NewzIntel.com

Category: Police

  • MIL-OSI Security: Vallejo, California, Man Convicted of Being a Felon in Possession of Ammunition

    Source: US FBI

    After a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins, a jury found Jeffrey Caldwell, 36, of Vallejo, guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to evidence presented at trial, law enforcement officers responded to the Super 8 Motel on 2070 Solano Avenue in Vallejo after multiple callers reported hearing gunshots from inside the building. By the time the officers arrived, Caldwell had barricaded himself in his hotel room and refused commands to surrender. A multi-hour standoff ensued, which ended when Caldwell finally left the room and attempted to flee. A subsequent search of the room discovered a privately manufactured firearm containing one round of ammunition. Caldwell is prohibited from possessing ammunition due to more than 10 prior felony convictions in California and Arizona, including for assault, burglary, and stalking.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Vallejo Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Campbell and Alexander Cárdenas are prosecuting the case.

    Caldwell is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Coggins on Aug. 22, 2025. Caldwell faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cuban National Indicted for Bank Robbery

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS – A Cuban national with an outstanding warrant of removal made his initial court appearance Wednesday before United States Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe for allegedly robbing a bank with a dangerous weapon.

    According to allegations contained in the indictment and statements made in court, on February 1, 2025, Anoy Lopez-Bles, 50, robbed a bank with a replica firearm.

    Lopez-Bles has six prior felony convictions including bank robbery in the District of Nevada, and multiple burglary and drug felonies in Nevada. He has five prior misdemeanor convictions including domestic violence, drug, and larceny convictions in Nevada. He failed to appear 20 times and has violated his probations or parole over 10 times.

    Lopez-Bles is charged with one count of bank robbery. A jury trial has been scheduled to begin May 19, 2025, before Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon.

    If convicted, Lopez-Bles faces the maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement.

    The FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Trussville Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Trussville man has been sentenced for drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

    U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Antonio Sedell Ellis, 50, to 48 months in prison. In October 2024, Ellis pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.

    According to the plea agreement, on May 9, 2023, a Trussville police officer observed a black Ford F-450 traveling on Interstate 59 and cross the outside fog line several times. The officer initiated a traffic stop of the driver, later identified as Ellis. During the stop, the officer could smell alcohol coming from inside the vehicle and asked Ellis to exit the vehicle. Although Ellis initially complied with the officer’s requests, he then attempted to walk away from the scene and refused to follow the officer’s orders. Additional officers responded and successfully apprehended Ellis. He was placed into the back of the patrol car so that a full search of Ellis’s vehicle could be completed. The search uncovered a package containing one kilogram of cocaine, several bags of cocaine, and drug paraphernalia.

    The FBI investigated the case along with the Trussville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany T. Byrd prosecuted the case. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Clay County Man Sentenced to 80 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    ANNISTON, Ala. – A Clay County man has been sentenced for his sexual crimes against children, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. 

    U.S. District Court Judge Cory L. Maze sentenced Michael James Baker, 32, of Ashland, to 960 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release.  In October 2024, Baker pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of transportation of child pornography. These convictions will require Baker to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

    According to court documents, between July 25, 2022, and July 25, 2023, Baker produced a video and an image of child pornography involving his rape of a small child and uploaded the child pornography online. In his chat communication with an undercover agent, Baker expressed his desires to engage in sexual acts with two other children, and he admitted to sexual acts with a 13-year-old child. After Baker’s arrest on the federal child pornography charges, another young child disclosed that Baker had also raped her. 

    FBI Birmingham Division and FBI New Orleans Division investigated the case along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Internet Crimes Against Children, Lineville Police Department, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Oxford Police Department, Anniston Major Crimes Unit, Anniston Police Department, Alabama State Troopers, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and Russell County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.

    If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hugo Resident Sentenced for Possessing Child Sexual Exploitation Material

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Steven Mark McAnally, age 65, of Hugo, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 63 months in prison for one count of Possessing Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.  He will serve 5 years of supervised probation upon release from incarceration.

    The charge arose from an investigation by Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    On December 12, 2024, McAnally pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, in July of 2023, McAnally knowingly possessed visual depictions from the internet of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which McAnally accessed with intent to view.

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

    We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement.  You can file a report through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or online at www.cybertipline.com, through the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or through Homeland Security Investigations at 1-877-4-HSI TIP.

    The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  McAnally 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. Attorney Sarah McAmis represented the United States at the sentencing hearing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Johnstown Woman Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Prison for Narcotics Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 100 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on her convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin, crack, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Jessica Wilson, 39, on May 8, 2025.

    According to information presented to the Court, from in and around January 2021 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Wilson conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute quantities of heroin, crack, and methamphetamine. Wilson was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that she distributed to others. During a separately charged offense, from in and around April 2024 to June 2024, Wilson conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute quantities of mixtures containing fentanyl and crack.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Maureen Sheehan-Balchon and Arnold P. Bernard Jr. prosecuted these cases on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Wilson. Additional agencies participating in this investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—Victor Garcia will spend the next 168 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr.

          A federal grand jury indicted Garcia, 43, of Palmdale, California, in a superseding indictment on April 5, 2023. He was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. On November 4, 2024, Garcia pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

          On December 21, 2022, the Conway Police Department conducted a traffic stop and upon investigation, discovered Garcia had a federal warrant for drug distribution out of California. Officers conducted a pat down search of Garcia and located a methamphetamine pipe in his possession. Garcia admitted to officers that he had a small amount of marijuana in the center console of the vehicle. During the officers questioning of Garcia and his passenger, they provided officers inconsistent stories. Upon a search of the passenger, officers located a baggie of methamphetamine in her possession.

          While conducting a search of the vehicle, officers noted the carpeting was not uniform and after locating the seam of the carpet, determined it had been glued down. Officers pulled the carpet back and discovered a sheet of metal with hinges. Upon a search of this after-market hidden compartment, officers located over 20 kilograms of pure methamphetamine in five vacuum-sealed bags.

          Judge Marshall sentenced Garcia to serve 168 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Judge Marshall also sentenced Garcia to five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

          This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Conway Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin O’Leary.

    # # #

    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

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Federal Task Force Agent Found Guilty of Corruption

    Source: US FBI

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – After a five-day jury trial, a federal jury convicted Antonio Pizarro Adorno, a former Puerto Rico Special Investigations Bureau (“NIE” as known in Spanish) officer who was assigned to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (HSI), for corruptly concealing $170 during a law enforcement seizure. United States District Court Judge Camille Vélez-Rivé presided over the trial.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on April 27, 2023, Pizarro Adorno, took $170 in cash seized by the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), with the intent to impair its integrity and availability for use in an investigation being conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives related to drug trafficking in a community in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

    “The vast majority of law enforcement officers serve the community with honor and valor,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico. “Those who do not, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “Every act of corruption, big or small, weakens the foundation of justice, and we will not tolerate it,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “The FBI remains focused on holding accountable those who betray that trust, no matter the amount, no matter the circumstances.”

    The FBI San Juan Field Office, Public Corruption Unit is investigating the case, with the collaboration of the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pizarro Adorno is facing up to 20 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2025.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy prosecuted the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wisconsin Man Sentenced to More Than 3½ Years in Prison for ‘Swatting’ Spree that Hacked Doorbell Cameras to Livestream Police Response

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – A Wisconsin man was sentenced today to 44 months in federal prison for participating in a one-week nationwide “swatting” spree that gained access to Ring home security door cameras, placed bogus emergency phone calls designed to elicit an armed police response, then livestreamed the events on social media, sometimes while taunting responding police officers in communities such as West Covina and Oxnard.       

    Kya Christian Nelson, 23, of Racine, Wisconsin, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt.

    Nelson pleaded guilty on January 23 to one count of conspiracy and two counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information. He has been in federal custody since August 2024 and previously was serving a prison sentence in Kentucky after being convicted in state court there in an unrelated case.

    From November 7, 2020, to November 13, 2020, Nelson and co-conspirators gained access to home security door cameras sold by Ring LLC, a Santa Monica-based home security technology company. Nelson acquired without authorization the username and password information for Yahoo! email accounts belonging to victims throughout the United States.

    The conspirators then determined whether the owner of each compromised Yahoo! account also had a Ring account using the same email address and password that could control associated internet-connected Ring doorbell camera devices. Using that information, they identified and gathered additional information about their victims.

    Then, the conspirators placed false emergency reports or telephone calls to local law enforcement in the areas where the victims lived. These reports or calls were intended to elicit an emergency police response to the victim’s residence. The conspirators then accessed without authorization the victims’ Ring devices and transmitted the audio and video from those devices on social media during the police response. They also taunted responding police officers and victims through the Ring devices during several of the incidents.

    For example, on November 8, 2020, Nelson and a co-conspirator accessed without authorization Yahoo! and Ring accounts belonging to a victim in West Covina. A hoax telephone call was placed to the West Covina Police Department purporting to originate from the victim’s residence and posing as a minor child reporting her parents drinking and shooting guns inside the residence. The caller claimed that her parents had multiple firearms and had fired approximately seven gunshots inside the house. Based on this hoax call, West Covina Police Department officers made an emergency response to the house and cleared the residents from the home at gunpoint.

    During the police response, Nelson accessed the Ring doorbell camera located at the West Covina residence and used it to verbally threaten and taunt the police officers who responded to the reported incident.

    In another incident, on November 11, 2020, Nelson illegally possessed the Yahoo! and Ring login credentials of a victim living in Oxnard. Nelson then used those credentials to access the victim’s Ring account. Nelson or a co-conspirator made a hoax call to the Oxnard Police Department purporting to be coming from inside the victim’s home.

    The caller told the police that they were a child whose father was wielding a handgun inside the residence. Nelson made a second hoax call to Oxnard Police to report hearing shots fired at the victim’s residence. Based on these hoax calls, Oxnard Police officers made an emergency response to the house and cleared the residents from the home at gunpoint.

    Nelson accessed the Ring doorbell camera located at the Oxnard residence and used it to threaten and taunt the police officers who had responded to the reported incident.

    “[Nelson] and his co-conspirators went on a digital crime spree, terrorizing innocent people around the country from behind their keyboards,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “While [Nelson] was safe behind his keyboard, he subjected others to real danger.”

    One of Nelson’s indicted co-conspirators, James Thomas Andrew McCarty, 22, of Kayenta, Arizona, was sentenced in June 2024 to seven years in federal prison both for his role in this case, and on additional charges in the District of Arizona. In connection with the Ring swatting incidents, McCarty pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy as Nelson.

    McCarty further admitted to illegally accessing a victim’s Ring camera in Florida and making a call to the North Port Florida Police Department, in which he purported to be the victim’s husband who had just killed her, was holding a hostage, and had rigged explosives at the residence. McCarty then livestreamed the law enforcement response and posted a message on social media taking credit for the swatting incident and stating that he thought it was amusing.

    The FBI investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Khaldoun Shobaki of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Source of Supply for Merced County Methamphetamine Distribution Sentenced to 22 and One Half Years in Prison

    Source: US FBI

    FRESNO, Calif. — Raul Zamudio Hurtado, 42, of Oakdale, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 22 and a half years in prison and for two counts of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine arising from two separate cases, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, in May 2017, a coalition of federal, state, and local agencies investigated a group of Sureño gang members and associates in the Merced area for crimes of violence, drug sales, and illegal firearms possession. More than 50 individuals were arrested and 14 defendants were charged federally. Hurtado was the source of supply of methamphetamine to the suspected Sureño members and was indicted. On July 24, 2019, Hurtado pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and remained in custody pending sentencing in the first case. In April 2020, he was released with conditions.

    Between December 2021 and November 2022, Hurtado obtained and distributed methamphetamine in large quantities and received tens of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds. On Nov. 16, 2022, a search warrant was executed, more than 73 pounds of methamphetamine was seized, and Hurtado was charged again. On June 3, 2024, Hurtado pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in this second case.

    These cases were the product of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Merced Area Gang and Narcotic Enforcement Team (MAGNET), the California Department of Justice/California Highway Patrol, Special Operations Unit, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Modesto Police Department Major Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Pearson and Kimberly Sanchez prosecuted the cases.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information, visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Twenty-Two Charged in Imperial Valley Takedown of Violent Drug Trafficking Organization Linked to Beltran Leyva Cartel

    Source: US FBI

    EL CENTRO – Twenty-two alleged members of a sophisticated transnational drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa-based Beltran Leyva Cartel were indicted by a federal grand jury for importing and distributing more than a ton of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine into the United States, laundering the illicit proceeds, and attempting to export firearms from the United States into Mexico.

    In a coordinated takedown this morning in California, Arizona, Iowa, and Colorado, more than 150 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials arrested 10 defendants and executed six search warrants in Imperial County. As of this afternoon, the search continues for 12 fugitives.

    Including seizures today and throughout this long-term investigation, authorities have confiscated more than 1,000 kilograms (about 2,204 pounds) of drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and over 750 kilograms (about 1,653 pounds) of fentanyl, 10 firearms, and more than $250,000 in narcotics proceeds.

    “We have literally seized a ton of drugs that were destined to hit our streets and harm our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “By disrupting this prolific, cartel-linked trafficking network, we are preventing the devastation and violence it brings.”

    “Today’s enforcement action marks the culmination of a complex, long-term HSI investigation, demonstrating the strong collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies nationwide,” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Diego. “Our local communities are undoubtedly safer today, and we remain committed to aggressively pursuing criminal organizations that threaten our country.”

    “Close coordination and aggressive action amongst allied law enforcement agencies just made communities nationwide safer places to live and work,” said El Centro Border Patrol Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino. “The well executed takedown of this drug trafficking organization heralds a new day in homeland security where we will relentlessly apprehend and prosecute transnational threats.”

    According to search warrants, the defendants belonged to a Mexicali, Mexico- and Imperial County-based transnational criminal organization that operated as a distribution cell for the Beltrán Leyva Cartel, specifically associated with Fausto Isidro Meza Flores aka El Chapo Isidro. Using undercover operations and multiple rounds of wiretaps, agents conducted numerous controlled purchases, traffic stops of personal vehicles and tractor trailers, and searches of houses and stash locations leading to large seizures of narcotics.

    Additionally, during the fourth round of wiretaps, one of the wiretap targets, an Imperial County-based narcotics subdistributor, was shot multiple times in Mexicali and died several months thereafter. Investigators believe that the subdistributor was lured from the United States to Mexico and shot by a co-conspirator in relation to their drug trafficking and money laundering activities.

    According to federal search warrants:

    In one instance on January 23, 2023, authorities seized approximately 1.4 million fentanyl pills after intercepting phone conversations about moving fentanyl pills in a semi-truck. Federal agents watched the transaction from afar, then conducted a traffic stop on the drug-laden tractor-trailer. Law enforcement officials located eight duffel bags containing approximately 148.53 kilograms (327.45 pounds) in the trailer of the truck.

    In another instance, on May 9, 2023, authorities seized approximately 483,000 fentanyl pills after intercepting phone conversations about moving narcotics in a semi-truck. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on the drug-laden tractor-trailer and located bags containing approximately 48.30 kilograms (106.48 pounds) of fentanyl pills in the truck.

    Shortly thereafter, on May 25, 2023, authorities seized approximately 480,000 fentanyl pills, 72.29 kilograms of methamphetamine, and a loaded 9mm handgun with a 10-round magazine inserted and a round in the chamber. After intercepting phone conversations about coordinating the movement of narcotics in a semi-truck, federal agents surveilled the narcotics being loaded into the tractor-trailer, then conducted a traffic stop. Law enforcement officials located six duffel bags containing approximately 72.29 kilograms (159.37 pounds) of methamphetamine and 48.6 kilograms (107.14 pounds) of fentanyl in the trailer of the truck.

    In another instance, on October 9, 2023, investigators seized approximately 139,000 fentanyl pills and 36.66 kilograms (80.82 pounds) of methamphetamine following federal agents’ surveillance of defendants unloading and transporting the narcotics.

    On March 14, 2024, after a traffic stop conducted by a Brawley police officer, law enforcement seized approximately 59.48 kilograms (131.13 pounds) of methamphetamine.

    Federal agents also seized firearms and ammunition during the investigation, including two gold plated AR-15 semi-automatic rifles hidden inside a 55-gallon barbeque grill on August 3, 2023, and two rifles, two pistols, approximately 2182 ammunition rounds, and seven magazines destined for Mexicali-based drug traffickers.

    Additionally, according to court records, five of the charged defendants are tied to alien smuggling activity, having been either arrested and/or previously prosecuted for immigration-related crimes, such as alien smuggling, accessory after the fact to illegal entry, and selling or offering to sell a Visa.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Loren G. Renner.

    DEFENDANTS                                            

    Case Number 24cr2399                               

    Irving Alberto Lopez Valdes                                      Age: 36                       Mexicali, Mexico

    Raul Salome Valdez-Orduno                                     Age: 46                       Mexicali, Mexico

    Case Number 24cr2400

    Jesus Damian Lizarraga Sanchez                               Age: 28                       Mexicali, Mexico

    Case Number 24cr2434

    Elizabeth Millan                                                         Age: 46                       San Diego, California

    Brandon Garcia                                                          Age: 27                       Calexico, California

    *Seven unnamed defendants are fugitives

    Case Number 24cr2431

    Roberto Marrufo                                                        Age: 40                        Calexico, California

    Case Number 25cr0785

    Ricardo Miramontes Nava                                          Age: 35                       Calexico, California

    Case Number 25cr0786

    Jacob Rodiles                                                              Age: 21                       El Centro, California

    Roberto Fernandez                                                     Age: 70                       Calexico, California

    Raul Martinez Jimenez                                               Age: 56                       Mexicali, Mexico

    Julian Banuelos                                                           Age: 19                       Imperial, California

    Alain Alejandro Robles-Murrieta                               Age: 19                       Mexicali, Mexico

    *Three unnamed defendants are fugitives

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a) and (b)(1), 846

    Maximum penalty: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a $10 million fine.

    Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and a $500,000 fine

    Attempted Transfer of a Firearm for Use in a Drug Trafficking Crime – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1924(h)

    Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison and a $250,000 fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Homeland Security Investigations, Calexico – Imperial Valley Border Enforcement Security Taskforce (IV-BEST)

    Homeland Security Investigations, Riverside, CA

    Homeland Security Investigations, Denver, CO

    Homeland Security Investigations, Yuma, AZ

    Homeland Security Investigations, Sioux City, IA

    United States Border Patrol, El Centro Sector Intelligence Unit

    Customs and Border Protection, Calexico Intelligence Division

    Imperial County Narcotics Task Force

    Drug Enforcement Administration, Imperial County Office

    Drug Enforcement Administration, Phoenix Office

    Federal Bureau of Investigations, Imperial County Office

    United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations

    United States Marshals Service

    Calexico Police Department

    Imperial County Sheriff’s Office

    Imperial County District Attorney’s Office

    Brawley Police Department

    California Highway Patrol

    El Centro Police Department

    San Diego-Imperial Valley HIDTA

    *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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

    High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 33 HIDTAs, and HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two out-of-state residents charged with stealing Alaskan identities to target local financial institutions

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment yesterday charging two out-of-state residents with conspiring to commit bank fraud by stealing identities and creating false identification documents.

    According to court documents, on April 14, 2025, the Anchorage Police Department (APD) received a report that a female entered three local bank branches in Eagle River, Wasilla and Anchorage, respectively. The female presented potentially fraudulent military ID and passport cards and requested to withdraw $9,500 from accounts at each branch. The documents had the female’s picture but the name and date of birth of the account holders. The female successfully withdrew $9,500 from the Eagle River and Wasilla branches for a total of $19,000.

    On April 15, 2025, Soldotna Police Department (SPD) received a report similar to the report APD received the day prior, detailing that a female entered a local credit union and presented a potentially fraudulent military ID and passport card to try and withdraw cash.  Staff suspected the identification was fraudulent and attempted to contact their fraud department. While on the phone, the female left the credit union.

    Later the same day, the Kenai Police Department (KPD) received the same report of a female presenting a potentially fraudulent military ID and passport card at a local bank to try and withdraw cash. Bank staff recognized the female from a recent internal fraud alert.

    Staff at the Kenai bank attempted to call the police after the female suspect presented the alleged false documents, but she fled the bank in a vehicle. SPD officers located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. Law enforcement identified the driver as Karey McLeish, 25, of Texas and the female suspect, who was a passenger in the vehicle, as Rebekah Walker, 45, of Connecticut. Officers searched the defendants and located over $700 in cash and a plane ticket from Texas to Anchorage dated April 13, 2025. Officers also searched the vehicle and discovered over $1,600 in cash, three cell phones and key cards for a local hotel.

    Court documents further explain that law enforcement searched the hotel room McLeish and Walker were staying at in Soldotna and located a bag containing men’s clothing and hygiene products, as well as 11 military ID’s and 11 U.S. passport cards. The identification documents contained different names and dates of birth for Alaska residents, but all had Walker’s picture. 

    McLeish and Walker were originally charged by complaints on May 16, 2025, and were arrested in Kenai on May 21, 2025.

    McLeish and Walker are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, five counts of aggravated identity theft, five counts of forgery or false use of a passport and one count of fraud in connection with identification documents. The defendants are scheduled to make their initial court appearance on May 23, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, they face a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison for each aggravated identity theft count, and up to 30 years in prison for the other seven counts. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge William Chang of the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), San Francisco Field Office made the announcement.

    The DSS San Francisco Field Office, with assistance from APD, KPD and SPD, is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Miller is prosecuting the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Who Attempted to Carjack a Deputy U.S. Marshal Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

               WASHINGTON – Kentrell Flowers, 19, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for the attempted gunpoint carjacking of an unmarked vehicle occupied by a Deputy U.S. Marshal. 

               The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Acting U.S. Marshal Ron Carter of the District Court for the District of Columbia, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

               Flowers pleaded guilty on Feb. 20, 2025, before District Court Judge Richard J. Leon to using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. In addition to the 120-month prison term, Judge Leon ordered Flowers to serve five years of supervised release. 

               According to court documents, on July 5, 2024, at 1:17 a.m., two deputy U.S. Marshals were working a protective detail on the 2100 block of 11th Street, NW. The deputies were parked in separate unmarked vehicles when a silver minivan pulled up alongside one of them. A man, later identified as Flowers, got out of the van, approached the driver’s side-door, and pointed a pistol directly at the deputy marshal.

               The deputy marshal pulled out his own department-issued firearm. The deputy fired four shots through the side window, striking Flowers in the mouth. The second deputy marshal at the scene also fired on Flowers. 

               Flowers fell to the ground. The deputy marshals provided first aid, while the silver minivan driven by the unknown accomplice fled the scene. A second unknown suspect ran away on foot. Flowers was treated at a local hospital.

               Law enforcement recovered Flowers’.40 caliber Smith & Wesson which was loaded with eight rounds of ammunition. 

               This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared English and Emory V. Cole.

    24cr331

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Registered sex offender charged federally with possession of images of child sexual abuse

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    State probation officers find defendant with unauthorized electronic devices allegedly containing child sexual abuse images

    Seattle A 34-year-old Kirkland, Washington man appeared on a federal criminal complaint today charging him with possession of images of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Daniel Jose Lile was arrested April 16, 2025, by Department of Corrections Officers for possessing unapproved electronic devices. Lile remains detained at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) at SeaTac.

    According to the criminal complaint, Lile was on community supervision from the Washington State Department of Corrections for a 2019 conviction for child sexual abuse. Lile was arrested April 16, 2025, for having unauthorized electronic devices. On May 12, 2025, law enforcement served a search warrant at the residence Lile had shared with his girlfriend. At that location they seized additional unauthorized electronic devices including two external hard drives, a laptop, and a cellphone.

    Forensic analysis of the electronics is ongoing. One of the external hard drives was found to contain more than 130,000 files of child sexual abuse. One folder alone allegedly contains more than fifty videos and picture files of infants and toddlers being sexually abused.

    Law enforcement was in the process of pursuing a report from Google to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about Lile uploading images of child sexual abuse when the Department of Corrections found the unapproved electronics.

    Possession of images of child sexual abuse is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment and carries a mandatory minimum of ten years in this circumstance.

    The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and the Kirkland Police Department.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Las Vegas Man Sentenced To Three Years In Prison For Extorting, Stalking, Threatening Text Messages And Money Laundering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man who pleaded guilty to extortion, money laundering, stalking, and sending threatening text messages to injure and kill two people and their families, including children, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware II to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, a fine of $75,000, and $200,000 in restitution.

    According to court documents, on April 29, 2024, Idriss Qibaa threatened force and extorted $200,000 from a victim. As part of the extortion scheme, on March 7 and 8, 2024, he obtained $63,500 worth of cryptocurrency. Then, in June and July 2024, he engaged in online direct messages, texts, and postings, to cause substantial emotion distress to his victims. On July 19, 2024, Qibaa sent text messages containing threats to injure and kill a victim and members of the victim’s family. Later, on July 24, he sent text messages containing threats to injure and kill another victim.

    In February 2025, Qibaa pleaded guilty to one count of extortion, two counts of money laundering, one count of stalking, and two counts of interstate communications containing a threat to injure.

    United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement.

    The FBI and the Beverly Hills Police Department investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Saratoga County Man Arrested and Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Eric Mosier, age 37, of Galway, New York, made an initial appearance yesterday on a criminal complaint charging him with the sexual exploitation of a child.   United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement.

    According to the complaint, between on or about March 1, 2025 and May 17, 2025, Mosier used a 4-year-old child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating child sexual abuse material. The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “We are thankful for the quick response of the New York State Police and HSI, which led to the defendant’s arrest. As U.S. Attorney I will continue to do everything I can to keep our children safe from sexual predators and pedophiles.”

    HSI Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan stated: “Through his alleged crimes, the defendant subjected this four-year-old victim to unimaginable exploitation and trauma. Our children deserve the right to be children, free from the awareness of the darkness that exists in our society. HSI Albany commits to working with our state and federal partners in our pursuit for justice on behalf of this victim.”

    Mosier initially appeared yesterday afternoon before United States Magistrate Daniel J. Stewart and was ordered detained pending trial.  If convicted, he faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life.  Mosier may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victim of his offense and forfeit the device used in the offense.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.  If convicted, Mosier would also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

    HSI is investigating this case with assistance from the New York State Police and its Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph Hartunian and Allen J. Vickey are prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Cayuga County Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Possessing Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Andrew Wilbur, age 25, was sentenced today to 12 years’ incarceration for possessing child pornography. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

    As a part of his prior guilty plea, Wilbur, who previously served a state sentence for a 2019 child pornography conviction in Cayuga County Court, admitted that between January and May of 2024 he possessed child pornography images and videos depicting children as young as 4 years old being sexually abused.  Wilbur admitted that he maintained these files in both an online social communication platform, and on his cellular telephone.    

    In addition to the 12-year sentence, Wilbur was ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release following his term of incarceration, and to forfeit the cellular telephone he used to commit the offense. In addition, Wilbur will be required to continue to register as a sex offender.

    United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “This arrest continues to demonstrate my office’s close cooperation with our state and local partners to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law, especially those who repeatedly victimize children.”

    FBI Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli said, “This sentence sends a clear message that our office will use every resource available to bring individuals who repeatedly victimize innocent children to justice. We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities from these dangerous predators.”

    The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated this case, which was initiated by the New York State Police, and the Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York, prosecuted the case. 

    Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Northside birth centre feasibility study released

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.

    Released 23/05/2025

    The ACT Government has today released a feasibility study examining options for the delivery of a new birth centre on Canberra’s northside.

    This work is being undertaken as part of developing the new more than $1 billion northside hospital.

    The ACT Health Directorate commissioned a detailed study to assess the feasibility of establishing a co-designed standalone birth centre on the northside hospital campus and/or a freestanding birth centre in the community.

    Conducted by HealthConsult, with input from a working group of subject-matter experts, the study considered stakeholder feedback and data on birth trends in the ACT, as well as current evidence on birth centre models.

    The study has recommended a standalone birth centre adjacent to the new northside hospital as the preferred model, offering a home-like environment for low-risk pregnancies while ensuring safe access to hospital facilities when required.

    The Northside Birth Centre Feasibility Study 2024 can be found here: ACT Birth Centre Feasibility Study report – Open Government Information.

    Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith said the ACT Government is committed to ensuring high-quality maternity services that provide choice and meet the needs of women and pregnant people and their families.

    “This study reinforces the benefits of birth centres in delivering positive birthing outcomes with lower medical intervention rates,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

    “This project presents a unique opportunity to expand midwifery-led care and support culturally safe birthing practices, including Birthing with Country initiatives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

    “The recommended model would provide the home-like setting that many expectant parents and midwives have advocated for, while also enabling quick, safe and dignified access to the new hospital if required.

    “A standalone birth centre will be a valuable addition to public maternity care in the ACT, offering a low-intervention and midwife-led environment.”

    The feasibility study involved extensive consultation with community members, midwives, other health professionals and Aboriginal Elders. It found strong support for a facility that provides more autonomy for midwives and greater choice for families.

    The feasibility study confirmed that a standalone birth centre on the campus would deliver benefits such as continuity of care birthing experience, workforce satisfaction, and cultural appropriateness.

    “I have endorsed the feasibility study recommendation in principle and asked Infrastructure Canberra to develop a co-design process to ensure the next steps are taken in consultation with stakeholders, including midwives, consumers and birth centre advocates,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

    “The report provides a solid foundation for a design process to ensure the new birth centres supports culturally safe, trauma-informed care that incorporates principles of Birthing with Country, including space for family, traditional practices and connection to Country.”

    The new birth centre will support the ACT’s Maternity in Focus plan by expanding access to midwifery-led continuity of care.

    “Midwifery-led continuity of care delivers positive outcomes for both mothers and babies. This dedicated space will allow our highly skilled midwives to provide woman- and person-centred care that truly reflects the needs of our diverse community,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

    “This commitment ensures that Canberra families will have access to a safe, supported and culturally appropriate birth experience for generations to come.”

    Planning for the new northside hospital and the standalone birth centre is continuing, with construction on the northside hospital to commence in this term of Government.  For more information visit: New northside hospital project – Built for CBR.

    – Statement ends –

    Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Shohini Sinha Named Assistant Director of the Victim Services Division

    Source: US FBI

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation has named Shohini Sinha as the assistant director of the Victim Services Division. Ms. Sinha most recently served as the special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City Field Office.

    Ms. Sinha joined the FBI as a special agent in 2001. She was first assigned to the Milwaukee Field Office, where she worked in counterterrorism investigations. She also served temporary assignments at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, the FBI Legal Attaché Office in London, and the Baghdad Operations Center.

    Ms. Sinha was promoted in 2009 to supervisory special agent and transferred to the Counterterrorism Division in Washington, D.C. She served as program manager of Canada-based extraterritorial investigations and facilitated liaison efforts with Washington-based Canadian liaison officers.

    In 2012, Ms. Sinha was promoted to assistant legal attaché in Ottawa, Canada, working counterterrorism matters in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. In 2015, she was promoted to field supervisor in the Detroit Field Office, where she led squads responsible for investigating international terrorism matters.

    In early 2020, Ms. Sinha transferred to the Cyber Intrusion squad, which worked both national security and criminal cyber intrusion matters. Later in 2020, she was promoted to assistant special agent in charge for national security matters, and later criminal matters, in the Portland Field Office.

    Ms. Sinha was selected to serve as the executive special assistant to the director in 2021. She has been serving as the special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City Field Office since July of 2023.

    Prior to her employment with the FBI, Ms. Sinha worked as a therapist and later as an administrator for a private, not-for-profit clinic. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Purdue University in Indiana.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Arkansas Man Arrested, Charged with Enticing a Minor in West Seneca

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Brayden Storey, 21, of West Fork, Arkansas, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with enticement of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on  June 13, 2024, the West Seneca Police Department received a report from a minor victim of an incident involving an individual that she met online. The victim said that Storey first contacted her on Instagram in September 2022, when she was 13 years-old and he was 19 years-old. He also communicated with the minor victim through the social media platform Discord and text message. Between September 2022, and September 2023, they talked about video games and anime shows. At times, Storey made sexual comments, but in October 2023, the sexual communications that Storey sent to the minor victim significantly increased. Storey sent the minor victim a nude image of himself and repeatedly asked her to send him sexually explicit images. Between October 2023, and March 2024, Storey and the minor victim exchanged sexually explicit images.

    In March 2024, the minor victim blocked Storey on all social media applications. As a result, he created another Instagram account to contact her. In April 2024, Storey called the minor victim approximately 50 times in a two-day span, but she did not answer the calls and blocked Storey’s phone number so that he could not contact her. In May 2024, Storey sent the minor victim a four-page letter in the mail at her residence, writing about his suicidal ideations and his desire to be in a relationship with her, regardless of their age difference. Along with the letter, Storey provided a lock of his hair. a search of the minor victim’s phone recovered nude images of Storey and child pornography.

    Storey made an initial appearance in the Western District of Arkansas and was detained. He will be returned to the Western District of New York at a later date.

    The complaint is the result of an investigation by the West Seneca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Cosgrove, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. Additional assistance was provided by the Little Rock Office of the FBI, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, the Arkansas State Police, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Arkansas.

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

    # # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Eastern European Organized Crime Leaders Convicted of Murder for Hire Targeting U.S.-Based Journalist on Behalf of Iranian Government

    Source: US FBI

    Iranian Government Hired Polad Omarov and Rafat Amirov to Kill Masih Alinejad in Exchange for $500,000

    A federal jury returned guilty verdicts yesterday on all five counts in the superseding indictment against Rafat Amirov, also known as Farkhaddin Mirzoev, Pᴎᴍ, and Rome, 46, of Iran; and Polad Omarov, also known as Araz Aliyev, Polad Qaqa, and Haci Qaqa, 40, of Georgia. The defendants were convicted of murder-for-hire and attempted murder in aid of racketeering charges, in a trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon. Amirov and Omarov are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 17.

    “The Iranian regime’s brazen plot to silence and murder Americans will not be tolerated,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This verdict underscores the Department’s commitment to finding and holding accountable those who threaten our citizens and our freedoms. With the great work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, we are now one step closer to justice.”

    “For years, the Government of Iran has attempted to silence an outspoken Iranian journalist, author, activist and critic of their regime through any means necessary, including harassment, violence, intimidation, and even attempted murder,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky for the Southern District of New York. “Chillingly, the plot to murder this Iranian dissident culminated over 6,000 miles from Iran, on U.S. soil, right here in New York, when a hitman with an AK-47 camped outside her home to kill her. I commend the career prosecutors of this office, and our law enforcement partners at the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division for their tireless work in bringing these defendants to justice. This verdict should send a clear message around the world: if you target U.S. citizens, we will find you, no matter where you are, and bring you to justice.”

    “The defendants participated in a brazen plot to kill an Iranian American dissident in New York who criticized the regime in Iran,” said Acting Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Thanks to the good work of the FBI and our partners their plan failed. This verdict demonstrates the FBI will not tolerate Iran’s attempts to threaten, silence, or harm American citizens.”

    According to court documents, Amirov and Omarov were high-ranking members of an Eastern European organized crime group (the Organization) who worked with other members of the Organization to attempt to kill Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Alinejad has previously been the target of plots by the Government of Iran to intimidate, harass, and kidnap her for her work as a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses around the world. As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Alinejad from within the U.S. for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence her criticism of the Iranian regime.

    After these brazen efforts to kidnap Alinejad from the U.S. failed, the IRGC turned to Amirov and Omarov to locate, surveil, and murder her. Beginning in approximately July 2022, Amirov sent targeting information—which he had received directly from IRGC officials in Iran—about Alinejad to Omarov. In turn, Omarov communicated this information to Khalid Mehdiyev, another member of the Organization who had been residing in Yonkers, New York, so that Mehdiyev could surveil Alinejad and murder her. In turn, Mehdiyev sent photographs and videos of Alinejad’s residence to Omarov, who shared these materials with Amirov and the IRGC officials who orchestrated the plot in Iran. Amirov and Omarov then arranged for a $30,000 cash payment to Mehdiyev, who used a portion of this payment to buy an AK-47 style assault rifle, two magazines, and at least 66 rounds of ammunition; as Mehdiyev boasted in electronic communications, a “war machine” he could use to kill Alinejad.

    In late July 2022, Mehdiyev repeatedly traveled to Alinejad’s neighborhood to surveil her. Mehdiyev sent reports of his surveillance to Omarov, who passed them to Amirov. On July 24, 2022, Mehdiyev reported to Omarov from Alinejad’s residence that he was “at the crime scene.” On July 27, 2022, Omarov told Amirov that Mehdiyev was ready to kill Alinejad, writing “this matter will be over today. I told them to make a birthday present for me. I pressured them, they will sleep there this night.”  On July 28, 2022, Mehdiyev sent Omarov a video taken from inside the car that Mehdiyev was driving with the assault rifle and a message reading “we are ready.” Amirov sent an image of the interior of Alinejad’s home to Omarov to be forwarded to Mehdiyev, writing “this is the house where she stays.”  As Omarov continued to update Amirov about Mehdiyev’s readiness, Amirov cautioned Omarov “let him keep the car clean.”  When Mehdiyev subsequently drove from where he was surveilling the residence, he was stopped after a traffic violation and, during a subsequent search of the vehicle, police officers found the assault rifle, 66 rounds of ammunition, approximately $1,100 in cash, and a black ski mask.

    After Mehdiyev was arrested and placed into custody, Omarov contacted Mehdiyev’s mother and threatened to kill her and her other son if she did not locate Mehdiyev.

    Amirov and Omarov were convicted on five counts: murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison (Count One); conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison (Count Two); conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison (Count Three); attempted murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison (Count Four); and possession and use of a firearm in connection with the attempted murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison (Count Five).

    The FBI New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force are investigating the case, with assistance from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department thanked the authorities in the Czech Republic for their assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and Matthew J.C. Hellman for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case with assistance from paralegal specialist Owen Foley and Trial Attorneys Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Marks 100 Years of Fingerprints and Criminal History Records

    Source: US FBI

    Director Wray joined past and present CJIS leaders, lawmakers, FBI staff, and dozens of retired fingerprint examiners at the July 10 event, which celebrated 100 years since the Bureau established its Identification Division on July 1, 1924. The new division consolidated 810,000 fingerprint files from the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, and the National Bureau of Criminal Identification, which had been the keeper of crime data for the International Association of Chiefs of Police since 1896.

    Wray described the history of fingerprint technology in investigations spanning a century.

    “I’m proud that we’ve maintained that focus on growing our capabilities, because there’s simply no other way to remain as effective as a law enforcement and intelligence agency when the threats are as dynamic and evolving as they are today,” Wray said. He also highlighted the introduction of new biometric modalities—like facial recognition, palm prints, and iris scans—as innovations that will help the FBI and its partners better carry out their missions into the future. NGI’s National Iris Service, for example, allows users like police and prison staff to enroll iris images without physical contact, linking a subject’s irises to their respective fingerprint records. “You want to talk about the textbook illustration of innovation,” Wray said. 

    To help mark the occasion, artifacts spanning the fingerprint repository’s century-long history were on display for visitors. Items included vintage fingerprint cards, magnifiers, and the colored pencils that fingerprint examiners have used for generations. And a gallery of images illustrated the progression of fingerprint technology—from taking impressions with ink rollers and paper cards to the digital mobile devices that many agencies use today.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Albuquerque Man Sentenced for Threatening and Stalking a Raleigh Woman He Met Online

    Source: US FBI

    NEW BERN, N.C. – An Albuquerque, New Mexico, man was sentenced Thursday to more than five years in prison (65 months) for defrauding Verizon Wireless, committing aggravated identity theft, and threatening and stalking a victim in Raleigh.  Robert Michael Glauner, 60, pleaded guilty to the charges on January 13, 2025.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, Glauner briefly met and communicated online with a Raleigh woman in September 2023.  When she rejected further attempts at communication, Glauner began stalking her. In order to find additional ways to reach her, Glauner drafted fake search warrants for her phone records and submitted them to Verizon Wireless.  In the search warrant, he claimed to be member of law enforcement and included a North Carolina Superior Court Judge’s name as authorizing the search. Verizon accepted the search warrants and provided Glauner with the requested information.  Glauner then called or texted the victim’s family, friends, and workplace in order to force her to speak to him.  When that ultimately failed, Glauner drove from Albuquerque to Raleigh, sending the victim threating messages along the way. Members of the Raleigh Police Department intercepted Glauner when he arrived in Raleigh and arrested him on November 6, 2023.  At the time of his arrest, Glauner was in possession of a knife, rope, and illegal narcotics.

    “Glauner’s exploitation of technology and posing as the police to harass and intimidate the victim in this case is incredibly serious behavior,” Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar said today.  “This case also demonstrates law enforcement’s commitment to vigorously pursue cyberstalking allegations, and I want to thank our partners at FBI and the Raleigh Police Department for their work, which brought Glauner to justice.”

    “Online dating is scary enough without someone refusing to take no for an answer.  Mr. Glauner took that to the extreme, pretending to be a law enforcement officer multiple times to track down the victim.  When someone’s response to rejection is so extreme it escalates to stalking, the FBI will step in to stop the offender and hold them accountable every time,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina. 

    Glauner pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud in connection with obtaining confidential phone records; three counts of aggravated identity theft; transmitting a threat; and stalking.

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick prosecuted the case.

    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-25-FL.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Okmulgee Resident Sentenced to Over 20 Years for Voluntary Manslaughter

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brett Wayne Pigeon, age 45, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 126 months in prison for one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country, and 120 months in prison for one count of Using, Carrying, Brandishing and Discharging a Firearm in Relation to a Crime of Violence.  The terms will be served consecutively.

    The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Okmulgee Police Department, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police Department.

    On January 6, 2025, Pigeon pleaded guilty to the charges.  According to investigators, on November 27, 2023, law enforcement responding to reports of shots fired discovered the victim deceased from apparent gunshots to the back, head, and hip.  Pigeon was identified as a suspect, and later admitted shooting the victim with a 12-gauge shotgun.    The crimes occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

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

    The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Pigeon 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 Patrick M. Flanigan and Rachel Geizura represented the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Adair County Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm Crime

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jimmy Darrell Porter Jr., age 40, of Westville, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Use, Carry, Brandish and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, punishable by a minimum of 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.00.

    The Indictment alleged that on August 4, 2024, Porter knowingly used, carried, brandished, and discharged a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

    The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the Westville Police Department.

    The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

    A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Porter will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ecuadorian National Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on April 23, 2025, Alvaro Andres Valarezo Sandoval, age 35, an Ecuadorian National residing in Miami, Florida, was sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 30 years’ imprisonment on two counts of production of child pornography.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Sandoval sexually exploited six Central Pennsylvania minors by deceiving and threatening them into creating and sending him explicit photos and videos between 2013 and 2019.  As part of the scheme, Valarezo Sandoval would often build a rapport with the minor victims by showing affection and then entice and encourage them to send images or videos of themselves that were sexually provocative and/or sexually explicit. If a minor attempted to cease the relationship, Valarezo Sandoval would extort them by threatening to post their explicit images online unless they complied with his demands to continue providing him with sexually explicit content.

    There were at least six victims in central Pennsylvania and at least 30 others worldwide. One victim gave an impassioned statement to the court explaining the devastating impact this crime had on her and her family.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera prosecuted the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Police Commissioner and Former Director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget Charged in Bribery Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    An indictment was unsealed today charging Ray Martinez, the former police commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), and Jenifer O’Neal, the former director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget, with participating in a bribery and money laundering conspiracy. Both defendants made their initial court appearances today in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

    According to court documents, Martinez, 56, and O’Neal, 53, both of St. Thomas, accepted bribes from a then-government contractor, David Whitaker. The indictment alleges that the scheme began in at least November 2022 and continued until June 2024, with O’Neal joining the scheme no later than January 2024. The defendants also allegedly conspired to launder proceeds from the bribery scheme through a monetary transaction to pay rent on O’Neal’s coffee shop. In exchange for the bribes paid by the government contractor, Martinez and O’Neal, among other official acts, allegedly agreed to approve fraudulently inflated invoices and assist with obtaining payment for those invoices by the Virgin Islands to Whitaker. Martinez also agreed to assist Whitaker in obtaining a $1.48 million contract to provide services to the VIPD in October 2023. Additionally, after the investigation was originally made public, Martinez allegedly obstructed the investigation by encouraging Whitaker to destroy evidence associated with Martinez’s criminal activity and produced falsified documents in response to a subpoena.

    Martinez and O’Neal are each charged with five counts of honest services wire fraud, which each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; one count of federal program bribery, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and one count of money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Martinez is also charged with two counts of obstruction of justice, which each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Delia Smith for the District of the Virgin Islands; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI San Juan Field Office, St. Thomas Resident Agency is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Alexandre Dempsey and Steve Loew of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Conley for the District of the Virgin Islands 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: New York Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Role in Kidnapping

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Queens, New York man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in a Paterson, New Jersey, kidnapping, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Reginald Law, 39, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with kidnapping and Hobbs Act robbery. 

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

    On October 8, 2020, Law and his conspirator, Maurice Cottman, entered a retail store in Paterson, where they accosted the victim, who was working in the store. Law and Cottman physically removed the victim from the store, then transported him in the back of a U-Haul truck from Paterson to New York.  Law admitted that during the kidnapping, he and Cottman called the victim’s family and demanded ransom for his return.  Law and Cottman also forced the victim to give them his debit card and pin number, which they used to withdraw money from his bank accounts.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Padin sentenced Law to five years of supervised release.

    Cottman previously pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to an Information charging him with one count of kidnapping. On March 29, 2022, Judge Chesler sentenced Cottman to 15 years in prison with five years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence.  He also thanked the FBI New York Field Office and the Paterson Police Department for their assistance.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit.

                                                               ###

    Defense counsel: Christopher L. Patella Esq., Bayonne, New Jersey

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona Man Receives 22-Year Prison Sentence for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of Child

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the prolonged sexual abuse of a minor over nearly a decade in the Navajo Nation.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, between May 16, 2009, and May 15, 2012, Cedric Martinez, 31, engaged in unlawful sexual contact with a minor victim, who was under the age of 12, at a residence in Upper Fruitland, New Mexico, within the Navajo Nation.

    Upon his release from prison, Martinez will be subject to fifteen years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

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

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Brittany DuChaussee and Meg Tomlinson are prosecuting the case. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Preventing Laser Strikes on Aircraft

    Source: US FBI

    Investigating Laser Strikes 

    The first federal laser law was enacted in 2012, when Congress passed it as part of the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration.  

    Before 2012, the Bureau pursued laser pointer investigations under a law forbidding “destruction of an aircraft,” which Gates likened to “trying to smash a square peg into the round hole.” 

    The 2012 federal statute makes it illegal for people to “knowingly” point a laser pointer’s beam “at an aircraft”—whether private, commercial, or military—or its flight path. Most importantly, it attaches consequences to this action: A monetary fine of up to $250,000 and/or a federal prison sentence of up to five years. On top of that, the FAA’s website notes that it “can impose civil penalties of up to $11,000” each time someone aims a laser beam at an aircraft. 

    “That suddenly gave us real teeth in enforcement,” Gates said of the statute. “It made shining a laser pointer at an aircraft a five-year maximum penalty felony, which is a really big deal.” 

    And, as Gates recalls, it paid off: He opened his first investigation into a laser strike violation within two months of the law’s implementation, which eventually resulted in a conviction. 

    According to the FAA, the profile of individuals responsible for laser strikes differs between different locations of the country. But when it comes to FBI investigations into such incidents, Gates said, “we’re looking for that person who’s intentionally tracking an aircraft, who does it over and over.” 

    He said that red flags for FBI investigators include: 

    • A laser beam that follows an aircraft as it moves 
    • A laser beam that keeps coming at an aircraft, even after its position has changed 
    • Clusters of laser strikes reports from aircraft traversing the same stretch of airspace 

    The FBI commonly catches laser strike offenders in collaboration with federal and local law enforcement partners, Gates explained. 

    The universally accepted procedure is that an air traffic controller notifies local law enforcement dispatch, who will then notify law enforcement air units and ground patrols, if available, the FAA said. 

    From there, if a local police helicopter deploys to the scene and gets lased, they can use technology like infrared cameras to pinpoint the exact location the laser beam came from.

    Helicopter crews can then reach out to their agencies for on-the-ground backup or call the FBI for assistance. An October 2022 laser strike against an Austin Police Department helicopter led to the arrest and conviction of two Texas men, Ventresca noted.  

    Bureau partnerships with local, state, and federal partners—as well as with commercial airlines—are key to ensuring that members of the aviation and law enforcement communities know how to seek the Bureau’s help in addressing laser strikes. This is especially important in states and municipalities that lack laser-strike laws of their own, since local or state authorities can ask the FBI to investigate incidents in those areas as federal crimes. 

    Help Us Protect the Skies 

    We’ve all likely mistaken an airplane for a star or other celestial body at least once in our lives. But pointing out a possible star with a laser could endanger the aircrew if your suspicion is wrong. For this reason, it’s best to keep your laser pointers out of the sky. 

    If you spot someone aiming a laser at the sky in a suspicious manner, you can report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or visiting tips.fbi.gov. You can also report laser strikes to the FAA. 

    You should contact the FBI immediately if you see someone playing with lasers near—or otherwise posing a threat to—an airport. 

    Finally, if you’re thinking of gifting a laser pointer to someone—especially if they’re a minor—educate them on the very real dangers of misusing these devices. 

    “If we can prevent one 15-year-old from ending up with federal or state charges or even the large fine, that’s a win,” Ventresca said. “If we can prevent one catastrophe, prevent one pilot from being blinded, that makes it worth it.” 

    Resources: 

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