Category: Public Corruption
Melissa Farris, Vandalism, Kentucky 2023
⏱ 2 min read Melissa Farris, a 41-year-old woman from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was charged with vandalizing the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington D.C. on August 13. Farris, also known as Melissa Lovewell, allegedly spray-painted graffiti on the Atlantic Theatre Pavilion, including the words ‘Clean Hands Dirty $’ in orange paint.…
John Gueringer, Impersonating a Federal Officer, Louisiana 2026
⏱ 2 min read John Gueringer, a 51-year-old man from Oakdale, Louisiana, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for impersonating a DEA agent during a domestic disturbance on July 22, 2024. Gueringer wore a fake DEA badge and identified himself as a federal agent to responding officers, attempting to block their investigation and…
Jeffrey Pope, Voter Fraud, Pennsylvania 2024
⏱ 2 min read Jeffrey Pope, a 65-year-old resident of Apollo, Pennsylvania, has been accused of casting multiple votes in the 2024 presidential election. According to the indictment, Pope voted twice, once in Pennsylvania and once in Alaska, where he owns property. The alleged crimes occurred on October 18 and 22, 2024, when Pope submitted…
Tamyra Travis, Mail Theft, Louisiana 2026
⏱ 2 min read A 27-year-old mail handler, Tamyra Travis, has pleaded guilty to stealing cell phones from the mail in New Orleans. Travis, who worked for the United States Postal Service (USPS), was accused of swiping phones that had been sent through the mail. The crime occurred while Travis was working as a mail…
Brian Depena, Pandemic Loan Fraud and Money Laundering, Massachusetts 2026
⏱ 2 min read Lawrence, Massachusetts Mayor Brian Depena, 61, has been arrested and charged with pandemic loan fraud and money laundering. Depena allegedly defrauded over $1.5 million in COVID small-business loans to fund his campaign account, pay personal taxes, and pay off high-interest mortgages on properties he owned in Lawrence. The arrest occurred on…
Jesse Clark Garcia, Corruption, California 2021
⏱ 2 min read Jesse Clark Garcia, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer, was sentenced to 9 years in prison for his role in a significant corruption scheme. Garcia allowed drug-laden vehicles to pass through his inspection lane at the Tecate Port of Entry on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel. The scheme, which…
Eduardo Aguilera-Gallardo, Reentry into United States without Authorization, Texas 2025
⏱ 3 min read Eduardo Aguilera-Gallardo, a 37-year-old Mexican national, has been sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States without authorization in Houston, Texas. Aguilera-Gallardo, who was previously removed from the US in 2025, was found in Houston on April 21, 2025, with no authorization to be in the…
Michel D’Angelo, Escape from Custody, New Hampshire 2026
⏱ 2 min read Michel D’Angelo, a 46-year-old man from Maine, made a brazen escape from the Hampshire House Residential Reentry Center in Manchester, New Hampshire, on July 18, 2026. D’Angelo, who was in federal custody at the time, left the facility without permission, sparking a manhunt and eventual indictment. The reasons behind his escape…
Marilyn Harp, Bank Fraud, Michigan 2026
⏱ 2 min read Marilyn Harp, the 74-year-old former treasurer of Ionia Township in Michigan, pleaded guilty to bank fraud after embezzling nearly $750,000 in township funds for her own use. The crime occurred between 2014 and 2025, when Harp was supposed to be collecting property taxes and depositing them into township bank accounts. Instead,…
Eric Shepherd, Conspiracy to Commit Theft from a Program Receiving Federal Funds, South Dakota 2026
⏱ 2 min read Eric Shepherd, 53, and Olivia Locke, 60, former top officials at the Sisseton Wahpeton Housing Authority (SWHA) in South Dakota, have admitted to embezzling over $3.5 million in federal funds. The duo, who held positions of trust as executive director and chief financial officer, abused their power to issue and cash…
