by Staff Reporter | Feb 24, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The federal government is out millions following a years-long fraud scheme by a gay Tucson couple.
Richard Stefon Ramroop, an Air Force staff sergeant, and his spouse, Manuel George Madrid, face accusations that they stole and resold medical devices using government funds for approximately four years, from Jan. 2022 through Dec. 2025.
Ramroop, 35, allegedly obtained the medical devices through his employment as a supervisor responsible for ordering medical supplies and prescription items at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base pharmacy. The complaint alleged that Ramroop would order medical devices through the Air Force’s Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support system, then steal them and hand them off to Madrid, 32, who would then allegedly resell the items.
Among the illegal orders placed were 3,200 of the Dexcom G6 Sensor 3S blood sugar monitors, used primarily by diabetics. These thousands of monitors were purchased using government funds from January through December 2025.
Evidence associated with these illegal purchases were included in the formal complaint filed with the Arizona District Court last month, USA v. Ramroop et al.
The complaint also included a summary of an interview from Madrid’s mother, Sylvia Leeth, who said she witnessed Ramroop and Madrid taking government-sourced medical equipment out of boxes and repackaging them for shipping. Leeth admitted to helping the couple out with their repackaging on several occasions, and received a Porsche vehicle as a gift along with “other luxury items” for her assistance.
According to the federal indictment, Ramroop and Madrid coordinated an operation that netted the couple over $11 million in proceeds through wire transfers, Automated Clearing House deposits, and other credits from companies in the business of reselling medical devices, which included OTC Warehouse LLC, Keystone Medical Wholesale Inc., Teststripz LLC, Webuyteststrips, and Morningside Cons.
The indictment noted that nearly 90 percent of both of their incomes came from medical reseller deposits.
The government stated that it lost over $3 million from the diverted supplies.
Ramroop and Madrid purchased luxury real estate and vehicles through the millions they earned.
Their purchases included a million-dollar home in Feb. 2024, a 2024 Porsche Cayenne Sport Utility Vehicle for over $141,000, a 2024 BMW i7 Sport Utility Vehicle for over $195,000, a 2025 Mini Cooper Hardtop for about $51,000, a 2025 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon for about $121,000, and a 2025 Ford Raptor for over $128,000. The indictment omitted disclosure of the other luxury purchases made by the couple.
U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said in a press release that his team would prosecute Ramroop and Madrid for diverting critical funds for military readiness.
“The defendants allegedly stole millions in taxpayer dollars from the U.S. Department of War to bankroll a lavish lifestyle, diverting critical resources away from their intended purpose,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Every dollar taken through fraud is a dollar denied to the mission it was meant to support.”
Ramroop and Madrid face charges of conspiracy to commit theft of government property (one count), conspiracy to commit wire fraud (one count), wire fraud (four counts), and money laundering (six counts).
The first charge carries a maximum penalty of up to five years imprisonment. The wire fraud charges each carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment. The money laundering charges each carry a maximum penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment.
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by Matthew Holloway | Dec 23, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Members of the 11th Air Task Force (ATF) returned home to Arizona on Dec. 17, 2025, concluding the unit’s first deployment in support of operations and integration efforts in the Indo-Pacific region, just in time for Christmas.
Christmas came early for families, friends, and members of the 355th Wing as Airmen arrived at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base after a nearly six-month deployment to the Pacific, including missions in Saipan, the Republic of Korea, and Guam, according to the U.S. Air Force.
The 11th ATF was the first U.S. Air Force (USAF) task force activated and deployed under a broader effort to create more agile, mission-ready Air Task Force units as part of force modernization and operational flexibility. Airmen from multiple bases comprised the task force, though those assigned to Davis-Monthan were among the last to return home.
Upon arrival in Arizona, Davis-Monthan leadership, base support personnel, fellow Airmen, family members, and friends greeted the returning service members. During the welcome home events, Airmen reunited with loved ones and were recognized for successfully completing the extended deployment.
Col. Brett Cassidy, commander of the 11th ATF, said the deployment challenged Airmen to embrace mission-ready concepts and demonstrated the unit’s capability to adapt and succeed amid dynamic mission requirements. The task force’s early return also allowed many Airmen to spend the holiday season with their families.
“The 11th ATF team performed exceptionally throughout this entire deployment,” Cassidy said in the USAF release.
“Our mission changed while we were out here, and that’s actually a good thing, because it allowed us to demonstrate our ability to adjust on the fly. That’s not typically something we get to see on deployment. It was phenomenal watching the Airmen adjust as the mission changed to achieve success. The biggest lesson from this time was that if you set up the team with the proper authorities and capabilities, and you let them train as a team so they come together and understand one another, they’re incredibly capable of getting after dynamic missions. We saw that out here, and it was a huge success for the Air Force.”
Established in July 2024 as one of six task forces across the Air Force, the 11th ATF was activated to provide rapidly deployable, integrated forces capable of contingency response and mission generation. Its inaugural deployment was billed as a milestone in testing the task force model, which emphasizes cohesive unit training and operational employment.
The return of the 11th Air Task Force highlights the evolving structure of U.S. Air Force deployments. It underscores Davis-Monthan AFB’s role as a key hub in Arizona for agile force generation and global operations.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Daniel Stefanski | Sep 28, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A Republican state House member is calling on the U.S. military to increase its fire safety standards for Arizona communities.
Earlier this week, Arizona State Representative David Cook submitted his comments for the U.S. Air Force’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), asking the military branch “to ensure the use of flares is prohibited on days where local, state, and federal agencies have put fire restrictions in place.”
Cook said, “While Arizona is an important state for conducting strategic military training operations, the Air Force needs to take every precaution to protect people and land from preventable disasters, including wildland fires. Releasing flares during times when fire restrictions are in place poses an unnecessary risk to residents. The military must recognize the danger these flares pose to Arizona communities and ensure that no flares are deployed on days when state or local fire restrictions are active.”
In his comments, Cook wrote that, “Although the Draft EIS states that the possibility of wildfires ‘would be remote considering the release altitude under the Proposed Action,’ history has shown that flares have been tied to wildfire occurrences, including the 2021 Telegraph fire, which burned over 180,000 acres and for nearly a month. While ‘the DAF believes it is unlikely that the fire was caused by flares,’ the cause of the Telegraph fire has not been fully resolved, and the Draft EIS does not rule out the possibility that flares were responsible for the fire.”
Cook added, “I believe the best way to reduce the risk of fire caused by flares is to implement a dual approach that includes both minimum altitude restrictions and operational constraints that correlate with local, state, and federal fire restrictions. Accordingly, I respectfully request the DAF update its Final EIS and Proposed Action to prohibit the use of flares on days where local, state, or federal agencies have put fire restrictions in place.”
Members of the public may submit their own comments in support or opposition to the proposal up until October 9.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Mar 25, 2024 | Economy, News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
The U.S. Air Force has plans that are expected to further devastate Tucson’s economy.
The Air Force plans to divest the entire fleet of A-10 aircraft within the next three to five years. Pilots and maintainers at Davis-Monthan will move onto the extraordinarily expensive F-35 aircraft due to the divestment, the Arizona Daily Independent reported.
The Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, where the A-10 “Warthog” ground-attack jets are stationed, hosts more than 10,000 airmen and civilian employees and contributes nearly $1 billion to the Tucson-area economy annually.
Fans of the A-10 will have one of their last opportunities to see the Warthog up close at the Luke Days 2024 airshow March 23-24.
The Air Force announced that after nearly 50 years at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the 355th Wing had begun divesting its fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft in February of this year.
Some say the Air Force has sought divestment of the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft for years because it is an economical and effective aircraft and does not benefit defense contractors.
Arizona representatives sought to save the aircraft in May 2021 after a Biden administration budget plan called for the retirement of the Warthogs. Six Arizona Democrats — Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, and Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick, Ruben Gallego, Tom O’Halleran and Greg Stanton — and Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko vowed to oppose the A-10 retirement plans. They cited its unique role in close air support of ground troops and lack of any near-term replacement for that mission.
“Removing A-10s from the fleet when there is not another aircraft capable of performing this mission takes a vital tool away from our military and is the wrong step for our national security,” said Kelly, a former Navy combat pilot who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The A-10C Demonstration Team has performed for more than 40 years with dozens of pilots and teams at hundreds of air shows across multiple countries.
Pima County Board of Supervisors candidate John Backer served as an A-10 electrician in the 1980s.
“Having been blessed with first-hand experience of working on the airplane, I understand completely what a unique air frame the A-10 remains to this day,” he said. “Through the years, countless Marines and Army soldiers have shared their love, respect, and gratitude for the A-10 – a majority feel the A-10 directly saved their lives.”
Though the base is reportedly bringing in additional missions, Backer said the Warthogs will be hard to replace due to their Close Air Support capabilities and financial impact for Pima County.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
by Corinne Murdock | Jul 16, 2022 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
Despite dedicating nearly two decades of his life to the military, one Phoenix man learned Wednesday that he may not receive the military benefits he’s earned, due to the COVID-19 vaccine and a Fox News interview. The fate of the man, an Air Force Master Sergeant named Nick Kupper, and thousands of other military members rests in the court system through ongoing cases like Doster v. Kendall.
Of well over 2.1 million American troops (over 1.3 million active duty and over 795,000 reserves), over 113,700 troops (5 percent) aren’t vaccinated. Nearly 269,000 troops (over 12 percent) are partially vaccinated, and 1.7 million troops (82 percent) are fully vaccinated. Of those who are partially vaccinated, only about 20,000 were granted temporary or permanent exemptions. However, it appears that those were exemptions in name only due to multiple reports that the exemption recipients were already scheduled to end their service.
Kupper appeared on Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s show, “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” last Thursday. He shared that several legislators were intervening in cases like his, but not enough to stop a forced mass military exodus that he warned would be detrimental for national security.
“After 19 years they’re going to throw everything away that I’ve worked for,” said Kupper. “This is not a problem to be solved for tomorrow, or the next day — this is a problem right now. You’re talking about over 10 percent of your military is looking to be canned right now. I mean, if I were China or if I were Russia, I’d be chomping at the bit right now.”
WATCH KUPPER’S TUCKER CARLSON INTERVIEW HERE
Kupper shared on Wednesday that he received his separation package for not taking the COVID-19 vaccine as well as a Department of Defense (DOD) letter of reprimand for appearing on Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s show. Kupper disclosed that the DOD accused him of aiding our enemies through his interview.
Kupper was relying on the retirement medical benefits to mitigate costs for his daughter’s disabilities.
However, the DOD determinations in Kupper’s case may not be set in stone. On Thursday, Ohio Southern District Court Judge Matthew McFarland issued an injunction preventing the Air Force from punishing those who sought a religious exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine. That impacts around 10,000 service members nationwide.
McFarland was appointed in 2019 by former President Donald Trump under the bipartisan recommendation of Ohio Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
The Air Force will have until July 21 to contend McFarland’s ruling. If unsuccessful, then the injunction becomes permanent.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
