MIL Security Engine-1

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, of Madison, Mississippi, was charged by superseding indictment Monday, Feb. 10, with civil rights and arson offenses related to the burning of the Beth Israel Congregation and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life building.

According to court documents from his arrest, Pittman is alleged to have used gasoline to set fire to the religious building in the early morning hours of Saturday, Jan. 10. The fire resulted in extensive damage to a significant portion of the building and rendered it inoperable for an indefinite period time.

“The Department of Justice will not tolerate attacks on houses of worship,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This superseding indictment shows that we will investigate and we will prosecute such vicious attacks that strike at the core of our country’s long tradition of religious liberty.”

“I applaud our law enforcement partners for their swift response to this heinous act of hate-fueled violence,” said U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi. “We Americans should not fear for our safety because of our faith. Yesterday’s superseding indictment demonstrates our commitment to that cause.”

According to its website, the Beth Israel Congregation was founded in 1860, and it has operated in its present location since 1967. On Sept. 18, 1967, the then-new temple on Old Canton Road was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan. The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life provides services to Jewish communities in 13 states and comprehensive religious school programs to 70 Jewish congregations and offers traveling rabbinical services.

Pittman was charged in the three-count indictment with violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(i), which prohibits arson of property used in interstate commerce or used in an activity affecting interstate commerce, Title 18, United States Code, Section 247, which prohibits damaging or destroying religious real property because of the character of that property, and Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(h), which prohibits the use of fire during the commission of a federal felony.

The FBI, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Jackson Police Department, and Jackson Fire Department are investigating the case.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner for the Southern District of Mississippi and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Taylor Payne.  

A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Darryl Dacota Riley, Jr, 39, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that reached across the United States and sold PCP, cocaine, and fentanyl in the 2900 block of Knox Place in Southeast D.C.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WASHINGTON – This week, the Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) held a hearing to discuss the dangers of rising anti-Semitism from the perspectives of students, teachers, and Jewish leaders. The hearing included panels with testimony from graduate students, coaches, university administrators, and relatives of Holocaust survivors, as well as individuals who experienced religious liberty issues in the private sector and employment contexts. It also included testimony from Justice Department and Civil Rights leaders on the front lines of combatting anti-Semitism through the legal system. The hearing’s objectives aimed to understand the ideologies behind anti-Semitism, recognize present threats to religious liberty in the private sector and employment, and identify opportunities to secure religious liberty in these contexts for the future.

“Religious liberty is our first and foundational freedom,” said Chairman Dan Patrick. “Physical violence is the ultimate deprivation of this freedom. In recent years, our Jewish brothers and sisters have increasingly been faced with hostility and physical violence in their houses of worship and communities—as recently as this weekend, when a driver repeatedly rammed his car into a peaceful gathering at a Brooklyn Chabad. This is un-American and unacceptable. Following President Trump’s lead, the Religious Liberty Commission will be fully considering this issue to ensure that all Americans enjoy the full freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment.”

The witnesses included:

Yitzchok Frankel: Plaintiff in Frankel v. Regents of the University of California

In the wake of the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, anti-Jewish protests emerged on college campuses nationwide. At UCLA, activists set up an encampment and enforced a “Jew Exclusion Zone,” segregating Jewish students and faculty and preventing them from attending class or accessing campus spaces. UCLA’s administration ordered police to stand down allowing the activists to wreak havoc on campus through the 2024-25 academic year. Three Jewish UCLA students and a Jewish UCLA professor sued UCLA in federal court. After battling the suit for more than a year, UCLA ultimately agreed to a permanent court order and paid more than $6 million in damages and fees. 

Shabbos Kestenbaum: American Jewish Activist, Political Commentator

Kestenbaum is an American Jewish activist who filed a lawsuit against Harvard University over accusations that the school had failed to protect Jewish students from anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination.

Rabbi Ari Berman: President, Yeshiva University

Berman is a global faith leader, distinguished scholar, and educational visionary who is shaping contemporary discourse at the intersection of faith, ethics, and higher education. As the fifth president of Yeshiva University, Dr. Berman has anchored the university on the twin pillars of academic excellence and values-based education, guiding it into a new era of growth and innovation as a global leader in higher education.

Coach Bruce Pearl: Founder, Jewish Coaches Association

The all-time winningest coach in Auburn men’s basketball history, head coach Bruce Pearl has made the program into a national power by leading the Tigers to a pair of Final Fours, five Southeastern Conference Championships and six NCAA Tournament appearances in 11 seasons. Pearl is a Founder and Senior Advisor of the Jewish Coaches Association, a non-profit organization working to foster the growth and development of individuals of the Jewish faith at all levels of sports, both nationally and internationally.

Leo Terrell: Chair of DOJ’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights 

Terrell is an American civil rights attorney and former talk radio host who has frequently appeared on Fox News programs. Previously a Democrat, in a July 2020 interview, he declared his support for President Donald Trump—the first time he declared support for a Republican Party presidential candidate. In January 2025, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to appoint Terrell as Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division in the United States Department of Justice, where he currently serves as the Chair of the Department’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism.

Dr. Elizabeth Spalding: Author, Lifelong Educator, and Religious Liberty Advocate

A lifelong educator and frequent public speaker, Spalding is a Visiting Fellow at Hillsdale College’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government in Washington, D.C. She is a Senior Fellow at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy and serves as the Chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation where she is also Founding Director of the Victims of Communism Museum. Spalding has taught on subjects ranging from the American presidency, religion and politics, and comparative ideologies to U.S. foreign policy, national security, and international relations. Her expertise is regularly sought for documentaries, podcasts, and other media outlets. She also serves on the Board of the Institute on Religion and Democracy.

Dr. Moshe Glick: Member of Congregation Ohr Torah in West Orange, New Jersey

Glick is a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and respected community leader in West Orange, New Jersey, who was unfairly charged with assault after coming to the aid of someone attacked by pro-Hamas protestor in November 2024. Last month, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy pardoned Glick, wiping away state charges and ending his baseless prosecution. The Justice Department filed a civil complaint under the FACE Act against entities and individuals who targeted Ohr Torah synagogue in West Orange, New Jersey, during the November 2024 incident that escalated into violence.

Liat Cohen-Reeis: Founder, The Jewish-Christian Alliance

Cohen-Reeis is a Jewish leader in the San Diego area who founded an interfaith organization to bring together Christians and Jews for worship and fellowship.

Pastor JC Cooper: Pastor, The Mission Church, San Diego

Cooper is the Associate Pastor of the Mission Church, which has locations in Carlsbad, Encinitas, Cardiff, Del Mar, and Rancho Santa Fe. His church community was targeted by violent protests after hosting joint Jewish-Christian worship events.

Seth Dillon: CEO, The Babylon Bee

Dillon is the CEO of The Babylon Bee, a fast-growing news satire site that has overtaken The Onion in traffic and engagement. Taking on the tone of a traditional news media publication, the Bee satirizes real-world events and public figures. Dillon’s experience with censorship and deplatforming has placed him on the front lines of the battle for free speech in the public square. He now speaks on college campuses and at conferences across the country about the effectiveness of humor, the moral imperative of mockery, and the dangers of censorship.

John Mertens: Acting Deputy Chief, Education Section for the Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice

John P. Mertens joined the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice in September 2025, after nearly twenty years as a litigator in private practice. He has represented civil rights plaintiffs on issues from political expression to freedom of consciousness. In July 2025, he completed a second term as president of the Board of Trustees of the largest synagogue by membership in the State of Utah.

Fr. Thomas Ferguson: Pastor, Good Shepard Parish

Father Thomas Ferguson is the pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Alexandria, Virginia. He is the author of Catholic and American: The Political Theology of John Courtney Murray.

Rabbi Meir Soloveichik: Rabbi, Congregation Shearith Israel

Meir Y. Soloveichik is Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel- the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States, the Director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University, and a Senior Scholar at the Tikvah Fund. He graduated summa cum laude from Yeshiva University, and received his Phd in religion from Princeton University. Rabbi Soloveichik’s recent book is Providence and Power: Ten Portraits in Jewish Statesmanship.  Much of his writing and academic work focuses on the American Founding, and the unique story and role of religion in the United States. His podcasts include Bible365, a daily study of the Hebrew Bible that completes all of Jewish scripture in a year, and Jerusalem365, which tells the 4,000 year history of Jerusalem. In 2018 Rabbi Soloveichik was awarded the Canterbury Medal for his work on behalf of religious liberty by the Becket Fund.

Ambassador Sam Brownback: Former Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom, Former Governor of Kansas

Sam Brownback formerly served as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom and continues to work with coalitions around the globe to promote and protect the fundamental human right to religious liberty. Brownback was the 46th Governor of Kansas. He was first elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. He left office after being confirmed to the position of Ambassador-at-Large in January 2018. Prior to becoming governor, Brownback served in a number of elected government offices in Kansas. After one term in the House of Representatives, he served as Senator for Kansas from 1996-2011, having first won a special election to fill the seat left vacant by Bob Dole (R). Brownback began his political career in 1986 when he became the youngest individual to be the Secretary of Agriculture in the state’s history. During his tenure as Secretary, Brownback did double duty as a White House Fellow under the administration of George H.W. Bush. Brownback is a licensed attorney, having graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law.

Lacey Smith: Former Alaska Airlines Employee

In February 2021, Alaska Airlines posted an internal company message announcing its support for the “Equality Act,” a controversial bill that, among other things, would gut protection for people of faith under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Employees were invited to comment on the post, to which Smith respectfully expressed her concerns with the bill. Her post was swiftly deleted, work schedule paused, and within a month, Smith was fired. Since then, Smith has chosen to speak out and continue the fight for religious freedom.

Hermione Susana: Hospitality Worker, New York City

Susana is lifelong New Yorker who built a career as a hospitality industry worker. She was working in three different premium stadium and arena venues when her living was jeopardized because her religious beliefs were not accommodated in the face of corporate and city vaccine mandates.

Watch the hearing HERE.

The Religious Liberty Commission was established by President Trump under Executive Order 14291 and is tasked with producing a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America, increasing awareness of and celebrating America’s peaceful religious pluralism, highlighting current threats to religious liberty, and developing strategies to preserve and enhance protections for future generations.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Jacksonville, Florida – Erwin Phillips Burley (37, Jacksonville) has been charged by federal indictment with two counts of sex trafficking by means of force, fraud, and coercion, two counts of enticement to engage in prostitution, and seven counts of interstate transportation of a person with the intent that the person engage in prostitution. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

An 18-count superseding indictment has been unsealed charging 20 alleged members and associates of a violent Houston-based street gang for their purported roles in a racketeering conspiracy (RICO) involving murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, drug trafficking and firearms offenses

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

An 18-count superseding indictment was unsealed yesterday in the Southern District of Texas charging 20 defendants – all alleged Free Money gang members and associates from Houston – with federal crimes, including racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, murder and attempted murder in aid of racketeering, Hobbs Act Robbery, and related firearm and drug offenses.

According to court documents, members and associates of Free Money, a violent, Houston-based street gang, used violence and intimidation to control their territory and retaliated against rival gang members, including by conducting numerous drive-by shootings, and raised money through drug trafficking and robberies.

“This twenty-defendant indictment alleges that the Free Money gang terrorized the streets of Houston with drive-by and calculated shootings, often in public places like grocery store parking lots, putting countless lives in danger,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These brazen tactics show the wide-ranging danger posed by violent gangs. The Criminal Division will continue to prioritize investigations and prosecutions of violent gang members so that innocent Americans get what they deserve – their communities restored and their lives unencumbered by the fear and carnage that these gangs perpetuate.”

“The indictment unsealed yesterday alleges that the Free Money gang engaged in a campaign of robbery, drug trafficking, and armed violence to intimidate their rivals and terrorize the people of Houston,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). “That ends now. Houstonians should be able to live their lives without fear of either themselves or their loved ones being robbed, maimed, or caught in the crossfire of gang warfare. SDTX’s message on this point is clear and unmistakable: if you’re thinking of engaging in violent, criminal conduct on a Houston street, think again.  The Southern District has your number.”

“The sheer number of murders and shootings these individuals are suspected of freely carrying out for years, and the level of indiscriminate violence they’re accused of executing is alarming,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson of the FBI Houston Field Office. “Yesterday’s coordinated arrests across Houston are the result of years-long investigations by our FBI Houston team and our partners. We hope the residents of the Houston neighborhoods they terrorized can rest a little easier knowing that these individuals are free no more.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 24, 2022, in broad daylight, surveillance video captured defendants Terry Ardoin, 24, and Travonte Ardoin, 28, as they followed a Chevrolet Equinox into a shopping center parking lot. The driver of the Equinox entered a nearby store while the passenger remained in the vehicle. When the driver returned, the video showed the Ardoins exiting their vehicle wearing masks and opening fire on both individuals. Multiple rounds struck the Equinox’s passenger compartment, killing the passenger. 

Surveillance Video of Defendants

Free Money members hunted for rival gang members throughout Houston and were indiscriminate when they attacked. For instance, on Aug. 3, 2022, defendant Shakeil Anderson, 23, and other Free Money members allegedly drove past and shot repeatedly into the home of the grandmother of a perceived rival gang member.

The gang allegedly financed the buying of guns and provided money to jailed fellow gang members through robberies and drug sales. For example, on June 3, 2024, defendant Walter Tolbert, 21, and other Free Money members allegedly stole jewelry, Sony PlayStations, and money from a pawn store, robbing the store employees at gunpoint.

The gang also targeted rival gangs for robberies. On Aug. 14, 2022, Free Money members and associates attempted to rob a rival gang member’s drug stash house and kill the inhabitants. Defendants Joci Barley, 26; Terrel Davis,28; Walter Tolbert; Shakeil Anderson; Jakobe Anderson, 24; Chase Franklin-Williams, 21; Terry Adroin; Travonte Ardoin; Deandre Thompson, 22; Emery Goodley, 26; Jymonte McClendon, 28; and Maurkael Brown, 31, allegedly planned the robbery of the drug stash house while at a Free Money meeting during which they avowed to “kill and do everything they needed to do” to rob the drugs and money they believed were in the house even knowing that the house was likely occupied. Luckily, law enforcement was able to stop the home invasion while the robbers were driving to the stash house location. During the police chase, Travonte Ardoin threw a gun out of his car window.

The gang allegedly also trafficked in crack cocaine, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. As alleged, defendant Orlando Calloway, 52, supplied crack cocaine to the gang by cooking cocaine the gang ordered.

FBI and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Texas Department of Public Safety.

Trial Attorney Ralph Paradiso of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Brown for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Houston. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas have partnered, along with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes gang members and associates have committed through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute violent offenders and prevent further violence.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Two foreign nationals participated in a $10 million scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare and private insurers for nonexistent health care services, according to an indictment returned in federal court in Chicago.

In 2023 and 2024, Burhan Mirza and Kashif Iqbal, along with several co-schemers, used nominee-owned laboratories and durable medical equipment providers to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare and private health care benefit programs for items and services that were not provided, the indictment states. Mirza, 31, is a Pakistani native who resided in Pakistan and obtained the identifying information of individuals, providers, and insurers without their knowledge and used the information to support the bogus claims submitted on behalf of the nominee-owned companies, the indictment states. Iqbal, 48, is a Pakistani native who resided in Lavon, Texas, and was allegedly associated with a number of durable medical equipment providers that submitted fraudulent claims to insurers. Iqbal also laundered fraud proceeds obtained by the co-schemers and coordinated the transfer of money obtained through the scheme to Pakistan, the indictment states.

“Rooting out fraud is a priority for this Justice Department, and these defendants allegedly billed millions of dollars from Medicare and laundered the proceeds to Pakistan,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “These alleged criminals stole from a program designed to provide health care benefits to American seniors and the disabled, not line the pockets of foreign fraudsters. We will not tolerate these schemes that divert taxpayer dollars to criminals.” 

“Every fraudulent submission in this case was a hand in the pocket of a senior citizen or disabled person who relies on Medicare to fund critically important care,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “The defendants didn’t just steal from a government program; they stole from taxpayers who fund the promise of healthcare in this country. The newly established Healthcare Fraud Section in the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop bad actors from draining public and private programs—especially those in the healthcare fraud space that would make it harder for legitimate patients to receive care.”

“Each fraudulent claim submitted by the defendants deprived other deserving patients from necessary medical resources and cost taxpayers their hard-earned money,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “The FBI, along with our network of investigative and prosecutorial partners, will bring to justice those who engage in egregious fraudulent schemes at the expense of the American public.”

“This scheme was built on a foundation of lies — fraudulent claims for services that were never provided and a deliberate effort to funnel millions of dollars overseas,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “These actions not only siphon funds from federal health care programs and private insurers but also undermine the integrity of programs meant to serve vulnerable patients. Our agency will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to dismantle these schemes and ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

The indictment charges Mirza with 12 counts of health care fraud and five counts of money laundering. Iqbal is charged with 12 counts of health care fraud, six counts of money laundering, and one count of making a false statement to U.S. law enforcement. Arraignments in federal court in Chicago have not yet been scheduled.

Three alleged co-schemers were previously indicted as part of this investigation and have pleaded guilty to federal health care fraud charges. Mir Akbar Khan, 57, of West Chicago, Illinois, recruited and managed individuals, including Fasiur Rahman Syed, 47, a citizen of India who resided in Chicago, to pose as the nominee owners of the purported medical businesses that Mirza and Iqbal used in their false submissions to Medicare. Navaid Rasheed, 43, a citizen of Pakistan who resided in Plano, Texas, admitted that he tracked payments of false claims in the United States to the nominee-owned companies, as well as disbursement of the fraud proceeds to the co-schemers. Khan, Syed, and Rasheed are awaiting sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes for the Northern District of Illinois is prosecuting the case.

An indictment merely contains accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Devan Caulk, 21, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was sentenced today to fifteen years in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release for producing child pornography.  He must also register as a sex offender.  Caulk pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement in October 2025.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Rebecca Ann Folley, aka Becca Waters, 49, of Honolulu, Hawaii was sentenced yesterday to seven months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release for threatening to kill Presidents Biden and Trump.  Folley, who was incarcerated since her arrest on April 3, 2025 until November 6, 2025, received time served for her sentence.  Her supervised release conditions include mandatory mental health and drug treatment.  Folley pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement in October 2025.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SAN DIEGO – A federal jury today convicted Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas, a Mexican national in the country illegally, of drug and firearms crimes. Orizaba was working for the drug trafficking organization implicated in the fatal shootings of a husband and his pregnant wife, who were also members of the same drug trafficking organization but wanted out and had spoken to federal agents.