Tag: San Diego
Marcos Chavez-Nieto, Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain, California 2023
⏱ 2 min read This week, a staggering 122 border-related cases were filed by federal prosecutors in Southern California, exposing a rampant surge in illicit activities along the US-Mexico border. The crimes, which include bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the US after deportation, and importation of controlled substances, have been committed by various…
Ashleigh Lynn Chavez, Forgery and Fraud, California 2024
⏱ 2 min read Ashleigh Lynn Chavez, a 42-year-old Chula Vista woman, has admitted to committing another fraud crime in San Diego, while on supervised release for two prior federal fraud convictions. In November 2024, Chavez submitted six forged letters as part of a job application to a San Diego-area company, after being terminated from…
Julio Villa-Urzua, Human Smuggling, California 2023
⏱ 2 min read This week, federal prosecutors in Southern California took on a staggering 151 border-related cases, including charges of human smuggling and drug trafficking. The crimes were committed by individuals like Julio Villa-Urzua, a Mexican national who attempted to bring in 929 pounds of liquid methamphetamine, and Edgar Gonzalez Huales, a Guatemalan national…
Laurie Holcomb, Cannabis Fraud, California 2023
⏱ 2 min read Laurie Holcomb, the founder of multiple cannabis companies in California, is facing charges for allegedly obtaining $1.4 million in pandemic-related loans by falsely certifying that her businesses were not involved in illegal activity. The scheme took place in San Diego, where Holcomb’s companies, including Gold Flora LLC and Black Lion Farms…
Julianna C. Lung, Health Care Fraud, California 2026
⏱ 2 min read Julianna C. Lung, a 60-year-old San Diego woman, pleaded guilty to a massive health care fraud scheme, admitting she sold hearing protection devices to United States Border Patrol agents and other federal employees, then falsely billed insurance providers for nearly $1 million. The scheme, which targeted the Federal Employees Health Benefits…
Manuel Salvador Hernandez Perez, Importation of a Controlled Substance, California 2026
⏱ 2 min read This week, a staggering 122 border-related cases were filed by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California. The crimes include bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the US after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. Mexican nationals, including Manuel Salvador Hernandez Perez, were arrested and charged with various crimes.…
Blanca Estela Cardenas and Raquel Pasillas, Medicare Fraud, California 2024
⏱ 2 min read A mother-daughter duo from San Diego, Blanca Estela Cardenas and Raquel Pasillas, allegedly carried out a scheme to bill Medicare for $9.5 million in fake wound care services between April and October 2024, while Cardenas was serving time in federal prison. The duo submitted claims under Cardenas’ National Provider Identifier, falsely…
Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi, Conspiring to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization, California 2023
⏱ 2 min read Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi, a San Diego resident, has been charged with conspiring to provide material support to Hamas, a known foreign terrorist organization. Sabassi allegedly solicited and diverted funds raised through purported charitable campaigns to Hamas and for personal use. The scheme, which exploited the brutal acts of terror perpetrated…
Isaac Jimenez, Human Trafficking, California 2026
⏱ 2 min read A San Diego man, Isaac Jimenez, has admitted to his role in an alien smuggling scheme that held migrants for ransom in Mexico, with two victims still missing. The scheme, which operated out of Tijuana, would demand tens of thousands of dollars from distraught families in exchange for the freedom of…
Moises Quintana Luna, Human Smuggling, California 2026
⏱ 2 min read A gruesome 151-pound methamphetamine haul was just one of 108 border-related cases filed by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California this week. The cases included human smuggling, re-entry of deported aliens, and controlled substance importation. Moises Quintana Luna and Alma Beltran Ponce, Mexican citizens, were busted at the Tecate…
