MIL Security Engine-1

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

LAS VEGAS – A North Las Vegas resident who has prior felony convictions was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 10 years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release for possession of a machine gun, possession of six firearms, and possession of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute that methamphetamine to another person. The government recommended a prison sentence of 130 months and five years of supervised release.

According to court documents, in April 2023, Harold Wesley Snowten IV, also known as “Insane,” unlawfully possessed six firearms, including a Taurus G2c 9x19mm pistol that had a loaded 17-round high-capacity magazine; a MasterPiece Arms Defender 9x19mm pistol that had a loaded 30-round high-capacity magazine; a Smith & Wesson 9x19mm pistol that had a loaded 16-round high-capacity magazine; a SCCY CPX-2 9x19mm pistol that had a loaded 32-round high-capacity magazine, as well as several other magazines. Furthermore, Snowten admitted that in addition to the ammunition found in the firearms and various magazines, he possessed more than 500 other rounds of ammunition. Snowten has prior felony convictions including unlawful possession of cocaine base for sale and felon in possession of a firearm, all in San Diego, California. In addition to the firearm charges, Snowten admitted that he possessed with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.

Snowten pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession of a machine gun, one count of a prohibited person in possession of firearms, and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge John Westerfor the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, San Francisco Field Division made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the ATF and the North Las Vegas Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuted 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.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Houston, Texas man was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison for his role in the “jugging” robbery of an ATM technician, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.  A “jugging” robbery is a type of theft where thieves follow a victim as they service or withdraw cash from ATMs or banks and then rob them.

Corey Dashun Holloway, 30, of Houston, Texas pled guilty in September 2025 to the felony charge of interference with commerce by robbery relating to his role in the July 3, 2024, robbery of an ATM technician.  Today, United States Senior District Judge David Godbey sentenced him to 87 months in federal prison.  Holloway is the third defendant to be sentenced in this case.  

Also indicted with Holloway were Houston residents Johnny Juwan Clark, Tierra Toneisha Brandyberg, and Roosevelt Ford Valentine.  Court records reflect that Clark, Brandyberg, Holloway, and Roosevelt have been linked to a Houston-based criminal organization called the “Hiram Clarke Money Team.”  HCMT members are known to routinely travel to areas outside of Houston and engage in “jugging” style robberies and other forms of theft.

According to court documents, Holloway admitted that, during the early morning hours of July 3, 2024, he traveled from Houston, Texas to the Dallas metroplex in a rental car with the intent to commit robbery.  Holloway further admitted that after arriving in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, he followed an ATM technician to multiple stops as the technician repaired ATMs in Irving, Grand Prairie, Arlington, and ultimately, Midlothian, Texas.  At approximately 5:35 p.m. on July 3, 2024, Holloway approached the ATM technician as he was servicing an ATM at a Chase Bank located in Midlothian, Texas.  Clark, Holloway, and Valentine were wearing a hoodies and face coverings to disguise their appearance.  Clark approached the technician from behind and forced him to the ground.  Clark kept his fist to the back of the victim’s head as cannisters containing United States currency were removed from the ATM by Holloway and Valentine. Approximately $260,000 in United States currency was taken during the robbery.  

 

Court records reveal that after the robbery, Holloway and two of his codefendants fled from the Chase Bank in the rental car and met codefendant Tierra Tonisha Brandyberg at an apartment complex near the bank. The stolen money was loaded into a Range Rover and driven back to Houston, Texas.  Evidence presented in court showed that, two days after the robbery, a jewelry store in Houston posted a video on social media of Holloway in the store in possession of large quantities of cash and purchasing a diamond Rolex, a diamond necklace and other jewelry, as depicted below: 

At the time of the Chase Bank robbery, Holloway was serving a probation sentence in Collin County, Texas for aggravated robbery and engaging in organized criminal activity.  At today’s sentencing hearing, United States Senior District Judge David Godbey ordered that Holloway’s federal sentence run consecutive to any state sentence imposed in Holloway’s Collin County cases.

Two of Holloway’s codefendants have also been sentenced to terms of imprisonment in federal prison.  Codefendant Tierra Toneisha Brandyberg was sentenced to 41 months on November 3, 2025.  Codefendant Johnny Clark was sentenced to 96 months on August 4, 2025.  On December 2, 2025, codefendant Roosevelt Valentine pled guilty to a total of three “jugging” style robberies that targeted ATM technicians, and he is awaiting sentencing.  

The FBI Dallas Field Office investigated the case.
 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tiffany Dawn Shaffer, 36, of Charleston, was sentenced today to ten years in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine and for violating supervised release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 17, 2025, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Shaffer near St. Albans. Shaffer admitted that she possessed 2 pounds of methamphetamine in the back of the vehicle during the traffic stop.

At the time of the offense, Shaffer was serving a term of supervised release after pleading guilty to the distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on June 28, 2021. The sentence imposed today includes two years to be served concurrently for committing a crime while on supervised release.

Shaffer has a criminal history that also includes prior convictions for conspiracy to operate a clandestine drug laboratory and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the St. Albans Police Department and the assistance provided by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-144.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Defendant illegally possessed a gun and ammo – called couple to gloat about explosion while using racial slurs

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WILMINGTON, Del. – Benjamin L. Wallace, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that a federal grand jury in Wilmington, Delaware, returned an indictment charging Ty Mauldin, 34, of South Dakota, with ordering thousands of opioid pills by stealing the identity of medical professionals with whom he worked.  The grand jury also charged Mauldin with health care fraud for causing fraudulent submissions to Medicaid and a private health insurer.

According to court documents, Mauldin worked as a medical biller and credentialer, that is, he helped medical professionals and organizations contract with health insurers, including Medicaid, and helped medical providers bill those insurers for services.  Through that business, Mauldin gained access to the professional licensure information for medical professionals.  He used that access—and the name and licensure information of medical professionals—to order himself thousands of opioid pills through wholesale pharmaceutical suppliers and prescribe himself opioids.  He did that without the approval—or the knowledge—of the medical professionals whose name and licensure information he used.

Mauldin also used his access to his own electronic medical records to falsify his own personal health records.  He used those falsified health records, and additional forged medical documents, to present as a cancer patient requiring pain management services. Based on those false representations, he was treated by a pain management doctor and caused his private health insurer to pay for those services.  Those services included the installation of an intrathecal pain pump and the prescription of opioids, all done based on Mauldin’s forged medical records.

Mauldin also represented himself as a certified health professional to those with whom he worked.  At different times, he falsely represented himself as a licensed nurse.   He also obtained a medical assistant certification by fraud.  Based on those false representations, Mauldin convinced a Nurse Practitioner to allow him to perform Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy on patients.  Mauldin also represented to patients that he was a nurse.  Mauldin then submitted false claims to Medicaid for reimbursement for performing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy.

U.S. Attorney Wallace commented, “Ty Mauldin’s actions resulted in the illegal diversion of thousands of doses of opioid medication.  And his actions falsely portraying himself as a medical professional undermine the public’s confidence in our health system. My office and our partners will continue to do everything in our power to prevent the illegal diversion of opioids and will pursue to the fullest extent of the law those who pose a public health threat to our communities.”

“Ty Mauldin is a con artist and charlatan who abused privileged information obtained through his job to fuel his drug addiction. But his crimes didn’t end there. Mauldin recklessly masqueraded as a medical professional. His schemes and lies endangered innocent patients. The FBI will rigorously investigate allegations of healthcare fraud and root out criminals seeking to take advantage of our systems and put others in harm’s way,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul.

“We cannot, must not, and will not tolerate healthcare fraud. The crimes and lies that rob the healthcare system prey on taxpayers and pick the pockets of everyone who relies on quality medical care. We will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who defraud our healthcare system. I’m grateful for our federal partners’ leadership on this indictment,” said Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings.

Mauldin is charged with thirteen counts of Aggravated Identity Theft, two counts of Health Care Fraud, and seven counts of obtaining drugs by fraud. If Mauldin is ultimately convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Delaware Department of Justice’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jesse S. Wenger and William E. LaRosa.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information can be located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 25-CR-147-JLH.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County tour company entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by applying for and receiving two loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) for which the company was not eligible, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today.

According to the allegations in the complaint and the contentions of the United States contained in the settlement agreement:

Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses.

CIE Tours International Inc. (“CIE Tours”) applied for and received two PPP loans totaling $3,410,300 even though it was ineligible for the loans as an entity owned by the government of Ireland, and because it exceeded the employee size eligibility requirements. CIE Tours then sought and received forgiveness of the total amount of the loans. 

CIE Tours fully cooperated in the investigation and resolution of this matter. In accordance with the terms of the settlement CIE Tours agrees to pay the United States $4,428,985.04. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. In this matter, Relator is receiving $428,985 as his share in the recovery.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credits the SBA’s Office of General Counsel for their assistance in this matter.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Dauenheimer of the Healthcare Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The qui tam case is captioned US ex rel. TZAC, Inc., v. CIE TOURS INTERNATIONAL, 24-cv-009637 (D.N.J.).

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Counsel for CIE Tours: Reetuparna Dutta, Hodgson Russ, LLP, Buffalo, New York.

Relator’s counsel: David Abrams, Esq., New York, New York.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that William S. Welsh, age 30, of State College, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on December 11, 2025, to 360 months’ imprisonment by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann for production of child pornography.

According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, throughout 2023, Welsh held himself out as a “babysitter” in order to gain access to several nonverbal and/or autistic toddlers.  He later admitted to a friend that he possessed child pornography and that he had sexually exploited at least one of the toddlers he babysat.

Following an investigation by law enforcement, a series of search warrants executed on Welsh’s cell phones and computer revealed at least 40 videos of child pornography, including violent rape videos of children under the age of five.  The search further revealed 11 sexually explicit photographs of a toddler, taken by Welsh when he was babysitting the toddler on January 15, 2023.

This case was investigated by the State College Police Department, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc.           

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Millions of American Pet Owners and Livestock Farmers Need Affordable Veterinary Medicine

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Shawkon Sharif Jamison, age 30, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted following a four day jury trial of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, nine counts of distribution of fentanyl, including two counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm, before United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion.  Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, law enforcement made controlled purchases of ecstasy pills from Jamison on multiple occasions between August and September 2023. During the course of the investigation, which continued into December 2023, law enforcement also made a total of seven purchases of fentanyl.  During the final purchase Jamison also sold a firearm.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation and the PA Office of Attorney General.  Special Assistant United States Attorney Robert Smulktis and Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Luis Alberto Correa, 34, of Milton, Florida, was sentenced to a total of 42 months in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon and to supervised release violations. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Keeping our communities safe means keeping firearms out of the hands of violent felons, like this defendant. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of our state and federal law enforcement partners, my office was able to deliver another successful prosecution of an offender who has amply demonstrated that he belongs behind bars rather than free on our streets to threaten our community.”

Court documents reflect that in 2016, the defendant was sentenced to 170 months in federal prison following convictions for drug conspiracy and causing the death of a person through use of a firearm. Following that prison sentence, and while on supervised release under the supervision of the United States Probation Office, in approximately December 2024, the defendant was caught with three firearms and matching bulk ammunition that he had illegally obtained and possessed. He admitted to law enforcement that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to his prior felony conviction. The defendant was also charged with, and later admitted to, violating the terms and conditions of his federal supervised release for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, as well as marijuana.

“The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is grateful for the opportunity to assist in the investigation that led to the conviction and sentencing of Luis Alberto Correa as part of Operation Take Back America,” said Sheriff Bob Johnson. “This outcome reflects the strong cooperation among our local, state, and federal partners, all committed to removing felony offenders from our streets and keeping our community safe. We thank our agencies and citizens for their continued support as we work together to protect Santa Rosa County.”

Correa was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for the new possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon charge and an additional 18 months to run consecutively for the supervise release violations.

The sentence was the result of investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes.

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.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.