NewzIntel.com

Category: FBI

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI El Paso to Stand Up Election Command Post

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    In keeping with our standard Election Day protocol, FBI El Paso has stood up an Election Command Post in preparation for the November 5 election. The command post is staffed 24 hours a day to provide a centralized location for assessing election-related threats in our area of responsibility. The FBI has a duty to plan for a host of potential scenarios related to election fraud, voter suppression, foreign malign influence, malicious cyber activity against election infrastructure, and threats to election workers. We are committed to protecting the American public’s right to a fair and safe election. 

    For decades, the FBI has served as the primary agency responsible for investigating allegations of federal election crimes, including campaign finance violations, ballot/voter fraud, and civil rights violations. In close partnership with Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI established the Election Threats Task Force to identify and address reported threats targeting election workers. 

    The FBI takes our responsibility very seriously, and works closely with our federal, state, and local partners to identify and stop any potential threats to public safety. We gather and analyze intelligence to determine whether individuals might be motivated to take violent action for any reason, including due to concerns about the election. 

    It is vital the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the public work together to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote. We encourage the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. The FBI takes all threats of violence seriously, including threats targeting those who do the critical work of administering free and fair elections throughout the U.S. 

    The Justice Department has long recognized that the states—not the federal government—are responsible for administering elections, determining the validity of votes, and tabulating the results, with challenges handled by the appropriate election administrators, officials, legislatures, and courts.  The Department’s role is limited to investigating and prosecuting violations of federal election laws and deterring criminal conduct.

    FBI El Paso encourages citizens to report allegations of election fraud and other election abuses to FBI El Paso directly at (915) 832-5000.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Las Vegas Election Command Post

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    In keeping with our standard Election Day protocol, FBI Las Vegas has stood up an Election Command Post in preparation for the election on November 5. The command post is staffed 24 hours a day to provide a centralized location for assessing election-related threats in our area of responsibility. The FBI has a duty to plan for a host of potential scenarios related to election fraud, voter suppression, foreign malign influence, malicious cyber activity against election infrastructure, and threats to election workers. We are committed to protecting the American public’s right to a fair and safe election.

    For decades, the FBI has served as the primary agency responsible for investigating allegations of federal election crimes, including campaign finance violations, ballot/voter fraud, and civil rights violations. In close partnership with Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI established the Election Threats Task Force to identify and address reported threats targeting election workers.

    The FBI takes our responsibility very seriously and works closely with our federal, state, and local partners to identify and stop any potential threats to public safety. We gather and analyze intelligence to determine whether individuals might be motivated to take violent action for any reason, including due to concerns about the election.

    It is vital the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the public work together to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote. We encourage the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. The FBI takes all threats of violence seriously, including threats targeting those who do the critical work of administering free and fair elections throughout the U.S.

    The Justice Department has long recognized that the states—not the federal government—are responsible for administering elections, determining the validity of votes, and tabulating the results, with challenges handled by the appropriate election administrators, officials, legislatures, and courts. The Department’s role is limited to investigating and prosecuting violations of federal election laws and deterring criminal conduct.

    FBI Las Vegas encourages citizens to report allegations of election fraud and other election abuses. You can reach the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Captured: FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive from St. Louis Metro Area

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    FBI St. Louis Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson has announced the arrest of Donald Eugene Fields, II. He was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in May 2023. He is facing child sex trafficking and child rape charges in federal and state court, respectively. 

    On the morning of January 25, the Lady Lake Police Department arrested Fields, II, after a routine traffic stop. The license plate was not registered to the vehicle he was driving. It happened at 9:15 a.m. (Eastern Time) at U.S. Highway 27/441 at Rolling Acres Road. Lady Lake is northwest of Orlando, Florida. The FBI praised the work of the department, whose police chief is an FBI National Academy graduate. “Thanks to proactive policing by the Lady Lake Police Department, one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives has been captured,” said Special Agent in Charge Johnson.

    Fields, II will be scheduled to make his first appearance in federal court in Florida. 

    Fields, II, 60, was federally indicted in St. Louis on December 7, 2023 on one count of child sex trafficking. The indictment accuses Fields, II, of knowingly attempting to recruit, entice, provide, patronize, and solicit a minor into engaging in a commercial sex act from about January 2013 until June 2017.  
     
    Fields II is also facing charges including statutory rape, statutory sodomy, child molestation, and witness tampering in Franklin County Circuit Court in Missouri. A warrant for his arrest was issued by that court after Fields II vacated his home and failed to show up for a March 3, 2022, hearing, court records show. 
     
    Fields II is the fifth fugitive investigated by the FBI St. Louis Field Office to be named as an FBI Top Ten Most Wanted fugitive. More than 60 years ago, Thomas Edward Galloway was placed on the list in June 1964.  The FBI arrested Galloway in July 1964 at a golf course in Danville, Virginia, after a citizen recognized him from a newspaper article. 
     
    The FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list was established in March of 1950. Fields, II, was the 531st fugitive added to the list. Of the total, 495 fugitives have now been apprehended or located—163 of them as a result of citizen cooperation. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Witness Retaliation

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Patrick Civitello, age 18, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to witness retaliation, admitting that he assaulted a 15-year-old boy in retaliation for the boy’s mother testifying last year in a federal criminal trial.

    United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

    Patrick Civitello is the son of Jeffrey Civitello Sr. and the younger brother of Jeffrey Civitello Jr., both of whom were convicted of federal drug trafficking charges following a jury trial in Albany in April 2023. A witness, identified in the indictment as V-1, testified at that trial.

    In pleading guilty, Patrick Civitello admitted that on the evening of May 19, 2024, while at a restaurant in Glenville, New York, he observed V-1, who was with her 15-year-old son (“V-2”). At the time he observed V-1, Patrick Civitello was speaking on the phone with Jeffrey Civitello Jr. (who was incarcerated), and Patrick Civitello told his brother that he had just seen V-1 walk into the restaurant. Patrick Civitello then said “I gotta rag this bitch, I gotta call you back,” meaning that he intended to retaliate against V-1 for her trial testimony. Jeffrey Civitello Jr. responded, “Ok run down, but do it away from everyone if you could.”

    V-1 and V-2 then exited the restaurant and headed to their vehicle in the parking lot. Patrick Civitello, who was following V-1 and V-2 out of the restaurant, briefly stopped in the parking lot to remove his watch and a cross-body bag. Having placed those items on the ground of the parking lot, Patrick Civitello charged in the direction of V-1 and V-2. He punched V-2 in the head, and continued to punch and kick V-2 after V-2 fell to the ground. V-2 suffered minor abrasions and bruises, including to his head, neck, and hand. 

    Patrick Civitello, who has been in custody since his arrest on June 13, 2024, will be sentenced on February 28, 2025. He faces up to life in prison and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 5 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

    The FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Glenville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Dustin Segovia are prosecuting this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man who Provided Guns to Shooter of Two Jewish Community Members in California Sentenced to Prison

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Eric Celaya, 30, of Phoenix, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to eight months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. On May 15, 2024, Celaya pleaded guilty to making a Material False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm.

    On January 19, 2023, Celaya purchased two firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) in Tempe. Celaya completed the Firearms Transaction Record, known as ATF Form 4473, and stated that he was the actual purchaser. However, Celaya knew he was purchasing the firearms on behalf of Jamie Tran. After Celaya submitted the ATF Form 4473 to the FFL, he purchased and left with the two firearms. Subsequently, Celaya provided the firearms to Tran. On February 15, 2023, and February 16, 2023, Tran used the firearms to shoot two Jewish community members in California, offenses charged as hate crimes in the United States District Court, Central District of California, Case Number 2:23-CR-00098-GW. Celaya had no prior criminal history and there was no evidence to show that Celaya was aware of Tran’s intentions or beliefs.

    This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Addison Owen, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
     

    CASE NUMBER:                  CR-23-01456-PHX-MTL
    RELEASE NUMBER:           2024-149_Celaya

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mission Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and Failure to Appear in Federal Court

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Failure to Appear. The sentencing took place on August 5, 2024.

    Ethan Blue Bird, age 35, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Blue Bird was indicted for failure to appear in April of 2023 and later, in January of 2024 for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. He pleaded guilty on May 6, 2024.

    From January of 2021 through April of 2023, Blue Bird was involved in a conspiracy with several others in the distribution of methamphetamine on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. As part of the conspiracy, Blue Bird was responsible for distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine. On April 24, 2022, Blue Bird was found in possession of a firearm. He admitted to law enforcement to being a daily user of methamphetamine. Following his initial indictment, Blue Bird was released on bond conditions. On March 28, 2023, Blue Bird failed to appear for the jury trial previously scheduled relating to the firearm offense.  

    These cases were investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Dilges and Kirk Albertson prosecuted the cases.

    Blue Bird was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Haskell Resident Sentenced for Robbery

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Keith Wyatt Underwood, age 32, of Haskell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 77 months in prison for one count of Robbery in Indian Country.

    The charges arose from an investigation by the Haskell Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    On July 10, 2023, Underwood pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on July 24, 2022, Underwood was discovered by a property owner stealing copper cables from a Muskogee County property.  Underwood then pulled a revolver on the resident before driving away with the stolen cables.  The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The Honorable John C. Coughenour, Senior District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  Underwood will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Stilwell Resident Sentenced to 24 Years for Murder and Federal Firearms Offense

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jerry Lee Matlock, Jr., age 41, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 168 months in prison for one count of Second Degree Murder in Indian Country, and 120 months in prison for one count of Use, Carry, Brandish and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.  The sentences are set to be served consecutively for a total of 288 months in prison.

    The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

    On February 12, 2024, Matlock pleaded guilty to the charges.  According to investigators, on the evening of September 14, 2021, Matlock intentionally fired his rifle at an individual from inside a pickup truck, then drove from the scene of the crime.  Adair County deputies responding to a shooting discovered a Stilwell resident deceased from a gunshot wound to the chest.  Law enforcement apprehended Matlock less than a mile away, parked in his pickup truck, with a Remington 700 bolt action rifle and ammunition.  The crimes occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The Honorable John C. Coughenour, Senior U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  Matlock will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Tahlequah Resident Sentenced to 25 Years for Murder

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Timothy Randall England, age 36, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 300 months in prison for the 2023 murder of a Stilwell resident.

    The charge arose from investigations by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    On April 30, 2024, England pleaded guilty to one count of Murder in Indian Country—Second Degree.   According to investigators, on February 7, 2023, England traveled to a Stilwell residence, waited outside for the resident to arrive, then fired upon the victim eight times with a 7.62×39 rifle before fleeing the scene.  Three of the shots struck the victim, who died at the scene.  England was later apprehended by the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service in Tahlequah and arrested without incident.  The crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The Honorable Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach, Chief Judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee.  England will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States at sentencing.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Gore Resident Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Child Abuse and Neglect

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Mason Anthony Wilson, age 28, of Gore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of Child Abuse in Indian Country and 120 months in prison for one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country.  The terms are set to be served concurrently.

    The charges arose from an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    On June 5, 2024, a federal jury found Wilson guilty at trial on both counts.  According to investigators, in April 2022, Wilson caused injuries to a 2-month-old baby in his care, including multiple fractured bones, and failed to provide medical care for the child.  The crimes occurred in Sequoyah County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation of Oklahoma, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The Honorable Kea W. Riggs, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  Wilson will remain it the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah McAmis and Jessica Bove represented the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Coal County Resident Sentenced for Manslaughter

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ronald Wayne Yarbrough Jr., age 54, of Lehigh, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 115 months in prison for voluntary manslaughter.

    The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    On August 31, 2023, Yarbrough pleaded guilty to an Information of one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country.  According to investigators, on November 24, 2022, Yarbrough instigated a fight outside the family home.  During the fight, Yarbrough stabbed the victim in the neck.  The victim was later declared dead at an area hospital.  The crime occurred in Coal County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The Honorable Kea W. Riggs, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court of New Mexico, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  Yarbrough will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S.  Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Cohen Expresses Concern at Suggestion Jeffrey Epstein had Compromising Photographs of Trump

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

    MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, today expressed concern that the pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein reportedly had compromising photographs of Donald Trump with topless young women and showed them to book author Michael Wolff. News of the photographs was reported Thursday evening in The Daily Beast, along with Trump campaign denunciations of the story.

    At the July 24, 2024, Federal Bureau of Investigation Oversight Hearing in the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Cohen asked FBI Director Christopher Wray about the FBI’s search of Jeffrey Epstein’s home and what was found.  After the hearing, Congressman followed up with Director Wray on this issue and submitted written questions for him about the Epstein case and evidence seized in searches of Epstein’s homes.  Among those questions:

    “Did the FBI retrieve any evidence that prompted the agency to open a new criminal investigation with a target other than Epstein for alleged sexual abuse?

    “Did the FBI recover any evidence that the FBI suspects Mr. Epstein held to blackmail others?

    “Will you open up the FBI’s records about your interactions with, and investigations of, Jeffrey Epstein?”

    The FBI has not yet responded to those questions.   

    See Congressman Cohen’s questions to Wray at the July hearing here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Transporting and Possessing Child Pornography Nets District Man More Than Seven Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

                WASHINGTON – Stephen Rattley Johnson, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 7.5 years in prison for uploading and possessing videos in 2020 depicting the rape and sadistic sexual abuse of prepubescent girls.

                The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

                Johnson was found guilty by a federal jury on April 17, 2024, of five counts of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. On the possession count, the jury further found that the child pornography involved minors under 12 years of age, an aggravating circumstance that doubles the statutory maximum sentence. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered Johnson to pay $52,600 in restitution and special assessments. Upon release from his prison term, Johnson will be required to serve 10 years of supervised release and register as a sex offender.

                According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, on September 21, 2020, and October 1, 2020, Johnson uploaded hundreds of child pornography files to his Google Drive cloud storage account. Google identified 220 of the files as known child pornography and closed Johnson’s account. Consistent with its statutory obligations, Google reported the material to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which in turn referred the matter to law enforcement. As part of its investigation, investigators obtained the contents of Johnson’s Google account, which included hundreds of child pornography files.

                Law enforcement arrested Johnson on October 7, 2021, and searched his then-residence in the H Street Corridor of Northeast Washington. Among other evidence, law enforcement seized his cellphone and the laptop Johnson had used to upload the child pornography. Although Johnson deleted the child pornography from his computer after Google closed his account, digital forensics experts were able to recover artifacts showing that Johnson had downloaded many of the files as early as April 2020 and that he had opened and watched them. Many of the files are videos depicting the rape and sadistic sexual abuse of prepubescent girls. In addition, Johnson’s web browser history showed that he had navigated to child pornography online—including several of the files he later uploaded to Google—and evidence from his cellphone showed that he continued to seek out child pornography even after Google closed his account.

                The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force; the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).

                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.

                Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes prosecuted the case, with valuable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Janani Iyengar and Jocelyn Bond.

    22cr176

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Miami-Dade Corrections Officer Pled Guilty to $150,000 COVID-19 Fraud

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    MIAMI – Yesterday, Daniel Fleureme, 56, of Miami-Dade County, a former Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department (MDCRD) Corrections Officer, pled guilty to wire fraud for defrauding a COVID-19 relief program by fraudulently obtaining an Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

    The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act were Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruptions. These EIDLs were provided directly to borrowers by the SBA.

    On July 27, 2020, Fleureme, while he was employed full-time by MDCRD as a Corrections Officer, submitted to the SBA a false and fraudulent EIDL application claiming to be the 100% owner of a sole proprietorship operating under the company legal and DBA names of “Daniel Fleureme.” In this fraudulent application, Fleureme claimed that he had owned the business since its creation on Feb. 15, 2017, and stated that the business had three employees as of Jan. 31, 2020. Fleureme’s EIDL application also falsely certified that for the 12-month period prior to Jan. 31, 2020, his sole proprietorship had gross revenues of $450,000 and a cost of goods sold of only $97,000. As a result of this fraudulent EIDL application, Fleureme received approximately $150,000 in EIDL proceeds from the SBA.

    He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 7, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez in Miami. Fleureme faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conviction. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (M-DC OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Eastern Region, made the announcement.

    The FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the M-DC OIG, working in conjunction with SBA OIG, investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting the case.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    On Sept. 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud.  The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.

    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 https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20407.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Director Wray Visits FBI Offices in Burlington, Bedford, and Providence

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    Wray discussed the region’s biggest challenges and emphasized that a continued focus on partnerships was critical to staying ahead of the threat

    FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks with law enforcement partners during a meeting at the FBI Boston Division’s Bedford Resident Agency in New Hampshire during an October 2024 visit to New England.

    This week, FBI Director Christopher Wray visited the Burlington, Vermont; Bedford, New Hampshire; and Providence, Rhode Island, resident agencies. He met with employees, U.S. attorneys, and a number of key law enforcement, private sector, and community partners from across the region.

    During these partner meetings, Director Wray talked about the Bureau’s work in the region and reaffirmed our commitment to supporting our state and local partners on issues such as violent crime, election security, threats to critical infrastructure, national security at the northern border, and emerging challenges, such as the impact of artificial intelligence on elder fraud and scams.

    “As a country and as a profession, we’re dealing with all sorts of challenges,” Director Wray said. “But our partnerships—with law enforcement, the private sector, and the communities we serve—give me confidence that we can stay ahead of the threats out there.”

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Perry County Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Soliciting Pornography From Hundreds of Minors While Pretending to be Teen Girl on Snapchat

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Junction City, Ohio, man was sentenced in federal court in Columbus today to 276 months in prison for sexually exploiting minors and possessing child pornography.

    Since 2018, Clay Thomas Wolfe, 28, solicited child pornography from more than 300 victims via the mobile application Snapchat. Approximately 100 exploitation victims who provided sexual content to Wolfe have been identified by law enforcement as minors thus far from across multiple states including Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

    Wolfe pretended on Snapchat to be a 15-year-old female named “Ally” who lived in Ohio and used this persona to solicit child pornography from primarily middle school and high school aged boys. Wolfe’s Snapchat account also contained sexually explicit photographs and videos of minor males as young as 10 and 11 years old.

    The investigation was initiated in April 2022, when law enforcement officials in Pennsylvania learned that a sixth-grade student was sharing a nude photograph of a classmate that he had received from Wolfe while Wolfe was pretending to be “Ally.”

    As part of his online persona, Wolfe sent the male victims photos and videos of pubescent female’s naked breasts and genitalia that he found on adult pornography sites or public social media accounts.   He would use that content to entice the minors he chatted with to send content of their own including image and video files of primarily minor males, some as young as twelve-years-old, engaged in sexually explicit conduct such as bestiality, masturbation, and sexual acts including oral and anal penetration.  Wolfe would also extort the victims by threatening to send the nude images of his victims to their friends and family unless they sent him additional images.

    In total, Wolfe received approximately 850 images and 570 videos depicting child pornography.

    Wolfe was arrested and charged federally in June 2023 and pleaded guilty in April 2024.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. U.S. Attorney Parker and Special Agent in Charge Iatarola commended the cooperation of the Perry County Sheriff’s Office and Perry County Prosecutor. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer M. Rausch and are representing the United States in this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New Jersey Resident Pleads Guilty to Helping Russia’s Defense Sector Evade U.S. Export Controls

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    Defendant Facilitated Russia’s Acquisition of Millions of Dollars of U.S.-Made Dual-Use Electronics Used in Radar, Surveillance, and Military Research and Development

    Vadim Yermolenko, 43, a dual U.S.-Russian national and resident of New Jersey, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States for his role in a transnational procurement and money laundering network that sought to acquire sensitive dual-use electronics for Russian military and intelligence services.

    “This defendant joins the nearly two dozen other criminals that our Task Force KleptoCapture has brought to justice in American courtrooms over the past two and a half years for enabling Russia’s military aggression,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This defendant admitted to playing a central role in a now-disrupted scheme with Russian intelligence services to smuggle sniper rifle ammunition and U.S. military grade equipment into Russia. The Justice Department will never stop working to aggressively disrupt and prosecute both the criminal networks and the individuals responsible for bolstering the Russian war machine.”

    “The illegal export of sensitive, dual-use technologies in support of Russia’s war effort poses a significant threat to the United States and its allies and must not be tolerated,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The defendant in this case played a key role in exporting U.S. technology that in the hands of our adversaries could pose great danger to our national security. The FBI and its partners will continue to focus on protecting strategic innovation at home and hold accountable anyone who facilitates illegal transfers to hostile nations like Russia.”

    “To facilitate the Russian war machine, the defendant played a critical role in exporting sensitive, dual-use technologies to Russia, facilitating shipping and the movement of millions of dollars through U.S. financial institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “This plea highlights my Office and our law enforcement partners continued commitment to use all tools available to prosecute those who unlawfully procure U.S. technology to send to Russia.”

    According to court documents, the defendant was affiliated with Serniya Engineering and Sertal LLC, Moscow-based companies that operate under the direction of Russian intelligence services to procure advanced electronics and sophisticated testing equipment for Russia’s military industrial complex and research and development sector. Serniya and Sertal operated a vast network of shell companies and bank accounts throughout the world, including the United States, that were used in furtherance of the scheme to conceal the involvement of the Russian government and the true Russian end users of U.S.-origin equipment.

    The defendant and his co-conspirators unlawfully purchased and exported highly sensitive, export controlled electronic components, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, quantum computing and other military applications. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) levied sanctions and imposed additional export restrictions on Serniya, Sertal, and several individuals and companies used in the scheme, calling them “instrumental to the Russian Federation’s war machine.”

    Sertal was licensed to conduct highly sensitive and classified procurement activities by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia’s principal security agency and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union’s KGB. The Serniya network’s Russian clients included State Corporation Rostec, the state-owned defense conglomerate; State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom (Rosatom); the Ministry of Defense; the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR); and various components of the FSB, including the Department of Military Counterintelligence and the Directorate for Scientific and Technological Intelligence, commonly known as “Directorate T.”

    To carry out the scheme, the defendant helped set up numerous shell companies and dozens of bank accounts in the U.S. to illicitly move money and export-controlled goods. During the period charged in the indictment, more than $12 million passed through accounts owned or controlled by the defendant. These funds were used in part to purchase sensitive equipment used in radar, surveillance and military research and development. In one instance, money from one of the defendant’s accounts was used to purchase export-controlled sniper bullets, which were intercepted in Estonia before they could be smuggled into Russia.

    Co-defendant Alexey Brayman previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and is awaiting sentence. The case against co-defendant Vadim Konoshchenok, a suspected FSB operative, was dismissed after Konoshchenok was removed from the United States as part of a prisoner exchange negotiated between the United States and Russia. Defendant Nikolaos Bogonikolos’ case remains pending. Defendants Boris Livshits, Alexey Ippolitov, Svetlana Skvortsova, and Yevgeniy Grinin remain at large.        

    The FBI, BIS, and IRS are investigating the case.

    The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and Estonian authorities provided valuable assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Artie McConnell, Andrew D. Reich, and Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

    Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture and the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Joint ODNI, FBI, and CISA Statement on Russian Election Influence Efforts

    News In Brief – Source: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the following statement:

    “The IC assesses that Russian influence actors manufactured a recent video that falsely depicted individuals claiming to be from Haiti and voting illegally in multiple counties in Georgia. This judgment is based on information available to the IC and prior activities of other Russian influence actors, including videos and other disinformation activities. The Georgia Secretary of State has already refuted the video’s claims as false.

    Russian influence actors also manufactured a video falsely accusing an individual associated with the Democratic presidential ticket of taking a bribe from a U.S. entertainer.

    This Russian activity is part of Moscow’s broader effort to raise unfounded questions about the integrity of the US election and stoke divisions among Americans, as detailed in prior ODNI election updates. In the lead up to election day and in the weeks and months after, the IC expects Russia to create and release additional media content that seeks to undermine trust in the integrity of the election and divide Americans.”

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Washington Resident Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Loan Fraud

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Washington, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of wire fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

    Walter Holt III, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.

    In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about March 12 and May 27, 2021, Holt prepared and submitted falsified Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) COVID-19 relief loan applications for Charleroi, Pennsylvania, borrowers, for which he took a fee.

    Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for January 31, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Holt.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Violent Sex Traffickers Sentenced to Combined 39 Years

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    RALEIGH, N.C. – D’Angelo Taborn, of Durham, was sentenced today to 27 years in prison for sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Following an FBI sting operation in Jacksonville, NC, Taborn and his co-defendant, Imani Franco, were arrested for using threats to coerce women into sex trafficking. Taborn, 31, pled guilty to the charge on July 24, 2024. Franco, 30, pled guilty on April 25, 2024, and was sentenced on September 23, 2024, to 12 years.

    “Our Human Trafficking Task Force brings agencies together to expose traffickers, rescue victims, and dismantle the illicit networks that traffic in human beings for sex or labor,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “These defendants treated their victims like animals, deprived them of food, and threatened them with violence if they did not comply.  Thankfully the FBI, NCIS, and local law enforcement acted swiftly, to hold the traffickers accountable and help put the survivors on their path of healing.”

    “It is difficult to hear these victims literally felt “caged” by these offenders. To be forced into sex trafficking, to have to ask for food, those are deplorable conditions for any human being to endure,” said Robert M. DeWitt the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina. “The FBI and our local law enforcement partners will never stop working to combat human trafficking.”

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, on August 12, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Human Trafficking Task Force conducted a proactive sting operation in Jacksonville, based on online advertisements for commercial sex. An undercover officer responded to an advertisement and was directed to a hotel in Jacksonville. The undercover officer encountered a young female depicted in the advertisement, later identified as Victim 1.

    A short time later, law enforcement observed the defendants step out of a hotel room just down the hall. When they saw law enforcement, Taborn and Franco attempted to leave, but they were detained while officers obtained search warrants for their hotel room and vehicle.  Taborn and Franco carried three phones between them, and when officers called the number listed in the commercial sex advertisement for Victim 1, one of the phones rang.

    When Taborn and Franco were arrested, Victim 1 became visibly relieved. She explained that Taborn and Franco had recruited her a month earlier and that they expected her to engage in commercial sex to make money for them. Taborn required Victim 1 to perform oral sex on him twice to ensure she was a “good product.”  Taborn and Franco controlled all aspects of the commercial sex operation and took all the money that Victim 1 earned.  They transported Victim 1 to different cities—Jacksonville, Charlotte, Durham, and Danville, Virginia—to find additional customers for commercial sex.  Investigators located numerous commercial sex advertisements and obtained hotel receipts and surveillance footage that confirmed Victim 1’s account.

    Victim 1 described how she feared Taborn and felt “like an animal in a cage.”  She was not allowed to leave her room and had to request food and water from Taborn and Franco. When officers recovered her, it had been more than 24 hours since she had last eaten—a meal that consisted of four leftover chicken wings from Taborn’s and Franco’s dinner.  On one occasion, Victim 1 witnessed Taborn and Franco recruit another female victim, Victim 2, who they picked up in South Carolina and transported back to North Carolina.  Victim 2 had not known they wanted her to engage in commercial sex in North Carolina. When Victim 2 said she did not want to participate, Taborn threatened her with his black handgun in front of Victim 1.  Officers found a firearm with an extended magazine and laser matching the description in the glovebox of Taborn’s car.

    Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) undertook this investigation as part of “Operation Cross Country,” a nationwide sex-trafficking enforcement campaign, with assistance from the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Police Department, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.

    This case was part of our Human Trafficking Task Force created to expose and prosecute anyone who exploits North Carolinians for sex or forced labor. Our victim-centric approach focuses on stabilizing victims, getting them resources, and helping them through the court process.  If you have a tip about trafficking, text 233733.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:23-cr-0092-D.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: “Bearded Bandit” Bank Robber Admits Striking the Same Rhode Island Bank Again

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE, RI – A Cranston man, previously convicted in federal court and incarcerated for more than six years for robbing nine banks in 2012, admitted to a federal judge on Wednesday that he participated in the robbery of an East Providence bank on New Year’s Eve in December 2019, a bank he had previously robbed during his 2012 spree, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

    Justin Worley, 44, known previously as the “Bearded Bandit,” admitted that he entered the bank late in the afternoon of December 31, 2019 with another person, and that they each approached a teller and demanded that they empty their money drawers. The second man, later identified as Nicholas Lage, 38, brandished a knife during the robbery. Between them, the two men fled the bank with approximately $12,000. They were spotted and arrested later in the evening at Twin River casino.

    Worley pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of conspiracy to commit bank robbery and bank robbery. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 30, 2025. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Nicholas Lage pleaded guilty on April 1, 2021, to charges of conspiracy to commit bank robbery and bank robbery.  He was sentenced on August 6, 2021, to 36 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.

    The matter was investigated by East Providence Police Department and the FBI.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Nine Men Arrested in Maine and Massachusetts for Fentanyl, Methamphetamine and Cocaine Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – Nine men have been arrested for fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking.

    Ernesto Arberty Mendez Herrera, 43, of Roxbury; Ricky Junior Rodriguez Reynoso, 24, of Boston; Cristofel Baez Guerrero, 25, of Dorchester; Luis Castillo, 24, of Dorchester; Yomerli Mendez Arias, 22, of Lawrence; Estarling Perez Almonte, 28, of Roslindale; Raidyn Hernandez Montero, 24, of Dorchester; Ricardo Canela Soto, 20, of Dorchester; and Waldo Lara Arias, 19, of Boston are charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. All nine defendants made their initial appearances in federal court in Boston and Bangor, Maine on Oct. 29, 2024.

    According to the charging documents, the defendants were part of a drug trafficking operation that regularly transported fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine from areas in Boston, Lawrence and Malden, Mass. to locations in Waldo County, Maine. It is alleged that the defendants distributed the narcotics in Maine and then return to Massachusetts with the narcotics proceeds. During the course of the investigation, approximately 10 kilograms of fentanyl and multiple firearms were seized.

    The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police, Maine State Police; Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; Waldo, Maine County Sherriff’s Office; Boston Police Department; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hassink of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: McKeesport Felon Charged for Possession of Firearm and Ammunition

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

    The one-count Indictment named Richard L. Edwards Jr., 49, as the sole defendant. Edwards was arrested on August 9, 2024, by the City of McKeesport Police Department related to this charge.

    According to the Indictment, on or about August 9, 2024, Edwards, who was previously convicted of a felony, was found to be in possession of a Ruger Security-9 semi-automatic pistol, a Smith and Wesson SD40 VE semi-automatic pistol, a Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum revolver, and one Winchester 1300 20-gauge shotgun, as well as 20-gauge ammunition, .357 Magnum ammunition, 38 Special ammunition, and 40 caliber ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

    The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 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 offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    Westmoreland County Adult Probation, the City of McKeesport Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Guilty Plea in Fatal DUI Crash on Navajo Nation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Vanderwagen man pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with a fatal drunk driving crash that occurred on the Navajo Nation reservation in 2022.

    According to court documents, on October 2, 2022, Sheldon Carlton Daye, 30, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, drove while impaired by alcohol. He knew that driving drunk would pose a risk to others on the road. While driving on Highway 602 near Bread Springs, New Mexico, within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation reservation, Daye struck and killed two motorists who were stopped on the side of the highway changing a tire.

    Daye will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Daye faces up to 16 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Daye will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Meg P. Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Missouri Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years on New Child Pornography Charge

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Wednesday sentenced a registered sex offender who was caught with child pornography to 10 years in prison.

    James Darrick Beeler, 53, of Glenwood, Missouri, had more than 200 videos containing child sexual abuse material on a laptop and more than 200 videos on two thumb drives. On June 29, 2022, the Missouri State Highway Patrol discovered that someone was sharing two videos of child pornography on a peer-to-peer file sharing program. They traced the videos to Beeler’s home. Beeler later admitted to investigators that he used his laptop to search for and download child sexual abuse material.

    Beeler pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in May to one count of possession of child pornography. In 2007, he was convicted in Schuyler County of abuse of a child.

    The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman 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 Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Feeding Hills, Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 68 Months for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on October 29, 2024, Eddie Melendez (a/k/a “Bart”), 31, of Feeding Hills, Massachusetts, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 68 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Eddie Melendez previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with numerous other individuals to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base in and around Rutland, Vermont.

    According to court records, Melendez was the leader of a drug distribution organization that had been transporting hundreds of grams of cocaine base and thousands of bags of heroin/fentanyl from Massachusetts to the Rutland, Vermont area on a regular basis since at least late 2019 or early 2020 until January 2024. During the course of the conspiracy, Melendez and his associates used Rutland area hotels and at least five private residences as locations to sell illegal drugs. More than a dozen associates of Melendez were involved in distributing controlled substances for his drug trafficking organization or hosting its operations within their residences, and Melendez stipulated that he coordinated the drug activities of the organization. Investigators completed fourteen controlled purchases into Melendez’s drug trafficking organization between August 2023 and January 2024.

    United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police’s Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Rutland City Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Ludlow Police Department.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Turner and Jonathan Ophardt. Melendez was represented by John-Claude Charbonneau, Esq.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New Braunfels Man Pleads Guilty After Planned Mass Murder Attacks Thwarted by Federal and Local Law Enforcement

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – A New Braunfels man pleaded guilty in a federal court in San Antonio to one count of attempt to receive firearm to use to commit a felony.

    According to court documents, Cameron Darrick Peterson, 20, began planning mass shootings since November 2022. On Jan. 4, 2024, Peterson attempted to purchase a 12-gauge shotgun from a New Braunfels pawn shop. He completed the required background check and was denied due to his age and the type of firearm he was attempting to purchase. On May 31, he attempted to purchase an assault weapon-style 12-gauge shotgun from the pawn shop and was denied a second time.

    FBI agents obtained an arrest warrant on June 5, and Peterson was immediately taken into custody by the New Braunfels Police Department. During a search of his home, FBI agents found and seized an altered .22 caliber long rifle with a sawed-off buttstock and six magazines loaded with 60 rounds.

    On June 6, as part of a federal search warrant, agents reviewed Peterson’s Instagram account, revealing statements Peterson had made about plans to attack a gas station. Also on June 6, Peterson was recorded from jail instructing a witness to hide or destroy a videotape he had made in which he surveilled a grocery store to plan a future attack.

    On June 10, another search of Peterson’s home revealed a box that contained 11 aerosol containers and other ingredients to manufacture destructive devices. One of the containers was determined that it could be readily made operational and was categorized as an Improvised Explosive Device. The IED was not registered in the National Firearms Registry, nor could it be due to Peterson’s age.

    Peterson is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 5, 2025 and faces up to 10 years in prison 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.

    U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, San Antonio Fire Department, New Braunfels Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Eric Yuen are prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon in Possession of Firearm Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison Following Shooting at the Palm Beach Gardens Mall

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    MIAMI – A felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced to 144 months in prison, following a shooting at the Palm Beach Gardens Mall (The Gardens Mall) on Valentine’s Day.

    Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed an upward variance in sentencing Devon Jamal Graham, 29, to 144 months in prison. Graham previously pled guilty to possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance containing fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    Kamarcio Mitchell, 29, a second man who was arrested following the shooting at The Gardens Mall, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 21 at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Cannon in Fort Pierce, Fla. Mitchell previously pled guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

    On Feb. 14, both Mitchell and Graham were at The Gardens Mall, both separately in possession of a firearm. Mitchell was on the second level of The Gardens Mall near a retail store. Mitchell followed Graham onto the escalator and was manipulating an object under his shirt. Mitchell was then fired upon by Graham and shot. Mitchell fled the mall to the parking lot, leaving a trail of blood. A loaded firearm that had been disassembled was found in the parking lot by police, near the blood trail. Mitchell was later treated for his injury at a local hospital. Upon his later arrest on a federal warrant, authorities discovered Mitchell in possession of a distribution quantity of fentanyl after he unsuccessfully tried to toss the drugs.

    Two firearms were recovered from the vehicle Graham used to travel to the mall, along with a bag containing 35 capsules with a mixture containing fentanyl and a pill bottle with approximately 16 grams of cocaine.

    The recovered firearms had previously travelled in interstate commerce.

    U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service, Chief Dominick Pape of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office announced the sentencing.

    The Office of State Attorney Dave Aronberg for the 15th Judicial Circuit – Palm Beach County provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John McMillan and Shannon O’Shea Darsch are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-80022.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Drug Trafficker Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison Following His Participation In A Fatal Shooting

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Cristian Ponce (32, Orlando) to 20 years’ imprisonment following his role in a fatal, drug-related shooting. Ponce entered a guilty plea on February 13, 2024. 

    According to court documents, on November 2, 2022, at approximately 2 p.m., a drug-related shooting occurred at the Oak Ridge Shopping Plaza in Orlando. Ponce and S.H. had arrived at the shopping plaza in a gray SUV to sell drugs to addicts who congregated there. They had cocaine and fentanyl packaged for individual sale and two loaded firearms in the vehicle. Video surveillance footage shows that when the SUV arrived in the plaza, an individual approached the front passenger side of the vehicle and Ponce gave him a small bag of cocaine. At almost the same time, E.E. and another associate approached the SUV and gunshots were fired into and from the SUV. E.E. was shot, ran a short distance, and fell to the ground. S.H. was also shot. The SUV reversed uncontrollably, flipped over, and crashed in the rear of the plaza. Ponce assisted S.H. out of the SUV and fled before law enforcement arrived. The confrontation was an alleged turf battle over who could sell drugs in the shopping plaza. Both E.E. and S.H. died from their wounds.

    During the following week, Ponce continued to sell drugs. On November 8, 2022, law enforcement observed vehicles and individuals visit Ponce’s residence for short periods of time, consistent with drug dealing. During that time Ponce also sent and received text messages to conduct his drug business.

    On November 11, 2022, at Ponce’s residence in Orlando, law enforcement executed a search warrant related to the shooting. As officers approached the residence, they observed Ponce seated in a vehicle in the driveway with co-defendant Rodney Hernandez. Ponce again had cocaine packaged for individual sale and two loaded firearms inside the vehicle.

    Hernandez previously pleaded guilty for his role in this case. He was sentenced in June 2024 to seven years in federal prison.   

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Stoia.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Drug Trafficking Organization

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    BECKLEY, W.Va. – Demetrius Terrell Burns, 32, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base. Burns admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2024 Burns received fentanyl from a supplier in Beckley that he used to supply Tilford Joe Bradley Jr., a co-defendant. Burns admitted that on April 12, 2024, he told Bradley by phone that he had received a shipment of “raw” fentanyl. Burns further admitted that he offered to sell Bradley $1,800 worth of raw fentanyl, and they discussed adding cutting agent to the fentanyl to make a larger profit when it was sold. Burns also admitted that he knew Bradley intended to redistribute these drugs in and around the Southern District of West Virginia.

    Burns is scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

    Burns is among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. Burns is also among four defendants who have pleaded guilty. The charges against Bradley and the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

    United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.

    The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-90.

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