U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia

ATLANTA – Five Atlanta men, including a U.S./Jamaican dual citizen, have been charged with numerous offenses involving the alleged trafficking of hundreds of stolen fi****ms to the Caribbean.

“These defendants allegedly perpetrated a multi-year crime spree in the city of Atlanta—breaking into vehicles and stealing guns—to source fi****ms to be smuggled out of our country, fueling violence overseas,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thanks to the collaboration between a wide range of federal law enforcement agencies through our Homeland Security Task Force and the Atlanta Police Department, the trafficking ring allegedly responsible for these crimes has been dismantled.”

“This multi-agency operation underscores HSI’s commitment to combat the illegal trafficking of fi****ms and protect our communities both domestically and abroad,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. We will continue to pursue transnational criminal networks who threaten public safety and violate U.S. laws, wherever they operate.”

“Among ATF’s top priorities is ensuring that firearm traffickers are aggressively investigated and swiftly brought to justice. This investigation is an excellent example of multiple partner agencies working collaboratively to achieve outstanding results,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd of the Bureau of Alcohol, To***co, Fi****ms and Explosives Atlanta Field Division.

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is devoted to defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. We remain steadfast in our resolve to seek justice to the end and to keep communities safe,” stated Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Atlanta Division. “This goal is achieved through collaborative investigative efforts with fellow law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information presented in court: On April 2, 2025, HSI and CBP agents at Miami International Airport interdicted a package destined for Georgetown, St. Vincent. The package contained three 9mm pistols, which had not been declared as required by law, hidden in a package containing a queen air mattress. One of the three handguns was reported stolen on March 1, 2025, in Atlanta.

A multi-agency investigation conducted by HSI, ATF, and U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security special agents, USPIS inspectors, and Atlanta Police Department officers revealed that the stolen handgun seized at the Miami airport was one of dozens of guns taken during a rash of car break-ins and burglaries allegedly perpetrated by Lorenzo Harris-Brown, D’Anthony Varner, and Albert Brown in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Harris-Brown, Varner, and Brown allegedly broke into scores of vehicles, stole the vehicles’ contents, including fi****ms, and provided the stolen fi****ms to Sanchaz Turner. After receiving the guns, Turner allegedly contacted Andre Lalor to sell the fi****ms. A court-authorized search of Turner’s cell phone allegedly led to the discovery of text messages between Turner and Lalor in which Turner sent Lalor photographs or descriptions of more than 350 fi****ms. After acquiring fi****ms from Turner, Lalor allegedly tried to send those guns to contacts in the Caribbean and Canada, but several of Lalor’s alleged shipments were intercepted, resulting in the seizure of dozens of stolen weapons.

On May 27, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Andre Lalor, a/k/a “Plug Dre,” 48, of Conyers, Georgia, and Sanchaz Turner, a/k/a “Chezz,” 20; D’Anthony Varner, 23; Lorenzo Harris-Brown, 21; and Albert Brown, 21, all of Atlanta, Georgia, with conspiracy to commit fi****ms trafficking, trafficking in fi****ms, possession of stolen fi****ms, and dealing in fi****ms without a license. The indictment also charged Lalor with attempted smuggling goods from the United States, failure to notify a common carrier, and failure to file electronic export information. Andre Lalor, Sanchaz Turner, and Lorenzo Harris-Brown appeared in federal court last week following their arrests, and Albert Brown was arraigned yesterday. D’Anthony Varner will be arraigned at a later date.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, To***co, Fi****ms and Explosives, the Department of Commerce - Bureau of Industry and Security, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Atlanta Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Smith and Jamil Favors are prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

ATLANTA - Marcus Lydell Molden, Jr, who was recently listed on the Atlanta Police Department’s top five fugitives list, has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the federal charges, Molden also faces charges in Fulton County for various violent crimes and gang-related offenses.

“A convicted felon several times over, Marcus Molden was strictly prohibited from possessing any firearm, let alone an illegally converted machinegun with an extended magazine,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thankfully, shortly after Molden secured a position on the Atlanta Police Department’s ignoble ‘most wanted’ list, federal and local law enforcement captured him, seized his ultra-dangerous weapon, and made our community safer.”

“Violent offenders must understand there are serious consequences for the illegal possession of fi****ms. ATF and our law enforcement partners will dedicate all necessary time and resources to ensure those responsible are brought to justice,” said ATF Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd.

“Getting Marcus Molden off the streets was a priority for the Atlanta Police Department because of the danger he posed to our community,” said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. “I am proud of the officers and investigators whose relentless work led to his arrest, and I am grateful for the strong partnership with our federal law enforcement partners that helped bring this case to a successful outcome. This guilty plea reflects the impact of coordinated enforcement efforts and our shared commitment to holding violent offenders accountable. Most importantly, it means a dangerous offender has been removed from our streets, making Atlanta safer for the residents, businesses, and visitors we serve every day.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In the summer of 2025, the Atlanta Police Department (APD) classified Molden, a convicted felon, as one of APD’s most wanted fugitives. In July 2025, officers and detectives with APD’s gangs and automobile crimes units, along with federal law enforcement partners, observed Molden enter the passenger seat of a vehicle with a firearm tucked in his waistband.

After stopping the vehicle, officers found a black G***k pistol under the passenger seat. The magazine was designed to hold up to 22 rounds of ammunition, and a machinegun conversion device, which allowed the gun to function as a fully automatic firearm, was attached to the pistol.

Sentencing for Marcus Lydell Molden, Jr, a/k/a Meat, 25, is scheduled for September 15, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Victoria M. Calvert. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

Members of the public are reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent of the pending Fulton County charges, and it will be the State’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

The federal case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, To***co, Fi****ms and Explosives and Atlanta Police Department.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve A. Hsieh is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

ATLANTA – John Elijah Matthews faces a federal charge of committing an act of violence causing death on a mass transportation system, after he allegedly murdered a 66-year-old woman aboard a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) train last weekend.

“Margaret Swan was a beloved great-grandmother who was brutally killed in an unprovoked act of senseless violence. Her loss deeply affects her family, friends, and our entire community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Atlantans and the many people who will soon visit for the FIFA World Cup deserve to travel free from fear of a violent attack. We will not tolerate murder and mayhem on MARTA, and anyone who uses a dangerous weapon to seriously injure or kill on public transportation may face swift and unrelenting federal prosecution.”

“Margaret Swan was an innocent woman simply trying to get to her destination. My hope is these charges will bring justice for her and her family.” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This crime also impacts everyone who relies on mass transportation to move about their daily lives. Using Atlanta’s train system should be safe and free of violence.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On May 30, 2026, Margaret Swan, a 66-year-old resident of Atlanta, was a passenger on a MARTA train traveling northbound from the Lakewood station to the Oakland City station. Video surveillance inside the MARTA train allegedly showed Matthews standing next to Swan, who was sitting near the train’s door and looking at her phone. At approximately 11:25 a.m., surveillance footage allegedly shows Matthews reach into his pocket, pull out a folding knife, and stab Swan approximately 20 times in the chest and neck area as she attempted to defend herself. Other passengers on the train fled for safety and called for help, and at least one passenger confirmed that Swan had no interaction with Matthews before the fatal attack.

After the MARTA train stopped at the Oakland City station, MARTA police officers immediately arrested Matthews, who was allegedly in possession of a bloody folding knife consistent with the knife seen in the surveillance footage and had blood on his clothes. First responders attempted to render emergency medical aid to Swan, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

John Elijah Matthews, 25, of Decatur, Georgia, was named in a federal criminal complaint filed today charging him with committing an act of violence using a dangerous weapon with the intent to cause death on a mass transportation system. If convicted, Matthews faces the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty. The Attorney General of the United States will determine whether the government will seek the death penalty. Matthews is currently in local custody but will appear in federal court at a later date.

Members of the public are reminded that the complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Police Department.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

ATLANTA - Gwendolyn Brandon, a former supervisor at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds in connection with fake invoices she submitted to the CDC.

“This defendant embezzled taxpayer money and brazenly exploited her position of public trust by fabricating invoices,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “When she is sentenced later this year, she will pay the price for her greed and deception.”

“This federal employee-turn-fraudster exploited her government position to steal taxpayer money to enrich herself,” said Special Agent in Charge Marcus L. Sykes of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “HHS-OIG is committed to protecting the integrity of the federal workforce and to help ensure that HHS funding is spent appropriately to serve the American public.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: From approximately August 2023 to February 2025, while employed as a CDC administrative professional, Brandon created fraudulent invoices that appeared to be from vendors requesting payment for goods or services provided to the CDC. The invoices triggered payments to an account she controlled. She used her role as a supervisor and her knowledge of CDC’s invoice and credit card processing system to perpetuate the fraud by causing employees under her supervision, who were unaware of the fraud, to make the payments. Through her scheme, she caused the CDC to pay at least 46 fraudulent invoices in amounts ranging from $2,230 to $9,970, resulting in the theft of $190,461.50 in government funds.

Gwendolyn Brandon, 43, of Cu***ng, Georgia, pleaded guilty to theft of government funds yesterday. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 3, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders. As part of her plea agreement, Brandon agreed to resign from the CDC and never apply for employment with the federal government again, nor will she seek to do business with the federal government as a contractor or vendor.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica C. Morris is prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

ATLANTA - Tracy Jones, a former Senior Vice President at the Atlanta Housing Authority, has been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution for a scheme to fraudulently collect Section 8 housing assistance payments for her own rental property and family members, making fraudulent applications to collect pandemic relief funds, and committing mortgage fraud when refinancing her rental property.

“Jones violated the trust of the community, the taxpayers, and the needy families she was supposed to assist, using her senior position at one of the largest housing authorities to steal limited public funds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Her theft of that money meant other members of the community went without much-needed relief. Our office will continue to vigorously act to hold people like Jones, who violate the public trust and pilfer from the treasury, accountable.”

“Tracy Jones abused a position of trust by diverting funds from multiple federal programs, undermining assistance intended for vulnerable communities and struggling businesses during the pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Jerome Winkle with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who exploit HUD-funded programs for personal gain.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: From April 2017 to the time of her guilty plea in this case, Jones served as Senior Vice President over the Housing Choice Voucher Program at the Atlanta Housing Authority, overseeing one of the largest Section 8 programs in the country. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds Section 8 programs, including rental assistance payments to landlords on behalf of low-income families and individuals. Section 8 funds are limited, and there is often a long waiting list of low-income families seeking acceptance into the program. Housing authority staff are generally prohibited from receiving Section 8 payments for their own properties, and Section 8 landlords are typically prohibited from leasing to their own family members.

Instead of upholding the integrity of the housing assistance program, Jones defrauded the program by using a series of falsified forms to have her family members admitted to the Section 8 program and then to receive Section 8 payments for them to live in her own rental house. To conceal her identity, Jones used a fake name and a shell business entity to execute housing authority documents. As a result, she improperly obtained more than $36,000 of Section 8 funds. Jones then obstructed subsequent investigations by submitting a false affidavit and convincing friends to lie and present false documents on her behalf.

At the same time, Jones used her shell business and another business to collect more than $27,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s COVID-19 pandemic relief programs, falsely claiming that the businesses were functioning, had multiple employees, and received over $56,000 of gross revenues in 2019. When the SBA denied one of Jones’s applications, she appealed the denial, falsely stating:

• “I am truly a[n] honest business owner[.]”
• “I hear the stories how people abused the PPP loans to establish a lavish lif[e] style. That is not me. My business is small and is growing, but I [am] one of the legitimate and honest business that can use all the help I can.”
• “I also serve a community of low income families in my business, renting one of my three homes to a low income family as well as serve other owners of low income rental properties.”

Jones also committed mortgage fraud when she refinanced her Section 8 rental property, falsely claiming on her application for a $219,780 loan that the property was her primary residence, that the residence was not a rental property, and that she did not own any other property.

On May 20, 2026, Tracy Denise Jones, 61, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 9 months in prison to be followed by 9 months of home detention and 15 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $65,598.80 and a fine of $63,546. She pled guilty on February 2, 2026, to conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, wire fraud, and credit application fraud.

This case was investigated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford prosecuted the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Congratulations to Sgt. Howard Jenkins of the DeKalb County Police Department’s PAL Plus Unit. He is the recipient of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia’s first Hometown Hero Award.

The Hometown Hero award commemorates the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. It honors the enduring ideals of Liberty, Service, and Civic Responsibility. This award is dedicated in recognition of a steadfast commitment to these ideals and an embodiment of the spirit upon which our Nation was founded.

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Orville Andrew Pernell, an illegal alien from Jamaica charged with murder in Saint Lucia, has been sentenced to federal prison for possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the United States.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/illegal-alien-wanted-murder-saint-lucia-sentenced-federal-fi****ms-charge

Louis Brown, III, a former sergeant with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, has been arraigned on federal charges of using excessive force against a pretrial detainee at the Fulton County Courthouse.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/former-fulton-county-sheriffs-office-sergeant-charged-excessive-use-force

Kristin Draper has been arraigned on federal charges of money laundering conspiracy for allegedly conspiring with her boyfriend, Antwaun Brown, to funnel proceeds of Brown’s fentanyl dealing through a Dayton, Ohio group home for at-risk youth. Brown, a felon with state and federal convictions for trafficking crack co***ne and he**in, is facing federal drug charges related to the seizure of a massive amount of fentanyl in Sandy Springs, Georgia last year.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/owner-group-homes-risk-youth-and-her-drug-dealing-boyfriend-charged-money-laundering

Two illegal aliens and two convicted felons have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a large international drug trafficking and money laundering organization stretching from Mexico to Atlanta.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/illegal-aliens-and-convicted-felons-sentenced-transnational-drug-trafficking-and-money