Press Releases

An Illinois man was sentenced yesterday to 42 months in prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $3.6 million in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and COVID19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program implemented by the Small Business Administration (SBA). 

Branden Trager of Brush Prairie, Washington, and his guiding company Mayhem Services LLC pleaded guilty in federal court in Tacoma to violating the Lacey Act.

A judgment entered by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California confirmed the ability of the Bureau of Reclamation to convert water service contracts to long term repayment contracts pursuant to the Water Infrastructure and Improvements for the Nation Act. The converted contracts eliminate the need for future renewals and associated costs and allow contractors to lower their overall costs by prepaying their share of project construction costs. The converted contracts also benefit the government by facilitating faster repayment of construction costs which can provide

An Indiana CPA was sentenced to three years in prison for assisting in the preparation of false tax returns on behalf of clients who participated in an illegal tax shelter.

Yesterday, the final judgments were issued for five Nevada men, including a citizen of Germany, who were sentenced on May 29 and 30 to terms of up to 84 months in prison for running Jetflicks, one of the largest illegal television streaming services in the United States.

The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia today announced the unsealing of a civil forfeiture action against approximately $2 million dollars in digital currency held by Tether Limited (Tether) and Binance Holdings LTD (Binance) accounts connected with Buy Cash Money and Money Transfer Company (BuyCash), a Gaza-based money transfer business that was involved in financially supporting Hamas – a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) – as well as its agents and collaborators.

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement regarding Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley's request for information related to the FBI's handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server and mishandling of classified information during her time as Secretary of State: 

An eight-count indictment in the Northern District of Iowa has been unsealed charging a Des Moines man with four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and four counts of interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution through coercion and enticement.

Today, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division dismissed with prejudice the ill-fated Biden-era challenge to Tennessee’s law protecting minors from horrific and experimental sex-change medical procedures. The Department dismissed its complaint in intervention because it does not believe challenging Tennessee’s law serves the public interest.

Brian Assi, also known as Brahim Assi, 63, of Beirut, Lebanon, was sentenced to 44 months in prison for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR), attempted unlawful export of goods from the United States to Iran without a license, attempted smuggling goods from the United States, submitting false or misleading export information, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. 

A Utah man pleaded guilty to transmitting in interstate commerce a communication containing a threat to injure the person of another. Specifically, the defendant, Kevin Brent Buchanan, threatened violence against the employees of a D.C.-based Palestinian rights organization. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled a sentencing hearing for Nov. 18.