Press Releases

Today, the Department of Justice released an opinion for the Department of State’s Legal Advisor finding that the Foreign Service Grievance Board (FSGB)’s unchecked power over the U.S. Foreign Service violates the Constitution. 

In a significant victory for President Trump’s efforts to unleash American energy, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California affirmed the federal government’s authority to protect national energy security under the Defense Production Act. The ruling ensures that domestically produced oil can reliably reach California refineries and safeguards the continued operation of critical pipeline infrastructure on the California coast.

The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey issued a permanent injunction against Newark-area tax return preparer Roxanna Cedeno, doing business as RC Travel Agency. The injunction bars Cedeno and RC Travel Agency from preparing tax returns, working for or holding any ownership stake in any tax preparation business, assisting others in preparing tax returns, and transferring or assigning customer lists to any other person or entity.

Today, the Department of Justice announced a $400 million settlement with TikTok, ByteDance, and affiliated entities (TikTok) resolving litigation concerning compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and its implementing regulations (COPPA). Under the settlement, TikTok will pay $300 million immediately and an additional $100 million upon entry of an order vacating a prior consent decree entered against TikTok’s predecessor, Musical.ly. The settlement represents one of the largest recoveries ever obtained in a COPPA case.

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania returned a superseding indictment today charging Jimmy Fabian of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with engaging in a scheme to underpay over $7 million in employment taxes owed by his business and filing false tax returns for the business. This indictment supersedes an earlier, August 2025 indictment that charged Fabian and two co-conspirators.

Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, New York, made her initial appearance today in federal court on charges of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, ISIS.

A federal jury convicted a Colorado man yesterday for conspiring with his wife to film themselves sexually abusing a prepubescent child in Mexico and for advertising the videos for sale online.
 

A Mississippi man pleaded guilty yesterday to evading the payment of more than $2 million in federal income taxes.

A federal jury in Oklahoma City convicted Sioux Erosion Control Inc. (Sioux), its part-owner and vice president, and another employee for participating in a five-year price-fixing conspiracy targeting over $100 million in publicly funded transportation construction contracts across Oklahoma.

The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of a nine-count Indictment charging Louis Trejo, also known as “Machete;” Kenneth Garner, also known as “KG;” Harold Stevenson, also known as “Bazz;” and Erihk Belis, also known as “Eddie” with racketeering, violence in aid of racketeering, firearms, fraud, narcotics, and money laundering offenses for their roles in a wide ranging racketeering conspiracy involving the fabrication of transportation data used to support over at least $12 million of fraudulent Medicaid claims.

In the last month, three members of the Memphis-based gang known as Young Mob or Young Mob Military have pleaded guilty to Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, robbery, death by firearm, and drug crimes. 

A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Alabama returned an indictment today charging an Alabama man with preparing false and fraudulent tax returns for others and filing false and fraudulent tax returns for himself.