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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Defendant Laundered Over $290,000 in Cryptocurrency from Account Seized by United States Government

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

This week the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Jersey City Board of Education (the “District”) entered a voluntary settlement agreement to end race and national origin discrimination in student admissions at Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School, a college prep magnet school with a competitive admissions process. The settlement agreement resolves the Department’s investigation under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin.

“Quota systems that define students by their race or national origin have been illegal since the 1970s,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Federal law requires that all students, regardless of their race or national origin, be allowed to compete for admission to the best schools in their district — and this Department of Justice will ensure they have equal opportunity to do so.”

The Department’s investigation determined that McNair admitted students under a quota system that set aside a certain number of seats in four categories: “Black,” “White,” “Hispanic,” or “Other.” Applicants were divided into these categories based on their self-identification. After offering admission to an equal number of students in each category, McNair filled the remaining class seats without regard to race or national origin.

Under the settlement agreement, the District will overhaul its admissions process to end the practice of reserving a certain number of seats for students based on race or national origin. The District will no longer provide any preference or benefit to a McNair applicant based on his or her race or national origin. Before the next admissions cycle — which will be for the 2027-2028 school year — the District will adopt an admissions policy that complies with these prohibitions and train staff on nondiscriminatory admissions. In addition, the District will submit status reports to the Department on McNair’s admissions process. The settlement agreement will be in effect until Aug. 15, 2029, unless the Department and the District agree otherwise.

Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt, and more information about the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section’s work to combat discrimination is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.

Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov.

Source: United States Department of Justice

Two New Jersey men were sentenced this week for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that imported fentanyl analogues from China and distributed them in pill form throughout Northern New Jersey.Nine individuals have been charged and convicted for their roles in this drug trafficking organization. In total, they imported over a metric ton of fentanyl-related substances and other drugs into the United States and sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to China using wire transfers and Bitcoin to pay for the drugs. Thus far, five individuals have been sentenced to a total of 685 months in prison.

On July 7, Sean Tighe, 50, of North Haledon, New Jersey, was sentenced to 151 months in prison. Tighe previously pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl analogue pills and participating in a money laundering conspiracy. Tighe admitted that from approximately March 2014 to September 2020, he conspired to distribute over nine kilograms of furanyl fentanyl and nine kilograms of 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl, synthetic cathinones (also known as bath salts), including ethylone; and ketamine. In addition, from March 2014 to May 2019, Tighe conspired to launder funds, including five wire payments from the United States to China to purchase controlled substances and/or controlled substance analogues.

On July 8, Juan Rodriguez, 51, of Irvington, New Jersey, was sentenced to 60 months in prison. Rodriguez previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl analogues. During the conspiracy, Rodriguez obtained opioid pills from Sean Tighe and distributed them in Northern New Jersey. 

Other members of the drug trafficking organization  placed orders with a source in China and imported kilogram quantities of various controlled substances and controlled substance analogues to the United States. The drugs arrived through commercial package delivery services and air freight from China and were transported to Newark, New Jersey, where co-conspirators pressed the fentanyl analogue powder into fake prescription pills. The drugs were sold in bulk and pill form directly to consumers and other downstream distributors. 

Other members of the conspiracy included Thomas Padovano, 52, of Newark, New Jersey,  who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 234 months in prison; William Panzera, 53, of North Haledon, New Jersey, who was convicted by a jury and sentenced to 144 months in prison; and  Michael Action, 51, of Bloomfield, New Jersey, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 96 months in prison. 

Four other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty in the case and are awaiting sentencing.Bartholomew Padovano is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29. Sentencing dates for the other co-conspirators have not been yet been scheduled.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) made the announcement.

The HSI Newark Field Office the investigation, with assistance from HSI in Philadelphia, the FBI Newark Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Newark Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection in New Jersey, New York and Kentucky, the Newark Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Stephen Sola, Chief of the Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Hasapidis-Sferra for the District of New Jersey. Financial Investigator Kathryn Montemorra of MNF supported the investigation.

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

MNF’s Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A total of eight defendants now face federal charges related to the alleged plot to carry out an attack to kill government officials and others attending the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Freedom 250 event held at the White House on June 14. All eight men were charged together in a two-count indictment returned in Columbus today.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Tampa, Florida– Tajmir Wyles (32, New Jersey) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber to three years in federal prison for robbery of a postal mail carrier and receipt, possession or concealment of stolen property of the United States. This sentence was ordered to run consecutively with a Dallas, Texas state sentence of eight years prison for obstruction, possession of a controlled substance, and fraudulent possession of identification information of 50 or more individuals. Wyles pleaded guilty in the federal case on December 4, 2025. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Orlando, FL – Plaza Pharmacy, LLC and Paul Ezeobinwa have agreed to pay the United States $50,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the Controlled Substances Act by improperly distributing schedule V drugs and committing multiple recordkeeping violations. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Two New Jersey men were sentenced this week for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that imported fentanyl analogues from China and distributed them in pill form throughout Northern New Jersey. Nine individuals have been charged and convicted for their roles in this drug trafficking organization. In total, they imported over a metric ton of fentanyl-related substances and other drugs into the United States and sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to China using wire transfers and Bitcoin to pay for the drugs. Thus far, five individuals have been sentenced to a total of 685 months in prison.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Canadian national was sentenced today to 240 months in federal prison for leading a criminal organization that – during a roughly one-month span – trafficked from the United States into Canada hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine worth up to $17 million.

Source: United States Department of Justice

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On July 8, 2026, ASHISH KAPOOR, a/k/a “Romy Kapoor,” (“KAPOOR”) age 28, a national of India, was sentenced for Transportation of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(1), (a)(4)(B), (b)(1), and (b)(2), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.