NewzIntel.com

Category: Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Dallas arrests foreign fugitive wanted in his home country

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    DALLAS — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the North Texas Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Strike Force arrested a foreign fugitive wanted by Venezuelan authorities for his direct involvement in the homicide of four individuals. Law enforcement officers from the DEA, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and ICE Dallas apprehended Anthony Fabian Marin La Torre, 42, in Grapevine May 2.

    “This fugitive stands accused of some horrific crimes, further representing a threat in the communities of Texas that we will not tolerate,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas acting Field Office Director Josh Johnson. “ICE Dallas will never relent in our priority of enhancing public safety and arresting and removing criminal alien threats from our streets.”

    On Feb. 18, U.S. law enforcement received notification by Venezuelan authorities that Marin was wanted for the contract killings of four individuals in his home country.

    “FBI Dallas, along with our North Texas OCDETF Strike Force partners, is committed to our mutual objective of ensuring community safety,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We will continue to provide critical analytical, investigative and tactical resources to identify and locate dangerous criminals in order to bring them to justice.”

    Marin La Torre illegally entered the United States at or near the San Luis, Arizona, port of entry Sept. 26, 2022, as part of a family unit, charged as an inadmissible alien pursuant to the Immigration Nationality Act.  

    Marin La Torre remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X at @ERODallas.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Six in the Southern District of Florida

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

    MIAMI – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    The Southern District of Florida is prosecuting the following cases as part of this operation:

    Benjamin Tokoma Sanders, 23, of Oakland, Fla., was charged with possession and production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on April 24. FBI Miami and the Broward Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. Case No. 25-cr-60092.

    Tre’ Anthony Roberts, 25, of Miami, Fla., was charged with child sexual exploitation on Feb. 27. FBI Miami, FBI Jacksonville and the Tallahassee Police Department are investigating the case. Case No. 25-cr-60042.

    Katriel Victor Marmol, 57, of Davie, Fla., was charged with enticement of a minor on April 30. FBI Miami and the Davie Police Department are investigating the case. Case No. 25-mj-06969.

    Dariel Manresa, 34, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., was charged with possession and distribution of CSAM on April 24. FBI Miami and the Pembroke Pines Police Department are investigating the case. Case No. 25-cr-60090.

    William Neal, 44, of Tampa, Fla., was charged with possession of CSAM on April 30. FBI Miami and FBI Tampa are investigating the case. Case No. 25-mj-02902.

    Brian Jones, 38, of Evanston, Illinois, was charged with distribution of CSAM on April 15. FBI Miami and FBI Chicago are investigating the case. Case No. 25-mj-02747.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, this effort and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

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

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Six More Sentenced in Eastern Panhandle Fentanyl Drug Trafficking Operation

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

    MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Six more people have been sentenced for their roles in a major drug trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of large quantities of illegal drugs in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.

    Gary Brown, Jr., age 39, of Baltimore, Maryland, was the leader of the operation. He was sentenced today to 327 months in prison and fined $1,000,000. The indictment, returned in January 2024 against Brown, Jr., and eighty-one others, charged that the defendants caused substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to be distributed in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.

    Others sentenced this week include:

    • Linda Abshire, age 33, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison.
    • Christopher Sterling Cogle, age 42, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced to 96 months.
    • Saul Percy Powell, Jr., age 56, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison.
    • Nathaniel Frederick Downing, Jr., age 69, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 18 months.
    • James Sanford, age 40, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 60 months in prison.

    Of the 82 defendants, 80 have been convicted. Including today’s six, 59 defendants have been sentenced. One defendant, Charles Delroy Singletary, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, remains a fugitive.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.

    U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.

    Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service;  the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office;  Stafford County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia).

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Preferred Bank Announces New Chief Risk Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES, May 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Preferred Bank (NASDAQ: PFBC), one of the largest independent commercial banks in California, today reported that the Board of Directors has named Nick Pi to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer. Mr. Pi has served as the Bank’s Chief Credit Officer since 2015 and will continue to oversee the credit function. Mr. Pi will now also oversee the BSA and Compliance Departments as well.

    Li Yu, Chairman and CEO of the Bank said “Nick has been a very strong leader in Credit Administration and we’re excited to have someone with his experience and knowledge taking over the role of Chief Risk Officer. We feel this is an important step in developing our enterprise risk oversight. Please join me in congratulating Nick”.

    About Preferred Bank

    Preferred Bank is one of the larger independent commercial banks headquartered in California. The Bank is chartered by the State of California, and its deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, to the maximum extent permitted by law. The Bank conducts its banking business from its main office in Los Angeles, California, and through twelve full-service branch banking offices in the California cities of Alhambra, Century City, City of Industry, Torrance, Arcadia, Irvine (2 branches), Diamond Bar, Pico Rivera, Tarzana and San Francisco (2 branches) and two branches in New York (Flushing and Manhattan) and one branch in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land, Texas. Additionally, the Bank operates a Loan Production Office in Sunnyvale, California. Preferred Bank offers a broad range of deposit and loan products and services to both commercial and consumer customers. The Bank provides personalized deposit services as well as real estate finance, commercial loans and trade finance to small and mid-sized businesses, entrepreneurs, real estate developers, professionals and high net worth individuals. Although originally founded as a Chinese-American Bank, Preferred Bank now derives most of its customers from the diversified mainstream market but does continue to benefit from the significant migration to California of ethnic Chinese from China and other areas of East Asia.

    AT THE COMPANY: AT FINANCIAL PROFILES:
    Edward J. Czajka Jeffrey Haas
    Executive Vice President General Information
    Chief Financial Officer (310) 622-8240
    (213) 891-1188 PFBC@finprofiles.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Jersey Woman Sentenced to Prison for Forced Labor and Other Federal Crimes

    Source: US State of California

    A New Jersey woman was sentenced on Wednesday to 45 months in prison for forced labor and other crimes related to her coercive scheme to compel two victims to perform domestic labor and childcare in her home.

    Bolaji Bolarinwa, 51, of Moorestown, previously was found guilty of two counts of forced labor, one count of alien harboring for financial gain and two counts of document servitude following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court. Judge Williams imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.

    According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial, from December 2015 to October 2016, Bolarinwa — originally from Nigeria, but living in New Jersey as a U.S. citizen — recruited two victims to come to the United States and then coerced them to perform domestic labor and childcare services for her children through physical harm, threats of physical harm, isolation, constant surveillance and psychological abuse. The defendant engaged in this conduct knowing that one of the victims was out of lawful immigration status while working in her home.

    Once the first victim arrived in the United States in December 2015, Bolarinwa confiscated her passport and coerced her through threats of physical harm to her and her daughter, verbal abuse, isolation and constant surveillance to compel her to work every day, around-the-clock for nearly a year. Bolarinwa then recruited a second victim to come to the United States on a student visa. When the second victim arrived in the United States in April 2016, Bolarinwa similarly confiscated her passport and coerced her to perform household work and childcare but relied more heavily on physical abuse. The two victims lived and worked in Bolarinwa’s home until October 2016, when the second victim notified a professor at her college, who reported the information to the FBI.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Bolarinwa to three years of supervised release, imposed a $35,000 fine, and ordered Bolarinwa to pay $87,518.72 in restitution to the victims of her offenses.

    “The defendant exploited her relationship with the victims to lure them to the United States with false promises,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant confiscated the victims’ immigration documents and subjected them to threats, physical force, and mental abuse to coerce them to work long hours for minimal pay. This prosecution should send a strong message that such forced labor will not be tolerated in our communities. The Justice Department is committed to fully enforcing our federal human trafficking statutes to vindicate the rights of survivors and hold human traffickers accountable for such shameful exploitation of vulnerable victims.”

    “Today’s sentence vindicates the rights of two vulnerable women who the defendant subjected to grueling hours and coercive abuse in her home,” said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for District of New Jersey. “Forced labor and human trafficking are atrocious crimes that have no place in our society. My office and the entire Department of Justice is committed to standing up for vulnerable human trafficking victims and holding their traffickers accountable.”

    “Human nature is generally good. There are situations though that prove some people display more cruel and inhumane behavior,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office. “Bolarinwa lured women with false promises, held them captive, and forced them clean her home and care for her children. Then took it a sickening step further by physically abusing them. Luckily, one of the victims had the courage to tell someone. We ask anyone who notices an odd situation, something that doesn’t look or feel right, to please call us so we can help victims that may be hiding in plain sight.”

    U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence.

    This case was prosecuted as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed in 2025. The Task Force brings together federal and state agencies to collaborate and dedicate resources to combat human trafficking and prosecute human trafficking offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The Human Trafficking Task Force is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, and the New Jersey Office of Attorney General.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ivorian Men Arrested for International “Sextortion” and Money Laundering Scheme Resulting in Minor’s Death

    Source: US State of California

    Four men in Côte d’Ivoire have been arrested on criminal charges relating to their role in an international “sextortion” scheme that targeted thousands of victims, including minors, throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Italy.

    In February 2022, Ryan Last, a 17-year-old high school senior from San Jose, California committed suicide hours after being sextorted online by an individual pretending to be a 20-year-old woman. Through a lengthy, coordinated investigation involving U.S. and Ivorian law enforcement, the evidence ultimately led law enforcement to identify Alfred Kassi, an Ivorian citizen living in Côte d’Ivoire, as the individual allegedly conducting the sextortion. On April 29, Kassi was arrested by Ivorian law enforcement. At the time of his arrest, Kassi allegedly still had the sextortion messages he sent to the 17-year-old victim in February 2022 on his phone.

    Additionally, the investigation identified several alleged money laundering accomplices who helped Kassi move the money he received from the 17-year-old victim, who had paid $150 in order to prevent his intimate images from being disseminated. One of those alleged money launderers is Oumarou Ouedraogo, who was arrested by Ivorian law enforcement on April 25. In addition, Ivorian law enforcement arrested two other individuals, Moussa Diaby and Oumar Cisse. Both Diaby and Cisse were part of Kassi’s alleged sextortion network and admitted to their own sextortion crimes. A U.S.-based accomplice, Jonathan Kassi (unrelated to Alfred Kassi), was convicted in 2023 in a California State Court and sentenced to 18 months in jail.

    The government of Côte d’Ivoire does not extradite its own citizens, so these defendants will be prosecuted in their own country under Ivorian cybercrime statutes.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins for the Northern District of California, and Acting Assistant Director Darren Cox of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.

    The FBI is investigating the case, with substantial assistance from the San Jose Police Department, the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, and Meta, which provided critical information that assisted with the identification of the offenders. The government of Côte d’Ivoire, specifically the Anti-Terrorist Operational Intelligence Center (CROAT), conducted the investigation and arrests in Côte d’Ivoire.

    Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Harris for the Northern District of California provided legal support throughout the investigation, including compiling and presenting the evidence to Ivorian authorities.  

    If you, your child, or someone you know is being exploited via sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or report it online at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Additional resources can found at Financially Motivated Sextortion — FBI

    All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ohio Man Charged with Threatening State Public Officials

    Source: US State of California

    A New Albany, Ohio, man has been charged with federal crimes related to sending at least 65 letters and emails to 34 victims, including state public officials, a local TV station and law enforcement, threatening to kill Ohio public officials. Many of the letters included a white powder and one letter included a bullet etched with the victim’s last name.

    Ronald Lidderdale, 39, appeared in federal court in Columbus this afternoon. He is charged with making interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, mailing threatening communications, false information and hoaxes, and cyberstalking.

    According to charging documents, Lidderdale allegedly sent the threatening communications to publicly elected officials holding statewide office in Ohio, elected officials holding office in the federal government, and individuals involved in Ohio politics.

    It is alleged that Lidderdale sent at least 49 letters containing suspicious white powders, which at times the sender claimed to be Ricin. To date, 29 victims received the white powder letters.

    One letter contained a 9mm bullet with the last name of the public official etched on it.

    For example, between July and early August 2024, it is alleged that Lidderdale sent a dozen threatening letters via the mail in five different mailings. The return labels on the letters contained mailing information for individuals who were either currently or previously employed by the targeted public official.

    Lidderdale allegedly threatened violence against the letter recipients in each of the letters, including language like, “I will kill you for your ignorant loyalty to your pedophilic party” and “I will kill you for the good of The People. Your death will come when you least expect it.”

    Last week, Lidderdale allegedly sent letters to eight victims containing a hitlist of eight individuals he said he would kill in the month of May.

    Court documents allege that Lidderdale sent a letter to a local TV station and emails to federal and local law enforcement outlining his plans.

    It is further alleged that Lidderdale sent threatening emails to public officials stating, “Each [victim] will receive the gift of their names etched onto a single bullet. Their skull is the target the bullet is the gift.”

    On May 8, Lidderdale allegedly told FBI agents that he had sent the letters and emails with the intent to incite fear, including the fear of bodily injury, and to make threats with the goal of changing behavior.

    Mailing threatening communications carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Making interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, mailing threatening communications, conveying false information and hoaxes, and cyberstalking are all federal crimes punishable by up to five years in prison.

    Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio; Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office; and Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); as well as the U.S. Capitol Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol and several Ohio police departments announced the charges filed today.

    Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez and Assistant U.S.  Attorneys Damoun Delaviz and Jessica W. Knight for the Southern District of Ohio, and Trial Attorney James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are representing the United States in this case.

    A criminal complaint merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Charged with Threatening State Public Officials

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    A New Albany, Ohio, man has been charged with federal crimes related to sending at least 65 letters and emails to 34 victims, including state public officials, a local TV station and law enforcement, threatening to kill Ohio public officials. Many of the letters included a white powder and one letter included a bullet etched with the victim’s last name.

    Ronald Lidderdale, 39, appeared in federal court in Columbus this afternoon. He is charged with making interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, mailing threatening communications, false information and hoaxes, and cyberstalking.

    According to charging documents, Lidderdale allegedly sent the threatening communications to publicly elected officials holding statewide office in Ohio, elected officials holding office in the federal government, and individuals involved in Ohio politics.

    It is alleged that Lidderdale sent at least 49 letters containing suspicious white powders, which at times the sender claimed to be Ricin. To date, 29 victims received the white powder letters.

    One letter contained a 9mm bullet with the last name of the public official etched on it.

    For example, between July and early August 2024, it is alleged that Lidderdale sent a dozen threatening letters via the mail in five different mailings. The return labels on the letters contained mailing information for individuals who were either currently or previously employed by the targeted public official.

    Lidderdale allegedly threatened violence against the letter recipients in each of the letters, including language like, “I will kill you for your ignorant loyalty to your pedophilic party” and “I will kill you for the good of The People. Your death will come when you least expect it.”

    Last week, Lidderdale allegedly sent letters to eight victims containing a hitlist of eight individuals he said he would kill in the month of May.

    Court documents allege that Lidderdale sent a letter to a local TV station and emails to federal and local law enforcement outlining his plans.

    It is further alleged that Lidderdale sent threatening emails to public officials stating, “Each [victim] will receive the gift of their names etched onto a single bullet. Their skull is the target the bullet is the gift.”

    On May 8, Lidderdale allegedly told FBI agents that he had sent the letters and emails with the intent to incite fear, including the fear of bodily injury, and to make threats with the goal of changing behavior.

    Mailing threatening communications carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Making interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, mailing threatening communications, conveying false information and hoaxes, and cyberstalking are all federal crimes punishable by up to five years in prison.

    Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio; Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office; and Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); as well as the U.S. Capitol Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol and several Ohio police departments announced the charges filed today.

    Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez and Assistant U.S.  Attorneys Damoun Delaviz and Jessica W. Knight for the Southern District of Ohio, and Trial Attorney James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are representing the United States in this case.

    A criminal complaint merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Middle School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Enticing a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity and Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

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

    Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Italo Rafael Brett Bonini (25, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to one count of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and one count of production of child sexual abuse material. Brett Bonini faces a minimum of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 30, 2025. Brett Bonini has agreed to forfeit a computer, which he used to commit the offenses. He has also agreed to pay restitution to the victims of his offense, as well as to any other identifiable minor victims targeted through his conduct. 

    According to the plea agreement, on January 12, 2025, Brett Bonini video chatted with two child victims in Maryland through an online communication platform. During that video chat, both child victims pulled down their pants, and one of the child victims complied with Brett Bonini’s request to display his genitals on screen. In messages from Brett Bonini to the victims, Brett Bonini offered currency in an online videogame in exchange for the victims to show their genitalia on screen. 

    The FBI executed a search warrant at Brett Bonini’s residence on February 4, 2025. Concurrent with the execution of the search warrant, the FBI interviewed Brett Bonini, who identified himself as a middle school teacher who also taught private music lessons to children. During that interview, Brett Bonini stated that his intention for joining the online communication platform was to have conversations and have fun sexually. 

    Evidence from the online chats revealed that Brett Bonini attempted to victimize at least 20 other children using the internet. Each chat with potential victims followed a similar pattern of Brett Bonini lying about his identity, making sexual advances, and attempting to have a video call with the children who identified themselves as minors. 

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Osceola County Sherriff’s Office, the Maryland State Police, and the Harford County Child Advocacy Center. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Cruz.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lakeland Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud

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

    Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Abraham Othman Yacoub (27, Lakeland) has pleaded guilty to bank fraud. Yacoub faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

    According to the plea agreement, from at least January 2021 until February 2023, Yacoub made dozens of fraudulent deposits and withdrawals on behalf of his companies, Visionary Auto Body LLC and Visionary Auto Care LLC, at financial institutions throughout the Middle District of Florida. Yacoub deposited the same previously deposited checks into business banking accounts that he controlled at different financial institutions, knowing that the checks had previously been deposited and paid, causing the victim banks to credit his accounts for the amounts of the checks. Yacoub then withdrew, transferred, or otherwise spent the funds credited to his accounts before the financial institution realized that the checks had previously been deposited.

    Yacoub also drafted fraudulent business checks from closed business bank accounts in the name of Visionary Auto Body and Visionary Auto Care, knowing that those accounts had been closed and, therefore, that there were no funds remaining to cover the amount of the check he had drafted. Yacoub withdrew, transferred, or spent the funds credited by the bank based on these fraudulent checks, or attempt to do so, before the financial institution realized that the account on which the check had been drafted was closed and did not contain any funds to cover the amount of the check.

    Yacoub has agreed to forfeit $ 181,540.51, the total loss to these financial institutions that Yacoub’s schemes caused.  

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Frederick County Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

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

    Baltimore Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced William Joseph Murrow, 43, formerly of Frederick County, Maryland, to 25 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of a child.  Upon his release from prison, Murrow must register as a sex offender for life and was ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Baltimore Field Office; J. Charles Smith, State’s Attorney for Frederick County; and Chief Jason Lando, Frederick Police Department.

    According to court documents, Murrow sexually abused and exploited a minor by soliciting images and engaging in sexual acts with her.  The abuse occurred for more than 18 months, ending when the child’s mother discovered the abuse and reported it to the police. 

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. Click the “Resources” tab on the left side of the page to learn about Internet safety education.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, Frederick Police Department, and Brunswick Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce R. King who prosecuted the federal case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Katy Christian Ministries Receives FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award

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

    HOUSTON, TX—This morning, FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams presented the 2024 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award to Ms. Makia Walls, representing Katy Christian Ministries (KCM), in recognition of the organization’s service to vulnerable individuals and continuous support of law enforcement investigations. Walls serves as director of the Crisis Center at KCM.

    “In the darkest moments—when victims face threats, violence, and unimaginable trauma—Katy Christian Ministries steps in not just with services, but with unwavering compassion and dignity,” said Williams. “Their work transforms fear into safety and isolation into support. Through their partnership with FBI Houston and law enforcement partners, KCM staff are not only healing wounds, but also helping us pursue justice. They are a lifeline to those who need it most, and today we honor their extraordinary commitment to our community.”

    Founded in 1984 by a coalition of nine churches, the organization is now supported by more than 65 congregations, businesses, and community partners. KCM provides a wide array of services including counseling, emergency financial assistance, a food pantry, and a state-of-the-art Crisis Center. Over the past two years, FBI Houston has referred multiple victims to KCM for specialized support, including the following examples:

    1. KCM supported a victim whose ex-husband had subjected her to years of abuse and threats, including plans to abduct their child to Afghanistan. The organization provided legal advocacy, temporary shelter, protective coordination with law enforcement, and ongoing care referrals.
    2. KCM secured emergency housing, furnishings, and safety provisions for a victim of organized crime who was also undergoing cancer treatment. They ensured continuity of healthcare, SNAP benefit protections, and created a secure alias identity for the victim’s safety.
    3. A sexual assault victim received immediate, culturally sensitive assistance from KCM, including transportation to therapy and full support in her native language throughout the recovery process.

    “This award is a true testament to the strength, dedication, and compassion of our entire Crisis Center Team,” said Walls. “Every day, they show up with heart, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to those we serve. I am proud to accept this award on behalf of a team that continues to make a real difference in the lives of others.”

    The FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award was formally created in 1990 to honor individuals and organizations for their efforts in combating crime, terrorism, drugs, and violence in the United States. Every year, FBI field offices throughout the country select a community partner to receive this prestigious award. Last year’s Houston area recipient was Mrs. Jennifer Hohman, who accepted the award on behalf of three different anti-human trafficking organizations—Fight For Us, The Houston 20, and the Houston Area Against Trafficking (HAAT).

    FBI Houston congratulates the entire staff at Katy Christian Ministries for their service to our Texas community.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Residents Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Over $100,000 From North Pole Business Through Wire Fraud, Money Laundering Scheme

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

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Two Chicago residents were sentenced to prison today for their roles in defrauding a North Pole restaurant of over $128,000 from July to August 2022.

    Jacob Centeno, 40, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison and will serve three years on supervised release, while his co-defendant Amber Davila, 36, was sentenced to two years in prison and will serve three years on supervised release.

    According to court documents, in August 2022, the owner of the North Pole restaurant noticed funds missing from a business bank account. The victim discovered that between Aug. 4-9, 2022, all of the funds intended for deposit into the restaurant’s account had been diverted to an unrecognized bank account. The total amount of funds diverted was $128,246.05.

    An investigation revealed that, Centeno and Davila opened and used two shell companies in Chicago to steal the restaurant’s funds. In July 2021, they registered EROS LLC and opened a business bank account for the company. In July 2022, the defendants used stolen personal information to register ORODMEDLINE LLC and opened another business bank account for that company.

    On July 29, 2022, an unknown co-conspirator surreptitiously changed the business bank account information connected to the restaurant to the fraudulent ORODMEDLINE LLC bank account so that the funds could be diverted. An email confirming the account change was sent to the restaurant, but Centeno, Davila and their co-conspirator unlawfully accessed the victim’s email, filled out the confirmation form and returned it to the sender. They then deleted all the email traffic to conceal their actions.

    Centeno and Davila used the stolen funds from the ORODMEDLINE LLC account to purchase over $41,000 in money orders in Chicago. Centeno and Davila deposited the money orders into various personal and business accounts in amounts of less than $10,000 to avoid Bank Secrecy Act reporting requirements, and then moved the money to other accounts to further conceal their scheme.

    Centeno and Davila were indicted in June 2024 and pleaded guilty on Jan. 31, 2025. Centeno and Davila both pleaded guilty to all 16 counts of the indictment.  In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized the lasting impact the defendant’s conduct will have on the victims in this case.

    “Mr. Centeno and Ms. Davila orchestrated an elaborate fraud scheme from Chicago to steal over $100,000 from a small business in North Pole, Alaska – 3,300 miles away,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “This sentence sends a clear message—we will aggressively pursue and hold accountable criminals in any state who exploit innocent Alaskans for personal gain. I want to thank the FBI and North Pole Police Department for uncovering the truth and delivering justice to the victim.”

    “To fund their own fraudulent lifestyle, the defendants’ complex and interstate fraud scheme involved stealing funds from a local business in North Pole, Alaska, affecting innocent victims along the way,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Today’s sentencings demonstrate that distance and complexity are no barriers to justice for the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners in Alaska.”  

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office, Fairbanks Resident Agency, FBI Chicago Field Office and North Pole Police Department investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case, with significant legal support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Law Enforcement Seizes Nine DDoS-for-Hire Webpages as Part of Global Crackdown on ‘Booter’ and ‘Stresser’ DDoS Services

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

    LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department today announced the court-authorized seizure of nine internet domains associated with some of the world’s leading DDoS-for-hire services. Poland’s Central Cybercrime Bureau simultaneously announced the arrests of four administrators of such services, investigations which were assisted by U.S. authorities. Several of the arrested administrators operated websites seized pursuant to previous operations by the Central District of California. 

    Federal law enforcement continues to seize websites that allow paying users to launch powerful distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks flood targeted computers and servers with information to prevent them from being able to access the internet.

    Booter services such as those named in this action allegedly attacked a wide array of victims in the United States and abroad, including schools, government agencies, gaming platforms, and millions of people. In addition to affecting targeted victims, these attacks can significantly degrade internet services and completely disrupt internet connections. 

    The websites targeted in this operation were used for hundreds of thousands of actual or attempted DDoS attacks targeting victims worldwide. While some of these services claimed to offer “stresser” services that purportedly could be used for network testing, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) determined these claims to be a pretense, and “thousands of communications between booter site administrators and their customers…make clear that both parties are aware that the customer is not attempting to attack their own computers,” according to an affidavit filed in support of court-authorized warrants to seize the booter sites.

    Today’s announcement builds on the success of the prior cases by targeting all known booter sites, shutting down as many as possible, and undertaking a public education campaign. In the last four years more than 11 defendants have been charged in Los Angeles and Anchorage for facilitating DDoS-for-hire services. More than 75 domains associated with such services have been seized.

    “Booter services facilitate cyberattacks that harm victims and compromise everyone’s ability to access the internet,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “This week’s sweeping law enforcement activity is a major step in our ongoing efforts to eradicate criminal conduct that threatens the internet’s infrastructure and our ability to function in a digital world.”

    “DDoS for hire criminal booter services impact internet services for victims in every corner of the United States, including Alaska,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “This threat highlights the continued need to pursue cybercrime services like booter providers. We remain committed to bolstering our collaborative partnerships in the U.S. and abroad to address threats to critical internet infrastructure and services.”

    “The enforcement actions launched today, made possible by enduring partnerships between law enforcement and private industry, represents continued pressure on DDoS-for-hire services and the cybercriminals and hacktivists who use them.” said Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office. “This success demonstrates the resolve of the DCIS to relentlessly pursue those who target our warfighters and their information systems.”

    In conjunction with the website seizures, Homeland Security Investigations, DCIS, and the Netherlands Police have launched an advertising campaign using targeted placement ads in search engines, which are triggered by keywords associated with DDoS activities. The purpose of the ads is to deter potential cybercriminals searching for DDoS services in the United States and around the globe, and to educate the public on the illegality of DDoS activities.

    In recent years, booter services have continued to proliferate as they offer a low barrier to entry for users looking to engage in cybercriminal activity. These types of DDoS attacks are so named because they result in the “booting” or dropping of the targeted computer from the internet.

    For additional information on booter and stresser services and the harm that they cause, please visit: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/anchorage/fbi-intensify-efforts-to-combat-illegal-ddos-attacks.

    The seizures announced today were performed by DCIS’s Cyber-West Resident Agency.

    These law enforcement actions were taken in conjunction with Operation PowerOFF, an ongoing, coordinated effort among international law enforcement agencies aimed at dismantling criminal DDoS-for-hire infrastructures worldwide, and holding accountable the administrators and users of these illegal services. Principal partners in Operation PowerOFF include EUROPOL; the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska; The Department of Justice Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS); FBI’s Anchorage and Los Angeles field offices; HSI’s Columbus field office; Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt (BKA); United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA); Netherlands Police; Polish Central Cybercrime Bureau; Brazilian Federal Police, Japan’s National Police Agency, France’s Police Nationale, and many others.

    Assistance was provided by Akamai, Amazon Web Services, Cloudflare, Digital Ocean, Flashpoint, Google, PayPal, The University of Cambridge, and Unit 221B.

    Assistant United States Attorneys James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section and Aaron Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are handling this investigation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Three Men in the District of Alaska

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

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    “This joint initiative underscores the unwavering commitment of our law enforcement partners to find alleged child predators and protect children from exploitation and lasting harm,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “I want to thank the FBI Anchorage Field Office, and our law enforcement partners statewide for their dedicated efforts in safeguarding Alaska’s children—one of our most vital and vulnerable populations.”

    “Through collaborative efforts, this wide-ranging operation was designed to identify and apprehend those accused of child sexual exploitation crimes, regardless of where they live or operate,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Protecting our children is one of the highest callings in law enforcement. I commend the outstanding work by members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, as well as our law enforcement partners across Alaska, in their commitment to fostering safer communities for our children.”

    As a result of the operation, the following individuals are now facing charges alleged through three separate indictments in the District of Alaska:

    U.S. v. Herra:

    Jonathan Herra, 25, of Kenai, was arrested at his mother’s residence in Kenai on April 24, 2025, for allegedly purchasing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from an online platform.

    Herra is charged with one count of sexual attempted receipt of child pornography, one count of access with intent to view child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces between 5-20 years in prison.

    U.S. v. Nungasak:

    Donovan Nungasak, 31, of Utqiagvik, was arrested at his residence on April 28, 2025, for allegedly producing and possessing child pornography.

    In August 2024, the FBI received a tip suggesting that Nungasak had CSAM on his phone. The tip prompted an investigation that revealed Nungasak allegedly had sexually explicit conversations with a minor victim on a digital messaging application. Law enforcement also found 27 images of suspected CSAM on Nungasak’s phone that appeared to depict prepubescent victims.

    Nungasak is charged with one count of production or attempted production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces between 15-30 years in prison.

    U.S. v. Seward:

    Kristian Seward, 30, of Anchorage, was arrested in California on April 28, 2025, for allegedly receiving and possessing child pornography.

    On June 21, 2024, Seward allegedly received and attempted to receive CSAM using a digital device. Between June 21, 2024, and Oct. 8, 2024, Seward also possessed and attempted to possess CSAM using a digital device.

    Seward is charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces between 15-40 years in prison.

    Operation Restore Justice was led by the FBI Anchorage Field Office, with substantial assistance from the Anchorage Police Department, as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Operational assistance was provided by the Alaska State Troopers, North Slope Borough Police Department and Kenai Police Department in conducting the arrests. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ainsley McNerney, Mac Caille Petursson and Carly Vosacek.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims. 

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

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

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Shaktoolik Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking, Sexually Exploiting a Child

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

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Shaktoolik man pleaded guilty today to cyberstalking and sexually exploiting a child to produce child pornography.

    According to court documents, between December 2021 and July 2023, Matthew Jackson, 23, used a phone to send messages to three 15-year-old victims asking them to create and send him pictures and videos depicting sexually explicit conduct. All three victims sent the visuals Jackson requested.

    During that same time period, Jackson also asked an adult victim for nude images. The adult victim sent Jackson nude images as requested. Jackson then began harassing and threating the adult victim via messaging platforms. Jackson alleged he could make money by selling the images, and that he would sell them if the adult victim refused to engage in sexual intercourse with him.

    He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 22, 2025, and faces a between 15 years and life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers, investigated the case.

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two South Gate Men Charged with over a Dozen Highway Robberies Following Gamblers Targeted for Their Casino Winnings

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – Two South Gate men have been charged in a federal indictment unsealed today for allegedly committing more than a dozen armed robberies, stealing gambling winnings from individuals leaving local casinos.

    Juan Gabriel Gonzalez, 22, was arrested and will make his initial appearance in federal court today. Dereck Nathan Lopez, 21, is currently in state custody and expected to appear in federal court in the coming weeks.

    Both defendants are charged with multiple counts of interference and attempted interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), one count of Hobbs Act conspiracy, and multiple counts of using firearms during a crime of violence. Lopez is also charged with one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. 

    According to the 10-count indictment, Lopez and Gonzalez entered local casinos under false names to hunt gamblers appearing to win or cash-in a large number of chips. Lopez, Gonzalez and other co-conspirators then followed the victims’ vehicles from the casino, ambushed them on the highway, brandished firearms, smashed the vehicle’s windows, demanded money or chips, and fled. Lopez, Gonzalez, and other conspirators allegedly robbed and attempted to rob individuals leaving casinos in this manner on at least 15 different occasions, including three on a single night. 

    Before one incident, Lopez is seen on casino surveillance video celebrating a gambling victory with a victim he was scouting, including high-fiving the victim after the win, according to court documents. Within an hour, Lopez’s co-conspirators had blocked in her vehicle, brandished firearms, and stolen $21,000 in cash. In a separate incident, Lopez, Gonzalez and their co-conspirators stole at least $130,000 in casino winnings.

    Lopez is also charged with being a felon in possession of three firearms and over 30 rounds of ammunition found at his home in December 2023. Lopez is not legally permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition because his criminal history includes a conviction in San Bernardino Superior Court for grand theft in November 2023 during the pendency of the indicted robbery spree.

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

    If convicted of all charges, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

    Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments.

    The FBI, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Justice Bureau of Gambling Control, and the Montebello Police Department are investigating this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Transnational Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Jersey Woman Sentenced to Prison for Forced Labor and Other Federal Crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County woman was sentenced to 45 months in prison for forced labor and other crimes related to her coercive scheme to compel two victims to perform domestic labor and childcare in her home, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced.

    Bolaji Bolarinwa, 51, of Moorestown, previously was found guilty of two counts of forced labor, one count of alien harboring for financial gain and two counts of document servitude following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court. Judge Williams imposed the sentence in Camden federal court.

    “This sentence vindicates the rights of two vulnerable women who the defendant subjected to grueling hours and coercive abuse in her home.  Forced labor and human trafficking are atrocious crimes that have no place in our society.  My office and the entire Department of Justice is committed to standing up for vulnerable human trafficking victims and holding their traffickers accountable.”

    – U.S. Attorney Alina Habba

    “The defendant exploited her relationship with the victims to lure them to the United States with false promises,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant confiscated the victims’ immigration documents and subjected them to threats, physical force, and mental abuse to coerce them to work long hours for minimal pay. This prosecution should send a strong message that such forced labor will not be tolerated in our communities. The Justice Department is committed to fully enforcing our federal human trafficking statutes to vindicate the rights of survivors and hold human traffickers accountable for such shameful exploitation of vulnerable victims.”

    “Human nature is generally good. There are situations though that prove some people display more cruel and inhumane behavior,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office. “Bolarinwa lured women with false promises, held them captive, and forced them clean her home and care for her children. Then took it a sickening step further by physically abusing them. Luckily, one of the victims had the courage to tell someone. We ask anyone who notices an odd situation, something that doesn’t look or feel right, to please call us so we can help victims that may be hiding in plain sight.” 

    According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

    From December 2015 to October 2016, Bolarinwa – originally from Nigeria, but living in New Jersey as a U.S. citizen – recruited two victims to come to the United States and then coerced them to perform domestic labor and childcare services for her children through physical harm, threats of physical harm, isolation, constant surveillance and psychological abuse. The defendant engaged in this conduct knowing that one of the victims was out of lawful status while working in her home.

    Once the first victim arrived in the United States in December 2015, Bolarinwa confiscated her passport and coerced her through threats of physical harm to her and her daughter, verbal abuse, isolation and constant surveillance to compel her to work every day, around-the-clock for nearly a year.  Bolarinwa then recruited a second victim to come to the United States on a student visa. When the second victim arrived in the United States in April 2016, Bolarinwa similarly confiscated her passport and coerced her to perform household work and childcare but relied more heavily on physical abuse.  The two victims lived and worked in Bolarinwa’s home until October 2016, when the second victim notified a professor at her college, who reported the information to the FBI.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Bolarinwa to 3 years of supervised release, imposed a $35,000 fine, and ordered Bolarinwa to pay $87,518.72 in restitution to the victims of her offenses.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to this sentence.

    This case was prosecuted as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed in 2025. The Task Force brings together federal and state agencies to collaborate and dedicate resources to combat human trafficking and prosecute human trafficking offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The Human Trafficking Task Force is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, and the New Jersey Office of Attorney General.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

                                                               ###

    Defense counsel: Jeffrey Zucker, Esq. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pauls Valley Man Sentenced to Serve Nearly Three Years in Federal Prison after Receiving Almost $300,000 for Classic Cars He Never Delivered

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OKLAHOMA CITY – ANDY WAYNE ALEXANDER, 48, of Pauls Valley, has been sentenced to serve 33 months in federal prison for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

    On December 19, 2024, Alexander was charged by Information with wire fraud. According to the Information, from July 2020 through May 2022, Alexander used Facebook Marketplace to post and advertise classic cars for sale, some of which he did not own or possess at the time he posted. The Information alleges that during the relevant period, at least seven buyers wired Alexander money, approximately $290,925 total, for vehicles he did not intend to deliver. The money was wired into a bank account controlled by Alexander, and despite his reassurances, the money was never refunded. One victim, a New Zealand citizen, traveled to Oklahoma to confront Alexander after a failed vehicle purchase and discovered Alexander did not have the vehicle he purported to sell in his possession, despite his Facebook postings.

    On January 13, 2025, Alexander pleaded guilty, and admitted he caused “a number of people” to send him money by wire transfer to purchase vehicles which he did not deliver, and that he did not refund the money to those victims.

    At the sentencing hearing on April 29, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Alexander to serve 33 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered Alexander to pay $303,620.00 in restitution. In announcing his sentence, Judge Heaton noted the seriousness of the offense.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danielle London and Cole McFerren prosecuted the case.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of drug trafficking ring connected to Aryan prison gangs sentenced to more than 17 years in prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tacoma – A co-leader of a drug distribution ring selling fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, and heroin throughout the Puget Sound region was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 17 and a half years in prison for his role in the conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and for possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Bryson Gill, 32, most recently of Buckeye, Arizona, attempted to evade law enforcement by moving the headquarters of his drug distribution ring to Arizona after the Shelton, Washington, stash house he and his co-conspirators operated was raided in December 2022. When law enforcement moved in on the multi-faceted drug conspiracy in March 2023, Gill was arrested in Arizona.

    At today’s sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “The seriousness of these offenses cannot be understated. There are so many people out there that become addicted on these drugs or suffer overdoses and are no longer with us.”

    “Make no mistake, Gill’s drug ring used violence and threats of violence as their stock in trade. Gill was heard on the wiretap plotting to kidnap another drug dealer and expressing a desire to murder a law enforcement officer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. ““With the more than $1 million he laundered, Gill bragged that he was going to set up a compound with an airfield in Arizona to further his drug trafficking. This conviction and sentence successfully ended those plans.”

    According to records filed in the case, this drug organization was one branch of three investigated for dealing substantial amounts of drugs in the Puget Sound region. Participants in the drug rings have ties to Aryan prison gangs in the Washington State Department of Correction.

    In the fall of 2022, Gill was in touch with his right-hand man, Michael Slocumb, as the latter made multiple trips to Arizona to pick up and transport narcotics to a stash house in Shelton. Gill instructed Slocumb and other coconspirators about using two pill presses to manufacture fentanyl pills. When Gill’s home and the stash house property was searched on December 9, 2022, law enforcement seized more than 640,000 pills containing fentanyl, as well as a kilogram of fentanyl powder and 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with more than $81,000 in cash proceeds from drug trafficking.

    The stash house property also contained 23 firearms, including a shotgun kept where the drugs were stored, and the pills manufactured.

    During this conspiracy, law enforcement intercepted Gill and Slocumb discussing kidnapping another drug dealer who was also under investigation by federal authorities. Slocumb was surveilling the target’s apartment when law enforcement made a show of being in the vicinity to get Slocumb to leave and ward off any violence.

    Following the stash house raid, Gill and Slocumb were heard on the wiretap discussing plans to move drug operations to Arizona. Gill discussed with his mother his plan to acquire property in Arizona in her name and talked with an incarcerated friend about coming to work for him as a pilot when the man got out of prison. Gill had said he planned to put in an airfield on the property in Arizona where the conspirators had relocated their drug trafficking organization.

    Gill and Slocumb remained in Arizona until they were arrested in March 2023. When law enforcement searched the Arizona property Gill and Slocum had purchased, they seized approximately 70 illegally possessed firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

    From May of 2021 until December 2022, Gill laundered at least $927,059 through bank accounts set up to appear to be for a dog training business. The money was used for things such as luxury cars, expensive jewelry, airline tickets and Seattle Seahawks tickets. Over $81,000 in cash seized from Gill and his conspirators at various locations was forfeited to the government.

    In asking for a 17.5-year sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Gill played a leadership role in purchasing, processing, and distributing massive quantities of fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, and methamphetamine. He directed his fellow co-conspirators to transport narcotics from Arizona to Washington, use pill presses to manufacture fake OxyCodone pills laced with fentanyl, and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl pills throughout the Western District of Washington. … (Washington State Department of Health) data shows the number of drug overdose deaths occurring annually in the state more than doubled from 2019 to 2023. “

    Bryson Gill pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025.

    Law enforcement made two dozen arrests on federal charges on March 22, 2023. The coordinated takedown involved ten swat teams and more than 350 law enforcement officers. On that day law enforcement seized 177 firearms, more than ten kilos of methamphetamine, 11 kilos of fentanyl pills and more than a kilo of fentanyl powder, three kilos of heroin, and more than $330,000 in cash from eighteen locations in Washington and Arizona. Earlier in the investigation law enforcement seized 830,000 fentanyl pills, 5.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, 223 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of heroin, 5 pounds of cocaine, $388,000 in cash, and 48 firearms.

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

    This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ivorian Men Arrested for International “Sextortion” and Money Laundering Scheme Resulting in Minor’s Death

    Source: United States Department of Justice

    Four men in Côte d’Ivoire have been arrested on criminal charges relating to their role in an international “sextortion” scheme that targeted thousands of victims, including minors, throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Italy.

    In February 2022, Ryan Last, a 17-year-old high school senior from San Jose, California committed suicide hours after being sextorted online by an individual pretending to be a 20-year-old woman. Through a lengthy, coordinated investigation involving U.S. and Ivorian law enforcement, the evidence ultimately led law enforcement to identify Alfred Kassi, an Ivorian citizen living in Côte d’Ivoire, as the individual allegedly conducting the sextortion. On April 29, Kassi was arrested by Ivorian law enforcement. At the time of his arrest, Kassi allegedly still had the sextortion messages he sent to the 17-year-old victim in February 2022 on his phone.

    Additionally, the investigation identified several alleged money laundering accomplices who helped Kassi move the money he received from the 17-year-old victim, who had paid $150 in order to prevent his intimate images from being disseminated. One of those alleged money launderers is Oumarou Ouedraogo, who was arrested by Ivorian law enforcement on April 25. In addition, Ivorian law enforcement arrested two other individuals, Moussa Diaby and Oumar Cisse. Both Diaby and Cisse were part of Kassi’s alleged sextortion network and admitted to their own sextortion crimes. A U.S.-based accomplice, Jonathan Kassi (unrelated to Alfred Kassi), was convicted in 2023 in a California State Court and sentenced to 18 months in jail.

    The government of Côte d’Ivoire does not extradite its own citizens, so these defendants will be prosecuted in their own country under Ivorian cybercrime statutes.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins for the Northern District of California, and Acting Assistant Director Darren Cox of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.

    The FBI is investigating the case, with substantial assistance from the San Jose Police Department, the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, and Meta, which provided critical information that assisted with the identification of the offenders. The government of Côte d’Ivoire, specifically the Anti-Terrorist Operational Intelligence Center (CROAT), conducted the investigation and arrests in Côte d’Ivoire.

    Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Harris for the Northern District of California provided legal support throughout the investigation, including compiling and presenting the evidence to Ivorian authorities.  

    If you, your child, or someone you know is being exploited via sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or report it online at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Additional resources can found at Financially Motivated Sextortion — FBI

    All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Third defendant sentenced to prison in $1.7 million vehicle sale fraud scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BENTON, Ill. – A southern Illinois district judge sentenced a St. Louis man to 87 months in federal prison for his involvement in a vehicle sale scheme targeting victims in Madison, Jasper, Bond and Fayette counties.

    Alen Saric, 36, pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of interstate transportation of property taken by fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

    The 11-count indictment also named co-conspirators Valentino Colic, 34, Almir Palic, 25, and Emad Hasanbegovic, 34, all of St. Louis. Colic was sentenced to 145 months in federal prison in March. Palic was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment in February. In addition to prison time, the district judge ordered Saric and Colic to pay more than $1 million in restitution. Palic was ordered to pay a portion of the restitution as well.

    Hasanbegovic is facing one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of identity theft. He is scheduled to appear in court on May 21.

    An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

    “It’s important for the public to authenticate checks from people not personally known to them by confirming with the issuing bank or waiting until checks are accepted into their bank account before transferring property or otherwise sending funds, as criminals become increasingly skilled at creating fake checks to defraud consumers,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.

    According to court documents, the co-conspirators participated in a scheme to defraud private vehicle sellers on Facebook marketplace and Craigslist with fake cashier’s checks from 2018 until August 2023. The checks were printed on security-enhanced check paper with the names and logos of real banks with fake routing numbers.

    Once the fraudsters possessed a vehicle, they would then resell the vehicle to another individual for cash before the original victim could try to cash the check and realize it was worthless. The co-conspirators issued more than $1,710,999 in fake cashier’s checks.

    “This investigation is a testament to the strength of collaboration across local, state, and federal law enforcement,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “This sentencing highlights efforts the FBI and our partners are making to ensure those who attempt to exploit others for personal gain will be held accountable.” 

    To keep the co-conspirators’ names out of the chain of title, they used the names of prior victims to buy and sell the vehicles and forged signatures to complete documents such as titles and bills of sale. When posing as the victims, they often used copies of their photo IDs they had received during the previous sales. By writing bad checks from prior victims, the conspiracy caused even more financial hardship by revictimizing the same people repeatedly.  

    The fraudsters bought vehicles from victims in Madison, Jasper, Bond and Fayette counties within the Southern District of Illinois and are estimated to have defrauded victims out more than a million dollars. Colic and Saric admitted to driving the vehicles over state lines from Illinois to Missouri to benefit the scheme.

    The FBI Springfield Field Office, the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Illinois State Police, Illinois Secretary of State Police, Jefferson County (Missouri) Sheriff’s Department and several local police departments contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter T. Reed is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Vanderwagon Man Pleads Guilty to Assault and Federal Firearms Charges Following Armed Confrontation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Vanderwagon man pleaded guilty to assault and federal firearms charges after firing shots and threatening a man with a rifle during a confrontation on the Navajo Nation.

    According to court records on May 1, 2023, Perris Jeremiah Arthur, 36, initiated a confrontation at John Doe’s residence in Vanderwagon. Arthur then went outside to retrieve a rifle from his ATV, fired two shots into the RV, and later pointed the weapon directly at John Doe, threatening him with the firearm. 

    At sentencing, Arthur faces a minimum of seven years and up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, Arthur will be subject to up to five years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mescalero Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexual Assault of Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man was sentenced to 48 months in prison for sexually assaulting a teen 20 years his junior.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, on September 27, 2024, Thomas Lee Chaffins, 35, an enrolled member of Mescalero Apache Tribe, sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation

    Upon his release from prison, Chaffins will be subject to five years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Phillip Russel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.

    The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Alyson Hehr is prosecuting the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Western District of Texas Adds 316 Immigration Cases in First Week of May

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 316 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 2 through May 8.

    Among the new cases, Cirilo Delgado-Alderete, Dilan Karim Valenzuela-Baca, and Antelmo Eligio Ramirez-Bernardo were arrested at an alleged stash house in Anthony, New Mexico. According to an affidavit, U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations agents observed three vehicles that had been identified as being used to smuggle illegal aliens to Albuquerque, New Mexico, parked at the residence. When agents questioned Ramirez-Bernardo, a Guatemalan national, they allegedly discovered he possessed a key to the residence on his keychain. Agents then located 25 individuals inside the residence who admitted to being citizens of Mexico, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, and Pakistan without documentation to be in the U.S. Two of the individuals, Delgado-Alderete and Valenzuela-Baca, were identified as alleged stash house caretakes and drivers to harbor and transport the illegal aliens. Delgado-Alderete, Valenzuela-Baca, and Ramirez-Bernardo are charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.  The drivers allegedly picked up aliens in El Paso before transporting them to New Mexico.

    Mexican national Erasmo Soto-Aguilar and Cesar Jared Garcia-Raucho, a U.S. citizen, were charged with statutes related to harboring illegal aliens after agents arrested them outside an alleged stash house in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges that Soto-Aguilar had been involved in multiple smuggling schemes in which he coordinated pick-up drivers to meet and exchange illegal aliens. The complaint also alleges that Garcia-Raucho admitted to working as an illegal alien caretaker.

    Leonel Sotelo-Santillan, a Mexican national, was arrested after allegedly entering a National Defense Area near El Paso illegally on May 2. Sotelo-Santillan is a convicted felon with two 2015 convictions for domestic abuse battery and theft in Louisiana, as well as a felony conviction in June 2024 for illegal re-entry. He has two prior removals, the last one being Dec. 28, 2024.

    In San Antonio, Mexican national Joandel De Jesus Tierrablanca-Tellez aka Joandel Tierras Blanca was arrested after law enforcement officers allegedly observed him sell four firearms to a buyer in New Braunfels. Homeland Security Investigations had previously learned the firearms were to be sold and trafficked to Mexico for a predetermined amount of U.S. currency. A search of Tierrablanca-Tellez’s vehicle allegedly revealed his Mexican passport and an additional firearm along with .223 caliber and .308 caliber ammunition. Tierrablanca-Tellez is charged with one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm and, if convicted, faces up to 15 years in federal prison.

    Alejandro Mata-Zavala, also a Mexican national, was arrested during a traffic stop in Guadalupe County on May 6. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)/Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) immigration history inquiry determined Mata-Zavala had been convicted in April 2021 for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, and was removed from the U.S. to Mexico on or about June 2, 2022. He’s currently charged with one count of illegal re-entry and faces up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.

    USBP agents arrested Mexican national Tomas Medina-Martinez near Brackettville on May 1. Medina-Martinez is a two-time convicted felon with three prior removals from the U.S., the most recent being Feb. 12. Mexican national Mauro Morales-Lopez was also arrested by USBP on May 1 near Eagle Pass. Morales-Lopez was deported Nov. 12, 2024 through Atlanta, Georgia following multiple violent misdemeanor convictions for family violence.

    On May 5, Mexican national Sergio De La Cruz-Ruiz was arrested near Brackettville for being illegally present in the U.S. His criminal record includes nine deportations and multiple felony convictions. De La Cruz-Ruiz was also convicted in January 2024 for assault on a family member. His latest removal was April 18 through Harlingen.

    Jorge Luis Benavides-Alvarado, a Mexican national, was encountered by federal law enforcement at the Williamson County Jail and charged with illegal re-entry. He was convicted for possession of a dangerous drug in Georgetown on May 7. In 2017, Benavides-Alvarado was convicted for aggravated robbery in Dallas. He was removed from the U.S. July 26, 2019. Also encountered at the Williamson County Jail, Mexican national Agustin Ruiz-Vazquez was convicted May 7 for assault causing bodily injury. Federally charged with illegal re-entry, Ruiz-Vazquez was previously removed from the U.S. July 10, 2014, two years after being convicted of injury to a child in Austin.

    And in Midland, Salvadoran national Edenilzon Hernandez was encountered at the Ector County Detention Center in Odessa, where he was being held for indecency with child sexual contact. Now facing a federal illegal re-entry charge, Hernandez has three prior removals and a criminal history that includes convictions for burglary of a habitation, assault on a public servant and an additional assault charge.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

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

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Inland Empire Man Sentenced for Possessing Trade Secrets Belonging to U.S. Employer to Build Business with China Company

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

    A San Bernardino County man was sentenced Thursday for illegally possessing sensitive technologies that he downloaded from his Southern California-based employers and used to market his own competing company to a China-based company.

    Liming Li, 66, of Rancho Cucamonga, was sentenced to 12 months in prison by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt, who also fined Li approximately $14,000 and ordered him to pay an additional $17,000 in restitution. LI was ordered to self-surrender by August 12, 2025.

    Li pleaded guilty to one count of possession of trade secrets in February.

    According to his plea agreement, from 1996 to 2013, Li worked for a Southern California-based business identified in court documents as “U.S. Company #1,” which specialized in precision measuring instruments and metrological technology and equipment. The company designed and sold a range of products such as micrometers, calipers, coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), and optical measurement systems.

    Li worked at U.S. Company #1 as a senior software engineer, then as a program manager. From 2013 to 2018, Li worked as chief technologist at a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Company #1. During his employment at U.S. Company #1 and its subsidiary, Li worked on the development of the source code for one of the company’s software programs, which was considered its proprietary information.

    In July 2013, Li signed an employee handbook and confidentiality agreement with U.S. Company #1 that required him to turn over all writings, records, files, technology, trade secrets or data containing any proprietary information belonging to the company. The agreement also prohibited Li from copying the company’s proprietary information without written permission.

    Li admitted in his plea agreement that he occasionally downloaded the company’s proprietary information onto his personal devices without permission. Li failed to return all the proprietary information belonging to U.S. Company #1 after its subsidiary terminated him in January 2018.

    In February 2018, Li operated a consulting company named JSL Innovations Inc. and in March 2020, he signed an employment agreement with Suzhou Universal Group Technology Co. Ltd., a China-based chain-and-bearing manufacturer. Li continued to work for Suzhou Universal until his arrest in May 2023. During this period, Li continued to knowingly possess U.S. Company #1’s proprietary information and – more than once – accessed this information without that company’s authorization.

    Li admitted that he used the proprietary information for his own economic benefit and that it would injure U.S. Company #1’s interests.

    The FBI investigated this matter with substantial assistance from the Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security.

    The case against Li was brought under the auspices of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, which is co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce. The Strike Force seeks to counter efforts by hostile nation-states to illicitly acquire sensitive U.S. technology to advance their authoritarian regimes and facilitate human rights abuses.

    Assistant United States Attorney Aaron B. Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section, Solomon D. Kim of the Major Frauds Section, and David T. Ryan, Chief of the National Security Division are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Sounds Alarm on DOJ Threats to Journalists, Joins Resolution Condemning Trump Attacks on Free Press

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla Sounds Alarm on DOJ Threats to Journalists, Joins Resolution Condemning Trump Attacks on Free Press

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined his colleagues in blasting President Trump’s continued attacks on the freedom of the press, a fundamental First Amendment right guaranteed by the Constitution. Padilla joined a letter pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi on her decision to change Justice Department policies to make it easier for the Department to subpoena journalists to obtain confidential information about their sources and potentially harass journalists who write stories critical of the Trump Administration. He also cosponsored a resolution calling for the Executive Branch to respect the rights of journalists and demanding they be allowed to perform their duties “without fear of retaliation.”
    “We write to express our deep concern with the Department of Justice’s April 25, 2025 memorandum changing the guidance that set limitations on the Department’s ability to subpoena materials from journalists and news organizations,” wrote the Senators in their letter to Attorney General Bondi. “The free press is a bedrock of our democracy and reporters must be able to do their jobs without fear of being investigated or prosecuted.”
    “When asked at your confirmation hearing to commit to ‘respect the importance of a free press,’ you said ‘absolutely,’” continued the Senators. “Yet your decision to rescind important limits on the Justice Department’s ability to compel information from the press threatens the ability of journalists to fully perform their critical jobs, as guaranteed by the First Amendment.” 
    The letter was led by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and signed by Senator Padilla and every other Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee: Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
    The bicameral resolution Padilla cosponsored was led by Senator Whitehouse in the Senate and cited President Trump’s various attacks on the operations of the press, including:
    Accusing media outlets such as The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC of “illegal” behavior during a speech at the Department of Justice;
    Claiming CNN and MSNBC networks are “political arms of the Democrat Party” during a speech at the Department of Justice; 
    Excluding the Associated Press from White House press pool access due to disputes over naming conventions, leading to legal challenges concerning First Amendment violations;
    Filing a lawsuit against CBS News over a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, alleging biased editing and calling for CBS to lose broadcast licenses;
    Seeking to defund National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), including launching a Federal Communications Commission probe and issuing an executive order instructing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease providing direct and indirect funds to either broadcaster;
    Refusing to take questions from NBC News reporters, claiming the network is “discredited;” 
    Seeking to impose the Administration’s policy preferences on independent news organizations by forcing PBS to eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion office using threats of government funding cuts and ignoring reporters who list pronouns in their email signatures; and
    Rescinding a Department of Justice policy against subpoenaing journalists, exposing journalists’ sources to the threat of possible identification and punishment.
    The resolution is endorsed by PEN America, National Press Photographers Association, American Governance Institute, Radio Television Digital News Association, and Society of Environmental Journalists.
    Full text of the resolution is available here.
    Full text of the letter to Attorney General Bondi is available here and below:
    Dear Attorney General Bondi:
    We write to express our deep concern with the Department of Justice’s April 25, 2025 memorandum changing the guidance that set limitations on the Department’s ability to subpoena materials from journalists and news organizations.
    The free press is a bedrock of our democracy and reporters must be able to do their jobs without fear of being investigated or prosecuted. When asked at your confirmation hearing to commit to “respect the importance of a free press,” you said “absolutely.” Yet your decision to rescind important limits on the Justice Department’s ability to compel information from the press threatens the ability of journalists to fully perform their critical jobs, as guaranteed by the First Amendment. 
    Under the previous guidance, the Justice Department was authorized to subpoena journalists engaged in news gathering only “[w]hen necessary to prevent an imminent or concrete risk of death or serious bodily harm.” Under the 2025 guidance, Justice Department officials can take the extraordinary step of subpoenaing journalists merely to investigate “unauthorized disclosures that undermine President Trump’s policies,” extending far beyond disclosures of classified information. In other words, under this new guidance, there is little protection for journalists who publish any story critical of the Administration from being threatened with a subpoena and litigation to enforce the subpoena. The threat to journalists is especially concerning given Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel’s claims prior to his confirmation that the news media is “the most powerful enemy the United States has ever seen” and that he would “come after the people in the media . . . criminally or civilly.” 
    Nor does it appear that the Justice Department would subpoena reporters’ records only as a last resort. Under the guidelines, the Justice Department may subpoena journalists after the Attorney General has made only a few subjective determinations, such as whether the information sought is “essential to a successful prosecution,” whether “reasonable attempts” to obtain the information from alternative sources were made, and whether engaging in negotiations would threaten “the integrity of the investigation.” These factors make it far too easy for the Attorney General to compel journalists to reveal sources. 
    This change will also deter whistleblowers from coming forward with information to the news media, depriving the public of valuable information about its government. Whistleblowers that violate the law—for example by disclosing classified information—should be subject to the legal consequences of that action, but the government should not be allowed to intimidate or harass journalists who lawfully report the news. 
    As the Office of Legal Policy prepares regulations to implement your memorandum, we respectfully request that you provide responses to the following questions:
    1. What protections are in place to ensure that journalists are not targeted because they published a news article critical of the Administration?
    2. Will you commit to ensuring that issuing a subpoena to a journalist or news organization will be used only as a last resort when there is a compelling and overriding interest in the information, such as protecting national security?
    3. Will the regulations require the Department to comply with state shield laws?
    4. Is the Department consulting with outside organizations, including organizations representing journalists, as part of the preparation of regulations? If so, what organizations?
    5. What measures will the regulations put in place to ensure that the White House is not allowed to order or influence the issuance of a subpoena to a journalist or news organization?
    6.  What process for review, if any, will be put in place to ensure the new regulations are being followed and are not being abused for political or any other inappropriate purpose?  
    7. Has the Justice Department issued any subpoenas to journalists or news organizations under this new guidance? If so, to whom and seeking what information?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Second Leader of Notorious Philadelphia ‘10th and O Crew’ Sentenced to Over Four Years for Opioid Drug Conspiracy

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today in the District of New Jersey to four years and nine months in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a highly addictive controlled substance.  

    According to court documents, between March 2019 and March 2024, Frank Procopio, 54, of Philadelphia, engaged in the unlawful sale of prescription oxycodone pills as a leader of South Philadelphia’s notorious “10th and O Crew.” Procopio obtained the pills from doctors’ offices in the area, and he and his co-conspirators worked in shifts to distribute the pills from a 24-hour restaurant.

    During the course of the investigation, law enforcement purchased pills from one of Procopio’s co-conspirators. A surveillance team then observed the co-conspirator dividing the proceeds of the transaction with Procopio. The photograph below captured Procopio (on the left) after the transaction:

    FBI surveillance photograph of Procopio with a co-conspirator counting money from a controlled buy of oxycodone pills

    In November 2024, Procopio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. In June 2024, Procopio’s brother and co-leader of the 10th and O Crew, Michael Procopio, was convicted of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and sentenced to six years in prison in April 2025.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of FBI Philadelphia Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge of the DEA New Jersey Field Division made the announcement.

    The FBI, DEA, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Assertio Therapeutics Inc. Agrees to Pay $3.6M to Resolve Allegations that It Violated the False Claims Act in Connection with Marketing its Fentanyl Product

    Source: United States Department of Justice

    The Justice Department announced today that Assertio Therapeutics Inc., formerly known as Depomed Inc., (Assertio), a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, has agreed to pay $3.6 million to resolve claims that Assertio violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by causing the submission of false claims for the transmucosal immediate-release fentanyl (TIRF) drug Lazanda for individuals who did not have breakthrough cancer pain.

    Lazanda, a fentanyl nasal spray, is approved by the FDA solely for break-through cancer pain in patients who are already receiving and who are tolerant to opioid therapy for their underlying persistent cancer pain. The United States alleges that, between 2013 and 2017, Assertio, which was known as Depomed at the time, caused the submission of false claims to the Medicare and TRICARE programs by focusing its marketing on pain specialists who were prescribing high volumes of TIRF products, including those who were flagged for diversion or who were later indicted. The United States further alleges that Assertio placed high-volume TIRF prescribers on its speakers’ bureau and advisory boards and developed its “Signature Support Program” to ensure that Lazanda prescriptions would be approved by insurance companies, including Medicare Part D plans. The United States contends that Assertio’s marketing efforts caused prescribers to write Lazanda prescriptions for Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries who did not have breakthrough cancer pain, resulting in the submission of false claims to Medicare and TRICARE from thirteen high-volume prescribers.

    “This company took steps to boost its profits despite the risk of boosting the deadly opioid epidemic, said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “Our office will continue to seek out violations like this that demonstrate a brazen disregard for the safety of the public.”

    “At a time when communities across the country are still dealing with the devasting impact of the opioid epidemic, pharmaceutical companies have a responsibility to uphold the highest standards of integrity,” said Acting Assistant Director Darren Cox of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This settlement reflects the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting public health and holding those accountable who fuel addiction and defraud federal healthcare programs through deceptive marketing of powerful drugs like fentanyl.”

    “Violations of the False Claims Act such as the illegal prescribing practices alleged in this settlement are especially egregious considering the opioid epidemic,” said Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure health care providers and corporations involved in schemes that threaten patient safety are held accountable.”

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by Noelle Webb and Nicole Novellino, who previously worked at Assertio as sales representatives. The FCA authorizes private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Webb et al. v. Assertio Therapeutics Inc., f/k/a Depomed, Inc., No. 1:17-02309 (D.D.C.). Pursuant to the settlement, relators will receive a $657,000 share of the settlement amount.

    The Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia handled this matter. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, led by its Washington Field Office; the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations; and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General provided substantial assistance in the investigation and resolution.

    Today’s settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni, Trial Attorney Matthew Arrow, and Assistant Director Natalie Waites of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrell Valdez for the District of Columbia handled this matter.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Second Leader of Notorious Philadelphia ‘10th and O Crew’ Sentenced to Over Four Years for Opioid Drug Conspiracy

    Source: United States Department of Justice

    A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today in the District of New Jersey to four years and nine months in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a highly addictive controlled substance.  

    According to court documents, between March 2019 and March 2024, Frank Procopio, 54, of Philadelphia, engaged in the unlawful sale of prescription oxycodone pills as a leader of South Philadelphia’s notorious “10th and O Crew.” Procopio obtained the pills from doctors’ offices in the area, and he and his co-conspirators worked in shifts to distribute the pills from a 24-hour restaurant.

    During the course of the investigation, law enforcement purchased pills from one of Procopio’s co-conspirators. A surveillance team then observed the co-conspirator dividing the proceeds of the transaction with Procopio. The photograph below captured Procopio (on the left) after the transaction:

    FBI surveillance photograph of Procopio with a co-conspirator counting money from a controlled buy of oxycodone pills

    In November 2024, Procopio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. In June 2024, Procopio’s brother and co-leader of the 10th and O Crew, Michael Procopio, was convicted of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and sentenced to six years in prison in April 2025.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of FBI Philadelphia Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge of the DEA New Jersey Field Division made the announcement.

    The FBI, DEA, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL Security OSI –