Press Releases

United States Attorneys Joseph Nocella and Jamie McDonald announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) will lead the efforts of their Offices in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2026 general election, including the early voting period that in New York lasts from October 24, 2026 through November 1, 2026.  

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced that SCOTT SCHUNZEL pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti to committing a hate crime in connection with the stabbing of a Newburgh resident on June 18, 2024.   

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, Drew McCall, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), and Acting Inspector General Brian D. Harrison of the HUD Office of the Inspector General (“HUD OIG”), announced today the settlement of a civil lawsuit filed by the United States against the ESTATE OF HARRY D. SILVERSTEIN (the “ESTATE” or the “Defendant”). 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced today that LEONARDO DE JESUS ZULUAGA DUQUE, a/k/a “Rey”—who was charged with five other defendants in connection with schemes to launder hundreds of millions of dollars, including narcotics sale Proceeds, and import nine kilograms of cocaine into the United States—was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil to 160 months in prison.

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging  JESHON BINGHAM, a/k/a “Jay,” a/k/a “Glizzy,” RUPERTT SHERRIR, a/k/a “Rupert Sherrier,” a/k/a “RJ,” a/k/a “Mr. Bag Different,” FLOYD FORREST, a/k/a “Wild Apache Jr.,” REHEEM ANDERSON, a/k/a “Dirt,” MIKHAIL DAVIS, a/k/a “Mickey,” JUZAN SPENCE, a/k/a “Juju,” a/k/a “Roddy,” CHAVAUGHN BOOTHE, a/k/a “Quenga,” and MICHELLE HYLTON, a/k/a

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office of the United States Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Pete Gizas, announced today that LIBERTY MARTIN has been arrested and charged with physically assaulting an HSI Special Agent on October 8, 2026.

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced today that RAMON RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Pollo,” was sentenced to life in prison plus twenty years’ imprisonment for the June 21, 2021, murder of Milton Grant during a robbery in Manhattan, the attempted murder of a second man, and other racketeering and firearms offenses. On February 20, 2026, RODRIGUEZ was convicted after a two-week jury trial. RODRIGUEZ was also sentenced in a separate case in which he pleaded guilty to an assault that left a fellow prison inmate seriously injured. U.S. District Judge Jed S

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced that CHUKWUEMEKA VICTOR AMACHUKWU, a/k/a “Chukwuemeka Victor Eletuo,” a/k/a “So Kwan Leung,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe to eight years in prison for his role in multiple fraud, hacking, and identity theft offenses. AMACHUKWU previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced today that JOSHUA WANDER, the founder and former CEO of 777 Partners, a Miami-based investment firm, pled guilty to wire fraud and securities fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the lenders and investors of 777 Partners.  As part of his plea, WANDER agreed to forfeit at least $500,000,000 in proceeds from his illegal scheme.  WANDER pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken.

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Task Force Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Christopher Roberts, and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) Jessica S. Tisch, announced today the unsealing of a three-count superseding Indictment charging MOISES FREIRE and BRIAN PERALTA CABRERA with participating in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy that resulted in the fatal poisoning of one college student (“Victim-1”) and the near-fatal poisoning of another college student (

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), Steven G. James, and Chief of the City of Newburgh Police Department (“CNPD”), Brandon Rola, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging eight defendants with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine in the vicinity of West Parmenter Street in Newburgh, New York. 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, and Assistant Attorney General of the National Fraud Enforcement Division, Colin M. McDonald, announced today that STEVEN HOLTZ, ISRAEL PELLOT, and ALTON SCOTT have pled guilty in connection with their operation of a tax preparation firm owned and controlled by HOLTZ and known as the Holtz Group. Tax preparers at the Holtz Group, including HOLTZ, PELLOT, and SCOTT, falsified information on Holtz Group clients’ federal income tax returns in order to fraudulently reduce the tax liability of the clients and improperly