NewzIntel.com

Category: Federal Bureau of Investigation

  • MIL-OSI USA: Arizona Man Convicted of Crimes Arising Out of Plot Targeting Christian Churches

    Source: US State of Vermont

    After an 11-day trial, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict yesterday against Zimnako Salah, 45, of Phoenix, Arizona, convicting him of strapping a backpack around the toilet of a Christian church in Roseville, California, with the intent to convey a hoax bomb threat and to obstruct the free exercise of religion of the congregants who worshipped there.  The jury’s verdict included a special finding Salah targeted the church because of the religion of the people who worshipped there, making the offense a hate crime.

    According to the evidence at trial, from September to November of 2023, Salah traveled to four Christian churches in Arizona, California, and Colorado, wearing black backpacks. At two of those churches, Salah planted those backpacks, placing congregants in fear that they contained bombs. At the other two churches, Salah was confronted by security before he got the chance to plant those backpacks.

    While Salah had been making bomb threats by planting backpacks in Christian churches, he had been building a bomb capable of fitting in a backpack. During a search of his storage unit, an FBI Bomb Technician seized items that an FBI Bomb Expert testified at trial served as component parts of an improvised explosive device (IED).

    A search of Salah’s social media records revealed that he had consumed extremist propaganda online. Specifically, those records showed that Salah had searched for videos of “Infidels dying,” and he had watched videos depicting ISIS terrorists murdering people.

    “This Department of Justice has no tolerance for anyone who targets religious Americans for their faith,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The perpetrator of this abhorrent hate crime against Christians will face severe punishment.”

    “Planting a hoax bomb at the Roseville church was not an isolated incident or a prank for this defendant,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “His actions were designed to threaten and intimidate the congregation because he disagreed with their religious beliefs. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of federal and local law enforcement and the attorneys from my office and our DOJ partners in Washington D.C., our communities are safer with yesterday’s verdict. People of all religions should be able to worship freely and exercise their First Amendment rights in this country without fear of violence.”

    “The Sacramento Division of the FBI is proud of our collaboration with local partners in bringing Mr. Salah to justice. His deliberate targeting of multiple places of worship and calculated efforts to spread panic were intended to terrorize people of faith and disrupt the peace of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to protecting the American people and will continue to work within the confines of the law to hold individuals accountable for acts of terrorism whether those acts are true threats or intended as hoaxes.”

    Salah faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Salah is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18 by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Roseville (CA) Police Department, the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego Harbor Police Department, and the Arapahoe County (CO) Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Christopher Perras and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Assistant United States Attorney Shea Kenny for the Eastern District of California.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, federal partners arrest 133 alien offenders during enhanced operation in New York

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and federal law enforcement partners apprehended 133 illegal aliens during an enhanced targeted enforcement operation focusing on criminal illegal alien offenders and other immigration violators in western, central, and northern New York to bolster public safety, national security and border security March 24-28.

    “By leveraging our federal partnerships and intelligence-driven investigations, ICE continues to carry out its mission in a way that best serves national security, public safety and border security,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Buffalo acting Deputy Field Office Director Philip Rhoney. “I am grateful for the professionalism, dedication and support from all of our partners during this week-long operation to remove dangerous alien offenders from our New York communities.”

    ICE and federal partners concentrated their efforts in and around the Buffalo area, but operations extended throughout western and upstate New York. Operations led to arrests of 84 illegal aliens from the Buffalo and Rochester areas, and 49 illegal aliens from Syracuse, Albany, Rouses Point, and Massena.

    “The success of this enhanced enforcement operation underscores the importance of utilizing a whole-of-government approach when protecting the public from criminal aliens and dangerous individuals living in our western, central, and northern New York communities,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan. “Standing side-by-side with our partners, ICE HSI will utilize every tool at our disposal to ensure the safety and security of New Yorkers. I commend our partners from the FBI, CBP, USBP, ATF, DEA, DSS, and USMS for their unwavering collaboration in support of this vital mission.”

    Of those arrested, 20 had criminal convictions or charges including three who were convicted of homicide. Nine of the arrests were of aliens who have been previously removed from the United States.

    Four criminal search warrants were executed during the operation. They were executed during the worksite enforcement component of the operation for federal violations of bringing in and harboring certain aliens and resulted in multiple bookings and records seizures as well as 18 administrative arrests for violations of immigration law.

    Among those arrested during the enhanced targeted operation include:

    • A 49-year-old illegal alien from Trinidad and Tobago convicted of murder.
    • A 66-year-old illegal alien from the Dominican Republic convicted of course of sexual conduct with a child.
    • A 32-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador convicted of murder and gang assault.
    • A 70-year-old illegal alien from the Dominican Republic convicted of manslaughter and criminal sale of controlled substance.
    • A 50-year-old illegal alien from China convicted of assault.
    • A 42-year-old illegal alien from Mexico convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
    • A 24-year-old illegal alien from Ecuador with several convictions for DWI.
    • A 43-year-old H-2A visa holder from South Africa charged with distribution and possession of child pornography.

    Partner law enforcement agencies participating in the operation were FBI Buffalo; FBI Albany; Drug Enforcement Administration New York; U.S. Customs and Border Protection Buffalo; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives New York; U.S. Marshals Service Buffalo; USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security; Department of State Diplomatic Security Service; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western and Northern Districts of New York.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-347-2423 or completing ICE’s online tip form.

    Learn more about ERO Buffalo’s mission to preserve public safety on X, @EROBuffalo.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona Man Convicted of Crimes Arising Out of Plot Targeting Christian Churches

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    After an 11-day trial, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict yesterday against Zimnako Salah, 45, of Phoenix, Arizona, convicting him of strapping a backpack around the toilet of a Christian church in Roseville, California, with the intent to convey a hoax bomb threat and to obstruct the free exercise of religion of the congregants who worshipped there.  The jury’s verdict included a special finding Salah targeted the church because of the religion of the people who worshipped there, making the offense a hate crime.

    According to the evidence at trial, from September to November of 2023, Salah traveled to four Christian churches in Arizona, California, and Colorado, wearing black backpacks. At two of those churches, Salah planted those backpacks, placing congregants in fear that they contained bombs. At the other two churches, Salah was confronted by security before he got the chance to plant those backpacks.

    While Salah had been making bomb threats by planting backpacks in Christian churches, he had been building a bomb capable of fitting in a backpack. During a search of his storage unit, an FBI Bomb Technician seized items that an FBI Bomb Expert testified at trial served as component parts of an improvised explosive device (IED).

    A search of Salah’s social media records revealed that he had consumed extremist propaganda online. Specifically, those records showed that Salah had searched for videos of “Infidels dying,” and he had watched videos depicting ISIS terrorists murdering people.

    “This Department of Justice has no tolerance for anyone who targets religious Americans for their faith,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The perpetrator of this abhorrent hate crime against Christians will face severe punishment.”

    “Planting a hoax bomb at the Roseville church was not an isolated incident or a prank for this defendant,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “His actions were designed to threaten and intimidate the congregation because he disagreed with their religious beliefs. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of federal and local law enforcement and the attorneys from my office and our DOJ partners in Washington D.C., our communities are safer with yesterday’s verdict. People of all religions should be able to worship freely and exercise their First Amendment rights in this country without fear of violence.”

    “The Sacramento Division of the FBI is proud of our collaboration with local partners in bringing Mr. Salah to justice. His deliberate targeting of multiple places of worship and calculated efforts to spread panic were intended to terrorize people of faith and disrupt the peace of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to protecting the American people and will continue to work within the confines of the law to hold individuals accountable for acts of terrorism whether those acts are true threats or intended as hoaxes.”

    Salah faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Salah is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18 by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Roseville (CA) Police Department, the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego Harbor Police Department, and the Arapahoe County (CO) Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Christopher Perras and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Assistant United States Attorney Shea Kenny for the Eastern District of California.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis County Man Convicted of Charges Related to Five Armed Robberies

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

    ST. LOUIS – A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Thursday found a St. Louis County man guilty of all nine charges related to five armed robberies in Missouri and Illinois in 2023.

    Ronald O. Perkins, 29, of Black Jack, Missouri, was found guilty of four counts of robbery, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony.

    According to evidence and testimony at trial, Perkins was armed with a handgun during each of the robberies, and often banged the gun on the counter while demanding money or pointed it at victims, who were left shaken and afraid.

    Perkins robbed a gas station and convenience store on Riverview Drive in St. Louis on Sept. 8, 2023. He entered the store, banged a pistol on the countertop and demanded money. He then grabbed money out of the register and fired several shots.

    On Nov. 8, 2023, Perkins robbed a gas station on Clayton Road in Richmond Heights, stealing cash and a pack of cigarettes. Less than two hours later, he robbed a 7-Eleven on Hoffmeister Avenue in St. Louis County, stealing cash.
     

    Four days later, he robbed a gas station on Fee Fee Road in St. Louis County of cash.

    Five days after that, he robbed a liquor store on St. Louis Road in Collinsville, Illinois, again stealing money from the register.

    Investigators obtained surveillance video showing each robbery, and later found clothes matching those worn by the robber in Perkins’ home and in one of the vehicles used by him to commit the robberies, evidence and testimony at trial showed. A distinctive scar on his hand matched the robber’s scar. The vehicles he drove matched those spotted in surveillance video from all five robberies. Officers recovered the gun that was a ballistic match to the firearm used in the first robbery from Perkins’ pants. Finally, Perkins’ left an electronic trail from his home to each robbery.

    “Taken together, it is a staggering amount of evidence,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone told jurors during a closing statement Thursday. The trial began Monday.

    Perkins is scheduled to be sentenced on July 3. Each robbery charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The discharge of a firearm charge carries a penalty of at least 10 years consecutive to the other charges. The brandishing charge carries a penalty of at least seven years consecutive to any other charge. The transporting charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Altogether, Perkins is facing at least 31 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life.

    The St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Collinsville Police Department, the Richmond Heights Police Department, the Columbia (Illinois) Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bluestone and Tiffany Becker are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Men Guilty of Multiple Drug and Gun Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that HENRY MITCHELL (“MITCHELL”), age 25, and JAYLAN WASHINGTON (“WASHINGTON”), age 29, former residents of New Orleans, pled guilty on April 1, 2025, before United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to drug and gun charges contained in an indictment previously returned against them.  Listed below are the charges to which MITCHELL and WASHINGTON pled guilty and the possible sentence that can be imposed:

    CHARGE DEFENDANT PENALTY
    Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute marihuana, Fentanyl, tapentadol and tramadol, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846

    MITCHELL

    WASHINGTON

    		 Up to 20 Years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least 3 years of supervised release
    Possession With Intent to Distribute marihuana, Fentanyl, tapentadol and tramadol, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) MITCHELL Up to  20 Years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least 3 years of supervised release
    Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) MITCHELL Up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000,   and up to 3 years of supervised release
    Possession of a Machine Gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o) MITCHELL Up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, not more than and up to 3 years of supervised release
    Possession of a Machine Gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o) MITCHELL Up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000,  and up to 3 years of supervised release
    Possession with Intent to Distribute marihuana, and tapentadol, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) WASHINGTON Up to 20 Years imprisonment , a fine of up to $1,000,000,  and at least 3 years of supervised release
    Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) WASHINGTON Not more than up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release
    Possession of a Machine Gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o) WASHINGTON Not more than up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release

    Each offense also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.

    Sentencing will occur on July 8, 2025, at 10:00 am.  Both will remain detained without bond.

    Documents filed in court reflect that MITCHELL and WASHINGTON were openly selling various controlled substances in the Seventh Police District of New Orleans.  FBI Violent Task Officers observed this activity after receiving multiple citizen complaints and summoned New Orleans Police Department officers who surrounded the area and arrested MITCHELL and WASHINGTON.  A search of their vehicles revealed both controlled substances and firearms.  Officers also recovered “Glock switches”, devices that make semiautomatic weapons fully automatic.  These devices are considered machineguns under federal law.  Additionally, documents reveal that both MITCHELL and WASHINGTON have several prior felony convictions.

    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.

    The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crime Task Force, and the New Orleans Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit is assigned the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Carolina Man Sentenced to Serve Seven Years in Federal Prison after Police Find Meth and Cocaine Worth More Than $350,000 Disguised as “Christmas Presents” in Vehicle

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OKLAHOMA CITY – JOHN CALVIN MOORE, 58, of North Carolina, has been sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

    According to public record, on December 22, 2023, Moore was pulled over by an officer with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) for speeding while driving eastbound on I-40. During the stop, the officer noticed what appeared to be several gift-wrapped Christmas presents in the trunk of the vehicle. Moore told the officer he was traveling to North Carolina from California. During the stop, OCPD learned Moore’s vehicle was a rental, and was due to be returned to Ontario, California, on December 23, 2023, the day following the stop. OCPD called in a K-9 unit, which alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle. OCPD officers then searched the vehicle and found more than 42 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 38 pounds of cocaine inside heat-sealed bags, hidden within the Christmas presents in the trunk. Law enforcement estimates the street value of the drugs to be more than $350,000.

    Moore was charged by Superseding Information on August 30, 2024, with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pled guilty to the Superseding Information on September 26, 2024, and admitted he possessed meth, which he intended to distribute, and that he possessed a firearm despite his previous felony conviction. Public record reflects that Moore has a previous felony conviction in New Jersey for possessing weapons for an unlawful purpose.

    At the sentencing hearing on March 28, 2025, U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin sentenced Moore to serve 84 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the seriousness of the crime—that Moore acted as a courier to transport controlled substances across the country—and Moore’s criminal history.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Criminal Interdiction Team of Central Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma City Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew E. Davis prosecuted the case.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Operation April Fool Results in the Arrest of 21 Most Wanted Individuals in Sebastian-Crawford County

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Fort Smith, AR – A three-day U.S. Marshals Service led operation in Fort Smith and the surrounding river valley area resulted in the apprehension of repeat wanted violent offenders on various state charges. Operation April Fool took place between April 1 – 3, as a multi-agency effort to arrest the most wanted individuals in the area, targeting repeat violent offenders and those that had eluded law enforcement with outstanding state felony warrants.

    The operation was led by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Western Arkansas Fugitive Task Force and included the FBI and USMS task force officers from the Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Community Correction, Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Smith Police Department, Van Buren Police Department, Alma Police Department, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Home Police Department, Bentonville Police Department, and Rogers Police Department.

    Arrest warrants executed during the operation resulted in the apprehension of 21 wanted fugitives from justice. The individuals arrested are facing various state charges including aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, sexual assault, battery, felon in possession of firearms, possession and distribution of narcotics, kidnapping, and parole violations with extensive criminal history.

    U.S. Marshal Gary Grimes stated, “Our partnerships with law enforcement in the Western District of Arkansas directly contributed to the successful apprehension of these violent offenders.” 

    The operation was conducted in support of the U.S. Marshals Service and Department of Justice’s efforts to reduce violent crime by partnering with federal, state, county, and local enforcement. In FY 2024, the USMS apprehended and cleared 33,960 federal fugitive and 57,210 state fugitive cases nationwide.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Protestor Sentenced in Damaging U.S. Government Property at Union Station Following a Protest Rally

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, 26, of Richmond, Virginia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in connection with spray-painting the monument at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 2024, following a protest rally.

                The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Special Agent in Charge Courtland Rae of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).

                Mahdawi received 10 days in federal prison, followed by six months of supervision. Chief Judge James E. Boasberg also ordered Mahdawi to serve 80 hours of community service and to pay $1,500 in restitution. Mahdawi pleaded guilty January 23, 2025, to destruction of government property, a misdemeanor.

                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 approximately 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., Mahdawi lowered a United States flag from one of the flagpoles in Columbus Circle. The flag was subsequently stolen by another individual. Between 3:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m., Mahdawi climbed the monument located in the center of Columbus Circle. His actions were 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.

                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 was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with invaluable assistance from the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit, the FBI Richmond Field Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office – Eastern District of Virginia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan.

    24cr535

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Clearwater Man Indicted For Transportation Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Brian Francis McArdle (34, Clearwater) with transportation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and possession of CSAM. If convicted on all counts, McArdle faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

    According to the indictment, from January 1, 2023, through April 2, 2024, McArdle transported and shipped a visual depiction, the production of which involved the sexual abuse of a minor. McArdle also knowingly possessed a visual depiction of the sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12.

    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. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.

    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 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Florida Federal, State, Local Law Enforcement Cooperation Leads to Murder Charges, Convictions Against MS-13 Gang Members

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, FBI Miami, Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), and other law enforcement worked in partnership to solve four local homicides connected to the MS-13 gang, a transnational criminal organization and recognized terrorist group. So far, the law enforcement collaboration has led to federal indictments in the Southern District of Florida charging murder in aid of racketeering activity (22-cr-60078 and 25-cr-20102); convictions that carry mandatory life sentences for six MS-13 members and associates; and pending charges against three defendants facing the death penalty.  

    The Investigation:

    Beginning in 2015, BSO Homicide Unit detectives investigated two murders that took place in a small area of Oakland Park, Florida, appeared to be gang related, and were carried out using knives or machetes:

    O.G., 18. On January 7, 2015, BSO detectives found the body of O.G. in Oakland Park, Florida. O.G. was 18 years old when he was killed by machete strikes to his head and neck.    

    C.O., 25. On October 19, 2015, BSO detectives responded to the scene of a stabbing in Oakland Park, Florida. They found 25-year-old C.O. in an alleyway. He had been stabbed many times in the neck and chest. C.O. was taken to the hospital but died soon after getting there. 

    Investigative leads on the two cases went cold in about 2016. In 2020, the BSO Cold Case Unit reopened the unsolved homicides and partnered with FBI Miami and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (the investigative team). They learned of two additional murders with similarities to the ones BSO had reopened: 

    G.V.P., 22. On May 3, 2015, the body of G.V.P. was discovered in a vacant lot in Palm Beach, Florida. G.V.P. was 22 years old when he was stabbed repeatedly in the face, neck, torso, and groin. He was also shot in the head. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, which was handling that case, collaborated with the investigative team.       

    J.C.L., 18. In May 2021, the investigative team discovered the body of victim J.C.L.  after an extensive, multi-day excavation in Oakland Park, Florida. He had been punched, kicked, stabbed to death, and buried in a makeshift grave. J.C.L. was 18 years old when his family reported him missing. 

    Through investigative techniques and modern technologies, the team pieced together evidence showing that MS-13 was responsible for the four homicides.     

    The Federal Prosecutions:

    The team secured federal indictments in two cases in the Southern District of Florida related to these MS-13 murders: the July 2022 federal criminal case against six defendants (22-cr-60078) and the March 2025 federal criminal case against three defendants (25-cr-20102).   

    In the 2022 case, all six defendants have been convicted of murder in aid of racketeering activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C.§1959:  

    Andy Tovar (a/k/a “Fearless”) pled guilty to two counts of murder in aid of racketeering activity. Tovar, an MS-13 gang leader, approved the murder of victim O.G., and participated in victim G.V.P.’s murder in 2015 – including shooting him in the eye.

    Tovar has been sentenced to life in prison. 

    Wilson Tirado-Silva (a/k/a “Sombra”) pled guilty to four charges of murder in aid of racketeering activity for his role in: the 2014 stabbing murder of victim J.C.L., the 2015 murder by machete of victim O.G., the 2015 stabbing and gunshot murder of victim G.V.P., and the 2015 stabbing murder of victim C.O. Tirado-Silva was a local MS-13 leader responsible for growing the gang in South Florida. He took MS-13 recruits on kills as part of gang initiation.  

    Tirado-Silva faces a mandatory life sentence.  

    Miguel Angel Cabrera-Granados (a/k/a “Mariachi”) pled guilty to one count of murder in aid of racketeering activity. He participated in the 2014 stabbing murder of victim J.C.L. to gain gang membership credit.  

    Cabrera-Granados faces a mandatory life sentence.  

    Melvin David Cruz-Ortiz (a/k/a “Bigfoot”) pled guilty to three counts of murder in aid of racketeering activity for his role in the 2014 stabbing murder of victim J.C.L., the 2015 stabbing and gunshot murder of victim G.V.P., and the 2015 stabbing murder of victim C.O. Cruz-Ortiz committed the murders to gain gang membership credit. 

    Cruz-Ortiz faces a mandatory life sentence.

    Kevin Ricardo Gamez-Melendez (a/k/a “Ardilla”) pled guilty to one count of murder in aid of racketeering activity for his role in the 2015 stabbing and gunshot murder of victim G.V.P. 

    Gamez-Melendez faces a mandatory life sentence.

    Wilber Geovanni Vigil-Benitez (a/k/a “Solitario”) was convicted by a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida earlier this year for murder in aid of racketeering. The jury found Vigil-Benitez guilty for his role in the 2015 stabbing and gunshot murder of victim G.V.P. 

    Vigil-Benitez faces a mandatory life sentence.     

    In the March 2025 case (25-cr-20102), three defendants are charged with murder in aid of racketeering activity in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1959, in connection with the MS-13 stabbing and gunshot killing of victim G.V.P. They are all in federal custody:  

    • Jose Ezequiel Gamez-Maravilla (a/k/a “Chango”) 

    • Hugo Adiel Bermudez-Martinez (a/k/a “Blue”) 

    • Wilber Rosendo Navarro-Escobar (a/k/a “Power”)   

    The three defendants, whose cases are pending, face a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison and a maximum sentence of death. The indictment against them is an accusation and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

    “These vicious and callous acts by MS-13 not only shattered lives but also undermined the safety and security of South Florida communities,” said Hayden P. O’Byrne, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “Through my office’s unwavering partnership with other federal, state, and local law enforcement, we are sending a clear message to those who inflict violence, feed drug addiction, or cause other harm to the people of our district: We will find you; we will prosecute you; and we will apply the full force of American justice.”  

    “Nine MS-13 terrorists have been taken off our streets and four cold murder cases have been solved thanks to the great investigative work of the FBI and our law enforcement partners,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Let this be a lesson: no matter how long it takes, we will never give up in our pursuit of justice.”

    “This investigation reflects the FBI’s unwavering commitment to arrest dangerous criminals who threaten the safety of our citizens and our communities. Combating violent crime continues to be a top priority for the FBI and the Miami Field Office,” said Brett Skiles, acting Special Agent in Charge FBI Miami. “The FBI is grateful for its close collaboration with numerous local, state, federal, and international law enforcement partners, whose combined efforts were essential to track down these violent suspects in South Florida, Central Florida, Kearney, Nebraska, Saint Paul, Minnesota, and Mexico City, Mexico. We commend our partners on their professionalism, diligence, and dedication to keeping our nation safe. However, the FBI and our law enforcement partners cannot do it alone. We ask the public to contact law enforcement if they have information about cold cases or any criminal activity. Two-way communication with our communities is vital to our work, and often holds the answers to solving crimes. Together, we will use all tools available and go to farthest reaches of the globe to bring to justice those who seek to endanger our citizens and society. We will not relent.”

    “The heartless and brutal actions of these ruthless and violent criminals demonstrate a complete disregard for human life,” Sheriff Dr. Gregory Tony said. “BSO’s Cold Case Homicide investigators, who worked closely with our federal partners, proved once again that justice has no expiration date. We owe it to the families of the victims and to this community to make sure the people who committed these heinous crimes are held accountable.”

    Southern District of Florida Special Prosecutions Chief Brian Dobbins and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena Smukler are prosecuting these cases. FBI Miami and BSO investigated, with valuable assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Miami, Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, NCIS Southeast Field Office, and Florida Department of Corrections.

    The U.S. Department of Justice has stated that MS-13 is a violent transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador that operates throughout parts of the United States. MS-13 is a recognized terrorist organization.

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

    This matter is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    FBI and HSI have nationwide tip lines for individuals who wish to share information about the MS-13 gang and its activities. The FBI tipline is 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), and the HSI tipline is 1-866-DHS-2423

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 22-cr-60078 and 25-cr-20102.

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Arrest of Kenneth DiGiorgio

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

    SAN JUAN, PR—Acting Special Agent in Charge Devin J. Kowalski, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), San Juan Field Office, announced today the arrest of Kenneth DeGiorgio (DeGiorgio).

    DeGiorgio was charged under a Federal Criminal Complaint with violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 113(a)(4) (Assault within Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States) for events which took place aboard a cruise ship en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico on or about March 31, 2025. Cruise ship authorities alerted the FBI of the incident.

    “Violent crimes committed aboard cruise ships fall under federal jurisdiction and we take them very seriously,” said Kowalski. “If you break the law at sea, expect to face consequences on land.”

    This case is being investigated by the FBI San Juan Field Office and is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico.

    Tips and information assist the FBI and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. The FBI reminds the public that anyone with information on this case should contact the FBI San Juan Field Office by calling 787-987-6500 or submit tips through the FBI’s Internet complaint portal at Tips.FBI.Gov. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

    The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty by a court of law. The U.S. government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bridgeport Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that ONAI KEDAR WILBUR WRIGHT, 25, of Bridgeport, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses.

    Wright appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford.  He has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on March 14, 2025.

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on March 14, 2025, an Online Covert Employee (OCE) with the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in Cleveland, Ohio, monitored a live video stream on the internet application “Fambase” and observed Wright engaging in sexually explicit activity with a 16-year-old female (“minor victim”).  Analysis of mobile communications and geo-location data, and information from AirBnB, led investigators to a residence located in Norwich, Connecticut, where they took Wright into custody.  The minor victim and two adult females were also present in the residence.

    The complaint charges Wright with sexual exploitation of children, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years of imprisonment, and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that a complaint is only a charge and 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 FBI in New Haven and Cleveland, with the assistance of the Norwich Police Department, the New London State’s Attorney’s Office, the Vermilion (Ohio) Police Department, and the Norwalk (Ohio) Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.

    Acting U.S Attorney also acknowledged the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

    This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Michigan Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Entice A Child Into Sexual Activity

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that William Isaak Sparks (24, Kalamazoo, Michigan) has pleaded guilty to attempted online enticement of an 11-year-old child to engage in sex acts. Sparks faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Following any imposed prison sentence, he will be required to serve at least 5 years’ supervised release and register as a sex offender. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Sparks has also agreed to forfeit a cellphone that was used to facilitate the offense.

    According to court documents, an FBI special agent was conducting an online undercover investigation designed to identify and target adults who were seeking sexual activity with children. The undercover agent, posing as the parent of an 11-year-old girl, made contact with Sparks in a chat group on a social media app. Sparks offered to travel from Michigan to Florida for the purpose of sexually exploiting the “child.” Sparks provided his cellphone number to the undercover agent, distributed to the undercover agent two videos of children being sexually abused, and offered to send an explicit video of himself. Via text message, Sparks continued to make arrangements to travel to Florida.

    The undercover agent again encountered Sparks in a chat room on May 21, 2024. During that conversation, Sparks again offered to travel to Florida to sexually abuse the 11-year-old “child.” Sparks provided his true name to the undercover agent so that the agent could book a bus ticket from Michigan to Florida for Sparks. The agent later learned that on May 24, 2024, Sparks had been arrested by the Michigan State Police after information was provided by a private citizen that Sparks was attempting to engage in sex acts with a purported 11-year-old child in Michigan. Sparks was arrested after he showed up with a condom and $45 in cash expecting to sexually abuse the purported 11-year-old child in Michigan.

    While he was detained pending trial in this case, Sparks was found to be possessing in his jail cell drawings depicting children being sexually abused.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Michigan State Police, and the Township of Kalamazoo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.

    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 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 www.justice.gov/psc. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Five Individuals Face Federal Charges Following Multi-Agency Immigration Enforcement Operations

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

    ATLANTA – Five individuals have been charged in the Northern District of Georgia with firearms-related offenses during a multi-agency immigration enforcement operation in metro-Atlanta during the past week. The operations involved coordinated investigations led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable support from several local law enforcement partners. In addition to the individuals charged federally, law enforcement seized more than a dozen firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in connection with the operations.

    “Our office is proud to support our law enforcement partners in this effort and other enforcement initiatives to protect our communities and safeguard our national security,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “This initiative sends a strong message to those engaged in criminal activity, whether regarding immigration-related or firearms offenses, that the ongoing and determined coordinated efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners will achieve measurable results in making our communities safer.”

    “The successful enforcement actions taken during this multi-agency operation underscore HSI’s unwavering commitment to upholding immigration laws and targeting illegal aliens allegedly possessing and trafficking in firearms,” said Steven N. Schrank, special agent in charge of HSI Atlanta, which covers Georgia and Alabama. “By leveraging our partnerships and resources, we are identifying and apprehending those who exploit our immigration system to engage in criminal activities that threaten public safety and national security.”

    “ATF along with our federal law enforcement partners will utilize all resources to investigate firearms trafficking by transnational criminal organizations and cartels,” said Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Gibbons. “The success of these investigative efforts could not be accomplished without cohesive partnerships, which keep our communities safe.”

    “The DEA, along with our law enforcement partners, are sending a clear message to the Mexican drug cartels and their criminal associates, that keeping our communities safe is our highest priority,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. 

    “FBI Atlanta is dedicated to supporting our federal partners in achieving our mutual objective of ensuring the safety of our communities,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This case clearly illustrates the success that can be achieved when federal agencies unite their resources and expertise to combat violent criminals.”

    According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: From March 24 to April 2, 2025, federal law enforcement agencies conducted a series of enforcement operations targeting individuals allegedly committing firearms and other violations, including those illegally present in the United States.  During the operation, law enforcement seized 13 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.  Significantly, resulting investigations revealed that many of the firearms were bound for Mexico.

    The following defendants have been charged in connection with the operations:

    Hernandez Mora made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker on April 1, 2025.  Gonzales-Hoppo made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge John K. Larkins, III on March 28, 2025.  Vick, Macias Montes and Sambrano also made their initial appearances before Judge Larkins on March 27, 2025. 

    Members of the public are reminded that the Criminal Complaints and Indictment only contain charges.  The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

    These cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Secret Service, Georgia State Patrol, Sandy Springs Police Department, Doraville Police Department, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Clayton County Police Department, South Fulton Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Gwinnett County Police Department, Clarkston Police Department and East Point Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys with the Northern District of Georgia, including those assigned to the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), provided valuable support for these operations.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates.  The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies; and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. 

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  • MIL-OSI USA: San Fernando Valley Man Arrested for Allegedly Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material Tied to Online Violent Network Known as ‘764’

    Source: US State of California

    WASHINGTON — A California man was arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he targeted children for sexual exploitation online as part of his role in an online violent network that seeks to accelerate social unrest and the downfall of the current world order.

    Jose Henry Ayala Casamiro, 28, of San Fernando Valley, was arrested by the FBI on charges of attempting to possess and the possession of child pornography. He made his initial appearance on April 3 in federal court in the Central District of California. A federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond and an April 22 arraignment date was scheduled in Los Angeles federal court.

    According to court documents, Ayala allegedly caused minors to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM) as well as other video content depicting themselves engaging in self-harm as part of his participation in an online network known broadly as “764”, a network of nihilistic violent extremists who engage in criminal conduct, particularly targeting children for sexual exploitation online, to further the network’s goals of accelerating the downfall of the current world order, including the U.S. government. Members of 764 work in concert with one another towards a common purpose of destroying civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, including minors.

    As part of the 764 network, Alaya was allegedly involved with an online group that blackmailed underage girls into creating child pornography videos depicting themselves engaging in degrading sadistic sexual acts, torture sessions, and carving their abusers’ initials or names on their bodies. The group also encouraged the female minors to commit suicide. As one example, the criminal complaint details a March 2020 photo in which an individual had cut the defendant’s name “Henry” into their right forearm. The complaint also outlines four videos that allegedly depict Ayala directing teen girls to engage in specific sexual acts. In February and March 2025, the complaint also alleges that Ayala participated in a new server created as a “grooming pool” targeting many underage girls, which included two minor students in a public school district in Colorado.

    Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California; and Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division made the announcement. 

    The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Elbogen and David Ryan for the Central District of California and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 16 charged in sweeping Houston-based multimillion-dollar illegal gambling and money laundering conspiracy

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

    “Operation Double Down” leads to seizure of over $16 million in currency, accounts, and assets, as well as arrest of illegal aliens

    HOUSTON – Several Houston-area residents are now in custody on various charges including conspiracy, operating illegal game rooms, bribery and money laundering in one of the largest ever law enforcement operations in the Southern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    They are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan at 2 p.m.

    In addition to those indicted in the scheme, authorities also arrested 31 illegal aliens on various immigration and firearms charges during the operation April 2. One of those included an illegal alien who allegedly assaulted a law enforcement officer.

    The indictment, returned March 26 and unsealed upon the arrests, alleges Nizar Ali, 61, Richmond, and others allegedly conspired to own, operate or assist in the operation of illegal game rooms. All also conspired to conduct financial transactions to conceal and disguise the nature and source of the proceeds of the illegal gambling business, which totaled more than $22 million, according to the charges.

    More than 700 law enforcement officers from 18 agencies served a total of 45 search and 40 seizure warrants at locations throughout Houston and the surrounding area. The locations included 30 illegal game rooms with names such as El Portal and Yellow Building.

    During the operation, authorities recovered more than $4.5 million in cash as well as $5 million in property and vehicles, 2000 slot machines, 100 Rolex watches and eight firearms. Law enforcement also seized approximately $6.5 million from bank accounts and other financial institutions pursuant to the court-issued warrants.

    In addition to Ali, others taken into custody include Naeem Ali, 33, and Amer Khan, 68, both of Richmond; Ishan Dhuka, 33, and Sahil Karovalia, 32, both of Rosenberg; Sarfarez Maredia, 38, and Shoaib Maredia, 40, both of Sugar Land; Yolanda Figueroa, 40, Pasadena; Viviana Alvarado, 45, LaPorte; and Anabel Eloisa Guevarra, 46, Precela Solis, 27, Maria Delarosa, 53, Claudia Calderon, 37, and Lucia Hernandez, 34, all of Houston.

    Two others – Sayed Ali, 59, Richmond, and Stephanie Huerta, 35, Houston – are considered fugitives and warrants remain outstanding for their arrests.

    All are charged with conspiracy, operating an illegal gambling business and interstate travel in aid of racketeering which each carry possible prison terms of five years as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering which has a maximum 20-year possible prison term.

    Ali is also charged with 32 counts of federal program bribery for allegedly paying more than $500,000 to an undercover officer in an attempt to protect the illicit game rooms from law enforcement intervention. If convicted, he faces up to 10 more years in prison on each count.

    With the exception of the money laundering charge which has the possibility of a $500,000 maximum fine or twice the value of the property involved, the remaining counts carry a maximum $250,000 potential fine.

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) led the investigation along with IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) and the assistance of Houston Police Department (HPD); FBI; High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program; Harris County Constable’s Office – Precinct One; Harris County District Attorney’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Drug Enforcement Administration. Other agencies providing support include ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, sheriff’s offices in Harris and Montgomery Counties, Houston Fire Department, Texas Attorney General’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety and police departments in Baytown and Pasadena.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Mark McIntyre, John Marck and Carolyn Ferko are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Fyffe and Tyler Foster are handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

    An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: San Fernando Valley Man Arrested for Allegedly Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material Tied to Online Violent Network Known as ‘764’

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he targeted children for sexual exploitation online as part of his role in an online violent network that seeks to accelerate social unrest and the downfall of the current world order.

    Jose Henry Ayala Casamiro, 28, was arrested by the FBI on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of child pornography. He made his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. A federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond and an April 22 arraignment date was scheduled in Los Angeles federal court.

    “The facts alleged in this complaint are disturbing,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Criminals lurk in the internet’s dark corners to prey on and do lasting damage to children. Let this arrest serve as notice to all online predators. We will find you and arrest you if you hurt children.”

    According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Ayala caused minors to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM) as well as other video content depicting themselves engaging in self-harm as part of his participation in an online network known broadly as “764”, a network of nihilistic violent extremists who engage in criminal conduct, particularly targeting children for sexual exploitation online, to further the network’s goals of accelerating the downfall of the current world order, including the United States Government. Members of 764 work in concert with one another towards a common purpose of destroying civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, including minors.

    As part of the 764 network, Ayala allegedly was involved with an online group that blackmailed underage girls into creating child pornography videos depicting themselves engaging in degrading sadistic sexual acts, torture sessions, and carving their abusers’ initials or names on their bodies. The group also encouraged the female minors to commit suicide. As one example, the criminal complaint details a March 2020 photo in which an individual had cut the defendant’s name “Henry” into their right forearm. The complaint also outlines four videos that allegedly depict Ayala directing teen girls to engage in specific sexual acts. In February and March 2025, the complaint also alleges that Ayala participated in a new server created as a “grooming pool” targeting underage girls.

    The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the case.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda Elbogen, of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, and David Ryan, Chief of the National Security Division, are prosecuting this case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Passenger charged with sexual assault during flight from Montana to Texas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BILLINGS –  A New Jersey man accused of sexual assault while flying from Bozeman, Montana to Dallas, Texas was charged this week, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    The defendant, Bhaveshkumar Dahyabhai Shukla, 36, of Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey, was charged in a one-count indictment with abusive sexual contact in special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. If convicted, Shukla faces two years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.

    Shukla is scheduled to appear on April 17, 2025, for an arraignment.

    The indictment alleges that on January 26, 2025, on board an American Airlines flight from Bozeman to Dallas, Shukla engaged in sexual contact with another person without that other person’s permission.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI, ICE and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Police conducted the investigation.

    The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    PACER case reference. 25-08.

    The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

    XXX

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Beyer, Bacon Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Response to Rise in Hate Crimes

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

    U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA) and Don Bacon (R-NE) today introduced the Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen the credible and accurate reporting of hate crimes to better respond to the national rise of these bias-driven incidents. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) most recent 2023 Hate Crimes Statistics report documented 11,862 hate crime incidents – the highest number ever reported by the agency, with a sharp increase in antisemitic and anti-Black incidents.

    The FBI has acknowledged however, that hate crimes data is incomplete and underreported. Their 2023 Hate Crimes Statistics report includes data from just 16,009 law enforcement agencies nationwide, meaning that more than 2,000 jurisdictions did not report any data at all.  Of the jurisdictions that did participate, nearly 80 percent reported zero hate crimes.

    “As many communities across the country are seeing an alarming increase in hateful rhetoric and violence, there is much more we can do in Congress to better address the increase in hate crimes,” said Rep. Don Beyer. “Our legislation would ensure we improve the credibility and accuracy of our data, allowing us to make well-informed decisions to better allocate resources with the goal of preventing as many hate crimes as possible in American communities. Violence and discrimination are never acceptable, and our legislation is an important and necessary step forward in addressing the rise of hate.”

    “Antisemitic incidents are underreported across the nation, and we need to ensure communities are accurately reporting them as well as other hate crimes,” said Rep. Don Bacon. “This bill will enable the Department of Justice to determine if communities are accurately reporting these instances. If left unchecked, these hate crimes will continue to go unreported and the crimes will continue to rise.”

    “While FBI data showed 1,832 reported antisemitic crimes in 2023, a 63% increase from the prior year, this is only a portion of the crimes committed against the Jewish community as hate crimes are widely underreported. To effectively address antisemitism in the United States, we must understand the true degree to which hate-based violence exists,” said Ted Deutch, CEO of American Jewish Committee (AJC). “The American public overwhelmingly agrees – American Jewish Committee’s (AJC’s) State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report found more than nine in 10 say it is important that law enforcement be required to report hate crimes to a federal government database. AJC thanks Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA) and Don Bacon (R-NE) for reintroducing the Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act, a necessary first step in understanding the real extent to which anti-Jewish crimes occur in the United States.”

    “The Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community has historically been targeted and scapegoated and experienced significant increases in hate-motivated verbal and physical attacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. But even now, community surveys indicate that a staggering 49% of AANHPIs nationwide were targeted by acts of hate in 2024,” said Sim Singh Attariwala, Director of Anti-Hate Program at Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC). “Anti-Asian sentiment remains a top safety concern for many AANHPIs, especially in major metropolitan areas. For decades hate crimes have been underreported by law enforcement. Consistent, credible and accurate data is critical to developing policies that prevent hate crimes and protect all communities. We welcome initiatives that improve efforts to increase accountability and counter hate and discrimination.” 

    “Hate crimes nationwide have surged to historic levels, with antisemitic incidents reaching their highest point in decades,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). “We know that many incidents go unreported, and so even these record-breaking numbers fail to reflect the true scale of hate crime incidents across the country. We thank Reps. Beyer and Bacon for continuing to champion this bipartisan effort to incentivize law enforcement’s accurate and robust participation in hate crime reporting.”

    “As dire as the data on hate crimes and bias incidents in our country is, the unfortunate truth is that the reality is likely worse: Each year, thousands of law enforcement agencies do not report any such crimes and incidents to the FBI, leaving huge gaps in our knowledge about the lived experiences of marginalized communities,” said Mannirmal Kaur, Federal Policy Manager for the Sikh Coalition. “Mandating the reporting of hate crimes and bias incidents is one of the strongest policy steps that the federal government could take towards truly understanding the scope of hate-motivated violence and crimes. Doing so will in turn allow us to effectively diagnose where we most urgently need to strengthen laws and statutes, invest in front-end prevention, and take other actions to make our communities safer.”

    “Over the past few years, the FBI has reported increasing levels of hate violence, especially against Black people,” said Sakira Cook, Federal Policy Director for the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). “Despite this documented rising trend, we know that incomplete reporting to the FBI is a persistent problem. This bipartisan legislation is designed to address the fact that thousands of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies did not report any data to the FBI in 2023, and 80% of the 16,000 agencies that did participate affirmatively reported zero (0) hate crimes, including about 60 agencies serving populations of over 100,000 people.  We cannot effectively confront this national problem without more accurate and complete data and an inclusive and intersectional approach to countering all forms of hate. We applaud the leadership of Reps. Don Beyer and Don Bacon for introducing the Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act and look forward to working together to ensure its passage.”

    “At National Council of Jewish Women, we believe that every person has the right to live free from hate and violence,” said Darcy Hirsh, Senior Director of Government Relations and Advocacy for the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW). “Yet the Jewish community and our neighbors in countless other communities are living in fear every day, with hate crimes continuing to threaten our safety. In 2023, the number of reported hate crimes – including anti-Jewish hate crimes – reached an all-time high, an urgent reminder that inaction hurts individuals and families. The Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act will ensure that law enforcement agencies around the country are accurately reporting hate crimes, creating a clearer picture of the threats communities face so that we can develop meaningful, effective solutions. We are grateful to Representatives Beyer and Bacon for championing this essential bipartisan legislation to protect all of our communities”

    “Sikh Americans continue to be one of the most targeted religious groups in hate crimes per capita. Unfortunately, we know that these numbers do not account for the true scope of hate nationally, as often law enforcement agencies under-report, or sometimes fail to report the number of hate crimes in their region” said Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF). “As SALDEF works to combat hate crimes, it is crucial to have access to accurate and credible data. By mandating local governments report hate crime data in order to be eligible for federal funding, the federal government takes an important step in addressing hate in America. SALDEF commends the Offices of Representatives Beyer and Bacon for their leadership efforts in safeguarding our communities.”

    The Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop a system to assess whether localities are reporting credible and accurate data on hate crimes. If a locality is found to not be reporting credible data or fails to provide any data at all, it would be required to conduct community education and awareness initiatives to maintain eligibility for certain federal funding allocations.

    Text of the Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act is available here.

    Beyer is the author of the bipartisan, bicameral Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act, signed into law by President Biden in 2021 as part of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Independence Woman Charged with Defrauding an Elderly Victim of over $1,000,000

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, MO, woman was arrested today following a five-count indictment by a federal grand jury charging her with defrauding an elderly victim of over $1 million dollars.

    Amanda Sargent, 35, was charged in a five-count indictment on March 26, 2025, which was unsealed following her arrest today.  The indictment alleges that Sargent defrauded an elderly victim she met on Facebook. Sargent made false claims to the victim and received over $1,000,000 over a nearly two-year period.   

    The Platte County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by an elderly woman who reported that she believed herself to be a victim of fraud by Sargent. The woman met Sargent in a Facebook group that connected those experiencing homelessness to helpful resources in the Kansas City area. In late 2021, Sargent posted a request to this group seeking help to pay for car repairs and the woman responded by sending a small amount of money. Over the next nearly two years, Sargent made false claims that she needed help paying medical bills for her and her children, rent, utilities, and even assistance paying for a kidney transplant. The victim believed she was helping a young family in need and sent Sargent over $1,000,000 from late 2021 until mid-2023. Sargent’s claims were false, and she withdrew all the donations in cash for her own use.   

    The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

    Under federal statutes, if convicted, Sargent faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.  The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Hanson. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Platte County Sheriff’s Office.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Portage Man Sentenced to 12 Years as Organizer of Statewide Drug Trafficking Organization

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Angel Flores, 31, Portage, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 12 years in federal prison for attempting to possess more than 500 grams of cocaine for distribution. Flores pleaded guilty to this charge on December 18, 2024.  Juan Ojeda, 31, West Allis, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by Judge Peterson to one year in federal prison for possessing cocaine intended for distribution. Ojeda pleaded guilty to this charge on December 16, 2024.

    In late 2022, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating a large cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in the Western District of Wisconsin. During the investigation, agents intercepted communications between Flores and his California supplier of cocaine and methamphetamine. Investigators determined that Flores was obtaining multiple kilograms of cocaine and large amounts of methamphetamine and selling it throughout the Western District of Wisconsin, including Madison, Portage, and La Crosse.

    In January 2023, co-defendant Juan Ojeda travelled to Chicago at the direction of Flores to meet with a courier sent by the California supplier. Ojeda received 12 kilograms of cocaine in that meeting and transported it back to Wisconsin. In February 2023, intercepted phone communications resulted in the interception of a load of cocaine as it travelled through Arizona on its way to Illinois, where Flores arranged to receive three kilograms from the shipment.

    In sentencing Flores, Judge Peterson expressed concern about the large quantity and geographic scope of the trafficking organization led by Flores, observing that he brought multiple kilograms of cocaine into Wisconsin on a continuing basis over a long period of time, with distribution spanning nearly two-thirds of the state. Judge Peterson indicated that the 12-year sentence for Flores’s leadership role in “some of the highest level of dealing in this district” was intended to convey that drug trafficking in this volume will not be tolerated.

    In sentencing Ojeda, Judge Peterson imposed a one-year sentence after observing that Ojeda had a limited role in the trafficking organization, no significant criminal history, and withdrawn from participation in the organization before police intervened.

    In March 2025, Judge Peterson sentenced four other defendants for their roles in aiding Flores’s drug trafficking organization. Judge Peterson sentenced Braulio Martinez-Salazar to 3 years; Luis Angel Rios to 9 years; David Junius to 7 years; and Justin Purdy to 8 years.

    The charges in this case were the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, and Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Anderson and William M. Levins prosecuted this case.

    The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New Hampshire Man Charged with Discharging a Firearm During Assault on a Federal Officer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on April 3, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a second superseding indictment charging  Douglas Reynolds, 37, of New Hampshire, with using a firearm to assault a federal officer and discharging the firearm during the assault. Reynolds was previously charged with other firearm-related charges and those charges remain pending.

    Reynolds’s arraignment on the second superseding indictment has not yet been scheduled. He is being held in custody during these proceedings.

    According to court records, on October 24, 2024, Reynolds led law enforcement on a car chase that started in New Hampshire and ended near Ryegate, Vermont. The pursuit reached speeds of at least 100 miles per hour. At the end of the chase, Reynolds pointed a firearm out of his car and fired a shot. Law enforcement returned fire and then apprehended Reynolds.

    The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Reynolds is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Reynolds faces up to a lifetime of imprisonment, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment, if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the Vermont State Police.

    The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Reynolds is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Carmen Brooks.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Tulsan Sentenced for Possessing 100s of Images and Videos Containing the Sexual Abuse of Children

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced today for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

    U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Joseph Gunther Sampson, 31, to 121 months followed by 15 years of supervised release. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Upon release, Sampson will be required to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be heard at a later date.

    In a separate child pornography investigation, the FBI discovered messages between another individual and Sampson discussing minor children for sexual purposes. When the FBI interviewed Sampson in August 2024, he allowed law enforcement to search his phone. Even though he stated his phone was new, the FBI discovered multiple images that contained Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). When confronted about the CSAM, Sampson admitted to having viewed child pornography for the past five years. He further admitted to receiving and sharing CSAM through an application on his phone.

    When the FBI searched Sampson’s home, they found three more electronic devices. The forensic analysis revealed that between December 2023 and August 2024, Sampson possessed 100s of images and videos containing CSAM. Multiple videos depict minors under the age of 12.

    The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) CyberTipline is the nation’s centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children. Since its inception in 1998, the NCMEC’s CyberTipline has received more than 195 million reports. The Child Victim Identification Program began in 2002 and has reviewed more than 425 million CSAM images or videos and helped identify more than 30,000 victims.

    NCMEC assisted in this case by analyzing the images found by investigators to identify known and unknown child sexual assault victims. The FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ecuadorian National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Entering the US After a Prior Removal

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Maine: An Ecuadorian national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to illegally entering the U.S. after a prior removal.

    According to court records, on February 4, 2025, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the FBI conducted surveillance at a South Portland residence. After observing William Ariel Tamay Guaman, 23, get into a van, agents followed Tamay Guaman and conducted a traffic stop. An ERO agent familiar with Tamay Guaman approached the driver and asked for their name. Tamay Guaman provided a false name and was directed to step out of the vehicle. After briefly fleeing on foot and resisting arrest, he was taken into custody. He was positively ID’d by fingerprints.

    Tamay Guaman, who entered the country in or before 2019, was charged in the Cumberland County Unified Criminal Docket in March 2023 with two counts of reckless conduct involving a minor for offenses that occurred between 2020 and 2021. He was convicted and sentenced to 364 days of imprisonment on one count, to be followed by an additional, fully suspended 364 days and probation. In a separate proceeding, an immigration judge ordered Tamay Guaman to be removed from the United States, and he was deported in September 2023.

    Tamay Guaman faces a maximum prison term of two years and a fine up to $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    ICE-ERO investigated the case with assistance from the FBI.

    Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Vice Chairman of Smyth County School Board Pleads Guilty

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ABINGDON, Va. – The former Vice Chairman of the Smyth County School Board pled guilty today to using at least six minor, male victims to produce child pornography.

    Todd  Stewart Williams, 54, of Chilhowie, Virginia, pled guilty today to four counts of persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing and attempting to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more minors to engage in any sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct, in interstate commerce.

    “The Internet has expanded the manner in which young people can be targeted by those looking to exploit them,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “Importantly, this case demonstrates that even those who are entrusted by our communities to oversee the welfare of our children may harbor intentions to exploit them, and for that reason we must be ever vigilant and responsive when our young people report abuse. I am thankful to the FBI both in Virginia and elsewhere for their diligence in bringing this case to justice.”

    “There is no place in our communities for someone who manipulates and abuses children, especially by someone in a position of influence. In addition to committing numerous reprehensible acts against minors, Williams betrayed the trust of parents in Smyth County where he was elected to oversee the education and well-being of students,” said Stanley Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “The FBI Richmond team stands with parents and educators to protect our children and ensure justice is served for all who seek to harm them.”

    According to court documents, Williams’s criminal activity came to the attention of law enforcement in September 2022 when a 15-year-old teenager living in Oklahoma reported to the FBI that Williams, using the Snapchat username “todd_w3411” requested nude images and videos of him.

    During an interview with law enforcement, the teen told investigators he met Williams in a Snapchat group intended for gay teenage males. Soon after they began chatting, Williams reached out to the teen and offered to make in-app purchases in an online video game in exchange for nude pictures of the teen.

    The FBI’s investigation uncovered multiple instances of Williams’s exploitation of multiple minors.  In one instance, Williams used Snapchat to communicate with a then 12-year-old minor and offered to purchase items for an online game before eventually offering to buy nude pictures and videos from the boy.

    Between August 2022 and January 2024, Williams sent the young victim nearly $1,000 in exchange for nude images and videos.

    In January 2023, Williams met another teen on Snapchat and paid the teen to take pictures and videos of him sexually abusing his younger stepbrother, who was 10-years-old at the time. As directed by Williams, the teen would approach his stepbrother in his bedroom at night and force his stepbrother to watch pornography and engage in sexual acts.

    Because the teen reached his $600 monthly limit on Cash App transactions, Williams mailed him a debit card hidden inside a pair of shoes to ensure he was able to purchase his videos.

    In a six-month period, Williams paid over $3,500 for nude images and videos of the teen and his stepbrother.

    In yet another interaction with a young teenage boy on Snapchat, Williams paid over $3,000 in exchange for nude images and videos of him and his teenage boyfriend.

    In all, Williams spent more than $10,000 buying nude images from at least six underage male victims.

    At sentencing, Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of up to fifteen years in prison and up to thirty years.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit Pierce is prosecuting the case.

    The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Thursday sentenced a registered sex offender who sold child pornography online to 17 years in prison.

    Patrick Mayberry, now 46, of High Ridge, told investigators that he’d received over $2,000 by selling child pornography that he’d obtained on the dark web. Mayberry had multiple videos containing child sexual abuse material in his MEGA cloud-storage account.

    The investigation began with a CyberTipline report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that Mayberry had uploaded child sexual abuse material to his Google account.

    Mayberry pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in November to one count of possession of child pornography as a prior offender.

    Mayberry is a registered sex offender and was on probation at the time of the offense. He was convicted of one count of failure to register as a sex offender in 2021 in Jefferson County Circuit Court in Missouri. In 2008, he was convicted of one count of attempting to procure child pornography for seeking nude photographs of a nine-year-old. In 2003, he was convicted of second-degree rape of a victim under age 16 in Oklahoma.

    The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Bureau of Labor Statistics Economist Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Admits Lying to Receive Sick Leave Pay While Concurrently Working for Another Employer During the Pandemic

               WASHINGTON — Matthew Hong, 28, of Middlesex, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false statements in connection with sick leave compensation that he received from his federal government employer when he was not sick but instead working remotely for a private company during the COVID-19 pandemic.

              The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Supervisory Official Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office, Criminal and Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).

              Hong pleaded guilty to one count of false statements and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 17. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

              According to court documents, Hong was an economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) within the U.S. Department of Labor from April 2020 until July 2023. At BLS, Hong worked on the Current Employment Statistics program within the National Estimates Branch that produced, among other things, the monthly estimates of nonfarm employment numbers. In that role Hong had access to certain Principal Federal Economic Indicators (PFEI), such as the employment and unemployment numbers, several days prior to their public disclosure. This information was subject to strict security procedures and safeguards due to the PFEI’s sensitivity and ability to affect financial markets if prematurely disclosed. 

              Beginning in June 2022, and while still employed at BLS and working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong began full-time employment at a global financial institution headquartered in New York City, as a senior associate in a group that analyzed and developed macroeconomic scenarios used in the company’s forecasting. As part of his job at the financial institution, Hong developed economic narratives and forecasts that involved multiple macroeconomic variables.             

              On at least 55 different occasions between June 2022 and July 2023, Hong made entries in BLS’s time and attendance system that falsely represented that he was sick on a given workday and sought sick leave compensation from BLS when, in fact, he was not sick but instead was working for the private financial institution. Based on these false statements, Hong received over $13,300 in sick leave compensation from BLS.

              The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and DOL-OIG. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami Sibay for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Matthew F. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Rakoczy and Maria Vento provided substantial assistance with the investigation and prosecution.

    25cr67

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Atlanta Man Sentenced To 151 Months In Prison For Defrauding Former NBA Players

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that CALVIN DARDEN, JR., was sentenced to 151 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick for defrauding former National Basketball Association (“NBA”) players Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons out of $8 million.  DARDEN was previously convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to launder money, and money laundering.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Calvin Darden, Jr., stole millions of dollars from former NBA players and used the money to buy a mansion, a fleet of luxury cars, and expensive artwork.  This conviction—his third—and sentence make clear that severe consequences await those who take advantage of others by fraud.” 

    According to the charging documents and other filings and statements made in court:

    In the fraud against Howard, DARDEN, JR. deceived Howard into sending him $7 million, purportedly for the purpose of buying the Atlanta Dream (the “Dream”), a team in the Women’s National Basketball Association.  DARDEN, JR. worked with Charles Briscoe, Howard’s agent to perpetrate the fraud.  DARDEN, JR. sent a “Vision Plan” to Howard about the purported purchase of the Dream.  The Vision Plan falsely claimed that a number of celebrities and companies—including Tyler Perry, Issa Rae, Naomi Osaka, Aflac, and Starbucks—had agreed to be advisors to the Dream or to sponsor the Dream after Howard purchased it. In truth and in fact, those individuals and companies had never agreed to be advisors or corporate sponsors to the Dream and many had never even heard of DARDEN, JR. or any purported plan by DARDEN, JR. to purchase the Dream.

    DARDEN, JR.’s father (“Relative-1”) is a prominent businessman.  DARDEN, JR. repeatedly impersonated Relative-1 in an attempt to add credibility to his fraud scheme.

    DARDEN, JR. directed Howard to send the $7 million to a shell company he controlled, in order to effectuate the purported purchase of the Dream.  DARDEN, JR. then laundered the money through a number of different bank accounts he controlled.  DARDEN, JR. did not spend any money on the purchase of the Dream.  Instead, he spent the money on a $3.7 million mansion, a Rolls-Royce, a Lamborghini, a Porsche, artwork by Jean-Michel Basquiat, and other luxury goods for himself.

    Howard learned that he did not in fact own the Dream only when ESPN reported that the Dream had in fact been sold to someone else.

    In the fraud against Parsons, DARDEN, JR. deceived Parsons into sending him $1 million, purportedly for the purpose of loaning the money to James Wiseman, a prospect in the 2020 NBA draft.  DARDEN, JR. and Briscoe falsely claimed to know Wiseman, and forged a document stating that Wiseman had agreed that Briscoe would be his agent in order to convince Parsons to send the money.  In truth and in fact, DARDEN, JR. and Briscoe did not know Wiseman and did not send any of the money to Wiseman.  Instead, DARDEN, JR. spent his cut of the fraud proceeds on watches, a Mercedes, and other personal expenses.

    DARDEN, JR. was previously convicted of fraud in New York state in 2005.  He was also convicted of fraud in the Southern District of New York in 2015. In the 2015 case, DARDEN, JR. committed frauds involving a purported purchase of Maxim magazine and a purported NBA exhibition game in Taiwan.  In that prior fraud, DARDEN, JR. also impersonated Relative-1 in an attempt to add credibility to his fraud scheme.

    *               *                *

     

    In addition to the prison term, DARDEN, JR., 50, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.   DARDEN, JR. was ordered to forfeit $8,000,000 and a number of other items, including a Lamborghini, a Rolls-Royce, $600,000 of artwork by Jean-Michel Basquiat, and an Atlanta mansion.  DARDEN, JR. was also ordered to make restitution in the amount of $8,000,000.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

    The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead, Brandon C. Thompson, and William C. Kinder are in charge of the prosecution.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Finds Snow Removal Business Owner Guilty of Fraud and Money Laundering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – After deliberating for one day, a federal jury found Charles W. Lantzman guilty of 5 counts of wire fraud and 3 counts of money laundering, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Lantzman, 51, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was tried before United States District Judge William S. Stickman in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

    The evidence presented at trial established that Lantzman defrauded customers of his snow removal business by billing them for services that were never performed. Lantzman made three mortgage payments in excess of $10,000 using the proceeds from the fraud.

    Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for August 11, 2025. The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain from the offense, or both for each of the wire fraud counts, and a sentence of up to ten years in prison and a fine on the money laundering counts. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorneys William B. Guappone and Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    The Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Lantzman.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: CISA and Partners Issue Fast Flux Cybersecurity Advisory

    News In Brief – Source: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) joined the National Security Agency (NSA) and other government and international partners to release a joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) that warns organizations, internet service providers (ISPs), and cybersecurity service providers about fast flux enabled malicious activities that consistently evade detection. The CSA also provides recommended actions to defend against fast flux. 

    An ongoing threat, fast flux networks create resilient adversary infrastructure used to evade tracking and blocking. Such infrastructure can be used for cyberattacks such as phishing, command and control of botnets, and data exfiltration. This advisory provides several techniques that should be implemented for a multi-layered security approach including DNS and internet protocol (IP) blocking and sinkholing; enhanced monitoring and logging; phishing awareness and training for users; and reputational filtering. 

     ”Threat actors leveraging fast flux techniques remain a threat to government and critical infrastructure organizations. Fast flux makes individual computers in a botnet harder to find and block. A useful solution is to find and block the behavior of fast flux itself,” said CISA Deputy Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity Matt Hartman. “CISA is pleased to join with our government and international partners to provide this important guidance on mitigating and blocking malicious fast flux activity. We encourage organizations to implement the advisory recommendations to reduce risk and strengthen resilience.” 

    The authoring agencies encourage ISPs, cybersecurity service providers and Protective Domain Name System (PDNS) providers to help mitigate this threat by taking proactive steps to develop accurate and reliable fast flux detection analytics and block fast flux activities for their customers. 

    Additional co-sealers for this joint CSA are Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC), Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), and New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ). 

     For more information about ongoing security threats, visit CISA Cybersecurity Alerts & Advisories. 

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    About CISA 

    As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.

    Visit CISA.gov for more information and follow us onX, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram. 

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