Investigative Press Releases
Monday, September 20, 2021
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union, New Jersey, man today admitted that he illegally obtained more than $450,000 in unemployment insurance benefits, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Maurice Mills, 29, of Union, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Brian Martinotti to an information charging him with wire fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Monday, September 20, 2021
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Deborah Laughlin, 64, formerly of Paradise, pleaded guilty today to making false statements in an application for FEMA benefits in connection with the 2018 Paradise Camp Fire, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Monday, September 20, 2021
BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield in connection with using another individual’s identity to fraudulently obtain government benefits.
Andrea Perez, 48, pleaded guilty to false representation of a Social Security number and theft of government money. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Dec. 21, 2021. Perez was indicted in February 2021.
Monday, September 20, 2021
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging three Maryland men on federal charges related to a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $2.7 million in unemployment benefits. The indictment was returned on August 30, 2021, and unsealed today upon the arrests of the defendants. Charged in the indictment are:
Gladstone Njokem, age 34, of Hyattsville, Maryland;
Martin Tabe, age 32, of Bowie, Maryland; and
Sylvester Atekwane, age 31, of Hyattsville.
Monday, September 20, 2021
A Sioux City woman who stole government funds using a COVID-19 unemployment scheme was sentenced September 16, 2021, to 6 months in federal prison.
Linda Bosquez, age 59, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to theft of government funds. In a plea agreement, Bosquez admitted that from April 30, 2020 through July 22, 2020, she stole at least $24,235 from the United States Department of the Treasury and the states of Georgia, Michigan, and Ohio.
Sunday, September 19, 2021
Friday, September 17, 2021
CAMDEN, N.J. – A federal grand jury today returned a five-count indictment charging a Gloucester County, New Jersey, man with defrauding his employer’s health insurance plan out of more than $4 million by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary compounded medications, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
Friday, September 17, 2021
HAMMOND- Mohammad Zaidan, 53, of Palos Heights, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon upon his guilty plea to wire fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Zaidan was sentenced to 41 months in prison, 1 year of supervised release and ordered to pay $5,124,212.73 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Friday, September 17, 2021
For Further Information, Contact:
Assistant U. S. Attorney Valerie Chu (619) 546-6750
Friday, September 17, 2021
PITTSBURGH, PA - A South Hills pharmacist pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of obtaining controlled substances by fraud, misbranding of drugs, and health care fraud conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Timothy W. Forester, 46, of Venetia, PA pleaded guilty to three counts before Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone.