https://www.justice.gov/ en https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/us-attorney-announces-101-million-settlement-managed-long-term-care-plan-improper Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Naomi Gruchacz, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), announced today a settlement of a civil fraud lawsuit against RIVERSPRING LIVING HOLDING CORP. and ELDERSERVE HEALTH, INC., d/b/a RiverSpring at Home (“RIVERSPRING”), New York not-for-profit corporations that, among other things, administer a Managed Long Term Care Plan (the “RiverSpring MLTCP”) for Medicaid beneficiaries.   Thu, 23 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/us-attorney-announces-101-million-settlement-managed-long-term-care-plan-improper https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/operators-nationwide-sports-and-pokemon-trading-card-fraud-arrested Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging ANTHONY CURCIO, a/k/a “Brendan Wooley,” and IOSIF BONDARCHUK, a/k/a “Joe Bondarchuk,” with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.  Thu, 23 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/operators-nationwide-sports-and-pokemon-trading-card-fraud-arrested https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/gallery/us-attorney-damian-williams-delivers-yale-law-schools-2024-commencement-speech Wed, 22 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/gallery/us-attorney-damian-williams-delivers-yale-law-schools-2024-commencement-speech https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/usps-mail-carrier-arrested-targeting-victims-mail-route-fraud-and-identity-theft Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Matthew Modafferi, the Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”), announced today that TAMEKA BABULAL, a/k/a “Tameka Williams,” a/k/a “Sharniece Williams,” a/k/a “Meek Williams,” a United States Postal Service (“USPS”) mail carrier in Mount Vernon, New York, was arrested for stealing credit cards, checks, and identities from the mail in order to carry out a scheme and conspiracy to fraudulently steal money from individuals and financial institutions.   Thu, 23 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/usps-mail-carrier-arrested-targeting-victims-mail-route-fraud-and-identity-theft https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-professor-charged-obstructing-justice-falsifying-records Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the filing of a Criminal Information charging MATTHEW QUEEN with falsification of records in connection with falsified notes Queen produced to the FBI related to an ongoing federal investigation.  Tue, 21 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-professor-charged-obstructing-justice-falsifying-records https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/disbarred-attorney-sentenced-nine-years-prison-covid-19-relief-loan-fraud-scheme Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that DOUGLAS RAYMOND ARNTSEN was sentenced to nine years in prison for his scheme to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) of more than $1.4 million in government-funded loans designed to provide relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Tue, 21 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/disbarred-attorney-sentenced-nine-years-prison-covid-19-relief-loan-fraud-scheme https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-insider-tiaa-cref-sentenced-70-months-prison-involvement-multimillion-dollar Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LAWRENCE BILLIMEK was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe to 70 months in prison for engaging in a multi-year insider trading scheme resulting in tens of millions of dollars in profits.  Mon, 20 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-insider-tiaa-cref-sentenced-70-months-prison-involvement-multimillion-dollar https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/incognito-market-owner-arrested-operating-one-largest-illegal-narcotics-marketplaces Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States; James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); Frank A. Tarentino III, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”); Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”); Charles Grinstead, the Special Agent in Charge of the Kansas City Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (“FDA-OCI”); Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”); and Elana Iatarola, the Special Agent in Charge of the Cincinnati Field Office of the FBI, announced today the arrest of RUI-SIANG LIN, a/k/a “Ruisiang Lin,” a/k/a “林睿庠,” a/k/a “Pharoah,” a/k/a “faro,” in connection with his operation and ownership of “Incognito Market,” an online dark web narcotics marketplace that enabled its users to buy and sell illegal narcotics anonymously around the world.  Mon, 20 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/incognito-market-owner-arrested-operating-one-largest-illegal-narcotics-marketplaces https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/video/us-attorney-damian-williams-speaks-students-part-justice-all Fri, 17 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/video/us-attorney-damian-williams-speaks-students-part-justice-all https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/singapore-resident-sentenced-57-months-prison-soliciting-millions-dollars-pre-ipo Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SHAMOON RAFIQ, a/k/a “Shamoon Omer Rafiq,” a/k/a “Omar Rafiq,” a/k/a “Omer Rafiq,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero to 57 months in prison for engaging in a scheme in which RAFIQ solicited millions of dollars of investors’ money by falsely representing that he was offering investments in shares of stock in privately held companies that had not yet conducted an initial public offering (“pre-IPO stock”), even though he did not actually have those shares to offer, by impersonating senior officials of a reputable family office investment firm and by engaging in other acts of deception.  Fri, 17 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/singapore-resident-sentenced-57-months-prison-soliciting-millions-dollars-pre-ipo https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/video/us-attorney-damian-williams-announces-arrest-two-attacking-ethereum-blockchain-and Wed, 15 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/video/us-attorney-damian-williams-announces-arrest-two-attacking-ethereum-blockchain-and https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/us-attorney-announces-25-million-false-claims-act-settlement-diagnostic-testing-0 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Naomi Gruchacz, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), announced today that the U.S. has settled a civil fraud lawsuit against Balance Diagnostics USA, LLC (“BALANCE”), a diagnostic testing facility based in Cedarhurst, New York, for paying kickbacks to physicians and their medical practices in the form of sham “rent payments” to secure patient referrals in violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (the “AKS”).  Wed, 15 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/us-attorney-announces-25-million-false-claims-act-settlement-diagnostic-testing-0 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/two-brothers-arrested-attacking-ethereum-blockchain-and-stealing-25-million Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Lisa Monaco, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States; and Thomas Fattorusso, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging ANTON PERAIRE-BUENO and JAMES PERAIRE-BUENO with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  Wed, 15 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/two-brothers-arrested-attacking-ethereum-blockchain-and-stealing-25-million https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/defendant-sentenced-eight-years-prison-two-shootings-and-armed-carjacking Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CHRISTOPHER SMITH, a/k/a “Christopher Johnson,” a/k/a “Mad Max,” a/k/a “Max,” a/k/a “Trouble,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams to eight years in prison in connection with committing two shootings and an armed carjacking in the Bronx and Yonkers, New York.    Thu, 09 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/defendant-sentenced-eight-years-prison-two-shootings-and-armed-carjacking https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/statement-us-attorney-damian-williams-conviction-bruce-garelick U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Bruce Garelick was part of a sophisticated group of individuals invited to invest in Digital World Acquisition Corporation (DWAC), a special purpose acquisition company that had raised funds with the intention of later investing in a target company, Trump Media & Technology Group, not yet known to the public.   Thu, 09 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/statement-us-attorney-damian-williams-conviction-bruce-garelick https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/man-who-carried-out-machete-attack-nypd-officers-times-square-new-years-eve-2022 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States; Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, announced that TREVOR BICKFORD was sentenced today to 27 years in prison for attempting to kill officers and employees of the U.S. Government and persons assisting them during his brazen attack using a machete-style knife against three New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officers in Times Square on December 31, 2022. Thu, 09 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/man-who-carried-out-machete-attack-nypd-officers-times-square-new-years-eve-2022 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/statement-us-attorney-damian-williams-conviction-darius-paduch U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As a unanimous jury has just found, Darius A. Paduch leveraged his position of trust as a medical doctor for his own perverse gratification."     Wed, 08 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/statement-us-attorney-damian-williams-conviction-darius-paduch https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/flight-attendants-charged-connection-smuggling-drug-money-dominican-republic Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced today the unsealing of two Complaints charging flight attendants CHARLIE HERNANDEZ, SARAH VALERIO PUJOLS, EMMANUEL TORRES, and JAROL FABIO with various offenses in connection with their years-long participation in smuggling narcotics trafficking proceeds from the United States to the Dominican Republic on commercial flights.  Wed, 08 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/flight-attendants-charged-connection-smuggling-drug-money-dominican-republic https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/trinitarios-gang-leader-sentenced-life-prison-murdering-confidential-informant Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that WILLIAM JONES, a/k/a “Principe,” was sentenced today to life in prison for the December 2019 murder of Frederick Delacruz.   Tue, 07 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/trinitarios-gang-leader-sentenced-life-prison-murdering-confidential-informant https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/human-trafficker-working-mexican-coyotes-pleads-guilty-conspiring-transport-illegal Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of MARIO ELPIDIO CHAVEZ MILLAN, a human trafficker working with Mexican “coyotes,” for conspiring to transport illegal aliens throughout the United States. Tue, 07 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/human-trafficker-working-mexican-coyotes-pleads-guilty-conspiring-transport-illegal https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/two-extradited-british-citizens-plead-guilty-conspiracy-defraud-investors-fraudulent Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JAMES ROBINSON and DAVID KENNEDY, both citizens of the United Kingdom, pled guilty to engaging in a conspiracy to defraud victims by making material misrepresentations about the management and operations of a company called Bar Works Inc. and related entities (“Bar Works”).  Fri, 03 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/two-extradited-british-citizens-plead-guilty-conspiracy-defraud-investors-fraudulent https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/yvette-wang-pleads-guilty-over-1-billion-fraud-conspiracy U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Yvette Wang played a leadership role in a broad and complex scheme to defraud thousands."   Fri, 03 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/yvette-wang-pleads-guilty-over-1-billion-fraud-conspiracy https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/defendant-sentenced-nine-years-prison-orchestrating-11-armed-robberies-across-new-york Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JOSEPH SANDERS was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla to nine years in prison in connection with committing 11 armed robberies of bodegas, smoke shops, and other retail businesses across the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn. Thu, 02 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/defendant-sentenced-nine-years-prison-orchestrating-11-armed-robberies-across-new-york https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/purported-member-cartier-family-and-five-colombian-nationals-charged-their-roles Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”); and Kareem A. Carter, the Executive Special Agent in Charge of the Washington, D.C. Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging MAXIMILIEN DE HOOP CARTIER, LEONARDO DE JESUS ZULUAGA DUQUE, a/k/a “Rey,” ERICA MILENA LOPEZ ORTIZ, and FELIPE ESTRADA ECHEVERRY, a/k/a “Pepe,” with conspiring to commit money laundering based on their alleged participation in a network that laundered millions in Tether (a stablecoin connected to the U.S. dollar), which constituted the proceeds of drug trafficking, through the U.S. to Colombia.   Thu, 02 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/purported-member-cartier-family-and-five-colombian-nationals-charged-their-roles