Source: United States Department of War
The War Department announced the 25 vendors invited to compete in Phase I of the Drone Dominance Program, an acquisition reform effort designed to rapidly field low-cost, unmanned one-way attack drones at scale as part of strengthening America’s Arsenal of Freedom.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A New York man pleaded guilty today to participating in a scheme to launder more than $8 million in health care fraud proceeds through a U.S. bank on behalf of a transnational criminal organization (TCO). This marks the first time the Health Care Fraud Unit has charged and convicted a former bank employee for conspiring to launder health care fraud proceeds.
According to court documents, Renat Abramov, 36, of Brooklyn, a former relationship manager at a U.S. bank branch in Sheepshead Bay, used his position to aid a sophisticated international scheme uncovered by Operation Gold Rush. Abramov, a dual citizen of the United States and Azerbaijan, was a member of a TCO that allegedly submitted more than $10 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims by stealing the identities of over one million Americans, including elderly and disabled citizens in all 50 states.
As alleged in charging documents, the TCO exploited the U.S. financial system using a range of tactics to circumvent internal controls at multiple banks. Abramov helped execute the scheme by opening bank accounts for individuals – many not lawfully present in the United States – who posed as owners of fake medical equipment companies using fake corporate registration documents. The bank accounts were used to deposit fraudulently obtained insurance checks, which appeared legitimate because they came from Medicare and established insurance companies. Once deposited, members of the TCO transferred the money into offshore accounts and cryptocurrency.
Abramov pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.
Assistant Chiefs Kevin Lowell and Shankar Ramamurthy, along with Trial Attorneys Leonid Sandlar, Sara E. Porter, and Andres Q. Almendarez of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Ocala, FL – Danny Anzardo (46, Ocala) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The court also ordered Anzardo to forfeit the stolen jewelry seized from Anzardo at the time of his arrest. Anzardo pleaded guilty on September 19, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Orlando, Florida – Keith Oelerich (62, Apopka) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Julie S. Sneed to five years and five months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $17,964,680, the proceeds of the wire fraud offense. Oelerich pleaded guilty on September 22, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Lori Zeno, the former executive director of a legal services non-profit organization (the Organization), pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for her role in a scheme to embezzle money from the Organization. The proceeding was held before United States Chief Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon. When sentenced, Zeno faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment as well as restitution and monetary penalties.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Michael Alfonso, and the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging MICHAEL ZAYAS in connection with the January 14, 2026, daytime shooting during which ZAYAS fired a gun 10 times in the vicinity of Kelly Playground in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Cadale Lamar Carson, 34, of Mary Ester, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Today the Department of Justice announced the launch of the CLEU remission fund to compensate victims of an alleged “pump-and-dump” investment fraud scheme that resulted in charges against seven individuals.
“This was a coordinated act of both social and market manipulation,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendants allegedly made millions by setting a trap for unsuspecting investors, many of whom lost their life savings. Today’s announcement demonstrates the Department’s commitment to use forfeiture remedies to take the profit out of crime and to compensate victims as quickly as possible.”
“As alleged in the indictment and forfeiture complaint, the defendants defrauded U.S. investors through deceitful and coordinated trading activities,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our attorneys and staff in this case placed a high priority on recovering funds for victims. The large forfeiture order of more than $200 million should serve as a warning that federal law enforcement will aggressively pursue fraudulent profits from those who seek to prey upon investors by manipulating the U.S. stock market.”
“Despite the overwhelming manipulation as alleged in this case, this serves as one of the premier FBI investigations in which the federal government was able to successfully recover victims’ hard-earned money before it disappeared into overseas bank accounts,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “This elaborate fraud scheme boasting bogus profit potentials has caused extensive harm to unsuspecting Americans. The FBI will continue to work with our partner networks to ensure that justice is served against anyone who seeks to weaponize financial systems to gain personal profit.”
According to the allegations in a March 2025 indictment in the Northern District of Illinois, from Nov. 2024 to Feb. 2025, seven individuals allegedly engaged in a “pump-and-dump” scheme whereby individuals in China posing as U.S.-based investment advisors on social media and messaging platforms falsely promised significant returns from investments in CLEU, a company that purported to provide educational services in China. The false and misleading promotion and coordinated trading caused the NASDAQ-listed stock price to artificially rise. The defendants then sold thousands of shares and made millions in profits. The stock price ultimately decreased significantly, at the expense of other investors, some of whom lost almost the entirety of their investment. CLEU has since been delisted from NASDAQ. The defendants are not in custody and warrants have been issued for their arrests.
In May 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois civilly forfeited over $200 million in assets traceable to the CLEU scheme. These funds are now available to compensate victims for their eligible losses. The department has retained Kroll Settlement Administration (Kroll) to serve as the Remission Administrator for this matter.
Victims who incurred financial losses related to the CLEU scheme may be eligible for remission payments from the forfeited assets. The Remission Administrator has established an official website at https://www.CLEUremissionfund.com/. Once the Petition Form is made available online, those individuals, their attorneys or estates of deceased victims may file a petition to claim their losses. Any victims who have previously provided their information to the FBI or United States Attorney’s Office will be contacted by the Remission Administrator to file a petition. Victims may also call, email or write to the Remission Administrator to request that a Petition Form be sent to them. For more information about the remission process, please visit the official website at https://www.CLEUremissionfund.com/ or contact Kroll at 1-833-754-8247 toll-free.
Special Agent Joseph Holzman and Victim Specialist Amanda Zarobsky of the FBI spearheaded the investigation and identification of thousands of victims. The Boston Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the SEC’s Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten for the Northern District of Illinois represents the government in both the criminal prosecution and civil forfeiture cases with valuable assistance from the office’s victim witness coordinator, Celia Mendoza.
The Department of Justice, through the Asset Forfeiture Program, works diligently to compensate victims of crime. Since 2000, the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF), which oversees the Asset Forfeiture Program’s victim compensation program, has successfully used its specialized expertise to return more than $12 billion in forfeited assets to victims of crime. MNF Senior Attorney Advisor Carly Diroll-Black with MNF’s Program Management and Training Unit is leading the remission process.
The Remission Administrator and the Department of Justice will not ask for any payment to participate in this remission process. Please be cautious of any individual or organization claiming to represent the Remission Administrator or the federal government in this matter. If you are a victim, any communications will come directly from the Remission Administrator or from government representatives with whom you have already had contact.
PSA: FBI Warns of the Impersonation of Law Enforcement and Government Officials https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA250418
How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-government-impersonation-scam
An indictment is merely an allegation. 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
Baltimore, Maryland – A 39-year-old Pasadena, Maryland, man will serve more than a decade in prison in connection with child sexual exploitation charges. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Andrew Joseph Stilling, Jr., to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 30 years of supervised release.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Jeremiah D. Jackson, age 22, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 60 months in federal prison following his convictions for distribution of fentanyl and possession and transfer of machine guns.