NewzIntel.com

Category: Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Twenty-Two Charged in Imperial Valley Takedown of Violent Drug Trafficking Organization Linked to Beltran Leyva Cartel

    Source: US FBI

    EL CENTRO – Twenty-two alleged members of a sophisticated transnational drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa-based Beltran Leyva Cartel were indicted by a federal grand jury for importing and distributing more than a ton of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine into the United States, laundering the illicit proceeds, and attempting to export firearms from the United States into Mexico.

    In a coordinated takedown this morning in California, Arizona, Iowa, and Colorado, more than 150 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials arrested 10 defendants and executed six search warrants in Imperial County. As of this afternoon, the search continues for 12 fugitives.

    Including seizures today and throughout this long-term investigation, authorities have confiscated more than 1,000 kilograms (about 2,204 pounds) of drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and over 750 kilograms (about 1,653 pounds) of fentanyl, 10 firearms, and more than $250,000 in narcotics proceeds.

    “We have literally seized a ton of drugs that were destined to hit our streets and harm our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “By disrupting this prolific, cartel-linked trafficking network, we are preventing the devastation and violence it brings.”

    “Today’s enforcement action marks the culmination of a complex, long-term HSI investigation, demonstrating the strong collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies nationwide,” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Diego. “Our local communities are undoubtedly safer today, and we remain committed to aggressively pursuing criminal organizations that threaten our country.”

    “Close coordination and aggressive action amongst allied law enforcement agencies just made communities nationwide safer places to live and work,” said El Centro Border Patrol Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino. “The well executed takedown of this drug trafficking organization heralds a new day in homeland security where we will relentlessly apprehend and prosecute transnational threats.”

    According to search warrants, the defendants belonged to a Mexicali, Mexico- and Imperial County-based transnational criminal organization that operated as a distribution cell for the Beltrán Leyva Cartel, specifically associated with Fausto Isidro Meza Flores aka El Chapo Isidro. Using undercover operations and multiple rounds of wiretaps, agents conducted numerous controlled purchases, traffic stops of personal vehicles and tractor trailers, and searches of houses and stash locations leading to large seizures of narcotics.

    Additionally, during the fourth round of wiretaps, one of the wiretap targets, an Imperial County-based narcotics subdistributor, was shot multiple times in Mexicali and died several months thereafter. Investigators believe that the subdistributor was lured from the United States to Mexico and shot by a co-conspirator in relation to their drug trafficking and money laundering activities.

    According to federal search warrants:

    In one instance on January 23, 2023, authorities seized approximately 1.4 million fentanyl pills after intercepting phone conversations about moving fentanyl pills in a semi-truck. Federal agents watched the transaction from afar, then conducted a traffic stop on the drug-laden tractor-trailer. Law enforcement officials located eight duffel bags containing approximately 148.53 kilograms (327.45 pounds) in the trailer of the truck.

    In another instance, on May 9, 2023, authorities seized approximately 483,000 fentanyl pills after intercepting phone conversations about moving narcotics in a semi-truck. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on the drug-laden tractor-trailer and located bags containing approximately 48.30 kilograms (106.48 pounds) of fentanyl pills in the truck.

    Shortly thereafter, on May 25, 2023, authorities seized approximately 480,000 fentanyl pills, 72.29 kilograms of methamphetamine, and a loaded 9mm handgun with a 10-round magazine inserted and a round in the chamber. After intercepting phone conversations about coordinating the movement of narcotics in a semi-truck, federal agents surveilled the narcotics being loaded into the tractor-trailer, then conducted a traffic stop. Law enforcement officials located six duffel bags containing approximately 72.29 kilograms (159.37 pounds) of methamphetamine and 48.6 kilograms (107.14 pounds) of fentanyl in the trailer of the truck.

    In another instance, on October 9, 2023, investigators seized approximately 139,000 fentanyl pills and 36.66 kilograms (80.82 pounds) of methamphetamine following federal agents’ surveillance of defendants unloading and transporting the narcotics.

    On March 14, 2024, after a traffic stop conducted by a Brawley police officer, law enforcement seized approximately 59.48 kilograms (131.13 pounds) of methamphetamine.

    Federal agents also seized firearms and ammunition during the investigation, including two gold plated AR-15 semi-automatic rifles hidden inside a 55-gallon barbeque grill on August 3, 2023, and two rifles, two pistols, approximately 2182 ammunition rounds, and seven magazines destined for Mexicali-based drug traffickers.

    Additionally, according to court records, five of the charged defendants are tied to alien smuggling activity, having been either arrested and/or previously prosecuted for immigration-related crimes, such as alien smuggling, accessory after the fact to illegal entry, and selling or offering to sell a Visa.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Loren G. Renner.

    DEFENDANTS                                            

    Case Number 24cr2399                               

    Irving Alberto Lopez Valdes                                      Age: 36                       Mexicali, Mexico

    Raul Salome Valdez-Orduno                                     Age: 46                       Mexicali, Mexico

    Case Number 24cr2400

    Jesus Damian Lizarraga Sanchez                               Age: 28                       Mexicali, Mexico

    Case Number 24cr2434

    Elizabeth Millan                                                         Age: 46                       San Diego, California

    Brandon Garcia                                                          Age: 27                       Calexico, California

    *Seven unnamed defendants are fugitives

    Case Number 24cr2431

    Roberto Marrufo                                                        Age: 40                        Calexico, California

    Case Number 25cr0785

    Ricardo Miramontes Nava                                          Age: 35                       Calexico, California

    Case Number 25cr0786

    Jacob Rodiles                                                              Age: 21                       El Centro, California

    Roberto Fernandez                                                     Age: 70                       Calexico, California

    Raul Martinez Jimenez                                               Age: 56                       Mexicali, Mexico

    Julian Banuelos                                                           Age: 19                       Imperial, California

    Alain Alejandro Robles-Murrieta                               Age: 19                       Mexicali, Mexico

    *Three unnamed defendants are fugitives

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a) and (b)(1), 846

    Maximum penalty: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a $10 million fine.

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

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

    Attempted Transfer of a Firearm for Use in a Drug Trafficking Crime – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1924(h)

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

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Homeland Security Investigations, Calexico – Imperial Valley Border Enforcement Security Taskforce (IV-BEST)

    Homeland Security Investigations, Riverside, CA

    Homeland Security Investigations, Denver, CO

    Homeland Security Investigations, Yuma, AZ

    Homeland Security Investigations, Sioux City, IA

    United States Border Patrol, El Centro Sector Intelligence Unit

    Customs and Border Protection, Calexico Intelligence Division

    Imperial County Narcotics Task Force

    Drug Enforcement Administration, Imperial County Office

    Drug Enforcement Administration, Phoenix Office

    Federal Bureau of Investigations, Imperial County Office

    United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations

    United States Marshals Service

    Calexico Police Department

    Imperial County Sheriff’s Office

    Imperial County District Attorney’s Office

    Brawley Police Department

    California Highway Patrol

    El Centro Police Department

    San Diego-Imperial Valley HIDTA

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

    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.

    High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 33 HIDTAs, and HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.

    This investigation 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Registered sex offender charged federally with possession of images of child sexual abuse

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    State probation officers find defendant with unauthorized electronic devices allegedly containing child sexual abuse images

    Seattle A 34-year-old Kirkland, Washington man appeared on a federal criminal complaint today charging him with possession of images of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Daniel Jose Lile was arrested April 16, 2025, by Department of Corrections Officers for possessing unapproved electronic devices. Lile remains detained at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) at SeaTac.

    According to the criminal complaint, Lile was on community supervision from the Washington State Department of Corrections for a 2019 conviction for child sexual abuse. Lile was arrested April 16, 2025, for having unauthorized electronic devices. On May 12, 2025, law enforcement served a search warrant at the residence Lile had shared with his girlfriend. At that location they seized additional unauthorized electronic devices including two external hard drives, a laptop, and a cellphone.

    Forensic analysis of the electronics is ongoing. One of the external hard drives was found to contain more than 130,000 files of child sexual abuse. One folder alone allegedly contains more than fifty videos and picture files of infants and toddlers being sexually abused.

    Law enforcement was in the process of pursuing a report from Google to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about Lile uploading images of child sexual abuse when the Department of Corrections found the unapproved electronics.

    Possession of images of child sexual abuse is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment and carries a mandatory minimum of ten years in this circumstance.

    The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and the Kirkland Police Department.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Child Predator Sentenced To 16 Years In Federal Prison For Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Offender Committed New Crime Less Than Three Months After Being Released From Prison for a Prior Child Exploitation Offense

    ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A previously-convicted child predator was sentenced to 192 months in prison today for distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Justin Matthew Adkins, 40, of Marion, North Carolina, was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.

    According to records, Adkins was convicted of Second-Degree Exploitation of a Minor in Buncombe County and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment. Adkins was released from state custody in April 2023, and was placed on post-release supervision until 2028. On November 7, 2023, officers with the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, deputies with the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, and deputy marshals with the U.S. Marshals Service conducted a probation search at Adkins’ home. During the search, law enforcement reviewed Adkins’s electronic devices for compliance with his post-release conditions and found that the defendant possessed CSAM. Law enforcement also seized narcotics and drug paraphernalia.

    Court records show that a computer forensic analyst with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) analyzed Adkins’s electronic devices and located thousands of CSAM images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of prepubescent children. The analysis also revealed that Adkins had distributed CSAM to other individuals online.

    On December 18, 2024, Adkins pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended HSI in Greenville, the U.S. Marshals Service, the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant United States Attorney Alexis Solheim of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan man pleads guilty, sentenced for illegal re-entry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Isaias Fernando Diego-Lucas, 40, a citizen of Guatemala, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to illegal re-entry. Diego-Lucas was sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who handled the case, stated that Diego-Lucas is an alien without any legal status in the United States. In February 2012, he was physically removed from the United States. On February 24, 2025, Diego-Lucas was found in Chautauqua County. He was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Department of Homeland Security agents. Diego-Lucas presented a Guatemalan Identification Consular card.

    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. 

    The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan and Immigration, Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Acting Field Office Director Steven Kurzdorfer, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Saratoga County Man Arrested and Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Eric Mosier, age 37, of Galway, New York, made an initial appearance yesterday on a criminal complaint charging him with the sexual exploitation of a child.   United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement.

    According to the complaint, between on or about March 1, 2025 and May 17, 2025, Mosier used a 4-year-old child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating child sexual abuse material. The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “We are thankful for the quick response of the New York State Police and HSI, which led to the defendant’s arrest. As U.S. Attorney I will continue to do everything I can to keep our children safe from sexual predators and pedophiles.”

    HSI Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan stated: “Through his alleged crimes, the defendant subjected this four-year-old victim to unimaginable exploitation and trauma. Our children deserve the right to be children, free from the awareness of the darkness that exists in our society. HSI Albany commits to working with our state and federal partners in our pursuit for justice on behalf of this victim.”

    Mosier initially appeared yesterday afternoon before United States Magistrate Daniel J. Stewart and was ordered detained pending trial.  If convicted, he faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life.  Mosier may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victim of his offense and forfeit the device used in the offense.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.  If convicted, Mosier would also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

    HSI is investigating this case with assistance from the New York State Police and its Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph Hartunian and Allen J. Vickey are prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

    Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Eastern European Organized Crime Leaders Convicted of Murder for Hire Targeting U.S.-Based Journalist on Behalf of Iranian Government

    Source: US FBI

    Iranian Government Hired Polad Omarov and Rafat Amirov to Kill Masih Alinejad in Exchange for $500,000

    A federal jury returned guilty verdicts yesterday on all five counts in the superseding indictment against Rafat Amirov, also known as Farkhaddin Mirzoev, Pᴎᴍ, and Rome, 46, of Iran; and Polad Omarov, also known as Araz Aliyev, Polad Qaqa, and Haci Qaqa, 40, of Georgia. The defendants were convicted of murder-for-hire and attempted murder in aid of racketeering charges, in a trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon. Amirov and Omarov are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 17.

    “The Iranian regime’s brazen plot to silence and murder Americans will not be tolerated,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This verdict underscores the Department’s commitment to finding and holding accountable those who threaten our citizens and our freedoms. With the great work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, we are now one step closer to justice.”

    “For years, the Government of Iran has attempted to silence an outspoken Iranian journalist, author, activist and critic of their regime through any means necessary, including harassment, violence, intimidation, and even attempted murder,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky for the Southern District of New York. “Chillingly, the plot to murder this Iranian dissident culminated over 6,000 miles from Iran, on U.S. soil, right here in New York, when a hitman with an AK-47 camped outside her home to kill her. I commend the career prosecutors of this office, and our law enforcement partners at the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division for their tireless work in bringing these defendants to justice. This verdict should send a clear message around the world: if you target U.S. citizens, we will find you, no matter where you are, and bring you to justice.”

    “The defendants participated in a brazen plot to kill an Iranian American dissident in New York who criticized the regime in Iran,” said Acting Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Thanks to the good work of the FBI and our partners their plan failed. This verdict demonstrates the FBI will not tolerate Iran’s attempts to threaten, silence, or harm American citizens.”

    According to court documents, Amirov and Omarov were high-ranking members of an Eastern European organized crime group (the Organization) who worked with other members of the Organization to attempt to kill Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Alinejad has previously been the target of plots by the Government of Iran to intimidate, harass, and kidnap her for her work as a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses around the world. As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Alinejad from within the U.S. for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence her criticism of the Iranian regime.

    After these brazen efforts to kidnap Alinejad from the U.S. failed, the IRGC turned to Amirov and Omarov to locate, surveil, and murder her. Beginning in approximately July 2022, Amirov sent targeting information—which he had received directly from IRGC officials in Iran—about Alinejad to Omarov. In turn, Omarov communicated this information to Khalid Mehdiyev, another member of the Organization who had been residing in Yonkers, New York, so that Mehdiyev could surveil Alinejad and murder her. In turn, Mehdiyev sent photographs and videos of Alinejad’s residence to Omarov, who shared these materials with Amirov and the IRGC officials who orchestrated the plot in Iran. Amirov and Omarov then arranged for a $30,000 cash payment to Mehdiyev, who used a portion of this payment to buy an AK-47 style assault rifle, two magazines, and at least 66 rounds of ammunition; as Mehdiyev boasted in electronic communications, a “war machine” he could use to kill Alinejad.

    In late July 2022, Mehdiyev repeatedly traveled to Alinejad’s neighborhood to surveil her. Mehdiyev sent reports of his surveillance to Omarov, who passed them to Amirov. On July 24, 2022, Mehdiyev reported to Omarov from Alinejad’s residence that he was “at the crime scene.” On July 27, 2022, Omarov told Amirov that Mehdiyev was ready to kill Alinejad, writing “this matter will be over today. I told them to make a birthday present for me. I pressured them, they will sleep there this night.”  On July 28, 2022, Mehdiyev sent Omarov a video taken from inside the car that Mehdiyev was driving with the assault rifle and a message reading “we are ready.” Amirov sent an image of the interior of Alinejad’s home to Omarov to be forwarded to Mehdiyev, writing “this is the house where she stays.”  As Omarov continued to update Amirov about Mehdiyev’s readiness, Amirov cautioned Omarov “let him keep the car clean.”  When Mehdiyev subsequently drove from where he was surveilling the residence, he was stopped after a traffic violation and, during a subsequent search of the vehicle, police officers found the assault rifle, 66 rounds of ammunition, approximately $1,100 in cash, and a black ski mask.

    After Mehdiyev was arrested and placed into custody, Omarov contacted Mehdiyev’s mother and threatened to kill her and her other son if she did not locate Mehdiyev.

    Amirov and Omarov were convicted on five counts: murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison (Count One); conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison (Count Two); conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison (Count Three); attempted murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison (Count Four); and possession and use of a firearm in connection with the attempted murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison (Count Five).

    The FBI New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force are investigating the case, with assistance from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department thanked the authorities in the Czech Republic for their assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and Matthew J.C. Hellman for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case with assistance from paralegal specialist Owen Foley and Trial Attorneys Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Couple Sentenced to Prison for $2 Million Bank Loan and Pandemic Relief Fraud Schemes

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Antoine Johnson, 49, and Kimberly Maddox, 44, formerly of Huntersville, N.C., currently residing in Georgia, were sentenced today for fraudulently obtaining approximately $2 million in bank loans and COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Johnson was ordered to serve 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Maddox was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with six months of home confinement, followed by three years of supervised release. The couple was also ordered to pay restitution in $3,037,868.10.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents and today’s court hearings, the defendants owned and operated Pick Up and Go Moving International, Inc. and affiliated businesses (collectively, PUGMI). Johnson was the president of PUGMI and Maddox the vice president. Court documents show that, between 2018 and 2023, the defendants fraudulently applied for and obtained multiple lines of credit, bank loans, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program loans on behalf of their businesses. Johnson and Maddox applied for loans totaling more than $3.4 million. To secure the loans, the defendants lied on more than 35 loan applications about PUGMI’s income, gross revenues, expenses, and number of employees, and submitted fabricated supporting documents that included fraudulent tax returns and fictitious financial statements. Court documents show that at the time the couple engaged in the fraudulent loan schemes, Johnson was on federal supervised release after he was convicted and sentenced to prison for mortgage fraud.

    Johnson and Maddox previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and making a false statement to a financial institution. They will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    The FBI handled the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caryn Finley and Graham Billings of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 2023 Cryptocurrency Fraud Report Released

    Source: US FBI

    Losses related to cryptocurrency fraud totaled over $5.6 billion in 2023, a 45% increase in losses since 2022, according to a report from FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) published on September 9, 2024. The number of complaints from the public regarding cryptocurrency fraud continues to steadily increase, reaching 69,000 in 2023.

    Cryptocurrency is a type of digital currency that you can use to buy goods or services or to invest. Examples of cryptocurrencies include bitcoin, ether, or tether.

    As the use of cryptocurrency in the global financial system continues to grow, criminals are increasingly using cryptocurrency due to its decentralized nature, the speed of irreversible transactions, and the ability to transfer value around the world. Using cryptocurrency also makes it harder for victims to recover stolen funds. Once an individual sends a payment, the recipient owns the cryptocurrency. Recipients often quickly transfer that digital currency into an account overseas for cashout purposes.

    Criminals can exploit cryptocurrencies in many types of criminal schemes. In 2023, most cryptocurrency complaints involved investment scams. These losses totaled $3.9 billion and accounted for almost 71% of all losses related to cryptocurrency in 2023. Other examples of scams associated with cryptocurrency include tech support, confidence and romance, and government impersonation scams.   

    Cryptocurrency investment fraud is the most common type of cryptocurrency scam. In this type of fraud, criminals use various means of manipulation to convince victims to deposit increasing amounts of money into financial “investments” using cryptocurrency. In truth, these investments are fake; criminal actors who are usually located overseas control—and ultimately steal—all victim money. As a result, victims typically lose everything they invested.

    Losses from cryptocurrency-related investment fraud schemes reported to the IC3 rose from $2.57 billion in 2022 to $3.96 billion in 2023‚a 53% increase. Many individuals have accumulated massive debt to cover losses from these fraudulent investments.

    Individuals aged 30-39 and 40-49 filed the most complaints related to cryptocurrency investment fraud (approximately 5,200 reports in each age group). But complainants over the age of 60 reported the highest losses (over $1.24 billion).

    Learn more about the process behind cryptocurrency investment fraud. 

    The FBI, along with the Department of Justice, law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and financial institution partners, is dedicated to identifying the perpetrators of these schemes and bringing them to justice.

    The FBI’s IC3 is the central intake hub for individuals in the U.S. or abroad to report fraud and cybercrime. The IC3 analyzes complaints and aggregates them to identify trends and help develop strategies to combat these schemes and protect scam victims from loss. IC3 also shares the complaints it receives with FBI field offices, other law enforcement agencies, and regulatory entities for further investigation or action, as appropriate.

    In February 2022, the FBI formed the Virtual Assets Unit (VAU), a specialized team dedicated to investigating cryptocurrency-related crimes. The VAU centralizes the FBI’s cryptocurrency expertise into one nerve center, providing technological equipment, blockchain analysis, virtual asset seizure training, and other sophisticated training for FBI personnel. 

    If you believe you or someone you know may be a victim of cryptocurrency fraud, immediately submit a report to the IC3 via ic3.gov or contact your local FBI field office and provide as much transaction information as possible. We encourage you to submit a complaint through ic3.gov, even if a financial loss did not occur.

    When submitting a report to ic3.gov, include as much as you can of the following information: 

    • Financial transaction details, including: 
      • Cryptocurrency wallet addresses 
      • The amounts and types of cryptocurrencies involved 
      • Date and time of the transactions, and transaction IDs (hash)
    • Information about how you met the scammer(s)
    • What platforms you used to communicate with the scammer(s)
    • Any website address(es) involved in the scheme
    • Any phone numbers or other identifiers you might have about the scammer(s)

    You can refer to IC3’s public service announcement, “FBI Guidance for Cryptocurrency Scam Victims,” for more information about what to report.

    Individuals aged 60 or older can also contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline (833-372-8311) to assist with filing an IC3 complaint. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ecuadorian National Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on April 23, 2025, Alvaro Andres Valarezo Sandoval, age 35, an Ecuadorian National residing in Miami, Florida, was sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 30 years’ imprisonment on two counts of production of child pornography.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Sandoval sexually exploited six Central Pennsylvania minors by deceiving and threatening them into creating and sending him explicit photos and videos between 2013 and 2019.  As part of the scheme, Valarezo Sandoval would often build a rapport with the minor victims by showing affection and then entice and encourage them to send images or videos of themselves that were sexually provocative and/or sexually explicit. If a minor attempted to cease the relationship, Valarezo Sandoval would extort them by threatening to post their explicit images online unless they complied with his demands to continue providing him with sexually explicit content.

    There were at least six victims in central Pennsylvania and at least 30 others worldwide. One victim gave an impassioned statement to the court explaining the devastating impact this crime had on her and her family.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera prosecuted the case.

    This 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Farmington Resident Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Minor as Part of DOJ/FBI Operation Restore Justice

    Source: US FBI

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Farmington, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal laws regarding the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    The two-count Indictment named Nathan Fike, 40, as the sole defendant.

    According to the Indictment presented to the Court, on or about October 4, 2023, Fike distributed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor. The government further alleges that, on or about February 9, 2024, Fike knowingly possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor. The Indictment occurred in connection with Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated, nationwide enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators that, as announced today by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders over a five-day period. The coordinated effort was executed by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorneys’ Offices around the country (read the Operation Restore Justice news release here).

    The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney DeMarr W. Moulton is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

    This 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Individuals Plead Guilty to Wide-Ranging Scheme to Monopolize Transmigrante Forwarding Industry, Fix Prices, Extort Competitors, and Launder Money

    Source: US FBI

    The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that eight defendants have pleaded guilty for their conduct in a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios, Texas, border region near Harlingen and Brownsville, Texas. The three remaining defendants to the superseding indictment remain at large as fugitives. Transmigrantes are individuals who transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping those clients complete the customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico.

    “The Criminal Division is committed to holding violent criminal organizations accountable in whatever markets in which they operate,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Transnational criminal organizations that use violence to dominate industries will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “These guilty pleas bring to justice individuals who used violence and extortion to fix prices and monopolize the market for essential services that Americans rely on to earn a living,” said Director of Criminal Enforcement Emma Burnham of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to use every tool at its disposal to protect the public by prosecuting violent criminals – including those who aim to corrupt America’s free markets.”

    “Price fixing harms both the public and the business community,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “Schemes like this artificially drive up prices, forcing consumers to pay more than they ordinarily would. At its core, such market collusion is nothing more than theft from consumers.”

    “These defendants tried to rule through fear, using threats, violence and intimidation to eliminate competition,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Their guilty pleas send a clear message that price fixing and market allocation are serious crimes, and we will hold those accountable who put profits over the law and fair commerce.”

    “Today’s pleas reflect the relentlessness of the federal government’s pursuit of transnational criminal organizations that exploit international trade and the U.S. economy,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This violent scheme was fueled by greed that undermined the safety and economic security of the border region; HSI has prioritized significant resources to protect the U.S. and our legitimate trade.”

    According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Houston, defendants Carlos Martinez also known as “Cuate,” Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, Roberto Garcia Villareal, Sandra Guerra Medina, and Mireya Miranda pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, and one count of conspiracy to monopolize the same market in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The conspirators fixed the prices for transmigrante forwarding agency services and created a centralized entity known as the “Pool” to collect and divide revenues among the conspirators, limit competition from other agencies, and increase prices for their services. Market participants who were not part of the conspiracy had to join and pay into the Pool. Pool members enforced the rules of the Pool by monitoring whether forwarding agencies were charging the agreed-upon prices, including by posting prices publicly on social media, and monitoring whether agencies were paying into the Pool as required.

    Martinez, Calvillo, Villareal, and Carlos Yzaguirre pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion. Martinez also pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by extortion. The defendants conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay money to the Pool and to pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed in the industry as well as a “fine” for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. The conspirators perpetrated acts of intimidation, coercion, and violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies. Defendant Martinez was responsible for at least $9.5 million in extortion payments.

    Martinez and Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez also pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy, through which they laundered extortion proceeds. Cash obtained from the extortion conspiracy was deposited into bank accounts controlled by Martinez and his family, and those deposits were made to conceal and disguise the nature, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds. Juan Hector Ramirez Avila pleaded guilty to one count of structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements.

    Martinez agreed to forfeit four real properties and $375,000 in seized U.S. currency, to pay a fine, and to pay full restitution to extortion victims. Guerra, Miranda, Calvillo, and Villareal have also agreed to pay fines as part of their plea agreements.

    Rigoberto Brown and Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, and Diego Ceballos-Soto were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    Conspiracies to allocate the market, fix prices, or monopolize in violation of the Sherman Act carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $1 million fine for an individual. Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion in violation of the Hobbs Act carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 fine. Money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $500,000 fine. Structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, HSI, and the FBI are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Brittany E. McClure, Anne Veldhuis, and Michael G. Lepage of the Antitrust Division, Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of VCRS, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

    Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pelham Man Sentenced to 80 Years in Prison on Child Exploitation Charges

    Source: US FBI

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Pelham man was sentenced today on charges of sexual exploitation of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Kelly J. Blackmon.

    U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Neal Richard Goodacre, 54, to 960 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release.  In July, Goodacre pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. These convictions will require Goodacre to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

    According to the plea agreement, in July 2023, the Queensland, Australia, Child Exploitation Task Force discovered images of child pornography on a Russian file-sharing website. Queensland officers connected the account used to post the images to Goodacre at a residence in Pelham, Alabama. On September 13, 2023, HSI executed a search warrant at Goodacre’s residence.  Agents recovered two electronic devices containing 29 images and one video of child pornography. Goodacre produced some of the child pornography he possessed.

    Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case along with the Queensland, Australia, Child Exploitation Task Force and the Pelham Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.

    If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.

    The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Individuals Charged in Conspiracy to Sexually Exploit Children

    Source: US FBI

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two individuals have been indicted on multiple child sexual exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

    A five-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Wisam A. Sharieff, 43, of Euless, Texas, and Blake Miller Barakat, aka “Hamna,” 50, of Shelby County, Alabama, with conspiracy to engage in the sexual exploitation of children, conspiracy to receive and distribute child pornography, sexual exploitation of children, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. 

    According to the indictment, between September 27, 2024, and October 15, 2024, Sharieff and Barakat conspired together to coerce a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct; and they conspired to receive and distribute child pornography.

    FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with the FBI Dallas-Fort Worth Violent Crimes Task Force and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case.

    The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.    

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New Hope Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking, Extortion, and Production of Child Pornography and Agrees to 40-Year Prison Sentence

    Source: US FBI

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A New Hope man pleaded guilty today to stalking and extorting a woman and producing child pornography involving two minor victims, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. 

    Donald Wayne Carmody, 30, of New Hope, Alabama, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke to cyberstalking, two counts of extortion, and two counts of production of child pornography. 

    According to the plea agreement, Carmody used anonymous text messages to threaten to release pictures of the victim on the internet if she did not send him intimate photographs. Carmody also obtained the victim’s login credentials for her social media accounts and accessed their contents. After Carmody was arrested on cyberstalking and extortion charges for this conduct, investigators discovered a USB thumb drive belonging to him that contained images of child pornography that involved two victims under the age of twelve. The FBI’s Video Forensic Analysis Unit compared the images from the thumb drive, which showed a person’s hand, to pictures of Carmody’s hands taken during the investigation. The Unit identified similar class and distinguishing characteristics between the images, demonstrating that the hand in the images on the thumb drive belonged to Carmody.     

    As part of the plea agreement, Carmody stipulated to a 480-month sentence of imprisonment for the offenses. If the Court rejects the stipulated sentence, Carmody or the United States could withdraw from the plea agreement. 

    The maximum penalty for cyberstalking is five years imprisonment. The maximum penalty for extortion is two years imprisonment. The maximum penalty for production of child pornography is 30 years imprisonment. Each offense also carries the possibility of a $250,000 fine.

    The FBI investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid is prosecuting the case.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) have partnered and released a digital series to educate parents and caretakers about sextortion and how they can help prevent kids and teens from being victims. This series offers three-to-five-minute videos about current online safety topics and provides essential information about the true dangers of online activities.  These videos titled “Sextortion Prevention” can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/@nationalcac/videos. 

    If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.

    The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. For more resources on cybercrime, visit www.ic3.gov.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New Mexico Man Sentenced to More than 27 Years in Prison for Advertising and Selling Child Pornography Online

    Source: US FBI

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A New Mexico man was sentenced yesterday on two felony charges related to his online child sexual exploitation activities, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. 

    U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Wesley Alan Crownover, II, 37, to 330 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release.  In August 2023, Crownover pleaded guilty to one count of advertising child pornography and one count of sale of child pornography. These convictions will require Crownover to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

    According to the plea agreement, Crownover was a member of 10 separate online groups dedicated to users who have a sexual interest in children. Within some of these groups, Crownover marketed his child pornography collection comprising of thousands of images and videos for sale. When contacted by an FBI undercover agent in one of the online groups, Crownover sold 30 videos containing child sexual abuse material for $25.

    A federal complaint and arrest warrant were obtained in the Northern District of Alabama, and a search warrant for Crownover’s residence was obtained from the District of New Mexico. When the warrants were executed, Crownover was not on the premises. Nonetheless, he saw law enforcement at his residence and fled the state. Crownover was a fugitive from justice for only a few months before he was located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and arrested by the United States Marshals Service.

    FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with the assistance of FBI Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Leann White and Kristen Osborne prosecuted the case.

    If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.

    The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. 

     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Alabama Man Sentenced for Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During January 6 Capitol Breach

    Source: US FBI

               WASHINGTON – An Alabama man was sentenced to prison on Nov. 15, 2024, after he was previously convicted of multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses, including assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

               Bryan Shawn Smith, 37, of Huntsville, Alabama, was sentenced to 34 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine by U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss.

               Smith was previously convicted of felony offenses of civil disorder, assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings following a bench trial before Judge Moss.

               According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Smith was present on the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, and was captured on police body-worn camera footage at approximately 2:10 p.m. confronting officers at a security barricade in this area. As rioters breached the security barricades on the Lower West Terrace, a group of officers fell back behind a door underneath the inaugural stage scaffolding. About 45 seconds later, the door was opened, and Smith held the door open and refused an officer’s command to step away from the doorway to allow the officer to close it.

               Evidence at trial showed that Smith later made his way to the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th. As he entered the Tunnel, Smith carried a stun gun. At approximately 2:53 p.m., Capitol building surveillance footage captured Smith spark the stun gun and pass it to another rioter in the Tunnel. Within approximately one minute, the stun gun was passed from the rioter who received it from Smith to another rioter and then to yet another rioter.

               Court documents say that Smith then exited the Tunnel quickly after passing off the stun gun and pumped his fist in an apparent effort to inspire others in the large crowd to press into the Tunnel and continue the riot. A rioter who later received the stun gun, Vitali Gossjankowski, later exited the Tunnel and used the stun gun in at least one attempt to assault an officer who was already under assault by other rioters.

               Smith entered the Tunnel a third time at approximately 3:16 p.m. and made his way to the front of the mob in the Tunnel. Inside the Tunnel, Smith joined a group of rioters violently pushing against the police line in an attempt to breach the Capitol. Here, Smith witnessed rioters physically assault police and helped push other rioters into the police line.

               The FBI arrested Smith on Dec. 4, 2022, in Huntsville.

               The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama provided valuable assistance.

               The FBI’s Birmingham and Washington Field Offices investigated this case. The United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.

               In the 46 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,561 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

               Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Wasilla Man Charged with Child Pornography, Firearm Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Wasilla man was charged by criminal complaint last week for allegedly possessing child pornography and possessing a firearm as a felon.

    According to court documents, in June 2022, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for a cell phone belonging to Paul Allen Greeno, 44. Upon review of the phone’s contents, agents found images of child sexual abuse, including sexual abuse of toddlers aged one to four years old.

    On Aug. 5, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant on Greeno’s person and residence. During the search, agents found four long gun rifles from a vehicle on his property. Several boxes of ammunition were also found in Greeno’s closet in his bedroom. Greeno was convicted of felony misconduct involving a weapon in December 2023.

    The criminal complaint filed against Greeno alleges that he befriended vulnerable youth in Anchorage with promises to supply them with drugs and then sexually exploited them.

    Greeno is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of child pornography depicting minors who have not attained 12 years of age. If convicted, Greeno faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. If anyone has information concerning Greeno’s alleged actions or may have encountered someone in person or online using the name Paul Allen Greeno, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana Weber is prosecuting the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, 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, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona Man Associated with Online Terror Network Arrested for Production of Child Sex Abuse Material and Cyberstalking

    Source: US FBI

    Baron Martin, 20, of Tucson, Arizona, was arrested on Dec. 11 for producing child sexual abuse material and cyberstalking offenses carried out as part of his participation in online violent terror networks known as 764 and CVLT.

    “764 remains a dangerous network of violent extremists who systematically target children and weaponize child sexual abuse material for the purpose of furthering an accelerationist agenda, destroying civilized society, and causing the collapse of the U.S. Government,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The Department of Justice is fully committed to stopping 764’s acts of terrorism and disrupting the 764 network.”

    ”The Department’s Project Safe Childhood strives to protect America’s youth, whether from individual stalkers or organized, virtual networks,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “This case serves not only to deter unlawful conduct, but also to encourage parents and children to remain vigilant and seek help when they encounter predatory and violent activity in the online world.”

    “The details in this case are simply horrific as the defendant allegedly coerced children to harm themselves multiple times,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and we take that especially seriously when it comes to the young and vulnerable. The FBI will use all of our authorities to investigate and hold accountable anyone who preys on children.”

    The unsealed complaint alleges that 764 is a network of violent extremists who engage in criminal conduct within the United States and abroad. Those involved with the 764 network, individually and as a network, methodically target vulnerable, underage populations across the United States and the globe by using known online social media communications platforms to support the possession, production, and sharing of extreme gore media and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with vulnerable, juvenile populations. Members of 764 seek to desensitize young people to violence and break down societal norms regarding violence, and they normalize the possession, production, and sharing of explicit CSAM and gore material to corrupt and groom their victims toward future violence.

    Historically, members of 764 systematically target underage females, groom them, extort them, and force them to mutilate themselves or others and either film or photograph such activity, at times while streaming it online for other members of the network. The network members will then commonly edit compilation photographs or videos of their victims, share these photographs or videos on their social media platforms to gain notoriety among other members of the network, and spread fear among their victims all for the purpose of accelerating chaos under the 764 ideology with an aim toward the disruption of society. The network has shifted names over time and spawned known offshoot networks. Although the network moves between social media channels and changes its name, the core goals and membership remain consistent and appear under the overarching threat of 764.

    Since approximately 2021, “Convict” has appeared as a participant in chatrooms related to the online terror networks 764 and CVLT. According to the complaint, Martin admitted to using the moniker “Convict” on social media platforms and, on multiple occasions, claimed online to be an owner of 764 and CVLT, teaching 764 members how to extort victims, describing himself as the “king of extortion,” and boasting he was “the catalyst for thousands of extortions” in 764. Martin also created and posted on a social media platform a detailed guide on how to identify, groom, and extort vulnerable juveniles.

    The complaint accuses Martin of producing child sex abuse material on Discord, a chat and gaming platform, in September 2022, by making two separate minors self-mutilate for him. On one occasion, Martin had a 13-year-old child cut his name “in every possible place” she could to include her chest, stomach, and thighs, and threatened to “leak” pictures of her if she did not comply. On other occasions, Martin directed this same minor child to cut certain designs into her body to include swastikas and satanic symbols.

    Martin also directed another minor victim, 16, on Discord, to scratch herself with her nails, ordering her to “draw blood,” saying “I want it dripping.” He then told her to pour rubbing alcohol over the wounds. Martin later sent three videos of this sadistic abuse of the minor to another Discord user. In the videos, the minor is scratching her forearm with her nails and pouring rubbing alcohol onto the scratches before curling up in apparent pain with a rag in her mouth.

    Martin is also accused of cyberstalking a different 13-year-old minor for threats he sent over Discord in September 2022. Martin told this minor victim he put a “hit” on her grandmother, and he solicited individuals to kill the victim’s grandmother. Martin agreed to pay one person $3,000 to kidnap and murder the victim’s grandmother, whose address he provided. The complaint alleges that in a separate server chat, Martin posted the phone numbers of both the minor and her grandmother and told the network to contact both numbers to harass them.

    If convicted, Martin faces a penalty of up to 30 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material and a penalty of up to 10 years in prison for cyberstalking when the victim is a minor and no bodily injury resulted from the conduct. Each offense also carries a fine of up to $250,000 and up to a lifetime of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liza Granoff and Carin C. Duryée for the District of Arizona and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, 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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    A complaint 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: Arizona Man Charged With Felony Assault of Law Enforcement Officers and Other Counts During January 6 Capitol Breach

    Source: US FBI

               WASHINGTON — An Arizona man self-surrendered and was arrested today for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers and other charges related to his alleged conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His alleged actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

               David Caleb Crosby, 35, of Phoenix, Arizona, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds; and engaging in an act of physical violence in the grounds or any of the Capitol buildings. 

               The FBI arrested Crosby today in Phoenix. He will make his initial appearance in the District of Arizona.

               According to court documents, on January 6, 2021, Crosby confronted police attempting to hold a police line located on the U.S. Capitol’s Lower West Plaza. Crosby allegedly used his back and body to repeatedly ram into bike racks serving as police barricades.

               Videos recorded Crosby repeatedly backing into the police line, even as officers repeatedly shoved him away and issued commands to back up. Two officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) used a Mk 46 “super soaker” to deploy chemical irritants in efforts to repel him. But even after being directly sprayed by these irritants and specifically ordered to back up, Crosby continued to ram his back into the police line. Crosby’s efforts appeared to encourage other rioters to also confront the police line. Crosby’s pushes against the police line were thwarted only when MPD officers pulled him over the top of these barricades and detained him.

               This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

               This case is being investigated by the by the FBI’s Phoenix and Washington Field Offices, which identified Crosby as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) AFO (Assault on Federal Officer) #248 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by  the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

               In the 47 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,572 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

               Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

               A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arkansas Man Arrested for Allegedly Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During January 6 Capitol Breach

    Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON — An Arkansas man was arrested today for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His alleged actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

                David Michael Camden, 45, of Tontitown, Arkansas, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and civil disorder.  In addition to the felonies, Camden is also charged with several misdemeanor offenses, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

                The FBI arrested Camden today in Fayetteville, and he is expected to make his initial appearance in the Western District of Arkansas.

                According to court documents, it is alleged that Camden was identified on Jan. 6, 2021, approaching a bike rack barricade separating police officers from rioters gathered on the West Front of Capitol grounds. Here, Camden yelled at officers and allegedly pushed a bike rack barricade into a line of U.S. Capitol Police Officers in an apparent attempt to breach the line at this location. In response, officers successfully repelled Camden’s advance and deployed a chemical irritant in his direction to preempt further aggression.

                After this incident, it is alleged that Camden remained on Capitol grounds as the riot further developed. At approximately 2:11 p.m., court documents say that Camden deployed a fire extinguisher toward an assembled police line. Camden later moved to a media tower assembled for the upcoming Inauguration, and once he arrived at the media tower, Camden climbed the tower and waived a “Three Percenters” flag above the mob of rioters. Court documents say that “Three Percenters” are an American far-right anti-government militia.  

                This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas.

                The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Little Rock and Washington Field Offices. Camden was identified as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #286 on the FBI’s seeking information images. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

                 In the 41 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,450 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 500 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing. 

                Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

                A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Offense

    Source: US FBI

    FORT SMITH – A Van Buren man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release on one count of Transportation of Child Pornography. The Honorable P.K. Holmes III presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fort Smith.

    According to court documents, James Allen Price, age 42, is a registered sex offender. In July 2023 law enforcement was alerted by NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) that someone had emailed child pornography from one email account to another. Subsequent law enforcement investigation identified Price as the owner of both email accounts. A federal search warrant was conducted on Price’s residence and electronic devices were seized. Price was interviewed by law enforcement where he admitted to emailing himself child pornography. Price possessed images of children under the age of twelve years old.

    U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Van Buren Police Department and Joplin, Missouri Police Department investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall prosecuted the case.

    This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, 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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Distributor of ANOM Hardened Encrypted Devices Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    SAN DIEGO – Osemah Elhassen of Sydney, Australia, was sentenced in federal court today to 63 months in prison for participating in a worldwide conspiracy to distribute hardened encrypted communication devices to criminal syndicates to facilitate drug trafficking and other crimes.

    Elhassen was one of 17 defendants indicted in San Diego in 2021 in connection with Operation Trojan Shield, an international law enforcement effort in which the FBI secretly operated an encrypted messaging network used by criminals, leading to the arrests of hundreds worldwide.

    According to court records, the platform was known as ANOM. While ANOM’s criminal users unknowingly communicated on the system operated by the FBI, agents catalogued more than 27 million messages between users around the world whose criminal discussions were covertly obtained and reviewed by the FBI. The platform was taken down in June 2021. Please see Operation Trojan Shield in 2021.

    Elhassen pleaded guilty in May 2024 to Count 1 of a superseding indictment charging him and the others with a racketeering conspiracy in connection with the ANOM enterprise. A citizen of Australia, Elhassen was a Colombia-based distributor of ANOM devices who was also directly involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.

    Elhassen admitted that around November 2019, he became a member of the ANOM enterprise. According to his plea agreement, he admitted to helping accomplish the illegal objectives of that enterprise, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and obstruction of justice offenses. To that end, Elhassen distributed ANOM devices to criminal end-users for over a year and a half, and in doing so, facilitated the importation, exportation, and distribution of at least 15 kilograms of cocaine and the laundering of proceeds from the enterprise’s illegal activities.

    According to the government’s sentencing filings, Elhassen’s ANOM messages show significant distribution of ANOM devices in Colombia and other places. His messages also show that Elhassen participated in providing ANOM device support and arranging subscription renewals, among other sales and price-setting activity.

    Elhassen was arrested in Colombia in June 2021 and was extradited to the Southern District of California in May 2023. He pleaded guilty in May 2024.

    “Despite use of sophisticated technology and extreme measures to conceal the criminal enterprise, Mr. Elhassen could not thwart federal investigators,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The sentence today demonstrates that even those who go to the greatest lengths to hide will be held to account.”

    “Evidence collected during Operation Trojan Shield showed that distributors of ANOM devices, like Mr. Elhassen, were not merely providing a messaging service but enabling and facilitating Transnational Criminal Organizations,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge, Stacey Moy. “Today’s sentence should send a strong message to the users and distributors of these types of devices. The FBI will continue to collaborate with domestic and international partners on new and innovative strategies to combat the ever-evolving threat posed by transnational criminal organizations.”

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua C. Mellor, Mikaela L. Weber, and Peter S. Horn. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogota provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Elhassen. The United States also thanks Colombian law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance.

    Three other defendants in this case have pleaded guilty, including Dragan Nikitovic, aka Dr. Djek; Edwin Harmendra Kumar, aka Edwin Harmendra Valentine; and Miwand Zakhimi, aka Maiwand Zakhimi. They are scheduled to be sentenced in December 2024 and January 2025. A trial for four other defendants is scheduled for March 10, 2025. Eight other defendants in the case are yet to be extradited to the United States, and one is a fugitive.

    For further information on investigations and prosecutions of encrypted communication providers, see https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/fbi-s-encrypted-phone-platform-infiltrated-hundreds-criminal-syndicates-result-massive (ANOM), https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/sky-global-executive-and-associate-indicted-providing-encrypted-communication-devices (Sky Global), and https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/chief-executive-communications-company-sentenced-prison-providing-encryption-services (Phantom Secure).

    Operation Trojan Shield 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.

    DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 21cr1623-JLS-17                                   

    Osemah Elhassen                                            Age: 51                                   Sydney, Australia

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Count 1:  Racketeering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1962(d)

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, and fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    Drug Enforcement Administration

    United States Marshals Service

    Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs

    Australian Federal Police

    Swedish Police Authority

    Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau

    National Police of the Netherlands

    EUROPOL                                                          

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Crowheart Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

    Source: US FBI

    Quinlin James Hernandez, 32, of Crowheart, Wyoming, was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release for sexual abuse. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on March 5 in Casper.

    According to court documents, on April 13, 2024, a 14-year-old minor victim who had been reported missing was located at the residence of Hernandez. She was able to send a text to her grandmother to come pick her up at that location. During her forensic interview, she stated that Hernandez and several minors picked her up April 10, 2023, without the knowledge of her guardians. Hernandez drove to a liquor store, where he bought alcohol and then drove the minors to his residence in Crowheart. At the residence, all the minors and the defendant drank the alcohol. Hernandez began flirting with and making sexual advances toward the minor victim. The minor victim was at Hernandez’s residence for approximately two and a half days, during which Hernandez forced himself on the minor victim, sexually abusing her twice. The victim underwent a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination and Hernandez’s seminal fluid and DNA were confirmed to be on the victim’s clothing.  He was indicted on May 16, 2024.

    When interviewed, Hernandez denied sexually abusing the minor victim. However, when he entered his plea of guilty on December 13, 2024, he admitted that he had sex with the minor victim when she was too drunk to either consent or decline to have sex with him.

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department and the FBI investigated this crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry Jacobson prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought about by Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet and to identify and rescue victims.

    Case No. 24-CR-00087

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Registered Sex Offender Charged with Sex Trafficking Children by Force

    Source: US FBI

    WASHINGTON – Linwood Barnhill, 59, a registered sex offender living in the District of Columbia, was arrested on May 1, 2025, and federally charged with sex trafficking children by force and related counts. The alleged offenses occurred between April 1, 2024, and April 29, 2025.

    The criminal complaint was announced today by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Chief Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

    Barnhill, a former officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, is charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; sex trafficking of children; coercion and enticement; transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; and interstate travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises. According to the complaint, the defendant allegedly recruited a series of minor children to engage in commercial sex acts and financially profited from those commercial sex acts.

    This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell.

    This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Alabama Man Convicted of Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During January 6 Capitol Breach

    Source: US FBI

                WASHINGTON – An Alabama man was convicted on May 10, 2024, of multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses, including assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

                Bryan Shawn Smith, 37, of Huntsville, Alabama, was found guilty of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, both felony offenses, following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss.

                In addition to the felonies, Judge Moss found Smith guilty of four misdemeanor offenses, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

                Judge Moss will sentence Smith on Aug. 20, 2024.

                According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Smith was present on the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, and was captured on police body-worn camera footage at approximately 2:10 p.m. confronting officers at a security barricade in this area. As rioters breached the security barricades on the Lower West Terrace, a group of officers fell back behind a door underneath the inaugural stage scaffolding. About 45 seconds later, the door was opened, and Smith held the door open and refused an officer’s command to step away from the doorway to allow the officer to close it.

                Evidence at trial showed that Smith later made his way to the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th. As he entered the Tunnel, Smith carried a stun gun. At approximately 2:53 p.m., Capitol building surveillance footage captured Smith spark the stun gun and pass it to another rioter in the Tunnel. Within approximately one minute, the stun gun was passed from the rioter who received it from Smith to another rioter and then to yet another rioter.

                Court documents say that Smith then exited the Tunnel quickly after passing off the stun gun and pumped his fist in an apparent effort to inspire others in the large crowd to press into the Tunnel and continue the riot. A rioter who later received the stun gun, Vitali Gossjankowski, later exited the Tunnel and used the stun gun in at least one attempt to assault an officer who was already under assault by other rioters.

                Smith entered the Tunnel a third time at approximately 3:16 p.m. and made his way to the front of the mob in the Tunnel. Inside the Tunnel, Smith joined a group of rioters violently pushing against the police line in an attempt to breach the Capitol. Here, Smith witnessed rioters physically assault police and helped push other rioters into the police line.

                The FBI arrested Smith on Dec. 4, 2022, in Huntsville.

                The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama provided valuable assistance.

                The FBI’s Birmingham and Washington Field Offices investigated this case. The United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.

                In the 40 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,424 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 500 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

                Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner of Marketing Companies and DME Company Convicted for Role in $100 Million Scheme to Defraud Medicare and Other Insurers and to Violate the Anti-Kickback Statute

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J.  A Florida man was convicted by a federal jury for his role in a durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme that caused millions of dollars in losses to Medicare and other insurance providers, United States Attorney John Giordano announced.

    Following a month-long jury trial before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz, Raheel Naviwala, 36, of Coral Springs, Florida, was convicted on Feb. 28, 2025, of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, one count of health care fraud, conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, and three counts of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute. He was also acquitted of two counts of health care fraud.

    “This Office is committed to prosecuting those like the defendant who seek to profit by defrauding and corrupting our nation’s medical systems,” United States Attorney John Giordano said. “When people siphon millions from Medicare to line their own pockets, regular citizens pay the price. This case demonstrates that serious consequences will follow for such conduct.”

    “The scheme Naviwala and his co-conspirators created to steal money from the government was complex and expansive,” FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly said. “However, FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners have the expertise and grit to dig through mountains of data and find the fraudsters. We want this case to serve as a warning to anyone hoping to capitalize on hiding under the red tape – we are still here, and you will eventually get caught.”

    “The defendant convicted in this case prioritized greed over the provision of appropriate health care services to patients, bilking the federal government for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment,” stated Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of the federal health care system and hold accountable owners and providers engaging in fraud that targets its programs.”

    “Investigating corrupt schemes that undermine the integrity of TRICARE, the healthcare system for military members and their families, is a top priority for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Mr. Naviwala’s illegal schemes put the TRICARE program and its beneficiaries at risk. We are committed to working with our partner agencies and the Department of Justice to pursue those individuals who selfishly place personal gain over the safety and care of TRICARE beneficiaries.”

    “Schemes such as these compromise the integrity of VA’s programs and services and divert funds from our nation’s deserving veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraudsters and hold them accountable.”

    According to the evidence at trial:

    Naviwala and his coconspirators purchased lists of Medicare patients’ names, addresses, and phone numbers, and hired telemarketers to convince the patients to get DME (orthotic braces). These telemarketers pre-filled prescriptions and picked the highest-paying braces to bill to insurers. Naviwala then paid telemedicine doctors to sign the pre-filled prescriptions for braces, regardless of whether the patients needed or wanted braces. Generally, the telemedicine doctor did not even speak to the patients before signing the pre-filled prescriptions.

    Naviwala then sold the signed prescriptions to DME supply companies that could bill Medicare, TRICARE, and other insurers for the braces. To conceal the fraud, Naviwala and his coconspirators signed sham contracts and used sham invoices that falsely represented that Naviwala was billing DME supply companies for marketing or consulting.

    Naviwala also owned and operated a DME supply company that was used to bill Medicare, and which submitted claims to Medicare for up to nine braces for a single patient.

    To further conceal his illegal conduct, Naviwala put multiple of his businesses in the names of nominee owners. The nominee owners generally performed no legitimate work for any company and were paid to hide Naviwala’s involvement.

    Medicare and other insurers paid hundreds of millions of dollars to members of the conspiracy and paid at least approximately $100 million for DME associated with Naviwala’s companies. Naviwala personally pocketed more than $10 million in fraud proceeds.

    Conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Health care fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. Conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison. Each count of illegal kickbacks is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. Each count is also punishable by a fine. Sentencing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on July 29, 2025, before Judge Farbiarz in Newark.

    United States Attorney John Giordano credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark; HHS-OIG, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; DCIS, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty; and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri with the investigation leading to the conviction.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine K. Lou, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division, and Aaron L. Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

                                                               ###

    Defense counsel:

    Jamie Hoxie Solano, Esq. New York, New York

    Amy C. Brown, Esq. New York, New York

    Bryan W. McCracken, Esq. New York, New York

    Ifedapo Benjamin, Esq. New York, New York

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Arraigned in Federal Court on Multiple Charges of Sexual Exploitation of Children

    Source: US FBI

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Lawrence County man was arraigned in federal court last week on multiple child sexual exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.

    A 13-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges David Edward Collier, 46, with four counts of sexual exploitation of children, eight counts of transportation of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.

    According to the indictment, between January 2017 and August 2022, Collier used, induced, or coerced minor children to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of that conduct.  Between October 2022 and September 2023, Collier transported the child pornography.  Collier was also charged with possession of child pornography.  

    FBI North Alabama Violent Crime Task Force and Cybercrime Squad investigated the case along with the assistance of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, Moulton Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Huntsville Police Department, and Limestone County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) have partnered and released a digital series to educate parents and caretakers about sextortion and how they can help prevent kids and teens from being victims. This series offers three-to-five-minute videos about current online safety topics and provides essential information about the true dangers of online activities.

    The videos can be accessed from the following locations:

    nationalcac.org/sextortion-prevention/

    https://www.youtube.com/@nationalcac

    The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kentucky Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison Related to Sextortion Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Kentucky man was sentenced today on a charge of sexual exploitation of children, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

    U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Aden Willis Yeager, 22, of Louisville, Kentucky, to 300 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release.  As part of his sentence, Yeager was ordered to pay $92,620 in restitution to the victims and a $50,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act. In March, Yeager pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. 

    According to the plea agreement, in November 2020, the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children related to acts of sextortion committed by Yeager towards a minor female. Yeager coerced and enticed the minor to send him nude photos of herself, and then he sold the photos online.  When the minor would refuse to send more pictures, Yeager would threaten to send her nude photos to everyone in her contact list on social media. Further investigation revealed over 60 individual folders in Yeager’s Dropbox account that were labeled by female names and contained sexually explicit images and videos. FBI agents were able to positively identify and locate 19 minor females who had been contacted by Yeager to send pornographic photos.

    FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with FBI Louisville, Kentucky; the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force; and the University of Alabama Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) have partnered and released a digital series to educate parents and caretakers about sextortion and how they can help prevent kids and teens from being victims. This series offers three-to-five-minute videos about current online safety topics and provides essential information about the true dangers of online activities.

    The videos can be accessed from the following locations:

    nationalcac.org/sextortion-prevention/

    https://www.youtube.com/@nationalcac

    If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.

    The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tuscaloosa Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Pandemic Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Tuscaloosa County woman pleaded guilty this week to defrauding the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

    Erica Lasha Prewitt, 42, of Tuscaloosa, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler to theft of government funds. 

    According to the plea agreement, in August 2020, Prewitt received a fraudulent PPP loan totaling $96,875.  Prewitt made material misrepresentations on the loan application that was supported by fraudulent documentation.  In September 2021, Prewitt submitted a PPP Loan Forgiveness Application in which she claimed her business employed 30 people and the full amount of the loan was spent on payroll costs.  Prewitt never owned or operated a business and did not use the PPP loan funds to retain workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    Prewitt is scheduled to be sentenced on November 26, 2024.  The maximum penalty for theft of government funds is 10 years in prison.

    FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan “Jack” Harrington is prosecuting the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ketchikan Man Sentenced to 13 Years and Four Months for Running Child Pornography Distribution Group Chat

    Source: US FBI

    JUNEAU, Alaska – A Ketchikan man was sentenced today to 13 years and 4 months in prison for distributing child pornography through a group messaging platform.

    According to court documents, Walter William Onstad, 46, was an administrator of a messaging group known as “Anything Goes.” The chat was used exclusively to exchange child pornography, with some of the visuals depicting the sexual abuse of pre-pubescent minors.

    Court documents say investigators with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip in April 2022 that an individual, later identified as Onstad, sent at least 12 images and videos of child pornography to another user through the messaging platform.

    An investigation revealed that Onstad solicited images depicting child sexual abuse from those wanting to enter the “Anything Goes” group chat. The defendant would personally verify the images, upload the images to the group chat and grant access to people who provided them.

    As the investigation continued, the defendants cell phone was taken by law enforcement and over 300 images and 40 videos of child sexual abuse were in his possession on the phone. The defendant admitted to being responsible for the possession and distribution of over 600 images. Some of the images he possessed and distributed included the sexual abuse of minors as young as infants and toddlers.

    “Mr. Onstad contributed to the victimization of children by running a child sexual abuse material distribution chat and was responsible for sharing hundreds of images of innocent children,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “We will continue to work with law enforcement to relentlessly pursue, arrest and prosecute individuals who traffic images of child sexual abuse and hold them responsible for the incalculable damage they’ve caused.”

    “Innocent children are revictimized each time CSAM is distributed,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “As an administrator of a CSAM distribution operation, Walter Onstad fueled a market that preys on our most vulnerable. No matter how they commit their crimes, those who sexually exploit children will be pursued and held accountable by the FBI and law enforcement partners, for justice and the safety of our children.”

    The Juneau Resident Agency of the FBI Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the Ketchikan Police Department and North Carolina’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, 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, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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