Latest news with #U.S.Attorney'sOffice
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Former Gastonia police officer indicted on charges claiming she made false statement during firearm purchase
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – A former Gastonia Police officer who was convicted for unlawful use of the department's computer databases was indicted in more charges this week. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Western North Carolina, a federal indictment was unsealed Friday in federal court charging Xana Dove with straw purchasing a firearm. Dove, 28, of Charlotte, was arrested on Thursday, and was released on bond following her initial court appearance. Parents held on $1.5M bond each after 7-year-old fatally struck crossing street unsupervised According to allegations in the indictment, on May 25, 2023, Dove knowingly made a false and fictitious written statement to Shooters Express, a licensed firearms dealer in Belmont, in connection with the acquisition of a Springfield Hellcat Pro, 9mm pistol. The indictment alleges that Dove falsely stated on a federal form that she was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm when the defendant knew this statement was false and fictitious. Dove is charged with making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm and causing a false report during a firearm purchase. If convicted, Dove faces a combined maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison. In December 2023, Love was charged with 32 felonies, including 15 counts of accessing a government computer and four counts of felony conspiracy. This includes allegations of telling a man how to lie on a polygraph test. She pled guilty to two of the charges, and was sentenced to 11 months in prison. She was suspended from the department the previous September after she posted bond for allegedly filing a false police report, and was terminated in November. The new charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Charges dropped against Spokane dermatologist accused of COVID fraud
May 30—Charges of fraud related to federal COVID relief were dropped Friday against Spokane dermatologist Dr. William "Phil" Werschler. Between 2020 and 2022, Werschler's businesses received more than $2.9 million in federal CARES Act loans meant for struggling small businesses. The 23-count indictment filed last year alleged Werschler used $1.5 million of those dollars to purchase luxury vehicles and other items. On Friday, the charges were dropped with prejudice — meaning they cannot be filed again. Werschler also agreed to pay a $1.4 million settlement with the federal government as part of the deal to avoid a civil penalty. The Spokane dermatologist admitted to no wrongdoing as part of the settlement agreement. Lawyer Ronald Van Wert said the dismissal of such federal charges is "extraordinarily rare" and evidence of his innocence. Van Wert said the problems were the fault of an employee in Werschler's office who pleaded guilty to embezzlement in 2023. "The nature of this dismissal is highly unusual and uncommon. And between our defense team, I don't think any one of us has seen a dismissal with prejudice of criminal charges brought by a federal indictment," he said. In a statement, U.S. Attorney's Office spokesperson Rob Curry said the case's resolution was "just and in the best interest of the public." "Today's settlement restores public funds that were misused during the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, while also recognizing mistakes made by Dr. Werschler and his companies. This global resolution balances a just outcome and need to protect public funds with the unique facts of this matter," he said. According to Van Wert, federal prosecutors were misled Carol Castilla, Werschler's former bookkeeper who pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $715,000 from Werschler's Spokane Dermatology Clinic. As part of that case, Castilla provided testimony and evidence Werschler embezzled COVID relief funds. Weschler's lawyers argue they proved Castilla's testimony was fraudulent, which ultimately led to criminal charges being dropped. "This bookkeeper had a number of texts and communications between her and the Werschlers. She took that information and manipulated and misrepresented those texts, and also the financial records and the timing of various types of transactions. From our perspective, we were able to demonstrate, through our own financial analysis and our own experts, where that was inconsistent," Van Wert said. While Werschler was not aware or participated in the improper use of COVID funds, he could have been found civilly liable as the employer of Casilla, Van Wert added. Spokane Dermatology Clinic has remained open since Werschler's indictment, and the dermatologist plans to continue his practice now. "This ordeal has been emotionally and professionally devastating for me, my wife, and our employees. We are extremely pleased to put it behind us, and grateful for the support of our friends and colleagues," Werschler said in a statement. "Our greatest concern remains for our valued patients as we have tried to reassure them this case has nothing to do with the healthcare they receive at Spokane Dermatology Clinic, and that justice would prevail. We are moving forward, continuing to provide excellent care to those who trust us with their healthcare needs."
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
USAO: Maryland woman arraigned for defrauding DC's Medicaid program
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — A woman from Maryland was arraigned in D.C. on Friday for defrauding the District's Medicaid program, officials said. The U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO) for the District of Columbia said that 37-year-old Anna W. Makoye is facing 10 counts of first-degree fraud and 10 counts of first-degree theft. Makoye was working for a District Mental Health Rehabilitation Service provider as a community support worker. According to the charges, from August 2023 to February 2024, she allegedly submitted notes for services she did not provide and overbilled for services she claimed to have provided. Four men plead guilty to daytime shootings in DC Prosecutors believe that she caused D.C.'s government and its Medicaid program to pay more than $62,000 for services she did not provide and overpayment for services she claimed to have provided. She was indicted on May 21. If convicted, she would face a maximum term of 10 years' imprisonment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Franklin Co. couple admits to producing CSAM of 1-year-old
ST. LOUIS – A Franklin County couple admitted to filming and producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of a 1-year-old. The couple, William Burns, 41, and his wife, Rachel Burns, 34, both pleaded guilty in May in relation to the disturbing crimes. Court documents say the couple was arrested back in 2023 by the University City Police Department. During their arrest, the couple had two children in their car. Prosecutors charged the pair with attempted enticement of a minor. When speaking with investigators, the wife admitted to detectives that her husband had CSAM on various devices, prompting deputies to further investigate the case. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Upon their discovery at the home, deputies found not only electronic devices containing CSAM but also sexual devices and a silicone sex doll that was made to resemble a young girl, according to the couple's plea agreement. Investigators found more than 13,000 files of CSAM, and prosecutors say William Burns used an app to share the material with other users. In one video that investigators found in 2022, the couple was sexually abusing a 1-year-old. Investigators say that they found countless videos and images from that specific victim between 2022 and 2023. Rachel Burns pleaded guilty on May 22 to one count of conspiracy and two counts of production of child pornography. She will be sentenced on Aug. 25, with the U.S. Attorney's Office recommending no more than 35 years in prison. Her husband, William, pleaded guilty in court on May 30 to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography, three counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. William Burns is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 3. The U.S. Attorney's Office recommends between 35 and 40 years in prison. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
NM man facing drug, murder charges after extradition
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A New Mexico man is in federal custody after being indicted by a federal grand jury in El Paso in 2021 and expelled to the U.S. by Mexican authorities earlier this week, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas said. Jaime Renteria-Fernandez, 31, of Albuquerque, is charged in a superseding indictment with nine counts related to alleged offenses committed in support of the Barraza Drug Trafficking Organization, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Co-conspirator Alex Barraza was the leader of the drug-trafficking organization and was sentenced to life in federal prison Oct. 24, 2024, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Renteria-Fernandez made his initial appearance in federal court on Thursday in El Paso. The indictment includes multiple counts related to drug possession and trafficking, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, as well as discharging firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and murder resulting from the use and carrying of firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, with a maximum of life in federal prison, and possibly the death penalty, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Homeland Security Investigations El Paso is investigating the case with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Texas Attorney General's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Johnston, Andres Ortega and Susanna Martinez are prosecuting the case. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
