U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division

Foreign National Charged for Selling Counterfeit Cancer Drugs A federal grand jury in Houston returned an indictment today charging an Indian national with selling and shipping tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of counterfeit oncology pharmaceuticals into the United States. According to court documents, Sanjay Kumar, 43, of Bihar, India, and his co-conspirators allegedly arranged for the sale and shipment of fake, counterfeit versions of oncology pharmaceuticals—including Keytruda—to individuals in the United States. Genuine Keytruda is a cancer immunotherapy that is approved in the United States for 19 different indications, including to treat certain types of melanoma, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, gastric cancer, cervical cancer, and breast cancer. Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, formerly known as Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., has the exclusive right to authorize the manufacture of Keytruda for introduction into interstate commerce. Kumar was arrested on June 26 in Houston after traveling to the United States to conduct further negotiations aimed at expanding his business selling fake Keytruda in the U.S. market. Kumar is charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit drugs and four counts of trafficking in counterfeit drugs. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. Read more: Office of Public Affairs | Foreign National Charged for Selling Counterfeit Cancer Drugs | United States Department of Justice

Last week, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri and other members from the Division hosted an Q & A panel for the Division’s interns. The Criminal Division encourages all interested law students and undergraduates to apply for available internship opportunities. Learn more about the exciting and important work the Division does every day: https://lnkd.in/gd8tCAty

Man Sentenced for Sending Death Threat to Michigan Election Worker An Indiana man was sentenced today to 14 months in prison for sending a communication that included death threats to an election worker in Michigan shortly after the November 2020 election. “The Justice Department has no tolerance for violent threats against election workers, officials, and volunteers, and as this case demonstrates, we will aggressively investigate and prosecute such threats to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will continue to defend the right to vote and to defend the safety of the public servants who make voting possible.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/daWfFAVQ

National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action Results in 193 Defendants Charged and Over $2.75 Billion in False Claims The Justice Department today announced the 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action, which resulted in criminal charges against 193 defendants, including 76 doctors, nurse practitioners, and other licensed medical professionals in 32 federal districts across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving approximately $2.75 billion in intended losses and $1.6 billion in actual losses. In connection with the coordinated nationwide law enforcement action, and together with federal and state law enforcement partners, the government seized over $231 million in cash, luxury vehicles, gold, and other assets. “It does not matter if you are a trafficker in a drug cartel or a corporate executive or medical professional employed by a health care company, if you profit from the unlawful distribution of controlled substances, you will be held accountable,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will bring to justice criminals who defraud Americans, steal from taxpayer-funded programs, and put people in danger for the sake of profits.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gmJn2Yyr

#ThisWeekatJustice, ▶️ Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted the historic decline in #ViolentCrime before the House Judiciary Committee ▶️ Charged 47 defendants, made dozens of arrests, and seized 2 million doses of fentanyl associated with the Sinaloa Cartel to combat #DrugTrafficking ▶️ Justice Department leadership underscored expansions in access to cutting-edge crime gun intelligence technology at ATF's Third Annual Chiefs of Police Executive Forum on Crime Guns ▶️ Announced 4 arrests and kilogram seizures of illegal substances by #LawEnforcement in relation to a drug trafficking conspiracy in Washington and New Jersey after a year-long wiretap investigation ▶️ Sentenced a white supremacist to 26 months and 3 years of supervised release for federal hate crimes targeting Black and Jewish people and desecrating a synagogue Keep up with the latest news from the Justice Department at justice.gov/news For closed captions: https://lnkd.in/gVX4RCvH

A U.S. citizen will make his initial appearance in Fort Myers, Florida, today at 2 p.m. EDT following his extradition from Ukraine to the United States to face numerous charges in three federal districts relating to double homicide, armed robbery, false statements in a passport application, aggravated identity theft, and misuse of a passport in violation of conditions and restrictions, among other charges. Craig Austin Lang, 34, of Surprise, Arizona, faces criminal charges in the Middle District of Florida, the Eastern District of North Carolina, and the District of Arizona. “As alleged in the indictments, Craig Austin Lang went on an international crime spree that included a double murder in Florida, attempts to travel internationally to engage in other acts of violence outside the United States, and a plot to evade law enforcement detection by trading guns, a grenade, and cash to use another person’s identifying information to apply for a U.S. passport under an assumed name,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Lang’s alleged conduct is shocking in its scope and its callous disregard for human life. His wrongdoing, however, was no match for the efforts of dedicated law enforcement personnel and prosecutors in the United States and abroad to investigate, locate, arrest, and extradite Lang so he would face justice before courts in the United States.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/g5fPidTE

#ThisWeekatJustice, the Department: ▶️ Sued Live Nation-Ticketmaster for monopolizing markets across the #LiveConcert industry ▶️ Announced multiple drug & firearm arrests to combat #ViolentCrime ▶️ Reached over $310M settlement with Norfolk Southern to address & pay for damage caused by train derailment Keep up with the latest news from the Justice Department at justice.gov/news For closed captions: https://lnkd.in/gnry_gSG

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Argentieri, head of the Criminal Division, was proud to join the New York City Bar Association White Collar Crime Institute for a keynote interview to discuss U.S. Department of Justice's efforts to prosecute the most impactful white collar, violent crime & ransomware cases. During the discussion, PDAAG Argentieri highlighted DOJ's partnership with U.S. Department of Homeland Security to disrupt & dismantle intl. #HumanSmuggling organizations through Joint Task Force Alpha. Since 2021, JTFA has resulted in over 295 arrests, 230 U.S. convictions & substantial seizures of assets. PDAAG Argentieri also spoke to the recently announced Pilot Program on Voluntary Self-Disclosures for Individuals, which creates clear incentives for those involved to report criminal conduct - allowing the Criminal Division to prosecute individuals & hold companies accountable.

#ThisWeekatJustice, the Department: ▶️ Gave an update on DOJ’s accelerated #ElectionSecurity efforts ▶️ Opened an investigation into conditions of youth detention centers ▶️ Celebrated the 70th anniversary of the #BrownvBoard decision ▶️ Secured prison sentences for 7 cartel members who trafficked #Fentanyl and other lethal drugs ▶️ Honored fallen officers at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial during #PoliceWeek Keep up with the latest news from the Justice Department at justice.gov/news For closed captions: https://lnkd.in/gcPRqjjy

Charges and Seizures Brought in Fraud Scheme, Aimed at Denying Revenue for Workers Associated with North Korea IT Workers Infiltrated More than 300 U.S. Companies, Earning Millions The Justice Department unsealed charges, seizures, and other court-authorized actions to disrupt the illicit revenue generation efforts of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea). The charges include prosecutions of an Arizona woman, Ukrainian man, and three unidentified foreign nationals who allegedly participated in schemes to place overseas information technology (IT) workers—posing as U.S. citizens and residents—in remote positions at U.S. companies. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gKRCCMbS