Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Fort Pierce, Florida – Carmen Mercedes Lineberger, 62, of Port St. Lucie, has been indicted in federal court for two counts of theft of government money or property, valued less than $1,000.00; destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations; and concealment, removal, or mutilation of public records.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, two criminal complaints were unsealed charging Cornelius Shannon and Arturo Hernandez with violations of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which was enacted one year ago and prohibits the nonconsensual publication of AI-generated digital forgeries (deepfake) pornography. Shannon and Hernandez allegedly posted thousands of images and videos that appeared to depict real people nude and/or engaging in sexual acts. The victims included actresses, singers and political figures. Hernandez also posted hundreds of depictions of non-public figures appearing to engage in sexual acts. Hernandez was arrested today in Bedias, Texas, and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. Shannon was arrested today in New Jersey and will appear this afternoon in Brooklyn before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Cross-Goldenberg.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Two Canada-based steel companies, Farjess Inc. and Royal Canadian Steel Inc., along with their part-owner and president, Feroz Jessani, have agreed to pay $19 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly and improperly failing to pay duties owed on flat-rolled steel that was manufactured in Europe and Asia.
“Import duties serve an important role in protecting our national interests generally and the American steel industry in particular,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will zealously pursue anyone who fraudulently evades the duties owed on steel products imported into this country.”
“Our border is the frontline of American industry. Approximately half of all U.S.-Canada land trade flows through our district.” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan. “And we will continue to protect our businesses from foreign fraudsters,”
“This settlement underscores the United States’ strong commitment to enforcing trade laws and maintaining the integrity of our supply chains. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is proud to have supported the Department of Justice in this cross-border investigation, ensuring that all duties owed to the government are collected and that fair competition is preserved,” said Acting Director Jonathan Restivo of Center of Excellence and Expertise (CEE), Base Metals. “This case sends a clear message that CBP, in partnership with our federal counterparts, will continue to uphold the rule of law and protect the interests of American businesses and consumers.”
“Since 1789, the United States has imposed tariffs and collected customs duties on imports to fund government operations, provide public services and protect American industry,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of Homeland Security Investigations’ Detroit field office. “This record-setting settlement underscores HSI’s commitment to protecting American manufacturers and consumers from unfair trade practices and ensuring the integrity of our nation’s economic policies.”
To enter goods into the United States, an importer must declare, among other things, the country of origin of the goods, the value of the goods, whether the goods are subject to duties, and the amount of duties owed. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects applicable duties.
The settlement resolves allegations that, from May 2019 through January 2025, Farjess Inc., Royal Canadian Steel Inc., and Feroz Jessani avoided duties owed to the United States by knowingly misrepresenting to CBP that the country of origin of certain flat-rolled steel was Canada or the United States, when in fact they knew the true country of origin was China, Indonesia, Italy, Turkey, or Vietnam.
The settlement resolves a civil lawsuit filed by Shamsh Dhala, a broker who worked with Farjess Inc., under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of Michigan and is captioned United States ex rel. Dhala v. Royal Canadian Steel Inc. et al., No. 2:23-cv-12097 (E.D. Mich.). As part of today’s resolution, Mr. Dhala will receive approximately $3,610,000 of the settlement proceeds.
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The Civil Division coordinated this action through the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, a cross-agency law enforcement effort. The Task Force was created to leverage all of the Department’s tools and authorities to prevent trade fraud that deprives the government of vital revenue, threatens critical domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and weakens national security. The Task Force is designed to pursue enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy. The Justice Department encourages whistleblowers to alert the government to credible allegations of fraud, including utilizing the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act or through the Department’s Corporate Whistleblower Program at CorporateWhistleblower@usdoj.gov using the form available here.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of the Associate Chief Counsel, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Justice Department’s Office of Foreign Litigation.
The matter was handled by Trial Attorney James Nealon and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Postulka for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) hosted ONDCP Director Sara Carter and federal and state law enforcement agencies to discuss Path to Zero, a United States Postal Inspection Service law enforcement initiative to continue fighting drug trafficking in the Caribbean and the Homeland Security Task Force Initiative.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The Justice Department announced today that a former corrections officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) in Rusk, Texas, pleaded guilty for his participation in a conspiracy to assault an inmate in his custody, identified by initials M.S., on Feb. 25, 2025. Samuel Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of violating 18 U.S.C. § 241.
“This former corrections officer engaged in a conspiracy to beat and injure a man in his care and custody,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Today’s conviction reinforces the Justice Department’s commitment to protect victims from state officials who abuse their power.”
“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that corruption by those entrusted with public safety will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas. “Correctional officers hold positions of tremendous responsibility and authority, and when that trust is abused, it undermines the integrity of our justice system and jeopardizes the safety of inmates and staff. Nobody is above the law, and this office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute corruption wherever it occurs.”
According to his plea agreement, Thomas acknowledged that he was on duty as a TDCJ correctional officer when he opened the door of inmate M.S.’s cell and allowed other conspiracy members to strike and injure M.S. to retaliate against M.S. for spitting on Thomas two days earlier. M.S. suffered bodily injury as a result of the actions of Thomas and the other conspiracy members.
Thomas pleaded guilty on May 19 before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to his plea agreement, Thomas faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Dallas Field Office, Tyler Resident Agency, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan Jackson and Emil Mikkelsen for the Eastern District of Texas and Trial Attorney Sarah Armstrong of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
TUCSON, Ariz. – Marc Anthony Giron, 26, of Tucson, was sentenced on May 5, 2026, by U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 96 months in prison. Giron previously pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JEREMIAH MILLS, (“MILLS”), age 28, was sentenced on May 12, 2026, by Chief United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter, after previously pleading guilty to a four-count indictment. Count One charged MILLS with Hobbs Act Robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951(a). Count Two charged MILLS with discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(iii). Count Three charged MILLS with attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951(a). Count Four charged MILLS with felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, Florida – Esequiel Maldonado (47, Texas) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Orlando, Florida – Alex Robert Cookshott (56, Palm Bay) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Cookshott pleaded guilty on December 17, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The Justice Department announced today that a New Jersey man was charged with making interstate threats to a Jewish organization located in New York, NY.
Cameron Patterson, 34, of Newark, New Jersey, was indicted on May 18 for transmitting interstate threats to injure the person of another. According to court records, Patterson sent three emails threatening physical harm to a New York-based Jewish non-profit organization on Oct. 6, 2024. The individuals who received these emails feared for their safety and reported the communications to law enforcement officers. A subsequent search of Patterson’s iCloud account revealed multiple images depicting or referencing violence, threats of violence, and mass shootings. Patterson, who was previously charged by complaint and released, will be arraigned on a date to be determined.
The charge of transmitting a threat in interstate or foreign commerce carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of the FBI Newark Field Office with the investigation leading to these charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Millenky for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.