NewzIntel.com

Category: FBI

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Atlanta Warns Public of Disaster Scams

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

    The FBI and the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) remind the public that there is a increased risk for disaster fraud following Hurricane Helene. There have been reports of scammers claiming to work for contractors and insurance companies targeting Hurricane Helene recovery efforts. Suspected fraudulent activity should be reported to the toll-free NCDF hotline at (866) 720-5721. The hotline is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency reminds those in the disaster zone officials with government disaster assistance agencies do not ask for financial information, and there is no fee required to apply for assistance. If you have Internet access, you can go to fema.gov to apply for assistance directly.

    Here are some tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of disaster fraud:

    • Scammers may go door to door to target residents in areas affected by hurricanes. They may also call, text, or e-mail with promises to quickly provide aid. Do not give out personal information without confirming the legitimacy of the person contacting you.
    • Government workers are required to carry official identification and show it if requested. Closely scrutinize any ID you see and call the agency directly to confirm a worker’s identity if you are unsure.
    • Do your homework when it comes to donations. Research charity reviews online, state regulators of charities, and charity reports and ratings via the Better Business Bureau.
    • Never make charitable donations by gift card or wire transfer. Credit cards are safer.
    • Don’t believe your caller ID. Scammers often spoof agency phone numbers. It is always best to research the organization’s telephone number and call directly to verify. Do not be pressured or rushed to donate. If so, it may be a scam.
    • Do not click on links from sources you don’t know. These could be attempts to download viruses onto your computer or cell phone. Manually type out links instead of clicking on them.

    If you think you are a victim of disaster or charity fraud, report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud at 1-866-720-5721 or online at justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Protestor Federally Charged with Damaging U.S. Government Property at Union Station

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

                WASHINGTON – Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, 26, of Richmond, Virginia, was arrested this morning in connection with a federal criminal complaint charging him with destruction of federal property. The complaint alleges that Mahdawi spray-painted the monument at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 2024.

                The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).

                Mahdawi will make his initial appearance this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He is charged with destruction of government property.

                “Politically motivated destruction or defacing of federal property is not protected speech, it is a crime,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Anyone engaged in such conduct in the District of Columbia should expect to get federally prosecuted. Our community has zero tolerance for those who want to destroy or deface our monuments and other federal property.”  

                “The FBI does not conduct investigations based solely on First Amendment activities,” said Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division. “The FBI investigates people only when we receive information or allegations that they are, or may be, violating federal law or posing a risk to national security. We are committed to working closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to bring to justice any individuals who commit federal crimes, including destruction of federal property.”

                According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate in the area of Columbus Circle, located at Massachusetts Ave. NE, and E St. NE, directly in front of Union Station. From about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators who had gathered in Columbus Circle pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles; burned flags and objects; sprayed graffiti on multiple statutes and structures; and interfered with law enforcement’s ability to place individuals under arrest.

                Between 3:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m., an individual later identified as Mahdawi climbed the monument located in the center of Columbus Circle, which was captured on video footage filmed by USPP from an observation post looking down at Columbus Circle. The same event was captured in open-source video and photos later posted to various internet platforms. After climbing to a ledge, Mahdawi began to spray paint the monument.

                Footage obtained from a review of open-source videos posted to X (formerly Twitter) showed Mahdawi using red spray paint to write “HAMAS IS COMIN” on the Columbus statue. After completing the phrase, Mahdawi spray-painted an inverted red triangle above the slogan.

                On July 30, 2024, the U.S. Park Police issued a bulletin seeking information on five individuals who engaged in criminal activity on July 24, 2024. The same day the bulletin was posted, the U.S. Park Police received a tip that they forwarded to the FBI. Through that tip and other leads, FBI was able to identify Mahdawi. Additionally, law enforcement databases revealed that Mahdawi had previously been arrested in Richmond, Virginia, on two occasions (December 2023 and April 2024).

                The flags that were pulled down from the flag poles, and the statues and structures in Columbus Circle, are all property of the federal government. The National Park Service estimated that the cost to clean and repair the site at about $11,282.23.

                This case is being investigated by the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit and the FBI Washington Field Office, with assistance from the FBI Richmond Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin.

                A criminal indictment 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: Virginia Man Found Guilty of Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During January 6 Capitol Breach

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

                WASHINGTON – A Virginia man was found guilty today of felony and misdemeanor charges related to his conduct 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.

                Robert William DeGregoris, 33, of Aldie, Virginia, was found guilty of civil disorder, a felony, and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or building.

                DeGregoris was convicted following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras. Judge Contreras will sentence DeGregoris on Feb. 7, 2025.

                According to evidence presented during the trial, DeGregoris was identified in publicly available images and open-source video on the Lower West Terrace of the U.S. Capitol building near an area known as the “Tunnel.” The Tunnel was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th. There, DeGregoris can be seen in video footage climbing on the side of the entrance to the Tunnel and later near a line of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers at about 4:01 p.m.

                DeGregoris then attempted to forcibly enter the Tunnel and can be seen on Capitol building closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage reaching toward the nearest MPD officer. At approximately 4:01 p.m., CCTV footage depicts DeGregoris possibly striking the helmet of the nearby officer.  A few seconds later, DeGregoris was sprayed with Oleoresin Capsicum spray by a nearby officer. However, despite being sprayed, DeGregoris continued to push with other rioters against the MPD front line for several more minutes.

                Evidence showed that at approximately 4:07 p.m., DeGregoris was turned with his back toward the front line of MPD officers as he pushed against the MPD line and a rioter next to him sprayed officers with pepper spray. Approximately 20 seconds later, DeGregoris can be seen assisting other rioters by helping to push a ladder toward the MPD officers.

                After being sprayed with Oleoresin Capsicum and prior to departing the restricted area of the Capitol building grounds, DeGregoris posted a photograph of himself on social media accounts with the captioned statement “Took some pepper spray & tear gas breaching the front doors….Worth it.”

                The FBI arrested DeGregoris on Jan. 25, 2023, in Virginia.

                This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

                The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

                In the 44 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,504 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 560 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Texas Men Face Federal Charges for Robbing an ATM Repairman at Truist Bank in Murfreesboro

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

    NASHVILLE – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Robert Bailey, Jr., 24, Demond Johnson, Jr., 19, and Ryan Smith, Jr., 26, all of Houston, Texas, with one count of bank larceny, announced Thomas J. Jaworski, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

    According to the indictment and publicly available information, on November 14, 2023, the defendants stole over $50,000 from an ATM outside of Truist Bank on Old Fort Parkway in Murfreesboro while it was being repaired. Smith was arrested on Interstate 24 while riding in an Uber. Johnson was arrested at the Nashville International Airport. Bailey was able to catch a flight to Houston and was arrested on a later date. Law enforcement officers in Houston seized the bag containing the stolen money when it arrived at the Houston Hobby Airport.

    If convicted, each defendant faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a minimum fine of $250,000.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office and Houston Field Office, the Murfreesboro Police Department, and the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Montminy is prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Child Sexual Abuser Sentenced to 52 and One Half Years in Prison

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

                WASHINGTON – Matthew Stitt Johnson, 34, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 52.5 years in prison for two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count second-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances for abusing three minor children.

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

                Johnson pleaded guilty on August 29, 2022, before U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb. In addition to the 52.5-year prison term, Judge Cobb ordered Johnson to register as a sex offender.

                According to the government’s evidence, Johnson sexually abused three children, an eight-year-old, a five-year-old, and an eight-month-old infant, between 2015 and 2020. Johnson took videos of his sexual abuse of the five-year-old child and the eight-month-old infant. While the five-year-old and her sister reported the abuse to their mother, the abuse was not reported to law enforcement.

                In May 2021, law enforcement received a tip that Johnson downloaded child pornography from a cloud-based service and subsequently executed a search warrant on his home. Videos depicting the sexual abuse of the five-year-old and eight-month-old victims were discovered in Johnson’s cell phones along with 13,000 images of child pornography. Johnson distributed the images of his sexual abuse of children in internet forums dedicated to trading child pornography, particularly trading images of the rape and torture of infants and toddlers, and actively sought out and distributed other child pornography images over a two-year period.

                This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. The investigation received valuable assistance from the MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigation Division, Human Trafficking Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Platt and Janani Iyengar with the valuable assistance of Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant.

                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 http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Canadian National Pleads Guilty to Possession of Sex Abuse Videos of Toddler and Prepubescent Boys

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

           WASHINGTON – Matthew Norman Ballek, 32, of Saskatchewan, Canada, pleaded guilty today to a federal child pornography charge stemming from his distribution of child pornography to an undercover law enforcement agent in January 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division; and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Ballek pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of possession of child pornography. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 21, 2025.

               According to plea documents, in January 2024, a member of the FBI–MPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was monitoring an online dating application in an undercover capacity. Law enforcement has learned that the application is sometimes used by individuals who have a sexual interest in children. Ballek contacted the undercover agent and, believing he was communicating with a pedophile, expressed an interest in child pornography. Ballek later sent the undercover agent three video files via an encrypted messaging application. Those video files depicted adult men raping toddler and prepubescent boys. Ballek was arrested in the District of Columbia on February 7, 2024. The FBI seized and forensically examined Ballek’s phone, which contained 10 unique videos and at least 21 unique still images that constitute child pornography.

               Ballek has remained in custody since his February 7, 2024, arrest.

               Ballek faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, Ballek must pay mandatory restitution of at least $3,000 to any identified victim. The statutory sentences for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only. Any sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

               In addition, Ballek will be required to register as a sex offender and be subject to deportation proceedings and other adverse immigration consequences following any prison term.

               This case is being 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 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.

               This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.  

               The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Karen L. Shinskie.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Madison Man Convicted of Sexual Exploitation

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

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A jury has convicted a Madison man of child exploitation, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

    The jury returned a guilty verdict against Anthony Ray Lawrence, 37, of Madison, after 3 days of testimony before U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala. Lawrence was convicted of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.

    According to evidence presented at trial, between April and May 2023, Lawrence used a social media application to engage with someone he thought to be a 14-year-old female but who actually was an undercover law enforcement officer. He told the undercover officer that he used the application to meet younger girls. On May 1, 2023, Lawrence traveled from Madison, Alabama, to Homewood, Alabama, to engage in a sexual act with a minor. At the time of his arrest, Lawrence possessed condoms and sexual lubricant. He had rented a hotel room nearby.

    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 http://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 http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    The FBI investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel S. McBrayer and R. Leann White are prosecuting the case. 

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Matt Gaetz Spotlights Partisan Smear Against DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari Following Swamp Screed Report Recommending His Firing

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Matt Gaetz (1st District of Florida)

    Washington, D.C. — Today, in the wake of last week’s swamp screed report recommending President Joe Biden fire the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General (IG) Joseph Cuffari, U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) sent a letter to IG Cuffari highlighting the partisan campaign against him.

    Rep. Gaetz’s letter comes after a panel of Biden-Harris appointees on the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity (CIGIE) released a 1,000-page report accusing IG Cuffari of misconduct in what appears to be partisan retaliation to his diligent oversight of DHS. IG Cuffari investigated and exposed multiple Biden-Harris DHS failures, including the crisis at the southern border, the attempted assassinations of President Trump, and the mishandling of funds by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). During a Judiciary Committee hearing in July, FBI Director Christopher Wray was in agreement with Rep. Gaetz that it would not be a “good idea” to fire IG Cuffari.

    Full text of Congressman Gaetz’s letter to Inspector General Cuffari can be found HERE. Additionally, exclusive coverage of the letter by Daily Caller can be found HERE.

    LETTER TEXT

    Dear Inspector General Cuffari:

    Testifying before Congress shortly after the first assassination attempt on former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, FBI Director Christopher Wray expressly noted that “I don’t think [it] would be a good idea” to remove you from your duties during the pendency of your investigation into that incident. I agree with Director Wray: It would look like a cover-up on the part of President Biden and Vice President Harris. Given two assassination attempts on former President Trump, your continued oversight responsibilities related to the Southern border crisis, and now the numerous whistleblowers coming forward about FEMA mismanagement of the Hurricane Helene response, removing you might be politically convenient for those in power, but Americans would see it as a dirty trick.

    You have independent oversight over the nerve center of the D.C. swamp, and the knives are out for you. I am very concerned that Vice President Harris and others who want to cover up the open border and the assassination attempts on former President Trump will be calling for your firing and privately leaning on President Biden to remove you. I am confident the Vice President would love to have the President remove you before the election, or in the lame duck period, politically the best time to effectuate such a coup. The bureaucracy is trying to give them a fig leaf to get away with it and to pretend it is anything other than a cover- up: last week’s long-awaited 1000-page screed attacking you.

    It is telling, and rather gross, that this report comes out right before the November election. After all, your office has oversight over parts of the Department of Homeland Security that might be asleep at the wheel as our election technology is penetrated by foreign adversaries.

    I, much of Congress, and the American people stand with you. Keep uncovering the truth and performing your constitutional duties faithfully.

    Sincerely, 

    Matt Gaetz​​​​​
    Member of Congress

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    For updates, subscribe to Congressman Gaetz’s newsletter here.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Serial Rapist in Washington

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Washington, DC – The U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Columbia Superior Court, in cooperation with the Metropolitan Police Department Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit, as well as other law enforcement partners, executed an arrest warrant for Ernesto Ramon Mercado in connection with five sexual offenses that occurred within the District of Columbia between 2008 and 2012.

    Following his arrest, Mercado was arraigned at DC Superior Court on three counts of first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances and five counts of second-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances in connection with a series of six unsolved, forensically linked home invasion burglary/rape offenses. Five of the attacks occurred in the Georgetown area of Northwest Washington and the sixth occurred just off the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. Evidence testing in all six cases yielded the same unknown male DNA profile.

    Each of the victims had described waking up after a night out to find someone with them in their residence. A man would be on top of them or beside them in their bed, raping or attempting to rape them. The man would run away when the victim screamed or began to fight back.

    Investigators suspect Mercado as the perpetrator of dozens of unsolved cases of voyeurism, burglary and other offenses across the region in this same time period, though he has not been charged in those crimes. This is an ongoing investigation led by the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative, a collaboration between the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Significant assistance is being provided by the U.S. Marshal’s Service’s Superior Court Unit, the FBI Investigative Genetic Genealogy Team, FBI’s Baltimore and Washington Field Offices, the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Arlington County Police Department.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Child Exploitation Crimes

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

    BECKLEY, W.Va. – Alan J. Disomma Jr., 61, of Payson, Arizona, was sentenced today to life in prison for two counts of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity.

    A federal jury found Disomma guilty on February 23, 2024, following a two-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that on December 10, 2021, Disomma began messaging a woman located in West Virginia whom he believed to be the mother of two minor girls. Disomma stated in his messages to the individual that he wished to engage in sexual relations with both girls. Disomma also brought up possibly traveling to West Virginia to meet the girls during this online conversation.

    From December 21, 2021 to December 18, 2022, Disomma exchanged text messages with the woman and continued to express his interest in engaging in sexual relations with both girls. During this text messaging, Disomma asked about flying to West Virginia to visit them and also stated that he had previously engaged in sexual relations with a prepubescent girl and subjected her to bestiality. Disomma also expressed interest in having the woman and the girls move to Arizona to live with him.

    On December 18, 2022, Disomma flew from Arizona to Charleston, West Virginia, where he planned to meet the individual and travel with her to her residence where he intended to engage in sexual activity with both girls. Disomma flew to West Virginia with a nearly full bottle of Viagra. Upon his arrival in Charleston, Disomma was arrested by law enforcement officers.

    “This case involved horrific facts that painted a vivid picture of defendant’s intense desire to have sex with two children,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “The offense conduct in this case was reprehensible, and today’s sentence reflects their gravity. I commend the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) West Virginia Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force and the West Virginia State Police for their investigation of this case. I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Lesley C. Shamblin and our trial team for their work in this case, which resulted in guilty verdicts on all three counts in the indictment.”

    Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Disomma was sentenced to life in prison for each of the two counts of attempted enticement of a minor, and to a concurrent 30-year term for traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity. The Court also imposed a lifetime of supervised release.

    This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

    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. 5:22-cr-227.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bridgeport Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison

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

    Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JERMEL BATES, also known as “Mel Kitty” and “Kitty,” 28, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of June 25, 2023, Bates crashed his vehicle into a parked car in Bridgeport and fled the scene on foot.  Law enforcement conducted a search of Bates’ vehicle and found plastic bags containing numerous blue/green fentanyl pills stamped “M/30,” wax paper folds containing fentanyl and other controlled substances, and approximately 78 grams of crack cocaine.  Bates was arrested later that day and charged with state offenses.

    On March 19, 2024, Bates was arrested on a federal criminal complaint.  In conjunction with his arrest, investigators searched his person and his Newfield Avenue apartment and found plastic bags with thousands of blue-green fentanyl pills stamped “M/30” and weighing more than 400 grams, hundreds of wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl, and a bag containing approximately 12 grams of crack cocaine.

    Bates has been detained since his federal arrest.  On May 10, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

    This matter was investigated by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Norwalk Police Department.  The Task Force is composed of personnel from the FBI, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Trumbull Police Departments.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon.

    In March 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA’s New England Field Division released a public service announcement warning of the danger of fentanyl and the proliferation of counterfeit prescription pills.  Click here for more information.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Sacramento Man Is 11th Defendant Sentenced in Large-Scale Cocaine and Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy

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

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tyrone Anderson, 44, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 5,000 grams of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base and for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

    According to court documents, Anderson is among the 15 federal defendants arrested in 2021 and charged in a 45-count indictment for trafficking narcotics as part of a DEA-led multi-agency operation targeting cocaine and heroin traffickers in North Sacramento. Anderson was intercepted during wiretaps in 2018 and 2019 trafficking kilograms of cocaine and heroin to sub‑distributors in California and from the East Coast. During the wiretap, agents seized 4  kilograms of cocaine that Anderson had sold for $118,000 to a Baltimore sub-distributor. At the time of his arrest, agents seized 567 grams of powder cocaine and 949 grams of heroin from Anderson’s stash location and two loaded firearms from his residence.

    Below is the status of Anderson’s co-defendants:

    On Sept. 29, 2022, Jason Tolbert, 47, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

    On Nov. 17, 2022, Charles Carter, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.

    On Nov. 17, 2022, Andre Hellams, 40, of North Highlands, pleaded guilty to two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Hellams is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 24, 2024.

    On Dec. 8, 2022, Michael Hampton, 57, of Vallejo, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.

    On March 16, 2023, Arlington Caine, 50, of Rio Linda, was sentenced to 22 months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

    On March 14, 2024, Bobby Conner, 53, of Sacramento, was sentenced to six months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

    On March 28, 2024, Maurice Bryant, 53, of Antelope, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 5,000 grams of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base. Bryant is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 17, 2024.

    On April 25, 2024, 2023, Dwight Haney, 52, of Sacramento was sentenced to time served for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. 

    On May 30, 2024, Jerome Adams, 56, of North Highlands, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

    On Aug. 8, 2024, Steven Hampton, 65, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.

    On Sept. 26, 2024, Mark Martin, 63, of Sacramento was sentenced to time served for using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

    On Aug. 1, 2024, Alex White, 61, of North Highlands, was sentenced to a term of 38 months (time served) for distribution of cocaine base.

    Charges are pending against Yovanny Ontiveros, 41, of Sacramento and Wilmer Harden, 52, of Elk Grove. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oviedo Man Indicted for Receipt and Attempted Production of Child Sex Abuse Material

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

    Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Marvin Fredrick Wagner, II (25, Oviedo) with one count of attempted production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and one count of receipt of CSAM. If convicted, Wagner faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for the attempted production offense and a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison for the receipt offense. 

    According to the indictment, the conduct underlying the attempted production offense took place between June 23 and October 11, 2023. Wagner received CSAM on October 11, 2023.

    An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oviedo Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.

    This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fourteen Indicted in Multi-State Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Linked to Deadly Fentanyl Distributed to Members of the Lummi Nation

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

    Seattle – Law enforcement fanned out across the country and in western Washington yesterday arresting 17 people on indictments and criminal complaints for a multi- state drug trafficking conspiracy. The two-year investigation alleges that the trafficking ring has been linked to a fatal fentanyl overdose on the Lummi Nation reservation in Whatcom County. Law enforcement in Georgia, Missouri, Texas, and Arizona executed search warrants and some arrests.  Ten of 13 defendants arrested in Washington remain detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, pending hearings later this week and next week. Three defendants were released on bond.

    “This investigation revealed that the trafficking organization was a supplier to a community that was rocked by four fentanyl overdose deaths in just four days,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Fentanyl continues to claim lives in our community – especially in our Tribal communities. We will do all we can to stop the flow of this deadly drug.”

    “The significance of this case is that a family drug trafficking organization expanded from Seattle beyond Washington state to locations across the country,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “This group distributed more than 800,000 fentanyl pills throughout the United States, including in Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Montana, and Georgia. Together with our partners, this demonstrates the national impact of today’s operations by disrupting this source of supply.”

    The drug ring was led by Marquis Jackson, 31, who splits time between Atlanta and the Renton, Washington home of his parents, defendants Mandel Jackson, 50, and Matelita (Marty) Jackson, 49. Also linked to the Renton family home were defendants Markell Jackson, 21, and Miracle Patu-Jackson, 22. Members of the Jackson family are indicted for various conspiracy counts including drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies. Records filed in the case link some of the Jacksons to a Seattle area street gang.

    Markell Jackson is a fugitive still being sought by law enforcement. Matelita (Marty) Jackson, Miracle Patu-Jackson and Adean Batinga were released on bond.

    The other defendants indicted for drug trafficking include:

    Edgar Valdez, 26, of Phoenix

    Keondre Jackson, 29, Wichita, Kansas

    Michael Young Jr., 43, Tacoma, Washington

    Sir-Terrique Devon Milam, 20, Federal Way, Washington

    Tyrell Lewis, 32, Federal Way, Washington – a fugitive

    Robert Johnson, 20, Renton, Washington

    Diyana Abraha, 22, Seattle – a fugitive

    Adean Batinga, 20, Burien, Washington

    Tianna Karastan, 21, Seattle -a fugitive

    Diallo Redd, 34, Tacoma, arrested in Montana on a Montana indictment.

    Two additional defendants were arrested in the Seattle area in connection with the serving of yesterday’s search warrants:

    Chad Conti, 47, Covington, Washington

    Phillip Lamont Alexander, 48, Des Moines, Washington

    Over the course of the investigation law enforcement seized more than 846,000 fentanyl pills, nearly 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 7 kilograms of cocaine and 29 firearms. They also seized more than $116,000 in cash.

    In Whatcom County, teams led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested four people on criminal complaints for fentanyl distribution. According to the complaints, the Whatcom drug traffickers were linked by phone communication and surveillance to the Jackson drug trafficking organization.

    In September 2023, four tribal citizens died of fentanyl overdose within a period of just four days, prompting the Lummi Indian Business Council to declare a state of emergency in response to the escalating fentanyl crisis.

    Tribal and federal partners examined the phone of one of the overdose victims and found connections to the Jackson Drug Trafficking Organization.  DEA, the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have continued to work closely with the Lummi Nation Police to identify additional members of this drug trafficking organization with the goal of stopping the flow of fentanyl into Indian Country and elsewhere.

    Those arrested on complaints this week include:

    Robert Bellair, 41, Ferndale, Washington

    Thomas J. Morris, 42, Bellingham, Washington

    Patrick James, 40, Bellingham, Washington

    Ronald Finkbonner, 50, Bellingham, Washington

    All four are charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.

    “The Drug Enforcement Administration’s top priority is to combat fentanyl traffickers responsible for deaths and misery in our communities,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division.  “This case highlights the lengths to which DEA and our partners will go to ensure people trafficking fentanyl are held accountable for the suffering they cause.”

    “The Seattle Police Department appreciates the collaboration with our federal partners in combatting the scourge of the fentanyl crisis and the proliferation of guns from drug trafficking organizations,” said Deputy Chief Eric Barden of the Seattle Police Department. “Fentanyl caused over 1,000 overdose deaths in King County last year. Seattle Police are delighted to partner with the FBI, DEA, USAO and other state and local jurisdictions to dismantle a drug distribution network undoubtedly responsible for deaths in our community.”

    The charges contained in the indictment and criminal complaints 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.

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

    This case is being investigated by the FBI, (Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta, Kansas City, Dallas, Las Vegas, Montana), DEA (Seattle, Kansas City, Wichita, Montana), the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, the Lummi Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and United States Border Patrol Blaine Sector Targeting and Intelligence Division.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Crystal Correa, and Michael Harder.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Indicts Five Child Exploitation Cases in September, Discusses Joint Effort to Protect Alaska’s Children

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

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker announced that a federal grand jury in Alaska returned five unrelated child exploitation indictments in September, emphasizing Alaska law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute cases to keep children safe.

    “Those who target children for sexual gratification are an urgent threat to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “My office, alongside our dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement partners, maintains our steadfast commitment to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting anyone who tries to harm our children—especially in this digital age, where predators can reach victims from anywhere in the world.”

    “These arrests demonstrate the FBI’s continued prioritization of combatting child exploitation crimes in Alaska – no matter where these violations occur or who commits them,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Together with our law enforcement partners and the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, we will identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who put our most vulnerable at risk.”

    “We, whether it is as a federal law enforcement agency such as HSI or as a community as a whole, have a duty to protect the most vulnerable among us, our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Victims of any type of child exploitation crime are survivors of unimaginable trauma. When we successfully stop child predators, we help victims attain safety and a chance to reclaim their lives.”

    “The U.S. Secret Service stands firmly with our law enforcement partners to investigate crimes that exploit and target children,” said Glen Peterson, U.S. Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Seattle Field Office. “We continue to use our tools, resources and expertise to identify and arrest individuals that victimize children.”

    U.S. v. Feltovic

    According to court documents, on Aug. 22, 2024, William Alexander Feltovic, 36, an Anchorage U.S. Postal employee, allegedly attempted to coerce an individual who had not attained the age of 18 years to engage in sexual activity. Feltovic was arrested on Sept. 23 and is charged with one count attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison.

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Schroeder is prosecuting the case.

    U.S. v. Hadley

    According to court documents, in June 2023, Jesse Hadley, 31, of Kotzebue used a minor in Bethel to produce and possess visuals of child pornography. Hadley was arrested on Sept. 30 and is charged with one count sexual exploitation of a child—production of child pornography and one count sexual exploitation of a child—possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office and the Bethel Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey is prosecuting the case.

    U.S. v. Madros

    According to court documents, on Aug. 27, 2024, George Floyd Madros III, 43, of Anchorage, contacted an individual he thought was a 13-year-old female on a social media platform. Madros and the individual began communicating through a private chat via the platform and text messages. Madros then allegedly asked the individual for sexually explicit content, asked to meet in person, and talked about potential sexual interactions if they met in person. Madros was arrested on Aug. 28 on related charges filed in a criminal complaint. The indictment charges Madros with one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison.

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ainsley McNerney is prosecuting the case.

    U.S. v. Rose

    According to court documents, on Aug. 27, 2024, Robert Nicholas Roy Rose, 44, of Anchorage, contacted an individual he thought was a 13-year-old girl on a social media platform. Throughout the course of the chat, Rose allegedly had sexually explicit conversations with the individual, including explanations of actions he wanted to do or perform with the 13-year-old, and organized a time to meet in person.

    In 2006, Rose was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree in the Superior Court for the State of Alaska. As part of the conviction, he was required to register as a sex offender in Alaska. Rose was arrested on Aug. 30 on related charges filed in a criminal complaint. The indictment charges Rose with one count of attempted exploitation of a child – production of child pornography, one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count offense by a registered sex offender. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison for the one charge of attempted production of child pornography, followed by an additional mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison that runs consecutively for the count of offense by a registered sex offender.

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ainsley McNerney is prosecuting the case.

    U.S. v. Steadman

    According to court documents, William Steadman, 34, of Juneau, allegedly produced child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) depicting a minor known to him. Additionally, court documents indicate that he allegedly spent time with other children in his community. Steadman was arrested on Sept. 6 on related charges filed in a criminal complaint. The indictment charges Steadman with sexual exploitation of a child, also known as production of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison. 

    The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mac Caille Petursson, Jack Schmidt, William Reed and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case.

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

    If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Woman Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Killing Husband with Controlled Substance

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

    TOLEDO, Ohio – Amanda Hovanec, 37, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp, II, after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including distributing a controlled substance that resulted in the death of her husband. Amanda Hovanec was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,108,559.36.

    According to court documents, Hovanec and her husband, Timothy, were married and had three children.  They moved several times for his job with the U.S. Department of State, which included an assignment in South Africa around 2018. While there, Hovanec developed a relationship with a South African citizen named Anthony Theodorou. Hovanec initiated divorce proceedings against her husband in 2020 after returning to the United States. In December 2021, she began to deny her husband visitation with their children despite a court order to permit it. After her husband filed several contempt motions against Hovanec for denying visitation, a judge ordered that the children be given visitation with their father in April 2022, and further ordered that the husband become the residential parent and legal custodian of their children for two months that summer, beginning in May.

    The children went with their father for an April weekend visitation, as ordered, after which their father returned them to Hovanec’s Wapakoneta residence. Later, a missing persons investigation was opened when the husband failed to check out of an area hotel where he had been staying.

    During the investigation, law enforcement officials discovered the husband’s abandoned car in Dayton, Ohio. It had been equipped with a dash camera.  Review of the camera’s video showed that the husband had returned the children to Hovanec’s residence around 7 p.m. on April 24, 2022. Video footage showed Hovanec and her mother, Anita Green, waiting outside the residence next to the garage. Hovanec was then seen walking toward the driver’s side of the vehicle and heard telling the children, “I have a surprise for you inside.” The children entered the residence, followed by Green. Seconds later, the victim was heard saying, “What the heck are you doing?  Did you just assault me?” and then, “Get away from me  . . .  Get off of me.”  The victim and Hovanec came into the camera’s view, at which time video footage captured her pulling on her husband’s shirt as he tried to use his cellphone. She wrestled with him and eventually knocked the phone out of his hand. She then pulled on his back to bring him to the ground, holding him around the neck until his body went limp and he became unresponsive, lying on the driveway. Hovanec stood up, picked up her husband’s cellphone, removed his smart watch, and turned off his vehicle’s engine, at which point the dash camera stopped recording.

    After first attempting to cover up her crimes, Hovanec later confessed to investigators that she injected her husband in the shoulder with “poison” that she understood would kill him within minutes. She also admitted to disposing of his car in Dayton, and burying his body in a wooded area not far from her home. Theodorou was in Ohio at the time of the incident.  He not only obtained the substance used to kill the victim, but also helped Hovanec bury her husband’s body. Green, who both Hovanec and Theodorou confirmed knew about the plan to murder the victim in advance, was charged as an accessory after the fact. She agreed to drive them and the victim’s body to the grave site, which was dug in advance of the murder.

    The investigation determined that the victim was injected with M-99, also known as Etorphine, a Schedule I controlled substance approximately 1000 times more potent than morphine. It is used in veterinary medicine for zoo and wildlife anesthesia.  

    According to court records, Hovanec considered killing her husband for at least a year before the murder and had considered alternate means to do so, including hiring a hitman, before settling on injecting him with M-99.

    “Hovanec’s violent and intentional actions were cold-blooded, calculated, and cruel. Her extreme malevolence toward her husband and complete disregard for how his murder would affect their innocent children is incomprehensible and unforgiveable,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “We know that no amount of time served can bring back a family’s loved one. But our hope is that the victim’s family may find some sense of closure as they painstakingly work to heal from this unimaginable and horrific tragedy.”

    Theodorou was sentenced to 18 years in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to import, importation and distribution of a controlled substance that resulted in death. He was also ordered to pay $2,108,559.36 in restitution, of which a part will be paid jointly and severally with Hovanec and Green. Anita Green was sentenced to 10 years in prison and two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to being an accessory to the crimes committed by Amanda Hovanec and Anthony Theodorou. 

    This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, Lima Resident Agency, the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the Lucas County Coroner’s Office.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alissa Sterling and Michelle Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio and Virginia Men Convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Securities Fraud

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

    CLEVELAND – A jury convicted two men for conspiring to artificially inflate prices on a low-value stock being sold to investors. After a trial that proceeded in two stages for over four weeks, Paul Spivak, 65, of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, and Charles Scott, 70, of Alexandria, Virginia, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Spivak was also found guilty on two counts of wire fraud in the first stage of trial, and he then pled guilty to four other counts of wire fraud, two counts of securities fraud, and a separate count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Scott was then found guilty of a securities fraud conspiracy and one count of securities fraud in the second stage of trial.

    According to court documents, trial testimony, and exhibits, Spivak was the majority owner and chief executive officer of U.S. Lighting Group, Inc. (USLG), a publicly traded Florida corporation based in Euclid, Ohio, that focused on the design and manufacture of commercial LED lights, aftermarket auto parts, and fiberglass recreational campers and boats. The company traded on OTC Markets under the ticker USLG and was considered a “penny” stock due to its lower market value. Penny stocks are more vulnerable to price manipulation because they draw less scrutiny and have lower trading volume than other stocks.

    Between 2016 and 2019, Spivak and his co-conspirators manipulated USLG’s stock price to their financial benefit. He and his co-conspirators arranged to take USLG public through a reverse merger with a shell company. They sought to artificially inflate or “pump” up the price of USLG stock using call rooms and other manipulative practices. One co-conspirator who helped to take USLG public and inflate the stock price was Richard Mallion, who was previously convicted of securities fraud and banned for life from participating in the securities industry. Numerous investors throughout the country were pressured to purchase USLG stock while Mallion and other co-conspirators covertly arranged for sell orders to match with the buy orders that the call rooms generated.

    While the stock price was artificially inflated, Spivak arranged for co-conspirators to act as unlicensed stockbrokers, cold-calling investors to sell them restricted shares of USLG stock. The brokers used aliases and represented the stock as offered at a steep discount relative to the apparent market price. Spivak arranged to pay those brokers large, undisclosed commissions, while concealing the true nature of USLG’s payments to those brokers by entering into fraudulent consulting agreements with them and requiring them to submit invoices that falsely described commission payments as payments for other services. 

    Between 2016 and 2019, USLG took in approximately $6.9 million from numerous restricted stock investors—many of them elderly and located throughout the country—in increments between $4,000 and $1 million. During that time, the company made approximately 200 payments totaling $2 million in undisclosed commissions to those unlicensed stockbrokers.

    From February through June of 2021, Spivak and Scott engaged with undercover agents and a confidential source, who together posed as co-conspirators arranging to artificially inflate or “pump” up the price of USLG. Spivak arranged for them to receive stock, to be sold at inflated prices, from Scott and another co-conspirator, who had also agreed to kick back proceeds to USLG.

    Spivak and Scott arranged for Scott to sell free-trading USLG stock to undercover agents and to send approximately half of the proceeds of those sales back to USLG in exchange for additional restricted stock. Undercover agents, in turn, would sell USLG stock at inflated prices, and then use some of the profits to buy more free-trading shares from Scott, who would then kick back additional money to USLG to buy more restricted stock.

    Six of the defendants’ co-conspirators previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and other charges in this matter. Those co-conspirators included Mallion, Spivak’s wife, Olga Smirnova, and a number of the unlicensed stockbrokers. A seventh co-conspirator, Robert Louis Carver, also admitted to participating in this scheme as an unlicensed stockbroker using a stolen identity, all while he was a fugitive in a long-pending securities fraud matter in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Case No. 8:11-CR-62).

    “These men orchestrated an aggressive, fraudulent scheme to benefit their company, enrich themselves, and to add to their personal coffers at the expense of others. They not only withheld information, but also purposely engaged a team of affiliates that devised tactics to make it appear that USLG shares were a valuable and valid investment to people who thought they were investing in good faith,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will not tolerate those who think they can outsmart and manipulate the system through fraud and misrepresentation. This verdict helps protect our citizens and our business communities from these predatory methods and serves as a warning to others who are tempted to break federal securities laws because of greed.”

    Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2025 for Spivak, and Jan. 16, 2025 for Scott. Spivak faces a maximum penalty of 170 years in prison. Scott faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Morrison, Megan Miller, and Stephanie Wojtasik for the Northern District of Ohio.

    Report investment, financial, and related violations at https://www.sec.gov/submit-tip-or-complaint.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Sentenced to Almost Six Years for Illegal Possession of AR-15 Rifle and Other Firearms

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

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Rashad Dominic Griggs, 36, of Hickory, N.C., was sentenced today to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department (HPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, on August 20, 2022, HPD officers responded to a call for service following reports that Griggs was waving a gun at his girlfriend. The officers knew Griggs had active warrants for his arrest for violating a domestic violence protection order and carrying a concealed firearm. Upon arriving at the location, Griggs emerged from the residence and was arrested on the existing warrants. Following a search of the residence, HPD officers found a white powdery substance that was later lab tested and confirmed to be fentanyl. In addition, officers recovered multiple firearms from the residence, including an AR-15 type rifle, multiple magazines including a drum magazine with shotgun rounds, and multiple rounds of ammunition. The officers knew Griggs had prior convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Court records show that Griggs pleaded guilty to a state offense and was placed on probation.

    According to court documents, on June 28, 2023, law enforcement conducted a search of the defendant’s home pursuant to his probation terms. During the search, law enforcement found a rifle magazine loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, a pistol, and multiple rounds of ammunition. During an interview with law enforcement, Griggs acknowledged that he had obtained a pistol approximately seven to eight months prior and stated that he kept the firearm for protection.

    On May 16, 2024, Griggs pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon. He remains in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and HPD for their investigation of the case, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, Community Supervision, for their invaluable assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Regina Pack and Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted 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 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: Columbus Man Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting Armed Postal Robbery

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

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A sixth co-conspirator in a network of defendants connected to six local armed robberies of postal carriers pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today.

    Malachi S. Royster, 21, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting aggravated robbery of property of the United States and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence.

    Royster admitted that he helped pre-plan a May 11, 2023, robbery of a postal carrier. He accompanied co-conspirators that morning while they scouted for potential postal workers to rob; served as the getaway driver before, during and after the robbery on West Broad St.; and accompanied co-conspirators while they returned the firearm used in the robbery to other co-conspirators. Royster’s plea agreement includes a sentence recommendation of 60 to 84 months in prison.

    Royster is one of six men charged in connection with six central Ohio postal robberies between November 2022 and May 2023.

    Anthony J. “A.J.” Williams, 20, of Columbus, was the gunman in a Nov. 9, 2022, postal carrier robbery. Williams committed the armed robbery of a USPS letter carrier who was delivering mail on Michigan Ave. in Columbus. The postal carrier was delivering mail to an apartment complex’s “cluster box” at the time. Williams approached the mail carrier and brandished the handgun directly at the victim. Williams demanded the victim’s postal keys and then yanked the postal keys off of the carrier’s belt. Williams also admitted to planning a postal robbery and conspiring to commit the robbery on Christmas Eve 2022. Williams pleaded guilty in July 2024 and faces a sentence of 84 to 108 months in prison.

    Theirno S. Bah, 20, of Columbus, used firearms and robbed postal carriers of their U.S. Postal Service keys on four occasions between December 2022 and May 2023. Cameron D. Newton, 20, of Westerville, aided and abetted the aggravated robberies of mail and the use of a firearm during the crimes of violence.

    Bah used a handgun to rob a postal carrier in German Village on Dec. 29, 2022. Bah pointed the handgun at the victim’s stomach and demanded his vehicle and service keys. Newton, who was on probation and consequently wearing a GPS ankle monitor at the time, recruited two juveniles to assist with the robbery. Newton also arranged for Bah to use the handgun, which was provided by co-conspirator Jaemaun Evans, 20, of Columbus.

    On Jan. 3, 2023, Bah pushed a postal carrier into her mail truck while she was sorting mail in the back of the truck on East Columbus Street. He then pushed a gun into the victim’s side before stealing her keys. At this robbery, Newton provided surveillance from his vehicle nearby, using the cover of making DoorDash deliveries to evade his home confinement.

    Later that day, Bah committed another armed postal robbery, this time in Whitehall. Bah approached the victim and pushed the handgun into her stomach before stealing her personal car keys and the USPS service keys. Newton again provided surveillance in the vicinity. He also worked to arrange buyers for the stolen postal keys.

    On May 11, 2023, Bah robbed a postal worker at the Post Office Retail Store on West Broad Street. Bah approached the victim while she was outside on a break. Bah asked the victim for her keys, and when she asked, “What keys?” he pistol-whipped her in the head with his handgun. Bah forcibly accompanied the victim into the post office to retrieve her service keys. Newton obtained a firearm for Bah to use during this robbery from Kenan M. Lay, 21, of Columbus. Lay provided the 9mm handgun used in the armed robbery of the elderly female postal worker in exchange for $100.

    Bah faces a sentence of 20 to 25 years in prison and Newton faces a minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison. Lay was sentenced in April to 66 months in prison. Evans was sentenced in September 2024 to a 24-month term of imprisonment to be followed by a 12-month term of house arrest.

    Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at future hearings.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler; and Whitehall Police Chief Mike Crispen announced the guilty plea entered this afternoon before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in these cases.

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Somerset County Man Sentenced to 64 Months’ Incarceration for Concealing Material Support to Hamas

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

    TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to time served – 64 months – for concealing his attempts to provide material support to Hamas, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger,  Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, FBI-Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado Jr., and FBI Assistant Director for Counterterrorism David J. Scott announced. 

    Jonathan Xie, 25, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with one count of concealing attempts to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court. 

    “Jonathan Xie not only admitted sending money that he hoped would be used by the terrorist organization Hamas to fund violent acts against civilians in Israel, he professed his desire to travel to Gaza to join them. Brandishing a gun and holding a Hamas flag, he also posted that he was going to shoot everybody at a pro-Israel march and  ruminated how one could go on a rampage by ramming  pro-Israel demonstrators with a car. This supporter of Hamas learned the true cost of supporting terrorists.”

    U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger

    “Xie is an unfortunate example of an emerging and extremely dangerous threat the FBI Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force is seeing with much more frequency,” Newark FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado said. “The average age of the international and domestic terrorism subjects we investigate is under 21 years old, and they’re being radicalized in only a few months. Xie was a teenager when he decided to send money in support of a terrorism organization and then threaten to carry out a plan to kill pro-Israeli people. We need this case to serve as a warning to parents and guardians – pay attention to what your teenagers are doing online.”

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

    Xie knowingly concealed and disguised the nature, location, source, ownership and control of  his  attempt to provide material support and resources to Harakat alMuqawamah al-Islamiyya and the Islamic Resistance Movement, an organization that is commonly referred to as Hamas. Xie admitted that he knew Hamas was a designated foreign terrorist organization and has engaged in terrorist activities. He said he attempted to conceal his attempted support believing it would be used to commit or assist in the commission of a violent act. 

    In December 2018, Xie sent $100 via Moneygram to an individual in Gaza who Xie believed to be a member of the Al-Qassam Brigades – a faction of Hamas that has conducted attacks, to include suicide bombings against civilian targets inside Israel. At approximately the same time that Xie sent the money, he posted on his Instagram account “Just donated $100 to Hamas. Pretty sure it was illegal but I don’t give a damn.” 

    In April 2019, Xie appeared in an Instagram Live video wearing a black ski mask and stated that he was against Zionism and the neo-liberal establishment. When asked by another participant in the video if he would go to Gaza and join Hamas, Xie stated “yes, If I could find a way.” Later in the video, Xie displayed a Hamas flag and retrieved a handgun. He then stated “I’m gonna go to the [expletive] pro-Israel march and I’m going to shoot everybody.” In subsequent Instagram posts, Xie stated, “I want to shoot the pro-israel demonstrators . . .  you can get a gun and shoot your way through or use a vehicle and ram people . . . all you need is a gun or vehicle to go on a rampage . . . I do not care if security forces come after me, they will have to put a bullet in my head to stop me.”

    In April 2019, Xie sent a link to a website for the Al-Qassam Brigades to an FBI employee who was acting online in an undercover capacity. Xie described the website as a “Hamas” website and stated he had previously sent a donation to the group. Xie then sent screenshots of the website to the undercover employee and demonstrated how to use a new feature on the website that allows donations to be sent via Bitcoin. On April 18, 2019, when the undercover employee asked whether Bitcoin was anonymous, Xie responded: “yah… i think thats why hamas is using it now because money transfer is not that anonymous.”   

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Xie to 20 years of supervise release, including six months of home detention with location monitoring for the first six months. 

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger and Assistant Attorney General Olsen credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado; and the U.S. Department of Defense, Army Counterintelligence, 902d Military Intelligence Group, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanks the U.S. Secret Service for its assistance. 

    The government is represented by Joyce M. Malliet, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit and Trial Attorney Taryn Meeks of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division (currently detailed to the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section).

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Guilty Verdict in Multi-Million-Dollar Investment Fraud Trial

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

    ALBUQUERQUE – Following a week-and-a-half-long trial and less than four hours of deliberation, a federal jury convicted an Arizona man on multiple charges for orchestrating a fraudulent investment scheme. The charges included 17 counts of wire fraud, 12 counts of mail fraud, and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions involving property derived from specified unlawful activity.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, over an eight-year period from 2014 to 2021, John Lopez, 73, engaged in a fraudulent investment scheme through his company, Personal Money Management Company (PMMCO). Lopez claimed to have developed a sophisticated algorithm for trading stocks and bonds that had generated above-market returns and guaranteed high annual returns of 10 to 19 percent. He misled clients, many of whom live in northern New Mexico, by stating that their money was primarily invested in stocks and bonds when, in fact, he used it to purchase precious metals. Lopez even offered one investment with a purported 42% annual rate of return over 20 years.

    Lopez received approximately $19.4 million from clients. Instead of investing this money as promised, he allocated about $13.3 million to buy precious metals and disbursed around $6.1 million to clients as part of a Ponzi scheme, falsely representing these payouts as investment gains. Throughout the scheme, Lopez provided clients with fake account statements indicating that their investments had grown substantially. When government agents seized PMMCO’s assets in November 2021, they found that the asset’s total value was less than $15 million, despite Lopez claiming client accounts were worth approximately $39 million.

    Photo of all the bullion seized from storage unit in November 2021
    Photo of placards of silver coins seized from storage unit in November 2021
    Photo of silver coins from storage unit
    Photo of gold coins from business

    After the asset seizure, Lopez continued to court new clients, persisted in falsely representing a history of producing above-market returns, and kept generating deceptive account statements.

    Although prosecutors sought the defendant to be remanded into custody following his convictions, the Court ordered that Lopez remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Lopez faces up to 20 years in prison.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office brought a separate civil forfeiture action on April 15, 2022, seeking to forfeit assets seized in November 2021. Litigation in the civil proceeding is ongoing.

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Woman Admits COVID-19 Relief Program Fraud

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

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida woman today admitted fraudulently obtaining $465,489 in COVID-19 relief funding after submitting fraudulent applications to victim lenders, the U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Jane Batista, 43, of Lake Worth, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

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

    From April 2020 to August 2021, Batista submitted fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications for herself, her husband, and two businesses they owned and operated. In support of those applications, Batista lied about the number of employees the businesses employed, the income the employees earned, and the revenue Batista and her husband generated as sole proprietors. Batista also submitted forged documents, including fake tax return documents. After the victim lenders funded the loans, Batista used that money for personal expenses and made several large transfers, including one for $15,000.

    The wire fraud count carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. The money laundering count carries a maximum of 10 years in prison. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for March 18, 2025.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Corwin Rattler; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney with the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Taj Moore of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and Aaron L. Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

    The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of the five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

    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 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: New York Man Admits Conspiring to Engage in Multimillion-Dollar Wire Fraud Scheme

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

    NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man today admitted conspiring to commit wire fraud that caused losses of more than $2 million, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Terrell Fuller, 34, of Baldwin, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud conspiracy.

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

    Fuller and his conspirators submitted a fraudulent application to the Small Business Administration (SBA), which caused the SBA to provide them with approximately $1.2 million. They also opened bank accounts in the names of various entities and individuals, deposited illegally obtained or fraudulent checks into those accounts, and then withdrew and attempted to withdraw money from the accounts. Fuller, using stolen personal identifying information, fraudulently rented locations to live in New York and failed to pay more than $400,000 in rent and fees for those locations. Fuller and his conspirators obtained more than $2 million in money and property through their fraudulent actions.

    The wire fraud conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the value of the funds involved in the transfer, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2025.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Franklin Township Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.  

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Construction Company CEO and Foreperson Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in Connection with Newark Lead Service Line Replacement Program

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

    Video Statement

    NEWARK, N.J. – The chief executive officer of a construction company and a foreperson for the company were arrested today for their roles in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the Newark Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) Program, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Michael Sawyer, 57, of Burlington, New Jersey, and Latronia Sanders, aka “Tee,” 55, of Roselle, New Jersey, are each charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They are scheduled to appear today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court.

    “As our complaint alleges, Michael Sawyer and Latronia Sanders worked for a company hired by the city of Newark to replace lead pipes, but instead, they intentionally left lead pipes in the ground. By causing misleading photographs and verification forms to be submitted, Sawyer and Sanders concealed that they intentionally did not replace lead pipes and defrauded Newark by collecting payment for work they did not properly perform. Today, we begin the process of holding them accountable.”

    U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger

    “For years, lead pipes that transport drinking water to homes in Newark remained buried in the ground after the city hired a company to replace them,” Newark FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado said. “The business, along with others, were paid to replace the water service lines because any amount of lead exposure is detrimental to people’s health, particularly for children. We allege the subjects in this investigation knew they were not replacing the lead pipes, and then passed off misleading photos to conceal the ones they left in the ground. We are asking anyone who sees something or knows something they want to report to please call FBI Newark at 973-792-3000. We will hold accountable anyone who sees a payday in ripping off governmental agencies entrusted to protect the communities they serve.”

    “These defendants allegedly undercut Newark’s lead service line replacement project that sought removal of all lead lines throughout the city,” Special Agent in Charge Tyler Amon with Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Criminal Investigation Division in New Jersey said. “Violators who employ deception to compromise the integrity of important public drinking water related projects will be criminally investigated and held to account.”

    “The EPA OIG is committed to doggedly pursuing criminal activity that targets critical water infrastructure funding,” said Special Agent in Charge Nicolas Evans of the EPA Office of Inspector General. “Taking government funds but failing to replace lead service lines defrauds the program and hurts Americans’ access to safe drinking water.”

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

    Beginning in 2016, high levels of lead were found in the drinking water in some of Newark’s schools. From 2017 to 2019, periodic testing of Newark’s drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) showed lead levels that were among the highest of any major city in the United States.

    In March 2019, Newark announced plans to replace approximately 18,000 lead service lines within city limits as part of its LSLR Program. Newark hired an engineering firm to oversee the implementation of the program and contractors to complete the replacement work. JAS Group Enterprise Inc. (JAS) was one of the contractors hired by Newark. Prior to being hired as a contractor, JAS also worked on the LSLR Program as a subcontractor for another construction company.

    Sawyer was the president and chief executive officer of JAS and responsible for overseeing and managing JAS’s operations. Sanders was employed by JAS as a foreperson of JAS crews assigned to replace lead pipes in Newark during the LSLR Program. Sawyer, Sanders, and others conspired to defraud Newark and others in connection with JAS’s performance as a contractor and as a subcontractor during the LSLR Program.

    As alleged in the complaint, Sawyer, Sanders, and others intentionally failed to replace all lead pipes at certain locations as required under the terms of the relevant contracts, yet caused the submission of payment applications to Newark falsely representing that JAS completed the work in accordance with the contracts. Sawyer, Sanders, and others submitted false or misleading documents to support payment applications with respect to certain work sites. These materials included photographs that visually represented that the lead replacement was done or was unnecessary, but in fact were taken in a way to conceal that lead pipes were left in place.

    At other sites where the water service lines already consisted entirely of copper pipes, Sawyer, Sanders, and others conspired to falsely represent that JAS had installed those copper pipes after removing lead pipes. Sawyer, Sanders, and others then caused the submission of fraudulent payment applications for work that JAS never completed, and induced Newark to pay JAS for work that JAS did not perform.

    The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, twice the gross profits, or twice the gross loss suffered by the victims of the offense, whichever is greatest.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Delgado in Newark; the EPA, Criminal Investigation Division Northeast Area Branch, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amon; the EPA Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Evans, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edeli Rivera, Clara Kim, and Katherine Calle of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

    The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Resident Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

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

    ERIE, Pa. – A resident of Harford, New York, has been sentenced in federal court to 12 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment in the amount of $5,200 on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

    United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Noah Oliver Fisch-Lewis, 32.

    According to information presented to the Court, from September 23, 2022, until October 8, 2022, Fisch-Lewis communicated with an undercover agent posing as the mother of a 10-year-old girl. During this period, Fisch-Lewis repeatedly expressed, in very graphic terms, his desire to engage in sexual activity with the minor. On October 8, 2022, Fisch-Lewis drove from upstate New York to Erie, Pennsylvania, for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with the purported 10-year-old and was taken into custody upon his arrival at the agreed meeting place.

    Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, Erie Police Department, Millcreek Police Department, and Erie County Detectives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Fisch-Lewis.

    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 (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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.

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  • MIL-OSI USA News: A Proclamation on National Community Policing Week,  2024

    Source: The White House

    Every day that our police officers put on that shield and walk out the door, they put their lives at risk to ensure the rest of us are safe.  During National Community Policing Week, we honor police officers’ service and sacrifice, recommit to supporting them, and reaffirm that community policing practices that advance public trust are the gold standard for law enforcement.

    In the first half of this year, according to preliminary data submitted to the FBI, the homicide rate continued to fall at record speed, declining by 22.7 percent, while the violent crime rate fell by 10.3 percent to its lowest level since 1969.  These record decreases follow the historic declines in crime in 2023, including the largest-ever decrease in the homicide rate.  The decreases are in no small part due to the hard work and courageous efforts of law enforcement across America. 

    As President, public safety and crime reduction are top priorities for my Administration and me.  Since day one, my Administration has worked with law enforcement, mayors, and community leaders to do what we know works to keep people and communities safe.  Through my American Rescue Plan, we made the largest Federal investment toward public safety in our Nation’s history — delivering more than $15 billion in aid for local and State governments to keep law enforcement on the beat, retain and hire more police officers, pay overtime and bonuses, and expand benefits for disabled first responders.  States, counties, and cities have already invested that funding to make their communities safer, and we added billions more in grants through the Department of Justice to help cities invest in law enforcement and community violence interruption programs. 

    I also know that being in law enforcement today is harder than ever — police are expected to respond to so many challenging situations, from drug overdoses and mental health crises to domestic violence, child abandonment, and more.  That is why my Administration has invested in increasing the number of crisis responders who work alongside police officers to respond to non-violent crimes.  We have made more investments in recruiting, retaining, and training officers.  I have called for funding that would put 100,000 more officers on the street who are trained in community policing.  Additionally, we need to invest more in technology and training to solve crimes faster and clear court backlogs, and we need more detectives to solve murders and more deputy United States Marshals to apprehend fugitives.

    Police officers deal with unbelievable stress.  Every time an officer responds to a call, executes a warrant, or conducts a traffic stop, there is a tremendous risk:  the fear of ambush, the anxiety of not knowing what is behind that door, and the trauma of bearing witness to the most horrible tragedies imaginable.  That is why I have been laser-focused on providing officers with the mental health and wellness resources they need and deserve.  I also signed extended benefits for families of officers who have tragically died by suicide.

    Our police officers are dedicated, honorable, and good people — they build trust with the communities they serve because they know that trust is the foundation of public safety.  Our communities are safer and stronger when our officers have the resources, training, and tools they need to do their jobs and walk the beat, getting to know the neighborhoods and the people they serve.  A lack of trust from the public means less public safety for all of us:  crimes do not get reported, witnesses do not come forward and cases do not get solved, victims suffer while perpetrators roam free, and justice goes undelivered.

    When communities trust the police, crimes get solved faster.  That is why when Republicans blocked the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, a bill that the Vice President coauthored while in the Senate, we took action.  I signed a historic Executive Order to set the gold standard for law enforcement.  In part, it requires Federal law enforcement agencies to develop best practices that attract, support, and retain officers who are representative of the communities they are sworn to serve.  We have also made historic investments in proven strategies to interrupt and prevent violence in the first place, including using trusted messengers who are trained to disrupt violence.  At the same time, I signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly three decades and have taken more executive actions to stop the flow of illegal guns than any other administration in history. 

    There is more work to be done.  My Safer America Plan calls on the Congress to invest $37 billion to support law enforcement and crime prevention.  The plan would fund 100,000 additional police officers, invest $5 billion in community violence interventions, and enact commonsense gun safety reforms, such as a universal background check requirement and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

    There is no greater responsibility than keeping our families, neighborhoods, and Nation safe. During National Community Policing Week, we reaffirm our commitment to choosing progress over politics when it comes to supporting our law enforcement and ensuring the safety of our communities.  We honor the heroism, bravery, and sacrifice of our police officers.  And may we recommit to upholding one of our Nation’s most fundamental values:  justice for all.

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 6 through October 12, 2024, as National Community Policing Week.  I call upon law enforcement agencies, elected officials, and all Americans to observe this week by recognizing ways to improve public safety, build trust, and strengthen community-police relationships.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                                  JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IC3 PSA: Anniversary of October 7, 2023, Hamas Attacks May Motivate Individuals to Violence in the United States

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

    Summary

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are issuing this Public Service Announcement to highlight potential threats in the United States from a variety of actors in response to the one-year anniversary of the HAMAS attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and consistent calls by foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) to their supporters seeking to provoke violence in the West.

    Threat

    The FBI and DHS assess the one-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attacks that initiated the ongoing Israel-HAMAS conflict, as well as any further significant escalations in the conflict, may be a motivating factor for violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators to engage in violence or threaten public safety. Over the past year, we have observed violent extremist activity and hate crimes1 in the United States linked to the conflict. Jewish, Muslim, or Arab institutions — including synagogues, mosques/Islamic centers, and community centers — and large public gatherings, such as memorials, vigils, or other lawful demonstrations, present attractive targets for violent attacks or for hoax threats by a variety of threat actors, including violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators. Such actors may view the anniversary as an opportunity to conduct an attack or other high-profile, illegal activity.

    FTOs and other violent extremists likely will continue to exploit narratives related to the conflict to call for lone attackers to conduct violence in the United States. Online messaging associated with FTOs and other violent extremists highlighting the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks could motivate threat actors across ideologies, including those who espouse violent anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, to engage in violence. Individuals inspired by this online messaging could act alone to commit an attack with little to no warning.

    Resources

    • Call 911 to report emergencies, including imminent threats to life.
    • Be aware of your surroundings at all times and report suspicious activities to the authorities.
    • The FBI and DHS encourage the public to promptly report information concerning suspicious activity to tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).
    • For concerns involving US citizens abroad, to include reporting missing persons or individuals taken as hostages, please call the Department of State’s Overseas Citizens Services (OCS) toll-free hotline at (888) 407-4747 or complete Crisis Intake Form at https://cacms.state.gov/s/crisis-intake.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Charge Stemming from Smuggling and Labor Trafficking Scheme

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PORFIRIA MARIBEL RAMOS SANCHEZ, 47, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Vernon, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a charge stemming from her involvement in a scheme to smuggle aliens into the U.S., harbor them at Hartford area residences, force them to work, and threaten to harm them in various ways if they failed to pay exorbitant fees, interest, and other living expenses.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in September 2022, the FBI and Hartford Police interviewed several Mexican nationals who disclosed that they were smuggled from Mexico into the U.S. and transported to Hartford.  The investigation revealed that victims typically arranged with Ramos, her co-conspirators in Connecticut, and associates in Mexico to cross the border into the U.S. in exchange for a fee of between $15,000 and $20,000 that each would need to pay once they were in the U.S.  In most cases, the victims were required to turn over a property deed as collateral before leaving Mexico.  They were then smuggled across the border and transported to Hartford area residences, often at a substantial risk of bodily injury or death.

    After the victims arrived in Connecticut, they were told that they would have to pay $30,000, with interest, and that they would have to pay Ramos and her co-coconspirators for rent, food, gas and utilities.  The co-conspirators created false documents for the victims, including Permanent Residence cards and Social Security cards, and helped the victims find employment in the Hartford area.  In addition to their own jobs, some victims were required to perform housework and yardwork without compensation and without having their debt reduced.

    Victims were rarely provided with an accounting of their debt.  If victims failed to make regular payments, or in amounts that the co-conspirators expected, they were sometimes threatened, including with threats to harm family members in Mexico, to take property in Mexico that had been secured as collateral, to reveal victims’ immigration status to U.S. authorities, and to raise their interest payments.

    To date, investigators have identified 18 victims of this scheme.

    Ramos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to encourage and induce, bring in, transport, and harbor aliens, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for January 6, 2025.

    As part of her plea agreement, Ramos has agreed to a restitution order of $494,608.  In partial satisfaction or her restitution obligation, Ramos and her husband have agreed to sell a property they own at 74 Burnside Avenue in East Hartford, which was used to facilitate this criminal offense.

    Ramos has been detained since her arrest on October 5, 2023.

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

    This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hartford Police Department, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel Krull and Shan Patel.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Interstate Transportation of Stolen Andy Warhol Art Print

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

    LOS ANGELES – An Ohio man has agreed to plead guilty to a federal criminal charge for trafficking a stolen Andy Warhol print worth at least $175,000. 

    Image Source: Federal Plea Agreement

    Brian Alec Light, 58, of Hudson, Ohio (formerly a resident of downtown Los Angeles), is expected to plead guilty in the coming weeks to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. His initial appearance in federal court is scheduled for October 28.

    According to his plea agreement, a thief stole the Warhol print – a trial proof depicting former Soviet Union leader Vladimir Lenin and was print number 44 of 46 total Warhol made – from the victim’s home in Los Angeles County in early 2021. The victim informed law enforcement of its theft soon after, as well as the original gallery in West Hollywood that sold him the artwork. Days after the theft, the thief brought the artwork to a pawnshop, which purchased it. The pawnshop’s owner contacted Light for help selling the artwork, which Light knew was stolen. Light contacted an auction house to sell the print within weeks of its theft. Light told the pawnshop owner to drop off the Warhol at the auction house in Beverly Hills so that it could be transported to Dallas for inspection and sale, which the pawnshop owner did.

    The auction house shipped the Warhol artwork to Dallas where it was to be inspected and included in an upcoming auction in the spring of 2021. An employee of the auction house in Dallas reached out to the gallery in West Hollywood for its opinion of the piece. The gallery immediately recognized the piece as the stolen piece of art. As a result, the gallery notified the auction house of its stolen nature and notified the FBI. When the FBI questioned Light about it, he lied and created a fake receipt purporting to show that he bought the print before it was stolen. 

    Upon pleading guilty, Light will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. 

    As part of his plea agreement, Light will forfeit the stolen artwork retrieved by law enforcement.

    The FBI’s Art Crime Team is investigating this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Erik Silber, Senior Counsel in the Criminal Division and Assistant United States Attorneys Dominique Caamano and Matthew O’Brien, of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, are prosecuting this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Sixty-Eight Defendants Charged in Indictment of Dozens of Members and Associates of San Fernando Valley White Supremacist Gang

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

    LOS ANGELES – Federal and local law enforcement have arrested 42 members and associates of the SFV Peckerwoods, a San Fernando Valley-based white supremacist street gang, on a 76-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they engaged in a years-long pattern of racketeering activity that included trafficking of drugs – including fentanyl – illegal firearms possession, and COVID-19 benefits and loan fraud, the Justice Department announced today. 

    The indictment unsealed today charges a total of 68 defendants with a score of federal crimes: conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices.

    The 29 defendants arrested today are expected to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Prior to today’s takedown, 13 defendants were already in custody.

    During the investigation, law enforcement seized large quantities of illegal firearms, and dozens of pounds of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin, according to the indictment. 

    “The Peckerwoods’ violent white-supremacist ideology and wide-ranging criminal activity pose a grave menace to our community,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “By allegedly engaging in everything from drug-trafficking to firearms offenses to identity theft to COVID fraud, and through their alliance with a neo-Nazi prison gang, the Peckerwoods are a destructive force. In prosecuting the members of the Peckerwoods criminal organization, our office is carrying out its mission to protect the public from the most dangerous threats.”

    “The Justice Department has dealt a decisive blow to the San Fernando Valley (SFV) Peckerwoods, a violent white supremacist gang that we charge is responsible for trafficking deadly fentanyl and other drugs, committing robberies, and perpetrating financial fraud to fund both their criminal enterprise and that of the Aryan Brotherhood,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “With today’s charges and arrests, the Justice Department, together with our state, local, and federal partners has targeted the heart of this gang’s operations, and we will continue to zero in on the criminal enterprises that endanger our communities.”

    “This operation, led by our Joint Terrorism Task Force, disrupted a racially motivated violent extremist group who engaged in a wide range of criminal activity,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “This case strikes at the heart of our collective mission to rid our communities of the corrosive elements that fuel violence and extremism that greatly impact our way of life. The FBI, along with our federal, state, and local partners, remains strongly committed to working every day to make sure the people of the Southland remain safe.”

    “The San Fernando Valley Peckerwoods, the Aryan Brotherhood and their associates are fused by one thing: hatred,” Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Los Angeles Field Division. “It appears, however, that the business of hate was not enough for them. Driven by greed, they engaged in other crimes, including drug distribution, pushing out deadly fentanyl onto our streets. Operating from corners of the San Fernando Valley, they conducted their crimes within and beyond the 8-1-8 community. Today’s large-scale indictments and arrests reflect our relentless commitment to dismantling criminal organizations that continue to harm our communities.”         

    According to the indictment that a grand jury returned on September 26, the Peckerwoods is a street gang based in communities in the San Fernando Valley whose members engage in a wide variety of criminal activity, including drug trafficking, violent crime, and fraud. As a white supremacist gang, the Peckerwoods at times takes orders from the Aryan Brotherhood, California’s dominant prison-based white supremacist gang, and maintains an alliance with the Mexican Mafia prison gang, which controls most Latino street gangs in California. The Peckerwoods use Nazi tattoos, graffiti, and iconography to indicate their violent white supremacy extremist ideology. These tattoos and iconography include swastikas, the symbol “88”, used by violent white supremacy extremists as code for “Heil Hitler,” and images of Nazi aircraft.

    Members and associates of the gang used social media to share information with each other about their criminal activities and gang rules, to identify gang members in good standing, and to target people who broke the gang’s rules. The social media use included a members-only Facebook group and private, direct messages between the gang’s members and associates. 

    From at least December 2016 to September 2024, Peckerwoods members conducted and participated in the affairs of their criminal enterprise by engaging in violence and threats of violence to preserve and expand the gang’s criminal operations, which promoted a climate of fear. Members and associates of the gang illegally maintained firearms and ammunition in furtherance of these aims.

    To generate revenue for the gang, its members trafficked narcotics, including fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. Specifically, lead defendant Claire Patricia Haviland, 62, of Chatsworth, and co-defendants Brian Glenn Ekelund, 53, of Chatsworth, and Brianne Brewer, 38, of North Hollywood, maintained and oversaw drug stash houses where large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and other drugs were stored prior to distribution. Haviland and Ekelund allegedly mailed illegal drugs to customers and used applications such as Zelle and CashApp to receive money from drug buyers and send money to their drug sources.

    They also generated revenue via robberies and financial fraud and participated in identity theft schemes. For example, from at least March 2021 to July 2023, defendants Sean Craig Gluckman, 35, of Encino, Maria Anna James, 30, of Canyon Country, and others submitted false and fraudulent applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was designed to aid businesses harmed by the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The defendants – posing as sole proprietors – signed fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of individuals incarcerated in California state prisons and collected a portion of the fraudulently obtained proceeds from co-conspirators as payment for their assistance.

    Gluckman in April 2021 submitted an application that falsely stated he was a self-employed “artist/writer” with a gross income of nearly $250,000. Later that month, he obtained a PPP loan in the amount of $20,833. In a separate scheme, Gluckman submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) applications in the names of other people to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) to fraudulently obtain jobless benefits.

    “The proliferation of gang related organized crime deteriorates the core of our society,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi. “Taking guns out of the hands of gang members and drugs from our streets is just one more step towards reducing this deterioration. Today is yet another example of how local, regional, and federal law enforcement, with a matched dedication, are working together to investigate, apprehend and prosecute criminals.”     

    “When criminal organizations cross jurisdictional lines, it makes conducting investigations and subsequent prosecutions much more difficult,” said Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff. “Having our federal law enforcement partners involvement in such cases greatly enhances our ability to protect not only the citizens of our county, but also those of our region of the state.”

    “The DOL-OIG will continue to allocate investigative resources to support our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in the fight against organized crime, particularly when it involves matters within our jurisdiction,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General’s Western Region. “This investigation reinforces our commitment to protecting the integrity of the nation’s unemployment system.” 

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

    If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

    The FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this matter. Other law enforcement agencies that assisted in today’s takedown are the Simi Valley Police Department; California Highway Patrol; the Glendale Police Department; the Burbank Police Department; the Redondo Beach Police Department; the Beverly Hills Police Department; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the United States Marshals Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police; the United States Department of Labor; the Federal Bureau of Prisons; the Los Angeles County Probation Department; the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services; the Pasadena Fire Department; United States Customs and Border Protection; and IRS Criminal Investigation.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Reema M. El-Amamy of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, Jeremiah M. Levine of the Violent and Organized Crime Section, and Alexander Su of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.

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

    On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly 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. 

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