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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal criminal complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte today, charging Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., 34, with a federal crime in connection with the fatal attack of Iryna Zarutska on the city’s light rail system. Brown is charged with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.

“Iryna Zarutska was a young woman living the American dream — her horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I have directed my attorneys to federally prosecute DeCarlos Brown Jr., a repeat violent offender with a history of violent crime, for murder. We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence — he will never again see the light of day as a free man.”

“The brutal attack on Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte Light Rail was a disgraceful act that should never happen in America,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI jumped to assist in this investigation immediately to ensure justice is served and the perpetrator is never released from jail to kill again. I want to thank Attorney General Bondi for her pursuit of today’s federal charges, which are the first step toward delivering justice for Iryna and her family – as well as the millions of Americans who deserve to live in our great American cities free from being targeted by violent criminals.”

According to allegations in the affidavit filed with the criminal complaint:

On August 22, 2025, at approximately 9:55 p.m., officers with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) responded to a call for service related to an assault that occurred on the Lynx Blue Line light rail in Charlotte. Callers indicated that a woman had been stabbed by a male. Responding officers located the victim inside the rail car. The victim, subsequently identified as Iryna Zarutska, had sustained fatal stab wounds. A pocketknife and other items were collected from the scene.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage that showed the victim entering the light rail car and sitting down in the row in front of Brown. Approximately four minutes later, Brown pulled a knife from his pocket and unfolded it before striking the victim three times from behind. Following the attack, Brown walked away from the victim. Responding officers located Brown on the light rail platform and he was arrested.

“This brutal attack on an innocent woman simply trying to get to her destination is an attack on the American way of life,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Of course, crimes like this affect the victim the most—Iryna deserves justice, and we will bring justice to her and her family. But crimes like this also affect everyone who relies on mass transportation to get to and from work and go about their daily lives, and federal charges are necessary to protect the public and ensure confidence in our transportation systems.”

If convicted, Brown faces a maximum statutory sentence of life in prison or death. Ultimately, his sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI is investigating the case with the assistance of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Odulio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

The charges against Brown are allegations and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Defendant Used Ransomware to Attack Hundreds of Victims Worldwide; Proactive Law Enforcement Action Led to Prevention and Decryption

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Skyler Philippi, 24, of Columbia, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to destroy an energy facility.

“For months, Philippi planned what he had hoped would be a devastating attack on Nashville’s energy infrastructure. He acquired what he believed to be explosives, surveilled his target, and equipped a drone to attack an electrical substation. Motivated by a violent ideology, Philippi wanted ‘to do something big.’ Instead, the FBI disrupted his plans, and Philippi now awaits sentencing,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division and the FBI will continue to protect our Nation’s critical infrastructure from would-be saboteurs.”

“Our office is fully committed to thwarting dangerous attacks motivated by hate,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “I commend the agents who investigated this conduct and stopped this attack from victimizing our community. I commend the prosecutors who held the defendant accountable for his terrible actions.”

“Skyler Philippi planned to attack an energy facility with a drone containing explosives, which had the potential to knock out power to thousands of American homes and to critical facilities like hospitals,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Through rigorous investigation, his plan was disrupted. Protecting our communities from threats to public safety is a priority for the FBI, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who attempt to damage critical infrastructure and threaten our national security.”

According to court documents, in June 2024, Philippi communicated to a confidential human source (CHS) that he wanted to commit a mass shooting at a YMCA facility located in or around Columbia, Tennessee. In July 2024, Philippi told another CHS about the impact of attacking large interstate substations and said that attacking several substations would “shock the system,” causing other substations to malfunction. Philippi researched previous attacks on electric substations and concluded that attacking with firearms would not be sufficient. Philippi, therefore, planned to use a drone with explosives attached to it and to fly the drone into the substation. Philippi said that his plan was to fly a drone with explosives attached to it into the electric substation, that he preferred to build a drone himself to avoid law enforcement detection, and that he wanted to attach TATP (Triacetone Triperoxide, a high-energy explosive material) or C-4 explosive material to the drone.

In August 2024, Philippi told an undercover employee (UCE) that he had written what he called a “manifesto” outlining his desire to attack “high tax cities or industrial areas to let the kikes lose money,” and about his previous affiliation with Atomwaffen Division and the National Alliance.

In September 2024, Philippi conducted reconnaissance of a specific electric substation. Philippi ordered a plastic explosive composition known as C-4 and other explosives from the UCEs. Philippi purchased black powder to be used in pipe bombs, which Philippi intended to use during the attack on the substation. Philippi texted: “if you want to do the most damage as an accelerationist, attack high economic, high tax, political zones in every major metropolis.” Referring to the substation, Philippi stated, “Holy sh**. This will go up like a fu**in fourth of July firework.”

On Nov. 2, 2024, Philippi met the undercover employees at a hotel and participated in a Nordic ritual, which included reciting a Nordic prayer and discussing the Norse god Odin. Philippi told the UCEs that “this is where the New Age begins” and that it was “time to do something big” that would be remembered “in the annals of history.” Philippi and the UCEs drove to the operation site. The UCEs moved to their assigned positions as lookouts for Philippi. Law-enforcement agents arrested Philippi. When he was taken into custody, Philippi was at the rear of the vehicle, with the drone powered up, and the explosive device was armed and located next to the drone. Philippi was prepared to attach the explosives to the drone when he was arrested.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2026. Philippi faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Nashville Field Office is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department today announced a settlement with Norfolk Southern Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company (together, Norfolk Southern) to resolve allegations that Norfolk Southern delayed Amtrak passenger trains on Amtrak’s Crescent Route in violation of federal law by failing to give Amtrak trains preference over freight trains. As a result of the settlement, the Justice Department has moved to dismiss its lawsuit against Norfolk Southern.

As part of the settlement, Norfolk Southern agreed to provide all Amtrak trains the highest priority; train its employees to give priority to Amtrak trains; require supervisor approval for any dispatching decision that does not give priority to Amtrak trains in non-emergency situations; and provide records regarding delays suffered by Amtrak trains traveling on the Crescent Route controlled by Norfolk Southern. Norfolk Southern has also pledged to assist the Justice Department in determining the root cause of any delays to Amtrak Crescent Route trains. Norfolk Southern’s Vice President of Compliance will annually certify that Norfolk Southern is in compliance with the agreement and its obligations under the law to provide Amtrak trains preference.

“Americans traveling by train are entitled to trips free from delays caused by railroads failing to give Amtrak preference over freight trains,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The settlement reached today, as well as Norfolk Southern’s improved performance on Amtrak’s Crescent Route, demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting everyday American train passengers.”

The Crescent Route, operated by Amtrak (also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corporation), is a 1,377-mile passenger line that stops at 33 cities and towns connecting rural areas in Virgina, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana to each other and larger cities. Norfolk Southern controls 1,140 miles of rail line on the Crescent Route and handles dispatching for all trains along that segment. Approximately 304,000 passengers traveled on the Crescent Route during 2024 and year-over-year ridership has increased so far in 2025.

According to the complaint filed on July 30, 2024, federal law requires all rail carriers that contract with Amtrak to provide Amtrak passenger trains preference over freight trains. The complaint alleges that Norfolk Southern regularly failed to do so, leading to widespread delays to train passengers.

Since the Justice Department filed its complaint, passengers traveling on the Crescent Route have experienced widespread improvements. From 2024 to 2025, the number of delay minutes incurred by Amtrak’s Crescent trains has declined by 53%.

Trial Attorneys Max Goldman, Paulina Stamatelos and Oliver McDonald of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are handling the case.

For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department announced today that a federal court has entered a consent order that remedies North Carolina’s failure to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). The successful resolution of the case is another step toward achieving the mandate in President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14248 entitled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” to ensure that elections are being held in compliance with federal laws which guard against illegal voting, unlawful discrimination, and other forms of fraud, error, or suspicion.

In the lawsuit filed on May 27, the United States alleged that North Carolina, in violation of HAVA’s mandate and clear Congressional intent, used a State voter registration form that did not require a voter to provide identifying information such as a driver’s license number or last four digits of a social security number. When the lawsuit was filed, it is estimated that at least 100,000 voters did not have the required identifying information on North Carolina’s registration rolls. As of early September, that number has decreased as North Carolina engages in remedial actions to comply with HAVA.

“Unsuccessful intervenors showed breathtaking hubris when they made alarmist accusations against the Department of Justice, and yet claimed credit for the very relief that the Department actively pursued in the complaint,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Nevertheless, we are pleased with the progress North Carolina has made and will continue to make as it cleans up its registration rolls, as required by federal law.”

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently obtained a judgment imposing more than $1.1 million in civil penalties, fines, damages, and fees against 12 defendants who collaborated in a nationwide scheme to defraud vulnerable homeowners facing foreclosure.

On Aug. 28, following an eight-day trial on the USTP’s complaint, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana entered judgment against NVA Financial Services LLC; its president and sole member, Steven Nahas; Karen Kisch, the defendants’ managing attorney; and nine associates involved in the business. The court found “overwhelming evidence” that the defendants carried out a scheme in which homeowners were “shunted into frivolous pro se bankruptcy cases” so that the defendants could continue billing the homeowners under the pretense of gaining time to negotiate loan modifications. The USTP introduced evidence at trial showing that the scheme resulted in at least 186 abusive bankruptcy filings.

“This judgment makes clear that those who abuse the bankruptcy system to exploit struggling homeowners will be held accountable,” said Acting Director Ramona D. Elliott of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees. “The USTP will remain vigilant to root out schemes that threaten the integrity of the bankruptcy system.”

The USTP’s complaint arose out of a chapter 13 bankruptcy case filed by a homeowner from West Monroe, Louisiana, who had sought mortgage assistance to avoid a foreclosure sale. The homeowner paid a $1,100 retainer for what he believed was legal representation, followed by multiple $500 monthly payments debited from his bank account. The defendants’ local counsel in Louisiana, who the homeowner believed was representing him, never communicated with him or provided any assistance. Instead, with the foreclosure sale date approaching, an NVA associate sent the homeowner a bare-bones bankruptcy petition — listing the mortgage lender as the only creditor — and told him how to file it on his own. The bankruptcy court dismissed the petition a month later for failure to provide proof of required pre-bankruptcy credit counseling and failure to pay the filing fee.

The defendants continued to debit the homeowner’s bank account for “loan modification services” while pressuring him to file another bankruptcy case. After the homeowner received notice of a rescheduled foreclosure sale, he hired a local bankruptcy attorney, but the defendants repeatedly urged him to fire the attorney and allow them to continue to “work his file.” The homeowner’s new attorney reopened the bankruptcy case and eventually negotiated a mortgage loan modification for the homeowner.

In an opinion accompanying the judgment, the bankruptcy court concluded that each of the 12 defendants had abused multiple sections of the Bankruptcy Code governing bankruptcy petition preparers, debt relief agencies, and attorneys, resulting in at least 186 abusive bankruptcy filings nationwide. While trying to hide their involvement in the fraudulent scheme, the defendants tried to earn as much money as possible and often abused the bankruptcy process.

Along with imposing $1.1 million in monetary relief, the court temporarily suspended Kisch and the defendants’ local counsel in Louisiana from practicing before the bankruptcy court and referred them to attorney disciplinary authorities for violations of professional conduct rules. Two associates involved in the business were referred to disciplinary authorities as well for their unauthorized practice of law.

The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 88 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.   

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Eight members of the violent transnational criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, pleaded guilty today to charges stemming from a multi-year racketeering conspiracy that included multiple murders and acts of witness tampering. The defendants—identified as Walter Antonio Chicas-Garcia, 28, aka “Mejia,” Wilson Jose Ventura-Mejia, 29, aka “Discreto,” Miguel Angel Aguilar-Ochoa, 40, aka “Darki,” and Marlon Miranda-Moran, 26, aka “Chinki,”—are all citizens of El Salvador and were unlawfully residing in Houston, Texas at the time of the offenses.

According to their plea agreements, Chicas-Garcia, Ventura-Mejia, and Aguilar-Ochoa will each be sentenced to 50 years of imprisonment while Miranda-Moran will be sentenced to 35 years of imprisonment.

“These defendants carried out brutal murders in the name of MS-13, killing victims with machetes, baseball bats, and their bare hands, and then sending photos of the victims’ bodies to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendants committed these unthinkable acts to maintain their status in a gang that spread fear in local neighborhoods and targeted those brave enough to cooperate with law enforcement. Today’s guilty pleas send a powerful message that the Justice Department will aggressively pursue and hold accountable MS-13 members who use violence and murder to terrorize our communities.”

On August 11, four additional MS-13 members—Defendants Luis Ernesto Carbajal-Peraza, 33, aka “Destino,” Edgardo Martinez-Rodriguez, 35, aka “Largo,” Carlos Alexi Garcia-Gongora, 27, aka “Garcia,” and Wilman Rivas-Guido, 29, aka “Inquieto” —also pleaded guilty to the same racketeering conspiracy. All four are citizens of El Salvador and were residing in the Houston area. The parties stipulated to a sentencing range of 40 to 45 years of imprisonment for Carbajal-Peraza, and 45 to 50 years for Martinez-Rodriguez, Garcia-Gongora, and Rivas-Guido.

According to court documents and statements made in court, MS-13 is a violent international street gang involved in a variety of violent criminal activities across the United States, including Texas, Virginia, Maryland, New York, and California. MS-13 also has a large international presence in El Salvador and Honduras. To protect MS-13’s power, reputation, and territory, members and associates must use intimidation and violence, including murder and assault with deadly weapons, such as machetes.

As part of their plea agreement, the defendants admitted to being members of MS-13 and participating in a criminal enterprise responsible for multiple murders, extortion, drug trafficking, robbery, and obstruction of justice in and around the Houston, Texas area from 2017 through 2018. High-ranking MS-13 leaders based in El Salvador ordered and approved of the murders, sometimes listening by phone as MS-13 members carried out the murders. MS-13 members participated in the murders to increase or maintain their own position within MS-13’s ranks. MS-13 targeted the murder victims because they were believed to be members of rival gangs, cooperating with law enforcement, or working against MS-13’s interests. MS-13 members committed the murders using machetes, a baseball bat, and strangling. After the murder, MS-13 members sent photos of the victims’ bodies to high-ranking MS-13 members in El Salvador, sometimes further mutilating or dismembering the victim’s body before sending the photos.

According to their plea agreements, Chicas-Garcia, Ventura-Mejia, and Aguilar-Ochoa will each be sentenced to 50 years in federal prison while Miranda-Moran will receive a 35-year-term of imprisonment. Martinez-Rodriguez, Garcia-Gongora, and Rivas-Guido have agreed to a term from 45-50 years, while Carbajal-Peraza is expected to receive 40-45 years of imprisonment.

Sentencing hearings for all eight defendants are scheduled to take place later this year. A federal district court judge will consider the sentencing stipulations and impose any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Galveston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, the United States Marshal Service, and the Texas Office of the Attorney General led or contributed to the lengthy and complex investigation of this case.

Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Keri Fuller, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Britni Verdeja for the Southern District of Texas are 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A California man was sentenced today to 51 months in federal prison for his role in laundering more than $36.9 million from victims in an international digital asset investment scam conspiracy that was carried out from scam centers in Cambodia. The court also ordered him to pay $26,867,242.44 in restitution to victims.

“The defendant was part of a group of co-conspirators that preyed on American investors by promising them high returns on supposed digital asset investments when, in fact, they stole nearly $37 million from U.S. victims using Cambodian scam centers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Foreign scam centers, purporting to offer investments in digital assets have, unfortunately, proliferated.  The Criminal Division is committed to bringing to justice those that steal from American investors, wherever the fraudsters may be located.”

“This defendant will spend years in federal prison for participating in a conspiracy in which victims lost tens of millions of dollars, starting with the simple step of responding to unsolicited messages on their phones,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The public should always remember to be vigilant and wary of strangers marketing promising investment opportunities. Your retirement fund or children’s college money may depend on it.”

Shengsheng He, 39, of La Puente, California, a former co-owner of the Bahamas-based Axis Digital Limited, pleaded guilty in the Central District of California to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business on April 7. 

According to court documents, He was part of an international criminal network that induced U.S. victims to transfer funds to accounts controlled by co-conspirators who then laundered victim money through U.S. shell companies, international bank accounts, and digital asset wallets.

As part of the conspiracy, co-conspirators residing overseas would contact U.S. victims directly through unsolicited social media interactions, telephone calls, text messages, and online dating services to gain the victims’ trust. The co-conspirators then promoted fraudulent digital asset investments to the victims. Scammers would tell victims that their investments were appreciating in value when, in fact, the funds the victims sent to the scammers had been stolen. More than $36.9 million in victim funds were transferred from U.S. bank accounts controlled by the co-conspirators to a single account at Deltec Bank in the Bahamas, opened in the name of Axis Digital Limited. He and other co-conspirators directed Deltec Bank to convert victim funds to the stablecoin Tether (USDT) and to transfer the converted funds to a digital asset wallet controlled by individuals in Cambodia. From there, co-conspirators in Cambodia transferred the USDT to the leaders of scam centers throughout the region including in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

Eight co-conspirators have pleaded guilty so far, including Daren Li, a national of China and St. Kitts and Nevis who has been in U.S. custody since April 2024, and Lu Zhang, a Chinese national illegally in the United States who managed a network of U.S.-based money launderers. Li and Zhang each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on Nov.12, 2024, and May 13, 2024, respectively.

He co-founded Axis Digital with defendant Jose Somarriba. Chinese national Jingliang Su joined Axis Digital as a director and participated in the digital asset conversions and transfers of victim funds. Somarriba and Su each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business on April 14, and June 9, respectively.

USSS’s Global Investigative Operations Center is investigating the case. The Homeland Security Investigations’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Dominican National Police, and U.S. Marshals Service provided valuable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maxwell Coll and Alexander Gorin of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, Nisha Chandran of the Major Frauds Section, and Trial Attorney Stefanie Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted this case.

CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.

If you or someone you know is a victim of a digital asset investment fraud, report it to IC3.gov.