GBC NEWS

The Justice Department today announced that Holmes Motors Inc., a “lease here, pay here” dealership with locations in Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, has agreed to pay over $137,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the Service members Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by illegally repossessing vehicles owned by service members and failing to refund security deposits and prepaid…

Read More “Auto Dealership to Pay $137,000 for Mishandling Service Members’ Vehicle Leases” »

ATLANTA – Sharon Henderson, a suspended member of the Georgia House of Representatives, pled guilty today in federal court to making false statements to fraudulently obtain thousands of dollars of emergency pandemic-era unemployment assistance payments.  “While running for and holding political office, Representative Henderson was fleecing taxpayers, lying to steal money from federal programs intended…

Read More “Third Georgia State Representative Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Unemployment Fraud” »

INDIANAPOLIS- Shaunacy Edmonds, 36, of Muncie, has been sentenced to five months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law.  According to court documents, Shaunacy Edmonds had been employed as a sergeant and correctional officer at the Pendleton Correctional Facility since August…

Read More “Former Correctional Sergeant Sentenced to Federal Prison for Excessive, Unlawful Force Against Inmate” »

MISSOULA – An El Salvadorian citizen who was in the country illegally after having been removed in 2019 was sentenced Wednesday to time served of 208 days, which will be followed by his removal from the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Gabriel Dejesus Portillo-Abrego, 37, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of illegal reentry…

Read More “El Salvadorian Man Sentenced for Illegal Reentry Into the Country” »

Tallahassee, Florida – Lekishaann Huggins, 45, of Tallahassee, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging her with 39 counts of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, four counts of spending money laundering, and two counts of filing a false tax return. This investigation is a part of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud launched…

Read More “Tallahassee Woman Federally Indicted for Defrauding Tallahassee Housing Authority of $378,000” »

Pensacola, Florida – Sidney Marc Wilson, Jr., 48, of Niceville, Florida, was sentenced to six years in federal prison for Conspiracy to Commit Wire and Mail Fraud; Mail Fraud; Wire Fraud; Money Laundering; and Subscribing to Materially False Tax Returns. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. …

Read More “Niceville Retired Army Sergeant Sentenced to Federal Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Fraud and Tax Crimes” »

WASHINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that it reached a civil settlement agreement with Carleena Graham, whereby the former Vice President of Human Resources for World Learning has agreed to pay $160,000 to resolve allegations that she violated the False Claims Act by submitting false invoices to…

Read More “Former HR Executive Agrees to Pay $160,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations” »

MIAMI – A California man has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting children by secretly recording minors through spyware installed on laptop computers and directing children overseas to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM). U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra sentenced Jacob Melvin Hart, 46, of California, after he pleaded guilty…

Read More “California Man Who Secretly Recorded Children Using Spyware Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison” »

BILLINGS – A Chinese man living in California, who defrauded a Joliet man out of nearly $200,000, was sentenced today to two years and three months in prison and to pay restitution of $181,000, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Wei Jia Luo, 42, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of wire fraud. Following his…

Read More “Chinese National Sentenced to Over 2 Years in Prison for Scamming 73-year-old Joliet Man” »

Tallahassee, Florida – Shanon Dewynn Robinson, 54, of Gretna, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge. Robinson appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin…

Read More “Florida Man Indicted for Federal Firearm Offenses” »

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Sierra Nevada Company, LLC (SNC), headquartered in Sparks, Nevada, agreed to pay $7.75 million to settle False Claims Act allegations arising from its employment of a government official who, while employed by both SNC and the government, participated personally and substantially in three government contracts awarded to SNC.     From July 2019…

Read More “Defense contractor to pay $7.75M to resolve False Claims Act allegations” »

CLEVELAND – A 50-year-old Niles man was sentenced to prison after he admitted to downloading and sharing thousands of child pornography files. The defendant had a pattern of related criminal activity and was previously convicted at the state level for engaging in the same exact conduct in 2019. Daniel Scharmer was sentenced to 168 months…

Read More “Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses” »

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A North Carolina woman is facing federal charges for allegedly orchestrating a scheme that defrauded the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) of millions of dollars, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  A federal grand jury in Charlotte returned an indictment charging…

Read More “North Carolina Woman Charged for Allegedly Orchestrating Fraud Scheme Involving $9 Million in USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance” »

Rapid City – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Pine Ridge married couple on one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, 14 counts of Wire Fraud, one count of Larceny, and one count of Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization. Patrick Fire Thunder and…

Read More “Pine Ridge Couple Indicted for Fraud, Larceny, and Embezzlement From the Oglala Sioux Tribe” »