8 North Carolina Women Plead Guilty in $25 Million Covid Fraud Scheme… and Their Names Are Their Destiny
June 26, 2026
Eight North Carolina women pleaded guilty in a $25 million Covid fraud scheme.
And as they say, your name is your destiny.
Two of the defendants are named “Leach” and “Swindell.”
According to federal prosecutors a Robeson County woman who owned a tax return preparation business conspired with others to prepare false tax returns claiming fraudulent refunds based on Covid tax credits.
Seven other co-conspirators were arrested and charged for preparing federal tax returns for clients that included materially false items.
A Robeson County woman who was the owner of a North Carolina tax return preparation business pleaded guilty to conspiring to prepare false returns claiming fraudulent refunds based on COVID-19 tax credits, and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
Mitchell, 48, faces a maximum term of eight years in prison, and a $500,000 fine when sentenced later this year. She will also be ordered to pay a Forfeiture Money Judgment of $13,890,697.00. Seven other tax return preparers have already pleaded guilty for their roles in the same fraud scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Nejlai Mitchell owned and operated a tax return preparation business out of Lumberton, North Carolina, and Hope Mills, North Carolina. From approximately April 2022 through May 2023, Mitchell and seven employees filed false tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on COVID-19 tax credits.
As a result of the conspiracy, the IRS paid out approximately $13,890,697 in fraudulent tax refund claims.
Seven other co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty to preparing federal tax returns for clients that included materially false items. Tiffany Moody and Shaneen Ray pleaded guilty in December 2025; Eyoubo McBurney and Katrena Stanback pleaded guilty in September 2025; Jeannie Negron and Sylvia Swindell pleaded guilty in August 2025, and Whitnee Leach pleaded guilty in May 2026.
8 women that were just found guilty in a $25 million COVID fraud scheme
China’s Expanding Biological Warfare Capabilities: Fueled by Military-Civil Fusion and AI
June 26, 2026
The Chinese Communist Party is believed to be leveraging the combined resources of the government and civilian corporations while integrating artificial intelligence to develop a new generation of biological weapons. Photo courtesy of the Modern War Institute.
U.S. intelligence assessments warn that China is combining artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and military-civil fusion in ways that could significantly expand its biological warfare capabilities.
The United States government has long assessed that China operated an offensive biological weapons program from the early 1950s through at least the late 1980s. Two facilities in Beijing and Lingbao City, according to the State Department, weaponized ricin, botulinum toxin, anthrax, plague, cholera, and tularemia during that period. China acceded to the Biological Weapons Convention on November 15, 1984, which prohibits the development, production, and stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons.
Beijing has consistently maintained it has never possessed such weapons and is in full compliance. The State Department’s position, however, is that China likely continued operating an offensive program after signing the convention and that the earlier program was never verified as dismantled, a requirement the treaty imposes on all signatories. Beijing canceled a bilateral BWC-related meeting with Washington in early 2022 and has declined to provide the treaty’s required disclosures.
What concerns analysts today is not only what China may have inherited from the Cold War but what it is building now. The State Department’s 2025 annual arms control compliance report found that China’s People’s Liberation Army continued biological and toxin research with potential weapons applications throughout 2024. For the first time, the report stated that China “probably is capable of using publicly available artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to advance efforts related to biological weapons applications.”
The same report noted that Beijing has still failed to fully disclose details about its historical offensive program, including the weaponized ricin and botulinum toxins the United States has documented, as the convention requires. The 2025 Annual Threat Assessment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence used stronger language than the year before. Where previous assessments said China “probably” possessed chemical and biological warfare capabilities, the 2025 report concluded China “most likely” possesses those capabilities and that they pose a threat to U.S. military forces and civilian populations.
The Defense Intelligence Agency’s 2025 worldwide threat statement echoed that finding, adding that China’s nuclear and advanced delivery systems are now capable of delivering catastrophic damage to the United States homeland.
The core of the current problem is what analysts call the dual-use dilemma. Under China’s National Intelligence Law and its Military-Civil Fusion policy, the People’s Liberation Army has legal authority to access all civilian research and infrastructure, with no institutional firewall between a university biology lab and the PLA. The State Department’s December 2024 report on biotechnology in China’s Military-Civil Fusion strategy found that PRC policies “encourage the use of biotechnology tools, skills, and knowledge and biological data sets obtained through civilian R&D to benefit the PLA.”
China’s biotech sector has grown to become second only to that of the United States in market capitalization. Many life science researchers in Chinese academia and industry hold PLA officer commissions. Its 14th Five-Year Plan prioritizes the convergence of biotechnology and information technologies as a national strategic goal. The country’s National GeneBank Database is one of the world’s largest repositories of genetic information, and in 2016 Beijing launched a 15-year, $9 billion effort to collect, analyze, and sequence genomic data.
While precision medicine is a stated goal, analysts note that the same datasets can be used to engineer precision bioweapons. China has also sought access to U.S. health care data through joint projects with American universities, medical institutes, and research organizations.
The PLA’s own doctrinal writings make the military ambitions explicit. The 2020 edition of The Science of Military Strategy, the authoritative PLA officer textbook, identifies biology as a domain for military struggle and anticipates that biotechnology, including biological weapons, will dominate future battlefields. The 2017 edition introduced discussion of “specific ethnic genetic attacks,” weapons designed to target particular genetic profiles.
Former PLA general Zhang Shibo, in a book published that year, described modern biotechnology as showing “strong signs characteristic of an offensive capability,” including the potential for attacks targeting specific ethnic groups. PLA Colonel Guo Ji-wei has written about biotechnology affording militaries the ability to design agents that “attack only key enemies without harming ordinary people.”
The 2025 State Department compliance report also disclosed new details about China’s research into marine toxins, with U.S. intelligence assessing that China is using civilian research nominally designed to prevent seafood and shellfish poisoning as cover for biological weapons development.
A separate State Department compliance report found that China appears to be violating the Chemical Weapons Convention as well, through research on pharmaceutical-based agents with dual civilian-military applications, with scientists at a Chinese military research institute having “expressed interest in military applications” of those agents.
The CCP BioThreats Initiative, a think tank whose January 2024 report was written by a former U.S. Army microbiologist and a former Air Force intelligence officer, concluded that bioweapons are “part of the CCP’s standard order of battle” and that the PLA controls all civilian biological research in China. Dual-use programs in development include human genome editing for soldiers, genetic manipulation of bacteria, and human-computer interfaces, assessed as “core strategic focus areas” designed for near-term use, including in a potential Taiwan conflict.
Several policy responses have been proposed or enacted. The BIOSECURE Act, which prohibits federal contracting with certain Chinese biotechnology companies, was signed into law in December 2025 as part of the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act. Export controls on equipment and materials relevant to advanced biological research have been tightened, though enforcement remains uneven. The Council on Strategic Risks, in its April 2025 assessment of the ODNI threat findings, called for reducing U.S. pharmaceutical dependence on China, protecting domestic biodefense research programs from budget cuts, and expanding biomanufacturing capacity. The Heritage Foundation has called for a congressional blue-ribbon commission on the Chinese biological threat, stronger restrictions on technology transfers, and tighter controls on the sale of U.S. genomic data to foreign adversaries.
What is publicly known is already sufficient to establish a pattern: a historical bioweapons program never formally closed, a legal and institutional architecture that funnels civilian science into military hands, doctrinal writings that treat biology as a legitimate domain of warfare, and an expanding AI capability applied to biological research.
An alleged leader of the largest pandemic-era fraud scheme in the country was arrested overseas after being on the run for more than four years, according to federal officials.
Abdikerm Eidleh, 43, was arrested in Mogadishu, Somalia, earlier this week in a daytime raid coordinated by both the FBI and Somali intelligence agencies. He was indicted in September 2022 as part of the sweeping $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud investigation.
“This is a big fish,” Daniel Rosen, U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, told CBS News. “Eidleh was a key leader and was responsible for bribing and recruiting business to steal from the American taxpayer.”
Rosen said Eidleh was “second in command” to Aimee Bock, the convicted ringleader of the scheme, who was just sentenced to more than 40 years in prison.
Investigators allege Eidleh personally collected $5 million in bribes and kickbacks after instructing restaurants and catering businesses to inflate receipts submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education for reimbursement.
Earlier this month, one of the FBI’s most wanted fraud suspects in the massive Feeding Our Future scandal was finally returned to face justice.
U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Said Abdullahi Ereg peacefully surrendered to federal agents at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport after spending nearly two years overseas while facing charges in what has become one of the largest COVID-era fraud schemes in American history.
Ereg, who owned and operated Evergreen Grocery and Deli in south Minneapolis, was indicted on June 24, 2024, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
He exploited the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID-19 pandemic — a program meant to feed children in need — and allegedly obtained, misappropriated, and laundered more than $4.2 million in taxpayer funds through his business, which operated under the sponsorship of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future.
Said Abdullah Ereg in an undated booking photo from FBI
Disgraced Former Duchess Sarah Ferguson Visited Epstein TWICE in ‘Bogus Firm’ He Set-up for Work-Release While Imprisoned for Child-Sex Offense
June 26, 2026
‘My dear spectacular and special friend’: Fergie visited Epstein during his ‘sweetheart’ Florida incarceration in 2009
Epstein’s ‘sweetheart deal’ came with a ‘sweetheart work-release’ permit.
News arose today that disgraced former Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson visited Jeffrey Epstein twice at his ‘office’ for a ‘bogus firm’ he set up for work-release while imprisoned in Florida on a child sex offense.
When we say the firm was ‘bogus’ we are NOT passing judgment or trying to guess – Epstein himself characterizes it so in an email to Fergie: ‘250 south Australian suite 1404. ten minutes from airport. [The number and address for the fake office of the fake company, the Florida Science Foundation]’.
‘Fake office for the fake company’… Epstein could be brutally honest in some emails.
Ferguson met the convicted pedophile on two separate occasions at his Palm Beach ‘office’ that he used to leave jail every day ‘to work’ and only come back to sleep.
Sarah Ferguson met Jeffery Epstien twice while he was in prison for child sex offences.
The former Duchess of York met the paedophile on two occasions at the Palm Beach office of the fake company he invented to secure work release while in jail.… pic.twitter.com/FxfJllnZ4r
“Epstein victims have alleged in recent weeks that he abused them at the office on 250 South Australian Avenue while he was supposed to be in jail at the nearby Palm Beach County Stockade.
The sex offender was granted access to a generous work release program after he had been jailed for procuring a minor for prostitution in June 2008, which allowed him to leave his cell for up to 12 hours a day.”
Ferguson visited the convicted sex offender twice at his fake office during his incarceration.
Nine months into Epstein’s sentence, she wrote him asking to stop by for ‘a quick cup of tea’ during a layover in Florida.
She later called him ‘My dear spectacular and special friend’.
BREAKING NEWS: Sarah Ferguson visited Jeffrey Epstein twice at his office for a bogus firm he set up while imprisoned on a child sex offence.@TVKevpic.twitter.com/EEX0No5CK8
“The former Duchess of York has already faced a backlash after emails emerged earlier this year that suggested she had later visited Epstein with her two daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, when the pedophile was released from jail and placed under house arrest a month later, in July 2009.
‘Ferg and the two girls came’, Epstein told Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for trafficking girls and women to [him].”
When Fergie attempted to distance herself from Epstein years later, the disgraced financier joked that it was a ‘bold move’ for someone who had even visited him in jail on a child sex offense.
Outrageous! Popular Historic Voter Petition Candidate John Strand Gets Shut Out of Debate Stage in FL-19 Congressional Race
June 26, 2026
With a crowded Republican primary underway in Florida’s 19th Congressional District, one popular ballot-qualified candidate says he’s being denied the opportunity to make his case directly to Republican voters.
John Strand, a Republican candidate for Congress, is criticizing organizers of the Florida GOP State Convention debate after learning he will not appear on the debate stage despite qualifying for the ballot and running an active campaign.
According to the Florida Department of Elections, he became the first congressional candidate in the history of Florida’s 19th District to qualify for the ballot entirely through voter petitions, collecting nearly 4,000 signatures rather than relying on the traditional qualifying fee. The campaign argues that accomplishment demonstrates a level of grassroots support deserving of a place in any debate featuring candidates seeking the Republican nomination.
The exclusion comes as the race remains fluid, with multiple candidates competing in a wide-open primary and a significant share of Republican voters still undecided, according to the campaign.
Strand’s supporters argue that debates are intended to help voters evaluate candidates—not narrow their choices before ballots are cast.
The campaign also points to a growing list of endorsements from prominent conservative figures and organizations, including Turning Point USA, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, former Congressman Bob McEwen, Freedom Caucus members, and Southwest Florida businessman Alfie Oakes. Those endorsements, combined with what the campaign says is more than $120,000 raised, are being cited as evidence that Strand has built a credible campaign with meaningful grassroots backing.
The controversy has also reignited discussion about the role political parties should play in deciding who gets a platform during contested primaries.
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk has previously praised Strand’s commitment to constitutional principles and individual liberty, reflecting a broader view among many conservatives that Strand’s political activism has come at considerable personal cost. The campaign frequently points to Strand’s legal battles stemming from his involvement in the events of January 6 as evidence that he has firsthand experience with what it describes as the federal government’s aggressive use of prosecutorial power against political dissidents.
Whether voters agree with that characterization or not, Strand’s supporters argue that those experiences have shaped his focus on civil liberties, constitutional protections, and limiting government power—issues that have become central themes of his campaign.
The debate dispute also raises a broader question that extends beyond one congressional race. If a candidate has qualified for the ballot, assembled a volunteer network, secured endorsements from nationally recognized conservative leaders, and demonstrated measurable grassroots support, should party officials decide that candidate is unworthy of appearing before Republican voters?
Debates have traditionally served as forums where candidates earn support through ideas, performance, and persuasion. Excluding ballot-qualified candidates inevitably shifts that decision away from voters and toward organizers.
With the Republican primary still taking shape and many voters yet to make a decision, Strand’s campaign says it hopes the Florida GOP will reconsider and allow every qualified Republican candidate an opportunity to make his case before the electorate.
Whether party officials revisit the decision remains to be seen, but the controversy has already generated questions about transparency, fairness, and whether grassroots candidates are being given the same opportunity to compete as better-funded or better-connected rivals.
JUST IN: US Strikes Iran in Response to Attack on Commercial Vessel in Strait of Hormuz
June 26, 2026
The US military on Friday struck Iran in response to an attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
On Thursday, Iranian drones attacked a Singapore-flagged cargo ship exiting the Strait of Hormuz amid a ‘ceasefire agreement.’
Earlier Friday, President Trump said Iran’s attack was a “foolish violation of our ceasefire agreement.”
“The Islamic Republic of Iran shot at least four One Way Attack Drones at Ships transversing the Strait of Hormuz. One of the Drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive Cargo Carrying Ship. Damage was done, but the Ship was able to proceed on its way. We knocked down three other Drones. Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement,” Trump said.
Later Friday, the US military conducted strike against Iranian missile and drone storage locations.
Per CENTCOM:
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted strikes against Iran, June 26, as a powerful response to yesterday’s attack on a commercial ship that was transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites after Iran hit M/V Ever Lovely on June 25 with a one-way attack drone. The Singapore-flagged cargo ship was exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast at the time of Iran’s attack.
The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire. Furthermore, Iran’s dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor.
CENTCOM forces continue to provide safe passage coordination and support to commercial vessels transiting the strait. The U.S. military remains present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect.
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BREAKING UPDATE: The US military strikes on Iran are ONGOING after Iran launched attack drones at cargo ships in the Strait, per Fox