NewzIntel.com

Category: Crime

  • MIL-OSI Security: Physician Pleads Guilty to Medicare Fraud Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    A California physician pleaded guilty today in Los Angeles to criminal health care fraud, arising from her false home health certifications and related fraudulent billings to Medicare.

    According to court documents, Lilit Gagikovna Baltaian, 61, of Porter Ranch, was a physician licensed to practice in California and an enrolled Medicare provider. From approximately January 2012 through July 2018, Baltaian falsely certified patients to receive home health care from at least four Los Angeles area home health agencies. Baltaian’s false certifications were used by the home health agencies to fraudulently bill Medicare for the unnecessary home health care. In some instances, Baltaian pre-signed blank, undated physician certification forms knowing that the home health agencies would later falsify the forms to make it appear as if she saw the Medicare beneficiaries and made clinical findings to support the need for home health care, when she had not done either. Baltaian received cash benefits related to these referrals and also submitted claims to Medicare for signing the fraudulent certifications.

    Between January 2012 and July 2018, four home health agencies used Baltaian’s false certifications to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare, resulting in loss to Medicare of at least $1,449,050.

    Baltaian pleaded guilty to health care fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 3, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Timothy B. DeFrancesca of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG)’s Los Angeles Regional Office made the announcement.

    FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Matthew Belz and Eric Schmale of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Fernando Valley Man Sentenced to More Than One Year in Prison for Sending Emails in Which He Threatened to Bomb FBI’s Los Angeles Office

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison for sending threatening emails to the FBI, including ones in which he threatened to bomb the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and referenced the notorious “Unabomber.”

    Mark William Anten, 53, of Sun Valley, was sentenced by United States District Judge Wesley L. Hsu. 

    At the conclusion of a three-day trial, a jury on June 5 found Anten guilty of two counts of threats by interstate communication.

    “Federal agents deserve our appreciation for risking their lives to enforce the law and protect our community,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Threats against law enforcement are unacceptable and we will continue to stand with the FBI and the rest of our law enforcement partners against those who threaten them.”

    “Mr. Anten double-downed on his intimidation and credible death threats to FBI employees at their place of employment,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “There are civil, productive ways to disagree with the government if so inclined, but threats of violence is not one of them and – as evidenced by today’s sentencing – will only lead to prison.”

    From July 2023 to December 2023, Anten sent a series of increasingly threatening communications to the FBI, culminating in two threats to bomb the FBI field office in Westwood.

    The emails included repeated references to Theodore John Kaczynski, a.k.a. “The Unabomber,” whose 20-year bombing campaign killed three people and injured nearly two dozen more. Kaczynski was convicted of federal crimes, spent the bulk of his prison sentence in the Supermax federal prison in Colorado and died in a different federal prison last year.

    On November 20, 2023, two FBI task force officers interviewed Anten in front of his residence. During the interview, Anten admitted to sending the previous communications and the officers admonished him to stop contacting agents. Despite the admonition, Anten’s conduct escalated.

    On December 5, 2023, Anten sent to FBI agents an email in which he wrote, “I AM THE UNABOMBER” and “I WILL UNABOMB THE LOS ANGELES FBI HQ.” 

    The next day, Anten wrote to FBI agents, “I can go on a mass murder spree. In fact it would be very explainable by your actions.” He concluded the email with, “[y]ou ain’t getting away with this one,” and signed the email, “SuperMax or Death.”

    Anten also sent FBI agents an email, which attached a photograph depicting the results of an internet search for “how to make a dirty bomb.”

    Later that day, Anten visited the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and later emailed agents that he visited their building and would continue to do so. Surveillance footage confirmed Anten’s presence there.

    The FBI investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Clifford D. Mpare of the General Crimes Section and Kedar S. Bhatia of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CEO of Non-Profit That Provided Mentoring Services to Public School Students Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining COVID Benefits

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – A South Bay man who provided lifestyle and personal development coaching to students in public schools through a non-profit he founded pleaded guilty today to fraudulently applying for millions of dollars in COVID-19 jobless benefits, including by using stolen identities.

    Reginald Foster Jr., 38, of the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and bank fraud, and one count of use of unauthorized access devices.

    Foster admitted in court today that, from June 2020 to October 2020, he conspired with others to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), a law Congress passed in March 2020 to help individuals and businesses deal with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Foster exploited the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) provision of the CARES Act, which is designed to expand access to unemployment benefits to self-employed workers, independent contractors, and others who would not otherwise have been eligible because of the pandemic. The California Employment Development Department (EDD) administers the state’s unemployment insurance program, which included the PUA provision.

    Foster admitted that he and his co-conspirators filed fraudulent applications for benefits in the names of people who had not authorized him to do so, using the identity-theft victims’ personal identifying information without their permission. Foster included false information on the applications to ensure that EDD would approve the applications and send the debit cards through which the benefits were dispersed to a mailing address he used. In total, Foster and his co-conspirators submitted 118 fraudulent applications as part of the scheme.

    Foster used the debit cards to make transfers to his non-profit, Champs Up! LLC, which Foster has said provides guidance programs to middle school students in Los Angeles and Long Beach. Foster also used the cards to make multiple $1,000 withdrawals at ATMs. He then transferred the cards to co-conspirators, who used them to make further ATM withdrawals. Foster and his co-conspirators were able to withdraw almost $1.5 million of the benefits. EDD and Bank of America froze the remaining benefits as soon as the scheme was uncovered, preventing further losses of more than $4 million.

    United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi scheduled a March 24, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Foster will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count and up to 10 years in federal prison for the unauthorized access devices count.

    Foster remains free on $50,000 bond.

    Co-defendants Shelece Counts, 31, of the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles; and Isaiah Herbert Lawrence, 31, of Houston, Texas, have pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in this case and are scheduled to go to trial on January 21, 2025.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.       

    The United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the California Employment Development Department, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter. Substantial assistance was provided by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General; the United States Secret Service; the FBI; U.S. Customs and Border Protection Special Response Team; and the Los Angeles Unified School District Office of Inspector General.

    Assistant United States Attorney Ranee A. Katzenstein of the Criminal Appeals Section is prosecuting this 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. More information on the Justice Department’s response to the pandemic may be found here.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF online complaint form.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ontario Man Arrested on Complaint Alleging He Exported Shipments of Firearms, Ammunition, and Other Military Items to North Korea

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he exported to North Korea shipments of firearms, ammunition and other military items that were concealed inside shipping containers bound from Long Beach.

    Shenghua Wen, 41, of Ontario, is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

    Wen – a Chinese national illegally residing in the United States – was arrested this morning and is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. His arraignment is expected to occur in the coming weeks.

    “It is essential that we protect our country from hostile foreign states that have adverse interests to our nation,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We have arrested a defendant who allegedly acted at the direction of the North Korean government by conspiring to illegally ship firearms, ammunition, and other military equipment to North Korea. I am grateful to our law enforcement partners for stopping this threat and their tireless commitment to the security of our nation.”

    “The significance of this arrest and discovery of this scheme cannot be overstated,” said FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis. “Not only did the investigative team prevent additional restricted items going to the North Korean regime, but they gathered valuable intelligence for the United States and our allies. I’m proud of the hard work that went into building the case against Wen by dedicated agents and our partners who specialize in cases that involve illegal exports to foreign adversaries who evade sanctions and utilize weapons and technology for nefarious purposes.”

    According to an affidavit filed on November 26 with the complaint, Wen obtained firearms, ammunition, and export-controlled technology with the intention of shipping them to North Korea – a violation of federal law and United States sanctions against that nation. Wen and his co-conspirators allegedly exported shipments of firearms and ammunition to North Korea by concealing the items inside shipping containers that were shipped from Long Beach through Hong Kong to North Korea.

    On August 14, law enforcement seized at Wen’s home two devices that he intended to send to North Korea for military use: a chemical threat identification device and a hand-held broadband receiver that detects eavesdropping devices. On September 6, law enforcement seized approximately 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that Wen allegedly obtained to send to North Korea.

    A review of Wen’s iPhone revealed to law enforcement that in December 2023, Wen smuggled items from Long Beach to Hong Kong with their destination being North Korea. Messages retrieved from Wen’s cellphones revealed discussions he had earlier this year with co-conspirators about shipping military-grade equipment to North Korea. Some of these messages include photographs that Wen sent of items controlled for export under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. From January 2024 to April 2024, Wen sent emails and text messages to a U.S.-based broker about obtaining a civilian plane engine. There also were several text messages on Wen’s iPhone concerning price negotiation for the plane and its engine.

    Wen is a Chinese national who is illegally in the United States after overstaying his student visa and is therefore prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition. Wen lacks the required licenses from the U.S. government to export ammunition, firearms, and the other devices that law enforcement seized at his home to North Korea.

    “The results of today’s arrest and search warrants are a testament to HSI and our partner agencies commitment to national security and protecting our sensitive technology” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson. “It is a federal crime to illegally obtain and export certain US technologies by foreign countries and those who seek to circumvent the law will be thoroughly investigated.”

    “Mr. Wen’s arrest is a significant advancement in our collective efforts towards protecting our national security, safeguarding sensitive U.S. technologies and other export-controlled items, and ensuring accountability for the alleged bad actions,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office.       

    “The defendant’s alleged attempts to illicitly export firearms and military technology from the United States at the behest of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea constitute an alarming violation of sanctions and export control laws,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Dunlap of the Office of Export Enforcement, Los Angeles Field Office. “OEE is committed to working with our federal partners to identify and disrupt illegal export schemes that undermine regional stability and our national security interests at home and abroad.”   

    A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

    The FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; DCIS; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security are investigating this matter.  

    Assistant United States Attorney Sarah E. Gerdes of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the U.S. Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Fernando Valley Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Engineering $5.9 Million Ponzi Scheme Targeting Elderly Church Parishioners

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man has agreed to plead guilty to a federal felony charge for swindling clients – many of them elderly church parishioners – in a long-running Ponzi scheme that took in more than $5.9 million in victim investor money, the Justice Department announced today. 

    Sylvein William Maximilian D’Habsburg XVII, 48, a.k.a. “Sylvein Scalleone,” of West Hills, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud.

    D’Habsburg is expected to enter his guilty plea in the coming weeks in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

    According to his plea agreement filed today, from at least January 2018 to June 2023, D’Habsburg hired recruiters to identify potential investors for his two companies, Wild Rabbit Technologies LLC and BAI Intelligence LLC, targeting the local Filipino community, including elderly church parishioners.

    At investment presentations, D’Habsburg claimed that he had an artificial intelligence (AI) technology that could predict the future and detect a COVID-19 infection based solely on a video recording, among other things. D’Habsburg also falsely claimed to investors that he had received approximately $500 million in investments for his companies from retired pro athletes and other noteworthy people, such as Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Steve Wozniak, and that he would use the investment funds to hire personnel and obtain patents. 

    But D’Habsburg did not use the victims’ money to hire personnel or obtain patents. Instead, he used his victim investors’ money to purchase luxury cars, such as a 1933 Rolls Royce Phantom II Continental Sedanca de Ville by Barker, and rare antiques, such as a pair of Italian carved Giltwood Thrones from the 1800s. 

    As a result of his fraudulent scheme, D’Habsburg caused his victim investors a total of approximately $5.9 million in losses. 

    Once D’Habsburg enters his guilty plea, he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

    The FBI is investigating this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Jason C. Pang of the General Crimes Section and Alexander Su of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Carson Woman and South Los Angeles Man Found Guilty of Participating in Armed Robberies of Local Businesses Last Year

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – A Harbor-area woman and a South Los Angeles man were found guilty by a jury today of participating in armed robberies of businesses in which local businesses in Los Angeles County were targeted in August and September of last year.

    Diavion Deshawna Mouton, 23, of Carson, and Rodney Darrin Maxwell Evans, 23, of the Vermont Square neighborhood of Los Angeles, were each found guilty of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

    “Violent gun crime leaves emotional scars that last for years,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Through the Operation Safe Cities initiative, my office is partnering with local law enforcement to prosecute more and more cases that hold accountable those who choose to harm our communities.”

    According to evidence presented at a four-day trial, Evans participated in two armed robberies that occurred on August 14, 2023, respectively, at Rite Aid stores in Bellflower and in the Vermont Square neighborhood of South Los Angeles. During the robberies, multiple firearms were brandished, and store employees were forced to open the store safe. In total, Evans and his co-conspirators – ringleaders Makai Yusef Sanders, 23, and Kenyatta Kamar Jones, 23, both of Hawthorne – stole a total of $12,410 from the robberies.

    Mouton participated in two armed robberies on September 19, 2023, at a Walgreens store in Glendale and a Wingstop restaurant in Lynwood. She was the getaway driver for both robberies, in which Sanders and Jones brandished firearms and stole a total of $1,776 from the businesses.

    During the Walgreens robbery, Sanders and Jones robbed a customer who was at a register attempting to purchase some items, held the victim at gunpoint, and stole the victim’s iPhone. A store employee, a handgun pointed at her back, was ordered to the store’s safe with the barrel of the gun used to push her to get her to move faster. In fear for her life, the employee began walking to the back of the store where the safe was located. Once at the back of the store, the employee noticed the robber was distracted talking to the other robber. The employee then locked herself inside the store’s staffing office and called 911.

    In addition to the cash, Sanders and Jones stole four iPhones belonging to victims at the Walgreens store. The suspects then exited the store and drove away in a white Honda Civic, which law enforcement later discovered had been booked via a peer-to-peer carsharing company and was driven by Mouton.

    Using phone records and GPS data, law enforcement tracked the defendants down and arrested Sanders, Jones, and Mouton on September 26, 2023. At the time of their arrests, Jones and Sanders possessed handguns consistent with the firearms used in the Walgreens robbery. Law enforcement also found clothing – including the black mask with a red logo – consistent with what one of the suspects wore during that robbery.

    United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner scheduled a March 31, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Evans and Mouton will face a mandatory minimum sentence of fourteen years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

    Sanders and Jones pleaded guilty on November 26 to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. In their plea agreements, Sanders and Jones admitted to committing 12 armed robberies of local businesses – mostly chain-store pharmacies – in August and September of 2023. Both defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment at their sentencing hearings, which are scheduled for March 17, 2025.

    Sanders and Jones have agreed to be sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.

    Co-defendant Adrian Timothy Bedran, 24, of Rosemead, pleaded guilty on September 9 to one count of Hobbs Act robbery. He is free on $50,000 bond and awaits sentencing on January 13, 2025. 

    Co-defendants DeAngel Daryl Alvarez, 24, a.k.a. “Macc,” of the Athens area of South Los Angeles, is believed to be a fugitive, and Kevin Antwon Gadley, 20, a.k.a. “One Shot,” of San Fernando, is in state custody on unrelated charges.

    Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments.

    The FBI; the Glendale Police Department; the Los Angeles Police Department; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the Inglewood Police Department; the Long Beach Police Department; the Pasadena Police Department; the Monterey Park Police Department; the Whittier Police Department; and the Burbank Police Department investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Juan M. Rodriguez of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Commerce City Manager and Former Baldwin Park City Attorney Bribery Guilty Pleas and Plea Agreements Unsealed

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – Two former top city officials in Commerce and Baldwin Park have pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme involving bribes in exchange for a corrupt Baldwin Park politician’s votes and influence over his city’s cannabis permitting process, the Justice Department announced today. 

    Edgar Pascual Cisneros, 42, of Montebello, who served as Commerce’s city manager from November 2017 to December 2023, pleaded guilty on November 6, 2023, to federal bribery. Robert Manuel Nacionales Tafoya, 62, of Redondo Beach, who served as Baldwin Park’s city attorney from December 2013 to October 2022, pleaded guilty on December 5, 2023, to federal bribery and tax evasion charges.

    Federal prosecutors today unsealed the criminal charges and plea agreements, in which both Cisneros and Tafoya agreed to cooperate in ongoing public corruption investigations. 

    According to the plea agreements, shortly after Baldwin Park began issuing marijuana permits in June 2017, then-Baldwin Park City Councilmember Ricardo Pacheco solicited bribes from companies seeking those permits. Cisneros helped a company obtain a marijuana permit and related approvals through approximately $45,000 in bribes and that the company promised to pay Cisneros at least $235,000 to help secure the permit. Tafoya facilitated a bribery scheme involving former Compton City Councilmember Isaac Galvan, in which Galvan sought to obtain a marijuana permit for his consulting client also through bribes to Pacheco. Tafoya further admitted to evading payment of approximately $650,000 in federal tax liability.

    Pacheco pleaded guilty in June 2020 to a federal bribery charge unrelated to the marijuana-permit scheme. Pacheco further admitted to orchestrating bribery schemes involving Tafoya and Gabriel Chavez, a former San Bernardino County planning commissioner who pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge in November 2022. Pacheco’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 2025. Chavez’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 2025.

    In September 2023, Galvan and his consulting client, Yichang Bai, were arrested on a federal grand jury indictment alleging they paid $70,000 in bribes to Pacheco in exchange for his vote and support for marijuana permits for Bai’s company, W&F International Corp. Both men have pleaded not guilty. Their trial is scheduled for June 10, 2025.

    An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating these matters.     

    Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas F. Rybarczyk, Michael J. Morse, and Lindsey Greer Dotson of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting these cases.

    Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s tip line at tips.fbi.gov or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Orange County Resident Linked to White Supremacy Group Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Rioting at Political Rallies

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – A former resident of Huntington Beach who has been linked to a white supremacy extremist group was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for planning and engaging in riots at political rallies across California.

    Robert Paul Rundo, 34, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton. 

    Rundo pleaded guilty on September 13 to one count of conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Riot Act.

    “This defendant sought to further his white-supremacist ideology by plotting riots and engaging in violence at political rallies,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Hate and violence are antithetical to American values and tear at our community. It is therefore critical that we protect the civil and constitutional rights of our community against those who promote divisiveness.”

    “After a lengthy investigation, during which the defendant became an international fugitive, Mr. Rundo has now been held accountable for his criminal activity which was motivated by his extremist dogma,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Mr. Rundo’s movement did not ‘rise above’ whatever differences Americans may have, but was divisive, harmful to others and ultimately led him to prison. The FBI will continue to pursue those whose ideology leads to violence and lawlessness.”

    From March 2017 to May 2018, Rundo and others participated in an organization that ultimately was rebranded as the “Rise Above Movement” (RAM). RAM representing itself as a fighting group of a new nationalist and white supremacy identity movement. As part of their membership in RAM, Rundo and others attended rallies with the intent to provoke and engage in violence.

    To prepare for violent physical conflicts, Rundo and others held hand-to-hand and other fighting training sessions, which they organized through telephone calls, social media, and text messages. Rundo organized and attended several such training sessions in 2017. On various social media platforms, Rundo and others posted messages and photographs of themselves preparing for or engaging in violence, accompanied by statements such as “#rightwingdeathsquad.”

    In March 2017, Rundo and other RAM members held a training in San Clemente to prepare to engage in violence at political events, including a rally on March 25, 2017, in Huntington Beach. At the Huntington Beach rally, Rundo and other RAM members pursued and assaulted other persons, including one protestor whom Rundo tackled and punched multiple times. Following the event, Rundo and his co-conspirators posted online photographs and videos celebrating the assaults they had committed.

    Rundo also helped organize training for RAM members in anticipation of a rally scheduled to occur on April 15, 2017, in Berkeley. At the Berkeley rally, there were several violent clashes throughout the day. In one such instance, Rundo and several of his co-conspirators crossed a police barrier erected to separate opposing groups. They then punched and kicked several people. Following the event, Rundo and his co-conspirators again posted online photographs and videos celebrating the assaults they had committed.

    On June 10, 2017, Rundo and others attended a rally in San Bernardino, at which they confronted and pursued protesters.

    In the months following these events, Rundo and his co-conspirators continued to publicly celebrate their assaults, including through online posts with photos and videos of RAM members assaulting people.

    Two other defendants have been charged in this case:

    • Robert Boman, 31, of Torrance, who has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Riot Act and one count of rioting, and has a trial date of February 18, 2025, scheduled; and
    • Tyler Laube, 28, of Redondo Beach, who pleaded guilty in October 2023 to one count of interfering with a federally protected right and later was fined $2,000 and sentenced to time already served in custody.

    The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated this case.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Kathrynne N. Seiden and Anna P. Boylan of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Yuba County Man Sentenced to Two Years and 11 Months in Prison for Submitting False Claims Against the United States in Relation to a COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jason Toland, 44, of Wheatland, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to two years and 11 months in prison for submitting false claims against the United States related to COVID-19 pandemic tax credits, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Toland was also ordered to pay $2,078,462 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

    According to court documents, Toland attempted to obtain more than $13.4 million in COVID‑19 pandemic relief funds by filing multiple false tax returns with the IRS seeking refunds for the Employee Retention Credit and the COVID Sick and Family Leave Credit. Toland used shell companies that had no real employees and no actual business activity to seek more than $11 million in such tax refunds to which he was not entitled. In addition, between 2020 and 2023, Toland used the shell companies to fraudulently obtain a total of more than $1.7 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds. All these tax credits and programs were intended to alleviate the economic harm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on real businesses with real employees and operating expenses.

    Of the more than $13.4 million that he sought through false tax returns and fraudulent loan applications, Toland successfully obtained more than $1.95 million. All the funds Toland received went to his own personal enrichment.

    “The COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force continues to pursue pandemic fraud, including the abuse of tax credits for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “Today’s sentence demonstrates that false claims targeting credits meant for real businesses suffering real consequences of the pandemic will be identified and prosecuted.”

    “Mr. Toland’s fraudulent and nefarious scheming took aim at funds designated to help both small businesses and American citizens in the midst of a global pandemic,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Oakland Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley. “IRS-CI does not and will not sit idly by while financial criminals seek to exploit the American tax system. We are the experts in financial investigations, and we build cases that result in justice.”

    This case was the product of an investigation by IRS-Criminal Investigation in collaboration with the IRS’s Nationally Coordinated Investigation Unit with assistance from the SBA Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow prosecuted the case.

    This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Sacramento Men Plead Guilty to Fentanyl Pill Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Jose Guadalupe Lopez-Zamora, 30; Joaquin Alberto Sotelo Valdez, 27; and Jose Luis Aguilar Saucedo, 28, all of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to fentanyl trafficking and related crimes, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

    According to court documents, Lopez-Zamora was the leader of a Sacramento-based drug trafficking organization. From at least May 2019 until January 2021, the organization was responsible for importing tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone “M-30” pills from Mexico and distributing them in northern California and elsewhere. The group also distributed cocaine and methamphetamine. Sotelo Valdez was fentanyl pill distributor for the organization. Aguilar Saucedo sold hundreds of fentanyl pills on each of three separate occasions in March, April, and July 2020.

    Lopez-Zamora and Sotelo Valdez each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Lopez-Zamora also pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of conspiracy to launder money. Sotelo Valdez also pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Aguilar Saucedo pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of fentanyl.

    Eight other co-defendants have pleaded guilty, and seven have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from 27 months to over 10 years. Co-defendant Alejandro Tello is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, 2025.

    Charges are pending against the following defendants: Rosario Zamora Rojo, Luis Lopez Zamora, Leonardo Flores Beltran, Erika Gabriela Zamora Rojo, and Sandro Escobedo. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Yuba-Sutter Narcotic and Gang Enforcement Task Force (NET 5), the California Highway Patrol, the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF), the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the Manteca Police Department, the Yuba City Police Department, and the West Sacramento Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Mexican authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Luis Lopez Zamora to the United States from Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.

    Lopez-Zamora, Sotelo Valdez, and Aguilar Saucedo are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on March 10, 2025. Lopez-Zamora and Sotelo Valdez face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. Aguilar Saucedo faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETF, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tulare Man Sentenced to Over Five Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    Aaron Iribe, 35, of Tulare, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to five years and 10 months in prison and for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

    According to court documents, on July 27, 2020, Iribe coordinated the delivery of 16 pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover officer. The methamphetamine was seized from a vehicle driven by Iribe’s co-defendant, Daniel Lopez. The undercover officer arranged to purchase 20 pounds of methamphetamine for $80,000 from Iribe’s Mexico-based co-conspirator.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT). Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.

    Co-defendant Daniel Lopez pleaded guilty on Aug. 8, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 19, 2024.

    This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Madera Pharmacist Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Illegally Trafficking Hundreds of Thousands of Opiate Pills

    Source: US FBI

    FRESNO, Calif. — Ifeanyi Vincent Ntukogu, 49, of Fresno, was sentenced today to seven years and three months in prison for illegally distributing oxycodone and hydrocodone, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

    Ntukogu was a pharmacist in Madera who dispensed more than 450,000 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills based on fraudulent prescriptions, all in exchange for cash.

    “This defendant displayed a blatant disregard for public safety and the law,” U.S. Attorney Talbert said. “It took the effort of agents, investigators, undercover officers, and medical professionals to bring an end to this illicit prescription-writing racket. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue our pursuit of those who fuel the opioid epidemic for their own personal benefit.”

    “As a licensed pharmacist, Mr. Ntukogu was trusted to dispense medications safely, supporting positive health outcomes. He intentionally exploited his trusted role, dispensing hundreds of thousands of fraudulently prescribed oxycodone and hydrocodone pills, knowing his greed-fueled actions would put opioids in the hands of drug dealers and could cause grave harm to the public. Working closely with our state and federal law enforcement partners, we dismantled this operation and held those who chose profit over public safety accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel, who leads the FBI Sacramento field office.

    “Ntukogo thought he could outsmart the system by rejecting red flag prescriptions all while conducting drug deals on the side for cash. His illicit scheme led to the distribution of nearly half a million highly addictive opioids in Tennessee, Texas and beyond; fueling the fire of prescription drug misuse and endangering American lives,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. “This lengthy sentence underscores the serious consequences for medical practitioners who place profits above people. DEA will continue to work with our counterparts to investigate, arrest and prosecute individuals who abuse their positions and threaten public safety.”

    According to court records, from December 2014 through November 2018, Ntukogu dispensed more than 450,000 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills based on fraudulent prescriptions delivered to him by his co-conspirators and co-defendants in the case, Kelo White and Donald Pierre. The prescriptions were from more than 10 different physicians whose signatures were forged.

    Ntukogu reviewed each prescription and rejected the ones that he believed regulators may deem suspicious. For example, he rejected prescriptions that were supposedly written by certain doctors or that were written for individuals who were having prescriptions filled at other pharmacies because he believed those prescriptions may raise red flags.

    Ntukogu dispensed the pills through his New Life Pharmacy in Madera. Upon doing so, he required cash payments from White and Pierre and increased the price that he charged over time. White and Pierre then illegally sold the pills in Tennessee, Texas, and elsewhere.

    Ntukogu received hundreds of thousands of dollars for his participation in the scheme. His sentence was also enhanced because he used his special skills as a pharmacist to help commit the crime.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the California Department of Health Care Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antonio Pataca and Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.

    The case was investigated under the DOJ’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETF, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

    This case was also part of the DOJ’s Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), which is a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers.

    White is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 24, 2025. He faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

    Pierre, the remaining defendant in the case, was previously convicted and sentenced to nine years and four months in prison.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Sacramento Offers 25 Tips to Defend Against Cyber Crime This Holiday Season

    Source: US FBI

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Sacramento Field Office is providing 25 tips to help residents of Northern and Central California stay safe while navigating the online environment this holiday season. The internet conveniently puts the world at our fingertips, but that connectivity can leave us vulnerable to cybercriminals who develop schemes to steal our money.

    “Every person should be aware of how cybercriminals are targeting the American public and have a good defensive plan to stay safe while online,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “Our goal is to empower the public to thwart cybercriminals’ attempts but we also encourage the public to get more information and report cybercrime to ic3.gov.”

    In 2023, The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 880,418 complaints, with potential losses exceeding $12.5 billion. This is a nearly 10% increase in complaints received and represents a 22% increase in losses as compared to 2022.

    Awareness and prevention are essential for a good defense against cybercriminals. To keep your holidays happy, the following 25 tips will help you and your family defend against cyber criminals:

    1) There is no substitute for password security. Use unique, complex passwords for each account – using a password management tool, when possible – and secure accounts with multi-factor authentication, when available.

    2) If you receive a device with a factory-set password for the holidays, reset the password with a unique, complex password.

    3) Never store your credit card info online. The convenience is not worth potential compromise of your account.

    4) Scrutinize all URL addresses and email addresses. Criminals often use addresses that are close to legitimate accounts to confuse potential victims.

    5) Ignore unsolicited emails, texts, and calls. Criminals spam multiple accounts and numbers in the hope of hooking victims. When in doubt, contact the known, legitimate creditor, business, bank, or shipper using the numbers on your statements or official websites. Do not call numbers offered during unsolicited communication.

    6) Never post travel plans or photos of tickets online. These posts offer information about your absence from your home and criminals can steal information from the bar codes of tickets. Post comments and photos when you get home.

    7) Cross-check charities prior to donating. To ensure your money serves people truly in need and not someone taking advantage of your goodwill, ensure the charity is a registered nonprofit organization.

    8) Be careful what you click. Clicks can initiate downloads of malware or send you to a false website.

    9) Be cautious about what you download. Some apps may provide a criminal with more access to your device than you may realize.

    10) Beware of too good to be true offers on hard-to-find goods on unfamiliar sites. These sites may be interested in your credit card information, not your business.

    11) Do not buy animals online from distant, unregistered breeders. Cross-check the breeder’s information with breeders’ associations to determine legitimacy. The animal you may think you are purchasing may not exist and may never be delivered.

    12) Never make a large purchase for delivery such as a vehicle sight-unseen on the internet. Criminals may make false claims about a vehicle that may not exist and its alleged delivery to steal your money.

    13) Beware of purchasing online vouchers, gift cards, and tickets through social media or third-party auction sites.

    14) When purchasing gift cards from a rack, carefully inspect the gift card to ensure it has not been tampered with in any way.

    15) Be cautious of work-from-home or secret shopper job offers. In some cases, criminals are using these offers to steal your personal information or trick you into making gift card or banking transactions.

    16) Beware of remote money management jobs that involve receiving and redistributing funds. You may be an unwitting participant in a criminal scheme, acting as a money mule.

    17) Completing a transaction with a gift card is like completing it with cash. It is untraceable, unsecured, and cannot be recovered. Beware of anyone who asks you to obtain gift cards to complete a transaction or pay a fee.

    18) When dating online, never send money to anyone you have not met in real life for any reason. Criminals often leverage dating sites to exploit well-meaning but vulnerable victims.

    19) Be cautious with cryptocurrency investment schemes, especially those requiring an application download promoted by someone you recently met.

    20) Beware of individuals who claim to be located overseas and need your assistance with sending or receiving money on their behalf.

    21) Ignore pop-up messages or unsolicited phone calls from individuals purporting to be law enforcement or tech support. Do not give anyone remote access to your computer.

    22) Locking your credit is free and can prevent someone from opening a credit account in your name without your knowledge.

    23) Always hang up on calls purporting to be law enforcement that involves any form of financial transaction. Law enforcement will not demand fines to be paid over the phone or for you to open accounts to transfer money into.

    24) Scrutinize social media posts before sharing them. Your post may legitimize a criminal’s fake charity or business post for your network.

    25) Always report suspected scams to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.

    The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) provides a portal for reporting cybercrime, offers public service announcements regarding current cybercrime concerns, and collects data regarding cybercrime. When the individual complaints are combined with other data, the FBI connects complaints, investigates reported crimes, tracks trends and threats, and, in some cases, even freezes stolen funds. The IC3 also shares reports of crime throughout its vast network of FBI field offices and law enforcement partners.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Charged in $1.49 Million Scam Involving Bitcoin ATM Deposits and Bulk Gold Purchases; Victim is Retiree who Lost Life Savings

    Source: US FBI

    NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 18, 2024

    SAN DIEGO – Xilin Sun made his first appearance in federal court today to face charges that he participated in a multinational fraud conspiracy that targeted a 70-year-old retiree from Carlsbad who was tricked into handing over $1.335 million. 

    According to the complaint, the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force learned of the fraud scheme after the victim reported to Carlsbad police that she was duped over a period of months by fraudsters posing as government, bank and tech-support employees. Specifically, she said she was using her computer when a pop-up window appeared, advising her to call for help because her computer had been hacked.

    When she made the call, she was transferred through a series of co-conspirators pretending to work in tech support who told her to download software on her computer. She was also told her personal identifying and bank account information were compromised and was subsequently referred to co-conspirators posing as employees from her financial institutions. The victim was then told she needed to “secure” her assets. At the direction of someone posing as a bank employee, she deposited approximately $55,700 into Bitcoin ATMs located in North County San Diego.

    The complaint further describes how once the scammers discovered the victim had substantial savings, they convinced her she could safeguard her funds by obtaining gold bars and sending them to the U.S. treasury, which would create a locker under her name. Over the course of two months, the victim sent approximately $1,335,000 via three separate wire transfers to a precious metal business located in San Marcos, California. Once each of the wire transfers were completed, the victim was instructed to pick up the purchased precious metals—consisting of mostly gold—and to package them. The victim was then directed to hand the package over to an individual under the false pretense that it was being “secured” for safekeeping. In reality, the victim was scammed out of her life savings. 

    According to the complaint, in February 2024, the scammers reached out to the victim yet again and instructed her to purchase $100,000 worth of additional gold. This time, however, the victim contacted the FBI, which set up a controlled delivery of a package made to look like it contained $100,000 in gold.   

    The complaint described how the victim met with one of the conspirators outside a bank in Carlsbad. After handing the package to the conspirator, task force agents followed the first conspirator, who traveled approximately two miles before handing the package to a second conspirator, later identified as defendant Xilin Sun. 

    Sun was stopped by the California Highway Patrol, the complaint said. In Sun’s vehicle, investigators located the fake gold package and the victim’s receipt. Agents also located additional evidence linking Sun to the victim, including photos of the fake gold the victim had sent to the conspirators over the phone, a copy of an invoice, and the receipt for the gold.

    “If you think you may have been scammed, report it immediately,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “These schemes are organized by sophisticated global networks with the ability to fool even the most savvy computer users. But if victims report quickly, we have a better chance of catching the scammers and retrieving stolen money.”

    “Thousands of people fall victim to elder fraud every year. Many do not report the fraud because they are embarrassed or afraid; however, the best course of action is to report scams as early as possible,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge John Kim. “The San Diego Elder Justice Task Force is dedicated to relentlessly pursuing criminals who prey on innocent individuals for personal gain.”

    This case was investigated by the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force and its member agencies, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Carlsbad Police Department, San Diego Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol.

    If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). You can also report fraud to any local law enforcement agency or on the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

    The FBI requests victims report:

    • The name of the person or company that contacted you.
    • Methods of communication used, including websites, emails, and telephone numbers.
    • Any bank account number(s) to which you wired funds and the recipient name(s).
    • The name and location of the metal dealer company and the account to which you wired funds, if you were instructed to buy precious metals.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mokhtari.

    DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 24MJ1502-BLM                               

    Xilin Sun                                                         Age: 35                                   Ontario, California

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349

    Criminal Forfeiture – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 981(a)(1)(C), 982(a)(2)(A), and Title 28, U.S.C., Section 2461(c)

    Maximum Penalties: Thirty years in prison; $1 million fine

    AGENCIES

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    San Diego Elder Justice Task Force

    Carlsbad Police Department

    California Highway Patrol

    San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
    San Diego Police Department

    *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: High-Ranking MS-13 Leader Arraigned on Terrorism Indictment

    Source: US FBI

    Defendant Directed MS-13’s Transnational Criminal Operations and Coordinated Criminal Activity in the United States

    Earlier today, Fredy Ivan Jandres-Parada, also known as “Lucky de Park View” and “Lacky de Park View,” a high-ranking leader of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, was arraigned at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York by United States Magistrate Judge Steven L. Tiscione.  Jandres-Parada and 13 other high-ranking MS-13 leaders were indicted in December 2020 on terrorism offenses relating to their direction of the transnational criminal organization’s criminal activities in the United States, El Salvador, Mexico and elsewhere over the past two decades.  Specifically, Jandres-Parada is charged with conspiracy to provide and conceal material support to terrorists, conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to finance terrorism and narco-terrorism conspiracy.  For more than three years, Jandres-Parada was a fugitive, but he was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) earlier this month and made an initial appearance in federal court in the Southern District of California, where he was ordered to be transferred in custody to the Eastern District of New York.

    Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY); Mehtab Syed, Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office; and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, HSI’s New York Field Office announced Jandres-Parada’s arrest and arraignment.

    “As alleged, Jandres-Parada, a high-ranking leader in MS-13, engaged in drug trafficking, public and private displays of violence, and terrorism — all in pursuit of power for the organization,” said United States Attorney Peace.   “This arrest is a monumental achievement for our Office and international partners, highlighting our dedication to dismantling MS-13 and their reign of terror wherever they hide.”

    Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division’s Safe Streets Gang Unit, and HSI’s National Gangs and Violent Crime Unit and New York Field Office for spearheading the MS-13 leadership investigations.  Additionally, he thanked the FBI Legal Attachés in Mexico City and San Salvador, FBI and HSI’s San Diego Field Offices, HSI Attaché Mexico City and Assistant Attaché Tijuana, USMS Legal Attaché in Mexico City and the United States Customs and Border Protection Officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry for the critical support provided in connection with the arrest, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the United States Marshals Service for the Southern District of California for coordinating the defendant’s initial appearance in San Diego.  Mr. Peace also thanked the numerous Department of Justice components that contributed to this indictment, including the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Executive Office.

    “The arrest of Jandres Parada demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to protecting the American public by proactively targeting MS-13’s highest ranking leaders in order to dismantle this transnational criminal organization, which is among the most violent in the world,” said Mehtab Syed, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.  “This collaborative effort among many agencies spanned coast to coast and led to this successful capture.”

    “Fredy Ivan Jandres-Parada, (a/k/a “Lucky”) has been a fugitive on HSI’s Most Wanted list since 2021.  As one of the founding members of the MS-13 street gang, Jandres-Parada is alleged to be responsible for ordering acts of violence against gang rivals, law enforcement, and civilians alike.  However, Jandres-Parada’s reign of violence came to an end when he was arrested in a joint operation by HSI and FBI,” said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo.  “With the apprehension of one of HSI’s most wanted, I commend HSI New York, our Long Island Division, and our law enforcement partners for their steadfast commitment and resolve to securing justice for the countless victims whom have been impacted by MS-13’s violence.”

    As set forth in the indictment and related court filings, Jandres-Parada and his co-defendants are part of MS-13’s command and control structure, consisting of the Ranfla Nacional, Ranfla en Las Calles, and Ranfla en Los Penales. They play significant leadership roles in the organization’s operations in El Salvador, Mexico, the United States, and throughout the world.  In total, 27 of the highest-ranking leaders of MS-13 have been charged in the Eastern District of New York in this indictment and the related indictment of United States v. Arevalo-Chavez, et al.

    As further alleged, in approximately 2002, Jandres-Parada, his co-defendants, and other MS-13 leaders began establishing a highly-organized, hierarchical command and control structure as a means to effectuate their decisions and enforce their orders, even while in prison.  They directed acts of violence and murder in El Salvador, the United States and elsewhere, established military-style training camps for MS-13 members and obtained military weapons such as rifles, handguns, grenades, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and rocket launchers.  Further, beginning in approximately 2012, Jandres-Parada and other members of the Ranfla Nacional negotiated with officials from the government of El Salvador (GOES) to obtain benefits and concessions from the government.  In order to extort those benefits and concessions, MS-13 engaged in public displays of violence to threaten and intimidate civilian populations, target GOES law enforcement and military officials, and manipulate the electoral process in El Salvador.

    Additionally, as alleged, the Ranfla Nacional directed the expansion of MS-13 activities around the world, including the United States and Mexico, where Jandres-Parada and other high-ranking leaders were sent to organize operations, make connections to obtain narcotics and firearms from Mexican drug cartels such as the Zetas, Gulf Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and Sinaloa Cartel, and engage in human trafficking and smuggling. The Ranfla Nacional also directed MS-13’s large membership in the United States to engage in criminal activities, such as drug trafficking and extortion to raise money to support MS-13’s terrorist activities in El Salvador and elsewhere.  Jandres-Parada, who previously resided in the Los Angeles area before being deported to El Salvador, played a key role coordinating communication and criminal activity between the Ranfla Nacional and MS-13 leaders in the United States, Mexico and elsewhere.

    Finally, the Ranfla Nacional and MS-13’s transnational leadership structure is alleged to have directed members in the United States to commit acts of violence to further its goals and implement rules enabling MS-13 to entrench itself in parts of the United States, including within the Eastern District of New York where, under the defendants’ leadership and rules, MS-13 has committed murders, attempted murders, assaults, kidnappings, drug trafficking, extortion of individuals and businesses, and obstruction of justice, and has sent dues and the proceeds of criminal activity by wire transfer to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador.  For example, this Office’s Long Island Criminal Division has prosecuted hundreds of MS-13 leaders, members and associates for carrying out more than 70 murders in the Eastern District of New York between 2009 and the present.

    One of Jandres-Parada’s co-defendants, Cesar Humberto Lopez-Larios, also known as “El Grenas de Stoners” and “Oso de Stoners,” and two related defendants from the Arevalo-Chavez indictment, Jorge Alexander De La Cruz, also known as “Cruger de Peatonales,” and Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, also known as “Veterano de Tribus,” remain at large.  Members of the public with information concerning their whereabouts are strongly encouraged to contact the FBI’s toll-free MS-13 tip line, 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or HSI’s tip line at (866) 347-2423 or https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.  Together, FBI and HSI have offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the fugitives. 

    These charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.  If convicted, Jandres-Parada faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

    This case was brought by Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was created to combat MS-13, led by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Durham of the EDNY, and comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of New York; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division.  Additionally, the FBI; HSI; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the USMS; the U.S. Bureau of Prisons; and the United States Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General have been essential law enforcement partners and spearheaded JTFV’s investigations.

    The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci, and Megan E. Farrell from the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division.

    Newly Arrested Defendant in U.S. Custody:

    FREDY IVAN JANDRES-PARADA (“Lucky de Park View” and “Lacky de Park View”)
    Age:  47

    Previously Arrested Defendant in U.S. Custody:

    ELMER CANALES-RIVERA (“Crook de Hollywood”)
    Age:  48

    Fugitive Defendants:

    CESAR HUMBERTO LOPEZ-LARIOS (“El Grenas de Stoners” and “Oso de Stoners”)
    Age:   45

    BORROMEO ENRIQUE HENRIQUEZ (“Diablito de Hollywood”)
    Age:  45

    EFRAIN CORTEZ (“Tigre de Park View” and “Viejo Tigre de Park View”)
    Age:  54

    RICARDO ALBERTO DIAZ (“Rata de Leewards” and “Mousey de Leewards”)
    Age:  51

    EDUARDO ERAZO-NOLASCO (“Colocho de Western” and “Mustage de Western”)
    Age:  51

    EDSON SACHARY EUFEMIA (“Speedy de Park View”)
    Age:  49

    JOSE FERNANDEZ FLORES-CUBAS (“Cola de Western”)
    Age:  49

    LEONEL ALEXANDER LEONARDO (“El Necio de San Cocos”)
    Age:  44

    JOSE LUIS MENDOZA-FIGUEROA (“Pavas de 7-11” and “Viejo Pavas de 7-11”)
    Age:  59

    HUGO ARMANDO QUINTEROS-MINEROS (“Flaco de Francis”)
    Age:  51

    SAUL ANTONIO TURCIOS (“Trece de Teclas”)
    Age:  45

    ARISTIDES DIONISIO UMANZOR (“Sirra de Teclas”)
    Age:  46

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 20-CR-577 (JMA)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defendant Charged with Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in Overdose Deaths of Two People

    Source: US FBI

    NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 25, 2024

    SAN DIEGO – Scott Anthony Sargent of San Diego appeared in federal court today to face charges that he distributed the fentanyl that resulted in the deaths of two victims in North Park in 2022. During the same incident, Sargent and another person also overdosed but survived.

    Sargent is also charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. At today’s hearing, Sargent was detained without bond.

    San Diego Police officers along with investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team responded to a 911 call just before 6 a.m. on November 10, 2022. When they arrived, four individuals were found lying on the floor of a bedroom. Two of the individuals, identified in court records by the initials Z.W. and M.L., were pronounced dead at the scene, while Sargent and another individual were treated with Narcan and transported to nearby hospitals where they recovered.

    Sargent allegedly brought and then distributed the fatal mix of fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl (a common fentanyl analogue) to a residence in North Park. Investigators linked Sargent to the overdoses through the fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl mixture found at the overdose location. The mixture was also found inside Sargent’s backpack and duffel bag recovered from the scene. A subsequent search by investigators of Sargent’s storage unit also turned up additional baggies containing the same combination of fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl.

    “Fentanyl kills indiscriminately,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Yet as was accomplished in this case investigators will leave no stone unturned in the effort to identify and charge distributors of this poison.”

    “Mr. Sargent’s alleged actions cost two people their lives,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Chrysanthis. “The San Diego DEA and its partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that sell, traffic, or provide fentanyl in our community.”

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Gordon and Sarah Goldwasser.

    Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team (formerly known as Team 10) led the investigation. This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the San Diego Police Department, and the California Department of Health Care Services to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. The Drug Enforcement Administration created the Overdose Response Team as a response to the increase in overdose deaths in San Diego County.

    DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 24-CR-807-RSH                                            

    Scott Anthony Sargent                                    Age: 63                                   San Diego, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death – Title 18, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C)

    Maximum penalty: Life in prison

    Mandatory minimum: Twenty years in prison

    Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine – Title 18, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1), and 846

    Maximum penalty: Life in prison

    Mandatory Minimum: Ten years in prison

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Drug Enforcement Administration

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    Homeland Security Investigations

    San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

    San Diego Police Department

    State of California Department of Health Care Services

    *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Transporting Two Girls for Prostitution

    Source: US FBI

    NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 24, 2024

    SAN DIEGO – Deonathan Abdul Gaston of Long Beach, California, was sentenced in federal court Monday to nine years in prison for transporting two girls, ages 15 and 16, to San Diego in August 2023 to engage in prostitution.

    One of the victims had been reported missing from Arizona prior to being transported by Gaston from Arizona to Los Angeles and then to San Diego to engage in prostitution. Gaston had known one of the victims since she was 14.

    The victims were rescued by the National City Police Department on August 13, 2023, when officers conducted a traffic stop on the defendant in a high-crime area known for prostitution. He had no driver’s license on him and was not going to be allowed to drive the car. He called his “girlfriend” to come pick up the car from the traffic stop; the girl turned out to be the missing Arizona teen. Officers then responded to the hotel where the girl said they were staying and found the other victim. The case was turned over to the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force.

    “Selling children for sex is a reprehensible crime that impacts victims for a lifetime,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “We can all play a part in protecting the vulnerable by paying close attention to warning signs and reporting concerns. Our children are not necessarily being grabbed from the street. They are being groomed and recruited online.” Please see https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/human-trafficking/recognizing-signs

    If you are living or working under threat of violence or extortion, or you suspect someone else may be, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center toll free, 24/7 Hotline: CALL: (888) 373-7888 or TEXT BeFree or 233733.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lyndzie M. Carter and Derek Ko.

    DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 23-cr-1944-AGS                  

    Deonathan Abdul Gaston                                           Age: 26                                   Long Beach, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Transportation for Purpose of Prostitution – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2421(a)

    Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    National City Police Department

    San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

    Homeland Security Investigations

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brothers Plead Guilty to Hostage-Taking of Unauthorized Immigrants

    Source: US FBI

    NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 23, 2024

    SAN DIEGO – Virves Pablo-Francisco, a citizen of Guatemala, pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he and his younger brother, Nicolas Pablo-Francisco, kidnapped three unauthorized immigrants, including a boy from Afghanistan and a father and son from Ecuador, and held them for thousands of dollars in ransom in June 2023. Nicolas Pablo-Francisco pleaded guilty to similar charges in February.

    In his plea agreement, Virves Pablo-Francisco admitted that on June 13, 2023, he, his brother and others abducted a 16-year-old boy from Afghanistan and held him hostage in a residence in Escondido along with two other foreign nationals—the father and son from Ecuador who were kidnapped the day before. The defendants demanded ransom payments ranging from $4,000 to $10,000 per person for their release.

    Additionally, Virves Pablo-Francisco admitted that he provided the Ecuadorian father and son no food and told them they were required to pay extra if they wanted to eat.

    Nicolas Pablo-Francisco, who pleaded guilty in February, admitted holding the boy hostage and demanding ransom from his family.  He also admitted assisting his older brother Virves in the continued detention of the Ecuadorian father and son pending payment of a ransom by their family.

    Federal authorities first learned of the abductions late in the day on June 13, 2023, when the Pablo-Francisco brothers contacted the 16-year-old’s family member in the United States, claiming to have the boy and demanding $4,000 for his release. The family member reported the contact to law enforcement, which led to an overnight, multi-agency effort to locate the boy and identify his kidnappers.

    By morning, agents with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force – with support from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the San Diego Police Department and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office – had identified a residence in Escondido where they suspected the boy was being held. With assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI agents obtained and executed a federal search warrant for the residence.

    Upon entering the home, agents located Nicolas Pablo-Francisco and the boy, along with the Ecuadorians who agents learned were also being held for ransom. All three migrant hostages entered the United States illegally in the days leading up to their rescue. Virves Pablo-Francisco, who was not present at the Escondido house on the day of the raid, was arrested later pursuant to a warrant.

    “These victims are safe because a family member was brave enough to seek help from law enforcement officials,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Always report crime. We are standing by to hold those accountable who commit crimes, and to support victims and their families. Also, I urge anyone who is considering a dangerous journey into the United States: Please don’t risk your life by trusting smugglers. It could be a very costly mistake.”

    “These guilty pleas demonstrate the FBI’s commitment to bringing kidnapping victims home safely,” said FBI San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge John Kim. “Criminals involved in alien smuggling may think they will get away with taking migrants hostage because of the unique vulnerability of their victims. They are wrong.”

    Nicolas Pablo-Francisco is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Cynthia A. Bashant. Virves Pablo-Francisco’s sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place on July 15, 2024.  

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. Miller, Jordan Arakawa, and David Eugene Fawcett.

    DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 23cr01355-BAS                                            

    Virves Pablo-Francisco                                  Age: 22                                   Guatemala/Escondido, CA

    Nicolas Pablo-Francisco                                 Age: 20                                   Guatemala/Escondido, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Hostage Taking – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1203(a)

    Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine

    Harboring Aliens – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(1)(A)(iii)

    Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCY

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of Sophisticated Sinaloa Cartel Money Laundering Organization Sentenced to 120 Months

    Source: US FBI

    NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – May 20, 2024

    SAN DIEGO – Luis Reinaldo Ramirez of Mesa, Arizona, was sentenced in federal court today to 120 months in prison for his role as a leader in a transnational criminal organization that laundered $16.5 million dollars in narcotics proceeds for the Sinaloa Cartel.  Ramirez was also sentenced for his role in an extortion plot.

    Ramirez was one of 12 people indicted on charges ranging from money laundering, narcotics trafficking, and extortion as part of a two-year investigation by FBI and DEA. The investigation resulted in the takedown of the organization that laundered millions of dollars for the Sinaloa Cartel, and the rescue of two victims of an extortion plot in February of 2021. To date the investigation has resulted in the seizure of more than $1.3 million in illicit assets. 

    According to his plea agreement, Ramirez played a key role in the day-to-day operations of the organization. He created a network of incorporated shell companies in Wyoming that were used to launder illicit bulk cash. Ramirez directed and facilitated employees of the money laundering organization to travel to cities throughout the United States to pick up bulk cash belonging to narcotics traffickers. The employees picked up the bulk cash in Chicago, Omaha, Boston, New York City, Baltimore, Charlotte, and Philadelphia.

    Narcotics traffickers delivered bulk cash in amounts of up to $200,000 to the employees in hotel rooms and parking lots. Following the delivery of the illegal monies, the criminal organization laundered the funds through the shell companies and transferred the monies to bank accounts in Mexico. To demonstrate the drug money connection, in November 2020 the FBI conducted surveillance on a bulk cash delivery from Idsel Valenzuela and Sugey Caro Salazar in Chicago.  The operation led to a subsequent search of Caro and Valenzuela’s home and vehicle, which led to the discovery and seizure of 368 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, 10 kilograms of heroin, and $97,390 in bulk cash.   

    Earlier this year, several of Ramirez’s co-defendants were sentenced to prison, including Cristian Amaya Nava, 60 months; Christian Cruz Polanco, 30 months; Sugey Caro Salazar, 48 months; and Idsel Valenzuela, Cheliann Rivera Vazquez and Kimberly Reyes to probationary sentences. Additional co-defendants — Hector Vizcaino Moreno, Ricardo Torres, and Luis Armando Avila — are scheduled to be sentenced in the coming months. Three of Ramirez’s indicted co-defendants remain fugitives in Mexico, including the alleged former Mexico-based leader of the organization, Enrique Esparragoza Rosas of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico.  

    The FBI’s investigation, in partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office, pursued an aggressive strategy of asset seizures in order to disrupt the money laundering organization’s activities.  In total, dozens of bank accounts used by the organization were targeted, resulting in the seizure of more than $1 million from U.S.-based bank accounts. Agents also conducted operations that resulted in the seizure of $197,430 in bulk cash and a Volvo tractor-trailer that was purchased with drug money. Agents also seized illicit funds that were used to purchase aircraft and aircraft engines for export to Mexico in several instances.

    The FBI’s efforts also resulted in a successful rescue of two victims who were being extorted by the money laundering organization in February 2021. Prior to the extortion, one of the victims, an employee of the money laundering organization, began stealing illicit funds from a bank account he controlled for the organization. In February 2021, when Esparragoza and Ramirez learned of the theft, they conspired to threaten and extort the pair to repay the funds. Esparragoza sent Cristian Amaya-Nava to threaten the men and their families. Amaya-Nava then drove the two men around Imperial and San Diego counties to collect money from accounts they controlled. Esparragoza also directly threatened the men and their families during several phone conversations that day, telling them that two truckloads of men from Tijuana would “take care of them” if they did anything stupid. 

    Once the FBI learned of the ongoing extortion, they began tracking the victim’s and Amaya Nava’s movements. FBI agents coordinated with the National City Police Department to conduct a traffic stop wherein Amaya Nava was arrested and the two victims were rescued.

    “In cases like this we strike at the life blood of the drug trafficker,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath.  “Money launderers provide the means for cartels to produce and import their deadly poison into the United States.”

    “The sentencing of Mr. Ramirez is a major step toward dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge, Stacey Moy. “We remain committed to working collaboratively with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle organized crime activity not only in San Diego, but wherever our investigations may lead.”

    “There is no place for drug trafficking in San Diego,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Chrysanthis. “Drug trafficking is a violent crime that harms our citizens and weakens our communities. The DEA and our partners will continue to be vigilant in dismantling these operations.”

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Mellor.

    DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 22cr2185-BAS                           

    Luis Reinaldo Ramirez                                   Age: 41                                   Mesa, Arizona

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine

    Hobbs Act Extortion – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1951(a)

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    Drug Enforcement Administration

    Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

    *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Charged with Civil Rights Violation for Fatally Shooting Unarmed Man

    Source: US FBI

    A federal grand jury in San Diego returned a two-count indictment charging former San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Russell for fatally shooting Nicholas Bils on May 1, 2020.  Russell is charged with depriving Bils of his right to be free from officers using excessive force and with discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.  

    The indictment alleges that Russell, while acting as a San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy, shot Bils after Bils had escaped from a California Parks vehicle and was running away from law enforcement officers who were chasing him. Without warning Bils or his fellow officers, Russell fired five shots at Bils, who was unarmed, as he ran away. One or more of the shots hit Bils in the back and caused his death. None of the other officers on scene fired a shot or drew a weapon.

    If convicted, Russell faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California and Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI San Diego Field Office made the announcement.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Seth Askins for the Southern District of California, Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer and Trial Attorney Lia Rettammel of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.  

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI San Francisco Warns of Holiday Scams Targeting Shoppers and Donors

    Source: US FBI

    With the holiday season in full swing, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is urging the public to remain vigilant against an uptick in scams targeting holiday shoppers and charitable donors. Criminals are exploiting the busy shopping period, using increasingly sophisticated tactics to steal money and personal information.

    “Criminals don’t take holidays off,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “We’re seeing scammers employing aggressive and creative schemes to take advantage of the season’s generosity and high online shopping activity.”

    The FBI has identified several prevalent scams this holiday season, including:

    1. Online Shopping Scams

    • Fraudulent websites or ads offering goods at unrealistic discounts.
    • Items purchased through third-party marketplaces using stolen credit cards or accounts.
    • Puppy scams involving fake advertisements for pets, with losses reported at $5.6 million so far this year.

    2. Charity Scams

    • Fake charities soliciting donations through phone calls, emails, crowdfunding platforms, and social media.
    • Copycat organizations mimicking legitimate charities to steal funds.

    3. Cryptocurrency Investment Scams

    • Fraudsters posing as trusted individuals convincing victims to invest in fake cryptocurrency platforms. Losses are often substantial, with victims unable to retrieve their funds.

    4. Gift Card Scams

    • Scammers requesting gift card purchases for alleged emergencies, work-related functions, or as payment.
    • Tampered cards with compromised security stickers or altered barcodes.

    5. Social Media Scams

    • Posts offering fake gift cards or event tickets designed to steal personal information.
    • Fraudsters duplicating ticket barcodes for resale.

    Tips to Protect Yourself

    To avoid becoming a victim, the FBI advises the following precautions:

    • Verify Websites and Offers: If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or ads.
    • Secure Your Accounts: Use strong, unique passwords for banking, shopping, and rewards accounts.
    • Inspect Gift Cards: Check for signs of tampering, such as misaligned packaging or scratched-off security codes.
    • Donate Wisely: Verify charities through trusted sources and avoid those soliciting donations via gift cards or wire transfers.
    • Be Skeptical of Requests: Government agencies or law enforcement will never demand payments via phone, email, or gift cards.

    Report Fraud

    If you believe you are a victim of a scam, the FBI urges you to:

    • Immediately contact your bank or financial institution.
    • Report the incident to law enforcement.
    • File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov.

    The FBI is committed to protecting the public from fraud and ensuring a safe holiday season. By staying informed and vigilant, shoppers and donors can help stop scammers in their tracks.

    For more information or media inquiries, please contact the FBI San Francisco division at media.sf@fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar Investment Fraud Schemes and Conspiracy to Launder Money

    Source: US FBI

    Defendant Also Admitted to Disaster Relief Loan Fraud and Destroying Evidence to Obstruct Government Investigation

    SAN FRANCISCO – Thomas Aaron Signorelli pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of bank fraud, two counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of theft of government property, one count of destruction of records, and one count of conspiracy to launder money.

    Signorelli, 46, of West Palm Beach, Fla., was charged by information on Sept. 19, 2024.  In pleading guilty to all seven counts in the information, Signorelli admitted that beginning in January 2021 to around December 2023, he falsely claimed he could assist individuals and entities in need of capital by raising funds, obtaining loans, and securing profitable investments through his company WS Capital, which was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  In fact, Signorelli did not raise capital, obtain loans, or secure profitable investments, and instead used the victims’ funds to pay his personal and living expenses, as well as to pay back other victims.

    Signorelli engaged in one of the fraud schemes with his co-conspirator David Scott Cacchione.  As part of that scheme, Signorelli and Cacchione convinced investors that their money would be used to purchase accounts receivables that did not exist.  Rather than use the funds as promised, Signorelli typically shared a portion of the funds with Cacchione and used the remainder to pay personal and living expenses and repay other victims.  Through his various schemes, Signorelli defrauded individuals and entities of more than $2,500,000.  Signorelli further admitted that he conspired with an attorney in Florida to launder fraud proceeds through the attorney’s client trust account in order to disguise the source and nature of the fraud proceeds.

    The plea agreement also describes that, in December 2021, Signorelli was introduced to an individual who claimed to be looking for someone to launder large sums of drug trafficking proceeds.  Signorelli offered to use WS Capital accounts to launder the supposed drug trafficking proceeds and accepted approximately $150,000 in government funds from an undercover government agent.  Instead of laundering those funds, Signorelli stole the money and used it to pay his personal expenses.

    Signorelli further admitted that he caused applications for a Paycheck Protection Program loan and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan to be submitted to the Small Business Administration (SBA) on behalf of a Napa real estate venture that he had formed.  Signorelli made false representations about the venture’s revenues, payroll, and employee count in order to obtain over $50,000 in disaster relief loans.

    Finally, in August 2022, Signorelli learned that the FBI had obtained a warrant to search his mobile phone.  As detailed in his plea agreement, prior to turning in his mobile phone, Signorelli deleted electronic communications on his device in order to obstruct the government’s investigation.

    The announcement was made by United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp, IRS-CI Oakland Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley, and Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) Special Agent in Charge of the Western Region Weston King.

    Signorelli remains free on a $200,000 appearance bond imposed on Sept. 20, 2024.  His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Mar. 24, 2025 before the Honorable James Donato, U.S. District Court Judge.  The maximum statutory penalty for each count is set forth below.

    OFFENSE

    STATUTE

    MAXIMUM PENALTY
    Bank Fraud 18 U.S.C. § 1344 30 years’ imprisonment; $1,000,000 fine; 5 years’ supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture and restitution
    Wire Fraud 18 U.S.C. § 1343 20 years’ imprisonment; $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater; 3 years’ supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture and restitution
    Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud 18 U.S.C. § 1349 20 years’ imprisonment; $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater; 3 years’ supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture and restitution
    Theft of Government Property 18 U.S.C. § 641 10 years’ imprisonment; $250,000; 3 years’ supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture and restitution
    Destruction, Alteration, and Falsification of Records in  Federal Investigations 18 U.S.C. § 1519 20 years’ imprisonment; $250,000; 3 years’ supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture and restitution
    Conspiracy to Launder Money 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h) 20 years’ imprisonment; $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater; 3 years’ supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture and restitution

    However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

    Signorelli’s co-conspirator Cacchione pleaded guilty on Aug. 14, 2024, and was sentenced by Judge Donato on Nov. 4, 2024, to a 40-month term of imprisonment.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Garth Hire is prosecuting the case.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS-CI, and SBA OIG.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Men Charged with Offenses Related to the Sex Trafficking of Minors in Danbury

    Source: US FBI

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Danbury Police Chief Patrick Ridenhour today announced that the following four individuals have been charged by federal criminal complaint with offenses related to the sex trafficking of minors:

    • OSWALDO ORDONEZ-ORTEGA, 39, of Danbury
    • MARCO ROBLES, 40, a citizen of Ecuador residing in Brookfield
    • EDWIN QUILLI-TACURI, 40, a citizen of Ecuador residing in Danbury
    • BRYAN ISMAEL VASQUEZ-SALINAS, 23, a citizen of Ecuador residing in Danbury

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in February 2025, the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force and Danbury Police began investigating a Danbury-based organization believed to be involved in the sex trafficking of minors.  On March 11, 2025, after seeing a communication on a WhatsApp messaging account advertising the sale of two 15-year-old females for sexual encounters, investigators executed a state warrant at a residence in Danbury, found a 15-year-old female victim and a 16-year-old female victim, and arrested Ordonez-Ortega, Robles, Quilli-Tacuri, Vasquez-Salinas, and a fifth individual.  Quilli-Tacuri was located in a locked bedroom with the 15-year-old victim, and the fifth individual was found in a locked bedroom with the 16-year-old victim.  Ordonez-Ortega and Vasquez-Salinas were found together in the kitchen, and Robles was stopped after attempting to leave the area in his vehicle.

    It is alleged that the minor victims were briefly interviewed by law enforcement and Connecticut Department of Children and Families investigators before being transported to a local hospital for medical care and evaluation.  The investigation, which has also included analysis of cell phones seized at the time of the defendants’ arrests, revealed that Ordonez-Ortega coordinated the transportation of the minor victims to Danbury, made appointments with Robles, Quilli-Tacuri, Vasquez-Salinas, and others to engage in sexual activity with the minors, and received payment from the men, a portion of which he returned to the minors.  Ordonez-Ortega scheduled 13 men to engage in sexual activity with the 15-year-old victim, and 11 men to engage in sexual activity with the 16-year-old victim, on March 10 and 11, 2025, in Danbury.

    It is further alleged that Robles caused physical injury to the 15-year-old victim during his sexual encounter on March 11.

    Each of the four defendants is charged with sex trafficking of children, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

    In addition, Ordonez-Ortega and Vasquez-Salinas are charged with attempted sex trafficking of children and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children.  Ordonez-Ortega is also charged with coercion and enticement of minors to engage in sexual activity, and with transportation of minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

    Robles and Quilli-Tacuri were arrested on the federal charges yesterday.  They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and currently are detained.  Ordonez-Ortega, who is in state custody, and Vasquez-Salinas, who is in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, will be presented in federal court at a later date.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force and the Danbury Police Department, with the assistance of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Brookfield Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel E. Cummings and Mary G. Vitale.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Danbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.

    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.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Child Sex Trafficking Charges and Witness Tampering

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS – A North Las Vegas resident who recruited his victims over social media pleaded guilty Thursday to 10 federal charges related to child sex trafficking and exploitation.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in April 2017 through December 2017, Jacques Anton Lanier, also known as “John Dupree,” coerced and solicited nine girls under the age of 18 years old to engage in sexual activities with him for money and drugs. Lanier engaged in commercial sex acts with at least four of the girls. He also requested and received sexual images from some of the victims and took a sexually explicit image of at least one victim constituting child pornography. Lanier traveled to California and engaged in sex acts with a victim.

    In 2018, while Lanier was in custody pending related criminal charges, he tampered with one of the victims through intimidation and threats, and persuaded that victim to evade legal process, refrain from testifying, and prevent communication between the victim and law enforcement regarding federal offenses.

    Lanier pleaded guilty to four counts of coercion and enticement; four counts of sex trafficking of children; one count of sexual exploitation of children; and one count of tampering with a witness, victim or informant.

    United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro scheduled sentencing for March 27, 2024. Lanier faces the maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.

    The case was investigated by the FBI, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the North Las Vegas Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Bianca R. Pucci and David Kiebler are prosecuting the case.

    The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or https://report.cybertip.org.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nevada CPA Sentenced to Three Years in Prison in False Tax Return Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS – A Nevada man was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison for willfully aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns, in connection with a scheme to sell purported investment opportunities to clients that he falsely claimed would entitle them to IRS tax deductions.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Lance K. Bradford, of Henderson, was a certified public accountant and founder and manager of LL Bradford & Company (LLB). LLB performed accounting-related work, including tax preparation, audit and consulting services. Bradford also operated a real estate business that developed office buildings and other real property. In connection with Bradford’s real estate development activities, he operated and controlled a real estate investment partnership entity.

    In 2011, Bradford began offering LLB’s high-net-worth clients an “investment opportunity” through which the clients would make a payment to his partnership entity and, in exchange, receive a large tax deduction of approximately five to seven times the amount of money the client “invested.” Bradford advised that the clients’ payments would entitle them to claim the large tax deduction based on losses derived from the partnership entity, even though he knew the tax laws did not permit the sale of such deductions in exchange for an investment of money, and the partnership did not incur the losses or depreciation in the amounts represented by Bradford. Bradford also did not report the purported investments as losses on the clients’ tax returns as promised. Instead, he caused the clients’ returns to report large false deductions for cost of goods sold, professional and consulting fees or nonpassive losses. In total, Bradford’s scheme caused a tax loss to the IRS of at least $8 million.

    As one example from his investment scheme, in 2014, Bradford asked a client to make a $417,780 “investment” to his partnership entity in exchange for purported depreciation-based losses to be placed on his client’s 2013 corporate tax return (Form 1120S). But instead of reporting depreciation related to the investment, Bradford caused LLB to prepare and file a Form 1120S that falsely inflated the company’s cost of goods sold by $2,110,000, causing a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $860,627.

    In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Gloria M. Navarro ordered Bradford to serve one year of supervised release and pay $6,734,338 in restitution to the United States.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI.

    Trial Attorney Patrick Burns of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mercer County Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearms, Fentanyl, and Cocaine

    Source: US FBI

    TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man was arrested and charged with illegally possessing firearms and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

    Jose Colon-Matos, 33, of Trenton, is charged by complaint with one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of two firearms, one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He made his initial appearance on January 6, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court and was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    On May 15, 2024, following an investigation into narcotics activity in Hamilton Township in Mercer County, law enforcement officers conducted a court-ordered search of an apartment used by Colon-Matos during which they recovered from a safe in the apartment two loaded firearms, including one with an obliterated serial number, distribution quantities of suspected fentanyl and cocaine, and approximately $9,000.00 in United States currency. The narcotics were subsequently tested by the New Jersey State Police forensic laboratory, which returned positive results for fentanyl and cocaine.

    The charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm carries a potential maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Driscoll in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Hamilton Township Police Division, under the direction of Chief Kenneth R. DeBoskey, and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, for their assistance in the investigation.

    The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

    The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    Defense counsel: Andrea G. Aldana, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Office of the Federal Public Defender.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Inmate Sentenced to Additional 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    CAMDEN, N.J. – A federal inmate serving a ten-year sentence for possessing child pornography was sentenced today to an additional ten years in prison for possessing images and videos of child sexual abuse while incarcerated on his prior conviction, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    Daniel Baldwin, 33, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography.  U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams imposed the sentence today.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    Baldwin was convicted in 2018 of possessing child pornography and sentenced to ten years imprisonment.  In June 2022, while serving his sentence at a federal correctional institution in New Jersey, corrections officers found a SD card hidden in Daniel Baldwin’s clothing.  A subsequent search of the SD card revealed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including depictions of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Baldwin to seven years of supervised release.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Driscoll, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.  He also thanked FCI Fort Dix staff for their assistance in the investigation.

    The Government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bergen County Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 72 months in prison for possession of heroin with intent to distribute, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    Dawan A. Brown, 37, of Cliffside Park, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin.  Judge Martinotti imposed the sentence in Newark federal court.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    Since at least January 2022, law enforcement had investigated drug trafficking activity in the District of New Jersey, to include in and around Harrison, New Jersey.  During the investigation, law enforcement officers learned that Dawan Brown, a/k/a “DB,” distributes narcotics in New Jersey.  

    Through investigation, law enforcement officers learned that Brown packaged and distributed large amounts of heroin from an apartment in a building located in Harrison, New Jersey.  On June 14, 2022, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at the Harrison apartment and at Brown’s residence located in Cliffside Park, New Jersey.  From the apartment in Harrison, officers recovered approximately two kilograms of narcotics, suspected to contain amounts of heroin and fentanyl; drug paraphernalia, including a ledger, a safe, scales, a coffee and spice grinder, ink pads, stamps, Ziplock bags, vacuum bags and a vacuum bag sealer machine, razor blades, glassine envelopes and strainers; and approximately $34,000 that was contained within the safe along with some of the suspected heroin and fentanyl.  From the residence in Cliffside Park, officers recovered approximately $169,000, five cell phones, safety deposit keys, and various jewelry including diamond necklaces, gold watches, and a gold ring.  Law enforcement officers also recovered approximately $225,000 from safety deposit boxes that were associated with Brown.

    As part of his plea agreement, Brown agreed to forfeit $436,615.95, the proceeds from the narcotics trafficking.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Brown to four years of supervised release.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian J Driscoll Newark; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; Harrison Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Strumolo; and Cliffside Park Police Department, under the direction of Chief Marc Marano, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.  He also thanked the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, the Bloomfield Police Department, the Newark Police Department, Irvington Police Department, Hillsborough Police Department, and the Fort Lee Police Department.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Frazer of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dong Joo Lee of the Cybercrime Unit, in Newark.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI Announce Five-Count Indictment in Violent Crime Spree on Navajo Nation

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against Rydell Happy for his alleged involvement in a violent crime spree on April 24, 2024. Happy, who was already in custody awaiting trial on a second-degree murder charge, now faces charges for first degree murder, two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence and discharging said firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

    According to court documents, on April 24, 2024, Happy, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly shot John Doe in the head with a revolver and then repeatedly beat his head with a baseball bat, resulting in Doe’s death.

    The indictment further alleges that on the same day, Happy assaulted Jane Doe with a revolver and discharged the firearm during the incident.

    The indictment further alleges that Happy, who was previously convicted of domestic violence, is prohibited from possessing firearms.

    If convicted of the current charges, Happy faces a mandatory life sentence or death for the first-degree murder charge, and 10 to 15 years for the other charges.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.

    This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners.  The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of Indigenous victims and their families.  

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Lending Companies Out of Millions of Dollars with Dozens of Stolen Identities

    Source: US FBI

    ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Paul Paredes, 53, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that since 2013, Paredes has owned J&E Business Consulting LLC, which provides services to client businesses, including acting as a broker between the credit card processing companies and smaller retail businesses. Small businesses provide J&E with their financial information, such as the owner’s identifying information, including driver’s license, social security number, and email, as well as bank account information.

    Between April 2019, and August 2023, Paredes submitted hundreds of fraudulent financing applications to dozens of lenders under the identities of his business customers (victims), for goods and services allegedly provided by Paredes, with the funds payable to bank accounts controlled by Paredes. These financing agreements were prepared in the names if victims, using their personal information, and without their knowledge, consent, or authorization. After a financing agreement was approved, money from the victim lender was deposited into one of numerous bank accounts controlled by Paredes, who used the money he obtained from the scheme to fund his personal expenses, pay salaries and operating expenses, or to make payments to victim lenders to avoid detection of the fraudulent loans. By making those payments to the victim lenders, Paredes was able to continue making similar fraudulent financing agreements with multiple victim lenders without discovery. To further avoid detection, on occasions when victims received communications from victim lenders about the fraudulent financing agreements, Paredes misled them about the purpose of the communications and told them he would handle it.

    Paredes used the identity of at least 63 individuals to defraud at least 23 victim lenders, utilizing at least 12 different bank accounts and moving the money he obtained from the scheme throughout different accounts. Paredes submitted false loan applications from Rochester, NY, to the out-of-state lenders located throughout the country, including in New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Washington, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Colorado, and Minnesota. The total loss amount is at least $3,500,000.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Internal Revenue Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Fattorusso, and the New York State Department of Financial Services-Criminal Investigation Bureau, under the direction of Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris.

    Sentencing is scheduled for April 29, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. before Judge Wolford.

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