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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

MOBILE, AL – A Daphne woman was sentenced to 93 months in prison for wire fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and violation of federal supervised release conditions.

According to court documents, Ramie Renee Freeman, 56, submitted fraudulent documents to a car dealership in Daphne to secure financing for the purchase of a vehicle in March 2025. The fraudulent documents included a forged receipt for nonexistent monthly social security benefits and an altered annulment order from the Circuit Court of Knox County, Tennessee, which claimed that Freeman received monthly alimony payments when she did not. Based on these fraudulent representations, which the dealership transmitted via an interstate wire communication, a financing company in Texas approved an automobile loan and Freeman took possession of the vehicle.

Separately, Freeman admitted that between January and May 2025, she falsely held herself out as an attorney and accepted payments from victims purportedly to assist them with an uncontested divorce. In April 2025, Freeman forged the victims’ signatures and mailed bogus divorce paperwork, along with a check drawn on Freeman’s bank account, to the Baldwin County Courthouse in Bay Minette. When the check bounced, a court employee called Freeman, who lied about being a lawyer. The package that Freeman fraudulently mailed contained the victims’ names, addresses, dates of birth, and social security numbers, which the victims had not authorized Freeman to send.

In May 2025, federal agents executed a search warrant at Freeman’s apartment in Daphne. There, agents located the vehicle that Freeman fraudulently purchased and documentation regarding Freeman’s frauds. Freeman told agents that she had resumed her fraud schemes because it is difficult for a person convicted of felony frauds to find legitimate work. At the time of her crimes, Freeman was on federal supervised release for prior fraud convictions in the Southern District of Alabama in 2022. Freeman also has prior federal fraud convictions from the District of New Hampshire in 2009 and 2011, as well as multiple fraud convictions in various New Hampshire state courts.

Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Freeman to a total of 93 months in prison, consisting of 57 months for the crimes she committed in 2025, followed by an additional 36 months for violating her supervised release conditions. Upon her release from prison, Freeman will serve a three-year term of supervised release, the first six months of which she must serve at a halfway house. While on supervised release, Freeman will be subject to drug testing and will receive mental health treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Chief Judge Beaverstock ordered Freeman to pay $300 in special assessments and $3,800 in victim restitution.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

The United States Secret Service, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the Daphne Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Roller and George May prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PLANO, Texas – A Richardson man has been sentenced to prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Sir Darius Lamar Edmondson, 23, pleaded guilty to possession of stolen mail and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of $3,391.31 by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on December 15, 2025.

According to information presented in court, on October 30, 2023, Edmondson was found in possession of stolen mail.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Morris.

 

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

LAREDO, Texas – Two men have entered guilty pleas to trafficking at least 534 weapons along with numerous magazines and large amounts of ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Emilio Ramirez Cortes, 48, a Mexican citizen who legally resides in Albertville, Alabama, and his son, Edgar Emilio Ramirez Diaz, 23, also of Albertville, have now admitted to smuggling of goods from the United States and trafficking firearms.

On Oct. 23, two vehicles, which appeared to be driving in tandem, approached the Juarez-Lincoln Port of Entry in Laredo. Ramirez Diaz drove a Chevrolet Tahoe, while his father was following in a Chevrolet Silverado. Both vehicles were hauling enclosed white box utility trailers. The Tahoe had an Alabama license plate while the other truck and two trailers had Mexican plates.

At initial inspection, Ramirez Diaz admitted he was traveling with his father. Both men claimed they were not hauling any firearms, weapon parts, ammunition or currency over $10,000.  

Following a positive K-9 alert, law enforcement conducted a search and found false walls in both trailers which resulted in the discovery of approximately 534 firearms, 31,482 rounds of ammunition, 525 magazines, 40 scopes, four lasers, 10 rifle slings and other related items.  

As part of their pleas, the men admitted they were smuggling the weapons and accessories. They also acknowledged they had done so on multiple occasions. 

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, both men face up to 15 years for trafficking firearms as well as another 10 years for smuggling of goods from the United States. Both convictions carry as possible punishment a $250,000 maximum fine.

The father and son have been and will remain in custody pending that hearing. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Customs and Border Protection; and Department of Commerce – Bureau of Industry and Security (Office of Export Enforcement) conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

An extradited Jamaican citizen was sentenced today to 63 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for participating in a long-running scheme to defraud an elderly California woman.

According to court documents, Dwayne Anderson, 36, of Hannover, Jamaica, undertook a scheme to defraud an American woman from 2010 until 2017. Using fake names, Anderson contacted the victim by telephone, text message, and email and falsely informed her that she had won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes. The defendant persuaded the victim to send money to pay various purported fees and taxes associated with the alleged winnings. He also carefully instructed the victim how to make the payments, including having her send money to an individual in South Dakota. In furtherance of the scheme, Anderson repeatedly contacted the victim with additional requests to pay money and falsely told her that her winnings would be forthcoming so long as she paid the requested amounts. In total, the victim paid Anderson over $181,000.

In September 2025, Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Anderson was arrested on July 11, 2024, by Jamaican authorities based on a U.S. indictment and was extradited to the United States. At sentencing, Anderson was ordered to pay more than $181,075 in restitution.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Ronald A. Parsons Jr. for the District of South Dakota; and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group made the announcement.

The USPIS investigated the case.

Assistant Chief J. Matt Williams and Trial Attorneys Brandon J. Robers and Edward E. Emokpae of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson for the District of South Dakota prosecuted this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Jamaica to secure the arrest and August 2024 extradition of Anderson. The Department of Justice further acknowledges the assistance of the Jamaica Constabulary Force in this matter.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian Wood, Special Agent in Charge, Diplomatic Security Service, New York Field Office, announced that MARLON DAMIAN WHITE, also known as Damian Marlon White, 47, a citizen of Jamaica last residing in Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to making a false statement in a U.S. passport application.

According to court documents and statements made in court, White was admitted to the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident in 1995.  In subsequent years, he was convicted of various offenses, including a state conviction in New York for assault in the second degree, and a federal conviction in the Southern District of New York for a narcotics distribution offense for which he was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment.  After his federal conviction, White lost his status as a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. and, in February 2006, was deported to Jamaica.

White returned to the U.S. and, on May 6, 2024, used a false name, false birth date, and false place of birth to apply for a U.S. passport in Hartford.  During the application process, White provided a counterfeit birth certificate and driver’s license falsely representing that he was born in and resided in California. 

Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for March 10, at which time White faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  He has been detained since his arrest on October 9, 2025.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ST. GEORGE, Utah – Blake Floyd Cozzens, 36, of Cedar City, Utah, was sentenced today to 25 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud and bank fraud for embezzling money from homeowners associations, property owners, and tenants, as well as fraudulently obtaining money from a bank and a company that provided property-management software.  

In addition to Cozzens’s term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Shelby, imposed a term of four years of supervised release and ordered he pay $2,168,640 in restitution to the victims.

According to court documents and admissions made at Cozzens’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, from January 2020 to January 2025, Cozzens was the property manager for multiple HOAs and property owners in Iron County, Utah. Cozzens defrauded HOAs, property owners, and tenants by embezzling $586,300 he was responsible for safekeeping and diverting the funds for his own use. He also submitted fraudulent deposits to an online application that helps manage properties. The California corporation that offers the application lost $210,000 due to Cozzens’s fraudulent conduct.

Cozzens also defrauded a bank in Las Vegas by presenting seven cashier’s checks totaling $1,414,000 to Las Vegas casinos in exchange for markers, i.e., credits to gamble. After gambling, Cozzens then falsely reported to the bank that he had lost the checks, causing the bank to stop payments to the casinos. Cozzens caused the bank to lose $1,395,673.

“For over five years, Cozzens abused his position as a property manager to steal and cheat people and businesses to fund his gambling lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “As homeowners struggle with affordability, the last thing they need to worry about is that their hard-earned money paid to HOAs will be stolen from those entrusted to serve them.”

“When individuals in trusted roles commit financial crimes, they harm the very communities they are meant to serve.  The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to investigate fraud and ensure justice for victims,” stated Glen Henderson, Inspector in Charge of the Phoenix Division.

The case was investigated jointly by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Cedar City Police Department, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Stephen P. Dent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a North Chesterfield man today on charges of health care fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from at least July 2013 through July 2019, George Nathaniel Boykins, 43, was a Qualified Mental Health Professional authorized to bill Medicaid for Mental Health Skill-Building Services (MHSS). From at least January 2014 through July 2019, Boykins caused his employers to submit false and fraudulent Medicaid claims for MHSS services that were not actually provided.

“The United States holds the provision of healthcare services as a paramount priority,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Through apathy and avarice, George Boykins’ misconduct – billing Medicaid for services he never delivered – robbed vulnerable Virginians of vital care and siphoned resources meant to serve them.”

“Today’s conviction should send a strong message to those providers who put greed in front of patient care,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Alongside our law enforcement partners and with steadfast dedication, HHS-OIG will continue to pursue those who commit health care fraud and steal from federal programs.”

Boykins reported that he provided in-person MHSS services in Richmond despite having been outside the United States on the dates he falsely represented he had provided those services. While working for multiple employers, who were unaware of his employment with other service providers, Boykins reported providing services for different Medicaid recipients on the same dates and times. On one occasion, while Boykins was under investigation, Boykins billed Medicaid for in-person services he claimed to have provided at the same time he was being interviewed by law enforcement.

Boykins faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 10 additional years in prison when sentenced on April 8, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea Gibbons and Robert Day are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-24.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Guatemalan national, Bayron Leopoldo Perez Batres, 63, residing in Beltsville, Maryland, made his initial appearance today in U.S. federal court in the District of Maryland and is charged with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.

According to the indictment, Perez Batres unlawfully reentered the United States after having been removed on three separate occasions — in January 1996, September 2009, and May 2010. He had not received consent from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States, as required by law.

If convicted of illegal reentry, Perez Batres faces a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Matthew Thiman and Sean F. Mulryne of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney LaShanta Harris for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.

The investigation and indictment were coordinated and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). JTFA also leads and supports U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the prosecution of crimes related to unaccompanied alien children (UACs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 425 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 375 U.S. convictions; more than 325 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.

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