NewzIntel.com

Category: Intelligence Agencies

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Defendants Charged Following Niagara Falls Drug Raids

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that four Niagara Falls men were arrested and charged in separate criminal complaints for their roles in a drug trafficking ring operating in Niagara Falls, NY.   

    • Paul Fields, 39, and Edward Rollie, 49, are charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carry a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $5,000,000 fine.
    • Rashawn Salmon, 39, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, which carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life and a $10,000,000 fine.
    • Jermaine McQueen, 46, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carry a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaints, on August 28, 2024, search warrants were executed at multiple residences associated with all four defendants. During the searches, law enforcement recovered 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl, over a kilogram of cocaine, three firearms, and $25,000 in U.S. currency.

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

    The complaints are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Nick Ligammari, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, the North Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Keith Glass, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Stanley Edwards, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.

    The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.     

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three High-Ranking MS-13 Gang Members Plead Guilty to Racketeering Charges in Connection with Nine Murders

    Source: US FBI

    Two Defendants Were the New York Leaders of the Gang’s Hollywood and Sailors Cliques

    Earlier today and on January 16, 2025, in federal court in Central Islip, three members of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, pleaded guilty to multiple crimes, including nine murders committed on Long Island and elsewhere between 2016 and 2017.  David Sosa-Guevara, also known as “Risky,” the New York regional leader of the Hollywood Locos Salvatruchas (Hollywood) clique of MS-13, and Victor Lopez-Morales, also known as “Persa,” a high-ranking member of the Hollywood clique, pleaded guilty on January 16, 2025.  Kevin Torres, also known as “Inquieto” and “Quieto,” the New York regional leader of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside (Sailors) clique of MS-13, pleaded guilty on January 17, 2025.  

    Collectively, the three defendants pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in connection with their respective roles in nine MS-13 driven murders: (1) the April 26, 2016 murder of Samuel Martinez-Sandoval in Freeport; (2) the April 29, 2016 murder of Oscar Acosta in Brentwood; (3) the May 21, 2016 murder of Kerin Pineda in Freeport; (4) the September 4, 2016 murder of Josue Amaya-Leonor in Roosevelt; (5) the September 5, 2016 murder of Marcus Bohannon in Central Islip; (6) the October 10, 2016 murder of Javier Castillo in Freeport; (7) the October 14, 2016 murder of Carlos Ventura-Zelaya in Roosevelt; (8) the July 21, 2017 murder of Angel Soler in Roosevelt; and (9) the August 29, 2017 murder of David Rivera in Maryland, as well as narcotics trafficking. Additionally, Sosa-Guevara and Lopez-Morales pleaded guilty to participating in an August 2017 conspiracy to kidnap an individual identified in the superseding indictment as “John Doe #3.”

    The three guilty plea proceedings were held before United States Magistrate Judge Lee G. Dunst.  When sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack, pursuant to the terms of their plea agreements, Sosa-Guevara and Torres each face up to 65 years in prison, and a minimum sentence of 40 years in prison.  Victor Lopez-Morales faces up to 60 years in prison and minimum sentence of 40 years. 

    Carolyn Pokorny, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Robert E. Waring, Acting Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) and Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney, announced the guilty pleas.

    “The defendants have admitted to their participation in numerous murders savagely committed with machetes and guns, all on behalf of the MS-13 and to increase their status in that depraved criminal organization,” stated Acting United States Attorney Pokorny.  “As a result of the guilty pleas, the defendants will be severely punished by serving decades in prison and provide some measure of relief and closure to the families of the many victims.” 

    FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy stated: “MS-13 callously used murder in an attempt to exert control over territory for their ruthless gang operations.   As demonstrated by the guilty pleas of these three, high-ranking MS-13 members for their roles in nine murders, this type of extreme and senseless violence will not go unpunished. The FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to bring to justice members of MS-13 or any other violent gang using violence and murder to terrorize our communities.”

    “These defendants used their rank in the gang to help orchestrate multiple brutal murders and other crimes,” stated SCPD Acting Commissioner Waring.  “We in law enforcement will never stop working to fight the pervasive violence sowed throughout these gangs.”

    “The charges brought forth is a clear example of the results when Law Enforcement Personnel from Federal and Local Agencies combine their efforts and resources,” stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder.  “Their relentless and continued investigations resulted with the charging of these criminals who were responsible for committing these murders. This combined investigation demonstrates the diligence of the well trained and determined investigators.  The Nassau County Police Department remains committed in working with our law enforcement partners halting any gang activity on our streets and keeping our residents safe.  I would like to thank all of the assisting agencies and their investigators on a job well done.”

    “These defendants carried out vicious and senseless violence to instill fear and assert their dominance. Today’s guilty pleas bring us one step closer to ridding this dangerous gang activity from Nassau County communities,” stated Nassau County District Attorney Donnelly.  “Together with our partners, we remain committed to protecting Long Island from this criminal organization’s brutality and ensuring individuals involved in these devastating acts are held accountable for their crimes.”  

    According to court filings and statements made during the guilty plea proceedings, Torres was the New York regional leader of the Sailors clique, Sosa-Guevara was the New York regional leader of the Hollywood clique, and Lopez-Morales was a high-ranking member of the Hollywood clique.  The defendants admitted to committing the crimes set forth below in order to maintain and increase their membership and status within the gang, and to further the mission of the MS-13.

    April 26, 2016 Murder of Samuel Martinez-Sandoval

    The defendants pleaded guilty to the murder of 20-year-old Martinez-Sandoval, which was carried out in April 2016, by the defendants and other members from the Sailors, Hollywood and Normandie Locos Salvatruchas cliques, who planned a joint operation to lure and kill Martinez-Sandoval because they believed that he was a member of the rival Sureños gang.   

    On April 26, 2016, MS-13 members convinced Martinez-Sandoval to drive with them to a secluded, wooded area near Freeport Lake in Roosevelt, under the guise of smoking marijuana.  Separately, more than a half dozen MS-13 members, including the defendants, armed with machetes and other weapons, had gathered at a designated location along Freeport Lake where it was agreed that the other gang members would bring the victim.  When Martinez-Sandoval arrived, Sosa-Guevara, Torres, Lopez-Morales and the other MS-13 members surrounded and attacked the victim, each taking turns hacking him with a machete and other weapons.  After the victim was killed, the MS-13 members dug a shallow grave and buried the victim.  However, because the initial hole was not deep enough to conceal Martinez-Sandoval’s body, a group of MS-13 members went back the following day, reburied the victim and covered his body with cement and dirt.  Martinez-Sandoval’s body was not found until September 2024.

    April 29, 2016 Murder of Oscar Acosta

    Torres pleaded guilty to the murder of 19-year-old Acosta.  In early 2016, Torres, as leader, ordered a “greenlight” authorizing other gang members to murder Acosta because the gang suspected that he was associating with the rival 18th Street gang after previously aligning himself with the MS-13.  Torres assigned roles as to which members would take the lead in planning and carrying out the murder. 

     On April 29, 2016, MS-13 members met Acosta in a wooded area near an elementary school in Brentwood where he had been lured under the guise of smoking marijuana.  They brutally beat Acosta with tree limbs, knocking him unconscious. They bound Acosta’s hands and feet, wrapped an article of clothing around his mouth to prevent him from making noise and summoned other MS-13 members who arrived in two cars.  The MS-13 members loaded Acosta into the trunk of one of the cars and drove to a more secluded area in Brentwood near the abandoned Pilgrim State Psychiatric Hospital.  The MS-13 members then removed Acosta, who was still alive, from the trunk and carried him deeper into the woods where they took turns hacking him to death with a machete.  The murder was supervised by the local leaders of the Sailors clique who reported back to Torres once completed.  After killing Acosta, the MS-13 members buried his body in a shallow grave.

    Acosta’s body was discovered by law enforcement nearly five months later, on September 16, 2016, during a search for another MS-13 victim.  His cause of death was homicidal violence, including sharp and blunt force injuries to his head and torso.

    May 21, 2016 Murder of Kerin Pineda

    The defendants also pleaded guilty to the murder of 20-year-old Pineda, who, like Acosta, was killed because of his suspected membership in the 18th Street gang. Torres, again, ordered the “greenlight” for Pineda, marking him for death.  In response, MS-13 members from the Sailors and Hollywood cliques, including Sosa-Guevara and Lopez-Morales, devised a plan to kill Pineda.

    On May 21, 2016, MS-13 members, armed with machetes, lured Pineda to a secluded wooded area near the Merrick-Freeport border.  Torres, Lopez-Morales, and Sosa-Guevara acted as lookouts for police and coordinated the attack, staying in contact with the MS-13 members in the woods while they waited for Pineda.  When Pineda arrived, he was surrounded and violently attacked by the group of MS-13 members, each of whom took turns hacking and slashing him with the machetes. Pineda’s body was then buried in a hole that had been dug in the ground the day before, in anticipation of the murder. Before leaving the scene, the MS-13 members contacted the lookouts – Torres, Lopez-Morales, and Sosa-Guevara – who advised them that they could safely come out of the woods and drove them away from the scene.

    September 4, 2016 Murder of Josue Amaya-Leonor

    Sosa-Guevara and Lopez-Morales pleaded guilty for their roles in the murder of 19 year-old Amaya-Leonor on September 4, 2016.  Like the other victims, Amaya-Leonor was lured to a secluded wooded area and killed because of his perceived association with the 18th Street gang.  On the evening of the murder, MS-13 members convinced Amaya-Leonor to venture deep into the Roosevelt Preserve, in Roosevelt, to smoke marijuana.  Sosa-Guevara was in communication with the gang members by cell phone and was directing them on where to bring the victim.  Once there, Amaya-Leonor was surrounded by the MS-13 members who were armed with machetes; he was struck repeatedly, and killed.  Thereafter, Lopez-Morales, who was in the immediate area of the murder looking out for police, arrived on the scene and supervised the other MS-13 members as they dug a hole and buried Amaya-Leonor’s body, which was not found until May 2018 – over a year and a half after the murder had occurred.

    September 5, 2016 Murder of Marcus Bohannon

    Torres pleaded guilty to authorizing the murder of 27-year-old Marcus Bohannon.  On September 4, 2016, members of the Sailors clique met at the house of local clique leaders Alexi Saenz and Jairo Saenz, in Central Islip, where Torres directed the gang members to go out hunting for rival gang members to kill.  The MS-13 members separated into several cars and drove around Central Islip and Brentwood, until one of the cars spotted Bohannon walking along Lowell Avenue in Central Islip in the early morning hours of September 5.  Suspecting that Bohannon was a member of the rival Bloods gang, two MS-13 members, carrying firearms, got out of the vehicle, approached him and started shooting. Bohannon was struck nine times, including in his head, neck, and chest, and died from his wounds.

    October 10, 2016 Murder of Javier Castillo

    Torres also pleaded guilty to the murder of 15-year-old Javier Castillo.  In October 2016, the MS-13 targeted Castillo because he was believed to be a member of the 18th Street gang.  On October 10, 2016, members of the Sailors clique in Brentwood convinced Castillo, who lived in Central Islip, to go with them to Freeport – approximately 30 miles away – to smoke marijuana.  Torres authorized the members of the clique operating in Brentwood to bring Castillo to his territory in Freeport to be killed.  The MS-13 members took Castillo to an isolated marsh area along the water in Cow Meadow Park, in Freeport, where they attacked and killed him, taking turns hacking him with a machete.  Torres also served as the lookout for police in the area during the murder. Thereafter, the MS-13 members dug a hole and buried Castillo’s body, which was not recovered until one year later, in October 2017.

    October 14, 2016 Murder of Carlos Ventura-Zelaya

    Sosa-Guevara and Lopez-Morales pleaded guilty to the murder of 24-year-old Ventura-Zelaya, who had been marked for death by the MS-13 because of his suspected membership in the rival 18th Street gang.  On the day of the murder, Ventura-Zelaya was observed at a deli in Roosevelt by a member of the Hollywood clique. Sosa-Guevara mobilized other members of the clique to kill Ventura-Zelaya and conducted surveillance of the victim until the other gang members arrived.  The gang members tasked with carrying out the murder first drove to pick up a gun from Lopez-Morales.  After obtaining the weapon, the group drove in the direction of the deli to look for and kill the victim.  Once they spotted Ventura-Zelaya walking on Hudson Street in Roosevelt, two MS-13 members got out of the car, approached him and one

    of them fired multiple times, striking and killing the victim.  They then ran back to the car and drove away from the scene.  

    July 21, 2017 Murder of Angel Soler

    Sosa-Guevara and Lopez-Morales also pleaded guilty to the murder of 15-year-old Soler. The MS-13 suspected Soler was an 18th Street gang member, and Sosa-Guevara ordered his murder. Lopez-Morales and other MS-13 members carried out the murder, luring Soler to wooded lot near Milburn Creek in Roosevelt to smoke marijuana.  The group attacked Soler with machetes and a pickaxe, and buried his body in a shallow grave.  The following day, MS-13 members went back to lay cement over Soler’s body, in order to better conceal it.  Soler’s remains were recovered in October 2017.

    August 2017 Conspiracy to Kidnap John Doe #3

    Lopez-Morales and Sosa-Guevara also admitted that, just weeks after the Soler murder, they and other MS-13 members planned the kidnapping, assault, and/or murder of John Doe #3, an MS-13 member who had violated the rules of the gang. Specifically, Sosa-Guevara assigned Lopez-Morales and two other MS-13 members to carry out the kidnapping and attack. Lopez-Morales was instructed that, once they had John Doe #3, to wait for further guidance from MS-13 leadership as to whether to kill or brutally assault him.  On August 6, 2017, Lopez-Morales and the other gang members’ plan to kidnap John Doe #3 was foiled by law enforcement, who had been intercepting the calls arranging the attack, pursuant to court-ordered wiretaps of certain MS-13 members’ cell phones, and Lopez-Morales was taken into custody.

    August 29, 2017 Murder of David Rivera

    Sosa-Guevara also admitted to his participation in the murder of 16-year-old Rivera in Maryland.  To avoid law enforcement in New York, Sosa-Guevara and another Hollywood member from Long Island relocated to Maryland where they connected with the local Hollywood clique.  After arriving, Sosa-Guevara learned of a plan to kill a rival gang member and directed the other Long Island member of his clique to participate.  On August 29, 2017, Sosa-Guevara drove the other gang member to a park outside of Edgewater, Maryland, for him to participate in the Rivera murder.  The victim was brought to that location by other MS-13 members, attacked with machetes and killed.  After the murder, Sosa-Guevara drove the member of his clique away from the scene. Rivera’s body was not found until June 7, 2024.

    Narcotics Trafficking Conspiracies

    Finally, Torres pleaded guilty to conspiring with the members of the Sailors clique to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and Sosa-Guevara and Lopez-Morales pleaded guilty to conspiring with members of the Hollywood clique to distribute marijuana. These charges stemmed from the MS-13 cliques’ street-level sales of cocaine and marijuana on Long Island, the proceeds of which were used to help finance the MS-13’s criminal operations.

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    These guilty pleas are the latest achievements in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization.  The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States.  With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island.  Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults.  Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 70 murders in the Eastern District of New York, resulting in the convictions of dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders.  These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, NCPD, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

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

    The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Jared Rosenblatt of the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and Paralegal Specialist Kerry Ucci and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello.

    The Defendants:

    VICTOR LOPEZ-MORALES (also known as “Persa”)
    Age:  36
    Roosevelt, New York

    DAVID SOSA-GUEVARA (also known as “Risky”)
    Age:  33
    Roosevelt, New York

    KEVIN TORRES (also known as “Quieto” and “Inquieto”)
    Age:  29
    Freeport, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-251 (S-1)(JMA)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Putnam Valley Husband and Wife Sentenced to Prison for Operating Prostitution Businesses at Multiple Massage Parlors in New York

    Source: US FBI

    Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that HONG RU LIN, a/k/a “Bruce,” and KENA ZHAO, a/k/a “Angela,” were each sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas to prison for violating the Travel Act by operating prostitution businesses at multiple massage parlors in Putnam, Westchester, New York, and Queens County.  ZHAO was sentenced on January 10, 2025, to 12 months and one day in prison, and  LIN was sentenced today to 12 month and one day in prison.  LIN and ZHAO also forfeited over $1.3 million representing proceeds derived from their prostitution scheme.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said: “Hong Ru Lin and Kena Zhao operated an extensive prostitution business, using massage parlors as cover for their illegal activities.  Today’s sentences hold them accountable for their actions.  This Office will continue to investigate those who sponsor illegal prostitution, even if their criminal activities take place behind the closed doors of supposedly legitimate businesses.”  

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

    Between at least September 2020 and September 2023, LIN and ZHAO operated a prostitution business out of multiple massage parlors that they owned in Putnam, Westchester, New York and Queens County.  LIN and ZHAO managed a roster of women who worked at the massage parlors and performed sexual acts for the customers of LIN and ZHAO.  LIN and ZHAO communicated by cellphone and private chatroom to manage and operate their prostitution business.  Among other things, LIN and ZHAO used cellphones to communicate with potential customers, assign particular employees to customers, monitor the income of their prostitution business, and set performance goals for the women who worked in the massage parlors.  In addition, on at least one occasion, ZHAO personally participated in a massage during which a sexual act was offered to a customer.

    *                *                *

    In addition to the prison terms, LIN, 51, and ZHAO, 46, of Putnam Valley, New York, were both sentenced to two years of supervised release and agreed to forfeit the massage parlors’ bank accounts, various assets and cash proceeds derived from the massage parlors, and a $1.3 million money judgment.

    Mr. Kim praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.  Mr. Kim also thanked the Town of Carmel Police Department, the Westchester County Police Department, and the Yonkers Police Department for their assistance in this matter.

    The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division and the White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison, Jamie Bagliebter, and Margaret N. Vasu are in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Finance Minister of Mozambique Sentenced to 102 Months’ Imprisonment for His Role in $2 Billion Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Manuel Chang, the former Finance Minister of Mozambique, was sentenced by United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis to a term of imprisonment of 102 months and ordered to pay $7 million in forfeiture.  The restitution amount will be determined at a later date.   Chang was convicted after a four-week trial in July and August 2024 of conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his role in a $2 billion international fraud, bribery and money laundering scheme that victimized investors in the United States and elsewhere.  He was arrested in December 2018 in South Africa, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant issued at the request of the United States and extradited to the Eastern District of New York in July 2023.

    Carolyn Pokorny, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Brent S. Wible, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.

    “Today’s sentence shows that foreign officials who abuse their power to commit crimes targeting the U.S. financial system will meet U.S. justice,” stated Acting United States Attorney Pokorny.  “My Office will continue to pursue those who violate our laws and harm U.S. investors regardless of their power, position or title.”  

    “Manuel Chang abused his position as Finance Minister of Mozambique by obtaining $7 million in bribe payments in exchange for helping secure more than $2 billion in loans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Chang’s brazen misconduct betrayed his duty to the people of Mozambique and defrauded investors, including those in the United States, of substantial amounts. With today’s sentence, Chang has been held accountable for his violations of U.S. law.”

    “Manuel Chang abused his authority as the former Mozambique Finance Minister by helping to obtain billions of dollars in loans, a large portion of which was diverted from its intended purposes to satisfy bribe payments, ultimately causing significant financial loss to U.S. and global investors,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy.  “With the support of his co-conspirators, Chang violated the trust of his office and wielded his position to enrich himself and other Mozambican officials. May today’s sentencing reiterate the FBI’s commitment to dismantling all corruptive malpractices orchestrated by foreign governments, especially those targeting our country as their personal piggy bank.”

    As proven at trial, Chang received $7 million in bribes in exchange for signing guarantees on behalf of the Republic of Mozambique to secure funding for three loans for maritime projects.  As part of the scheme, Chang and his co-conspirators falsely stated to banks and investors that the loan proceeds would be used for the projects and that the borrower would not pay bribes to Mozambican government officials. In fact, however, Chang and his co-conspirators facilitated the criminal diversion of more than $200 million of the loan proceeds that were used to pay bribes and kickbacks to Chang and others.

    Between approximately 2013 and 2016, in his capacity as Mozambique’s Minister of Finance, Chang, together with his co-conspirators – including executives of Privinvest Group, a United Arab Emirates-based shipbuilding company – ensured that Credit Suisse AG, through its subsidiary in the United Kingdom, Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited (CSSEL), and another foreign investment bank would arrange for more than $2 billion to be extended to companies owned and controlled by the Mozambican government:  Proindicus S.A. (Proindicus), Empresa Moçambicana de Atum, S.A. (EMATUM), and Mozambique Asset Management (MAM).  The proceeds of the loans were intended to fund three maritime projects for which Privinvest was to provide the equipment and services. Specifically, Proindicus was to perform coastal surveillance, EMATUM was to engage in tuna fishing, and MAM was to build and maintain shipyards.

    Instead, Chang and his co-conspirators illegally facilitated Privinvest’s diversion of more than $200 million of the loan proceeds to bribes and kickbacks.  These funds included more than $150 million that Privinvest used to bribe Chang and other Mozambican government officials to ensure that companies owned and controlled by the Mozambican government would enter into the loan arrangements, and that the government of Mozambique would guarantee those loans.  The loans were subsequently sold in whole or in part to investors worldwide, including in the United States.  In doing so, the participants in the scheme conspired to defraud these investors by misrepresenting how the loan proceeds would be used.  Ultimately, Proindicus, EMATUM, and MAM each defaulted on their loans and proceeded to miss more than $700 million in loan payments, causing substantial losses to investors.

    In October 2021, Credit Suisse AG and CSSEL admitted to defrauding U.S. and international investors in the financing of an $850 million loan for the EMATUM project. CSSEL pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and Credit Suisse AG entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section (Fraud Section) and the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS).  As a part of the resolution, Credit Suisse AG and CSSEL paid approximately $475 million in penalties, fines, and disgorgement as part of coordinated resolutions with criminal and civil authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom.

    The Office’s Business & Securities Fraud Section is handling the case.  Assistant United States Attorneys Hiral D. Mehta, Genny Ngai and Jonathan Siegel, and Trial Attorneys Peter Cooch of the Fraud Section and Morgan Cohen of MLARS, are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Timothy Migliaro.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department appreciates the assistance of South African authorities, particularly those in the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the South African Police Service, as well as authorities in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal.

    The Defendant:

    MANUEL CHANG
    Age: 69
    Mozambique

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-681 (NGG)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hell’s Kitchen Aesthetician Arrested for Unlawfully Injecting Counterfeit Botox

    Source: US FBI

    Joey Grant Luther Allegedly Purchased and Imported Counterfeit Botox From China and Administered Drugs to Clients at His Hell’s Kitchen Medical Spa Without a License

    Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging JOEY GRANT LUTHER with wire fraud, smuggling, and other crimes related to misbranded and counterfeit drugs.  As alleged in the Complaint, from in or about April 2023 through at least in or about July 2024, LUTHER shipped counterfeit drugs, including counterfeit Botox, from countries in Asia, including China, and injected them, without the required license, into his clients at his medical spa, JGL Aesthetics.  None of the counterfeit Botox that LUTHER injected was approved for sale or dispensing in the U.S. by the FDA.  LUTHER was arrested this morning and will be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave.

    U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “As alleged, Joey Grant Luther, who does not possess the licensing required by New York State to perform injections of Botox, knowingly purchased counterfeit Botox from China, injected it into his clients, and represented that the counterfeit Botox that he was peddling was genuine.  Luther continued to purchase and inject the counterfeit Botox even after he learned that clients had fallen ill or experienced strange symptoms after Luther injected them.  Luther’s disregard for the health of his clients put all of his victims in harm’s way and, in some cases, caused life-threating injuries.  Luther will now face criminal charges for this conduct.”

    As alleged in the Complaint:[1]

    From at least in or about January 2021 through at least in or about July 2024, LUTHER ran a medical spa called JGL Aesthetics in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan.  In or about September 2021, an individual (“Victim-1”) went to JGL Aesthetics to receive Botox treatments to treat excessive sweating as well as fine lines on her face.  Victim-1 learned that LUTHER performed Botox injections from a friend.  Between in or about September 2021 and in or about February 2024, LUTHER injected counterfeit drugs labeled as Botox® 150 Units manufactured by Allergan into Victim-1’s armpit, forehead, and face on approximately eight occasions.  Victim-1 never provided LUTHER with a prescription to receive Botox injections.

    On or about February 27, 2024, LUTHER injected Counterfeit Botox into Victim-1’s armpits and eyebrow area at JGL Aesthetics.  Approximately three days after Victim-1’s February 27, 2024, visit to JGL Aesthetics, Victim-1 began experiencing double vision, light headedness, difficulty swallowing and chewing, heart palpitations, and slurring of speech.  Victim-1 also could not lift her arms and experienced weakness from the waist up. Victim-1 went to three hospitals to seek medical assistance for these symptoms.  On or about March 20, 2024, Victim-1 was diagnosed with Botulism toxin.

    From between in or about April 2023 and in or about January 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (“CBP”) seized parcels intended for JGL Aesthetics, including one which lists a return address in Hong Kong.  These parcels contained significant quantities of counterfeit drugs, including Counterfeit Botox.  Below is a photo of the contents of the parcel—including the exterior of cartons of Counterfeit Botox.

    From at least in or about March 2024 through at least in or about April 2024, during which time LUTHER negotiated an additional purchase of Counterfeit Botox from one of his suppliers, multiple individuals who received injections of Counterfeit Botox from LUTHER messaged LUTHER about the negative side effects from the injections, including lazy eyes, double vision, and drooping eyelids.  In response to these complaints, LUTHER typically assured his clients that the side effects were temporary, represented that he was unaware that counterfeit Botox had been found circulating in the U.S., and assured clients that the Counterfeit Botox was from Allergan, the veritable maker.  As alleged, LUTHER was well aware that the Counterfeit Botox was, in fact, counterfeit.

    Neither CBP’s seizure of packages intended for LUTHER, the defendant, nor his clients informing LUTHER of injuries related to his injecting Counterfeit Botox stopped LUTHER from continuing to procure the Counterfeit Botox and injecting it into his clients. Between March 13, 2024—the date that Victim-1 contacted LUTHER about the injections of Counterfeit Botox—and October 2, 2024—after law enforcement officers and special agents executed a search warrant of JGL Aesthetics, JGL Aesthetics had at least approximately 700 appointments logged in its client and service management application that were coded with having provided Botox-related services.  Data contained in the client and services management application also revealed that JGL Aesthetics provided Botox-related services as early as January 2021.

    *                *                *

    LUTHER, 54, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of dispensing of a misbranded drug while held for sale, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison; one count of holding counterfeit drugs for sale and for dispensing, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of receiving misbranded drugs in interstate commerce and delivery or proffered delivery thereof, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison; and one count of smuggling, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

    The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

    Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative work of the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the CBP – New York Field Office, and the Special Agents and Task Force Officers assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

    This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon C. Thompson is in charge of the prosecution.

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

    [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Defendants Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearms

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Three defendants charged in separate cases with illegal possession of a firearm were sentenced today in federal court, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney presided over the hearings.

    The cases are being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence and making communities safer for everyone.

    Tyree Lashawn May, 31, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents filed in the case, in 2015, May was convicted of robbery. As a result of that conviction, he is prohibited from possessing firearms. Court records show that, on October 6, 2022, two individuals reported to law enforcement that someone they knew as “Scooter” had stolen their vehicle. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Scooter was May. The next day, on October 7, 2022, officers found the stolen vehicle and observed May carry a black bag to the car and place it in the trunk. The officers stopped May who falsely claimed his name was Jerome Drummond and he was from Virginia. Law enforcement conducted a search of the vehicle and found a 9mm firearm in the bag May had put in the trunk.

    Victor Angel Ortiz, 42, of Matthews, N.C., was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court records, in April 2023, law enforcement began an investigation into Ortiz, after the defendant made reference to a “strap,” which is a slang term for a firearm, during a conversation with an inmate in the North Carolina Department of Correction. On May 4, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ortiz’s residence, where they located a 9mm firearm hidden behind the oven in the defendant’s home. Ortiz is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior criminal convictions.

    Zaire Edreece Lucky, 24, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents and proceedings, on November 22, 2023, Lucky was arrested on outstanding state arrest warrants by CMPD officers at the train station in Charlotte. During the arrest, Lucky was found to be in possession of a Glock firearm with a loaded 17-round magazine. At the time,CMPD detectives were investigating Lucky for his role in motor vehicle thefts in the region. In addition to the firearm, Lucky also possessed an Autel handheld key programmer, frequently used in vehicle thefts, as well as three key fobs. Lucky has multiple criminal convictions and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

    The ATF and CMPD investigated the cases against May and Lucky. The FBI handled the investigation into Ortiz. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Sielaff is in charge of the prosecution of May and Ortiz. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin is handling Lucky’s prosecution.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Defendants Plead Guilty in Federal Conspiracies Involving High-End Stolen Vehicle Rings

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two defendants appeared in federal court today and entered guilty pleas for their respective roles in cases involving high-end stolen vehicles worth millions of dollars, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

    According to filed documents and statements made in court, Andre Lamar Sumner, 41, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to violate federal law, including by transporting and possessing stolen vehicles in interstate commerce, and altering vehicle identification numbers (VINs). Sumner also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a stolen vehicle. According to filed court documents, between 2022 and 2024, Sumner and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to buy and sell high-end motor vehicles that were stolen from car dealerships, rental car companies, and private parties across the United States, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Missouri.

    Sumner operated as a “fence” in the conspiracy, arranging the buying and selling of the stolen motor vehicles. A fence is someone who assists in finding or dealing with buyers for stolen properties. To maximize profits, Sumner sought to fence high-end stolen vehicles such as luxury models made by BMW, Land Rover, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolls-Royce, as well as trucks and other expensive modes from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, and RAM. As court documents show, Sumner and his co-conspirators possessed stolen vehicles with an estimated value well over $2 million.

    According to court records, Sumner sold the stolen cars to buyers at prices significantly below the vehicles’ fair market values. As Sumner admitted in court today, to avoid detection and to maximize the stolen vehicles’ resale values, Sumner and others regularly altered the stolen vehicles’ original VINs and fraudulently registered the stolen vehicles with various state motor vehicle agencies.

    One of Sumner’s co-conspirators, Erren Woodson, 40, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty last Friday, October 18, 2024, to one count of conspiracy and one count of possession of a stolen vehicle.  Court documents show that Woodson purchased stolen vehicles from Sumner. Court documents filed in Woodson’s case show that Woodson regularly communicated with Sumner to discuss the available inventory of stolen vehicles and potential buyers as well as prices for the stolen cars.

    Both Sumner and Woodson also pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. According to court records, the defendants were involved in marijuana trafficking, in part funded by the stolen vehicles scheme.

    In a separate case involving high-end stolen vehicles, Terrick D. Lumpkin, 39, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to violate federal law, including by transporting and possessing vehicles in interstate commerce and altering VIN numbers. Lumpkin also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a stolen vehicle.

    According to documents filed in this case and the plea hearing, between November 2023 and January 2024, Lumpkin conspired with other individuals to steal and possess luxury and high-end models of vehicles worth over $1 million. Lumpkin and his co-conspirators obtained stolen vehicles from various locations throughout the United States, including in North Carolina, Illinois, and New York. In addition, several of the vehicles Lumpkin possessed were stolen from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

    Court documents show that Lumpkin and others mainly sought high-end vehicles made by Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini and Mercedes, as well as sports utility vehicles, and other expensive models from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, and Jeep. Once they came to possess the stolen vehicles, Lumpkin and his co-conspirators altered or removed the vehicles’ VINs to avoid detection by law enforcement.

    All three defendants are currently released on bond. The conspiracy charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Each charge of possession of a stolen vehicle carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana carries a maximum prison sentence of five years. At sentencing, Sumner and Woodson face a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment. Lumpkin faces a maximum of 15 years of imprisonment.

    Since August 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged 11 individuals with conspiracy offenses related to high-end stolen vehicles and other related offenses. Of those charged, nine have pleaded guilty to federal charges. Additional individuals involved in stolen vehicle possession have also been prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for other federal crimes, including illegal gun possession and drug trafficking.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and CMPD’s Stolen Car And Recovery Law Enforcement Team (SCARLET) for their investigation of these cases.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bozin and Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are in charge of the prosecutions. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Durham Man Sentenced for Robbery and Firearms Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    GREENSBORO – A Durham, North Carolina man was sentenced today in Winston-Salem to more than 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to robbery and a related firearm charge, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).   

    ABDUL KAREEM RASHEED, age 47, was sentenced to consecutive sentences of 51 months imprisonment (Count One) and 84 months imprisonment (Count Two), plus 3 years supervised release, by the Honorable Loretta C. Biggs, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison and supervision, RASHEED was ordered to pay $538 in restitution and to forfeit a 9mm pistol.

    According to court records, on October 12, 2022, RASHEED entered a BP gas station on Roxboro Road in Durham wearing a black ski mask and armed with a handgun.  During the robbery, RASHEED pointed the gun at the clerk and threatened to shoot him.  RASHEED collected money from two cash registers and took four packs of cigarettes before fleeing. The clerk called 911 and Durham Police Department (DPD) officers responded. Within minutes, officers were able to track RASHEED to the residence where he was staying, and where he was ultimately arrested. After obtaining a search warrant, DPD officers searched the residence and found evidence linked to the robbery including a ski mask, 9 mm handgun, and currency matching the denominations stolen from the BP gas station.

    RASHEED pleaded guilty on June 3, 2024, to one count of interference with commerce by robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii).

    The case was investigated by the Durham Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by MDNC Assistant United States Attorneys Robert A. J. Lang and Lindsey A. Freeman.   

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

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Easley Announces Appointment of District Election Officer

    Source: US FBI

    RALEIGH, N.C. – United States Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr., announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Karen Haughton will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.  AUSA Haughton has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of North Carolina, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with the Justice Department in Washington.

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combating discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying, and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

    In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, the DEO will be on duty in this district while the polls are open. The DEO can be reached by the public at the following telephone number, 919-856-4530 or 919-856-4808, or by email at Karen.Haughton@usdoj.gov.

    In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public by calling 704-672-6100 or 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or by email at tips.fbi.gov.

    Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

    Please note, however, that in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Defendant Who Admitted to Filing Thousands of COVID-Relief Applications Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

    Source: US FBI

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man who estimated he filed more than 3,000 fraudulent COVID-relief applications was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 72 months in prison.

    The fraud scheme perpetuated by Ousmane Diane, 24, caused a loss of more than $908,000. He submitted applications for more than $2 million in funding.

    Diane pleaded guilty in October 2023 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    According to court documents, Diane used the identities of willing participants and stole identities to submit fraudulent federal fund applications. He submitted the fraudulent applications for both Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

    Diane organized the scheme for more than a year and recruited his six co-defendants in this case and others into the scheme. The defendant referred to the pandemic as the “bandemic” in reference to the stacks of federal cash he received.

    Diane even advertised his fraudulent filing service through social media by posting: “Hey My Name is Ous And I Sell Methods To Help You Get Approved For Funds!!!”

    Diane and six others were indicted in February 2023. All have pleaded guilty.

    “Mr. Diane stole critical taxpayer money intended to help families during an unprecedented national pandemic,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “HUD OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to working with Federal prosecutors and law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who engage in activities that threaten the integrity of HUD programs.”

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Shawn Rice, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG); and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is representing the United States in this case.

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Cincinnati Woman Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Crimes Related to COVID-19 Relief Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati woman convicted at trial last summer of fraud crimes was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 84 months in prison.

    Kelli Prather, 52, fraudulently requested more than $1.2 million in pandemic relief loans. She was convicted on all 14 counts following a trial in July 2023 before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland.

    According to testimony and evidence presented during the trial, Prather applied for six Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans as part of the CARES Act COVID-19 pandemic relief. She claimed to own six businesses – Enhanced Healthcare Solutions, Life Skills Enhancement, Prather Property Management, Reliable Ambulette Services, Rich Glo Management Services and Tots R Us.

    Separately, Prather also applied for eight Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL).  In three of the EIDL applications she filed in November 2020, she represented that the businesses were majority owned by her disabled nephew.

    Prather sought more than $1.2 million in fraud relief and fraudulently received approximately $19,700. As part of her sentence, she will pay $19,682 in restitution.

    The jury convicted her of bank fraud, making false statements in connection to credit or loan applications, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and other members of the Financial Crimes Working Group Pandemic Fraud Committee announced the sentence imposed today by Judge McFarland. Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Springer and Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo are representing the United States in this case.

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Honors Columbus Community Leader Nicole Banks with National Award

    Source: US FBI

    On Friday, April 19, 2024, FBI Director Christopher Wray presented Nicole Banks, the president and founder of Starfish Assignment, with the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) for her service to the community. Starfish Assignment is an impactful Columbus-based non-profit organization that works to establish a foundation of trust and respect between law enforcement and the community to benefit all involved.

    The FBI established the DCLA in 1990 to publicly acknowledge the achievements of those working to make a difference in their communities through the promotion of education and the prevention of crime and violence. Each year, one person or organization from each of the FBI’s 56 field offices is chosen to receive this prestigious award.

    “Our success as both a law enforcement and an intelligence agency hinges on our ability to foster and maintain genuine partnerships with people in all communities,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “People like this year’s Leadership Award recipients not only identify what others need, but they are willing to roll up their sleeves and provide services. They are building bridges and relationships while putting in the work to have hard conversations and find a common purpose. They do it out of kindness and compassion with a sincere belief that justice – in its many forms – requires all of us to do the right thing in the right way.”

    Nicole Banks created Starfish Assignment in 2018 to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community. Through programs and events, Starfish works to foster open communication, build understanding, and increase collaboration to create an environment where everyone feels protected and valued. Along with organizing several Summer Safety Block Parties and other events in Columbus, Starfish also has a Books and Badges program that promotes literacy and allows law enforcement officers to create connections with students in their neighborhoods. The work of Starfish Assignment extends beyond Central Ohio and includes assisting law enforcement agencies throughout the country.

    “Receiving this award from Director Wray is not only an honor for Starfish Assignment, but it also affirms our dedication to fostering strong, positive relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve,” stated DCLA recipient Nicole Banks. “Our collaboration with the FBI has enabled us to implement programs that build trust and create meaningful change. This recognition fuels our commitment to continue our work of bridging gaps, helping others through law enforcement officers, and strengthening bonds across communities. We are deeply grateful for the FBI’s acknowledgment of our efforts and look forward to furthering our mission together.”

    “It is an honor to recognize Nicole Banks for her hard work and dedication to the community,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “Nicole’s work with Starfish Assignment has allowed the FBI and our law enforcement partners to build trust and significant relationships in the communities we serve. These relationships help us to fulfill our mission of protecting the American people while creating safer and more secure neighborhoods.”

    Director Wray hosted the DCLA winners in a special ceremony at FBI Headquarters today, emphasizing the importance of community partnerships in keeping our shared communities safe. These partnerships—as exemplified by the breadth of the work by the DCLA recipients—have led to a host of crime prevention programs that protect the most vulnerable in our communities, educate families and businesses about cyber threats, and work to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods. Learn more about the Director’s Community Leadership Award program, the FBI’s outreach efforts, and the Cincinnati Field Office online.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Local Nail Salon Owner Sentenced to Prison for Placing Arson Device in Competing Salon

    Source: US FBI

    CINCINNATI – A local nail salon owner was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 46 months in prison for attempting to set a competing nail salon in Monroe, Ohio, on fire.

    Kim Lien Vu, 46, of Liberty Township, Ohio, admitted in her guilty plea in September 2023 that she conspired to commit malicious destruction via fire.

    Vu, who owns her own nail salon, developed animosity towards individuals at a competing nail salon and, beginning in December 2022, approached her employee about a plot to exact revenge on the competing salon.

    Vu and her employee, co-defendant Cierra Marie Bishop, 30, of Hamilton, Ohio, eventually discussed the idea of setting the other salon on fire. Bishop began work to design a remote-controlled incendiary device that could start a fire within a small box. The two women frequently texted about the plan, which they referred to as Job 1.

    On Feb. 5, surveillance camera footage shows Bishop and a friend, co-defendant Makahla Ann Rennick, 19, of Hamilton, Ohio, entering the competitor salon. Rennick had made an appointment for a pedicure under the name “Katelynn,” at the direction of Vu for Rennick to get the latest nail appointment she can and to “Just use another name. Sound white.” Rennick is shown receiving her nail services.

    Vu was traveling to or already at a property she owned in Virginia to have a ready alibi.

    During Rennick’s appointment, Bishop entered and exited the salon, looking for a place to plant the device. Eventually, Bishop walked to the restroom area in the rear of the salon and tucked the device under a salon desk before leaving.

    A salon employee then found the suspected device, which smelled like gasoline. The employee opened the package, seeing that it looked like an explosive device, and took it outside near the salon’s dumpsters. The employee later went back outside to check on the device and noticed that box had begun to catch on fire.

    Monroe police officers and fire department responded to a call reporting a dumpster fire near the salon.

    Vu was in constant contact with Bishop throughout the planning of the device.

    The three women were indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2023. Bishop has pleaded guilty and is currently awaiting sentencing.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Shawn Gibson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Monroe Police Chief Bob Buchanan announced the sentence imposed on April 24 by U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Knox County Man Pleads Guilty to Committing Child Pornography Crimes While on Federal Supervised Release

    Source: US FBI

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A repeat sex offender pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to committing new child pornography crimes while on federal supervised release.

    Lee Allen Goudy, 30, of Howard, Ohio, admitted to distributing and possessing child pornography. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court in April 2018 to 78 months in prison for distributing pornography of pre-school-aged children.

    As a previous offender, Goudy will face a prison sentence of at least 15 years and up to 40 years in prison for his current offense.

    According to court documents, in August 2023, the FBI received a tip that Goudy was a Tier II registered sex offender and was believed to have uploaded child pornography online.

    At least four cyber tipline reports related to Goudy were generated from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

    The investigation revealed that Goudy had distributed child pornography from a Reddit account via Kik messenger and on Twitter. Goudy used the same email address to trade child pornography that he used in his prior federal conviction.

    Approximately 650 videos and 100 images of child sexual abuse material were recovered from Goudy’s iPhone. His collection included sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, and the sexual torture of babies. For example, one video depicted a newborn infant being smacked in the face, grabbed by the throat and shaken back and forth.

    Goudy’s iPhone search history also included web searches like “supervised release monitoring iPhone” and “does federal monitoring work on iPhone.”

    A second cell phone of Goudy’s also revealed searches for content related to violence, rape and sex acts against infants and toddlers. That phone included 150 images of child sexual abuse material that Goudy had traded on Discord.

    Goudy was arrested in September 2023 for violating his federal supervised release warrant.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea offered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts Self-Described Civil Rights Activist from Toledo of Wire Fraud and Money Laundering

    Source: US FBI

    TOLEDO – Sir Maejor Page, 35, of Toledo, was found guilty of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering by a jury after a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Helmick.

    According to court documents and testimony, in 2016, Page created a Facebook page for “Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta” (“BLMGA”) and registered this organization as a domestic non-profit with the Georgia Secretary of State Corporation’s Division. In 2017, the IRS approved Page’s request granting BLMGA tax-exempt status under Section 503(c)(3) of the tax code, but dissolved this status in 2019. Page nonetheless accepted donations after falsely portraying BLMGA to the public as a legitimate charity engaged in social justice work, when in fact, it was not. Instead, Page used the money that individual donors gave to BLMGA not for social justice causes, but rather to buy items for his own personal use, such as a house and furniture. Page also committed money-laundering crimes when he bought these items with the donations that he fraudulently obtained.

    “The United States Attorney’s Office prioritizes the prosecution of white-collar criminal conduct, particularly conduct involving deceptive schemes that selfishly exploit a charitable donor’s goodwill for personal gain,” said United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, for the Northern District of Ohio. “The donors to BLMGA thought they were giving their hard-earned money to a cause they believed in. But instead of using it to support that cause, Page used it for himself. The jury’s verdict is a warning to every fraudster that when you misrepresent how donations or other money given to you in trust will be used, you will be prosecuted and punished.”

    “Preying on the generosity of the public for personal gain is cold and calculated,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “The FBI and it’s white-collar crime division along with our federal, state, and local partners will continue to aggressively find and investigate criminals who believe they can deceive others through shady business practices.”

    No sentencing date has been set.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gene Crawford and Rob Melching.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fifteen Gang Members Indicted for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Possession

    Source: US FBI

    CLEVELAND – Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials announce the unsealing of a superseding indictment charging 15 members of the Fully Blooded Felons, a criminal street gang that was active in Northeast Ohio and in the Ohio prison system. The gang members were charged for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving their importing and distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and buprenorphine in Northeast Ohio, and their illegal possession of firearms. Three defendants have been in federal custody since December 2023. Authorities have arrested several newly charged defendants. They transported several of them to federal court in Cleveland, while the others are in custody elsewhere.

    This announcement is made by United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, FBI Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen, and Cleveland Division of Police Chief Dorothy Todd.

    “The indictment alleges that Raven Mullins and other members of the Fully Blooded Felons operated an open-air drug market, distributing the deadliest types of drugs sold on Cleveland’s streets. This organization is charged not only with peddling such poisons in Cleveland’s Cedar Estates neighborhood, but also with actively plotting to recruit persons to infiltrate the Ohio prison system to distribute drugs there so gang members could reap the profits,” said United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. “This indictment and these arrests are a product of the dedication, cooperation, and tireless efforts of Northern District of Ohio federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who, working together, identified and disrupted this criminal organization. Because of these efforts, the many law-abiding members of the Cedar Estates neighborhood have a real opportunity to come together and make positive changes.”

    “This operation and subsequent arrests underscore the FBIs mission to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle gangs not only in the larger cities across America, but also right here in northern Ohio,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “Identifying criminal networks takes careful coordination and collaboration. We are proud to partner with the agencies that make up the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the Cleveland Division of Police, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, and the Ohio Investigative Unit. In addition, the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Cleveland’s Third District played a major role in this operation. We thank them as well as our other federal, state, and local partners who work seamlessly together to protect our communities and keep offenders off the streets.”

    The following defendants are charged in the 33-count superseding indictment:

    Raven Mullins, aka Dunny, aka Dun, 34, Cleveland, Ohio
    Henry Burchett, aka Noodles, aka Noo, 39, Cleveland, Ohio
    Cortez Tyree, aka Seed, 34, Cleveland, Ohio
    Rodney Linson, aka Scrap, 37, Willoughby Hills, Ohio
    Elijah Johnson, aka Loon, 36, Unknown
    Demarcus Elliott, aka Moo, 37, Westlake, Ohio
    Dontez Hammond, aka Donny, 35, Cleveland, Ohio
    Jeffrey Lee, aka Fatty, 23, Cleveland, Ohio
    Jerrell Jones-Ferrell, aka Ruga, 25, Cleveland, Ohio
    Jerry Mullins, aka B. Money, 32, Cleveland, Ohio
    Devonte Johnson, aka D Nut, aka Nut, 31, Cleveland, Ohio
    Jerome Williams, aka Jay, 29, Cleveland, Ohio
    Christepher Horton, aka Cam, aka Killa, 40, Erie, Pennsylvania
    Deeundra Perkins, aka Drizzy, 32, Unknown
    Deon Blackwell, aka White Boy, 37, Cleveland, Ohio

    The defendants were all charged in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Additionally, six defendants were charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances offenses, five defendants were charged with illegal possession of firearms, and five defendants were charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. One defendant was charged with interstate travel in aid of racketeering, and 11 defendants were charged with using a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense.

    The superseding indictment alleges that between as early as January 2022, and continuing through April 2, 2024, the defendants did knowingly and intentionally conspire with each other to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute mixtures and substances containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance, cocaine base (“crack”), a Schedule II controlled substance, and buprenorphine, a Schedule III controlled substance.

    According to court documents, Raven Mullins and other defendants operated an organized gang hierarchy that committed violent acts, possessed and transferred firearms, and distributed controlled substances in Northeast Ohio. The Fully Blooded Felons used two apartments at the Cedar Estates in Cleveland, Ohio, to store controlled substances and firearms and to distribute different controlled substances to customers. Subordinate gang members used a grassy area immediately adjacent to the Cedar Estates, and the area surrounding the 28th Street Liquor Store, to distribute controlled substances to customers at the direction of Raven Mullins and other high-ranking members. The superseding indictment alleges that Elijah Johnson travelled to Texas and Arizona to obtain kilogram quantities of pills containing fentanyl, which he then supplied to Fully Blooded Felon members for distribution in Northeast Ohio. Additionally, the superseding indictment alleges that the Fully Blooded Felons operated a drug smuggling and distribution ring inside numerous Ohio state prisons and federal detention centers.

    An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

    The specific mission of the OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle major criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including criminal gangs, transnational drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security and are related to the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Northern District of Ohio. The OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force consists of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Cleveland Division of Police. The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

    The investigation preceding the superseding indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Safe Streets Task Force, the Cleveland Division of Police’s Third District and Gang Impact Unit, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Ohio Adult Parole Authority, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, and the Ohio Investigative Unit. The United States Marshals Service coordinated the arrests of those defendants apprehended.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. Kolansky and Paul E. Hanna, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Brian W. Lynch and Alyssa Levey-Weinstein of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Woman Sentenced for Violation of Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Violation for Damaging Pregnancy Center

    Source: US FBI

    TOLEDO – Whitney Durant, AKA Soren Monroe, age 20, of Worthington, Ohio, was sentenced to two years of probation and a $2,000 dollar fine by Magistrate Judge Darrell A. Clay, after pleading guilty to one count of intentionally damaging a reproductive health care center, a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (the “FACE Act”). Durant vandalized HerChoice, a reproductive health services clinic located in Bowling Green, Ohio, because the clinic offers pregnancy counseling, free pregnancy testing and ultrasounds, but not abortion services.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 15, 2023, Durant defaced the clinic’s building, spray painting the words, “LIARS,” “FAKE CLINIC,” “Fund Abortion,” “Abort God,” and “Jane’s Revenge.” Durant was a Bowling Green State University student at the time of this conduct.

    “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to neutrally enforcing federal laws that protect uninterrupted access to all clinics providing reproductive health services, whether those clinics provide women with options that include abortion care or whether they solely encourage women to consider non-abortion alternatives,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “This prosecution and sentence demonstrate that we will not tolerate efforts to impede patient access to the reproductive health care of their choice by someone who intentionally defaces or otherwise damages a clinic providing such services. The First Amendment protects peaceful protests, not blatant vandalism.”

    “Today’s sentencing serves as a reminder that intentionally damaging or destroying the property of a facility because it provides reproductive health services is a federal violation of the FACE Act,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “The FBI and its local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners will protect access to reproductive healthcare services for every American, thoroughly investigate FACE Act violators, and continue to aggressively pursue all violations of the statute.”

    The FBI Cleveland Field Office, Toledo Resident Agency and Bowling Green Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angelita Cruz Bridges and Wood County Prosecutor and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Dobson for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.

    Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov/.

    For more information about clinic violence, and the Justice Department’s efforts to enforce FACE Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-againstreproductive-health-care-providers.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Attention High School Juniors & Seniors: FBI Las Vegas is Hosting a Teen Academy

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS—The FBI Las Vegas Division and the Las Vegas Chapter FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association invite all interested Las Vegas high school upcoming juniors and seniors to apply to the FBI Las Vegas Teen Academy. Class will be held on June 20, 2023, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

    The FBI Teen Academy provides an opportunity for high school students to catch a behind-the-scenes look at the FBI.

    The FBI’s Teen Academy gives high school students a comprehensive look into the FBI during a full day of demonstrations and instruction provided by FBI agents and professional staff. Students are provided with multiple presentations delving into topics such as terrorism, cybercrime, forensic evidence collection, FBI SWAT capabilities, and a rare view into the day-to-day operations of an FBI office.

    Students will meet FBI agents and other FBI personnel who support our overall mission—to protect the people of the United States and defend our constitution.

    This program is NOT exclusive to students only interested in careers in law enforcement. Any student who is at least a junior in high school but has not yet started college is encouraged to apply, regardless of anticipated major or academic discipline.

    This is a competitive program, and not all applicants will be selected. Student selection for the Teen Academy will be based on a quality application and written assignment. The application, release form, and supporting assignment must be received by the FBI Las Vegas office by June 7, 2023. Incomplete and/or late applications will not be accepted.

    To apply and for more information on the FBI Teen Academy, visit: https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/las-vegas-teen-academy-2022-04182023.pdf/view

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware II to 10 years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for possession of images depicting child sexual abuse material.

    Russell Hamblin (63) pleaded guilty in November 2022, to one count of possession of child pornography.

    According to court documents, on January 14, 2008, Hamblin was convicted of receipt of child pornography in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas. As a result of his conviction, he was sentenced to prison and a lifetime term of supervised release. On April 12, 2022, during a home visit, U.S. Probation Officers observed printed papers on the floor depicting nude or partially dressed young females. They seized multiple flash drives and cell phones belonging to Hamblin. He admitted that he possessed between 10 and 150 items of child pornography on the seized devices.

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

    The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Supriya Prasad prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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: Matawan Cardiologist Sentenced to 35 Months in Prison for Defrauding Health Insurance Companies of More Than $1.9 Million Through Health Care Fraud Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    TRENTON, N.J. – The owner and sole medical provider of a New Jersey medical practice was sentenced today to 35 months in prison for orchestrating a health care fraud scheme causing over $1.9 million in insurance reimbursements for false claims, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Dr. Fazal Panezai, 76, of Morganville, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner to an information charging him with participating in a health care fraud scheme. Judge Castner imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

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

    Panezai, who owned and operated Matawan-Aberdeen Heart & Medical Center, for years submitted false claims to at least six health insurance benefit programs for office visits that either never occurred or did not take place for the length of time that he claimed.

    For example, Panezai submitted claims for office visits lasting approximately 1,675 minutes – approximately 27.9 hours – for one day’s worth of office visits on May 27, 2022. Panezai also billed health insurance providers over $80,000 for office visits when he was out of the country and not conducting any office visits. Panezai also submitted claims for office visits when patients only picked up a prescription for a controlled substance from the front desk and never met with him. The false claims caused insurance plans to issue reimbursement checks to the center. Panezai kept the illicit profits, which totaled more than $1.9 million.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Panezai to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $1.95 million.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanked the Matawan Police Department.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys DeNae Thomas of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Jessica R. Ecker of the Criminal Division in Newark.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Passaic County Man Sentenced to 82 Months in Prison for Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Ammunition Charges

    Source: US FBI

    CAMDEN, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 82 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and possessing ammunition by a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

    Kadeem Coleman, 31, of Paterson, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée M. Bumb to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and was sentenced to 70 months in prison on those counts. At the time Coleman committed these offenses, he was on federal supervised release; for violating the terms of his supervised release, Judge Bumb sentenced Coleman to an additional 12 months in prison to run consecutively. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence on Nov. 7, 2024, in Camden federal court.

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

    On October 15, 2021, law enforcement arrested Coleman and searched his residence pursuant a search warrant. Law enforcement recovered fentanyl and cocaine, which was subsequently confirmed through laboratory testing, and over 120 rounds of ammunition.  Coleman had previously been federally convicted in the District of New Jersey for unlawful possession of a firearm.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Coleman to five years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, Newark Field Division; the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Acting Sheriff Gary Giardina; and the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Officer in Charge Isa Abbassi with the investigation leading to the sentencing.

    This case is part of the Paterson Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which was formed in 2020 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Paterson’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Paterson. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the U.S. Marshals, the Paterson Department of Public Safety, the Paterson Police Department, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Bergen County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, and N.J. Department of Corrections.

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

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Men Charged in Connection with Interstate High-End Car Theft Ring

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – Eight men have been charged for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to steal luxury cars in New Jersey, New York, and elsewhere, and transport them across state lines, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

    Ahmad Franks, aka “Mahdi,” 24; Shaquan White, aka “QBandz,” aka “Q Bands,” 23; Nathan Braswell, aka “Troub,” 20; Ibn Bellamy, aka “YC,” 24; Zamir Wright, aka “GBz,” 20, all of Newark; Ryan Bowen, aka “Prob,” 26; Khyree Lawrence, aka “6,” 20, both of East Orange, New Jersey; and Mohammed Buhari, aka “Sakina,” 45, of Woodbridge, Virginia; are all charged by complaint with conspiring to receive, possess, or sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce.

    Franks is also charged with five counts of possession of a stolen vehicle and one count of interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle. Bellamy is also charged with one count of possession of a stolen vehicle, and Buhari is charged with one count of sale, receipt, or possession of a stolen vehicle. Bellamy and Lawrence were arrested on Nov. 6, 2024, and made their initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court. Buhari remains at large. The remaining defendants are already in custody on prior charges and will appear at a later date.  

    “The defendants are charged with orchestrating a brazen conspiracy to steal high-end, luxury vehicles, targeting our community and profiting from their illegal activities,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said.  “These charges underscore our commitment to work with all of our law enforcement partners to protect the community from  the variety of crimes committed by  those who seek to enrich themselves unjustly by victimizing our residents.”

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

    In November 2021, law enforcement began investigating a series of high-end car thefts and learned that the eight defendants, and others conspired to possess, receive, conceal, sell, dispose, and/or transport high-value stolen cars in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and elsewhere. Some of the stolen cars were used during the commission of other crimes, including the theft of additional cars, shootings, and a homicide. From November 2021 to July 2022, Franks exchanged photographs of at least 400 known or suspected stolen cars with at least a dozen conspirators.

    The 14 cars stolen by the defendants as alleged in the complaint have an estimated total value of at least $550,000.

    The conspiracy count carries a maximum term of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain to the defendant or loss to the victims, whichever is greatest. The charges of sale, receipt, or possession of a stolen vehicle and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle each carries a maximum potential penalty of ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain to the defendant or loss to the victims, whichever is greatest.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr.; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas; the Newark Police Division, under the direction of Director Fritz G. Fragé; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan; the Millburn Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Gilfedder; and the Fairfield Police Department, under the direction of Chief Anthony G. Manna, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of New York/Newark, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York Police Department, the Port Authority Police Department, the Jersey City Police Department, the Tenafly Police Department, the East Brunswick Police Department, the Ridgewood Police Department, the Ramapo Police Department, the Spring Lake Police Department, the Paramus Police Department, the Woodbridge Police Department, the Edison Police Department, the Essex Fells Police Department, the East Orange Police Department, the West Caldwell Police Department, and the Nassau County Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olta Bejleri and Megan Linares of the Criminal Division in Newark.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Essex County Man Sentenced to 58 Months in Prison for Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Firearms Charges

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 58 months in prison for his role in a narcotics conspiracy involving approximately one kilogram of cocaine and 100 grams of fentanyl, possessing with intent to distribute approximately 482 grams of cocaine, and possessing three firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Carlos Ovidio Gonzalez, 37, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Clair C. Cecchi to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

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

    On Dec. 19, 2022, Gonzalez and another individual conspired to distribute approximately one kilogram of cocaine and 100 grams of fentanyl and were arrested shortly after arriving at an agreed-upon location in Kearny to complete the sale. After their arrests, a search of Gonzalez’s home and an apartment uncovered two loaded firearms, an unloaded firearm, ammunition, drug packaging materials, and drugs, including approximately 482 grams of heroin. Gonzalez had previously been convicted, in New Jersey Superior Court, Morris County, of first-degree drug distribution, second degree weapons possession during a controlled substance offense, and second degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, and was sentenced in 2009 to 30 years in prison.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Gonzalez to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, and officers with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanked Newark Police Department for its assistance.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Jacobs of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bayside State Prison Corrections Officer Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Violating Inmates’ Civil Rights

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – A former corrections officer at Bayside State Prison in Leesburg, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for depriving two inmates of their civil rights by failing to intervene when the inmates were assaulted and suffered bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Joshua Hand, 35, of Millville, New Jersey, plead guilty on Feb. 26, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams to an information charging him with depriving two inmates of their right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment. Judge Williams imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.

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

    In December 2019, while working as a corrections officer, Hand was inside the officers’ quarters within the kitchen area of Bayside State Prison when the first victim was summoned to that room. Shortly after the victim entered the officers’ quarters, the exit door was blocked and in the presence of Hand, the victim was assaulted simultaneously by several inmates and taken down to the floor. Hand watched and did not attempt to intervene when multiple inmates pinned and restrained the victim on the floor while other inmates delivered multiple punches and other blows to the victim’s torso, arms, and legs. Hand did not report this assault to his supervisors or medical personnel despite knowing that he was required to do so.

    Later that same day, the second victim was in the officers’ quarters at the prison with Hand and another corrections officer. Without provocation, the other corrections officer struck the second victim in the legs multiple times with a broomstick. During the assault of the second victim, Hand remained within arm’s reach of the assault and had a reasonable opportunity to intervene but did not attempt to do so. Once again, Hand did not report this assault to his supervisors or medical personnel. 

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Hand to three years of supervised release and fined him $10,000.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked the New Jersey Department of Corrections, under the direction of Commissioner Victoria Kuhn, for its assistance.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas S. Kearney of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Latham Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years for Possessing Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Scott Weinbloom, age 49, of Latham, New York, was sentenced today to 97 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for possessing child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

    As part of his guilty plea, Weinbloom admitted that on May 18, 2022, he possessed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography on a USB flash memory stick found in his residence and that two computers recovered from his residence had also been used to store and view child pornography. 

    In addition to the imprisonment and supervised release terms, Weinbloom was ordered to pay a total of $72,000 in restitution to child victims depicted in the files he possessed, and will be required to register as a sex offender upon release from imprisonment.

    The FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated this case.  The Task Force includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Dustin C. Segovia prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

    Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).  Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locates, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New Jersey Man Charged with Drug Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on August 29, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a four count indictment charging Andy Soto, 32, of Jersey City, New Jersey, with conspiring to distribute controlled substances; possessing with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine; possessing with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl; and possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year. Soto entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on September 3, 2024, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle previously had ordered that Soto be detained during the pendency of this matter.

    According to court records, Soto was arrested by state authorities in North Troy, Vermont on July 24, 2024, in connection with the execution of a state search warrant at a residence where he had recently been staying. Law enforcement located over 600 grams of suspected cocaine powder, over 300 grams of suspected cocaine base, over 700 grams of suspected fentanyl, over 80 grams of suspected xylazine, approximately $46,000 in currency, and five loaded firearms from the bedroom identified as Soto’s. The majority of the suspected narcotics, the currency, and a loaded .40-caliber firearm were located in a safe bolted to the floor of that room. Soto had been the subject of a long-standing drug investigation, during which authorities conducted multiple controlled purchases involving Soto between July and December 2023.

    The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Soto is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Soto faces at least ten years’ and up to life imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

    United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Northeast Vermont Drug Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. This case is part of ongoing collaborative efforts between those agencies, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to address drug and gun trafficking in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. 

    The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Lasher. Soto is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.

    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: Former Utica Mayor and School Board President Sentenced for Mail Fraud Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Louis LaPolla, age 79, of Utica, New York, was sentenced today in federal court in Syracuse to 3 years of probation, after previously pleading guilty to mail fraud for soliciting and then stealing donations intended for a scholarship fund in his late wife’s name. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced the guilty plea.

    In pleading guilty previously, LaPolla admitted that he set up a scholarship fund in honor of his late wife, Andrea LaPolla, after she passed away in 2018, with the stated intention of benefitting Utica City School District students who planned to pursue post-secondary education in health-related fields. LaPolla further admitted that he received nearly $40,000 in donations intended for the scholarship fund from individuals and businesses and that he spent nearly all the donated money on himself rather than depositing it into the scholarship fund. LaPolla served as the mayor of Utica from 1984 to 1995, and he served as President of the Utica City School Board from 2018 to 2022, following 21 years of service as a member of the board.

    As part of his sentence, LaPolla will pay restitution in the amount of $38,616, and he will separately owe a forfeiture money judgment in the same amount.

    Earlier this year, LaPolla pled guilty in Oneida County Court to a misdemeanor petit larceny charge after admitting that he used envelopes, stamps, and mailing labels belonging to the Utica City School District to send out fundraising flyers relating to the scholarship. In that case, LaPolla was sentenced to 60 days of house arrest, 3 years of probation, and ordered to pay $3,100 in restitution.

    The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the New York State Police and the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Virginia Man Sentenced for Bank Robbery Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brian Tierney a.k.a. “Wodanaz,” age 31, of Lynchburg, Virginia, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for conspiring to commit bank robbery.

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

    As part of his guilty plea, Tierney admitted that between November 14 and November 27, 2022, he agreed to and planned to commit an armed bank robbery at a bank branch in Johnstown, New York, with two co-conspirators, Luke Kenna a.k.a. “Lt.” and Michael Brown, Jr. a.k.a. “Russ.” As part of that conspiracy, Kenna conducted surveillance of the bank and purchased items, including weapons, to commit the robbery; Tierney ordered handgun parts for use in the robbery and sent photographs to Kenna of a handgun and a radio scanning and jamming device for use in robbing the bank; and Brown drove to New York to conduct surveillance of the bank with Kenna.

    Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also ordered that Tierney serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.

    Tierney’s two co-conspirators, Luke Kenna, and Michael Brown, Jr., pled guilty and were sentenced on June 14, 2024, to 41 months and 37 months in prison, respectively.

    The FBI Albany Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which includes FBI Special Agents, and federal, state, and local investigators, including from the New York State Police, investigated the case. The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, the FBI’s Richmond Field Office and New York State Police Special Investigations Unit also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Michigan Resident and Heavy-Duty Diesel Parts Supplier Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Clean Air Act

    Source: US FBI

    Kyle Offringa and Highway and Heavy Parts, LLC Admit to Conspiring with Heavy-Duty Diesel Truck Operators to Tamper with Emissions-Control Monitoring Devices

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kyle Offringa, age 33, of Caledonia, Michigan, and Highway and Heavy Parts, LLC (“HHP”), a heavy-duty diesel parts supplier headquartered in Coleman, Michigan, recently pled guilty to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act (“CAA”).  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Tyler Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”)’s Criminal Investigations Division (“CID”), Northeast Area Branch, made the announcement. Offringa pled guilty to the indictment today and HHP pled guilty to the indictment last month.

    Offringa and HHP were indicted by a grand jury in the Northern District of New York earlier this year.  As alleged in the indictment, the purpose of the CAA is, among other things, “to protect and enhance the quality of the Nation’s air resources so as to promote the public health and welfare and the productive capacity of its population.”  Pursuant to the CAA, the EPA enacted regulations that required heavy-duty diesel engine manufacturers to limit emissions on those engines.  To comply with these regulations, manufacturers install hardware components, including filters, exhaust recirculation systems, and exhaust aftertreatment systems.  Heavy-duty diesel trucks are also required under the CAA to maintain an onboard-diagnostic system (“OBD”), which monitors the functionality of the hardware emissions control components.  If the OBD detects that an emissions control component is not working, or has been removed, it will ultimately put the truck into what is known as “limp mode,” which limits the top speed to as low as 5 miles per hour.  This is designed to incentivize truck operators to repair any faulty components.

    As further alleged in the indictment, truck operators deleted the emissions control hardware on their heavy-duty diesel trucks, which significantly increased pollution emitted by those trucks but allowed them to run at higher horsepower, with greater fuel efficiency, and with reduced maintenance cost. 

    As part of their pleas, Offringa and HHP admitted that between at least June 2017 and March 2019, they conspired together and with HHP’s customers, including coconspirators DAIM Logistics, Inc. and Patrick Oare of Fultonville, New York, to tamper with (“tune”) the emission control monitoring devices and systems of numerous diesel vehicles.  As part of the conspiracy, HHP referred its customers who had removed emissions hardware on their heavy-duty diesel trucks to Offringa, who then reprogrammed the OBDs to bypass the CAA monitoring functions so the trucks would remain operational in exchange for a fee of $1,000 to $1,500 per OBD.  HHP charged its customers approximately $250 for each tune performed by Offringa on top of what Offringa charged.

    HHP is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17, 2024, and Offringa is scheduled to be sentenced on January 17, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino in Albany.  If HHP’s plea agreement is accepted, it will be required to pay a fine of $25,000.  Offringa has agreed to pay a fine of $100,000 and also faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a term of supervised release of up to three years.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

    Coconspirators Patrick Oare and DAIM Logistics, Inc., of Fultonville, New York, previously pled guilty to violating the CAA and are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino in Albany on October 23, 2024.

    The United States Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigations Division (EPA CID) is investigating the case, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to New Charges

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jeffrey Paden, 57, of Kennedy, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to possession of child pornography following a prior conviction, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that in June 2015, Paden was convicted on a federal charge of possession of child pornography and sentenced to serve 57 months in prison and five years’ supervised release. On August 29, 2023, the New York State Police executed a search warrant at Paden’s residence based on information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Several electronic devices were seized, including a thumb drive and a laptop computer. Approximately 83 images of child pornography were stored on the thumb drive and approximately 468 images on the laptop computer. Some of the images depicted prepubescent minors, and violence against children.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Stanley Edwards III, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

    Sentencing is scheduled for November 13, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.

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