Federal Executive Branch
Here's a look at documents from the U.S. Executive Branch
Featured Stories
Secretary Noem Awards $10,000 Bonuses to Logan Airport TSA Officers For Exemplary Service During Democrats' Shutdown
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued the following news release:
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Secretary Noem Awards $10,000 Bonuses to Logan Airport TSA Officers For Exemplary Service During Democrats' Shutdown
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Over 270 Boston TSA officers had perfect attendance
BOSTON - On Saturday evening, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem gave $10,000 bonuses to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, who went above and beyond during the Democrats' 43-day shutdown. Over 270 TSA officers in Boston
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued the following news release:
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Secretary Noem Awards $10,000 Bonuses to Logan Airport TSA Officers For Exemplary Service During Democrats' Shutdown
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Over 270 Boston TSA officers had perfect attendance
BOSTON - On Saturday evening, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem gave $10,000 bonuses to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, who went above and beyond during the Democrats' 43-day shutdown. Over 270 TSA officers in Bostonhad perfect attendance in the face of economic uncertainty during the shutdown.
Earlier this week, Secretary Noem announced that select TSA officers nationwide would be receiving a $10,000 bonus in appreciation for their dedication and commitment to keeping America safe even as Democrats fought for healthcare for illegal aliens.
"Americans can be proud of TSA workers across the country who continued to serve with excellence throughout the shutdown - like these patriots at Logan Airport in Massachusetts - who went to great lengths to protect our country, care for their fellow Americans, and keep our nation moving," said Secretary Noem. "President Trump and I are giving a $10,000 bonus to exemplary TSA officers across our nation who went above and beyond their performance. Thank you to the men and women of TSA!"
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is paying for these bonuses using carryover funds from Fiscal Year 2025. This funding is available thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem's commitment to fiscal responsibility, enabling DHS to save the American taxpayer over $13.2 billion since President Trump returned to office.
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Original text here: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/11/16/secretary-noem-awards-10000-bonuses-logan-airport-tsa-officers-exemplary-service
TALLAHASSEE MAN RETURNED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Nov. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida posted the following news release on Nov. 14, 2025:
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TALLAHASSEE MAN RETURNED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Dwyone N. Dugan, a/k/a DeWayne Dugan, 59, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison today for distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "I applaud the excellent collaboration between our state and federal
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TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Nov. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida posted the following news release on Nov. 14, 2025:
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TALLAHASSEE MAN RETURNED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Dwyone N. Dugan, a/k/a DeWayne Dugan, 59, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison today for distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "I applaud the excellent collaboration between our state and federallaw enforcement partners to dismantle this repeat felon's drug trafficking activities. My office stands ready to aggressively prosecute those who flood our streets with deadly drugs, and will pursue substantial prison sentences like this one to keep our communities safe and drug-free."
Dugan had been sentenced in 1997 to life in prison for federal drug trafficking charges. Following a change in the law, Dugan's sentence was reduced, and he was released from federal prison on November 10, 2020. Less than four years later, on November 4, 2024, law enforcement caught Dugan selling a pound of methamphetamine during an undercover operation.
"This joint investigation is a great example of law enforcement partners working toward a shared mission," said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. "Bringing a career offender like Mr. Dugan to justice will make North Florida communities safer."
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the North Star Multijurisdictional Task Force, and the Leon County Sheriff's Office. Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/tallahassee-man-returned-federal-prison-drug-trafficking
Justice Department Announces Nationwide Actions to Combat Illicit North Korean Government Revenue Generation
MIAMI, Florida, Nov. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida posted the following news release on Nov. 14, 2025:
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Justice Department Announces Nationwide Actions to Combat Illicit North Korean Government Revenue Generation
Four U.S. Nationals and Ukrainian Identity Broker Plead Guilty
Department Seeks Forfeiture of More Than $15M in Virtual Currency Stolen and Laundered by North Korean Hackers
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The Justice Department today announced five guilty pleas and more than $15 million in civil forfeiture actions against the Democratic People's Republic of
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MIAMI, Florida, Nov. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida posted the following news release on Nov. 14, 2025:
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Justice Department Announces Nationwide Actions to Combat Illicit North Korean Government Revenue Generation
Four U.S. Nationals and Ukrainian Identity Broker Plead Guilty
Department Seeks Forfeiture of More Than $15M in Virtual Currency Stolen and Laundered by North Korean Hackers
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The Justice Department today announced five guilty pleas and more than $15 million in civil forfeiture actions against the Democratic People's Republic ofKorea (DPRK) remote information technology (IT) work and virtual currency heist schemes. The DPRK government uses both types of schemes to fund its weapons and other priorities in violation of sanctions.
First, as described in court documents associated with the guilty pleas, facilitators in the United States and Ukraine assisted North Korean actors with obtaining remote IT employment with U.S. companies. For example, the facilitators' provided their own, false, or stolen identities, and hosted U.S. victim company-provided laptops at residences across the United States to create the false appearance that the IT workers were working domestically. In total, these defendants' fraudulent employment schemes impacted more than 136 U.S. victim companies, generated more than $2.2 million in revenue for the DPRK regime, and compromised the identities of more than 18 U.S. persons.
Second, as described in the two civil forfeiture complaints, a North Korean military hacking group known to the private sector as Advanced Persistent Threat 38 (APT38) carried out multimillion-dollar virtual currency heists at four overseas virtual currency platforms in 2023. While APT38 actors continued to launder their ill-gotten gains for these heists, the U.S. government froze and seized more than $15 million worth of virtual currency that it now seeks to forfeit for eventual return to the rightful owners.
"These actions demonstrate the Department's comprehensive approach to disrupting North Korean efforts to finance their weapons program on the backs of Americans," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. "The Department will use every available tool to protect our Nation from this regime's depredations."
"Ensuring national and economic security are paramount to the Department's mission," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "Hostile nation-states raising funds for illicit programs by stealing from digital asset exchanges threatens both. The Criminal Division is steadfast in its determination to forfeit ill-gotten gains from bad actors and return funds to victims."
"FBI investigations continue to expose the North Korean government's relentless campaign to evade U.S. sanctions and generate millions of dollars to fund its authoritarian regime and weapons programs," said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. "These guilty pleas send a clear message: No matter who or where you are, if you support North Korea's efforts to victimize U.S. businesses and citizens, the FBI will find you and bring you to justice. We ask all our private sector partners to improve their security process for vetting remote workers and to remain vigilant regarding this emerging threat."
The Department's actions to combat both the North Korean IT worker and hacking schemes are the latest in a series of law enforcement actions under a joint National Security Division (NSD) and FBI Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions effort, the DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative. This effort prioritizes targeting and disrupting the DPRK's illicit revenue generation schemes and its U.S.-based enablers. The Department previously announced other actions pursuant to the initiative, including in January and June 2025.
As the FBI has described in Public Service Announcements published in May 2024 and January 2025, North Korean remote IT workers posing as legitimate remote IT workers have committed data extortion and exfiltrated the proprietary and sensitive data from U.S. companies. DPRK IT worker schemes typically involve the use of stolen identities, alias emails, social media, online cross-border payment platforms, and online job site accounts, as well as false websites, proxy computers, and witting and unwitting third parties located in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Erick Ntekereze Prince Guilty Plea - Southern District of Florida
On Nov. 6, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, U.S. national Erick Ntekereze Prince, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy. From approximately June 2020 through August 2024, Prince, through his company Taggcar Inc., contracted to supply allegedly "certified" IT workers to victim U.S. companies, knowing that the IT workers were located outside the United States and were using false and stolen identities to gain employment. In addition, Prince hosted victim U.S. company-provided laptops at Florida residences and installed remote access software on those laptops without authorization, so that the IT workers could create the false appearance that they were remote working from Prince's residence. Prince earned more than $89,000 for his participation in the scheme.
"These prosecutions make one point clear: the United States will not permit the DPRK to bankroll its weapons programs by preying on American companies and workers," said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quinones for the Southern District of Florida. "We will keep working with our partners across the Justice Department to uncover these schemes, recover stolen funds, and pursue every individual who enables North Korea's operations."
Prince, U.S. national Emanuel Ashtor, and a Mexican national Pedro Ernesto Alonso de los Reyes were charged in January 2025 by indictment alleging their participation in a criminal scheme that obtained work for North Korean IT workers from more than 64 U.S. companies. The fraudulent scheme earned more than $943,069 in salary payments from victim U.S. companies, the vast majority of which were sent to the IT workers overseas. Ashtor is awaiting trial, and de los Reyes is in custody in The Netherlands awaiting extradition.
The case was investigated by the FBI Miami Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Cronin for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia Jr. of NSD's National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case.
Three Guilty Pleas - Southern District of Georgia
Yesterday, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, U.S. nationals Audricus Phagnasay, 24, Jason Salazar, 30, and Alexander Paul Travis, 34, each pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy. From approximately September 2019 through November 2022, Phagnasay, Salazar, and Travis provided their U.S. identities to IT workers they knew were located outside the United States so that the workers could fraudulently apply for and obtain employment with victim U.S. companies. In addition, the three defendants hosted victim U.S. company-provided laptops at their residences, and installed remote access software on those laptops without authorization, so that the IT workers could create the false appearance that they were remote working from the defendants' residences. Each defendant also assisted overseas IT workers in passing employer vetting procedures. Travis and Salazar, in particular, appeared for drug testing on behalf of the overseas IT workers.
"My office is committed to pursuing individuals that seek to harm the United States," said U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Heap for the Southern District of Georgia. "This collaboration with our law enforcement agencies exemplifies how our joint efforts are successful in identifying, investigating and prosecuting those defendants."
Travis, an active-duty member of the U.S. Army at the time, received at least $51,397 for his participation in the scheme. Phagnasay and Salazar earned at least $3,450 and $4,500, respectively. The fraudulent scheme earned approximately $1.28 million in salary payments from the victim U.S. companies, the vast majority of which were sent to the IT workers overseas.
The FBI Augusta (Georgia) Resident Agency is investigating the cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Hamner for the Southern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery of the NSD National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the cases.
Oleksandr Didenko Guilty Plea - District of Columbia
On Nov. 10, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Ukrainian national Oleksandr Didenko pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of aggravated identity theft in connection with a years-long scheme that stole the identities of U.S. citizens and sold them to overseas IT workers, including North Korean IT workers, so they could fraudulently gain employment at 40 U.S. companies. Victim U.S. companies paid Didenko's IT worker clients hundreds of thousands of dollars for their work. As part of his plea, Didenko agreed to forfeit more than $1.4 million, which includes more than $570,000 in fiat and virtual currency seized from Didenko and his co-conspirators.
"North Korea is focused on victimizing and perpetrating fraud on American citizens, companies, and banks by stealing the identity of U.S. citizens and selling them around the world so foreign actors can gain employment in America," said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. "These convictions prove that we will stop at nothing to uncover complex fraud schemes especially when they are committed by North Korean actors to fund their weapons program."
The case was investigated by the FBI New York Field Office, with assistance from the FBI Norfolk and San Diego Field Offices and the Jefferson City (Tennessee) Resident Agency. In May 2024, Polish authorities arrested Didenko and on Dec. 10, 2024, he was extradited to the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Steven Wasserman for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery of the NSD National Security Cyber Section. The U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Southern District of California, Eastern District of Tennessee, and Eastern District of Virginia, and the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance.
Forfeiture Complaints for More Than $15 Million in Stolen Funds - District of Columbia
The Department recently filed two civil complaints to forfeit USDT, a virtual currency stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, that the FBI seized in March 2025 from North Korean APT38 actors: an Oct. 24, 2025 complaint (1:25-cv-03771) to forfeit 1,159,834.52 USDT; and a complaint filed today (1:25-cv-03943) to forfeit 13,980,951.103 USDT. In total, the seized USDT is valued at more than $15 million.
As alleged in the complaints, the seized virtual currency relates to North Korean APT38 actors' efforts to raise revenue for the DPRK government through four heists from virtual currency providers: (1) a July 2023 theft of approximately $37 million in virtual currency from an Estonia-based virtual currency payments processor; (2) a July 2023 theft of approximately $100 million from a Panama-based virtual currency payment processor; (3) a November 2023 theft of approximately $138 million from a Panama-based virtual currency exchange; and (4) a November 2023 theft of approximately $107 million in virtual currency from a Seychelles-based virtual currency exchange. Efforts to trace, seize, and forfeit related stolen virtual currency remain ongoing, as the APT38 actors continue to launder such funds through various virtual currency bridges, mixers, exchanges, and over-the-counter traders.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office and the FBI's Virtual Assets Unit are investigating the cases associated with these complaints.
Senior Counsel Jessica Peck of the Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Trial Attorneys Gregory J. Nicosia Jr. and Prava Palacharla of NSD's National Security Cyber Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Blaylock for the District of Columbia are handling the forfeiture actions.
Other public advisories about the threats, red flag indicators, and potential mitigation measures for these schemes include a May 2022 advisory released by the FBI, Department of the Treasury, and Department of State; a July 2023 advisory from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and guidance issued in October 2023 by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). As described the May 2022 advisory, North Korean IT workers have been known individually to earn up to $300,000 annually, generating hundreds of millions of dollars collectively each year, on behalf of designated entities, such as the North Korean Ministry of Defense and others directly involved in the DPRK's weapons programs.
The U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $5 million in support of international efforts to disrupt the DPRK's illicit financial activities, including for cybercrimes, money laundering, and sanctions evasion.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/justice-department-announces-nationwide-actions-combat-illicit-north-korean-government
Honduran Man Convicted at Trial for Kidnapping-For-Ransom Charges and Assault on a Federal Officer
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Nov. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana posted the following news release on Nov. 14, 2025:
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Honduran Man Convicted at Trial for Kidnapping-For-Ransom Charges and Assault on a Federal Officer
Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to the government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
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Following a three-day jury trial, HECTOR MONDRAGON-FLORES ("MONDRAGON"), age 33, was found guilty on October 23, 2025 of all eight
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NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Nov. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana posted the following news release on Nov. 14, 2025:
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Honduran Man Convicted at Trial for Kidnapping-For-Ransom Charges and Assault on a Federal Officer
Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to the government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
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Following a three-day jury trial, HECTOR MONDRAGON-FLORES ("MONDRAGON"), age 33, was found guilty on October 23, 2025 of all eightcounts of a superseding indictment against him. The jury found MONDRAGON guilty of kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Sections 1201(a)(1) and 1201(c); two counts of interstate transmission of a ransom demand, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(a); conspiracy to receive a ransom payment and two counts of receipt of a ransom payment, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1202(a) and 371; and assault on a federal officer using a deadly weapon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a)(1) and (b).
Evidence presented at trial established that MONDRAGON and his co-defendant, Edwin Salgado-Nunez (Salgado), kidnapped the victim on October 2, 2024. MONDRAGON and Salgado bound the victim's feet together and bound the victim's hands together behind his back. The two men then held the victim at gunpoint in MONDRAGON's apartment and demanded payment of a $7,000 ransom from the victim's father for his son's release. MONDRAGON called the victim's father over 50 times and threatened to kill the victim. if the ransom was not paid. The victim's father agreed to pay the ransom but reported the kidnapping to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) on his way to the ransom exchange. NOPD detectives monitored the ransom exchange and arrested Salgado after the victim's father paid $3,000 cash to co-defendant Abel Garcia, an associate of MONDRAGON and Salgado.
Following Salgado's arrest, MONDRAGON took the victim at gunpoint to co-defendant Janette Ramirez's apartment. MONDRAGON then demanded a ransom payment from the victim's girlfriend for his release. After the victim's girlfriend was unable to successfully transfer the payment to MONDRAGON or Ramirez, MONDRAGON took the victim at gunpoint to an ATM. The victim then withdrew $400 and gave it to MONDRAGON to secure his release.
The next day, law enforcement officers spotted MONDRAGON in an apartment complex in New Orleans East. When officers attempted to arrest him, MONDRAGON pulled out a gun, forced his way into an occupied apartment, and took a hostage inside the apartment. The hostage escaped when MONDRAGON attempted to climb out of a window. As MONDRAGON was kicking out the window screen, he pointed his gun at two law enforcement officers, who forced him to turn back inside. MONDRAGON barricaded himself in the apartment for nearly eight hours until the NOPD SWAT team deployed tear gas and forced him to surrender.
As to his kidnapping convictions, MONDRAGON faces up to life in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to his convictions for interstate transmission of a ransom demand and assault on federal officer with a deadly weapon, MONDRAGON faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. As to his convictions for receipt of a ransom payment, MONDRAGON faces up to 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. He faces up to five years in prison and the same penalties on his conviction for conspiracy to receive a ransom payment. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David Berman and Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla/pr/honduran-man-convicted-trial-kidnapping-ransom-charges-and-assault-federal-officer
Former Connecticut Resident Pleads Guilty to Lying to Obtain U.S. Citizenship After Committing War Crimes in Bosnia
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Nov. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut posted the following news release on Nov. 14, 2025:
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Former Connecticut Resident Pleads Guilty to Lying to Obtain U.S. Citizenship After Committing War Crimes in Bosnia
A naturalized U.S. citizen from Bosnia and Herzegovina pleaded guilty on November 10, 2025, in Bridgeport federal court to criminal charges related to her lying about her prior criminal conduct to obtain U.S. citizenship.
"The defendant obtained the privileges of U.S. citizenship through lies and deceit, concealing the violent
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NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Nov. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut posted the following news release on Nov. 14, 2025:
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Former Connecticut Resident Pleads Guilty to Lying to Obtain U.S. Citizenship After Committing War Crimes in Bosnia
A naturalized U.S. citizen from Bosnia and Herzegovina pleaded guilty on November 10, 2025, in Bridgeport federal court to criminal charges related to her lying about her prior criminal conduct to obtain U.S. citizenship.
"The defendant obtained the privileges of U.S. citizenship through lies and deceit, concealing the violentcrimes she committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "The Department is fully committed to holding accountable those who exploit our immigration system and pose a threat to public safety."
"Covering up past human rights abuses to attain U.S. citizenship is an egregious offense, and I thank our law enforcement partners both here in the U.S. and in Bosnia and Herzegovina for investigating this matter to ensure that justice is done," said U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan for the District of Connecticut.
"Individuals who lie on their naturalization documents undermine the process for all who justly apply to be a part of our great nation," said Special Agent in Charge P.J. O'Brien of the FBI. "Tomanic's admissions of fraud are detestable because of her history of targeting people based on their ethnicity and religion. The FBI, along with our partners at the Department of Homeland Security's Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office of Fraud Detection and National Security will continue to investigate crimes of this nature to ensure the sanctity of the immigration process for all who righteously apply for U.S. Citizenship."
According to court documents, Nada Radovan Tomanic, 53, of West Virginia, formerly of Hartford, Connecticut, served with the Zulfikar Special Unit of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s, during the armed conflict in the region. Along with other Zulfikar Special Unit soldiers, Tomanic participated in the physical and psychological abuse of Bosnian Serb civilian prisoners.
When applying for U.S. naturalization in 2012, Tomanic falsely denied having served in a detention facility or in any other situation involving the detention of others. She also falsely denied having committed a crime for which she had not been arrested - specifically, the crime of inflicting serious bodily harm under the Criminal Law of the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia.
Tomanic's deception extended beyond her written naturalization application. During her interview with a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer, she was placed under oath and legally obligated to answer questions truthfully. Despite that obligation, she again lied about her service in a detention facility and her past criminal conduct.
Tomanic pleaded guilty to one count of procuring citizenship contrary to law. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 3, 2026, and faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Trial Attorney Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel Krull and Anastasia King for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP historians. The Criminal Division's Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.
The FBI is investigating the case, with coordination provided by the Department of Homeland Security's Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Office of Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS), along with the FBI's International Human Rights Unit (IHRU). The Justice Department thanks authorities from Bosnia and Herzegovina, to include the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska Ministry of Interior, Serbian authorities, and the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, who were instrumental in providing assistance that aided in furthering the investigation.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/former-connecticut-resident-pleads-guilty-lying-obtain-us-citizenship-after-committing
East Granby Woman Who Stole in $1.1 Million Pandemic Relief Program Scheme is Sentenced
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Nov. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut posted the following news release on Nov. 13, 2025:
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East Granby Woman Who Stole in $1.1 Million Pandemic Relief Program Scheme is Sentenced
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KAREN GASTON, 45, of East Granby, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to three years of probation for defrauding COVID-19 pandemic relief programs of more than $1.1 million. During her probation, Gaston was ordered to serve four
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NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Nov. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut posted the following news release on Nov. 13, 2025:
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East Granby Woman Who Stole in $1.1 Million Pandemic Relief Program Scheme is Sentenced
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KAREN GASTON, 45, of East Granby, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to three years of probation for defrauding COVID-19 pandemic relief programs of more than $1.1 million. During her probation, Gaston was ordered to serve fourweekends of incarceration, 10 months in home detention, and 500 hours of community service.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP"). The PPP was overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration ("SBA"), and individual PPP loans were issued by private lenders, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders' own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA. The CARES Act also authorized SBA to distribute Economic Injury Disaster Loans ("EIDLs"), which provided working capital to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietors, to meet operating expenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, Gaston controlled certain entities including LNK, Elegant Clinical, Ruby Red LLC, and Diamond Shine LLC. LNK and Diamond Shine LLC were operational, but shared resources and employees. Ruby Red LLC had only one client and Gaston was its sole employee. Elegant Clinical was no longer operational. Beginning in approximately April 2020, Gaston submitted loan applications to the PPP and EIDL programs that falsely represented the status of the operations, resources, and employees of these entities. She also filed loan applications at separate financial institutions in order to disguise the true nature of her criminal activity.
Specifically, Gaston's loan applications falsely represented that her businesses were all active and operating concerns; falsely represented the number of employees and the amount of wages purportedly paid by the businesses; included copies of fraudulent tax returns and tax related documents; and falsely represented that a family member, used as an applicant on an application, was a part owner of one of her entities. As least one loan application was submitted after Gaston was arrested for state offenses related to a Medicaid fraud scheme.
Gaston received $1,163,910 in PPP and EIDL loan funds through this scheme. Instead of using the funds for payroll or other operating expenses, she spent the money on personal expenditures, including, cares, travel, food, luxury home goods, expensive jewelry, and paying off her home mortgage.
Judge Russell ordered Gaston to pay full restitution. She also forfeited a ring she purchased in July 2020 from the jeweler Harry Winston for $39,521.63.
On June 12, 2025, Gaston pleaded guilty to wire fraud and making illegal monetary transactions.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/east-granby-woman-who-stole-11-million-pandemic-relief-program-scheme-sentenced
332 ESFS SUAS Division Launches First Quadcopter in AFCENT History
SHAW AFB, South Carolina, Nov. 15 -- The U.S. Air Forces Central, the air component of U.S. Central Command, issued the following news:
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332 ESFS sUAS division launches first quadcopter in AFCENT history
By Senior Airman Kari Degraffenreed, 332 Air Expedtionary Wing Public Affairs
The small unmanned aircraft systems flight, housed within the electronic warfare division of the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, made history in the U.S. Air Forces Central Command by flying the first quadcopter drone in the area of responsibility, Nov. 5, 2025.
The team specializes in aerial defense
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SHAW AFB, South Carolina, Nov. 15 -- The U.S. Air Forces Central, the air component of U.S. Central Command, issued the following news:
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332 ESFS sUAS division launches first quadcopter in AFCENT history
By Senior Airman Kari Degraffenreed, 332 Air Expedtionary Wing Public Affairs
The small unmanned aircraft systems flight, housed within the electronic warfare division of the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, made history in the U.S. Air Forces Central Command by flying the first quadcopter drone in the area of responsibility, Nov. 5, 2025.
The team specializes in aerial defensethrough reconnaissance, target identification, and terrain observation by utilizing drones around base perimeters to better protect and defend personnel and assets.
"We help defenders see what's coming," said Senior Airman Tequarrie Jackson, 332nd ESFS sUAS operator. "We go out there and look for anomalies or threats to report back to security forces members so they can do what they need to do in defending freedom."
The addition of the quadcopter allows the sUAS team to get in the air within five minutes with shorter preparation time, while other drones can take up to an hour to go through pre-flight checklists, set up, and the added stress of hand-launching.
"Everything is all pre-programmed," said Manuel Ajoste, Consolidated Analysis Center International sUAS lead and evaluator. "Radio frequencies, pre-flights, it's all pre-programmed, so we can get them in the sky as soon as possible. That way, the drone can be in the air so one member can get the gear ready while the other is on the controller."
The quadcopter is equipped with multiple camera capabilities, including a 360-degree field of view, thermal imaging and advanced high-resolution zoom, giving defenders a detailed look at their surroundings. These features allow them to gather information faster and more safely than with boots on the ground.
The sUAS program and drone capabilities have come a long way in the theater since the program was established in 2014. At the time, Ajoste was an active-duty Airman working with sUAS in the 332nd ESFS.
"We used to fly digital fixed wing drones that would take 20 minutes to an hour to set up," Ajoste said. "Defenders working in the AOR today have all the stuff we always wanted and it's just getting better."
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Original text here: https://www.afcent.af.mil/News/Article/4331408/332-esfs-suas-division-launches-first-quadcopter-in-afcent-history/
