Grand juries in the United States

Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, 82, president pro tempore of the Senate and chair of the Finance and Appropriations Committee, was indicted and surrendered to federal custody alongside six co-defendants, including two daughters (Lisa Lucas Burke and Theresa Lucas-Lamb) and a grandson (Ryan Eichelberger), on racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, bribery, money laundering and honest-services fraud charges filed by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia. Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel allege Lucas led a "criminal marijuana enterprise" built by family and associates, paying $750,000 for control of a shell company used to obtain a state cannabis license and later receiving a bribery payment, while using her committee chairmanship to shield and benefit the operation. The case follows an FBI raid on Lucas's office in May. Lucas, a longtime cannabis-legalization advocate, denies wrongdoing, calling the case political retaliation and intimidation. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger criticized the indictment's timing as inconsistent with Justice Department norms near elections, though the investigation originated under the Biden administration.

A federal grand jury has indicted Houston physician Dr. Joseph A. Montes on 12 counts related to an alleged scheme to bill the federal government roughly $30 million for COVID-19 office visits that never occurred, of which about $20 million was actually paid out. Montes appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge after the indictment, returned Sept. 30, was unsealed.

Prosecutors allege that between 2020 and 2022, Montes allowed co-conspirators to run pop-up COVID testing sites under his two Houston clinics' names, billing the Health Resources and Services Administration for office visits patients never actually had, while only providing nasal swab tests. On one day alone, the clinics allegedly submitted more than 9,000 claims — about one every nine seconds. Montes allegedly used proceeds to buy luxury vehicles and jewelry from Tiffany & Co. He faces decades in prison if convicted on the wire fraud and money laundering counts, plus fines up to $250,000. The case is part of a broader federal push against pandemic-era healthcare fraud.

The Justice Department has charged a Utah postal worker with discarding more than 300 mail-in ballots ahead of the state's June primary. Damon Matai Seei, 34, of Payson, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 16 on charges of unlawful secretion, destruction and delay of mail; the indictment was unsealed and Seei was arrested and arraigned in federal court in Salt Lake City, pleading not guilty. His next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 30. Officials said Seei, a letter carrier in Eagle Mountain, dumped the ballots along with other mail into a dumpster at a church parking lot shortly after starting his shift on June 3, and never delivered them. Prosecutors said Seei admitted he threw away the mail to "lighten his workload," and officials declined to say whether the conduct was politically motivated.

The case comes amid heightened national scrutiny of mail-in voting security ahead of the 2026 midterms. Most Utah voters cast ballots by mail, and nearly a third of voters nationwide use the method. The DOJ says it is expanding election-monitoring efforts and pursuing thousands of election-related investigations nationwide.

A federal grand jury in Utah has indicted 34-year-old Damon Seei, a Payson postal worker, for allegedly discarding more than 300 mail-in ballots ahead of Utah's June primary election. Prosecutors say Seei dumped the ballots, clearly marked as such, into a dumpster in a church parking lot on June 3, along with other mail. U.S. Marshals arrested Seei, who faces charges of unlawful secretion, destruction, and delay of mail. The case emerged after Utah County Clerk Aaron Davidson fielded complaints from voters who never received ballots and found unusually low turnout in the affected area.

The indictment comes amid a broader Department of Justice push on election integrity, including scrutiny of Utah's voter rolls and a separate federal investigation into the state's compliance with voter data requests. DOJ officials say they have also charged dozens of noncitizens nationwide with unlawful voting offenses in recent weeks, as litigation over 2026 mail-in ballot rules continues.

A federal grand jury in Boise has indicted Fredy Avila Gomez on charges including wire fraud, theft of government funds, falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to vote, voting by an alien, making a false statement on a passport application, identification document fraud and firearms offenses. Prosecutors allege that from at least March 2017 through June 2026, Gomez used a fraudulent birth certificate to obtain Idaho identification cards and falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen or national, then used those documents to fraudulently obtain a U.S. passport, Medicaid benefits and a firearm. He is also accused of falsely claiming citizenship when registering to vote and casting ballots in Idaho's May 2022 and November 2024 elections.

The Justice Department listed Gomez among 16 people charged nationwide in cases tied to alleged illegal voting or voter registration. He is set for an initial court appearance in Boise and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The case, being prosecuted by federal authorities, involved several federal investigative agencies. Gomez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

ICE agent Christian Castro, 52, was arrested by Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents in downtown Minneapolis and booked into the Hennepin County Jail on a state warrant, despite an arrangement to surrender at his attorney's office. He faces four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of falsely reporting a crime, and is due in federal court Friday on a separate federal indictment for making false statements to an FBI agent.

The charges stem from a January 14 shooting during ICE's Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, when agents shot three people; U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti died in separate incidents amid related protests. Castro allegedly shot and wounded Julio Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national, after a car chase and foot pursuit, firing through a door despite two children being inside. Homeland Security initially called it a defensive shot but later cited "untruthful statements" by officers; charges against Sosa-Celis were dropped.

Castro spent 90 days jailed in Texas while Minnesota sought extradition, which Governor Greg Abbott refused, prompting a lawsuit from Minnesota officials. He was released after a federal judge declined to force extradition, then indicted federally before returning to Minneapolis. DHS has suspended him.