MIL Security Engine-1

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – An El Salvadoran national, unlawfully residing in Chelsea, was sentenced on Oct. 3, 2025 in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.

Juan Carlos Gil-Ochoa, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to a time served sentence (approximately five months). The defendant is now subject to deportation proceedings. In August 2025, Gil-Ochoa pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. In June 2025, Gil-Ochoa was indicted by a federal grand jury. He was arrested by immigration authorities on May 12, 2025.

Gil-Ochoa was deported from the United States to El Salvador on April 29, 2013. Sometime after his April 2013 removal, Gil-Ochoa illegally reentered the United States without permission. On May 12, 2025, he was arrested by immigration authorities in Chelsea.  

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston; and Chelsea Police Chief Keith E. Houghton made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – An Alabama-based doctor pleaded guilty on Oct. 1, 2025 in federal court in Boston to a $6 million telemedicine fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME) and genetic testing primarily used to detect mutations in genes that could indicate a higher risk of developing certain types of cancers.

Tommie Robinson, 43, pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Jan. 14, 2026. Robinson was charged in August 2025.

Between December 2018 and March 2021, Robinson worked with telemedicine companies to sign medical documentation, including doctors’ orders, for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment and genetic testing. The orders Robinson signed were pre-populated based on telemarketing calls made to Medicare beneficiaries. Robinson generally did not contact the beneficiaries himself and had no medical relationship with the beneficiaries. DME suppliers and laboratories ultimately submitted claims to Medicare for these signed orders. As a result of Robinson’s participation in this scheme, over $6 million in claims were submitted to Medicare for DME and genetic testing that were medically unnecessary, based on false documentation and tainted by kickbacks.  

The charge of health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Robert Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Kelly M.  Lawson, Acting Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; and Patrick Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigation Service, North East Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Alexandra Brazier and Lindsey Ross of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Units are prosecuting the case.
 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man has been charged for allegedly assaulting a woman by dragging her beneath a moving vehicle, causing serious bodily injuries.

According to court documents, on September 14, 2024, Thurman Allen Paz, 46, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, and Jane Doe were in a vehicle when Paz began to strike her in the face and head. Jane Doe attempted to get out of the vehicle while it was moving and was dragged underneath. As a result, Jane Doe sustained serious bodily injuries.

Paz is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted of the current charge, Paz faces up to 10 years in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – A Los Angeles man who formerly resided in Randolph, Mass. was sentenced on Oct. 1, 2025 in federal court in Boston for submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of multiple companies he owns and controls.  

Rindal Pierre-Canel, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun to two years’ probation. In June 2025, Pierre-Canel pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. The defendant was arrested and charged in January 2025.  

Between March 2021 and May 2021, Pierre-Canel submitted three fraudulent applications seeking and receiving over $50,000 in PPP funds. Two of the applications were submitted in Pierre-Canel’s own name and the third application was submitted using the stolen personal identifying information of a victim. The submissions included false representations about the existence and income of businesses and included false tax documents in support of these false representations. Pierre-Canel used the funds he received from the fraudulent PPP loan applications on personal expenses, including flights to California and purchases of designer clothing.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Cambridge (Mass.) and Hermosa Beach (Calif.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division 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

ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man has been charged with child abuse after firing a weapon near his two young children and placing them in a situation that endangered their lives. 

According to court documents, on August 26, 2025, Emilio Morales, 24, a non-Indian, went to a residence located within the exterior boundaries of the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation. Upon arrival, Morales fired a weapon into the air multiple times and forced entry into the home. Once inside, he took his two-year-old son from his crib while armed and threatened to harm himself in front of the child. Morales then seized his four-year-old daughter and continued making threats of self-harm. When officers arrived on scene, Morales demanded that they shot him while he was holding his daughter. The children’s safety was secured after a brief standoff.

Both children are enrolled members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe.

Morales is charged with child abuse and will remain in custody pending trial. If convicted of the current charges, Morales faces up to three years in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – A Dominican national, unlawfully residing in Chelsea Mass., was sentenced on Sept. 30, 2025 in federal court in Boston for selling five kilograms of fentanyl to an undercover agent after unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.

Luis Alberto German-Peguero, a/k/a “Alberto Chirry,” 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In June 2025, German-Peguero pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl,and one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien. 
    
German-Peguero is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and, in November 2020, was removed from the United States following a state drug trafficking conviction in Plymouth Superior Court, for which he served more than one year in prison.

Sometime after his removal, German-Peguero unlawfully reentered the United States. On March 22, 2023, German-Peguero sold five kilograms of fentanyl to an undercover agent in Peabody. German-Peguero was subsequently arrested in Newton on April 14, 2023 and determined to be unlawfully present in the United States.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.  

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Waltham pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Oct. 1, 2025 in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.

Kevin Elizar Reyes-Andres, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to time served (approximately three months). The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. Reyes-Andres was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025.

Reyes-Andres was deported from the United States to Guatemala on Feb. 27, 2019. Sometime after his February 2019 removal, Reyes-Andres illegally reentered the United States without permission. On May 19, 2025, he was arrested by immigration authorities in Waltham. On that date, a car stop was initiated. Reyes-Andres fled and was later observed getting into another vehicle, attempting to flee again on foot before being apprehended.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Waltham Police Chief Kevin O’Connell made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Defendant, a known member of the Gangster Disciples, extorted victims while incarcerated in state prison

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – A Lowell man was arrested and charged on Oct. 1, 2025 for allegedly distributing cocaine base (crack cocaine).

Marc Sanchez, 31, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The defendant made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Oct. 1, 2025 and remains detained in federal custody.

According to court filings, Sanchez was allegedly dealing crack cocaine out of his residence in a large apartment complex in Lowell. Specifically, it is alleged that on Sept. 17, 2025, a cooperating witness arranged to meet Sanchez at his apartment to purchase an ounce and a half of crack cocaine. It is also alleged that at the time of meeting Sanchez was observed meeting with an unknown drug supplier in a car outside his apartment building to acquire powder cocaine. Sanchez then allegedly returned to his apartment with the cooperating witness, where Sanchez “cooked” the powder cocaine into crack cocaine, separated and weighed the substance, and then sold it to the cooperating witness. It is further alleged that Sanchez used phone numbers and cars registered in other people’s names to deal crack cocaine. According to court documents, there are at least four outstanding arrest warrants for Sanchez in connection with open criminal cases in Derry District Court in New Hampshire, and in Boston, Lawrence and Lowell District Courts in Massachusetts.

The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Greg C. Hudon, Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Billerica, Haverhill, Methuen, North Andover and Salem (Mass.) Police Departments and the Manchester, New Hampshire Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in New Bedford was sentenced on Oct. 1, 2025 in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

Manuel Ruiz Luis, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia Kobick to six months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In June 2025, Ruiz Luis pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. In May 2025, Ruiz Luis was indicted by a federal grand jury.

Ruiz Luis was first deported from the United States to Guatemala in April 1996 and reentered the United States illegally sometime thereafter. Ruiz Luis was removed from the United States a second time on March 28, 2012. Sometime after his March 2012 removal, Ruiz Luis illegally reentered the United States without permission.

Prior to his 2012 removal, Ruiz Luis had multiple criminal convictions including one charge of operating under the influence and four separate charges of operating a motor vehicle without a license.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.