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Justice Department

2 Men Arrested After Largest Meth Seizure In NJ History: Feds 2 Men Arrested After Largest Meth Seizure In NJ History: Feds
2 Men Arrested After Largest Meth Seizure In NJ History: Feds Two men were arrested and charged after conspiring to distribute over 260 lbs. of methamphetamine in New Jersey, the largest seizure in the state's history, authorities announced Tuesday, May 12. On Tuesday, April 28, Marcos Cesar Acosta, a 47-year-old Chicago resident, traveled to New Jersey to supervise the delivery of hundreds of pounds of meth by a truck driven by Carlos Cordero-Guiterrez, a 53-year-old native of Mexico, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazier said. Officers arrested Acosta and Cordero-Guiterrez, seizing  three black storage boxes, one duffel bag, and a garbage bag from the t…
Washington Post Editor Found Dead After Layoff: Reports Washington Post Editor Found Dead After Layoff: Reports
Washington Post Editor Found Dead After Layoff: Reports Dan Eggen, a Pulitzer-prizewinning reporter and longtime Washington Post editor, was found dead at 60 years, the outlet reports. Eggen was laid off earlier this year in a round of mass cuts. His ex-wife, Stephanie Armour, confirmed Eggen's death to the Washington Post. No foul play is suspected and a formal cause is pending an autopsy. A GoFundMe created by Jenna Johnson for Eggen's children, Madeleine and Max, had a goal of raising $45,000. Eggen joined The Washington Post in 1997, starting as a Metro reporter before covering the Justice Department, national security, and the Wh…
Judge Opens Bids For Virginia’s Top Prosecutor After Interim US Attorney Loses Authority Judge Opens Bids For Virginia’s Top Prosecutor After Interim US Attorney Loses Authority
Judge Opens Bids For Virginia’s Top Prosecutor After Interim US Attorney Loses Authority A federal judge in Virginia has opened applications for the region’s top federal prosecutor after the legal clock ran out on the Justice Department’s interim pick, leaving the powerful post officially vacant. Chief US District Judge M. Hannah Lauck entered an order on Tuesday, Jan. 20, directing the court to solicit candidates to serve as interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after Lindsey Halligan’s temporary authority expired without Senate confirmation. Halligan was appointed by the attorney general on Sept. 22, 2025, under a federal statute that limits interim US atto…
Trump Ordered To Fund SNAP Benefits During Gov't Shutdown Trump Ordered To Fund SNAP Benefits During Gov't Shutdown
Trump Ordered To Fund SNAP Benefits During Gov't Shutdown A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to resume Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the ongoing government shutdown, as 42 million Americans risk losing crucial food aid. A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled on Friday, Oct. 31, that the US Department of Agriculture must use contingency money in a timely manner or "as soon as possible," The New York Times reported. The USDA had said that it wouldn't issue SNAP benefits on Saturday, Nov. 1. The court order directs the USDA to allocate emergency funds Congress previously set…
Statue Showing Trump, Epstein As 'Best Friends Forever' Removed From National Mall Statue Showing Trump, Epstein As 'Best Friends Forever' Removed From National Mall
Statue Showing Trump, Epstein As 'Best Friends Forever' Removed From National Mall A satirical statue of President Donald Trump holding hands with notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was taken down from the National Mall in Washington, DC. The 12-foot statue, titled "Best Friends Forever," showed Trump and Epstein frolicking together. The bronze artwork was on display near the US Capitol building before federal authorities removed it at around 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 24, according to the Washingtonian magazine. A plaque at the statue's base celebrated "National Friendship Month," drawing attention to Trump and the convicted sex trafficker who died in Augus…
Citizenship Yanked After Maryland Man’s Horrific Child Rape Conviction Exposed: DOJ Citizenship Yanked After Maryland Man’s Horrific Child Rape Conviction Exposed: DOJ
Citizenship Yanked After Maryland Man’s Horrific Child Rape Conviction Exposed: DOJ A convicted child rapist in Maryland has been stripped of his US citizenship after federal prosecutors revealed he repeatedly raped a girl under 14 and lied to immigration officials to hide his crimes, the Justice Department announced. Jorge Antonio Graciano Lara lost his naturalization status after a federal judge in Maryland granted the Justice Department’s motion to revoke it this week, according to federal officials. The government filed its suit in November 2024, arguing that Graciano Lara should never have been granted citizenship because of his September 2017 conviction for second-de…
Virginia Nurse Shared Child Rape Videos With FBI Agent — Now He’s Going To Prison: DOJ Virginia Nurse Shared Child Rape Videos With FBI Agent — Now He’s Going To Prison: DOJ
Virginia Nurse Shared Child Rape Videos With FBI Agent — Now He’s Going To Prison: DOJ A Virginia nurse practitioner who admitted to distributing child pornography, including videos depicting the rape and abuse of young boys will spend years in prison, federal authorities announced. Lucas Allen Fussell, 43, formerly of Onley, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to multiple counts of distributing child pornography. On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the DOJ announced that Fussell has been sentenced to more than 87 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Authorities said that between December 2023 and February 2024, Fussell used an encrypted messaging app to exchan…
Trump's Lewd Birthday Note, Drawing To Jeffrey Epstein Released After House Subpoena Trump's Lewd Birthday Note, Drawing To Jeffrey Epstein Released After House Subpoena
Trump's Lewd Birthday Note, Drawing To Jeffrey Epstein Released After House Subpoena Congressional Democrats released what they claim is a sexualized birthday card that President Donald Trump signed and gave to notorious pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. House Oversight Committee Democrats posted the drawing on social media on Monday, Sept. 8. The note features a typewritten conversation between Trump and Epstein inside the outline of a female torso. Trump's signature is seen just below the thighs of the drawing, which appears to mimic pubic hair. The graphic birthday note was first reported by The Wall Street Journal in mid-July. Oversight Dems …
Trump To Reportedly Issue ‘Department Of War’ Executive Order Trump To Reportedly Issue ‘Department Of War’ Executive Order
Trump To Reportedly Issue ‘Department Of War’ Executive Order President Donald Trump has issued a new battle cry for the Pentagon, and with it, a new name. Trump has been hinting at the move for a while. From the Oval Office on Monday, Aug. 25, he said he wants to rename the Department of Defense the “Department of War," saying, “We want defense but we want offense too.”  Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth replied at the time, “It’s coming soon, sir.” According to a document obtained by The Washington Post on Thursday, Sept. 4, the president plans to sign an executive order on Friday, Sept. 5 that “will refocus this Department on our national in…
Trump Administration To Hand Over Epstein Files To Congress, House Oversight Chief Says Trump Administration To Hand Over Epstein Files To Congress, House Oversight Chief Says
Trump Administration To Hand Over Epstein Files To Congress, House Oversight Chief Says The long-shrouded records from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation are finally headed to Capitol Hill, according to a top House lawmaker. Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, announced on Monday, Aug. 18, that the Justice Department has agreed to begin handing over records related to the late financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The records are expected to be provided by the end of the week. The move comes in response to subpoenas issued earlier this month by a House Oversight subcommittee seeking documents related to Epstein’s high-…
Man Who Gunned Down Israeli Diplomats Outside DC Jewish Center Could Face Death Penalty: DOJ Man Who Gunned Down Israeli Diplomats Outside DC Jewish Center Could Face Death Penalty: DOJ
Man Who Gunned Down Israeli Diplomats Outside DC Jewish Center Could Face Death Penalty: DOJ A Chicago man accused of opening fire on a group of Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, has been formally indicted on hate crime and murder charges. Elias Rodriguez, 31, was charged this week in connection with the May 21 shootings that left two embassy employees — Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim — dead near the museum on 3rd Street NW, US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced at a press conference on Thursday. The unsealed indictment adds two federal counts of hate crime resulting in death and two local counts of assault with intent to ki…
DOJ Quietly Told Trump His Name Surfaced In Epstein Records, Report Says DOJ Quietly Told Trump His Name Surfaced In Epstein Records, Report Says
DOJ Quietly Told Trump His Name Surfaced In Epstein Records, Report Says The Justice Department privately told President Donald Trump earlier this year that his name appeared several times in files tied to Jeffrey Epstein, according to a brand-new report citing senior administration officials. Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy briefed Trump in May during a White House meeting after reviewing what Bondi described as a “truckload” of Epstein-related documents, the officials told The Wall Street Journal.  Many high-profile figures were also cited in the files, which the officials said contained unverified hearsay and no evidence of wrongdoing. Trump, …
Trump Scores Record-Low Approval On Handling Of Epstein Affair, New Poll Reveals Trump Scores Record-Low Approval On Handling Of Epstein Affair, New Poll Reveals
Trump Scores Record-Low Approval On Handling Of Epstein Affair, New Poll Reveals Nearly seven out of 10 Americans believe President Donald Trump’s administration is concealing crucial information about Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged sex-trafficking network, a new poll shows. The results underscore how the scandal has become a rare bipartisan liability for the White House. Related story: Graphic Birthday Note Bearing Trump’s Signature Surfaces In Epstein Records: Bombshell Report The two-day nationwide Reuters/Ipsos poll, which closed Wednesday, July 16, found that 69 percent of adults think federal officials are withholding details about the disgraced financier’…
Few Expect Those Connected To Child Sex Offender Jeffrey Epstein Will Face Justice, Poll Says Few Expect Those Connected To Child Sex Offender Jeffrey Epstein Will Face Justice, Poll Says
Few Expect Those Connected To Child Sex Offender Jeffrey Epstein Will Face Justice, Poll Says A new poll shows Americans have all but given up on seeing anyone in financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s orbit hauled into court, underscoring deepening public distrust of the government’s official narrative about the disgraced financier’s 2019 death. The nationwide YouGov survey of 7,237 adults, conducted Tuesday, July 8, and Wednesday, July 9, found just 15 percent are “very” or “somewhat” confident that “all people connected with Epstein who are alleged to have committed sex crimes will be thoroughly investigated.”  A full 67 percent said they are “not very”…
Graphic Birthday Note Bearing Trump’s Signature Surfaces In Epstein Records: Bombshell Report Graphic Birthday Note Bearing Trump’s Signature Surfaces In Epstein Records: Bombshell Report
Graphic Birthday Note Bearing Trump’s Signature Surfaces In Epstein Records: Bombshell Report A lewd birthday letter bearing President Donald Trump’s signature was among the messages collected for the late disgraced financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003, The Wall Street Journal reported in an exclusive published Thursday night, July 17. The letter, sent at the request of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, features typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman drawn in heavy marker, with Trump’s squiggly signature appearing below the waist, the outlet reported, saying the message ends: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be anot…
IRS Scam Busted: $93M COVID Fraud Tied To Attempted Hit On Alleged Mastermind IRS Scam Busted: $93M COVID Fraud Tied To Attempted Hit On Alleged Mastermind
IRS Scam Busted: $93M COVID Fraud Tied To Attempted Hit On Alleged Mastermind It started with a fake business. It ended with a shootout in broad daylight. Four people are facing federal charges in what prosecutors call the largest COVID-19 tax credit fraud scheme ever identified.  This $93 million operation allegedly involved fake companies, kickbacks, and a botched attempt to silence the ringleader. The sprawling indictment, unsealed in Los Angeles, details an alleged conspiracy to defraud the IRS by submitting false claims for Coronavirus Response Credits.  These federal tax refunds were designed to help small businesses cover sick and family leave wage…
UVA President Resigns Amid DOJ Pressure: ‘I Cannot Fight The Government To Save My Job’ UVA President Resigns Amid DOJ Pressure: ‘I Cannot Fight The Government To Save My Job’
UVA President Resigns Amid DOJ Pressure: ‘I Cannot Fight The Government To Save My Job’ The University of Virginia President James "Jim" Ryan announced his resignation on Friday amid pressure from the Justice Department, according to multiple reports. For months, the university has been under investigation by President Donald Trump's administration regarding its handling of the dissolution of DEI programs.  The New York Times reported on Thursday that the Justice Department was demanding Ryan step down, which he did on Friday, June 27. Ten days earlier, the Justice Department reportedly issued a stern warning to the board overseeing the University of Virginia that the sc…
Crypto Crackdown: $225M In Stolen Funds Seized In Global ‘Pig Butchering’ Scam: DOJ Crypto Crackdown: $225M In Stolen Funds Seized In Global ‘Pig Butchering’ Scam: DOJ
Crypto Crackdown: $225M In Stolen Funds Seized In Global ‘Pig Butchering’ Scam: DOJ Federal officials seized more than $225 million in stolen cryptocurrency in what they say is the largest-ever seizure of funds linked to a crypto confidence scam in US history. The civil forfeiture complaint, filed in Washington, DC, targets over $225.3 million in crypto assets that investigators say were tied to a complex global fraud operation.  According to the Justice Department, scammers used fake cryptocurrency investment platforms to trick hundreds of victims into transferring money into fraudulent accounts. Authorities say the scammers dispersed stolen funds across hundreds of…
Gunman Went To Total Of 4 Lawmakers’ Homes Night Of Double-Fatal Shooting: Feds Gunman Went To Total Of 4 Lawmakers’ Homes Night Of Double-Fatal Shooting: Feds
Gunman Went To Total Of 4 Lawmakers’ Homes Night Of Double-Fatal Shooting: Feds The man accused of fatally shooting a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband also went to the homes of two other elected officials that same night, Federal authorities say. Before ambushing Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and after wounding State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, Vance L. Boelter allegedly drove to the homes of two other elected officials — both of whom he failed to reach, according to a federal complaint unsealed Monday, June 16. The Justice Department says Boelter, age 57, wore body armor, posed as a police officer, and used a vehicle rigged to resemble a la…
Gloves Off: Musk Says Trump's In Epstein Files, President Threatens To Cut $20B SpaceX Contract Gloves Off: Musk Says Trump's In Epstein Files, President Threatens To Cut $20B SpaceX Contract
Gloves Off: Musk Says Trump's In Epstein Files, President Threatens To Cut $20B SpaceX Contract The former bromance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has now escalated into a full-fledged feud. After the two traded barbs over the so-called "big, beautiful" tax-and-spending bill Trump and Republican lawmakers are pushing, and which Musk opposes, things quickly got personal. A post by Musk on his X platform that Trump would have lost the 2024 election had he not provided hundreds of millions of dollars to his campaign appeared to be what set the president off. “Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ " Trump fired back Thursday afternoon, June 5 on Truth Social. "I asked him to leave, I took away hi…
Cargo Ship Captain Drugged, Raped Merchant Marine Cadet From Kings Point, DOJ Says Cargo Ship Captain Drugged, Raped Merchant Marine Cadet From Kings Point, DOJ Says
Cargo Ship Captain Drugged, Raped Merchant Marine Cadet From Kings Point, DOJ Says A former cargo ship captain is accused of drugging and raping a cadet from the US Merchant Marine Academy on Long Island. John Merrone, of South Carolina, surrendered to the FBI in New York Thursday morning, June 5, and was arraigned in Brooklyn federal court on multiple charges including aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact. He was released on bond. Charging documents, obtained by Daily Voice, accuse Merrone of drugging a female cadet to the point she lost consciousness as the two were aboard a Liberty Maritime Corporation cargo ship traveling from Bahrain to Corpus Christi,…
Showdown At Massapequa: McMahon Says Mascot Ban Violates Civil Rights Law In Campus Visit Showdown At Massapequa: McMahon Says Mascot Ban Violates Civil Rights Law In Campus Visit
Showdown At Massapequa: McMahon Says Mascot Ban Violates Civil Rights Law In Campus Visit Federal officials are siding with the Massapequa Chiefs — and threatening action against New York over its ban on Native American school mascots. In a dramatic visit to Massapequa High School on Friday, May 30, US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced that New York’s statewide mascot policy violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits race-based discrimination in federally funded education programs. The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) determined that state officials illegally targeted Native American imagery while allowing other race- and et…
CT Duo Helped Run Monkey Torture Video Ring; Animals Were Beaten, Sexually Abused, Killed: Feds CT Duo Helped Run Monkey Torture Video Ring; Animals Were Beaten, Sexually Abused, Killed: Feds
CT Duo Helped Run Monkey Torture Video Ring; Animals Were Beaten, Sexually Abused, Killed: Feds Two Connecticut residents are among 11 people indicted in a disturbing nationwide case involving the torture of monkeys for online videos, federal officials announced. Kimberly A. Anglin and Mark M. Sampieri (who also went by The Chef or SainT), both of Connecticut, are accused of conspiring with others to create and distribute graphic videos showing brutal acts of violence and sexual abuse against monkeys, federal prosecutors said.  Investigators say the two were part of an underground network that paid for videos now under federal investigation. According to the indictment, the defe…
‘Master Of Mutilation’ In Maryland Accused Of Funding Brutal Attacks In Cameroon: DOJ ‘Master Of Mutilation’ In Maryland Accused Of Funding Brutal Attacks In Cameroon: DOJ
‘Master Of Mutilation’ In Maryland Accused Of Funding Brutal Attacks In Cameroon: DOJ A Maryland man known as the "Garri Master" — or Master of Mutilation — is facing federal charges for allegedly masterminding a brutal conspiracy to fund violent attacks, kidnappings, and mutilations in Cameroon, federal prosecutors announced. Eric Tano Tataw, 38, of Gaithersburg, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland after what authorities described as a vicious, years-long plot to support violent separatist fighters known as the Amba Boys. According to the indictment, Tataw — a Cameroonian national living in Maryland — called for attacks on Cameroonian civilians, municipal offic…
NJ High School Teacher Admits to Exchanging Sexually Explicit Images With Minor: Feds NJ High School Teacher Admits to Exchanging Sexually Explicit Images With Minor: Feds
NJ High School Teacher Admits to Exchanging Sexually Explicit Images With Minor: Feds A 53-year-old high school teacher from Springfield admitted to possessing child pornography after messaging a minor on Wednesday, April 23, authorities said. From February 2023 to July 2023, Michael Hamilton, who was the band director at Union High School, began messaging a minor online, the Justice Department said. Hamilton and the minor exchanged hundreds of sexually explicit messages, pictures and videos, the Justice Department said. Hamilton later met the minor and recorded their sexual encounter on video, US Attorney Alina Habba said. Law enforcement seized a copy of the video during a…
$5M Fraud: Great Neck Twin Financiers Threatened Witnesses, Fabricated Evidence, DOJ Says $5M Fraud: Great Neck Twin Financiers Threatened Witnesses, Fabricated Evidence, DOJ Says
$5M Fraud: Great Neck Twin Financiers Threatened Witnesses, Fabricated Evidence, DOJ Says Twin financiers Adam and Daniel Kaplan, already charged with defrauding elderly and disabled clients out of millions, are now accused of threatening witnesses and fabricating evidence. The 35-year-old Kaplans, hailing from Long Island’s Great Neck, are named in a fresh superseding indictment that was filed in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, Feb. 20, charging them with an additional count of money laundering. Adam Kaplan was additionally charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and obstruction of justice, according to the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District. The new charges pa…
At Least 13 From CT Pardoned By Trump For Jan. 6 Capitol Attack At Least 13 From CT Pardoned By Trump For Jan. 6 Capitol Attack
At Least 13 From CT Pardoned By Trump For Jan. 6 Capitol Attack As he promised, President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of or pardoned some 1,500 people who took part in the riots at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.  While the riots caused consternation and fear throughout the nation's political infrastructure, Trump has maintained that those in prison or on trial were political prisoners and "hostages," targeted by former President Joe Biden's Justice Department.  “What they’ve done to these people is outrageous,” Trump said as he signed a flurry of executive orders in the Oval Office on Monday, Jan. 20, hours after being inaugurated, acc…
Walgreens Knowingly Filled Millions Of Prescriptions Lacking Legit Medical Purpose, DOJ Says Walgreens Knowingly Filled Millions Of Prescriptions Lacking Legit Medical Purpose, DOJ Says
Walgreens Knowingly Filled Millions Of Prescriptions Lacking Legit Medical Purpose, DOJ Says The Justice Department has filed a nationwide lawsuit against Walgreens, alleging the pharmacy chain filled millions of prescriptions without legitimate medical purposes, particularly involving dangerous opioid combinations, over more than a decade. Filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the civil complaint contends Walgreens violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and False Claims Act (FCA) by dispensing prescriptions despite clear red flags and seeking federal reimbursements for these drugs. “This lawsuit seeks to hold Walgreens accountable for the many…
Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban: How The App Could Survive In The U.S. Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban: How The App Could Survive In The U.S.
Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban: How The App Could Survive In The U.S. The Supreme Court has upheld a new law that could ban TikTok in the U.S. unless its Chinese parent company divests from the very popular video-sharing social media app. The justices said the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act" doesn't violate the First Amendment, according to the court's decision on Friday, Jan. 17. The ruling allows for TikTok to potentially be banned in the U.S. as early as Sunday, Jan. 19. TikTok, which has more than 170 million users in the U.S., has come under scrutiny over fears that ByteDance could allow the Chinese gov…
$4.3B Now Recovered For Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims, DOJ Says $4.3B Now Recovered For Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims, DOJ Says
$4.3B Now Recovered For Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims, DOJ Says More than $4.3 billion has now been recovered for victims of Bernie Madoff’s massive and infamous Ponzi scheme, the Justice Department announced, as part of a decade-long effort that has compensated over 40,000 people worldwide for nearly 94 percent of their losses. The DOJ says  its 10th and final distribution from the Madoff Victim Fund (MVF), provided more than $131 million to over 23,000 victims. The latest distribution marks the culmination of a decade-long effort to recover and return forfeited funds tied to Madoff's fraudulent investment empire. Most victims, primarily small inv…
Trump AG Pick Matt Gaetz Withdraws From Consideration Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations Trump AG Pick Matt Gaetz Withdraws From Consideration Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Trump AG Pick Matt Gaetz Withdraws From Consideration Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations Facing stiff opposition in the US Senate, embattled former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration to be President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general. The 42-year-old Gaetz had been the subject of an investigation by the Justice Department involving allegations of sex trafficking and sex with a minor.  "I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday," Gaetz posted on social media early Thursday afternoon, Nov. 21. "I appreciate their thoughtful feedback - and the incredible support of so many.  "While the momentum was strong, it is clear that…