Category: USDJ National Center for Disaster Fraud

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that YASIR G. HAMED, 60, of Woodbridge, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 32 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for defrauding a COVID-19 pandemic relief program of more than $2.3 million.

According to court documents and statements made in court, 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.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Hamed, an accountant, had an ownership interest or representative relationship with several New Haven-based businesses, including Access Consulting and Professional Services Inc.; Connecticut Medical Transportation Inc.; Arabic Language Learning Program Inc.; Institute for Global Educational Exchange Inc.; Access Medical Transport Inc.; Ikea Car & Limo Inc.; Center of the World Tours, North America LLC.; and Sudanese American Friendship Association Inc.  Between June 2020 and September 2021, Hamed submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of these companies, overstating employee numbers and average monthly payroll, and making other fraudulent representations.  As part of the applications, he submitted false tax filings that had never been filed with the IRS.

Hamed also submitted PPP loan applications on behalf of companies owned by his clients.  In at least one instance, Hamed convinced the owner of a business, which he knew was not active and had no employees, to seek PPP funding.  Hamed prepared the paperwork for the PPP application and then took a significant portion of the loan proceeds.

Through this scheme, Hamed obtained than $2.3 million in PPP loans for his businesses and for his clients, receiving more than $1 million in loan proceeds for himself and his family, and significant kickbacks from his clients.  Hamed used the funds for personal expenses, including education expenses for a family member, and for a down payment on a $880,000 house in Woodbridge that he purchased in October 2020.

Judge Underhill ordered Hamed to pay $2,384,772 in restitution.

Hamed was arrested on November 13, 2024.  On May 9, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of engaging in illegal monetary transactions

Hamed, who is released on a $500,000 bond, is required to report to prison on January 28.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.

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.

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Sherell Breus (40, Champions Gate), Jessie Perlado (63, Lakeland), Candice Harper (37, Pooler, GA), Yashica Carter (40, Ft. Lauderdale), Brandon Thomas (39, Champions Gate), Antwaun Jonson (39, Delray Beach), Jessica Sejour (33, Greenacres), Tameshia Roberson (44, Winter Haven), Vance Houston (30, Oakland Park), and Raymound Carvil Sr. (61, Ft. Lauderdale) with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies the conspirators that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $2,294,734.50, which represents the alleged proceeds traceable to the offense.

According to the indictment, between April 2020 and June 2021, the conspirators devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting multiple false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications. These programs were two sources of economic relief provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help small business during the COVID-19 pandemic. The conspirators’ applications all contained fraudulent documentation which at times included Department of Treasury – Internal Revenue Service Tax Forms. After receiving their fraudulently obtained proceeds, the conspirators transferred a portion of their funds to other accounts belonging to co-conspirators. 

In a separate indictment, an associate of one the conspirators, Neil Bryant (45, Winter Haven) was charged with one count of wire fraud. According to the indictment, Bryant defrauded the Small Business Administration by submitting a fraudulent EIDL application. If convicted, Bryant faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Bryant was also notified that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $52,400, which represents the proceeds traceable to his offense.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. 

These cases were investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn Hoenemeyer.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by contacting the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

A former bank vice president in Wichita Falls, Texas was sentenced to four years in federal prison for a fraud scheme involving fraudulent Paycheck Protection Plan and Economic Injury Disaster loans, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Kaylee Ree Lunn, 37, of Holliday, Texas, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud in July 2025 related to several fraudulent PPP loans she submitted in 2020 and 2021.  On Friday, December 5, 2025, Lunn was sentenced to forty-eight months’ imprisonment by Chief United States District Judge Reed C. O’Connor, who also ordered Lunn to pay restitution of $573,444 to the Small Business Administration and more than $19,000 to her former employer, Prosperity Bank (formerly First Capital Bank).

According to court records, Lunn admitted that, while she was vice president of commercial lending at the Wichita Falls branch of First Capital Bank, she accessed and unlawfully used the personal and business financial information of certain bank customers to apply for a series of four fraudulent PPP loans and a commercial loan in late 2020 through mid-2021.  Lunn admitted that she used false or inflated income and payroll expense figures and diverted loan proceeds totaling more than $276,000 to bank accounts she controlled, all without the customers’ knowledge or consent.  

Court records also reflect that Lunn applied for and received more than $140,000 in fraudulent PPP loans falsely reflecting the business entities as her husband’s.  Throughout this time period, Lunn also made failed attempts to obtain several Economic Injury Disaster loans of over $890,000, which were ultimately rejected because they were associated with fraudulent information. According to plea documents, Lunn spent thousands of dollars of the fraudulently-obtained loan proceeds on her personal and lifestyle expenses.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office through the Amarillo Resident Agency.  Assistant United States Attorney Mark (“Mac”) McDonald prosecuted the case.

 

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

United States Attorney Kurt Wall announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Damian R. Raby, age 42, of Gonzales, Louisiana, to 216 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to launder money and obstructing the administration of the internal revenue laws, relating to a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud a COVID-19 economic relief program. The Court further ordered Raby to serve three years of supervised release after completing his term of imprisonment. In addition to the term of imprisonment, the Court ordered Raby to pay $2,603,678.04 in restitution to the U.S. Treasury and forfeit an additional $2,045,241.58.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Raby devised a scheme to defraud the United States, through the Internal Revenue Service, by preparing and filing tax forms fraudulently claiming Employee Retention Credit (ERC) refundable tax credits on behalf of numerous businesses purportedly located in the Baton Rouge area—businesses that either did not exist during the COVID-19 pandemic or that did not have any legitimate business activity prior to the pandemic. The ERC program was a tax credit provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES” Act), intended to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the scheme, Raby filed documents with the IRS asking the IRS to assign Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) to the fraudulent businesses, he opened bank accounts in the names of the fraudulent businesses, and he filed tax forms in which he falsely represented the businesses’ number of employees and payroll amounts and falsely claimed that the businesses were entitled to large tax credits. In total, Raby filed fraudulent applications on behalf of dozens of businesses and caused the IRS to issue more than 30 checks totaling approximately $4.4 million. 

As Raby and his associates received the proceeds of the fraudulent scheme, they would try to conceal and disguise the proceeds by quickly making additional financial transactions and moving the fraudulent proceeds among the various bank accounts Raby controlled. Raby then used the proceeds to make large payments on numerous luxury vehicles, the mortgage of his personal residence, and numerous other large purchases.

Later, after Raby became aware of a pending investigation into his conduct, he obstructed and impeded the investigation, including by making false statements to an IRS agent, sending fictitious documents to the IRS, and encouraging one of the witnesses to provide false information to the IRS.

U.S. Attorney Wall stated, “My office has emphasized that efforts to prosecute COVID-19-related fraud are critical to maintaining the integrity of government relief programs. This sentence is a demonstration of our commitment to protecting public funds from fraudsters using deceptive tactics.”

“Damian Raby is one of many people who defrauded a program designed to help businesses retain employees during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “He then tried to hide his ill-gotten gains through money laundering. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are skilled financial investigators who can unravel complex financial transactions and money laundering schemes.”

“This sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), along with our law enforcement partners, to aggressively investigate those who commit financial crimes that harm the tax administration system and victimize law abiding Americans,” stated Special Agent in Charge Joel Weaver. “This case highlights the expertise and dedication of TIGTA special agents, who are determined to protect the financial infrastructure of the United States.”

Meanwhile, as part of the investigation, the United States has lawfully seized more than $600,000 from bank accounts controlled by Raby and seized and forfeited a single-family residence in Gonzales, Louisiana that Raby largely acquired with fraudulent proceeds. In addition, and previously in this investigation, the United States convicted Kenyall Williams, age 39, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and make unlawful monetary transactions. As Williams admitted as part of her guilty plea, she became aware that Raby was involved in a criminal scheme and she knowingly became involved in the scheme, by assisting Raby and making financial transactions at his direction in exchange for a small share of the proceeds. The Court sentenced Williams to serve a three-year term of probation, pay $555,069.47 in restitution, and forfeit an additional $41,756.70.

This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, with valuable assistance from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel, and Assistant United States Attorneys Brad Casey and Katherine Green.

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

Despite the recent government shutdown, federal courts across the nation utilized various resources to guarantee the continuity of justice and continued to operate on essential cases, including criminal prosecutions, immigration hearings, and civil rights violations.

This press release outlines the significant court hearings that were conducted in the Middle District of Louisiana during this period, highlighting their importance in maintaining legal processes and upholding citizens’ rights.

Damian R. Raby, age 42, of Gonzales, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to 216 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to launder money and obstructing the administration of the internal revenue laws, relating to a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud a COVID-19 economic relief program. Raby must serve three years of supervised release upon completing his term of imprisonment. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Raby was ordered to pay $2,603,678,04 in restitution to the U.S. Treasury and forfeit an additional $2,045,241.58.

Trisha Milstead, age 53, of Newport, Tennessee, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson to 21 months in federal prison following her conviction for wire fraud. Milstead must serve three years of supervised release upon completing her term of imprisonment. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Milstead was ordered to pay $2,623.58 in restitution.

Antonio Felipe Belda, age 39, of Ontario, Canada, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to 120 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of child pornography. Belda must serve five years of supervised release upon completing his term of imprisonment. In addition to the term of imprisonment, the Court imposed a fine of $17,000, ordered Belda to pay $6,000 in restitution, and ordered him to register as a sex offender upon his release. Belda may also be deported from the United States upon completing his sentence.

Quarles James Harris, age 51, of Zachary, Louisiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Shelly Dick to bank robbery and related firearms offenses.

Six individuals pled guilty before Judge Brian A. Jackson to various charges, including firearm and drug trafficking offenses resulting from an investigation into a drug trafficking organization based out of Ascension Parish. This case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

• Leroy Miles, age 46, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and oxycodone, possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
• Joseph Brown, age 38, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and oxycodone, and distribution of heroin and fentanyl;
• James Miles, age 48, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and oxycodone;
• Corey Powe, age 56, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, for possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
• Marishell Ealem, age 39, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and oxycodone, and distribution of heroin and fentanyl; and
• Destiny Renee McBride, age 35, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and oxycodone.

A federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment charging Anisha Devall Hunter, age 47, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, with wire fraud. Hunter appeared for her arraignment and pled not guilty to the pending charges. An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.

U.S. Attorney Kurt Wall stated, “The resilience exhibited by my office and the judiciary during this challenging time underscores the commitment to maintaining the rule of law. We remain committed in our service to the communities within the Middle District of Louisiana.”

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – About one week ago, many of our fellow Alaskans witnessed devastation at a level that many of us will never experience. Flooding caused by the remnants of Typhoon Halong hit our western coastline causing at least one known death, destroying residences, and leaving more than 1,500 victims with no place to stay, food to eat, or clean water to drink. While rescue operations have been ongoing at a feverish pace and likely saved many lives, Alaskans affected by this disaster are in a situation where they can see no hope for a return to their normal lives on the horizon. Sadly, it is at this precise time when fraudsters located across the globe seek to satisfy their own heartless greed by depriving victims of assistance that they may receive either through government channels and/or charitable contributions.

As a warning to fraudsters thinking of targeting our flood victims, such people should know that Title 18 United States Code, Section 1040, punishes those who commit fraud in connection with major disaster and emergency benefits with up to 30 years in federal prison and that we will aggressively investigate and prosecute such criminal conduct.

The National Center for Disaster Fraud (“NCDF”), a national coordinating agency, was created by a partnership between the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and various law enforcement and regulatory agencies. Its goal is to improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters, and to advocate for the victims of such fraud.

Experience has shown that criminals exploit disasters for their own selfish gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating deceiving websites designed to solicit contributions. These fraudsters will engage in phishing, which involves deceiving individuals to provide their personal identifiers, credit card numbers, and bank account information. They will also engage in spoofing, which involves disguising their own phone numbers and websites to appear as being from known and trusted entities such as federal relief agencies and non-profit organizations to fraudulently obtain funds.

I unfortunately expect that criminals will target flood victims and individuals wanting to make charitable contributions to those victims. The following examples of disaster-related fraud are based on over 300,000 complaints submitted to the NCDF, and are provided to help victims avoid being victimized twice — by the storm and then by criminals:

• Fake charities immediately soliciting donations using the names of well-known charities or appearing reasonable as related to a disaster (to include email, website, and caller ID spoofing)
• Individuals impersonating government officials, non-profit organization representatives, and insurance company representatives advising that disaster assistance will be made available should the potential victim provide a sum of money or personal identifiers such as date of birth, social security number, and bank account information (name of financial institution, routing number, and account number)
• Individuals soliciting victims to invest in non-existent businesses and ventures offering recovery efforts such as cleanup, rebuilding, and making structures (homes) more resistant to future disasters, for example, elevating structures to minimize future flood risks)
• Individuals overcharging for goods and services needed by victims of disaster, also known as price-gouging
• Theft of property from businesses and residences abandoned because of a disaster (either evacuation pre-disaster or to obtain living accommodations because of damaged apartments and homes)

Recommended Measures to Avoid Becoming a Victim:

• Only make donations to known charities and only after contacting the charity directly and not in response to an email, instant message, phone call, text, etc. A recommended step is to research the charity by visiting recognized charity information/rating websites such as the www.Give.org, CharityNavigator.org, and CharityWatch.org
• Never click on a link in an unsolicited email, instant message, text, etc.
• Never assume that charity solicitations posted on the internet and social media are legitimate
• Avoid cash donations to charities – use a credit card or pay with a check. Never transmit donations to a named individual
• Charities do not seek donations via electronic fund (financial institution)/wire transfers, so do not wire donations
• Avoid being victimized by impersonators of government officials, insurance companies, investment companies, etc., by terminating the phone call or other exchange of information (e.g., email, texts) and calling the actual government agency, insurance company, and/or investment company directly using a well-advertised phone number or email address

Individuals who have been targeted by fraudsters, been the victim of disaster-related fraud, or suspect that someone is engaging in disaster fraud are encouraged to contact law enforcement at any of the following: (1) the NCDF at (866) 720-572 or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm; or  (2) the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI; tips.fbi.gov; or  ic3.gov, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for internet-based fraud.

Michael J. Heyman

United States Attorney

District of Alaska

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three local businessmen have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a multi-million-dollar scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a pandemic program that provided low-interest financing to small businesses to pay up to eight weeks of payroll costs.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) administered the PPP program and was authorized to provide loans of up to $10 million to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption due to the pandemic. Loan amounts were determined by the number of employees certified by the applicant.

According to court documents, Raymond Rahbar, 44, of Great Falls; Ryan Macaulay, 36, of Gambrills, Maryland; and Carl Pierre, 37, of Alexandria, co-founded BYNDfit, a fitness center planned in Washington that never opened to the public. Between April 2020 and June 2021, Rahbar, Macaulay, and Pierre submitted PPP loan applications in which they inflated the number of BYNDfit employees to increase their purported payroll costs and obtain more money. The conspirators submitted purported payroll summaries that listed people who did not work for BYNDfit, including local students whose only interaction with BYNDfit was providing their name and personal identifying information to BYNDfit at a career fair. In support of the applications, the conspirators also submitted fabricated tax forms.

Using the same type of misrepresentations about the number of employees, Rahbar obtained four additional PPP loans on behalf of two construction companies he controlled: AMC Building Group and American Majestic Construction. In total, Rahbar fraudulently obtained at least $3.1 million in PPP loans, and attempted to obtain over $4 million in PPP loans.

On April 10, Rahbar pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced yesterday to four years and six months in prison.

On April 15, Macaulay pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and unlawful monetary transactions. He was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison.

On Sept. 4, 2024, Pierre pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On May 30, he was sentenced to one day in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristin S. Starr and Avi Panth and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hood prosecuted the case.

Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-180.

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jasmine Williams, 34, of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge yesterday to one count of fraud related to a major disaster declaration, 24 counts of wire fraud, and seven counts of mail fraud, arising from a scheme to defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) in the wake of Hurricane Ida.

Williams was charged by indictment with those offenses in April of last year.

As presented in court filings, in September 2021, President Joseph R. Biden issued a major disaster declaration for much of the eastern part of Pennsylvania, after the remnants of Hurricane Ida struck the Commonwealth. This declaration authorized FEMA to provide financial assistance to residents whose homes and properties were damaged by the hurricane.

As further detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Williams recruited others over social media, advertising that she could assist them in applying for FEMA benefits. Williams then submitted fraudulent documents to FEMA on behalf of dozens of others, including fraudulent leases, letters from landlords, utility bills, earning statements, and home repair estimates. In exchange, Williams collected half of the payout for herself. In total, the government calculates that FEMA paid over $1,500,000 in assistance based on false representations made by Williams.

Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on January 12, 2025.

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, with assistance from FEMA Fraud Prevention and Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and S. Chandler Harris.

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

Defendant admitted using fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans on jewelry, home gym, and personal financial investments

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TERRY COLLINS, 31, of Bristol, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 72 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl and for laundering funds received through misrepresentations to a COVID-19 relief program.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2022, the DEA New Haven Task Force, the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad, the Waterbury Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies determined that Gawayne Fisher, also known as “Fruit” and “Tank,” was trafficking narcotics in and around Waterbury while on federal supervised release.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, physical surveillance, and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Fisher and others were selling large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, as well as counterfeit oxycodone and alprazolam (Xanax) pills.  Collins supplied fentanyl to Fisher’s organization, and he maintained a location on Yale Street in Waterbury to store, process, and package narcotics.

Collins, Fisher, and two associates were arrested on April 13, 2023.  On that date, a search of the Yale Street location revealed drug-processing equipment, approximately three kilograms of loose fentanyl, and approximately 75,000 individual bags containing fentanyl.  In addition, a West Main Street apartment in Waterbury that Fisher used as a stash location revealed approximately 16 kilograms of cocaine, three kilograms of fentanyl, 125,000 individual glassine bags containing fentanyl, and $7,574 in cash, and a search of Fisher’s residence on Beverly Avenue in Waterbury, and his vehicle, revealed approximately $175,110 in cash.

The investigation also revealed that Collins defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), a COVID-19 pandemic relief program established by the U.S. Congress through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act to provide financial assistance to small businesses for job retention and other expenses.  In May 2021, Collins submitted documentation to the U.S. Small Business Administration that Platinum Liquor, a store he operated in Waterbury, had 14 employees and an average monthly payroll of $59,612.  In fact, Platinum Liquor only had one employee and the store did not generate as much money as Collins claimed.  Based on these misrepresentations, Platinum Liquor received a $149,030 PPP loan.  Collins made additional misrepresentations in loan forgiveness documents and the loan was subsequently forgiven.

On October 2, 2024, Collins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of money laundering related to the PPP loan scheme.  Collins, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 28.

Judge Bolden will determine Collins’ restitution obligation within 90 days.

On January 27, 2025, Fisher was sentenced to 217 months of imprisonment for this drug trafficking offense and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.

This investigation was conducted by the DEA New Haven Task Force, the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad, and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden, East Haven, Branford, Shelton, and Bristol Police Departments.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.