Reports

BOSTON – A Nigerian man was arrested on Aug. 13, 2024 upon arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on charges that he, and others, conspired to fraudulently obtain at least $10 million in COVID-19 unemployment benefits.

Jia Bei Zhu, 62, and Zhaoyan Wang, 38, both citizens of China, who operated the biolabs Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI) and Prestige Biotech Inc. (PBI) in Fresno and Reedley face conspiracy and wire fraud charges in a superseding indictment.

BOSTON – A Cambridge man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in connection with an ongoing investigation into counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. It is alleged that the defendant is responsible for the manufacturing over 200 kilograms of counterfeit pills.

“As alleged, the defendants, including members of law enforcement responsible for upholding the law, defrauded the United States government out of relief funds meant for businesses struggling to survive the pandemic,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “These arrests are a powerful reminder of this Office’s resolve to prosecute anyone who violated the public trust and took advantage of the COVID crisis by stealing from relief programs.”

Edna McGowan-Baker engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Program loans.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a superseding indictment charging Jared Dean Eakes (33, Jacksonville) with five counts of wire fraud and three counts of bank fraud. If convicted, Eakes faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 30 years’ imprisonment for each bank fraud count. The indictment also notifies Eakes that the United States is seeking orders of forfeiture in the total amount of $7,489,732.20, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.