Investigative Press Releases
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
ABINGDON, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Pound, Virginia man on August 11, 2022 for conspiring to steal pandemic unemployment benefits as part of a larger scheme involving at least 37 other co-conspirators.
Danny L. Mullins Jr., 50, was convicted following a two-day jury trial of conspiracy to defraud the United States, fraud in connection with federal emergency benefits, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Rick Benavidez, 47, of Albuquerque, was sentenced in federal court to five years and three months in prison for leading and organizing two auto loan fraud schemes involving a total intended loss of more than $1.5 million.
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that a Wilmington woman pled guilty in federal court on August 12, 2022, to three counts of tax evasion. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews accepted the plea.
According to court documents, Brenda Mathis, the owner of LJ’s Playpen Academy, a Wilmington daycare center, failed to declare all of the income received by the daycare on its corporate tax returns. As a result, the daycare underpaid taxes in 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a Shreveport Police Department (SPD) officer has been indicted by a federal grand jury. The indictment, which was returned today, charges James Cisco, 51, of Shreveport, with six counts of wire fraud.
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
DETROIT - A Detroit resident pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, in connection with schemes to defraud multiple state workforce agencies and the Small Business Administration out of more than $2.2 million in Covid-19 pandemic assistance and also to defraud the U.S. Postal Service of another $200,000, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
DETROIT - A Southfield man was sentenced today to 5 years in federal prison on charges of wire fraud and identity theft in connection with a scheme to defraud and obtain more than $400,000 in unemployment insurance benefits from the states of Michigan and Pennsylvania, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Tuesday, August 23, 2022
ATLANTA – De’reek Banks has been sentenced for operating a scheme that caused approximately $48,000,000 in outstanding federal student loans to be fraudulently discharged by exploiting a program intended for disabled military veterans. Banks illegally pocketed about $891,000 in payments from more than 500 student loan borrowers. Many of these borrowers mistakenly believed that they had paid Banks for legitimate student debt relief services.
Tuesday, August 23, 2022
OAKLAND – A federal grand jury issued an eight count superseding indictment today charging former federal prison warden Ray J. Garcia with seven counts of sexually abusive conduct against three female victims who were serving prison sentences and one count of making false statements to government agents, announced U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Los Angeles Field Office Special Agent in Charge Zachary Shroyer, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan.
Tuesday, August 23, 2022
PHILADELPHIA, PA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced a $16.4 million civil settlement with Essilor International, Essilor of America, Inc., Essilor Laboratories of America, Inc., and Essilor Instruments USA (collectively, “Essilor”), headquartered in Dallas, Texas, to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by causing claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute.