamine to the minor during the timeframe he engaged in sexual acts with her. A federal search warrant was executed on Tungovia’s residence where agents located baggies, scales, and a pipe with residue.  Tungovia and will remain in custody pending trial.  (FBI Tucson/USAO District of Arizona)

Richard Alex Buitimea, 35, was sentenced to 10 years in prison following a conviction for one count of Possession of Child Pornography.  According to evidence presented during trial, authorities were alerted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a Google Drive account belonging to Buitimea contained possible child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Acting on this tip, agents with the FBI obtained a search warrant for Buitimea’s account and discovered over 1,000 images and 21 videos of CSAM.  (FBI Tucson/USAO District of Arizona)

Indian Country faces persistent levels of violent crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations.  

Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 760 cases in the past three years. Combined, these operations resulted in 249 arrests, 235 subjects charged, 109 subjects convicted, and services were provided to nearly 2,000 victims and victim family members.  

Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and community coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people.

RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-168_Operation_Not_Forgotten

# # #

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

DETROIT – A Grosse Pointe Park registered nurse, Travis Eskridge, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for tampering with a consumer product, specifically the Schedule II controlled substance fentanyl.  The announcement was made by United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.

Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Ronne Malham, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office.

Travis Eskridge, 54, of Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, worked as a registered nurse in the emergency room at Ascension St. John Hospital until August of 2022.  In his guilty plea Eskridge admitted that he tampered with vials containing fentanyl, a powerful narcotic pain reliever, which he knew were intended to be administered to patients in the hospital’s emergency room.  Eskridge removed fentanyl from the vials, replaced fentanyl with another liquid, and returned the tampered vials to the locked drug storage system. Eskridge did this with reckless disregard for the dangerous risk to patients that resulted from such tampering.  The defendant also admitted that he stole fentanyl vials as part of a pattern of thefts for his personal drug use from May of 2022 until August of 2022.  Nurse Eskridge was immediately removed from his position at Ascension St. John Hospital in August of 2022 when the hospital discovered the tampering and thefts.     

United States Attorney Gorgon stated, “When nurse Eskridge placed tampered vials back into the hospital’s medical supply, he exposed patients in desperate need of pain relief to continued suffering.  This is a reprehensible crime.  No medical professional should torture a patient.  I credit the hospital and the FDA investigators for their work in exposing this crime.”

“Emergency room patients trust they will be administered the pain relief drugs that the doctor ordered,” said Special Agent in Ronne Malham, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Chicago Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice healthcare professionals who violate their position of trust and jeopardize patients’ health and well-being by tampering with their pain medications.”

Travis Eskridge was sentenced by United States District Judge Susan K. DeClercq.

The case was investigated by special agents of the Food and Drug Administration.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on November 17, 2025, Jody Lynn McGuire, 52, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a time-served term of approximately 2.5 months, to be followed by a 2-year term of supervised release. On October 20, 2025, Judge Sessions sentenced McGuire’s co-defendant, Tyler Kenneth George Leavine, 34, of Dannemora, New York, to a time-served sentence of approximately 7 months, to be followed by a 2-year term of supervised release. Leavine and McGuire previously pleaded guilty to transporting illegal aliens.

According to court records, on March 26, 2025, United States Border Patrol received a tip that there was going to be a human smuggling event in Alburgh, Vermont. Upon reporting to the area, Border Patrol found a white Ford Edge with New York plates. Video footage showed several people had run to, and entered, the Ford Edge. Border Patrol stopped the vehicle; the driver was McGuire and the front-seat passenger was Leavine. In the backseat of the vehicle there were three Indian citizens who did not legally enter the United States and had no documentation allowing them to remain in the United States. Leavine and McGuire later told law enforcement they had driven to Alburgh to pick people up and were expecting to be paid for their role in transporting these individuals.

First Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn. McGuire was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon. Leavine was represented by Kevin M. Henry, Esq.

This case 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.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

EUGENE, Ore.—A Springfield, Oregon, man appeared before a U.S. District Court Judge today and pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime for assaulting a victim on the basis of their sexual orientation.

Daniel Andrew McGee, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of a Hate Crime Act Involving an Attempt to Kill.

According to court documents, on the evening of July 5, 2021, McGee met the victim at the victim’s apartment after communicating on the dating application Grindr, an application designed for, and primarily used by, gay men. McGee assaulted the victim over the course of several minutes, striking the victim on the head with a wooden tire thumper. The victim sustained life-threatening injuries during the assault, including serious head wounds.

The investigation revealed McGee had been researching and planning the attack for weeks. For at least one month prior to the attack, McGee searched the internet for homophobic and graphically violent anti-gay material. McGee planned for the attack by purchasing the weapon and other materials from Amazon and searching the internet for suggestions on how to get away with murder.

On November 18, 2021, a federal grand jury in Eugene, Oregon, returned a one-count indictment charging McGee with a Hate Crime Act Involving an Attempt to Kill.

McGee faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on March 3, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge.

As part of the plea agreement, McGee has agreed to pay restitution in full to his victim.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Eugene Police Department. Joseph Huynh, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon and Tenette Smith, Trial Attorney for the Civil Rights Division Criminal Section, are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on November 20, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Juan Pablo Espinoza-Morales, 51, of Sonora, Mexico, with knowingly bringing illegal aliens to the United States for private financial gain and improper entry into the United States. Espinoza-Morales was arraigned on November 24, 2025 before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle.

According to court records, on October 21, 2025, Espinoza-Morales was apprehended with a group of nine aliens who had unlawfully crossed the border from Canada into the United States. Espinoza-Morales attempted to flee from U.S. Border Patrol agents when they first encountered the group, and he was apprehended approximately one hour later. Investigators subsequently determined that Espinoza-Morales had lead the group across the border for pay.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Espinoza-Morales is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Espinoza-Morales faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum sentence of up to fifteen years’ imprisonment, if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

First Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.

The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney David Golubock. Espinoza-Morales is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sam Ansell.

This case 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.