Press Releases

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that JOSEPH MALVASIO, a/k/a “Joe Cohen,” and GREGG MARCUS, a/k/a “Gregg Pierce,” were convicted of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a years-long advance-fee scheme through which they defrauded hundreds of victims of at least approximately $18 million.  

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced the return of a 10-count Indictment charging ANDREW WILKINSON, a/k/a “Steppa,” with convincing and enticing three minor female victims to engage in unlawful sexual activity with him, filming a sexually explicit video of a 15-year-old girl (“Minor Victim-1”), and drugging and sexually assaulting 17-year-old and 16-year-old girls (“Minor Victim-2” and “Minor Victim-3,” respectively).  

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that NATHAN AUSTAD, a/k/a “Snoopy,” was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in a scheme to hack user accounts on a fantasy sports and betting website (the “Betting Website”) and sell access to those accounts, resulting in losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the users. 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that HIRAM CARRERO was sentenced to 66 months in prison for setting fire to a man who was sleeping on a New York City subway car.  

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that CHASE HARRIS pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit money laundering based on his role in laundering proceeds from an international technology-support fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims and resulted in the theft of more than $1.2 million from approximately 25 known victims across the United States.  

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that ANDREW NGUYEN, a former officer in the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), was sentenced to 90 months in prison for conspiring to solicit and receive bribes, conspiring to distribute narcotics, and possessing a firearm in connection with the conspiracy to distribute narcotics, in connection with his role as an NYPD officer.  

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging CARLOS NOEL with receiving and distributing child pornography, as well as possessing child pornography.  

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Enforcement Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Farhana Islam, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging MARK DYGDON and RODRIGO CASTRO in connection with the defendants’ distribution of gamma-butyrolactone (“GBL”) throughout the New York City area. 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the Counterterrorism Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Donald Holstead, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced the unsealing of a five-count Complaint charging REDA MAZEN RIDA SABASSI with terrorism, sanctions-evasion, wire fraud, money laundering, and false statement charges in connection with his efforts to divert funds raised

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton announced that MATTHEW BLAKE MORROW-WU, a/k/a “Blake Wu,” a/k/a “Blake Ho,” a/k/a “Blake Morrow,” a/k/a “Matthew Wu,” a/k/a “Matthew Ho,” a/k/a “Matthew Blake Morrow,” was sentenced today to 160 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein for perpetrating a scheme to defraud a Manhattan architecture firm during the COVID-19 pandemic, after which he obstructed justice and pled from prosecution.

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging LENYN TORIBIO and WELFY ESPINAL with interstate stalking resulting in death and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking resulting in death in connection with the April 13, 2025, murder of Jeremy Ortega in a residential neighborhood in the Bronx.  

Deputy United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Sean S. Buckley, announced today that S. KENNETH LEECH II, the former Chief Investment Officer of Western Asset Management Company (“WAMCO”), pled guilty to obstructing justice by giving false and misleading testimony to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in connection with an investigation into LEECH’s fraudulent scheme to favor certain clients at the expense of others.