Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Michael Kent was sentenced by United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly to nine years in prison for his role in recruiting sham patients, paying off complicit pharmacists and illegally distributing oxycodone in a Brooklyn-based narcotics conspiracy.  

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Edgardo Mejia was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 28 years in prison for sexually exploiting minors. The defendant was charged with causing an 11-year-old girl to create numerous sexually explicit videos of herself, as well as at least two sexually explicit images of her two-year-old niece, all of which was sent to the defendant. 

United States Attorneys Breon Peace and Damian Williams announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys will lead the efforts of their Offices in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024 general election.  AUSA Erik Paulsen has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the Eastern District of New York, and AUSA David J. Kennedy has been appointed to serve as the DEO for the Southern District of New York.  

“As alleged, Hoberman distributed heinous and disturbing child pornography, including videos showing infants being restrained and raped.  Additionally, while posing as a man, Hoberman, who is a therapist serving children, claimed to have produced child pornography and offered others the opportunity to sexually abuse children,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Our investigation into Hoberman is ongoing, and we urge anyone with information to contact HSI’s tip line.  Together with our law enforcement partners, we will relentlessly pursue predators who victimize children and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” 

Earlier today, a indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging Jerome Waters, also known as “the Engineer,” Calvin Israel and William Barnett for their alleged roles in the kidnapping, robbery and fatal shooting of a victim in Queens, New York on July 25, 2024.   

“Using aliases, shell companies and straw owners, moving their operations overseas, and laundering millions of dollars through foreign countries, the defendants conducted a sophisticated, multi-faceted scheme, employing scores in call centers and remote billing teams to line their pockets to the tune of more than a billion dollars,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Health care fraud victimizes American businesses and drives up the cost of care for all.  Let these convictions serve as a message: we will work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute those who exploit American health care plans no matter where in the world they operate.”

“As alleged in the indictment, former CEO of Abercrombie Michael Jeffries, his partner Matthew Smith and their recruiter James Jacobson used their money and influence to prey on vulnerable men for their own sexual gratification,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Today’s arrests show that my Office and our law enforcement partners will not rest until anyone who engages in sex trafficking or interstate prostitution, regardless of their wealth or power, is brought to justice.”

Earlier today at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Lameek Everette, also known as “La,” a member of the Bloods Street gang, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown, to 40 years’ imprisonment.  On November 27, 2017, Everette was convicted of racketeering, including predicate acts of murder, robbery and attempted robbery.  

“Today’s sentencing of Genaro Garcia Luna is a critical step in upholding justice and the rule of law.  His betrayal of the public trust and the people he was sworn to protect resulted in more than one million kilograms of lethal narcotics imported into our communities and unleashed untold violence here and in Mexico. This sentence sends a strong message that no one, regardless of their position or influence, is above the law.” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “After years of destructive narcotrafficking and deceit, Garcia Luna will spend nearly 40 years where he belongs: federal prison.” 

BROOKLYN, NY – Raytheon Company, a subsidiary of Virginia-based defense contractor RTX (formerly known as Raytheon Technologies Corporation), entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice in connection with a criminal information unsealed today in the Eastern District of New York charging Raytheon with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for engaging in a scheme to bribe a government official in Qatar and conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act by willfully failing to disclose the bribes in export licensing applications with the Department of State.  

Today, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted John Ragano, also known as “Bazoo,” a member of the Bonanno organized crime family, for the extortionate collection of credit from a victim.  

“Social adult day care and home health services are meant to help seniors, but as alleged, the defendants allegedly turned their businesses into a brazen cash grab of millions of dollars from the Medicaid program,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who plunder taxpayer-funded, federal health care programs dollars while purporting to offer health care services.” 

Earlier today, a 17-count superseding indictment was unsealed in federal court in Central Islip charging seven members of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, with multiple racketeering offenses including two murders, one attempted murder, murder conspiracies, a narcotics trafficking conspiracy and related firearms offenses. 

“Rather than take lawful steps to wind down his failing businesses, John Mensch resorted to criminality, operating a scheme to defraud two banks into advancing him millions of dollars that neither Mensch nor his company ever had, or had any realistic expectation of obtaining,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Mensch’s fraud resulted in the banks unwittingly subsidizing several months of his financial mismanagement.  This Office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute criminals like Mensch who, through fraud and deception, seek to use financial institutions as a personal piggy bank.”

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Erlene King was charged with wire fraud in connection with her attempt to steal funds from New York City’s Campaign Finance Board (CFB). 

“These defendants prioritized their own financial interests above the safety and security of residents and co-workers at the Crossroads Juvenile Center, giving dangerous contraband to juveniles in their care in exchange for bribes,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “This Office and our law enforcement partners will not stop rooting out and prosecuting corruption in our City’s jails and juvenile detention facilities.”

“The defendant demonstrated her allegiance to the MS-13 gang by luring four young men to their slaughter,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Today’s significant sentence reflects not only the seriousness of her conduct but also the consequences of her actions including the terror and suffering experienced by the victims, and the life-altering grief that their families continue to suffer.  It is my hope that the justice meted out today will provide some comfort to those who lost loved ones to this senseless gang violence.” 

Today in Brooklyn, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced charges in five cases addressing violence at New York City’s federal pretrial detention facility, the Metropolitan Detention Center, located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.  These include charges against inmates for the murder of Uriel Whyte on June 7, 2024, the murder of Edwin Cordero on July 17, 2024, an attempted murder on April 27, 2024 and two violent assaults on August 24 and 27, 2024. 

“Home health aides work long hours at difficult, often thankless tasks to ensure that the vulnerable individuals who they provide services to are properly cared for,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “These aides deserve the hard-earned benefits guaranteed them under the law and my Office will ensure that they are accurately compensated.”