Visa, marriage fraud network busted by ICE in Maryland

BALTIMORE, MD—Four individuals are facing federal charges for their involvement in facilitating visa and marriage fraud, according to an announcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Maryland. The investigation, conducted in collaboration with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Maryland, led to the arrests of Ella […]

Baltimore County man indicted for passport fraud

BALTIMORE, MD—A federal grand jury charged a Baltimore County man with passport fraud, aggravated identity theft, false statements and false representation of a social security number, authorities say. Beautiful Life Allah, 65, also known as Tezelle Miller, of Gwynn Oak, is accused of using someone else’s social security number to apply for a passport, submitting a fake custody order to […]

MS-13 gang members indicted for murder in Maryland

BALTIMORE, MD—Two Maryland MS-13 gang members have been indicted for murder in aid of racketeering, federal authorities announced. Manuel Erazo Alvarado, 46, and Erick Guillen Pleitez, 46, both of Annapolis, were charged in a federal grand jury indictment returned on February 13, according to the Department of Justice. On March 6, 2025, Guillen Pleitez made his initial appearance in the […]

Former insurance agent, financial advisor from Parkville charged in third fraud scheme

BALTIMORE, MD—A former Baltimore County insurance agent and financial advisor has been indicted on theft and fraud charges. Attorney General Anthony G. Brown on Wednesday announced that the Grand Jury for Baltimore County has handed down a third indictment charging Michael C. Okolo, 68, of Parkville, with theft of property valued at $100,000 or more. This is the third time […]

Former Harford County Sheriff’s Office detective facing federal charges for sexual exploitation of two minors

BALTIMORE, MD—A former detective with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office is facing federal charges relating to the sexual exploitation of two children. A federal grand jury has indicted Ryan Christopher Hall, 50, of Woodstock, Maryland, charging him with sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual abuse material. Hall is a former domestic violence detective who served 27 […]

Baltimore man faces federal indictment for sexual exploitation of a minor, producing child sexual abuse material

BALTIMORE, MD—A Baltimore man has been indicted on charges of sexual exploiting a minor and producing child sexual abuse material. A federal grand jury has returned an indictment, charging Jose Adan Lopez-Guevara, 37, with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child sexual abuse material. Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced […]

Rosedale, Belcamp men indicted for unemployment insurance fraud scheme of more than $1 million

BALTIMORE, MD—Two Maryland men have been indicted for allegedly stealing more than $1 million in unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Daiwor Woah-Tee, 51, of Belcamp, and Dekwii Woah-Tee, 46, of Rosedale, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, respectively. The indictment was unsealed when the defendants were arrested on December 18, 2024, and […]

Two biotech CEOs convicted in fraud scheme involving COVID-19 drug

BALTIMORE, MD—Two CEOs were convicted by a federal jury in Maryland for a scheme to defraud investors about a drug being developed to treat HIV and COVID-19, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Nader Pourhassan, 61, of Lake Oswego, Oregon, and Kazem Kazempour, 71, of Potomac, Maryland, were found guilty of the scheme involving CytoDyn Inc., a publicly traded […]