Enforcement

Rhode Island Man Sentenced to 28 Months for Years-Long Bank Fraud Conspiracy

DOJ announced the sentencing of Michael Brian Cotter, 64, of Rhode Island, to 28 months in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Cotter, CEO of a tech support company operating from a call center in India, artificially inflated sales numbers by running sham virtual debit card transactions to deceive banks about excessive consumer chargebacks. The scheme used customer personal identifying information without consent to disguise fraudulent activity.

Family Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Drugs into D.C. Prison

Three family members pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and smuggling controlled substances into the District of Columbia Central Detention Facility in May 2023. Malique Lewis and his mother Teleka Lewis face up to 20 years in prison; his brother Michael Lewis faces up to one year. Sentencing is scheduled for August 21, 2026.

DOJ Settles Lawsuit Over Biden State Department's Social Media Censorship

The DOJ announced settlement of litigation challenging the Biden State Department's alleged censorship of disfavored speech through the now-closed Global Engagement Center. The settlement, implementing President Trump's Executive Order on free speech, includes terms preventing recurrence of government-funded tools to suppress protected speech online. The case arose from allegations that federal agencies violated First Amendment rights by funding technologies for social media companies to downgrade and demonetize protected speech.