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May 14, 2026

Former Law Enforcement Officer Sentenced in Connection With Arson and Wire and Bank Fraud Conspiracies

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal judge sentenced a former Maryland law-enforcement officer for his role in a wire-fraud conspiracy. Judge Lydia Griggsby sentenced Philip James Dupree, 42, of Pikesville, to 70 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, arson, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud in connection with schemes to defraud an insurance company and three different financial institutions.

May 14, 2026

Defense News: Michigan Guard, Liberia strengthen mortuary affairs, chaplain ties

Source: United States Army

MONROVIA, Liberia — As part of the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program, the Michigan National Guard sent Airmen and Soldiers to Liberia to participate in a military-to-military engagement with the Armed Forces of Liberia.

During a weeklong exchange, May 4-8, 1st Lt. Spencer Lawson and Master Sgt. Cameron McArthur, both assigned to the 110th Force Support Squadron at Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, Michigan, collaborated with AFL mortuary affairs personnel at the 14 Military Hospital. The team exchanged ideas and discussed mortuary affairs capabilities while working alongside partner forces to revise formal standard operating procedures.

“This was a great opportunity to learn from our partner, better understand their culture, and improve our interoperability,” Lawson said. “This type of engagement reinforces the importance of dignity, honor and respect for fallen service members of both nations.”

A two-person team, consisting of a chaplain and a chaplain assistant, also returned to Liberia to engage with the newly formed AFL Chaplain Corps. Col. Brian Martinus and Master Sgt. Chad Hollopeter, from Michigan Joint Force Headquarters in Lansing, Michigan, conducted a subject-matter expert exchange with Liberian chaplains.

Discussions focused on the role of chaplains after a service member’s death, including casualty assistance, funeral preparation, military honors and the integration of chaplain support with mortuary affairs operations.

“As Liberian chaplains continue to develop their Chaplain Corps within the Armed Forces of Liberia, a structured exchange of ideas is critical to its successful establishment,” Martinus said. “The Michigan National Guard remains committed to supporting the AFL in achieving the three core tenets of chaplaincy: nurturing the living, caring for the wounded and honoring the dead.”

Capt. Andrew Layton, bilateral affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Liberia, emphasized the value of the engagement.

“The mortuary affairs specialists and the chaplain team complemented each other, creating a well-rounded engagement between the Michigan National Guard and the Armed Forces of Liberia,” Layton said. “This military-to-military exchange provided valuable insight to both forces and further strengthened our partnership.”

The Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program pairs U.S. states with partner nations to conduct cooperative, mutually beneficial engagements across military, security and civilian sectors. The program supports regional stability, enhances interoperability and builds enduring relationships between partner forces.

Defense News: Indiana Guardsmen sharpen readiness through IRT mission

Source: United States Army

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana Army National Guardsmen with the 113th Engineer Battalion are the latest service members within the Department of War to reap the benefits of the Innovative Readiness Training program.

Soldiers in the Gary-based unit are partnering with the City of Terre Haute to demolish a roughly 60,000-square-foot building on the city’s near north side — a real-world training opportunity for Soldiers who specialize in horizontal construction and operating heavy equipment such as excavators.

Through the Innovative Readiness Training program, or IRT, government entities and nonprofits across the country can coordinate directly with military units to complete real-world projects, such as providing medical services or constructing affordable housing. Since its inception in 1993, the program has supported hundreds of projects across the United States.

The Terre Haute mission gives Hoosier Soldiers two opportunities to conduct specialized training in an urban, civilian environment. In addition to the 113th Engineer Battalion’s work to demolish the former Boys & Girls Club to make way for more housing, the state’s 19th Chemical Enhanced Response Force Package, or CERFP, Battalion will use the structure for training in June. With expertise in advanced rescue and recovery missions, they will work alongside regional partners to recover hundreds of Flat Stanleys — paper stand-ins for victims — during a simulated building collapse.

Training in an active urban environment also gives Soldiers exposure to variables and conditions that are difficult to simulate in standard training exercises, helping sharpen their readiness for real-world missions at home and abroad. Though the opportunities provided through the IRT program are vast, demolition is a unique opportunity not just for the Indiana National Guard but for the entire U.S. military.

“It is the epitome of war fighter readiness,” said Indiana National Guard Capt. Brandyn Sims, project officer with the 19th CERFP. “Our guys are going to arrive at a building that they have never heard of and never seen before… And be told that there are victims trapped inside and they have to get them out during a 24 hour, non-stop operation.”

Sims helped organize the training opportunity through IRT, which requires a robust review process among federal, state and local governments to ensure that Soldiers involved gain strong experience and training value from the project and that all participating communities and organizations meet strict program eligibility and oversight requirements.

“This provides a great opportunity for my engineers to get training on the equipment in a way that we don’t typically get to use it,” said Indiana Army National Guard Lt. Col. Derek Sutton, commander of the 113th Engineer Battalion. “Demolition is not one of our normal missions, but it is one of our objectives so this helps us stay ready.”

For the 113th Engineer Battalion, demolition involved more than daily operations. Soldiers of all ranks gained experience in site preparation, traffic and pedestrian control, infrastructure evaluations and more. While many of the National Guardsmen bring years of experience from their civilian and military careers, some Soldiers are working with new concepts and equipment.

“I have particularly enjoyed getting to train my teammates out here,” said Sgt. Alexander Sovel, a Soldier in the 113th Engineer Battalion and one of the primary excavator operators on-site. “I love standing next to them and helping them learn and experience the same experience that I have. It has just been a great experience overall to help make this project move faster too.”

Indiana Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Hector Tinoco contributed to this story.

Owner of Health Care Software Company Convicted of 1 Billion Dollar Medicare Fraud Conspiracy

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted the founder and owner of HealthSplash yesterday for his role in operating a platform that generated false doctors’ orders and prescriptions to defraud Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs out of more than $1 billion.

Photo of defendant Brett Blackman

“The Department of Justice crushed one of the most egregious fraud schemes in Florida history,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This illegitimate operation stole more than $1 billion from American taxpayers — including hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries. This was cold, calculated, industrial-scale theft targeting the sick and elderly, coercing vulnerable people into buying unnecessary medical equipment. We will not rest until every fraudster ripping off the American people is held accountable.”

“The defendant orchestrated a massive telemarketing scheme that used foreign call centers and spam mailers to target our country’s senior citizens and defraud government health care benefit programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The Fraud Division will continue to aggressively prosecute health care fraud schemes, hold criminals accountable, and protect the integrity of America’s health care system.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Brett Blackman, 42, of Johnson County, Kansas, and his co-conspirators aggressively targeted hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries to get them to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces and other items. They then arranged for purported telemedicine doctors to sign bogus prescription orders for these items, so that their co-conspirators could bill Medicare for them. All told, Blackman and his co-conspirators billed Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs over $1 billion for this unnecessary equipment.

Blackman owned, controlled, and was the CEO of HealthSplash, which acquired Power Mobility Doctor Rx, LLC (DMERx) in September 2017. DMERx was an internet-based platform that generated false and fraudulent doctors’ orders for durable medical equipment (DME) and prescriptions for other items. As part of the scheme, Blackman and his co-conspirators connected pharmacies, DME suppliers, and marketers with telemedicine companies that would accept illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for signed doctors’ orders created using the DMERx platform. Blackman and his co-conspirators took a cut for themselves in exchange for the referrals.

Photo of mansion used in defendant’s music video

“This conviction further underscores our dedication to protecting the integrity of military healthcare from large-scale exploitation,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “Fraud of this magnitude drains vital resources and jeopardizes the care promised to our service members, retirees, and their families. DCIS, alongside our partners, remains steadfast in rooting out and dismantling these schemes, ensuring every conspirator faces justice.”

“This verdict shows exactly what happens when people exploit Medicare for personal gain,” said 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). “The actions of this defendant severely undermined the integrity of the Medicare program. Working alongside our law enforcement partners, HHS‑OIG will continue to relentlessly pursue those who try to profit by defrauding federal health care programs.”

“This conviction sends a clear message that those who exploit VA programs and services for personal profit will be found and held accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Greg Wentz with the VA Office of Inspector General Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to uncover complex fraud schemes, protect veterans and taxpayers, and ensure accountability.”

The fraudulent doctors’ orders and prescriptions generated by DMERx falsely represented that a doctor had actually examined and treated the Medicare beneficiaries when, in fact, the doctors were simply paid to sign orders and prescriptions without any meaningful interaction with the beneficiary, and in some cases, no interaction at all. Doctors signed these orders and prescriptions without regard to whether the equipment was medically necessary. Testimony and evidence presented at trial from an undercover agent who posed as a Medicare beneficiary showed the scheme in action—starting with a foreign call center that pushed the undercover agent to agree to multiple braces to a doctor signing bogus orders for the braces using Blackman’s DMERx platform. The doctor’s order for one of these undercover agent beneficiaries claimed that the doctor conducted various tests that can only be performed in person even though the doctor never even spoke with the undercover agent “patient.”

The DME suppliers and pharmacies that were paying illegal kickbacks for these orders billed Medicare and other insurers for more than $1 billion. Medicare and the other insurers paid more than $450 million based on these claims. According to evidence presented at trial, Blackman and his co-conspirators concealed the scheme through sham contracts and by manipulating the doctors’ orders to avoid Medicare audits.

The jury convicted Blackman of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, and conspiracy to defraud the United States and to make false statements in connection with health care matters. Blackman’s co-defendant, Gary Cox, was convicted in a prior trial and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Blackman faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud conviction, five years for the conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks conviction, and five years for the conspiracy to defraud the United States and to make false statements in connection with health care matters conviction. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for August 26, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

HHS-OIG, FBI, VA-OIG, and DCIS investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Darren C. Halverson and Reginald Cuyler Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Trial Attorneys Shane Butland and Jennifer E. Burns assisted in the prosecution. Trial Attorney Evan N. Schlom with the Fraud Section’s Special Matters Unit provided valuable assistance.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine 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 since 2007. 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.

May 14, 2026

Defense News in Brief: 920th Rescue Wing assists in rescue of 11 survivors off Florida coast

Source: United States Spaceforce

Reserve Airmen assigned to the 920th Rescue Wing assisted in the rescue of 11 survivors from a downed civilian aircraft approximately 80 miles east of Melbourne, Florida, May 12. An emergency locator transmitter signal from a twin-engine turboprop aircraft alerted Coast Guard Southeast District watchstanders to a potential distress situation at approximately 11 a.m. Tuesday.

May 14, 2026

Defense News: US Army recovers, identifies second Soldier near Cap Draa, Morocco; search and rescue operations conclude

Source: United States Army

TAN-TAN, Morocco — U.S. Air Force pararescuemen with the 406th Air Expeditionary Wing, Moroccan military mountaineers, and Moroccan Civil Protection recovered the second of two U.S. Soldiers who went missing May 2, near the Cap Draa Training Area, during African Lion 26.

Search and rescue operations have concluded. With both Soldiers accounted for, the focus shifts to recovery and repatriation.

The combined recovery team located and retrieved the Soldier May 12 from a coastal cave roughly 500 meters from where both Soldiers reportedly entered the ocean. Challenging ocean conditions, coastal terrain and the cave’s accessibility complicated search and recovery operations throughout the effort.

The Soldier was identified as Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, of Taveres, Florida. Collington served as an air and missile defense crew member and was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.

“The loss of Spc. Collington is a profound loss for the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command,” said Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. “Her recovery closes the search for our two missing Soldiers, but our commitment to caring for their Families, friends, and teammates continues. We are grateful to the U.S. and Moroccan forces for their professionalism and support throughout the search efforts.”

More than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civil personnel participated in the search, covering more than 21,300 square kilometers across sea and littoral zones. U.S. and Moroccan forces applied integrated air, land, sea and subsurface capabilities throughout the operation, including unmanned aerial systems, rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft, surface vessels, dive teams, mountaineering teams and ground search elements. Search planners repositioned assets daily based on real-time drift analysis, weather predictions and each platform’s operational capabilities to focus efforts on the highest-probability areas.

“I can’t say enough about the extraordinary efforts of the Moroccan government, our sister services, and Allies,” said Gen. Christopher Donahue, Commanding General, U.S. Army Europe and Africa. “They were with us during a difficult time– tireless, determined, and compassionate – to aid in the search for our two missing Soldiers. Their commitment never wavered, and their willingness to do whatever it took to bring our Soldiers home to their families speaks volumes about the strength of our partnership and the character of those who serve.”

Collington entered the Regular Army’s Delayed Entry Program in 2023 before beginning active-duty service in 2024. She completed Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as a 14P air and missile defense crewmember. She reported to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, in Ansbach, Germany, in February 2025 and was promoted to specialist May 1, 2026.

During her time with Charlie Battery, Collington was known for her character and impact across her battery.

“Spc. Collington was an outstanding Soldier whose unwavering enthusiasm and positive spirit uplifted every environment she entered,” said Capt. Spencer Grider, commander of Charlie Battery, 5-4 ADAR.“Her infectious energy, whether in the office, in the field or among her peers, fostered connection and camaraderie, bringing people together through her genuine warmth and heartfelt sense of humor. Her presence will be greatly missed a cross our formation.”

Collington’s leaders emphasized the unit’s continued support to her Family, friends, and fellow Soldiers.

“Spc. Collington was a bright light in this battalion. To the Soldiers who knew her best and served alongside her each day, she was a treasured friend whose loss leaves a deep and profound void on our team,” said Lt. Col. Chris Couch, the 5-4 ADAR battalion commander. “As we hold her Family, friends, and teammates in our prayers, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the U.S. personnel and Moroccan partners who dedicated themselves to bringing her home.”

Collington’s awards and decorations include the Army Service Ribbon.

The Soldier’s next of kin have been notified. No further family details will be released at this time.

Royal Moroccan Armed Forces transported the Soldier’s remains by a Moroccan helicopter to the morgue of Moulay El Hassan Military Hospital in Guelmim, Morocco. On the evening of May 12, Moroccan and U.S. forces conducted a dignified carry at the military airport in Guelmim honoring both Soldiers. The remains of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. and Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington departed Morocco aboard a U.S. Air Force C-130J and are enroute to the United States.

The incident remains under investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.

For media inquiries, contact media@army.mil.

May 13, 2026

Justice Department Files Complaint Against D.C. Bar Disciplinary Authorities Over Their Weaponization of the Bar Disciplinary Process Against Federal Government Attorneys

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department today filed a complaint against D.C. Disciplinary Counsel Hamilton P. Fox III, the D.C. Office of Disciplinary Counsel, and the D.C. Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility over their improper use of bar discipline to regulate the official actions of Federal Government attorneys. The filing advances President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government and Presidential Memorandum on Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Courts. Specifically, the complaint seeks to nullify the D.C. Bar’s unlawful prosecution of former Assistant Attorney General Jeff Clark based on internal deliberations relating to potential fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election, which remains the subject of litigation nearly six years later.

“As our complaint and history make clear, the DC Bar has long acted as a blatantly partisan arm of leftist causes. No more,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

“President Trump promised to put an end to the weaponization of the legal process, and today’s lawsuit against the D.C. Bar makes good on that promise,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “The D.C. Bar will no longer be permitted to probe sensitive Executive Branch deliberations and target Executive Branch officials with whom they happen to politically disagree, and Federal attorneys will once again be free to share their candid legal advice with their bosses and colleagues.”

Just last week, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in support of former interim United States Attorney Ed Martin, who is seeking to have the D.C. Bar’s unlawful prosecution of him heard in a neutral Federal tribunal.

As three former Attorneys General recently recognized, the D.C. Bar’s efforts to discipline Justice Department attorneys “for making recommendations, factual assertions, and providing legal advice during confidential internal agency deliberations on law enforcement and sensitive public policy” are “improper and constitutionally impermissible.”

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward filed the complaint. The complaint is available here.

May 13, 2026

Pharaoh’s owner going to prison for 25 years for bribery, sex trafficking conspiracy and witness tampering

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Peter Gerace, 59, of Clarence, NY, was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo after a jury convicted him of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, drug trafficking and defrauding the United States, along with witness tampering, maintaining a drug involved premises and bribing a public official.

May 13, 2026

Defense News in Brief: Joint Statement for the 28th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue

Source: United States Department of War

The Department of War and South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense held the 28th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue in Washington, with U.S. and South Korean officials exchanging perspectives on policy directions that enhance the alliance’s combined defense posture.

May 13, 2026

Former Multinational Consulting Company Finance Director Convicted in Decade-Long Multi-Million Dollar Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Earlier today, at the federal court in Brooklyn, the defendant Jordan Khammar pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering for his role in a decade-long scheme to defraud a multinational media, brand management, and consulting company and steal over $7.9 million. When sentenced, Khammar faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment as well as restitution of at least $7.9 million in addition to $7.9 million in criminal forfeiture.