FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2026  ·  EST. 2026 LIVENewsPressPodcastsGriftersBriefingsRoguesPutin WatchTrump RipoffCountdownDumbassSpaceXMerchSearchAdvertise
Investigating Power · The Day's Essential Reporting
GRIFTERS.
The accountability ledger. The conduct, who did it, and how it maps to the law. Every entry sourced, dated, and reviewed by a human before it posts.
201 on the board
OPINION / ANALYSIS: These entries describe conduct and our opinion on how it maps to the law. They are commentary, not allegations of criminal charges.
OPINION / ANALYSIS
Analysis

Tomás Niembro Concha

former chief executive officer of Nodus International Bank

Niembro pleaded guilty to conspiring to siphon at least $24.9 million from Nodus Bank through fraudulent investments and promissory note schemes from 2017–2023, concealing the transactions from the bank's board and regulators. He also conspired with others to conduct prohibited financial transactions with a Venezuela-designated individual, including a scheme to sell a foreclosed property back to that person in violation of U.S. sanctions.

Former Puerto Rican bank CEO Tomás Niembro Concha admits to stealing $24.9 million from his own bank while quietly financing Venezuela-connected deals.

Maps to 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud conspiracy); 50 U.S.C. § 1705 (International Emergency Economic Powers Act violation)
U.S. Department of Justice · 2026 →
Robertico A. Dos Santos
Dos Santos orchestrated an eight-year fraud and money laundering scheme against the government of Curaçao involving the operation of an unlicensed lottery and…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Samir Ousman Alsheikh · former Syrian prison warden and provincial governor
Tortured prisoners while serving as a Syrian prison warden and provincial governor. Lied to U.S. immigration officials to gain entry to the United States.
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Yahya Jammeh · Former President of The Gambia
Jammeh allegedly embezzled millions in public funds and solicited bribes from businesses seeking monopoly rights in various sectors of the Gambian economy. He…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Google LLC · corporation
Google unlawfully monopolized advertising technology markets by leveraging its control of publisher ad server (DFP) and ad exchange (AdX) to foreclose…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Rita Ntusa Anagho · Clinic Owner; Licensed Nurse Practitioner
Anagho owned and operated Tusa Integrated Clinic and fraudulently billed Arizona's Medicaid agency (AHCCCS) over $69 million from May 2022 through March 2023…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Gladys Marina Caal Chen
Caal Chen submitted a false sponsorship application to HHS's Office of Refugee Resettlement claiming to be the sister of an unaccompanied alien child (UAC) in…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Michael Young · founder, Home At Last nonprofit
Young allegedly misappropriated more than $7.5 million in taxpayer funds earmarked for homeless housing through shell corporations and fraudulent billing. He…
Charged2026U.S. Department of Justice →
James Brass; Courtney Price; Jateisha Herron; Mariana Alexandra Dewey; Bridget Johnson; Michael Wedderburn
Brass, Price, and Herron paid homeless individuals on Skid Row to fraudulently sign California ballot initiative petitions using stolen identities of…
Indicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Dwight Chris John · former church elder
John possessed over 1,000 images of child sexual abuse material depicting prepubescent minors, including infants and toddlers. He also produced sexually…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Fosiya Mohamoud, Abdulrahman Alawad, Zetun Abdi, Ikramullah Mohmmand, Khetam Haouash, Khatera Hashimi, Mariam Khamis, Mohamad Alawad, Mazin Alawad, Turkiya Alawad, Zaryab Daudzai, Cezar Yaqoob · unlicensed/fraudulent home daycare operators
Twelve defendants obtained California licenses to operate home childcare facilities and registered with subsidized childcare administrators, then submitted…
Charged2026U.S. Department of Justice →
LeShon Johnson · former NFL player
Johnson operated a large-scale dog fighting and trafficking operation known as 'Mal Kant Kennels' from at least 2007, breeding and selling hundreds of…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Monika Skinger
Skinger conspired with others to submit false individual and trust tax returns claiming millions in fraudulent refunds. She personally submitted at least 16…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Paul Richard Randall · pharmacy operator
Randall orchestrated a $270 million Medicaid fraud scheme over 11 months by exploiting a temporary suspension of prior authorization requirements in…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Beverly Braumuller-Hawver and Scott Hawver
From February 2015 through November 2018, Beverly Braumuller-Hawver and Scott Hawver paid a promoter for fraudulent tax paperwork and filed an amended 2014…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Adam Schlueter · U.S. Army soldier
While stationed in Grafenwöhr, Germany (2009–2013), Schlueter physically, emotionally, and sexually abused two minor victims under age 10, including choking,…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Thao Duong · website operator
Duong operated a website selling veterinary drugs and pesticides smuggled from Mexico without FDA/EPA approval. She knowingly purchased smuggled merchandise…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Sergei Anatolyevich Filimonov · Web developer
Filimonov allegedly developed and maintained a transnational cyber-fraud operation involving spoofed banking websites and credential-harvesting phishing. He…
Indicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Yenkin Majestic Paint Corporation · coatings and resin manufacturing facility operator
Yenkin installed a new pressurized kettle door ('manway') without pressure testing it, despite prior high-pressure spikes. When the door leaked, the company…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Erekle Gugava · Owner of ND Medical Solutions LLC (durable medical equipment company)
Gugava owned and operated ND Medical Solutions LLC, a Pennsylvania-based durable medical equipment company, and submitted at least $1.3 billion in fraudulent…
Indicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Chad Barclay
Barclay enticed a victim to his residence on September 13, 2022, to engage in commercial sex, then robbed and sexually assaulted her. He admitted to…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Courtney Trenell
Between April and December 2023, Trenell joined a conspiracy to rob banks in Memphis and served as a getaway driver for at least two coordinated bank…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Thomas Weir Pauken II · American citizen
From 2019 to February 2026, Pauken worked at the direction of China's Ministry of State Security, recruiting intelligence assets, providing them with…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Gurmeet Singh · taxicab driver
In May 2011, Singh drove a female passenger who had fallen asleep to an isolated location, then raped her at knifepoint while she was bound and gagged. He…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Oluwasegun Baiyewu
Baiyewu led a conspiracy that laundered over $3.1 million in proceeds from business email compromise, romance, and unemployment insurance fraud schemes by…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Rafael Enrique Gamez Salas · alleged leader of Los Piratas, a Tren de Aragua cell
Gamez Salas allegedly directed kidnappings, extortions, and homicides on behalf of the Venezuelan transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua's Chilean…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Jacob Christopher Slawson · Former tribal police officer, San Carlos Apache Police Department
Slawson punched a handcuffed arrestee in the face, knocking him unconscious, then yanked him out of a police vehicle causing a head injury. When he learned he…
Indicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Christopher A. Bravo Marin · employee of a Minnesota-based money transmitting business
From February 2023 to February 2026, Bravo, an employee at a Minnesota money transmitter, conspired with members of a Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación drug…
Indicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Joel Matthew Caswell · Owner/manager of logging and construction businesses
From 2018–2022, Caswell withheld employment taxes from employees but failed to pay them to the IRS, while evading taxes through check-routing and false…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Olushola Yusuf · pharmacist and pharmacy owner
Yusuf dispensed over 335,000 oxycodone 30mg pills to pharmacy customers with no medical need, charging approximately 10 times the typical cost and requiring…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Miranda-Orozco · human smuggler organizer
Miranda-Orozco organized and facilitated the smuggling of 64 aliens from Guatemala through Mexico into the United States in a tractor trailer without…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Jean Robert Casimir · former Haitian National Police officer
Casimir illegally exported at least 140 firearms from the United States to Haiti between August 2020 and December 2024 without obtaining required export…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Bryce Cleveland · President and CEO of Scalpa, Inc.
Between March 2018 and December 2020, Cleveland devised a fraudulent scheme to market and sell unapproved injectable medical devices (ScalpaJECT Hyaluronic…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Bayron Leopoldo Perez Batres
Perez Batres unlawfully reentered the United States after having been previously removed to Guatemala on three separate occasions (January 1996, September…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Wendy Dalaithy Amaral Arevalo
Amaral Arevalo, designated by OFAC in 2015 for assisting Los Cuinis narcotics trafficking, violated U.S. counternarcotic sanctions by entering into tuition…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Dianne Guadian
Guadian and three co-conspirators smuggled unaccompanied alien children aged 5–13 from Juarez, Mexico into the United States, sometimes sedating them with…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Yaroslav Shilkloper
Shilkloper and co-conspirators operated fake investment companies ('K6 Investing,' 'Neotron Holding LTD.,' 'Goldex Technology') that defrauded U.S. citizens…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Brian Nelson Booker · former CPA
Booker, a former CPA who owned a Panama-organized cocoa trading company, allegedly failed to disclose foreign bank accounts in Switzerland, Singapore, and…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Aimer Alberto Alvaran Posada · high-level member, Western Bloc of Clan del Golfo
In 2018, Alvaran Posada conspired with other CDG members to produce 500 kilograms of cocaine for sale to Mexican buyers, knowing it was destined for the…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Kin Keung Ho
Ho shipped approximately 99 packages containing 578 protected turtles (eastern box, western box, three-toed box, spotted, and diamondback terrapin) to Asia…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Romeo Ramos Cruz · Mayor of Santa Lucia municipality, Escuintla Department, Guatemala
From 2022 through 2023, Ramos Cruz served as mayor and member of a Guatemala-based drug trafficking organization transporting cocaine to U.S. markets. He…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Yolanda Matthews · adult day care owner
Matthews submitted over $539,000 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for psychotherapy services never provided. She billed for services during periods…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Justin Ryan Schmidt · hedge fund manager
Schmidt managed a cryptocurrency hedge fund and earned at least $7 million over several years but reported income of $5,000 or less on his 2020–2022 tax…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Nathaniel Pack · Corrections officer, Southern Regional Jail, Beaver, West Virginia
Pack conspired with other correctional officers to use unreasonable and unjustified force against inmates, including pretrial detainees, as punishment and…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Moktar Hassan Aden, Mustafa Dayib Ali, Khalid Ahmed Dayib, Abdifitah Mohamud Mohamed · Operators of Brilliant Minds Services LLC, a Medicaid provider
The four defendants set up Brilliant Minds Services LLC and enrolled it as a Medicaid provider, then submitted approximately $2.2 million in fraudulent claims…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Karina Garcia; Edson Alejandro Perez; Seferino Huerta-Casillas; Jonas Ulloa-Aguilera; Mayra Alejandra Huerta; Maria Norma Neri de Moran; Damian Huerta Analucas; Rosario Cristal Lopez-Saldana; Eric Hernandez; Franklin Williams Ayala Aguilera; Pascual Raymundo Loarca
Eleven defendants allegedly operated a human smuggling organization that transported illegal aliens via cargo trains from Mexico into the United States,…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Miran Kostic · high-level official in the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (APZB)
Kostic, a Bosnian official, pistol-whipped, beat with wooden clubs and stakes, and kicked prisoners into unconsciousness, and ordered others to do the same.…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Ysrael Jacob Cordova; Ricardo Valenzuela · street gang members
Cordova and Valenzuela, acting on orders from a Mexican Mafia member in prison, traveled to the victim's home in Placentia, California, brandished long guns…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Enrique Guajardo Lopez · Barrio Azteca gang member
Lopez was part of a Barrio Azteca racketeering and drug trafficking conspiracy. On March 13, 2010, he acted as a lookout while other gang members murdered…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Jinbin Ren
Ren and co-conspirators acquired gift cards stolen through romance fraud, elder fraud, hacking, theft, and other scams. They used the cards to purchase…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Jadee Glover; Julia Brainerd; Shamoya Perkins · tax return preparers; business owners (CashBack Tax Service, Royalty Tax Services, Jewels Tax Services)
Glover owned CashBack Tax Service where Brainerd and Perkins worked as preparers; the three conspired to prepare and file fraudulent tax returns for clients…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Shawn Bonneau
From January 2016 through December 2023, Bonneau compelled three adult women to perform commercial sex acts in Maine and elsewhere for his financial benefit.…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Stephanie Square · leader of alien smuggling organization
Square led a human smuggling operation across the U.S.-Canada border. On March 29, 2023, despite known dangerous weather conditions including high winds,…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Theresa Mitchell · Former gymnastics coach and social media content creator
Between 2023 and 2025, Mitchell conspired with Christopher Buckeridge to produce and distribute sexually explicit images and videos of minor children via…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Mark Loftis · Medical supply company owner; chiropractor
Loftis paid over $1 million to marketers and call centers to obtain personal and health insurance information from elderly and disabled Americans. He and…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Christopher Slater
Slater orchestrated a multi-state conspiracy to defraud the United States of over $52.7 million by filing approximately 290 false tax returns claiming Paid…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Joseph Stewart · businessman
Between 2013 and 2018, Stewart earned over $4.5 million in dividends from internet access businesses serving U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan and Guantanamo…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Ignacio Diaz-Perez, Samuel Diaz-Perez, Salvador Diaz-Diaz
Three Mexican nationals participated in an international alien smuggling organization that brought hundreds of undocumented aliens from Mexico and…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Nicholas T. Dryden
Dryden paid a minor in Indonesia to create videos depicting extreme torture and abuse of monkeys, including burning and cutting off their genitals. He then…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Dorothea Irving · NEMT company driver
Irving worked with a non-emergency medical transport company between 2020 and 2026 to submit millions in false claims to New Mexico Medicaid for ineligible…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Eric Zhu · Owner, Prime Life Adult Day Care LLC
From 2020 through 2025, Zhu owned Prime Life Adult Day Care and paid illegal cash kickbacks and bribes to Medicaid recipients in exchange for enrolling in his…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Lynette Hogue · tax preparation business employee
Between 2021 and 2024, Hogue prepared and filed false and fraudulent income tax returns for clients at her tax preparation business, generating refunds to…
Indicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Sead Miljkovic · former member of the security forces of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia
Miljkovic hid his true identity to enter the United States in 1996 and naturalize as a U.S. citizen in 2007 through false testimony to government officials.…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Camille T. Jones · Supervisory official, U.S. Census Bureau
Jones steered a multimillion-dollar Census Bureau employee assistance program contract to a subcontracting company owned by her relative, Yolanda M. Jones, in…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh
Eidleh participated in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, a $250 million operation that diverted pandemic relief funds meant for feeding children. He is…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Ann Heibeck · tax return preparer
Heibeck and her tax preparation businesses prepared and filed thousands of false federal income tax returns that understated customers' tax liabilities by…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
John Harold Rogers · Senior Adviser, Federal Reserve Board of Governors
Rogers, a decades-long senior adviser at the Federal Reserve with access to restricted monetary policy information, developed a clandestine relationship with…
Convicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Roger Napoleon Grant · Tax shelter promoter
Grant used a multi-tiered sham trust structure to conceal millions in income from the IRS between 2017–2022, while selling the same fraudulent tax shelter to…
Indicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Adonia Stiles · real estate agent, tax preparer, and clothing store owner
Stiles conspired with others to file false COVID-19 employment tax credit and sick/family leave credit claims. She caused a co-conspirator to file 11 false…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Alexander Alexandrovich Volosovik, Kirill Andreevich Zatolokin, Yulia Vladimirovna Pankova, Medialand LLC, ML.Cloud LLC · owners/operators of bulletproof hosting companies
Volosovik, Zatolokin, and Pankova owned and operated Medialand LLC and ML.Cloud LLC, which provided "bulletproof hosting" infrastructure—including computer…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Clarence A. Frazier Jr.
Frazier barricaded himself in his bedroom after law enforcement approached his residence to execute an arrest warrant for failure to appear on a state sexual…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Kirtan S. Patel · pharmacy owner
Patel owned a pharmacy in Jersey City and in November 2020 submitted falsified documents to a health insurance company in response to an audit, falsely…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Raj Kohli, Veena Kohli, Narain Gulabani · Gold jewelry importers/wholesalers
Raj and Veena Kohli imported approximately 563 entries of gold jewelry falsely declared as manufactured in Singapore (true origin: India and United Arab…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
McDonald Preval
Preval filed numerous false tax returns on behalf of himself and purported trusts he controlled, claiming significant income, withholding payments, and tax…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Blace Arthur Nalavany · Associate Professor of Social Work at East Carolina University; Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Nalavany possessed images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct at his home. He pleaded guilty to the charge on March 11 and was sentenced to 42…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Joshua Firmin · Former Deputy U.S. Marshal
On February 29, 2024, Firmin assaulted a shackled prisoner in the Lafayette federal courthouse cellblock by yanking him by the hair and slamming his head into…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Sean Tighe
From March 2014 to September 2020, Tighe conspired to distribute over nine kilograms of furanyl fentanyl and nine kilograms of 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl,…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Neil Suresh Chandran
Chandran created companies and falsely claimed they would be purchased by billionaires at extraordinary valuations, soliciting over $45 million from more than…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Juan Jose 'Juanjo' Farias Mendoza; Israel 'Papo' Vega Farias · High-ranking members of the United Cartels
Farias Mendoza and Vega Farias, the son and nephew of the United Cartels' top leader, are charged with conspiring to manufacture and distribute…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Vincent Anthony Principe
Principe traveled to the Philippines over several years and sexually abused four minors, including a child as young as eight. He documented the abuse on video…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Josue Pacheco Torres; Julian Pachano; Kleiver Monasterio Briceno; Hector Asdrubal Garcia Zuniga; Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar; Jhonny Jesus Martinez Serrano; Jhonatan Nahin Toro Gonzalez; Ehiker Alexander Morales Mendoza · alleged members of Tren de Aragua transnational criminal organization
Eight alleged Tren de Aragua members are charged with kidnappings that resulted in death, racketeering involving murder, and related violent offenses across…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Marian Ovidiu Dumitru and Catalin Dumitru
Between July 2024 and August 2025, the defendants operated an identity theft ring that stole data from SNAP EBT cards using skimming devices at ATMs and fuel…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Alibaba Group Holding Limited; AUS Merchant Services Inc. · e-commerce platform operator; payment processor
Alibaba failed to prevent approximately 80,000 product sales on its platforms involving illegal pharmaceuticals, controlled substances, and counterfeiting…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Manuel Valenzuela
Valenzuela, a member of an alien smuggling organization, smuggled unaccompanied children ages 5–13 from Juarez, Mexico into the United States, sometimes…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Wenshen Xu
Xu operated a transportation network across Latin America to smuggle multi-kilogram loads of cocaine into the United States, importing over 450 kilograms…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Eri Guzman Ortiz
Guzman Ortiz created and deposited approximately $14 million in fraudulent checks into accounts of sham companies, transferring stolen funds from victims'…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Semrad Law Firm · consumer bankruptcy law firm
The firm filed 31 bankruptcy cases on behalf of consumer debtors whose sworn financial documents contained materially inconsistent information compared to…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Connecticut Children's Medical Center · children's medical center
Connecticut Children's Medical Center allegedly administered puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors and performed surgeries on children and…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Venkatachalam Mani · landlord
Mani allegedly made unwelcome sexual advances toward a female tenant, including sexual touching. After she rejected his advances, he failed to respond to…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Connor Riley Moucka
Between February and October 2024, Moucka and co-conspirators used stolen credentials to compromise cloud data of at least 165 customers of a U.S. software…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Ronald Dale Koontz, Demitrios George Macropoulos, Randy L. Nowland, Cory Taylor Humphrey · General manager, mine superintendent, shift mine managers
Four mine managers allegedly failed to evacuate miners or notify MSHA during an underground fire at MC#1 Mine in August 2021, directing coal mining to…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Eldar Zarbavel · Money launderer
Zarbavel opened bank accounts in Northeast Ohio for a fraudulent durable medical equipment company controlled by a Russia-based transnational criminal…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Jianfei Lu · money launderer; courier and manager for Chinese money laundering organization
Lu served as a prolific courier and manager for a Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO) that laundered over $92 million in drug trafficking proceeds.…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Roxanna Cedeno · tax return preparer
Cedeno and her business RC Travel Agency prepared federal tax returns that systematically understated clients' tax liabilities and inflated refunds by…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Gholamreza Rafatnejad, Ehsan Mohammadi, Abdollah Karima, Mostafa Sadeghi, Seyed Ali Mirkarmi, Mohammed Reza Sabahi, Roozbeh Sabahi, Abuzar Gohari Moqadam, Sajjad Tahmasebi, Saeid Houshyar, Behzad Mesri, Manouchehr Hashemloo, Keyvan Fayaz, Amir Barati, Saber Shahbazi Ballojeh, Arman Kahzadian, Mojtab · Members of the Mabna Institute (Iran-based hacking-for-hire organization)
Members of the Mabna Institute, an Iran-based company, conducted a coordinated campaign of cyber intrusions into computer systems belonging to 144 U.S.…
Indicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Michael Shine · tax preparer; owner of Shine's Professional Services
Between 2021 and 2026, Shine owned a tax preparation business and allegedly prepared false tax returns for clients that falsely claimed geothermal heat pump…
Indicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Nazira Haji Zada · family matriarch
Nazira Haji Zada supported her family's ISIS-inspired plot to commit a mass shooting on Election Day 2024. She signed a contract to sell the family home,…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Michael Stewart · former CEO of Access DX Laboratory
Stewart, as CEO of Access DX Laboratory, paid kickbacks to marketers in return for patient referrals for genetic testing, used unbundled billing codes, paid…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Efrain Zuniga-Garcia · stash house operator; member of international alien smuggling organization
Between November 2020 and September 2023, Zuniga-Garcia operated a stash house in Monterrey, Mexico as part of a vast international alien smuggling…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Rahsontanohstha Delormier · boat driver for human smuggling organization
Delormier piloted boats transporting undocumented aliens across the St. Lawrence River from Canada into New York as part of a human smuggling conspiracy. On…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Elias Shabazz
Shabazz posed as a romantic partner, then used physical violence, sexual assault, and psychological coercion to force a victim into commercial sex work. He…
Convicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
John R. Bolton, II · National Security Advisor (April 2018–September 2019)
Bolton incorporated highly sensitive classified information, including TOP SECRET and Sensitive Compartmented Information, into personal diary entries while…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Alexander Iniguez Mercado
Mercado was an administrator and member of Signal messaging groups used to plan a violent attack on a UFC event at the White House. After an FBI agent called…
Indicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Marterrio Armstrong
On November 24, 2024, Armstrong and an accomplice approached nine construction workers at gunpoint, threatened them, and robbed them of wallets, cell phones,…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Carlton Lenard Adams
Adams maintained a stock of 78 fighting dogs at three properties in Alabama, keeping them in conditions of extreme neglect and injury. He possessed…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Cortez Hollis · Owner and operator of Hollis Tax Time, a tax preparation business
Hollis owned and operated a tax preparation business where he prepared false tax returns for clients by claiming fictitious business losses they did not…
Convicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Regina Durkin
Durkin conspired with others to file fourteen fraudulent tax return claims to the IRS seeking over $7.7 million in refunds based on COVID-19 employee…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Carlos Javier Padron
Padron deployed malware known as Ploutus onto ATMs across the United States to force unauthorized cash withdrawals as part of a transnational criminal…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Larry Wilson
Wilson participated in armed robberies and methamphetamine distribution as part of Young Mob, a Memphis gang. In June 2024, he and co-conspirators robbed…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Mario Flores
From 2015 to 2022, Flores conspired to operate shell companies that ran an unlicensed check-cashing service, cashing approximately $89 million in checks from…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Robert Craig
Craig used encrypted chat applications to share and discuss obscene videos of monkeys being tortured and sexually abused. The videos included depictions of…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Mingran Wang · founder and investment manager of Greenroots Capital Management
Wang orchestrated a spoofing scheme from 2021 through 2024, placing over 3,000 non-bona fide orders across multiple brokerage accounts with intent to cancel…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Andrew Dominguez
Dominguez attempted to entice three minors to produce sexually explicit material in 2013, 2014, and 2023. He distributed child sexual abuse material videos…
Indicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Ygor Fokin Saviolli
Saviolli provided upfront funds to facilitate a sophisticated money laundering organization operating across the United States and multiple countries, and…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Samuel Flores de Dios
Between February and March 2025, Flores de Dios brought a minor victim under 13 to his residence in Fredericksburg, Virginia, sexually abused her on multiple…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Seth Herrera · Specialist, U.S. Army
Herrera, a former Army soldier, pleaded guilty to accumulating tens of thousands of CSAM files via encrypted apps and the dark web, participating in hundreds…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
The Chemours Company · manufacturer of PFAS chemicals
Chemours discharged PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or 'forever chemicals') into the Ohio River, Cape Fear River, and Delaware River in violation…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Nejlai Mitchell · owner of tax return preparation business
Mitchell owned and operated a tax return preparation business and, from April 2022 through May 2023, conspired with seven employees to file false tax returns…
Guilty Plea2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Rouzbeh Ross Haghighat · board member of a publicly traded company
Haghighat, a board director at a biopharmaceutical company, obtained material nonpublic information about another company's proposed $3.2 billion acquisition.…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Benjamin Hanil Song · Leader of North Texas Antifa Cell
Benjamin Hanil Song led a North Texas Antifa cell that attacked the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas on July 4, 2025, armed with firearms,…
Convicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Huione Group · Cambodia-based corporate conglomerate
Subsidiaries of the Huione Group allegedly operated Huione Guarantee, which ran Telegram channels facilitating the sale of stolen financial data, malware…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
William Lee Spartacus Falkner; Jordan W. Rincker
Falkner allegedly conspired to attack a UFC event at the White House using explosive-laden drones to force attendees toward sniper positions. Rincker…
Charged2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Michael Ron David Kadar
In early 2017, Kadar made multiple threatening calls to Jewish Community Centers throughout Florida relaying bomb and active shooter threats to facilities…
Indicted2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Inspectors general / watchdog removals · Trump administration; IGs
Public Citizen described IG firings/replacements as watchdog wipeout weakening fraud/waste/abuse oversight.
Analysis2025citizen.org →
Independent agencies executive order · White House; independent agencies
Executive order asserted White House control over independent agencies such as FCC/FTC/SEC.
Analysis2025politico.com →
Office of Government Ethics / David Huitema · Trump; OGE director
Trump removed Senate-confirmed OGE director David Huitema early in five-year term.
Analysis2025politico.com →
Stephen Feinberg / Pentagon · Deputy Defense Secretary; Cerberus/private equity
Reporting raised concerns about private-equity influence over Pentagon procurement and associates’ defense interests.
Analysis2026theguardian.com →
Corporate appointees / regulated industries · Trump appointees
Public Citizen tracker alleges many appointees came from companies/lobbying shops in industries they regulate.
Analysis2024citizen.org →
xAI data center / NAACP suit · xAI; MZX Tech; NAACP
Associated Press reported DOJ sought dismissal of suit alleging unpermitted gas turbines and pollution near homes/schools.
Analysis2026apnews.com →
DOJ / xAI pollution lawsuit · DOJ; Elon Musk; xAI
Trump DOJ intervened seeking dismissal of NAACP Clean Air Act case against Musk’s xAI data center.
Analysis2026theguardian.com →
Howard Lutnick / Tesla endorsement · Commerce Secretary; Tesla; former firm
POGO requested ethics investigation after Lutnick publicly urged buying Tesla stock while former firm run by his children reportedly held shares.
Analysis2025s3.amazonaws.com →
Tesla White House showcase · Trump; Musk; Tesla
White House Tesla showcase raised ethics concerns about using presidential office/property to promote Musk’s company.
Analysis2025abcnews.go.com →
FAA / Starlink terminals · FAA; SpaceX/Starlink; Musk
Senator Markey raised concerns about FAA deployment/testing of Starlink terminals amid Musk conflict.
Analysis2025markey.senate.gov →
Starlink / rural broadband funds · SpaceX/Starlink; Commerce Department
Policy change made Starlink eligible to apply for major rural broadband funding while Musk held government role.
Analysis2025scrippsnews.com →
DOGE staff / Musk companies · DOGE personnel; former/current Musk employees
ProPublica found DOGE included many staff tied to Musk companies while reshaping agencies affecting those industries.
Analysis2025propublica.org →
Elon Musk companies / federal exposure · Musk; Tesla; SpaceX; Neuralink
Senate Democrats estimated Musk companies faced major legal/regulatory exposure across agencies DOGE could influence.
Analysis2025theguardian.com →
Elon Musk / DOGE · Billionaire adviser; federal cost-cutting role
Musk had direct business interest in many agencies/departments DOGE targeted.
Analysis2025citizen.org →
Executive Branch launch attendees · Cabinet officials; tech billionaires; Trump allies
Club launch drew cabinet secretaries and tech/crypto billionaires, amplifying access-for-money concerns.
Analysis2025nypost.com →
Executive Branch private club · Don Jr.; Omeed Malik; Witkoff sons; members
Trump-aligned invite-only club monetized proximity to MAGA officials, donors, tech and crypto elites.
Analysis2025axios.com →
Massad Boulos · Trump-connected adviser/family relation
Wyden/Garcia letter notes Boulos received payment for leveraging Trump ties to help recover assets seized by Saudi government.
Analysis2026finance.senate.gov →
Jared Kushner / Middle East fundraising · Trump son-in-law; envoy; investor
Wyden/Garcia investigated Kushner raising Middle East government money while negotiating U.S. foreign policy.
Analysis2026finance.senate.gov →
Jared Kushner / Affinity Partners · Trump son-in-law; private investor
Raskin letter alleged Kushner solicited Gulf money for private ventures while serving as special envoy.
Analysis2026truthout.org →
Jared Kushner / Affinity Partners · Trump son-in-law; special envoy; private equity
Kushner’s Affinity Partners received billions in Gulf funding while he served/was described as peace envoy or policy actor.
Analysis2026democrats-judiciary.house.gov →
Trump Organization international licensing · Trump business
Trump Organization licensed/announced brand projects across multiple countries since 2022, including Saudi-related deals.
Analysis2025bisnow.com →
Eric Trump / Somaliland / Israel · Trump son; foreign presidents/leaders
Eric Trump reportedly met Somaliland’s president at Davos to hear investment pitches; Israeli president also present.
Analysis2026citizensforethics.org →
Donald Trump Jr. / Saudi Arabia · Trump son; Saudi investment forum
Don Jr. spoke at Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s investment forum and promoted regional investment opportunities.
Analysis2026citizensforethics.org →
Eric Trump / Vietnam · Trump son; Vietnamese prime minister
Eric Trump appeared with Vietnam prime minister at groundbreaking for Trump development Vietnam had agreed to fast-track.
Analysis2026citizensforethics.org →
Eric Trump / Qatar · Trump son; Qatari minister; sovereign fund
Eric Trump appeared at signing for Trump development involving Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund.
Analysis2026citizensforethics.org →
Donald Trump Jr. / Hungary · Trump son; Hungarian officials
Don Jr. met Hungary’s foreign minister as Trump Org looked at regional expansion.
Analysis2026citizensforethics.org →
Donald Trump Jr. / Serbia · Trump son; Serbian officials
Don Jr. met Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic while Trump Org pursued Belgrade development.
Analysis2026citizensforethics.org →
Donald Trump Jr. / Eric Trump · President’s sons; Trump Organization executives
Trump sons met officials from eight foreign governments while Trump Org expanded aggressively abroad.
Analysis2026citizensforethics.org →
UFC Freedom 250 / USD1 · UFC; World Liberty Financial; White House
UFC event on White House lawn paid bonuses in USD1 stablecoin issued by Trump-linked World Liberty Financial.
Analysis2026theguardian.com →
Origin Protocol crypto summit at Mar-a-Lago · Crypto company; Trump property
Crypto summit at Mar-a-Lago sought relationship-building with Trump administration and inner circle while spending at Trump venue.
Analysis2025citizensforethics.org →
$TRUMP meme coin foreign/anonymous buyers · Trump; crypto purchasers
Pseudonymous crypto wallets allowed foreign or hidden buyers to enrich Trump-linked interests while seeking access.
Analysis2025theguardian.com →
$TRUMP meme coin / access dinner · Donald Trump; meme-coin buyers
Top buyers of Trump-branded meme coin were invited to private dinner/VIP access with the president.
Analysis2025forbes.com →
David Sacks · White House crypto/AI czar
Senators alleged Sacks managed a venture fund backed by Emirati money that invested in infrastructure behind USD1 while shaping crypto policy.
Analysis2025banking.senate.gov →
Steve Witkoff / Zach Witkoff / WLF · Special envoy; family crypto interests
Senior envoy Steve Witkoff retained financial interest in WLF while his son brokered UAE-backed USD1 deal, according to Warren/Slotkin.
Analysis2025banking.senate.gov →
USD1 / MGX / Binance · World Liberty Financial; UAE-backed MGX; Binance
UAE-backed fund planned to use World Liberty USD1 stablecoin for Binance stake purchase.
Analysis2025banking.senate.gov →
World Liberty Financial / UAE investors · Trump sons; UAE-linked investors
Trump-family crypto firm reportedly sold a 49% stake to Emirati-backed investors tied to UAE leadership shortly before inauguration.
Analysis2026washingtonpost.com →
World Liberty Financial · Trump family crypto company
Trump-linked crypto firm created direct financial exposure to federal crypto policy decisions.
Analysis2026qz.com →
Trump family digital asset schemes · Trump family; crypto ventures
House Oversight Democrats allege Trump family digital ventures produced large realized and unrealized gains tied to presidency.
Analysis2026oversightdemocrats.house.gov →
Qatar jet legal memo / DOJ / Pam Bondi · DOJ; Attorney General; foreign gift review
DOJ withheld legal memo reportedly approving Qatar jet acceptance; American Oversight sued for records.
Analysis2025americanoversight.org →
Qatar / Donald Trump · Foreign government; U.S. president
Qatar offered a Boeing 747-8 for use as Air Force One with later presidential-library transfer plan, raising constitutional foreign-gift concerns.
Analysis2025factcheck.org →
Trump Dubai golf club / sovereign-linked sponsors · Trump business; foreign-linked sponsors
Trump Dubai hosted an international shipping event with sponsors tied to Oman and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth funds.
Analysis2025citizensforethics.org →
Saudi-backed LIV Golf / Trump properties · Foreign-government-linked sports venture; Trump venues
Saudi-backed LIV Golf events at Trump properties created foreign-government-linked revenue and prestige for Trump venues.
Analysis2025citizensforethics.org →
Donald Trump · President
Trump mentioned or promoted his own business properties while in office.
Analysis2025citizensforethics.org →
Special interests / political committees at Trump venues · Interest groups, PACs, political actors
Special-interest groups, political committees, and foreign governments held events at Trump properties, paying businesses tied to the president.
Analysis2025citizensforethics.org →
Foreign officials at Trump properties · Foreign officials; Trump business patrons
Foreign government officials visited Trump-owned properties while U.S. policy could affect those governments.
Analysis2025citizensforethics.org →
Donald Trump / Trump properties · President; private club/resort owner
Repeated presidential visits to personally owned properties, including golf courses, reinforcing government-funded exposure for private venues.
Analysis2025citizensforethics.org →
Donald Trump / Trump Organization · President; private business owner
Did not fully divest from private business empire while presidency created direct revenue and access conflicts.
Analysis2026citizensforethics.org →
City of Evanston, Illinois · municipal government
The U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division moved to intervene in a lawsuit challenging Evanston, Illinois's Local Reparations Restorative Housing…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Tycen C. Proper, Bryan Omar Roa, Michael Alan Thomas, Daniel K. Eskridge, Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez
Five men are charged with conspiring to carry out a mass casualty attack targeting U.S. government officials and others at the Ultimate Fighting Championship…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Jesus Rauda-Avila · Member of Mexico-based drug trafficking organization
Jesus Rauda-Avila, a Mexican national, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to import approximately 1,900 kilograms of…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Amir Bassiri · New York State Medicaid Director
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the New York Department of Health, Medicaid Director Amir Bassiri, and Public Partnerships LLC,…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Michael Hess · founder, Papa's House orphanage
Michael Hess, 73, of Davidson, North Carolina, has been indicted on charges of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor outside the United States…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Direct Action Minnesota (DAMN) — 15 members · Members and associates of a Minneapolis-based direct action group with antifa ties
Fifteen members and associates of Direct Action Minnesota, a Minneapolis-based group with antifa ties, have been indicted on federal charges including…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
OhioHealth Corporation
OhioHealth Corporation allegedly used its market power to impose contractual restrictions on commercial health insurers that prevented or discouraged them…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
William Steadman
William Steadman, a 35-year-old Juneau, Alaska man, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to production of child pornography for sexually…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Robert Bosch GmbH
Between September 2020 and September 2024, Robert Bosch GmbH, through two of its non-U.S. based subsidiaries, exported over $70 million worth of…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi
Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi, a San Diego resident, was charged with five counts including conspiracy to provide material support to Hamas, according to a…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Kenneth Joseph Coombs
Kenneth Joseph Coombs, a 58-year-old from Collinsville, Illinois, was charged via superseding indictment with eight counts of engaging in illicit sexual…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Kevin Hannah · CEO / Owner of Advanced Pathology Solutions PLLC
Advanced Pathology Solutions PLLC, APS MSO LLC, and owners Kevin Hannah, Donell Burkett, and Daniel Hunter Pledger agreed to pay 30 million dollars to settle…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Philip Taylor Sobash · physician
Philip Taylor Sobash, a physician from Austin, Texas, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexually exploiting seven minors between 2017 and 2020.…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Scharmaine Lawson Baker · Licensed nurse practitioner and Medicare provider
Scharmaine Lawson Baker, a Louisiana nurse practitioner, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for causing over $12 million in false and fraudulent claims to…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Drew Holzlein
Drew Holzlein, 57, of Manchester, New Jersey, was sentenced to 350 months in prison for distributing child sexual abuse material on a dark web website from…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Heriberto Rodriguez; Mirian Chalas; Santo Escolastico Cuello; Mario Baiz Romero; Richard Odelis Vallegas Nunez; Miguel Diaz Matos; Mitul Patel; Santo Tejada Sanchez; Jennifer Ferran; Owen Landry; Yahaira Diaz Gomez; and others
Fifteen individuals, including eleven reportedly unlawfully present in the United States and four U.S. citizens, have been charged with defrauding multiple…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
LOGZONE Inc. · defense contractor
LOGZONE Inc. of Huntsville, Alabama agreed to pay $507,144 to resolve False Claims Act liability for allegedly failing to comply with cybersecurity…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Cherelle Parker · Mayor of Philadelphia
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia, Mayor Cherelle Parker, District Attorney Lawrence Krasner, and City Solicitor…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
Forrest Kendall Pemberton
Forrest Kendall Pemberton, 27, of Gainesville, faces federal hate crime and firearm charges for allegedly attempting a mass shooting on December 23, 2024, at…
Analysis2026U.S. Department of Justice →
State/local politicians in corruption cases · Trump; state/local officials
CREW says clemency extended to state/local politicians convicted of corruption charges.
Analysis2025citizensforethics.org →
Pardon market / wealthy defendants · Trump clemency seekers; allies/donors
Pattern of clemency for allies, donors and financial-crime defendants creates incentive to buy access or curry favor.
Analysis2025propublica.org →
George Santos · Former congressman
ProPublica reported Trump clemency favored allies, donors, culture-war figures and financial-crime defendants, including Santos context.
Analysis2025propublica.org →
Tom Homan · Border czar; Trump official
Washington Post reported Trump officials shut down a bribery probe involving Homan; administration said case lacked credible evidence/political.
Analysis2025washingtonpost.com →
Capital One / CFPB case dropped · Capital One; CFPB; Trump administration
Per House Oversight Democrats, after Capital One donated $1M to Trump's inaugural fund, the administration ended a CFPB case alleging the bank misled…
Analysis2025oversightdemocrats.house.gov →
Kash Patel / forced-labor-linked stock · FBI Director
Per House Oversight Democrats, Patel refused to divest significant holdings in a company controlling a Chinese fast-fashion firm accused of forced/child…
Analysis2025oversightdemocrats.house.gov →
Trump Family / WLFI Alt5 Sigma transaction · President's family crypto venture; Alt5 Sigma (public company)
Alt5 Sigma bought $1.5B in WLFI tokens in an Aug 2025 deal; the Trump family was reportedly entitled to ~$500M. Transaction heavily benefited the family while…
Analysis2025cnbc.com →
Turnberry / UK golf tournament pressure · President; UK government; Trump Turnberry resort
Per House Oversight Democrats, Trump reportedly pushed the UK government to host a major tournament at his Turnberry course during the PM's Feb 2025 White…
Analysis2025oversightdemocrats.house.gov →
Trump family / Kazakhstan tungsten project · President's family business interests; foreign project
Reported connections between family business interests and a major foreign tungsten project involving Kazakhstan, raising influence-peddling questions in a…
Analysis2026ft.com →
Trump administration / donor & ally benefits (pattern) · Administration; campaign donors and political allies
Executive actions, tariffs, regulations, and contracts that potentially reward donors and allies. Umbrella pattern row; specific instances tracked separately.
Analysis2025brennancenter.org →
Trump family / overall wealth increase · President's family (cumulative)
Crypto + real estate + other ventures drove multi-billion-dollar increases in family net-worth estimates during the second term, crypto the dominant driver.
Analysis2026pbs.org →
Overall pattern / White House + Trump family · Administration and family (systemic)
Combined pattern across crypto, foreign real estate, gifts, policy alignment, and associate overlaps creating repeated conflicts of interest.
Analysis2026citizensforethics.org →

A project of Parallax Advisory LLC.

The commentary and analysis on this page is constitutionally protected speech and opinion under the First Amendment.

No portion of this page may be used for commercial purposes without the prior written consent of Parallax Advisory LLC and David B. Wheeler.

Anyone listed here who has not been convicted of a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Muckrakers Daily
The morning accountability brief. One email a day. Free.
No spam. Never sold.