MIL Security Engine-1

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, a native and citizen of Afghanistan, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Oklahoma City to two terrorism-related offenses: conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition in furtherance of a federal crime of terrorism.

“The defendant admits he planned and obtained firearms to carry out a violent terror attack on Election Day in 2024, a plot that was detected and disrupted through the good work of the FBI and our partners,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Let this serve as notice to anyone who tries to conduct attacks in our homeland for ISIS or any other terror group: we will find you and you’ll face American justice. I want to commend the FBI teams and our partners for their hard work and success in executing the mission.”

“Through incredible law enforcement effort and coordination, a violent terrorist attack on American soil was thwarted, and those responsible are being held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “I commend the outstanding work by the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and prosecutors to diligently discover, thoroughly investigate, and completely foil this terror plot. These guilty pleas serve as an emphatic reminder that the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue those who attempt to harm Americans through terrorist acts.”

“Thanks to outstanding work by the Oklahoma City Joint Terrorism Task Force, the defendant’s plan to kill innocent Americans in a terrorist attack on Election Day was stopped,” said Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “The FBI is grateful to all who stand beside us in our fight against terrorism. Together, we will continue to safeguard our communities from those who conspire against the United States.”

According to court documents, Tawhedi admitted that between June 2024 and October 2024 he conspired with at least one other individual to purchase two AK-47 rifles, 500 rounds of ammunition, and 10 magazines, with the intent to carry out a mass-casualty attack on or around Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, on behalf of ISIS.  According to a criminal complaint affidavit filed in the case, Tawhedi communicated with an ISIS facilitator about his plan to purchase firearms for use in the terror plot, including asking the individual whether 500 rounds of ammunition would be sufficient.

Tawhedi and his co-conspirator, Abdullah Haji Zada, were arrested on Oct. 7, 2024, after purchasing the firearms and ammunition from an undercover FBI employee.  Zada, 18, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to the firearms offense in connection with his role in the terror plot and is awaiting sentencing. Zada, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult and will be sentenced as an adult.

At sentencing, Tawhedi faces a maximum penalty 20 years in prison for the material support charge and up to 15 years in prison for the firearms charge. Zada faces up to 15 years in federal prison. Upon completion of any sentence, Tawhedi and Zada will be permanently removed from the United States and barred from reentry under stipulated judicial orders of removal to Afghanistan. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Marshals Service, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Edmond Police Department, the Moore Police Department, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Oklahoma City Community College Police Department, and the Oklahoma City University Police Department, is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Perry and Matt Dillon for the Western District of Oklahoma; Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian, who previously served in the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section; and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Trial Attorney Mark Stoneman of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, who previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, also assisted with the prosecution.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Michigan man was sentenced today to five years in prison for possessing over 41,026 images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He was also ordered to pay $63,000 in restitution.

According to court documents, David Mark Bartels, 38, of White Cloud, admitted to purchasing collections of CSAM while he was employed at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Forensic review of a five-terabyte hard drive seized from Bartels revealed tens of thousands of CSAM files within the folder “NSFWNopeDont openYou were WarnedDeeper.” These files included 1,500 images and videos of 285 known victims. Bartels used the Tor browser, which allows users to surf the dark web, to access images and videos of CSAM, including content depicting bondage, domination, and sadomasochism.

Bartels pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of possession of child pornography by a person employed by the armed forces outside of the United States.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Birge for the Western District of Michigan, and Special Agent in Charge Norm Dominesey of the NCIS Southeast Field Office made the announcement.

NCIS Resident Agency Guantanamo Bay investigated the case.

Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Doaa K. Al-Howaishy for the Western District of Michigan prosecuted 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Massachusetts man and a former attorney pleaded guilty today to evading his taxes.

The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: until 2020, Paul Anthony Conte, of Upton, Massachusetts, was an attorney and member of the Massachusetts Bar.  From approximately January 2003 through at least 2020, through several companies, Conte earned income by offering services as a taxation, investments, and real estate specialist.

Yet, from at least 2016 through 2020, Conte did not file any tax returns either for himself or his companies. Conte also attempted to conceal his income from the IRS by using his business bank accounts to pay for his personal expenses, including purchasing auto parts, guns, jewelry, and powersports vehicles. Conte further concealed his income by transferring funds from his business entities to his wife, and then using his wife’s bank accounts, in which Conte was not a signatory until 2020, to pay his personal expenses. 

Conte is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney for Criminal Matters Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Catriona Coppler and Assistant Chief Jorge Almonte of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Note: see indictment here.

A federal grand jury in Ohio has returned a three-count indictment unsealed today charging Rwandan national Vincent Nzigiyimfura, also known as Vincent Mfura, 65, of Dayton, Ohio with lying on his U.S. immigration and naturalization applications. Specifically, the indictment alleges that he concealed his role as a perpetrator of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, among other misrepresentations. Nzigiyimfura was arrested Wednesday in Dayton and made his initial appearance yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

According to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura participated in the genocide that took place between April and July 1994, when members of Rwanda’s majority Hutu population killed hundreds of thousands of the country’s minority Tutsi ethnic group in an attempt to eradicate the ethnic group. An estimated 500,000 to 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed during the three-month genocide. Nzigiyimfura, a Rwandan businessman and butcher, was allegedly a leader and organizer of the genocide against Tutsis in the area in and around Gihisi and Nyanza. Nzigiyimfura allegedly provided weapons, transportation, and material inducements to other Hutus and directed them to search for and apprehend people to be killed based on their status as Tutsis. He allegedly set up roadblocks to detain and kill Tutsis, using his personal vehicle to transport materials to build the roadblocks. According to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura devised a scheme to trick Tutsis in hiding to believe that the killings had stopped only to have them rounded up and murdered. 

“As alleged, Vincent Nzigiyimfura directed and encouraged murders during the genocide in Rwanda and then lied to U.S. authorities to start a new life in this country,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The United States is not a safe haven for human rights violators. Those, like the defendant, who commit immigration fraud to hide their violent pasts will be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Mr. Galeotti thanked the prosecutors from the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), agents from HSI Cincinnati and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio for their work in bringing this important prosecution.

“The indictment alleges this defendant facilitated the killings of Tutsis during the Rwandan genocide and then lied about it on immigration applications in the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio. “This egregious conduct will not be tolerated.”

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) is committed to pursuing justice for victims of genocide by ensuring that those who committed atrocities in foreign lands cannot hide in Ohio or any other community in the United States,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of ICE HSI Detroit. “No one wants a war criminal as their neighbor and these allegations paint a grim picture of the horror Nzigiyimfura inflicted on the Tutsi people. His indictment and arrest is a step toward justice for those victims. ”

When the genocide ended in 1994, as alleged, Nzigiyimfura fled Rwanda and later lived in Malawi. While living in Malawi in 2008 to 2009, Nzigiyimfura allegedly submitted materially misleading applications for an immigrant visa and alien registration, including by falsely representing that he was not an alien who had engaged in genocide. In the presence of a U. S. Consular Officer, Nzigiyimfura affirmed he understood that any willfully false or misleading statement or willful concealment of material facts could subject him to criminal prosecution. Additionally, according to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura submitted an affidavit in which he misleadingly claimed he “left Rwanda in 1994 due to the Genocide,” when in fact, he fled the country because of his participation in the persecution and massacre of Tutsis. His alleged misrepresentations and omissions yielded an immigrant visa to enter the United States in 2009.

Five years later, Nzigiyimfura submitted an application to naturalize as a U. S. citizen. Here, too, according to the indictment, he knowingly made false statements and omitted material facts, including claiming he had never persecuted any person, never committed a crime or offense, and never lied to any U. S. Government official to gain entry to the United States. In a November 2014 interview with a U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer, Nzigiyimfura verbally reaffirmed these false statements, as well as others, according to the indictment. His application for naturalization has not been granted. Nzigiyimfura has lived in the United States since 2009.

In 2018, according to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura submitted an application and supporting documentation for a replacement Permanent Resident Card (green card) that was due to expire in 2019 and obtained a new fraudulently procured green card with an expiration date in 2029. On July 27, 2021, Nzigiyimfura allegedly used his fraudulently procured replacement green card in connection with an application for an Ohio driver’s license.

Nzigiyimfura is charged with one count of visa fraud and two counts of attempted naturalization fraud. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U. S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

HSI Cincinnati is investigating the case, with assistance from the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC). Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate, and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers. 

Trial Attorney Brian Morgan of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U. S. Attorney Rob Painter of the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Analyst Dr. Christopher Hayden and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.

Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U. S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also email HRV. ICE@ice. dhs. gov or complete its online tip form at www. ice. gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips. asp.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Note: View complaint here.

The Justice Department filed a complaint today to permanently bar tax preparer Tanja D. Hollis, of Griffin, Georgia, and her business, Tanja Tax Preparations LLC, from preparing federal tax returns for others.

The complaint, filed in a federal court in Newnan, Georgia, alleges that Hollis prepared and filed false federal tax returns through Tanja Tax Preparations that understated her customers’ tax liabilities by reporting false or exaggerated business expenses and claiming tax credits for false education expenses.

According to the complaint, despite knowing them to be false, Hollis prepared returns claiming business expenses for customers who did not own or operate a business and education expenses for customers who were not enrolled as students. The IRS interviewed Tanja Tax Preparations customers who said they did not give Hollis any reason to believe that the items reported on their returns were legitimate.

The complaint alleges that, by repeatedly understating her customers’ tax liabilities, Hollis caused the United States to lose substantial tax revenue.

In addition to a permanent injunction, the complaint asks the court to order Hollis to turn over the ill-gotten tax preparation fees she earned while preparing and filing fraudulent tax returns.

Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams, and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer, launched a free directory of federal tax preparers, and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers. The IRS also has a checklist of things to remember when filing income tax returns. In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found here. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

Source: United States Navy

CARIBBEAN SEA – The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67), supporting maritime southern border operations, conducted a hold-and-transfer of 245 kilograms of contraband recovered by the Royal Canadian Navy Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessel HMCS William Hall (AOPV 433) in the Caribbean Sea June 9. The Reliance-class U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Vigorous (WMEC 627) accepted the contraband from the Cole’s embarked USCG Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) June 11 during a rendezvous at sea in the Caribbean.

Source: United States Navy

SKRUNDA, Latvia – As part of exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2025, U.S. Navy Seabees, U.S. Marines from 8th Engineer Support Battalion (ESB), and Latvian Army engineers are constructing a fortified trench network designed for survivability in a drone-contested battlespace. The project serves both as a realistic rehearsal and a proof of concept for how modern combat engineers support maneuverability, concealment, and endurance in multi-domain operations.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Four men, including a government contracting officer for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and three owners and presidents of companies, have pleaded guilty for their roles in a decade-long bribery scheme involving at least 14 prime contracts worth over $550 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars.

• Roderick Watson, 57, of Woodstock, Maryland, who worked as a USAID contracting officer, pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official;
• Walter Barnes, 46, of Potomac, Maryland, the owner and president of PM Consulting Group LLC doing business as Vistant (Vistant), a certified small business under the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) contracting program, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud;
• Darryl Britt, 64, of Myakka City, Florida, the owner and president of Apprio, Inc. (Apprio), a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official; and
• Paul Young, 62, of Columbia, Maryland, the president of a subcontractor to Vistant and Apprio, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official.

In addition, Apprio and Vistant, both of which contracted with USAID, have agreed to admit criminal liability and enter into three-year deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) in connection with criminal informations filed today in the District of Maryland. As part of these resolutions, both Apprio and Vistant admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud. The DPAs entered into with Apprio and Vistant require each company to, among other obligations, provide ongoing cooperation with and disclosures to the Justice Department, implement a compliance and ethics program, and report to Justice Department regarding remediation and implementation of these compliance measures.

“The defendants sought to enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers through bribery and fraud,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their scheme violated the public trust by corrupting the federal government’s procurement process. Anybody who cares about good and effective government should be concerned about the waste, fraud, and abuse in government agencies, including USAID. Those who engage in bribery schemes to exploit the U.S. Small Business Administration’s vital economic programs for small businesses — whether individuals or corporations acting through them — will be held to account.” 

“Watson was entrusted to serve the interests of the American people — not his own — and his criminal actions for his own personal gain undermine the integrity of our public institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Public trust is a hallmark of our nation’s values, so corruption within a federal government agency is intolerable. This office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue and prosecute corruption at every level to ensure accountability and protect public trust.”

“The guilty pleas reflect the FBI’s unwavering commitment to holding accountable all those who abuse the authority and responsibility of public service,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Acting Assistant Director Darren Cox. “The actions of the defendants in this scheme serve to erode public trust. The FBI is focused on rebuilding this trust and protecting American taxpayers from corruption through investigations such as these.”

“Corruption in government programs will not be tolerated. Watson abused his position of trust for personal gain while federal contractors engaged in a pay-to-play scheme,” said Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean Bottary of the USAID Office of Inspector General (USAID-OIG). “USAID-OIG is firmly committed to rooting out fraud and corruption within U.S. foreign assistance programs. Today’s announcement underscores our unwavering focus on exposing criminal activity, including bribery schemes by those entrusted to faithfully award government contracts. We appreciate our longstanding partnership with the Department of Justice in holding accountable those who defraud American taxpayers.”    

“Watson exploited his position at USAID to line his pockets with bribes in exchange for more than $550 million in contracts. While he helped three company owners and presidents bypass the fair bidding process, he was showered with cash and lavish gifts,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Through its financial crime investigations, IRS-CI works to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure government funds are awarded based on merit — not corruption. In close coordination with our law enforcement partners, IRS-CI helped put an end to their greed and criminal conduct. Now, Watson and his co-conspirators will face justice.”

Overview of Bribery Scheme

According to court documents, beginning in 2013, Watson, while a USAID contracting officer, agreed with Britt to receive bribes in exchange for using Watson’s influence to award contracts to Apprio. As a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, which helps socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, Apprio could access lucrative federal contracting opportunities through set-asides and sole-source contracts exclusively available to eligible contractors without a competitive bid process.

Vistant was a subcontractor to Apprio on one of the contracts awarded through Watson’s influence. After Apprio graduated from the SBA 8(a) program and it was no longer eligible to be a prime contractor for new contracts with USAID under this program, the scheme shifted so that Vistant became the prime contractor and Apprio became the subcontractor on USAID contracts awarded through Watson’s influence between 2018 and 2022.

During the scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them through Young, who was the president of another subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant. Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives. The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices. Watson is alleged to have received bribes valued at more than approximately $1 million as part of the scheme.

In exchange for the bribe payments, Watson influenced the award of contracts to Apprio and Vistant by manipulating the procurement process at USAID through various means, including recommending their companies to other USAID decisionmakers for non-competitive contract awards, disclosing sensitive procurement information during the competitive bidding process, providing positive performance evaluations to a government agency, and approving decisions on the contracts, such as increased funding and a security clearance.

Apprio and Vistant also agreed to resolve concurrently with the Justice Department in its separate Civil False Claims Act investigations relating to the bribery scheme.

Overview of Vistant Securities Fraud Scheme

According to court documents, in 2022, Barnes and Watson defrauded a licensed small business investment company (SBIC), in furtherance of the bribery scheme, by inducing it into executing a credit agreement with Vistant. Through the credit agreement, Barnes caused Vistant to issue stock warrants that, if exercised, would result in the SBIC having a 40% equity stake in Vistant. The credit agreement also provided for a $14 million loan to Vistant from which Barnes could pay himself a $10 million dividend. Prior to executing the credit agreement, Watson agreed at Barnes’s request to speak with the SBIC about Vistant’s performance as a government contractor on USAID contracts. When speaking with the SBIC, Watson omitted that Barnes had bribed Watson to obtain USAID contracts for years. Watson’s endorsement of Vistant thereafter induced the SBIC to enter into the credit agreement with Barnes.

Overview of Apprio Securities Fraud Scheme

According to court documents, in 2023, Apprio, acting through Britt, engaged in a scheme in which Apprio fraudulently induced a private equity firm, which had an investment pool that was licensed as a SBIC, to purchase from Apprio’s parent company a 20% equity stake in the company for $4 million and simultaneously extend it a $4 million loan secured by shares of Apprio stock. In addition to making false material representations in the stock purchase and loan agreements, Britt intentionally omitted during his negotiations the material fact that he had bribed Watson for years, which was intended to deceive and induce the private equity company into executing the agreements.

Deferred Prosecution Agreements with Apprio and Vistant

The Justice Department reached its resolution with Apprio based on several factors, including Apprio’s credit for clearly accepting responsibility for its criminal conduct, fully cooperating in the investigation and engaging in timely remedial measures. Based on these factors, the criminal penalty calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines reflects a 10% reduction off the bottom of the applicable Guidelines fine range pursuant to the Criminal Division Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). According to court documents, Apprio agreed that the appropriate criminal penalty based on the law and facts in its case is $51,673,185; however, Apprio also met its burden of establishing an inability to pay the criminal penalty sought. Based on the Justice Department’s independent analysis, it determined that paying a criminal penalty and civil settlement greater than $500,000 would substantially threaten the continued viability of Apprio. Accordingly, the Justice Department determined that the appropriate resolution of this case is a DPA and a payment of $500,000 in a civil settlement.

Similarly, the Justice Department reached its resolution with Vistant based on a number of factors, including Vistant’s credit for clearly accepting responsibility for its criminal conduct and cooperating with the investigation. Although Vistant’s cooperation was initially delayed and limited, Vistant began to fully cooperate thereafter. Vistant also received credit for engaging in timely remedial measures. Based on these factors, the penalty calculated under the Guidelines reflects a 5% reduction off the bottom of the applicable Guidelines fine range pursuant to the CEP. Vistant agreed that the appropriate criminal penalty based on the law and facts in its case is $86,407,740; however, Vistant also met its burden of establishing an inability to pay the criminal penalty sought. Based on the Justice Department’s independent analysis, it determined that paying a criminal penalty and civil settlement greater than $100,000 would substantially threaten the continued viability of Vistant. Accordingly, the Justice Department determined that the appropriate resolution of this case is a DPA and a payment of $100,000 in a civil settlement.

Watson is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Young is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 3 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Britt is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Barnes is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 14 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

The FBI, USAID-OIG, and IRS-CI are investigating the cases.

Trial Attorneys Matt Kahn and Brandon Burkart of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Kibbe for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the cases. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A California physician was sentenced today in Los Angeles to 54 months in prison for health care fraud arising from her false home health certifications and related fraudulent billings to Medicare. She is a fugitive and was sentenced in absentia.

According to court documents, Lilit Gagikovna Baltaian, 61, of Porter Ranch, was a physician licensed to practice in California and an enrolled Medicare provider. From approximately January 2012 to July 2018, she falsely certified patients to receive home health care from at least four Los Angeles area home health agencies. These certifications were used by the home health agencies to fraudulently bill Medicare. In some instances, Baltaian pre-signed blank, undated physician certification forms knowing that the home health agencies would falsify the forms to make appear that she had seen the Medicare beneficiaries and made clinical findings to support the need for home health care, when she had done neither. Baltaian received cash payments related to these referrals and also separately billed Medicare for signing the fraudulent certifications.

Between January 2012 and July 2018, four home health agencies used Baltaian’s false certifications to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare, resulting in loss to the government estimated at $1,497,159.64.

Baltaian pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud on Nov. 21, 2024. At sentencing, she was also ordered to pay $1,497,159.64 in restitution.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California, Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Matthew Belz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WASHINGTON — A Tennessee man was sentenced yesterday in the Western District of Kentucky for sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; obstructing a sex trafficking investigation; interstate transportation for prostitution; and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.  Portier Q. Govan, 37, of Memphis, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release after a jury found Govan guilty in December 2024.

Evidence presented during the trial established that Govan and his co-defendant, Brittany R. Howard, 25, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, recruited and enticed the victim to engage in commercial sex by preying on her young age and financial situation, and by making false promises of easy money.  To establish his control over the victim, Govan threatened to kill her by pressing a pistol against her head while she was in the front passenger seat of a car, and then lowered and discharged the gun, firing a bullet across her lap and missing her body by inches. Govan also showed her a video of himself torturing a defenseless man tied to a chair. He sexually assaulted her and compelled her to engage in commercial sex acts for his profit by making her fear for her life.

“The defendant used brazen acts of violence to compel the 18-year-old victim to engage in commercial sex, even holding a gun to the victim’s head,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This significant sentence reflects the severity of the defendant’s conduct and sends a clear message that the DOJ will relentlessly prosecute and hold accountable human traffickers who abuse and exploit others for financial gain.”

The FBI Louisville Field Office, Bowling Green Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Bowling Green Police Department.

“This sentence is the culmination of a tremendous joint effort between the Bowling Green Police Department and the FBI’s Bowling Green Resident Agency,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky Kyle G. Bumgarner. “Thanks to their efforts, Portier Govan will spend a significant portion of his adult life in federal penitentiary for his depraved conduct. While his sentence is lengthy, there is no sentence that sufficiently remedies the trauma he inflicted on his victim—who will continue to have unwavering support from our office”

“Depriving an innocent victim of their civil rights by violently forcing them to engage in commercial sex is unconscionable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Portier Govan’s criminal activity. The FBI, in collaboration with our state and local law enforcement partners, will never stop working to identify and hold accountable violent criminals and to help victims receive the support needed as they recover from significant trauma.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking