NewzIntel.com

Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Carolina Man Indicted for Civil Rights Offenses Due to Bias-Motivated Threats

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A three-count indictment was unsealed today in the Western District of North Carolina charging a North Carolina man with federal civil rights and firearms violations for threatening eight individuals with force because of their race, color, religion and national origin, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the FBI Charlotte Field Office join U.S. Attorney King in making the announcement.

    According to the indictment, on June 8, 2024, Maurice Hopkins, 31, threatened eight individuals with a firearm inside Zambies Pizza, a restaurant in Charlotte. Count one of the indictment charges Hopkins with threatening the eight individuals with force because of their race, color, religion and national origin and because they were enjoying the goods, services and facilities of the restaurant. Count two of the indictment charges Hopkins with threatening the eight individuals with force on account of their race, color, religion and national origin to intimidate the individuals from exercising their federally protected housing rights. Count three of the indictment charges Hopkins with carrying, using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

    If convicted, Hopkins faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the civil rights charges and a mandatory minimum prison sentence on the firearms charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller for the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Attorneys Daniel Grunert and Chloe Neely of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Charlotte Men Charged with Stealing High-End Vehicles Appear in Federal Court

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Three Charlotte men charged with conspiring to steal high-end vehicles appeared in federal court today, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. A grand jury returned the criminal indictment earlier this week, which remained under seal until today.

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

    Jonathan Marquis Stitt, 36, Francisco Arnoldo Lopez Pena, 41, and Jason Randall Spearman, 43, all of Charlotte, are charged with conspiring to violate federal laws prohibiting the transportation, possession, and sale of stolen vehicles and the altering and removal of Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs).  Each defendant is separately charged with altering the VINs of specific vehicles. In addition, Stitt is also charged with two counts of possession of a stolen vehicle and Spearman is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    The indictment alleges that, between 2020 and October 2024, the defendants and their co-conspirators engaged in a conspiracy to steal high-end motor vehicles worth millions of dollars from businesses and individuals in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Maryland. In order to maximize profits, Stitt and other co-conspirators allegedly sought to obtain high-end vehicles, including various luxury models made by Acura, Cadillac, Lamborghini, Land Rover, and Mercedes-Benz, as well as trucks and other expensive models from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Freightliner, and GMC.

    According to allegations in the indictment, once in possession of the stolen vehicles, the defendants and their co-conspirators regularly altered or tampered with the stolen vehicles’ original VINs to avoid detection by law enforcement and to maximize resale value. Stitt and his co-conspirators also used fraudulent 30-day tags on the stolen vehicles, caused certain of the stolen vehicles to be fraudulently registered with state motor vehicle agencies, and repainted stolen vehicles, all in an effort to further avoid detection from law enforcement.

    According to allegations in the indictment, Stitt and his co-conspirators often sought to sell the stolen vehicles at prices significantly below their fair market value, and also possessed several of the stolen vehicles for personal use and to further facilitate the scheme.

    The defendants were detained by the U.S. magistrate judge at their initial appearance pending detention hearings next week. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The charge of possession of a stolen vehicle carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The charge of altering or removing a VIN carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. And the charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum prison term of 15 years.

    This is the fifth indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Charlotte related to federal offenses involving stolen vehicles since August 2023. In July 2024, a Charlotte man was indicted for stealing high end luxury vehicles and altering VINs, including several vehicles from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Also, in March 2023, two individuals were charged for a scheme that involved buying and selling stolen vehicles from across the country. In August 2023, five individuals were indicted for stealing luxury vehicles from dealerships throughout the United States, and two additional individuals were indicted in November 2023, for orchestrating high-end auto thefts from businesses in South Carolina.

    The charges against the defendants are allegations and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case and thanked the National Insurance Crime Bureau and Homeland Security Investigations for their assistance. 

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Elizabeth City Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Fentanyl and Firearm Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    RALEIGH, N.C. – Karem Felton, age 31, from Elizabeth City, was sentenced to 147 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute forty grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and ten grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a fentanyl analogue after investigators with Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office searched Felton’s residence on May 19, 2023, in response to shots fired a day earlier.

    “Disrupting drug trafficking in our communities is a critical part of our mission. The FBI and our local partners are working very hard to take dangerous drugs off of our streets, along with the people who peddle them. This case is another great example of law enforcement working together to make our communities safer,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina.

    “I want to thank my Deputies at the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office, Elizabeth City Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigations and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the great work that has been done to combat the drug and violent crime issues we face on a daily basis,” said Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten.

    On May 18, 2023, Elizabeth City Police officers responded to shots fired at a vehicle. Officers collected eight .300 caliber rifle shell casings in the area and reviewed city cameras around the area of the incident. They were able to see a male step out of a BMW and fire shots at a Dodge Charger. Law enforcement saw Felton driving the same BMW with the same license plate earlier in the month on March 6, 2023.

    On May 19, 2023, investigators from the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of Felton’s residence. During the search, they discovered several items in the bedroom: a 7.62 x 39mm pistol hidden under the bed, a .300 Blackout pistol in the closet, and a 10mm pistol containing fentanyl inside the headboard of the master bed. Additionally, officers found two AR pistol braces in a soft-sided cooler and a .300 Blackout magazine with 18 rounds of .300 Blackout ammunition placed between the mattress and box spring.

    In a spare bedroom, officers located a safe that contained $11,050 in cash, assorted ammunition, and a digital scale. In the living room, they found $1,108 in cash and two cell phones hidden inside the couch. A firearm holster was also discovered in the children’s bedroom. After conducting a further search of the vehicle, officers uncovered fentanyl, cocaine, and additional cash.

    Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Court Judge Louis W. Flanagan. Elizabeth City Police Department,  Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie A. Childress and Katherine S. Englander are prosecuted the case.

    This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, 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.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:24-CR-114-M-BM.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Six Years for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

    Source: US FBI

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Leonard Stanley White, 41, of Phoenix, was sentenced on February 21, 2024, by United States District Judge David G. Campbell to 82 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. White pleaded guilty on November 21, 2023, to Felon in Possession of a Firearm and in doing so, he admitted to violating his supervised release conditions.

    On May 9, 2023, White was arrested on a supervised release violation warrant and was found to be in possession of a firearm at that time. White had previously been convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. After the Voluntary Manslaughter conviction, White was sentenced to 70 months for possessing the firearm and an additional 12 months for violating his supervised release in another case.

    The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Chandler Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Raynette Logan, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-00819-PHX-DGC
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2024- 028_White

    # # #

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Possession and Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

    Source: US FBI

    AKRON, Ohio – Dion Dejournett, 29, of Akron, was sentenced to 90 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan, after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and one count of possession of firearms to further the crime of drug trafficking. Dejournett was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following release from prison and will also forfeit drug-related assets including four pistols, a semi-automatic rifle and more than $6,000.

    According to court documents, in June 2023, the Akron Police Department (APD) executed a search warrant at Dejournett’s apartment. Methamphetamine and fentanyl were recovered throughout the master bedroom, hidden in a closet, drawers, and under the bed, including fentanyl in plain sight on top of a dresser. Packaging materials, cutting agents, and a digital scale were also recovered. Numerous firearms, including several pistols and a semi-automatic rifle, were found at his residence and confiscated. APD later found additional fentanyl on Dejournett following his arrest. Laboratory testing confirmed that police seized a total of 116.39 grams of mixtures and substances containing fentanyl and 1,460.51 of mixtures and substances containing methamphetamine.

    The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Akron Police Department and the FBI.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio.

    If you have information about the drug-related manufacture, distribution or trafficking of controlled substances, submit an anonymous tip at dea.gov/submit-tip.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Towson Resident Sentenced for Murder

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Thomas Raymond Phillips, III, age 36, of Fort Towson, Oklahoma, was sentenced to a term of life in prison for First Degree Murder in Indian Country.  Phillips was also sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence.  The sentences are set to be served consecutively.

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

    On October 25, 2023, Phillips was found guilty of the charges by a federal jury at trial.   According to investigators, on the evening of December 19, 2020, Phillips fired multiple shots into a Fort Towson bar after being ejected by management for instigating a fight.  One bullet struck a patron, killing the victim at the scene.  The crime occurred in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    “The defendant’s malicious and senseless acts stole a life, and the defendant will spend his remaining days in prison paying the price justice demands for his crimes,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.  “I commend county, state, and federal law enforcement for their investigative work and the prosecuting attorneys for presenting the case and advocating for the victim.”

    The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Phillips will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dean Burris and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Drug Dealers Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Federal Witness

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—Two drug dealers will spend the remainder of their lives in prison after conspiring to cause witness tampering resulting in death. Samuel “Big Hit” Sherman, 38, of Batesville, and Donald Bill Smith, 38, of Malvern, were both sentenced today to life in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Chief District Judge D. P. Marshall, Jr., imposed the sentences.

          Smith and Sherman were indicted in September 2019 in connection with the death of Susan Cooper, who had bought methamphetamine from Sherman but had begun working as an informant for law enforcement. In May 2016, Sherman was arrested and charged with selling methamphetamine to Cooper. As his case progressed, Sherman was released and permitted to work as an informant himself.

          Though Sherman was supposed to be working as an informant, he had not provided enough information to help his case, and in September 2016, Sherman learned he was facing a significant federal prison sentence. Evidence at trial showed that upon learning this, Sherman called Smith, who was a methamphetamine dealer in the Malvern area. Smith had sold drugs to Rachael Cooper, who was Susan Cooper’s sister-in-law (they were married to brothers).

          Cellular tower data presented at trial showed that shortly thereafter, Smith drove from Malvern to Batesville, where Sherman lived, and stayed in Batesville for approximately 40 minutes before returning to Malvern. On the way back to Malvern, Smith called Rachael. Rachael had been communicating with Susan about making arrangements for Susan to trade some hydrocodone pills for methamphetamine. Susan did not know the trade was with Smith.

          That night, Rachael picked Susan up and drove her to meet Smith for the drug exchange. Rachael testified at trial that as they waited, she heard a gunshot followed by Susan crying out “I’m shot—get me out of here!” Rachael jumped in the driver’s seat and saw Smith shoot Susan several more times. Smith pulled Susan from the truck as Rachael sped away.

          For a year and a half, Susan Cooper’s body had not been found. In July 2018, Smith was charged in state court with the murder, and after his arrest, a witness came forward to disclose Smith had demanded he help bury the body. This witness took federal agents to the location of Cooper’s body.

          In September 2021, a jury trial resulted in both Smith and Sherman being convicted of conspiracy to cause witness tampering resulting in death. Smith was also convicted of witness tampering resulting in death, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Smith, in addition to his life sentence, was ordered to serve a 50 year consecutive sentence.

          The case was investigated by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Hot Springs County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anne Gardner and Bart Dickinson.

    # # #

    This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    Twitter:

    @EDARNEWS

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  • MIL-OSI Security: January Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments Announced

    Source: US FBI

    United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the January Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments.

    The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

    Bradley Andrew Friend. Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Production of Child Pornography; Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography. Friend, 40, of Oologah, is charged with enticing and persuading a minor child to engage in sexual activity. He is further charged with producing, possessing, receiving, and distributing materials that depict the sexual abuse of children. The Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-013

    Gary Syd Goldberg. Possession of Child Pornography. Goldberg, 76, of Mannford, is charged with possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Mannford Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Richard is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-253

    Shawn Ray Murnan. Bank Fraud (Counts 1 through 4); False Statements (Counts 5 through 8); Unlawful Monetary Transactions (Counts 9 through 14). Murnan, 56, of Windemere, Florida, is charged with fraudulently submitting 14 applications on behalf of his various businesses seeking more than $2.7 million in CARES Act Funds. Of those applications, Murnan received more than $1.6 million in PPP and EIDL loans. After receiving CARES Act funds, Murnan requested loan forgiveness. More than $1.3 million was forgiven. Two of the PPP loans were funded by a bank located within the NDOK. Each application submitted by Murnan contained false representations and inaccurate accounting regarding employees’ wages, including that he owned no other businesses. The FRB-CFPB Office of the Inspector General, the SBA Office of the Inspector General, and TIGTA are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Whipple and Cheryl Baber are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-014

    Xavion Eugene Paggett. Attempted Bank Robbery; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Paggett, 24, of Broken Arrow, is charged with using a firearm to rob a bank in Nov. 2024. He is further charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema M. Onias is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-012

    Anthony Clay Russell. First Degree Murder in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country (superseding). Russell, 32, of Tulsa and a member of the Osage Nation, is charged with maliciously killing Tasha Shepard on Oct. 22, 2024. He is further charged with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and intentionally assaulting a second victim with a dangerous weapon. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam D. McConney and John Brasher are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-365

    Marcos Javier Suazo-Otero; Marcos Javier Suazo-Mancilla. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Counts 2 and 3); Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute (Count 4); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 5 and 6); Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien (Count 7); Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 8); Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms (Count 9) (superseding). Suazo-Otero, 46, and Suazo-Mancilla, 23, both Mexican nationals, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 2024 through Nov. 2024. They are further charged with maintaining a residence for drug distribution. Suazo-Otero knowingly possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute and is additionally charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Aug. 2018. Lastly, Suazo-Mancilla knowingly possessed cocaine with intent to distribute, possessed firearms while drug trafficking, and knowingly did so while being an alien illegally in the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-397

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Tigard Repeat Offender Sentenced to Federal Prison for Transporting a Victim Across State Lines for Illegal Sexual Activity and Laundering Proceeds Through a Bottled Water Company

    Source: US FBI

    PORTLAND, Ore.—A Tigard, Oregon man with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to federal prison today for transporting an adult victim across state lines for illegal sexual activity and laundering the proceeds through a Portland-based bottled water company.

    Johnell Lee Cleveland, 42, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison and seven years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $32,115 in restitution to the Oregon Department of Employment. The sum of restitution Cleveland must pay to his adult victim will be determined at a later date.

    “In the summer of 2020, Johnell Cleveland received a rare early release from federal prison he could have used as an opportunity to chart a new path away from criminality. Unfortunately, he did the exact opposite, diving headfirst into a remarkable series of crimes,” said Steven T. Mygrant, Chief of the Narcotics and Criminal Enterprises Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “We thank the FBI, IRS, and PPB for their efforts in holding Cleveland accountable and securing this nine-year prison sentence.” 

    “Johnell Cleveland has demonstrated a flagrant disregard for the law,” said Douglas A. Olson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office. “Even after serving a prison term, Cleveland continued his chronic criminal behavior with money laundering, wire fraud, and transporting an adult victim for illegal sexual activity. The FBI, along with our partners, is dedicated to maintaining the safety of our communities, and with Cleveland behind bars, our community is more secure.”

    “30 days is long enough to form positive habits; it is also more than long enough to return to bad ones, as Mr. Cleveland unfortunately chose to do,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Seattle Field Office. “Given a second chance, Mr. Cleveland did not choose to better himself. Instead, he proceeded to cause immense harm to the people and to the communities around him. This sentencing shows that CI, along with our partners in law enforcement, will bring justice to repeat offenders as many times as needed, as Mr. Cleveland is finding out today.”

    According to court documents, in July 2019, Cleveland was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for distributing cyclopropyl fentanyl, possessing a machine gun and money laundering. In the summer of 2020, nineteen months before his original projected release date, Cleveland sought and was granted a compassionate release from prison based on health risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Less than 30 days following his release from prison, Cleveland and an associate submitted a fraudulent insurance policy application for nine pieces of jewelry previously seized by law enforcement. Approximately four months after Cleveland and his associate were issued an insurance policy worth more than $100,000, his associate submitted a false burglary report to the Las Vegas Police Department claiming her Mercedes-Benz sedan and various personal property, including the nine pieces of insured jewelry, had been stolen. Seeking reimbursement, Cleveland quickly notified his insurance company of the purported jewelry theft.

    While his insurance fraud scheme was ongoing, in October 2020, Cleveland devised a separate scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID relief program funds. On October 14, 2020, he applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits for a five-month period beginning in April 2020, claiming he was unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In reality, Cleveland was unemployed during this time because he was in federal prison. Despite his false claims, Cleveland’s application was approved, and he began receiving PUA benefits.

    Investigators later learned that during this same time period, Cleveland transported for illegal sexual activity an adult woman he had, in August 2020, commenced a romantic relationship with. Cleveland told the woman that he needed money to get his business ventures off the ground and fund their future together. Over time, Cleveland became less friendly and more menacing toward the woman, demanding she travel frequently and engage in more commercial sex. Meanwhile, Cleveland kept all the money the woman earned and threatened her with various punishments he claimed to have used on other women, including locking her in a dog cage.

    To conceal and disguise the nature of his victim’s proceeds, Cleveland used the money to pay business expenses for the bottled water company, including costs for bottling and manufacturing, rental of corporate office space in Portland, merchandising, and a monthly retainer with a modeling agency.

    On November 3, 2021, Cleveland was arrested without incident in Portland. The same day, investigators seized Cleveland’s vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a secret compartment in the driver-side door that concealed a loaded handgun.

    On October 19, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Cleveland and his insurance fraud associate with conspiring to commit and committing wire fraud. Later, in on March 10, 2022, Cleveland was indicted a second time for sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon; and money laundering. 

    On February 4, 2024, Cleveland pleaded guilty to both counts of his fraud indictment and a three-count superseding criminal information charging him with transportation for illegal sexual activity, illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and money laundering.

    This case was investigated by the FBI, IRS CI, and the Portland Police Bureau Human Trafficking Unit. It was prosecuted by Peter Sax and Nicole Bockelman, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

    If you or someone you know is in danger, please call 911. If you are a human trafficking victim or have information about a potential human trafficking situation, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888 or by texting 233733. Calls and texts are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

    Human trafficking is a serious federal crime where individuals are compelled by force, fraud, or coercion to engage in commercial sex, labor, or domestic servitude against their will. Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause unimaginable harm. In February 2022, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland launched a new national strategy to combat human trafficking that aims to prevent all forms of trafficking, prosecute trafficking cases, and support trafficking victims and survivors.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Essex County Man Charged with Firearms and Drug Trafficking Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man has been indicted for firearms and narcotics offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Raishaun Lofton, 30, of Newark, New Jersey, was charged by indictment with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  He appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Almonte in Newark federal court and was detained.

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

    On February 22, 2024, during an investigation, police officers recovered from Lofton a privately made firearm with no serial number, nine rounds of 9mm ammunition, 81 glassine envelopes containing fentanyl, and plastic jugs commonly used to distribute illegal drugs.  On April 22, 2024, video surveillance footage depicted Lofton firing a different firearm into the air during an argument.  One of the bullets from the firearm that Lofton shot entered a nearby living room where a family with two children was watching a movie.  During the subsequent investigation, law enforcement recovered the firearm that Lofton had fired.

    The two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon each carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.  The count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000.  The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to the sentence imposed on the other counts, a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, and police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, with the investigation that led to the charges.

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

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

    Defense counsel: Tatiana Nnaji, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Essex County Convicted Felon Admits Drug Trafficking and Possession of Firearms, Including Two Assault Rifles

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted distributing cocaine, possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, and possessing three firearms, including two assault rifles with high capacity magazines, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Azmar Carter, a/k/a “Bizzy,” 32, of East Orange, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to a superseding information charging him with two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.

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

    In 2021, law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking organization that operates primarily in and around Orange, New Jersey and distributes narcotics throughout Essex County. During the investigation, Carter distributed cocaine to law enforcement in May 2021 and in July 2021. Subsequently, on August 18, 2021, law enforcement searched Carter’s residence and car in East Orange, New Jersey and recovered the following items: one Draco AK 47 rifle; one Smith and Wesson AR rifle; one .40 caliber pistol; ninety-four rounds of associated ammunition; a distribution quantity of heroin and cocaine; and approximately $7,177.00.

    The drug trafficking offenses carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1 million.  The possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted a felon offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000.  Sentencing is scheduled for April 30, 2024.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr.; members of the Orange Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Todd Warren, Chief Vincent Vitiello and Captain Brian Mooney; members of the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Giacomo Sacca and Police Director Earl J. Graves; members of the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis Bindi; member of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda and Chief of Police Sharonda Morris; and the Belleville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Minichini, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrests.

    This case is part of Operation Orange, which is a part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, the Orange Police Department and the Irvington Police Department.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.

    Defense counsel: Christopher D. Adams, Esq.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jersey City Gang Member Charged with Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering and Weapons Offense for Role in Shooting

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Rutgers neighborhood street gang operating in the area of Triangle Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, is charged for his role in shooting rival gang members, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Micah Reid, aka “Nips,” 33, of Jersey City is charged by complaint with one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering activity and one count of discharging of a firearm during a crime of violence.  Reid made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and was detained.

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

    Reid is a high-ranking member and associate of the Rutgers neighborhood street gang, which operates in the area of Triangle Park in Jersey City.  The gang has historically engaged in retaliatory acts of violence against rival neighborhood street gangs operating in the area of the Salem Lafayette Apartments and the area of Wilkinson Avenue, Ocean Avenue, Martin Luther King Drive, and Wegman Parkway.  

    On October 1, 2023, Reid, driving a stolen vehicle, shot at members and associates of rival street gangs who were exiting a nightclub on Culver Avenue in Jersey City.  In total, six individual suffered gunshot wounds.  Law enforcement later recovered the firearm used in the shooting from Reid’s residence while executing a search warrant.  

    Reid faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on the violent crime in aid of racketeering charge, and a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison on the firearm offense, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed.  Both offenses carry a maximum fine of $250,000.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited investigators of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez, special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., and the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to the charges.

    This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City.  As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community.  The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.

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

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison on Gun Charge

    Source: US FBI

    TUSCALOOSA, Ala. –  A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Demopolis man for illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

    Chief U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Terrance Jamela Armstead, 31, of Demopolis, Alabama, to 80 months in prison. Armstead pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in October 2022.  

    According to court documents, on October 13, 2020, the assistant police chief of the Eutaw Police Department was at the One Stop gas station in Eutaw.  While there, he observed a fight between Armstead and another individual.  The assistant chief intervened and sprayed both individuals with pepper spray.  Armstead succumbed to the pepper spray and attempted to run, but fell.  In taking him into custody, the assistant chief recovered a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol from Armstead’s waistband.  The pistol had been reported stolen to the Eutaw Police Department a few months prior to the incident. 

    “The illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon risks turning any minor dispute into a deadly confrontation,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona.  “We are grateful for the actions of the Eutaw Police in this case to prevent further violence.” 

    The FBI investigated the case, along with the Eutaw Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Baty prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Individuals Indicted on Gun Charges Appear in Federal Court

    Source: US FBI

    BIRMIGHAM, Ala. — Yesterday, two individuals were arrested by FBI agents and appeared in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. 

    Charles Edward Kilgore, 31, of Heflin, and Thomas Austin Griffith, 24, of Anniston, were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nicholas A. Danella on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Kilgore and Griffith are being held in the custody of the U.S. Marshal until their detention hearings which are set for March 14.  

    According to the indictments, Kilgore illegally possessed a Glock .40 caliber pistol on January 6, 2023, in Cleburne County. Griffith illegally possessed a Glock .40 caliber pistol on December 9, 2022, in Calhoun County.

    The maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 15 years in prison.

    The FBI North Alabama Violent Crime Task Force investigated the case, along with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office and the Oxford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Royster is prosecuting the case.

    An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: North Tonawanda Man Going to Prison for 14 Years for His Role in Drug Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Johnny Williams, 32, of North Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 168 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas T. Cooper and Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that between June and October 2021, Williams conspired with others, including Lairon Graham, to sell fentanyl and crack cocaine from a residence on Liddell Street in Buffalo. While doing so, Williams possessed a firearm on multiple occasions. In August 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a Davey Street residence in Buffalo, which was also used by members of the conspiracy to sell fentanyl and crack cocaine. During the search, investigators recovered approximately 44 grams of fentanyl, approximately 37 grams of crack cocaine, approximately $2,500 cash, and assorted drug paraphernalia. In March 2022, Williams a semi-automatic pistol to fire multiple gunshots at an individual, striking the victim in the upper arm. The Government contends that the shooting was intended to discourage another person from providing information to law enforcement about the narcotics conspiracy. Williams contends that was not his motivation for firing gunshots at the victim.

    Lairon Graham was previously convicted and sentenced to serve 264 months in prison.

    The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia; the Lancaster Police Department, under the direction of Chief William Gummo; and the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Packard.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/KENYA – Another priest murdered in Kenya

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – Another Catholic priest has been murdered in Kenya. Father Alloyce Cheruiyot Bett was shot dead in the Tot area of the Kerio Valley, in the Elgeyo Marakwetm County, in the Western Highlands of Kenya.The murder occurred yesterday, May 22, when, at the end of the Holy Mass in the small Christian community in the village of Kakbiken, several gunmen fired shots, one of which hit Father Bett in the neck, killing him instantly.Kenyan police said they have arrested six people in connection with the priest’s murder.While it is suspected that it was an attempted robbery, a police spokesperson emphasized that Father Bett’s murder was in no way connected to the cattle thefts or other forms of banditry in the area.Local sources said the killers may have mistook the priest for a police informant who was helping law enforcement in a security operation in the area. Father Tott is the second Catholic priest killed in Kenya within a week. On May 15, Father John Ndegwa Maina, parish priest of St. Louis Parish in Igwamiti, died in hospital after being found seriously injured on the side of the Nakuru-Nairobi highway, several kilometers from his parish (see Fides, 21/5/2025). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 23/5/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Defendants Charged in Separate and Unrelated Gun and Drug Cases

    Source: US FBI

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Federal indictments have been unsealed charging three defendants in separate and unrelated gun and drug cases, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Mickey French, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley and FBI  Acting Special Agent in Charge Felix A. Rivera-Esparra.

    Last month a federal grand jury indicted three individuals in Northwest Alabama on gun and drug charges.  These indictments are the result of continued collaborative work with our state prosecutors, and federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. 

    A one-count indictment charges Mario Jerrell Prewitt, 34, of Fayette, with illegally possessing a Taurus 9mm pistol on January 21, 2020, in Fayette County.  ATF investigated the case, along with the Alabama Drug Enforcement Task Force (ADETF) Regions C and E, ALEA SWAT, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Berry Police Department, and the 24th Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Darius C. Greene is prosecuting the case. 

    A two-count indictment charges that on December 5, 2019, in Morgan County, Terry Wayne Thomason, 47, of Falkville, possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and  possessed a firearm, a Braztech 20-gauge shotgun, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. DEA investigated the case, along with the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Stuart Burrell is prosecuting the case. 

    A six-count indictment charges that in October 2021 and March 2022, in Limestone County, Eric Cordelle Bass, 34, of Athens,  possessed with the intent to distribute a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possessed firearms, that is, a Hi-Point .380 pistol, a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol and a Charter Arms .44 SPL revolver, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Bass was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. FBI investigated the case, along with the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid is prosecuting the case. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Kodiak Man’s Murder Convictions Upheld by Court of Appeals

    Source: US FBI

    ANCHORAGE – The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld James Wells’ murder convictions which were handed down by a trial jury in October 2019 for the April 2012 murders of two U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) employees, Electrician’s Mate First Class James Hopkins and retired Chief Boatswain’s Mate Richard Belisle at a United States Coast Guard base on Kodiak Island, Alaska.

    In February 2013, Wells was arrested for the murders of Hopkins and Belisle, who were both Wells’ co-workers at the USCG antenna maintenance facility, located at the USCG Communication Station (COMMSTA) on Kodiak Island. Wells was convicted in 2014 and the case was reversed for retrial by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in December 2017. After a three-week retrial that ended in October 2019, a federal jury quickly convicted Wells of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of murder of an officer or employee of the United States and two counts of possession and use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. Wells appealed. In a ruling issued last week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Wells’ murder convictions, thus Wells sentence of life imprisonment remains in place. The court of appeals issued two separate rulings: 1) affirming the convictions and dismissing Wells’ arguments for a new trial and 2) the court remanded the sentencing court’s decision on valuing how restitution to the spouses of the men Wells murdered would be paid, along with upholding that Wells interview by investigators was done lawfully.

    “The court’s ruling, solidly affirming Wells two murder convictions at trial, puts an end to this saga for the wives of Messrs. Belisle and Hopkins, the colleagues of the murdered men, the community of Kodiak and the United States Coast Guard,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker. “Justice has been served. James Wells took the stand and attempted to explain away what he did that day, an explanation that was quickly rejected by the trial jury and by the court of appeals. Wells will spend the rest of his life in prison for the murder of these two men.”

    “We are all relieved to bring final closure on this heinous and heartless crime. Our hearts continue to go out to the families and loved ones of the victims, and to the community of Kodiak for having the strength to endure this lengthy process,” said Paul Shultz, CGIS Special Agent in Charge, CGIS Northwest Region.

    “I’m proud of the trial team’s tireless efforts in the pursuit of justice on behalf of the Hopkins and Belisle families. Now with the Appellate Court’s decision, comes a sense of some closure for all,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. 

    Evidence at trial established that on April 12, 2012, between 7:09 a.m. and 7:14 a.m., Wells had shot and killed Hopkins and Belisle with a .44 revolver while working at their duty stations in the Rigger Shop at COMMSTA. First responders noted no evidence of a break-in or robbery and both men appeared to be victims of a targeted killing. Wells was due to arrive at the Rigger Shop the same time as Hopkins and Belisle, but instead left two phone messages for Hopkins and Belisle, noted to be after the victims’ time of death, stating Wells was running late due to a flat tire. Wells arrived to the Rigger Shop over an hour after his normal start time, immediately claiming to have had a flat tire.

    USCG security videos captured Wells passing the Main Gate at Base Kodiak at 6:48 a.m. in his white Dodge truck on his way toward the Kodiak Airport, and returning toward his residence at 7:22 a.m. However, a small blue SUV, owned by Wells, was captured on USCG security videos passing the Rigger Shop front entrance. The evidence showed Wells drove his white Dodge truck to the airport, where he swapped vehicles and drove Nancy Wells’ blue Honda CR-V to COMMSTA to commit the murders. There was a 34-minute period of time for which James Wells could not account and that unexplained discrepancy captured the attention of the interviewing agents. Additionally, a tire with a nail in it was seized and through extensive testing, the examiner concluded that the nail had been manually inserted into the tire, undermining the foundation of Wells’ alibi that he had picked up a nail while driving to work on the morning of the murders.

    At Wells’ sentencing hearing after the second trial in 2019, U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason made specific findings for the record that Wells threatened or unlawfully interfered with witnesses and that during the trial, Wells testified on several occasions in a “materially false manner.” The ruling of the Ninth Circuit equally found that Wells’ alibi at trial was not credible.

    “I want to thank all of our partner agencies that were involved in the prosecution of this case through the decade of sentencing, retrial, and appeals,” said Rear Adm. Nathan Moore, 17th Coast Guard District, Commander. “Your continued dedication to this case ensured justice was met, and that James’ and Richard’s loved ones and our Coast Guard family can move one step closer to closure.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case, with support from the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), and the Alaska State Troopers (AST). 

    In 2019 the Deputy Criminal Chief Steven Skrocki prosecuted the case along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Sherman, and U.S. Coast Guard Commander Kelly Stevens, who was appointed as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Five Members and Associates of White Supremacist Gang Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racketeering, Kidnapping, and Murder

    Source: US FBI

    ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – Filthy Fuhrer, formerly Timothy Lobdell, 46; Roy Naughton, aka Thumper, 44; Glen Baldwin, aka Glen Dog, 41; Colter O’Dell, 30; and Craig King, aka Oakie, 57, were sentenced this week in Alaska to life in prison without the possibility of parole. All five defendants were convicted of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy in aid of racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping resulting in death, and kidnapping conspiracy. Fuhrer and Naughton were also each convicted of an additional two counts of kidnapping conspiracy, kidnapping, and assault in aid of racketeering.

    Evidence presented at trial showed that the defendants were leaders, members, and associates of the 1488s, a violent, prison-based Neo-Nazi gang that operated inside and outside of state prisons throughout Alaska. The 1488s used Nazi-derived symbols to identify themselves and their affiliation with the gang, including a 1488 “patch” tattoo that depicts an Iron Cross superimposed over a swastika. The tattoo was awarded to members who gained full membership by committing acts of violence on behalf of the gang. The gang enforced discipline through written rules and a code of conduct, including the boast that “the only currency we recognize is violence and unquestionable loyalty.”

    The trial testimony established that Fuhrer founded and led the 1488 gang from inside a maximum-security prison, where he was serving a 19-year sentence for the attempted murder of an Alaska State Trooper. In addition to directing acts of violence aimed at establishing the gang’s dominance in the prison hierarchy, Fuhrer ordered members of the gang to commit violent kidnappings and assaults in the “free world” outside of prison. As part of a plan to impose greater organization and structure among non-incarcerated members, Fuhrer insisted on punishing members that he perceived to be defying the 1488 code of conduct thereby diminishing the power, influence, and reputation of the gang. Fuhrer sent out a trusted lieutenant with a list of directives, which culminated in the kidnapping and assault of two lower-level gang members on April 2, 2017, and July 20, 2017, and the kidnapping, assault, and murder of Michael Staton on Aug. 3, 2017.

    According to the trial evidence, on April 2, 2017, defendant Roy Naughton and other 1488 members, acting at the direction of Fuhrer, lured a victim to a gang meeting at Naughton’s residence.  Once there, the victim was taken into a basement where he was held at gun point, tied up, and assaulted. As part of the assault, the gang members shattered a light bulb in his mouth and tattooed him with a racial epithet. The victim was threatened with more violence if the incident was reported to police.

    In addition, the evidence at trial demonstrated that on July 17, 2017, Fuhrer called Naughton from prison. During the call Naughton boasted about the April 2 assault and reported to Fuhrer that another member would be assaulted in the next few days. On July 20, 2017, a second victim was similarly assaulted and had his 1488 membership patch burned off.

    Evidence also showed that in 2016 Naughton asked for and received permission from Fuhrer to impose exceptionally severe discipline on 1488 member Michael Staton, who held himself out as a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, for stealing from both the 1488’s and defendant Craig King.  Naughton, King, and defendants Glen Baldwin and Colter O’Dell worked with other 1488 members to locate, kidnap, and murder Staton. On August 3, 2017, 1488 members, including Baldwin and O’Dell, lured Staton to Wasilla where they beat him and took him to King’s duplex. After arriving, Staton was taken to an empty room which had been lined with plastic sheeting. Inside the room King and the 1488s beat and tortured the victim, including cutting off his 1488 tattoo with a knife that had been heated with a propane torch. The defendants wrapped Staton in the plastic and carpeting, and Baldwin and O’Dell drove him to a remote section of Wasilla where they shot him and set fire to his body. O’Dell was awarded full membership in 1488s for his role in the murder.

    “The United States Attorney’s Office will use every tool at its disposal to combat and dismantle violent criminal enterprises,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “These life sentences reflect the seriousness of the defendants’ conduct in the maiming of two individuals and the brutal murder of a third, all in order to strengthen their hate-based criminal enterprise. We will continue to work tirelessly with our federal, state and local investigative partners to ensure those engaging in such loathsome crimes are caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” 

    “With federal life sentences imposed on five defendants who were associated with a violent, hate-driven gang, Alaska’s law enforcement community has delivered a devastating blow to the 1488 criminal enterprise,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Dismantling violent, criminal organizations is a priority for the FBI, and a goal that is shared among our law enforcement and prosecution partners across Alaska.”

    The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, and the Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Bureau of Investigation, investigated the case in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska and the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS). Investigative assistance was provided by the IRS Criminal Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Anchorage Police Department (APD), and the State of Alaska’s Department of Corrections.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Taylor, James Klugman and Chris Schroeder and Trial Attorney Jeremy Franker of OCGS prosecuted the case.

      usao/ak/23-03

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Serial Bank Robber Arrested After String of Robberies

    Source: US FBI

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Justin Eric Lindsay, 28, was arrested Saturday morning by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a string of bank robberies committed between August 12, 2023, and January 6, 2024. Lindsay was charged by federal criminal complaint with committing five bank robberies and one attempted bank robbery.

    The complaint alleges that, since August 2023, Lindsay has robbed five banks, including branches of Chase and U.S. Bank. According to the complaint, Lindsay would enter a bank and hand a teller a demand note for money. At four of the robberies, Lindsay claimed he had a gun, although no firearm was ever shown. On Saturday, Lindsay was arrested shortly after robbing a U.S. Bank branch in Mesa.  

    A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The United States will have up to 30 days from arrest to seek an indictment of Lindsay.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Mesa and Tempe police departments. Assistant United States Attorney Ben Goldberg, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           24-09042MJ
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-004_Lindsay

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Internal Revenue Service Special Agent Indicted in Shooting Death of Fellow Agent

    Source: US FBI

    TUCSON, Ariz. – On Wednesday, a federal grand jury indicted Larry Edward Brown, Jr., 42, of Peoria, on one count of Involuntary Manslaughter of an Officer of the United States.

    The indictment alleges that on August 17, 2023, Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) used the firearm range at the Federal Correctional Institution – Phoenix for standard pistol qualifications and classroom training. Brown, who has served as a special agent for IRS-CI for over 12 years, is a trained Use of Force Instructor.

    After all training had concluded for the day, Brown entered a building known as the “Tower,” a small, one-room structure with an interior measuring approximately eight feet by nine feet, located on the range where firearms instructors can observe and command live-fire trainings. The only other occupant inside the Tower was Special Agent Patrick Bauer, a 15-year veteran of IRS-CI and a trained Use of Force Instructor, who had led the live-fire pistol qualifications that day. As alleged in the indictment, while inside the Tower, Brown handled his firearm without due caution and with reckless disregard for human life, striking Special Agent Bauer in the torso with a single gunshot.

    Despite life-saving efforts by agents at the scene, EMTs, and hospital staff, Special Agent Bauer died as a result of the penetrating gunshot wound.

    Brown had his initial court appearance today and has been released. The matter has been set for trial on April 2, 2024.

    Involuntary Manslaughter of an Officer of the United States carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

    An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-00355-PHX-SPL
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-024_Brown

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Arkansas Men Sentenced to More Than 29 Years Combined in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    FORT SMITH – Two Arkansas men have been sentenced to federal prison for the Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge P.K. Holmes, III, presided over the sentencing hearings in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.

    In March 2021, Agents with the FBI launched an investigation into drug trafficking in the Western District of Arkansas. Between the months of March and June of 2021, agents conducted controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Omar Perez and David Franks.  According to court documents, the investigation of Perez and Franks was completed on June 23, 2021, when the parties were discovered to be in the process of completing a two-kilogram methamphetamine transaction in the parking lot of a shopping center in Fort Smith.  Upon the arrest of both parties, approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine, $17,000 in cash, a firearm and ammunition were seized.

    Omar Perez, age 30, of Waldron, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 210 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of More than 500 Grams of Methamphetamine.

    David Allen Franks, age 40, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 140 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine.

    U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

    The FBI and Fort Smith Police Department investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Carter prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Santa Maria Man Charged in Federal Complaint Alleging He Injured Five People in Bomb Attack in Lobby of County Courthouse

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – A Santa Barbara County man was charged today in a federal criminal complaint alleging he committed a bomb attack at a courthouse in Santa Maria on Wednesday, in which at least five people were injured.

    Nathaniel James McGuire, 20, of Santa Maria, is charged with maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive. 

    McGuire, who was arrested Wednesday shortly after the attack, is expected to make his initial appearance Friday afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. 

    According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, on September 25, McGuire entered a courthouse of Santa Barbara County Superior Court and threw a bag into the lobby. The bag exploded and McGuire left the courthouse on foot. The explosion injured at least five people who were present at the courthouse at that time.

    Shortly thereafter, McGuire was apprehended and detained by Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies as he was trying to access a red Ford Mustang car parked outside the building. McGuire allegedly yelled that the government had taken his guns and that everyone needed to fight, rise up, and rebel.

    Inside the car, a deputy saw ammunition, a flare gun, and a box of fireworks. A search of the car revealed a shotgun, a rifle, more ammunition, a suspected bomb, and 10 Molotov cocktails. Law enforcement later rendered the bomb safe.

    A search of McGuire’s residence revealed an empty can with nails glued to the outside, a duffel bag containing matches, black powder, used and unused fireworks, and papers that appeared to be recipes for explosive material.

    “This defendant’s alleged misconduct was chilling,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Not only did he injure five people and traumatize many more, but he possessed a cache of weapons that would have allowed him to wreak even greater destruction had he not been stopped. Attacks on our courts, law enforcement officers, and other public servants are unacceptable, and it is critical that those who carry out such assaults be prosecuted to the fullest extent.”

    “The idea of intentionally setting off an explosive device to do harm and avoid justice in the process shocks the conscience,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “Make no mistake, we are committed to holding Mr. McGuire accountable for this blatant act of violence. As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities which could represent a threat to public safety.”

    “This was a shocking and unprecedented crime in our county, but, in spite of its audacity, the security of the Santa Maria courthouse was maintained,” said Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown. “The suspect was swiftly apprehended by a court security officer, a sheriff’s deputy, two California Highway Patrol officers, and a district attorney’s investigator; we are proud of their resolute actions that almost certainly prevented further violence. We are also grateful for the substantial investigative assistance that has been provided by our colleagues with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and from U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada and his office.”

    A complaint 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, McGuire would face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.

    The FBI and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Takla and Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this case with substantial assistance from Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the Counterterrorism Section in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Las Vegas Police Officer Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Committing Three Casino Robberies

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officer was sentenced today by United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to 12 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for robbing three casinos and stealing approximately $164,000 in total.

    In July 2023, following a four-day trial, a jury convicted Caleb Mitchell Rogers (33) of three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

    According to court documents, Rogers stole approximately $73,810 from a casino in the western part of Las Vegas on November 12, 2021. A few months later, on January 6, 2022, he robbed a casino in North Las Vegas of approximately $11,500. In both robberies, he walked directly to the casino’s cashier cage and demanded money from the cashiers. The third robbery occurred on February 27, 2022, in which Rogers ran toward two casino employees in the sportsbook area and yelled: “Get away from the money. I’ve got a gun. I will shoot you!” Rogers climbed over the counter and shoved one of the employees to the floor, before grabbing approximately $78,898 and placing it into a bag. Rogers fled when the employees triggered an alarm. As Rogers ran toward the parking garage, a casino security officer tackled him. Rogers drew a .357 caliber revolver and, with his finger on the trigger, threatened: “I’m going to shoot you!” Security officers were able to disarm Rogers and restrain him until LVMPD officers arrived. The officers arrested Rogers and seized his firearm. Checking the revolver’s serial number, officers learned that it belonged to the LVMPD.

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

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the LVMPD. Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Cowhig and David Kiebler prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three New Jersey Men Convicted for Racketeering Conspiracy and for Their Roles in Three Gang-Related Murders

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark jury convicted three New Jersey men for their roles in a violent racketeering conspiracy, three murders, and related firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Myron Williams, aka “Money,” aka “Tunchi,” 31, of Newark, Khalil Kelley, aka “Billski,” 25, and Roger Pickett, aka “Zy Gz,” 24, both of Jersey City, were convicted in connection with a multi-count Indictment predicated upon their respective roles in the racketeering conspiracy.  Williams was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, causing death through the use of a firearm, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.  Kelley was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm.  Pickett was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, three counts of murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, three counts of causing death through the use of a firearm, and Hobbs Act robbery.

    “These three Marion street gang members brazenly committed three murders in the name of their gang. Two rival gang members were lured to their deaths through social media accounts that gang members used to impersonate the victims’ friends, and a third individual was killed during the course of a robbery committed against him.  The senseless killing of these three men caused incredible danger to the community. Myron Williams, Khalil Kelley, and Roger Pickett now face mandatory life sentences for their crimes, and the District of New Jersey is safer as a result. As this case demonstrates, my office is committed to working closely with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office and the Jersey City Police Department, alongside our federal law enforcement partners, to protect the community.  This commitment to prosecuting violent crime ensures that serious consequences will follow for individuals who commit violence and have no regard for human life.”  

    U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger

    “Today’s guilty verdicts bring accountability to violent criminals whose actions disregard criminal law, human life, and public safety. ATF remains steadfast in identifying and apprehending those who are terrorizing our neighborhoods with gang violence and disorder. We will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners and secure the safety of our communities.”

    ATF SAC L.C. Cheeks, Jr.

    “This verdict is a testament of our commitment in law enforcement to ensure that justice is always served. The defendants in this matter intentionally disregarded human life and instilled fear in neighborhoods across Jersey City. I thank our local, state, and federal partners who continuously work collaboratively with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office to ensure residents feel safe in their own communities.”

    Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez

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

    Williams, Kelley, and Pickett are all members and associates of the neighborhood street gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. Since 2013, they have committed numerous acts of violence, including three separate murders, on March 29, 2021, Nov. 20, 2021, and Nov. 1, 2022.

    On March 29, 2021, Kelley and other gang members lured a rival gang member outside by sending him Instagram messages pretending to be the victim’s fellow gang member.  When the victim opened the door to his residence, Kelley and another gang member brandished firearms, and the victim was shot multiple times in the chest, killing him. Pickett and Williams then picked up Kelley and other gang members after they abandoned the murder vehicle in Newark.

    On Nov. 20, 2021, Williams, Pickett, and another gang member lured a rival gang member outside by sending him Instagram messages pretending to be the second victim’s fellow gang member. Williams and another gang member shot the victim when he opened the door to his residence.

    On Nov. 1, 2022, a gang member facilitated the murder of the third victim by coordinating a narcotics transaction with the victim and an associate of the victim. When the victim and his associate arrived at the Marion Gardens Housing Complex to complete the narcotics transaction, they were robbed of their narcotics supply. During the robbery, Pickett and another gang member held the victim and his associate at gunpoint. After a struggle ensued, Pickett shot and killed the victim while his associate fled. Pickett then fled the Marion Gardens Housing Complex in his vehicle.

    Investigators observed and documented hundreds of narcotics transactions in and around the Marion Gardens Housing Complex during the monthslong investigation.  In addition, when Williams was arrested on March 17, 2023, he possessed controlled substances packaged for distribution.

    Eight other individuals originally were indicted with Williams, Kelley, and Pickett.  All have since pleaded guilty for their roles in the racketeering enterprise.

    The racketeering conspiracy count of which all three were convicted carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Each was also convicted of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory life sentence, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and causing death through the use of a firearm, which carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. Pickett was also convicted of Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and Williams was convicted of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, which also carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for April 22, 2025.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited investigators of the Gang Intelligence Unit and the Homicide Unit of the Major Case Division of Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez and Chief of Detectives James A. Parker, and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., and investigators of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to the convictions. He also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, and the U.S. Marshals, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos, for their assistance.

    This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Maloy and Javon Henry, of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Crew Member Sentenced to 19 Years for East Coast Gun-Point Robberies of Six South Asian Jewelers that Netted Millions

    Source: US FBI

                WASHINGTON – William Hunter, 28, of Washington D.C., was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 228 months in federal prison for participating in a multi-state string of violent gun-point robberies of South Asian jewelry stores that netted millions of dollars in cash and gold for the 15-member crew, allegedly led by Trevor Wright, aka rapper “Taliban Glizzy.”

                The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony A. Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office; FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado of the Newark Field Office; U.S. Marshal Peter Marketos of the United States Marshals Service; and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.

                Hunter, aka “Ill Will,” pleaded guilty on September 4, 2024 to interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery) and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. In his plea, Hunter accepted responsibility for six robberies across Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania that not only stole millions of dollars in jewelry, but terrorized multiple victims and left behind a wake of destruction and financial loss. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered Hunter to serve 48 months of supervised release.

                According to court documents, over the course of 18 months, Hunter and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to rob multiple South Asian jewelry stores of heavy gold jewelry of high purity. The conspiracy began in January 2022 and continued until August 2023 when several of the co-conspirators had been charged and arrested.

                Each robbery was carefully coordinated in advance of its commission and employed a similar modus operandi, one that the co-conspirators seemed to hone and perfect over time and with each new criminal act. The co-conspirators researched stores to select their targets before meeting in Washington, D.C. and traveling in one or more getaway vehicles to the stores. To evade law enforcement detection, some of the suspect vehicles were stolen or outfitted with stolen tags. At least one of the vehicles was carjacked by Hunter and others at gunpoint on September 11, 2022, and later used in a robbery on September 20, 2022.

                The co-conspirators often cased the stores in advance of the robbery and gained access by a variety of means, including using sledgehammers to shatter a store’s door or windows before storming in. The co-conspirators employed a show of force to gain compliance from their victims, with at least one co-conspirator armed with a firearm in each instance. They used hammers to smash the glass display cases, filling bags with gold jewelry and resulting in significant damage throughout the stores. In every single instance, however, Hunter and his co-conspirators terrorized the store’s owners, employees, and customers by engaging in an armed takeover of the store and then ransacking it before fleeing.

                Often, following the robberies, the stolen gold would be melted to bars and ultimately converted to cash. Hunter and his co-conspirators would then flaunt their ill-gotten gains on social media.   

                On March 6, 2023, in Washington, D.C., law enforcement arrested Hunter on an outstanding arrest warrant issued out of Maryland arising from an October 22, 2022, armed carjacking. At the time of his arrest, Hunter had a loaded Glock 23 .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number in his waistband. That same day, law enforcement executed a residential warrant at Hunter’s D.C. residence and recovered, among other items, 135 live rounds of assorted ammunition, four rifle magazines, one speed loader, and an AR-15 rifle drum magazine. They also recovered clothing that appeared consistent with some worn by Hunter during the commission of robberies, along with a crowbar and a hammer.

                In April 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Hunter and Trevor Wright, aka rapper “Taliban Glizzy,” in connection with the armed robbery of Paradise Jewelry Store. On August 17, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a 19-count Superseding Indictment, charging Hunter and his co-conspirators in connection with nine armed robberies in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Virginia, with substantial planning and coordination occurring in D.C. On March 12, 2024, a Second Superseding Indictment was filed, adding charges related to two additional robberies, including one in D.C., as well as charges related to the recovery of firearms and narcotics from multiple residences associated with the various co-conspirators.

                According to his plea agreement, Hunter accepted responsibility for his roles in: (1) the January 7, 2022, armed robbery of Yasini Jewelers in Falls Church, Virginia; (2) the September 20, 2022, armed robbery of Sonia Jewelers and Boutique in Springfield, Virginia; (3) the October 25, 2022, armed robbery of Paradise Jewelry in Paterson, New Jersey; (4) the November 10, 2022, armed robbery of Baral Jewelers and Gift Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; (5) the November 27, 2022, armed robbery of Sara Emporium Jewelry in Jersey City, New Jersey; and (6) the January 27, 2023, armed robbery of Princess Diamonds in Falls Church, Virginia.

                This case was investigated by the ATF, Metropolitan Police Department, and FBI Newark and Washington Field Offices. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and Andrea Duvall.

    DEFENDANT

    AKA

    HOME

    		 CHARGES/SENTENCE
    Trevor Wright, 33 Taliban Glizzy Washington DC Interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery);  conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; possessing a firearm during a crime of violence; money laundering; conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.
    William Hunter, 28 Ill Will Washington DC Sentenced to 228 months on Dec. 11, 2024, after pleading guilty to interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
    Avery Fuller, 29 Deavry Cordell Fuller,  Fully Ace Washington DC Pending sentencing after pleading guilty in the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
    Franklin Hunter, 30 Gino Washington DC Interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery);  conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence;  conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.
    Davon Johnson, 31 YB Washington DC Sentenced to 111 months on November 20, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
    Decarlos Hill, 30 Los Maryland Sentenced to 57 months on November 6, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.
    Lamont Marable, 28   Washington DC Sentenced to 93 months on November 11, 2024, for interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery);  and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
    Keith McDuffie, 27   California Interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery);  conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
    Jameise Christian, 33 Safety, Safe, Safe Play Washington DC Pending sentencing after pleading guilty in the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
    Andrew Smith, 30 Drewso, Drew Maryland Sentenced to 138 months in prison on October 17, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
    Robert Sheffield, 33 Real Lifaa Washington DC Interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery);  conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; possessing a firearm during a crime of violence; felon in possession of a firearm.
    Jaylaun Brown, 22 Lil Launy Washington DC Conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery).
    Timothy Conrad, 33 Twin Washington DC Sentenced to 168 months on October 1, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
    Antonio Tate, 21   Washington DC Sentenced to 120 months for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
    Delonte Martin, 35   Washington DC Sentenced to 108 months for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

    Photo introduced into evidence depicts the robbery of $250,000 in jewelry from Princess Diamonds in Falls Church, Virginia

    Surveillance photo depicts William Hunter walking with a tray of jewelry in one hand and a gun in the other during the January 7, 2022, armed robbery of Yasini Jewelers.

    Images posted on October 29 and November 1, 2022, to Hunter’s Instagram account depict him with stacks of cash, a firearm, and a wristwatch.

    23cr137

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts Monticello Man of Selling Methamphetamine Multiple Times

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—A Monticello man has been convicted of selling methamphetamine three different times in 2018 following a two-day trial that featured videos of all three sales. A federal jury convicted Ramien “Rambo” Collins, 40, on all three counts for which he was indicted.

          The jury returned their verdict Wednesday morning after deliberating for approximately 30 minutes. United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr., presided over the trial, and Judge Moody will sentence Collins at a later date. Collins, based on his charges, criminal history, and the jury’s verdict, faces a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years to life imprisonment, and an anticipated recommended sentencing range of 360 months to life in federal prison.

          A grand jury indicted Collins on September 5, 2019, on three counts of distribution of more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine for transactions that occurred in September and November 2018. Testimony during the trial established that in 2018 the FBI developed a confidential informant who was being supplied with multiple pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine by Collins. The informant then made three purchases directly from Collins three different times—one-quarter pound of methamphetamine on September 12 and September 26, and three ounces of methamphetamine on November 7.

          At trial the jury heard evidence that Collins had previously been convicted of a federal drug trafficking crime and was on federal supervised release when he was selling methamphetamine in 2018.

          All of Collins’s offenses of conviction, in addition to the imprisonment ranges, include a potential penalty of not more than a $10,000,000 fine and not less than five years of supervised release.

          The investigation into Collins was part of the larger “Quack Attack” operation that resulted in the arrests of 15 defendants. During the course of Operation Quack Attack, investigators conducted 58 controlled purchases of drugs and executed two search warrants. Authorities seized more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 229 grams of cocaine, 200 grams of crack cocaine, 128 grams of marijuana, and 6 firearms, as well as almost $17,000 in cash.

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

          The investigation into Collins was conducted by the FBI, the 13th Judicial Drug Task Force, and the Arkansas State Police, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julie Peters and Chris Givens.

    # # #

    This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    Twitter:

    @EDARNEWS

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—An Oklahoma man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy that resulted in the trafficking of firearms to Mexican cartels. Andrew Scott, Pierson, 46, of Jay, Oklahoma, was sentenced this afternoon by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.

          In May 2017, an Arkansas resident received a shipment of firearm components that had been sent to him for cerakoting, a process in which a polymer-ceramic coating is added to a firearm or its parts to improve durability. The parts appeared to be 80% Colt lower receivers, and this individual recognized these firearm parts as counterfeit. He contacted law enforcement. The counterfeit receivers were traced to an organization in Laredo, Texas, which was transporting firearm parts to Pierson in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Pierson assembled the parts into functioning weapons for the Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).

          Pierson was arrested at the southern United States border on December 10, 2018. Pierson admitted to ordering and receiving firearm parts from the United States and manufacturing automatic weapons in Mexico for the CDN and CJNG cartels. Law enforcement later confirmed cartel firearm availability was impaired following Pierson’s arrest.

          On September 3, 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Pierson and seven others for their involvement conspiracies to traffic in counterfeit goods and to violate the Arms Export Control Act. Five codefendants have previously pleaded guilty, and one co-defendant remains a fugitive. In November 2021, Pierson pleaded guilty to Count 2 of the Fourth Superseding Indictment, conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act. 

          “Mr. Pierson’s participation in the exportation and manufacturing of illegal firearms to Mexican cartels is an inexcusable contribution to the violence carried out by these groups,” said United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross. “We are committed to prosecuting any case that will help prevent violent criminal organizations from obtaining firearms.”

          “Our Special Agents worked diligently on this investigation to intercept illegal weapon components being trafficked to criminal organizations in Mexico,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn. “Our goal is to disrupt and dismantle the illegal activity and this sentencing sends a message to those who seek to aid violent criminals that it will not be tolerated.  ATF works aggressively to identify and investigate individuals who arm the ruthless organizations that are responsible for a majority of the extreme violence in Mexico.”

          “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service values our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Arkansas who helped bring this investigation to a successful conclusion,” said Thomas Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the Fort Worth Division. “Illegal shipments of weapons threaten the safety of all our communities. These crimes are a priority for Postal Inspectors and demonstrate the importance of our mission that includes the safeguarding of the Postal Service, its customers, and preventing the illegal use of the U.S. Mail.” 

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

          Essential support and coordination for Operation Thor’s Hammer was supplied by Special Operations Division (SOD) personnel, including assigned agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and attorneys from the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Pine Bluff Police Department were also instrumental in the investigation, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner.

    # # #

    This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    Twitter:

    @EDARNEWS

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Attempting to Murder Two Jewish Men Leaving Los Angeles Synagogues Last Year

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – A man who last year shot and wounded two Jewish men as they left religious services in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles was sentenced today to 420 months in federal prison.

    Jaime Tran, 30, formerly of Riverside, was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu, who set a restitution hearing for December 2, 2024.

    Tran pleaded guilty on June 3 to two counts of hate crimes with intent to kill and two counts of using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. 

    “Targeting people for death based solely on their religious and ethnic background brings back memories of the darkest chapters in human history,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Such hate-fueled violence has no place in America. We hope the sentence imposed today sends a strong message to all in our community that we will not tolerate antisemitism and hate of any sort. For those who engage in hate crimes, the punishment will be severe.”

    “After years of spewing antisemitic vitriol, the defendant planned and carried out a two-day attack attempting to murder Jews leaving synagogue in Los Angeles,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Vile acts of antisemitic hatred endanger the safety of individuals and entire communities, and allowing such crimes to go unchecked endangers the foundation of our democracy itself. As millions of Jewish Americans prepare to observe the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Justice Department reaffirms its commitment to aggressively confronting, disrupting, and prosecuting criminal acts motivated by antisemitism, or by hatred of any kind. No Jewish person in America should have to fear that any sign of their identity will make them the victim of a hate crime.”

    “This country was founded by many who fought for religious freedom, and practicing our religion continues to be a sacred and fundamental right,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will always defend that constitutional right. Those who violate the First Amendment by violent acts, those who would target the innocent based on hatred, will be held accountable.”

    “While this sentencing cannot fully restore the sense of safety stolen from the two victims and the Jewish community, it is a decisive step towards justice and a clear message that such acts of hate and violence will not be tolerated,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi.

    According to the government’s sentencing position, Tran obsessed over his antisemitic hatred for years leading up to the attack. In 2018, Tran left graduate school after making antisemitic comments about other students. From August 2022 to December 2022, Tran’s antisemitic statements escalated and included increasingly violent language, including messages to former classmates such as “I want you dead, Jew,” and “Someone is going to kill you, Jew.” Tran described himself as a “ticking time bomb” and maintained social media accounts with the handle “k1llalljews.”

    In November 2022, Tran emailed two dozen former classmates a flyer containing antisemitic propaganda, including the statement, “EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF THE COVID AGENDA IS JEWISH.” The following month, Tran emailed his former classmates excerpts from an anti-Semitic website further denigrating Jewish persons. 

    As a result of previous mental health holds, as of 2023, Tran was prohibited from purchasing firearms. In January 2023 in Phoenix, Tran asked a third party to buy two firearms for him. Tran selected the firearms he wanted and paid approximately $1,500 in cash to the third party, who then purchased them. Law enforcement identified the third party, who has now pleaded guilty in Arizona to illegally selling Tran the firearm used in the shootings. Messages later retrieved from his phone reflected that Tran had asked multiple people to purchase firearms for him and had offered to pay more if no background check was performed. 

    In early February 2023, Tran sent an online message stating: “it’s time to kill all Jews.” On the morning of February 15, 2023, Tran used the internet to research locations with a “kosher market,” planning to shoot someone near a kosher market because he believed there would be Jewish people in the area. Tran drove to Pico-Robertson and shot a Jewish victim wearing a yarmulke as he was leaving religious services at a synagogue. Tran, believing the victim was Jewish, shot him at close range centimeters from his spine, intending to kill him. Tran then fled the scene in his car.

    The next morning, February 16, 2023, Tran returned to the Pico-Robertson area, intending to shoot another Jewish person. Tran shot a second Jewish victim, also wearing a yarmulke and leaving a synagogue after attending religious services. Tran shot the victim at close range, intending to kill him, as the victim crossed the street. Tran again fled the scene.

    Both victims survived the attacks. Law enforcement arrested Tran on February 17, 2023, after a witness reported seeing someone shooting a firearm behind a motel.  When he was arrested, Tran told law enforcement that he was “practicing” with his assault weapon. In its sentencing position, the government argued that “[h]ad [Tran] not been caught the night of his second shooting, his campaign of terror would likely have continued.”

    The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the Cathedral City Police Department, the Fountain Valley Police Department, the Beverly Hills Police Department, and the UCLA Police Department provided substantial assistance.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Frances S. Lewis of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jennifer LaBonte Pleads Guilty to Embezzling From Employer

    Source: US FBI

    Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that Jennifer LaBonte, 45, of Essex Junction, Vermont pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Rutland to a charge of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Mary K. Lanthier released LaBonte on conditions pending sentencing, which is scheduled for March 4, 2025.

    On October 2, 2024, the United States Attorney filed an information charging LaBonte with a single count of wire fraud. That is the charge to which she pleaded guilty. According to the information, between 2001 and January 2024, LaBonte was employed by automobile dealerships located in Burlington. From about 2012 until her termination, LaBonte served as office manager for the dealerships, a position that gave her oversight over all accounting matters. LaBonte had check-signing authority.

    The information charges that, beginning no later than 2013, LaBonte began embezzling from the dealerships. For the most part, LaBonte stole cash receipts that had been paid by dealership customers, but she also issued checks to herself for non-business-related purposes. LaBonte tried to cover up her thefts by manipulating and falsifying entries about individual transactions in the dealerships’ computerized accounting systems. An officer at the dealerships uncovered the fraud in January 2024, and LaBonte was immediately fired. The total loss resulting from her embezzlement is about $191,000. In court, the parties announced that LaBonte has provided the dealerships with a check that repaid them in full for the stolen funds.

    LaBonte faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    LaBonte is represented by Brooks McArthur, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.

    MIL Security OSI –