Targeted News Service

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee posted the following news release on Dec. 19, 2025:

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Twice-Removed Illegal Alien Sentenced To Over 24 Years For Role In Drug Conspiracy And Possession Of Firearms

GREENEVILLE Tenn. - On December 17, 2025, Courtney Sterling, 45, of Jamaica, was sentenced to 292 months by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Following his imprisonment, Sterling will be on supervised release ... Show Full Article KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee posted the following news release on Dec. 19, 2025: * * * Twice-Removed Illegal Alien Sentenced To Over 24 Years For Role In Drug Conspiracy And Possession Of Firearms GREENEVILLE Tenn. - On December 17, 2025, Courtney Sterling, 45, of Jamaica, was sentenced to 292 months by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Following his imprisonment, Sterling will be on supervised releasefor 10 years.

As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Sterling agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with Conspiracy to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. Sec.Sec. 846, 841(a)(1), and (b)(1)(A), Possession of a Firearm as an Illegal Alien, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Sec.Sec. 922(g)(5), and Aggravated Re-entry, in violation of 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1326(a), (b)(2).

According to filed court documents, in November of 2022, the Johnson City, Tennessee Police Department (JCPD) was notified about a shipment of marijuana that was scheduled to be delivered to an address in Johnson City. This led to a search warrant and investigation at Sterling's residence and the discovery of 11 pounds of methamphetamine, 2.5 pounds of cocaine, and firearms. Sterling was arrested after this offense. Upon further investigation, officers later discovered additional firearms, cocaine, and large amounts of U.S. currency. Sterling, a Jamaican citizen, had previously been removed from the United States on two prior occasions. After making bond in Washington County, Tennessee, he failed to appear in court and became a fugitive.

In October of 2024, Homeland Security Investigators (HSI), along with the JCPD, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) intercepted the shipment of 20 pounds of methamphetamine and 2.6 pounds of cocaine to another address in Johnson City. Sterling had coordinated the delivery with co-defendants MJ Adams and Heather Ward to their residence for distribution within the Eastern District of Tennessee. After the execution of a search warrant, agents also located an additional pound of methamphetamine in the residence and large amounts of U.S. currency.

Judge Corker also sentenced another member of the conspiracy on Wednesday, December 17th; Heather Ward, 37, of Johnson City, received a sentence of 120 months with a period of supervised release of five years following her imprisonment.

The third member of the conspiracy, MJ Adams, 41, of Johnson City, is set to be sentenced before Judge Corker on February 4, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.

The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by JCPD, HSI, TBI, and DEA. This investigation was led by JCPD Sergeant William Saulsbury, HSI Special Agent John Bulla, and TBI Special Agent Jason Roark.

Special Assistant United States Attorney AnCharlene Davis and Assistant United States Attorney Meghan Gomez represented the United States.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America 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.

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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edtn/pr/twice-removed-illegal-alien-sentenced-over-24-years-role-drug-conspiracy-and

Surface Transportation Board Issues Decision Involving Union Pacific, Union Pacific Railroad, Norfolk Southern, Norfolk Southern Railway

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Surface Transportation Board issued the following decision (Docket No. FD 36873) entitled "Union Pacific Corp. and Union Pacific Railroad Co. - Control - Norfolk Southern Corp. and Norfolk Southern Railway Co.":

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Digest:/1 The Board establishes a deadline for comments on whether the application contains the information required in 49 C.F.R. part 1180 and permits the applicants to file a reply.

Decision No. 7

On July 30, 2025, Union Pacific Corporation (UPC) and Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) (collectively, Union Pacific) ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Surface Transportation Board issued the following decision (Docket No. FD 36873) entitled "Union Pacific Corp. and Union Pacific Railroad Co. - Control - Norfolk Southern Corp. and Norfolk Southern Railway Co.": * * * Digest:/1 The Board establishes a deadline for comments on whether the application contains the information required in 49 C.F.R. part 1180 and permits the applicants to file a reply. Decision No. 7 On July 30, 2025, Union Pacific Corporation (UPC) and Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) (collectively, Union Pacific)and Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) and Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS) (collectively, Norfolk Southern) (Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern collectively, Applicants) filed a notice of intent to file an application seeking authority for the acquisition of control by UPC, through its wholly owned subsidiary Ruby Merger Sub 1 Corporation, of NSC and, through it, NS, and for the resulting common control by UPC of UP and NS.

On December 19, 2025, Applicants filed their application. The Board will make a determination on the completeness of the application. 49 C.F.R. Sec. 1180.4(c)(7), 49 U.S.C. Sec. 11325(a). Any comments on whether the application contains the information required in 49 C.F.R. part 1180 must be filed by December 29, 2025. Such comments should solely address whether the application is complete, as comments on the merits of the proposed transaction will be sought at a later stage of the proceeding should the Board accept the application. Applicants may file a reply addressing any comments on completeness by January 2, 2026, at noon EST.

It is ordered:

1. Comments, limited to whether the application contains the information required in 49 C.F.R. part 1180, may be filed by December 29, 2025, and Applicants may file a reply by January 2, 2026, at noon EST.

2. This decision is effective on its service date.

By the Board, Board Members Fuchs, Hedlund, and Schultz.

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Footnote:

1/ The digest constitutes no part of the decision of the Board but has been prepared for the convenience of the reader. It may not be cited to or relied upon as precedent. See Pol'y Statement on Plain Language Digs. in Decisions, EP 696 (STB served Sept. 2, 2010).

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Original text here: https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/DCMS_External_PROD/1766180699088/52786.pdf

SEC Obtains Final Consent Judgments As To Philadelphia-Area Investment Adviser and Related Entities Alleged To Have Engaged In Multimillion Dollar Fraud

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release (No. 2:25-cv-00292; E.D. Pa. filed Jan. 17, 2025):

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Securities and Exchange Commission v. Scott Jeffrey Mason, et al., No. 2:25-cv-00292 (E.D. Pa. filed Jan. 17, 2025)

On December 12, 2025, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania entered final consent judgments in the SEC's civil enforcement action as to Scott Jeffrey Mason, former Pennsylvania-based investment adviser Rubicon Wealth Management, LLC, and Orchard Park Real Estate Holdings LLC.

The SEC's ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release (No. 2:25-cv-00292; E.D. Pa. filed Jan. 17, 2025): * * * Securities and Exchange Commission v. Scott Jeffrey Mason, et al., No. 2:25-cv-00292 (E.D. Pa. filed Jan. 17, 2025) On December 12, 2025, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania entered final consent judgments in the SEC's civil enforcement action as to Scott Jeffrey Mason, former Pennsylvania-based investment adviser Rubicon Wealth Management, LLC, and Orchard Park Real Estate Holdings LLC. The SEC'scomplaint, filed on January 17, 2025, alleged that from at least 2014 to 2024 Mason misappropriated millions of dollars in client funds for his personal use, including purchase of a share of a miniature golf course and personal expenses such as country club dues and credit card debt.

Mason, Rubicon, and Orchard Park consented to final judgments permanently enjoining them from violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. Mason and Rubicon also consented to permanent injunctions enjoining them from violating Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The final consent judgments also hold Mason, Rubicon, and Orchard Park jointly and severally liable for disgorgement of $17,734,515.69 and $4,913,428.60 in prejudgment interest, which were deemed satisfied by restitution and forfeiture orders entered in the parallel criminal case, United States v. Mason, No. 2:25-cr-00025 (E.D. Pa.), in which Mason pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 97 months in prison.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Laura E.L. Gavin, Brian P. Thomas, and Norman P. Ostrove in the SEC's Philadelphia Regional Office, supervised by Scott A. Thompson and Nicholas P. Grippo. Spencer Willig and Judson Mihok led the litigation, supervised by Gregory R. Bockin. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the FBI.

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Resources

* Final Judgment - Scott J. Mason (https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/litreleases/2025/judg26451-scott-j-mason.pdf)

* Final Judgment - Rubicon Wealth Management LLC (https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/litreleases/judg26451-rubicon-wealth-management-llc.pdf)

* Final Judgment - Orchard Park Real Estate Holdings LLC (https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/litreleases/2025/judg26451-orchard-park-real-estate-holdings-llc.pdf)

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Original text here: https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26451

Ohio Resident Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania posted the following news release on Dec. 19, 2025:

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Ohio Resident Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm

A resident of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced in federal court to 180 months in prison, to be followed by eight years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and crack, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, First Assistant United ... Show Full Article PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania posted the following news release on Dec. 19, 2025: * * * Ohio Resident Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm A resident of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced in federal court to 180 months in prison, to be followed by eight years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and crack, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, First Assistant UnitedStates Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Kareem Middlebrook, 43, on December 18, 2025.

According to information presented to the Court, from in and around December 2021 to in and around March 2023, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Middlebrook conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of cocaine, a quantity of a mixture of fentanyl, and a quantity of a mixture of crack. Additionally, in and around May 2022, Middlebrook possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl. Middlebrook was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others. Further, in and around May 2022, Middlebrook--who had been previously convicted of a felony--unlawfully possessed a firearm. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Middlebrook. Additional agencies participating in the investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Indiana Borough Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The HSTF for the Western District of Pennsylvania comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/ohio-resident-sentenced-15-years-prison-drug-trafficking-and-unlawfully-possessing

Lexington Business Owner and Business Agree to Pay $860,000 to Resolve Improper Paycheck Protection Program Loan

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky posted the following news release on Dec. 19, 2025:

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Lexington Business Owner and Business Agree to Pay $860,000 to Resolve Improper Paycheck Protection Program Loan

A Lexington-based shared workspace management and consulting firm, Workspace Strategies, and one of its owners, Karen Condi, agreed to pay the United States $860,779.50 to resolve allegations that it improperly obtained, and received forgiveness for, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration ... Show Full Article LEXINGTON, Kentucky, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky posted the following news release on Dec. 19, 2025: * * * Lexington Business Owner and Business Agree to Pay $860,000 to Resolve Improper Paycheck Protection Program Loan A Lexington-based shared workspace management and consulting firm, Workspace Strategies, and one of its owners, Karen Condi, agreed to pay the United States $860,779.50 to resolve allegations that it improperly obtained, and received forgiveness for, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration(SBA) for which it was not eligible.

Congress created the PPP in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to small American businesses struggling to pay employees and other expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible small businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the SBA through two rounds of funding, referred to as First Draw and Second Draw PPP loans. When applying for PPP loans, borrowers were required to certify that they were eligible for the requested loans and that the information they provided was true and accurate. Regulations provided various requirements for use of PPP funds, including limitations on the manner in which the loans could be utilized. Borrowers who applied for Second Draw loans also were required to certify that they experienced at least a 25% reduction in quarterly gross receipts as a result of the pandemic.

Workspace Strategies applied for, received, and obtained forgiveness for First and Second Draw PPP loans collectively valued at nearly $600,000. The settlement resolves allegations that Workspace Strategies and Condi falsely certified that loan proceeds would be and were utilized for payroll expenses and other permissible purposes. In fact, Workspace Strategies and Condi allegedly used a portion of the proceeds for impermissible purposes, including for Condi's personal benefit. Further, the settlement resolves allegations that Workspace Strategies and Condi falsely certified that Workspace Strategies' gross receipts fell at least 25% as a result of the pandemic in its Second Draw PPP loan application. Based on these false certifications, Workspace Strategies received loans for which it was ineligible and received forgiveness of loan funds to which it was not entitled.

"Our office is committed to holding accountable businesses and individuals who improperly obtained or used COVID-19 relief funds," said First Assistant United States Attorney Paul McCaffrey. "The loans were intended to help eligible small businesses survive the pandemic. When business owners misspend those funds, or businesses falsely certify their eligibility for pandemic relief, it is critically important that we recover taxpayer dollars."

"This settlement demonstrates the excellent results achieved through the combined efforts of SBA and the Department of Justice to forcefully respond to PPP misconduct," said SBA's General Counsel Wendell Davis. "Misallocation and misuse of federal funds undermines SBA and the entire federal government's pandemic relief efforts, and SBA continues to devote a major effort alongside our partners at DOJ to investigate abuse and recover funds on behalf of the American people."

The Government's work in this investigation illustrates its commitment to combatting COVID-19 fraud. The United States encourages anyone with information about potential fraud involving COVID-19 to report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. PPP recipients also may voluntarily disclose self-discovered evidence of fraud involving the PPP to U.S. Attorney's Offices.

The settlement resolves a lawsuit brought by a private citizen under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file a civil action on behalf of the United States, thereby bringing allegations of fraud to the Government's attention, and share in any financial recovery. As part of this resolution, the individual who filed the qui tam complaint will receive a portion of the settlement proceeds. This case is captioned United States ex rel. Emily Parker v. Condi Management Group, LLC, d/b/a Workspace Strategies and Karen Condi, Case No. 5:23-CV-00030-KKC.

This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Long, with assistance from the SBA's Office of General Counsel. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edky/pr/lexington-business-owner-and-business-agree-pay-860000-resolve-improper-paycheck

Kingwood Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Firearms Violation

BEAUMONT, Texas, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2025:

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Kingwood woman sentenced to federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine and firearms violation

A Kingwood convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Ashley Nicole Ponce, 36, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced ... Show Full Article

Kansas Businessman & Employee Indicted for PPP Fraud

WICHITA, Kansas, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas posted the following news release on Dec. 19, 2025:

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Kansas businessman & employee indicted for PPP fraud

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging two Kansas men for allegedly defrauding the Small Business Administration (SBA) by submitting false information on applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.

According to court documents, Joseph Campbell, 61, of Olathe and John Duncan, ... Show Full Article

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