NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ecuadorian Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan, aka Gato, an Ecuadorian national and high-level drug trafficker, pleaded guilty in federal court today to international drug trafficking charges following his extradition to San Diego January 26, 2024.

    Farfan had previously been designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 for materially contributing to the illicit activities of major Mexican cartels to traffic cocaine into the United States.

    Farfan pleaded guilty to a second superseding indictment returned by a federal frand jury on October 30, 2019. In his plea agreement, Farfan admitted that he led an extensive drug trafficking organization that distributed over 450 kilograms of cocaine in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and elsewhere, and that the cocaine was ultimately imported into and distributed within the United States. He also admitted that the organization bribed government officials and used firearms to further their drug trafficking activities.

    As part of his plea, Farfan also agreed to forfeit over $899,000 of U.S. currency.

    Farfan is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez on August 11, 2025, at 10 a.m.

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

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle B. Martin and Ashley E. Goff.

    DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 19CR1610-01-LL                             

    Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan, aka Gato                   Age: 44                               Ecuador

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    International Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 960, and 963

    Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Drug Enforcement Administration

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Final Defendant in Sexual Assault of a 14-Year-Old Girl Sentenced to Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Nasouh Albasis-Albasis, 27, of West Valley, Utah, was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment and a life term of supervised release after he and one of his co-defendants sexually assaulted a 14-year-old victim in the back of a vehicle, which was recorded and shared on social media in 2017.

    The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell, comes after Albasis-Albasis pleaded guilty on January 23, 2025, to charges involving child sexual abuse material. His co-defendants, Dodjim Leclaire, 32, of Murray, Utah, and his brother Richard Djasserambaye, 29, of Central Republic of Africa, living in Murray, Utah, at the time of the assault, were also sentenced. Leclaire was sentenced to 208 months’ imprisonment and Djasserambaye was sentenced to 181 months’ imprisonment. Both defendants were sentenced to a life term of supervised release.

    According to court documents and statements made at Albasis-Albasis’ change of plea and sentencing hearings, on September 9, 2017, Albasis-Albasis and his co-defendants Djasserambaye, and Leclaire used the 14-year-old victim to produce sexually explicit images. Specifically, Albasis-Albasis and Leclaire sexually assaulted the severely intoxicated and physically incapacitated minor while Djasserambaye video recorded the violent assaults. Djasserambaye then posted the video on social media. Albasis-Albasis further admitted he had video of the assaults of the victim on his cell phone.

    The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, West Jordan City Police Department, Salt Lake City Police Department, Sandy City Police Department and Syracuse City Police Department.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: III MEF Information Group Concludes Kaiju Rain 25, Strengthens Information Warfare Capabilities in Indo-Pacific

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, Japan — The III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group concluded Exercise Kaiju Rain 25 on May 12 with a closing ceremony, marking a significant step forward in advancing the Marine Corps’ operations across the information environment in the Indo-Pacific.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Joint Task Force Micronesia hosts first Change of Command ceremony; emphasizes regional peace, security

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    GUAM — Commander, Joint Task Force Micronesia U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Greg Huffman relinquished command to U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Josh Lasky during a change of command ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz Fitness Center in Dededo, Guam, May 15.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Chris Brown charged by the Metropolitan Police Service

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been charged following an investigation by detectives in the Metropolitan Police Service.

    Chris Brown, 36 (05.05.89), who is a US National, was charged on Thursday, 15 May with grievous bodily harm with intent.

    He remains in custody and will appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court at 10:00hrs on Friday, 16 May.

    The charge relates to an assault, which reportedly took place at a venue in Hanover Square in London, on Sunday, 19 February 2023.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Man in Arizona Wanted for Child Rape in Tennessee

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Memphis, TN – On May 14, 2025, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) in the Western District of Tennessee and the District of Arizona joined to arrest Jerry Scott, 35, for multiple sex-related crimes, including assaulting a minor.

    On November 17, 2021, Shelby County issued an arrest warrant for Jerry Scott for the offenses of Rape of a Child, Aggravated Sexual Battery, and Incest.

    On May 8, 2025, at the request of the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, the fugitive case was adopted by USMS Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) in Memphis.

    The fugitive investigation revealed that Scott was in Tucson, Arizona. The TRVFTF coordinated with the USMS Arizona Wanted Task Force, which operates in the Tucson area. On May 14, 2025, the Arizona Task Force located Scott in Tucson and arrested him without incident. At the time of this release, he awaits extradition to Shelby County, Tennessee.

    The U.S. Marshals Service Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is primarily composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, and Gibson County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured over 3,000 violent offenders and sexual predators.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Shasta County Man Pleads Guilty to Running a $35 Million Investment Fraud Scheme and Witness Tampering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Matthew Piercey, 48, of Palo Cedro, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, concealment money laundering, and witness tampering in connection with a $35 million investment fraud scheme, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. Piercey pleaded guilty without a written plea agreement to all 27 of the pending counts and the Court vacated the May 19, 2025, trial date.

    According to court documents, between July 2015 and August 2020, Piercey solicited investor funds by holding himself out as an investment advisor through his purported investment companies Family Wealth Legacy and Zolla. He made a variety of false and misleading statements to investors about the nature and success of trading algorithms, commissions and fees, investment strategies, the liquidity of investments, and the financial stability of Family Wealth Legacy and Zolla. For example, Piercey marketed the “Upvesting Fund,” an automated algorithmic trading fund that he falsely claimed had a history of success. He took money from numerous investors in this purported fund, but privately admitted to an associate that there was no Upvesting Fund.

    Running a Ponzi-like fraud scheme, Piercey used some investor money to make payments to other investors. As the scheme progressed, Piercey used a Redding-area chiropractor to conceal his continued operation of the investment fraud and take in new money.

    In total, Piercey paid back only approximately $8.8 million to investors of the approximately $35 million invested. He used the additional money for various business and personal expenses, including paying a criminal defense firm and buying two residential properties. Few, if any, liquid assets remained to repay investors.

    According to court documents, when Piercey learned he was under investigation, he took steps to dissuade investors and witnesses from responding to grand jury subpoenas. His actions caused several individuals to delay producing documents, while at the same time, he syphoned off nearly $775,000 from victim investors into a bank account he controlled.

    On Nov. 16, 2020, when law enforcement agents attempted to arrest Piercey, he fled from arrest and led agents on a vehicle chase through residential neighborhoods and onto the highway before abandoning his vehicle and entering Lake Shasta with an underwater submersible device. After about 20 minutes in the water, he emerged from the lake where he was arrested.

    After his arrest, Piercey used coded language to communicate with two individuals who visited him in jail. He directed these individuals to take actions with the contents of a U-Haul storage locker he had rented in Redding. A subsequent FBI search of the storage locker revealed that Piercey had rented the locker under a fictitious name, Chadwick Givens, using a fake California driver’s license. The locker contained, among other things, a wig and ₣31,000 in Swiss francs.

    “Investment fraud schemes like the one led by this defendant can devastate lives, retirements, and undo decades of planning by hard-working people simply looking for a trusted place to invest their money,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “Our office will continue to work with the FBI and our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who commit these frauds and who seek to tamper with the grand jury process.”

    “Many invested their life savings with Matthew Piercey’s companies, not knowing that the claim of guaranteed returns were the empty promises of a Ponzi scheme,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “The FBI agents, forensic accountants, and other specialized personnel work tirelessly to ensure those who exploit the trust of a hopeful public will face serious consequences.”

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Thuesen, Audrey B. Hemesath, Christopher S. Hales, and Kevin Khasigian are prosecuting the case.

    Piercey is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Sept. 4, 2025. Two other defendants who conspired with Piercey in the scheme are Ken Winton and Gary Klopfenstein. Winton pleaded guilty in December 2020 and Klopfenstein pleaded guilty in July 2024. Both Winton and Klopfenstein are scheduled for status conferences regarding sentencing on Aug. 21, 2025.

    Piercey faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, for each wire fraud and mail fraud count; 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each witness tampering count; and 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater, for each money laundering count. 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.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Suffolk County Jail Officer Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Quincy man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a scheme whereby he falsely claimed to sell repossessed vehicles as a law enforcement officer. Defendant claimed to be a Boston Police Detective, Massachusetts State Police Trooper and County Sheriff.

    Recardo S. Beale, 34, of Quincy, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Aug. 26, 2025. Beale was charged in March 2025.

    According to charging documents, Beale was an Officer for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department from approximately April 2021 to November 2021. Between approximately October 2023 and February 2024, Beale claimed to three individuals that as a law enforcement officer, he had access to repossessed vehicles that he could sell at a low price.

    At various times, Beale identified himself to these individuals as a Sheriff, a Boston Police Detective and/or a Massachusetts State Police Trooper. Beale did not, in fact, hold any of these positions when he made such representations. In reliance on Beale’s false representations, the individuals gave tens of thousands of dollars to Beale for the purported repossessed vehicles. Among the vehicles that Beale falsely promised to sell were a BMW, an Audi and a Mercedes. Beale never delivered any such vehicles as Beale did not have any such repossessed vehicles available for sale. On separate occasions, Beale met with two separate individuals at the Suffolk County House of Correction purportedly to show them repossessed vehicles. During one such meeting on Nov. 17, 2023, Beale met with an individual inside the House of Correction. Surveillance video showed Beale wearing a Suffolk County Correction Officer Academy hoodie, blue tactical pants like those worn by jail guards and black boots also similar to those worn by jail guards. Beale did not show any vehicles to the individual on Nov. 17, 2023, claiming that his superior, was also involved in the sale, and not available.  

    The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Office; and Kim Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Branch Office and John Mulcahy of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.   
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas woman sent to federal prison for transporting drugs into the United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAREDO, Texas – A 29-year-old San Antonio resident has been sentenced for the attempted importation of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Shania Nichele Ellis pleaded guilty Dec. 18, 2024.

    U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now ordered Ellis to serve 97 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony that detailed how Ellis knew she was going to Mexico to move narcotics for money. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Ellis made a terrible decision.

    On Aug. 25, 2024, Ellis drove from Mexico to the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge 1 in Laredo and entered the trusted traveler lane. Authorities subsequently referred her to secondary inspection after learning she was not enrolled in that program.

    There, they discovered a small access door on the rear liftgate which revealed several bundles of narcotics. A K9 also alerted to the vehicle’s doors where more bundles were hidden inside the panels.

    Law enforcement ultimately found a total of 44 bundles of methamphetamine, weighing 24.407 kilograms with a 97% purity level as well as two bundles of cocaine weighing 655.6 grams and one bundle of black heroin weighing 494.5 grams.

    The investigation revealed that a friend had attempted to recruit her via social media to transport the narcotics from Mexico to the United States. While visiting that friend in Monterrey, Mexico, her car went missing. It was returned the following day when she was told to leave.

    As part of her plea, she admitted she conspired with at least one other person to import narcotics across the border from Mexico into the United States.

    She has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Chicago-Area Tax Preparer for Allegedly Fabricating Credits, Expenses, and Deductions on Customer Returns

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Note: View the complaint here.

    The Justice Department filed a complaint in a federal court in Chicago today seeking to permanently bar tax preparer Stacy Thomas, of Orland Park, Illinois, individually and doing business as Rapid Tax Refunds LLC, Rapid Tax Refund Profs LLC, and Rapid Refunds Income Tax Service Inc., from preparing federal tax returns for others.

    The complaint alleges that Thomas and her businesses prepare and file false federal tax returns that understate her customers’ tax liabilities by claiming false residential energy credits, false Schedule C business expenses, and false charitable deductions. The government further alleges in the complaint that customers interviewed by the IRS confirmed that they never told Thomas they incurred the residential energy or business expenses or made the charitable contributions she reported on their income tax returns, and that Thomas claimed those items without their knowledge or consent.

    According to the complaint, the IRS estimates that by repeatedly understating their customers’ tax liabilities, Thomas and her businesses have caused the United States to lose nearly $13 million in tax revenue.

    The Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

    Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams, and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS warns taxpayers to avoid “ghost preparers” and lists other improper acts that tax preparers engage in to take advantage of their unsuspecting customers.

    In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Nashville Man on Probation Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm After Allegedly Shooting at Police

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NASHVILLE – Emmanuel Orr, 18, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.

    “We will not stand for violence against our citizens or our men and women in law enforcement,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Those convicted of violent offenses, and especially those on probation for such offenses, cannot possess firearms and put citizens and our police officers at risk. Our Operation Bond Watch program seeks to hold those who do accountable for their actions.”

    According to court documents, on April 30, 2025, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (“MNPD”) officers responded to a report of a shooting in Nashville. They discovered a victim who had been shot in the leg. The victim reported being shot by a man who was approximately 19 years old, had short black dreads, and was wearing a tan jacket and black jogging pants. The victim also reported that the shooter had pulled out a pistol, possibly a Ruger, and showed it to the victim. Shortly after suspect’s description was broadcast to other officers, an officer observed a young male with a shirt draped over his shoulder, wearing black pants, and having short black dreads walking west on Westchester near Dickerson Pike. The officer gave the suspect commands to show his hands and stop, but the man kept walking away and did not respond. The man then abruptly turned towards the marked police cruiser, raised a pistol with both hands, and fired two shots at officers before fleeing on foot, dropping the firearm as he ran away.

    The suspect fled into a nearby restaurant and hid in the bathroom, where he was subsequently taken into custody by officers without incident. The man identified himself as Orr, and after being advised of his rights, admitted to firing the firearm at the MNPD officer, but he refused to discuss the shooting victim. The victim later positively identified Orr from a photo lineup as the shooter.

    A Ruger model LC9S 9mm pistol was recovered from the area where Orr was seen dropping a firearm after shooting. MNPD also recovered a spent 9mm shell casing and an intact 9mm round in the area where the victim reported being shot.

    Just over ninety days ago, on February 6, 2025, Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk records show that Orr was convicted of Reckless Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and received a two-year sentence that was suspended to probation.

    If convicted, Orr faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

    This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Hinkle is prosecuting the case.

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

    A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    # # # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Additional 12 Defendants Charged in RICO Conspiracy for over $263 Million Cryptocurrency Thefts, Money Laundering, Home Break-Ins

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON – A four-count superseding indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court, charges 12 additional people – Americans and foreign nationals – for allegedly participating in a cyber-enabled racketeering conspiracy throughout the United States and abroad that netted them more than $263 million. Several were arrested this week in California, while two remain abroad and are believed to be living in Dubai.

    The superseding indictment and the arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Field Office.

    The defendants, listed below, face charges that include RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. The superseding indictment adds charges originally brought against Malone Lam on Sept. 19, 2024.

    According to the superseding indictment, the enterprise began no later than October 2023 and continued through March 2025. It grew from friendships developed on online gaming platforms.

    Members of the enterprise held different responsibilities. The various roles included database hackers, organizers, target identifiers, callers, money launderers, and residential burglars targeting hardware virtual currency wallets.

    Database hackers hacked websites and servers to obtain cryptocurrency-related databases or purchased databases on the darkweb. Organizers and target identifiers organized and collated information across the databases to determine the most valuable targets. Callers cold-called victims and used social engineering to convince them their accounts were the subject of cyberattacks and the enterprise callers were attempting to help secure their accounts. Money launderers received the stolen crypto currency and turned it into fiat U.S. currency in the form of bulk cash or wire transfers.

    According to the indictment, members and associates of the enterprise used the stolen virtual currency to purchase, among other things, nightclub services ranging up to $500,000 per evening, luxury handbags valued in the tens of thousands of dollars that were given away at nightclub parties, luxury watches valued between $100,000 and $500,000, luxury clothing valued in the tens of thousands of dollars, rental homes in Los Angeles, the Hamptons, and Miami, private jet rentals, a team of private security guards, and a fleet of at least 28 exotic cars ranging in value from $100,000 to $3.8 million.

    According to the indictment, members of the enterprise laundered stolen cryptocurrency proceeds by moving the funds through various mixers and exchanges using “peel chains,” pass-through wallets, and virtual private networks to mask their true identities. 

    The indictment alleges that in one instance on Aug. 18, 2024, Malone Lam and contacted a victim in D.C. and, through the communications with that victim, fraudulently obtained over 4,100 Bitcoin — worth over $230 million at the time. In another instance in July 2024, Malone Lam and others are accused of stealing over $14 million in cryptocurrency from an additional victim.

    The indictment alleges that members of the enterprise also committed home break-ins. As alleged in the Indictment, Marlon Ferro traveled to New Mexico in July 2024 and broke into a victim’s home to steal their hardware virtual currency wallet while Lam monitored the victim’s location by logging into his iCloud account.

    The superseding indictment also alleges that the enterprise engaged in significant money laundering activity. Kunal Mehta, Hamza Doost, Joel Cortez, and Evan Tangeman are alleged to have engaged in unlicensed crypto-to-cash services for the enterprise, obtained luxury rental homes for members of the enterprise using fake identity documents, booked private jet travel with stolen cryptocurrency for the enterprise, concealed ownership of exotic cars by registering them in shell company names, and shipped bulk cash through US mail to members of the enterprise hidden in squishmallow stuffed animals.

    Following his arrest in September 2024 and continuing while in pretrial detention, Lam is alleged to have continued working with members of the enterprise to pass and receive directions, collect stolen cryptocurrency, and to have enterprise members buy luxury Hermes Birkin bags and hand deliver them to his girlfriend in Miami, Florida.

    This ongoing investigation is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office. Significant investigative and operational support was provided by the FBI’s Los Angeles and Miami field offices.

    The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, Acting Deputy Chief of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

    If found guilty, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

    Defendants

    NAME, AGE, & ALLEGED ROLE AKAs HOMETOWN CHARGES
    Malone Lam, 20, Social Engineering, Organizer “King Greavys,” “$$$,” “7,” “Kg,” “Anne Hathaway”

    Miami, Florida,

    Los Angeles, Calif.,

    Singapore

    		 RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments
    Marlon Ferro, 19, Money Laundering, Residential Burglary “Marlo,” “GothFerrari” Santa Ana, California RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments
    Hamza Doost, 21, Money Laundering “Scyllia” Hayward, California RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments
    Conor Flansburg, 21,   Database Hacker, Caller, and Organizer “O O,” “Green Room,” “@d0uu0b” Newport Beach, California RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
    Kunal Mehta, 45, Money Laundering “Papa,” “The Accountant,” “Shrek,” “Neil” Irvine, California RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments
    Ethan Yarally, 18, Caller “Rand,” “15%” Richmond Hill, New York RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
    Cody Demirtas, 19, Caller “KO,” “Kody” Stuart, Florida RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
    Aakash Anand, 22, Caller, Money Laundering “Light,” “Dark” New Zealand RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments
    Evan Tangeman, 21, Money Laundering “E,” “Tate,” “Evan | Exchanger” Newport Beach, California RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments
    Joel Cortes, 21, Money Laundering “J” Laguna Niguel, California RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments
    First Name Unknown-1 , Last Name Unknown-1, Database Hacker “Chen,” “Squiggly” Unknown RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments
    First Name Unknown-2 , Last Name Unknown-2, Database Hacker “Danny” “Meech” Unknown RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments
    John Tucker Desmond, 19, Destroyed Evidence

    –

    		 Huntington Beach, California Obstruction of Justice

    24cr417

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Steven Lee, 38, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking in federal court. 

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

    According to the guilty plea, on April 17, 2024, Lee and co-conspirator Cedrick Brinkley agreed to sell firearms to an ATF undercover agent. The undercover agent explained that the purpose of buying the firearms was to resell to an individual in New Jersey. Additionally, on April 17, law enforcement observed Brinkley and Lee sitting in a vehicle at the location where they planned to meet the undercover agent. Brinkley exited his vehicle, met with the undercover agent, and exchanged five 9-millimeter pistols for $6,100.

    On April 24, 2024, Brinkley and Lee arranged to sell additional firearms to the undercover agent. Prior to the transaction, law enforcement observed Brinkley and Lee meeting in a public parking lot. Brinkley retrieved a black bag from Lee’s vehicle, re-entered his vehicle, and then drove to the meeting location. Lee did not physically attend the meeting with the undercover agent.

    At the meeting with the undercover agent, Brinkley brought the black bag, removed five firearms from the bag, and handed them to the undercover agent. The undercover agent wanted to negotiate a better price, so Brinkley called Lee on speakerphone to discuss prices with the agent directly. During the call, Lee described the firearms in detail, including one of the firearms that had a machinegun conversion device affixed to it.

    The undercover agent reiterated to Brinkley and Lee that the purpose of buying the firearms was to resell them for profit. Then the undercover agent paid Brinkley $7,800 for five firearms, which included pistols of various calibers; one of which had a machinegun conversion device attached to it. In total, the coconspirators sold 10 firearms to the undercover agent; three of them were previously reported stolen.

    On July 2, 2024, authorities executed a search warrant for Lee’s Baltimore residence. During the search, law enforcement recovered a Taurus PT709 pistol loaded with six rounds of ammunition from Lee’s bedside table. Law enforcement also recovered additional ammunition from Lee’s residence and vehicle. Due to a previous felony conviction, Lee is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

    Lee faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, August 19, at 10 a.m. Brinkley’s trial date is pending.

    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.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF for its work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James O’Donohue who is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Foreign Nationals Arrested in Vermont Border-Crossing Event

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on May 13, 2025, Emmanuel Pierre Andre Irene, 26, and Erika Brezault, 23, citizens of Haiti, were arrested by the United States Border Patrol in the town of Troy, Vermont. Both were charged by criminal complaints—Irene with illegally entering the United States as an alien, and Brezault with transporting Irene in furtherance of his illegal entry. Irene and Brezault both appeared on May 14, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Brezault be released on conditions of pretrial supervision pending further proceedings. Judge Doyle accepted Irene’s plea of guilty to illegal entry and sentenced Irene to a time-served sentence.

    According to court records, around 1:00 am on May 13, 2025, one individual was observed walking south in Canada on a road that reaches the United States border; later, at approximately 3:30 am, one individual was observed walking south in the United States in an area close to that Canadian road, approximately a half-mile south of the international border. U.S. Border Patrol agents and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents responded to the scene to search for the suspected illegal entrant in the area of Mud Creek, approximately two miles east of the village of North Troy, Vermont. At approximately 9:23 am, an HSI agent made contact with a Massachusetts-plated vehicle that had been pulled over to the side of Bear Mountain Road, and he spoke with the two occupants. The driver was later identified as Brezault, and the passenger was later identified as Irene. They told the agent they were from Haiti and were now living in Worchester, Massachusetts. A uniformed Border Patrol agent joined the HSI agent, and they spoke with Brezault and Irene, who both claimed to have Temporary Protected Status in the United States. After an agent pointed out Irene’s wet, muddy clothing and informing them of the camera images of the male subject approaching and then being south of the international border, Irene admitted to entering the United States from Canada by walking through the woods. Brezault also admitted to picking up Irene after he crossed into the United States. Both defendants were detained and later charged with the respective offenses.

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

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.

    The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Lasher. Brezault is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon, and Irene was represented by Karen Shingler, Esq.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Missouri Woman Admits International Embezzlement that Cost Employer $3.8 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – A Missouri woman on Thursday admitted embezzling at least $3.8 million from her employer with the help of co-conspirators in China.

    Bridget Thebeau, 45, of St. Charles County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to five counts of wire fraud. She admitted embezzling from her employer from roughly January 2015 to March 2024 via more than 200 fraudulent purchase orders. Thebeau struck a deal with some of her employer’s suppliers in China in which she caused the company to pay the suppliers for products that the company did not need and never received. In exchange, Thebeau’s co-conspirators in China shared the proceeds of the scam with her. Thebeau tried to hide her crime with fraudulent shipping labels and fraudulent bills of lading issued by the China-based suppliers, fraudulent invoices that she created and claimed she had issued to the company’s customers and false information she supplied to the company’s owner and accountants.

    Ultimately, Thebeau triggered fraudulent payments of at least $3,821,152 to the company’s China-based suppliers, and in return her co-conspirators wired her more than $2 million.

    Thebeau was hired in 2002 by the family-owned company. Her crime resulted in substantial financial hardship to the company’s owner, who is no longer able to retire due to her embezzlement, the plea agreement says.

    Thebeau is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 11, 2025. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine.

    The U.S. Secret Service and the Chesterfield Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis County Man Admits Seeking Nude Pictures from Children Online

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Thursday admitted soliciting nude images of children that he’d approached online, and receiving images of one 12-year-old victim.

    Alsaphone Hunt, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of distribution of child pornography.

    Hunt initiated communications with an 8-year-old girl in Maryland via Facebook Messenger in February of 2021. After an initial exchange of messages, the girl’s mother took over the phone. Hunt asked if the girl wanted to “see something that you like to see on a boy.” He asked to see her genitals, and then sent a photo of his. The mother stopped responding and contacted local police after Hunt sent images containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Police officers identified Hunt and forwarded their findings to the St. Louis County Police Department.

    On March 1, 2021, a St. Louis County Police Department detective pretending to be a 10-year-old girl “friended” Hunt on Facebook. Hunt then contacted the detective via Facebook Messenger. Hunt became increasingly sexually explicit and sent CSAM and photos of male genitals. On March 5, 2021, police arrested Hunt at the fast-food restaurant where he worked. He admitted sending CSAM and a picture of his genitals and allowed investigators to search the phone he’d been using to communicate with the 8-year-old and the detective.

    A search of the phone revealed the presence of 65 video files and 165 image files containing CSAM as well as 55 image files containing child erotica. Investigators also learned that Hunt had coerced or enticed a 12-year-old into sending him CSAM that she produced.

    Hunt is scheduled to be sentenced on August 21. Both the U.S. Attorney’s office and Hunt’s lawyers have agreed to recommend 15 years in prison.

    The St. Louis County Police Department, the Montgomery County (Maryland) Department of Police, the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Oakhurst Man Charged with Stalking Fresno Woman

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Preston Nelson-Kestner, 21, of Oakhurst, charging him with stalking, distribution and possession of images of child sexual exploitation, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, between October 2023, and Feb. 13, 2024, Nelson-Kestner used social media applications including OnlyFans, Instagram, and TikTok to engage in a course of conduct that caused, attempted to cause, and would be reasonably expected to cause substantial emotional distress to an adult victim in Fresno. Nelson-Kestner used the social media apps to send threatening messages to the victim and sent videos and images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department with assistance from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office and the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa is prosecuting the case.

    If convicted, Nelson-Kestner faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for stalking, a minimum of five years in prison up to 20 years in prison for distribution and a 10-year maximum sentence for possession of images of child sexual exploitation. Any sentence, however, would 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Laotian National Arrested for Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon and Possessing a Firearm as an Illegal Alien

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CONCORD – A convicted felon from Laos was arrested this morning for the unlawful possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

    Vongpasith Khamvongsa, 45, a Laotian national unlawfully residing in Somersworth, was indicted on charges of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  He appeared in federal court today.

    The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Somersworth Police Department led the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

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

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Tulsa Resident Pleads Guilty To Theft In Indian Country

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tommy Allen Winkler, age 37, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information of one count of Theft in Indian Country.

    The Information alleged that on November 16, 2022, and continuing until June 14, 2024, Winkler took and carried away, with intent to steal and purloin, money and personal property of three victims with a value exceeding $1,000.00.

    The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    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.

    Winkler was released on bond pending sentencing.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Nashville Man Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud Fresno County

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Jafaar September Nyangoro, 52, of Franklin, Tennessee, and Peter Bah Acha, 45 of Berlin, Germany, charging them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud Fresno County, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, sometime before Sept. 14, 2020, Nyangoro, Acha, and others secretly gained control of an email account used by the finance director of a Fresno nonprofit to submit fraudulent invoices to Fresno County for payment through Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions. Posing as the finance director, they fraudulently represented to the County of Fresno that the nonprofit’s bank account information had changed and that payments should be sent to an account at a different bank that Nyangoro had recently opened. The County of Fresno updated the nonprofit’s bank account information accordingly.

    According to court documents, between Sept. 24, 2020, and Oct. 13, 2020, the County of Fresno initiated several ACH transfers totaling over $1.5 million to Nyangoro’s bank account instead of the nonprofit’s bank account. At times, Nyangoro, Acha, and others communicated with each other through various means, including WhatsApp. For example, on Oct. 16, 2020, after Regions Bank reversed some of the ACH transfers for suspected fraud, Nyangoro sent a WhatsApp message: “We’re in deep s***. The last 3 transactions from County of Fresno have been reversed. Please call me ASAP!”

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa is prosecuting the case.

    Nyangoro was ordered detained by a magistrate judge in Nashville on May 14, 2025, and will make an appearance in Fresno at a later date.

    If convicted, Nyangoro and Acha face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Any sentence, however, would 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Michigan Man Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Production and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

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

    Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Daniel Augustine Solis, age, 33, to 40 years in federal prison for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material.  Judge Rice also imposed a lifetime of supervised release and restitution of $615.00

    Judge Rice presided over a criminal trial for Solis, which began November 4, 2024. On the second day of trial, Solis pleaded guilty after the United States presented evidence of a text conversation between Solis and his co-defendant regarding the sexual abuse of a child.

    According to court documents and information presented at the trial and sentencing hearing, in the fall of 2019, Solis lived with his girlfriend in Eastern Washington. Solis was abusive and manipulative, which included monitoring his girlfriend’s actions through logging on to her social media and various phone applications.

    Solis eventually moved to Michigan, where he continued his pattern of manipulation. In attempt to appease Solis, his girlfriend agreed to create sexually explicit videos involving a minor child and send them to Solis.

    In February 2020, Solis became angry when he learned that his girlfriend told her mother Solis had access to the family cell phone plan. For the next several hours, Solis threatened to report his girlfriend to police based on the previously created videos, unless she created more explicit videos involving the minor child. Solis gave her specific instructions regarding the content and time length for the videos.

    After the creation of the videos, the two continued texting. At some point, Solis again became upset with his girlfriend. This time, instead of demanding another video, Solis logged into his girlfriend’s phone account, using the name and password he used to monitor her activity, and sent the explicit videos to his girlfriend’s co-workers and friends.

    “Daniel Solis committed acts of unimaginable cruelty and exploitation,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Rich Barker. “His manipulation and abuse caused profound harm, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of those crimes. The Department of Justice remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in our communities—our children—and to holding predators accountable wherever they are found.”

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

    This case was investigated by the FBI, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kalamazoo Township Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alison L. Gregoire and Rebecca R. Perez with assistance from the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office. 

    2:20-cr-00179-TOR

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Six Illegal Aliens Charged For Brutal Murder Of South Carolina Mother in Random Attempted Robbery

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    LANCASTER, SC – Local authorities have charged six illegal aliens, between the ages of 13 and 21, with the random murder of a South Carolina mother of two, Larisha Sharell Thompson. They have also been charged with burglary and attempted armed robbery.

    The six illegal aliens allegedly pulled up alongside Thompson, fatally shot her and attempted to enter her vehicle. Not only did these individuals allegedly murder this innocent mother, but they are also accused of attempting to rob a convenience store. 

    Photo: Lancaster Sherriff’s Office

    On May 12, local authorities announced the arrests of six illegal aliens from Honduras including Asael Torres-Chirinos, Jarby Ramos-Ardon, Jeyson Salgado-Pineda, and three juveniles, ages 13, 14 and 15, for the murder of Thompson and the convenience store burglary.

    Torres-Chino was previously arrested in 2023 for domestic violence.  

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed detainers on all six criminal illegal aliens as they await criminal prosecution in South Carolina. 

    Statement Attributable to Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin: 

    “Larisha Sharell Thompson’s life was tragically taken by criminal illegal aliens. She was a mother who was driving to a friend’s house when her life was brutally taken by these criminal aliens who should have never been in our country. President Trump and Secretary Noem will always fight for the victims of illegal alien crime and their families. The safety of American citizens comes first.” 

    Secretary Noem relaunched the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office. The VOICE office was shuttered by the previous administration, which left victims of alien crime without access to many key support services and resources. The office was first launched in 2017 by the Trump administration as a dedicated resource for those who have been victimized by crime that has a nexus to immigration. 

    If you or a loved one has been impacted by a crime committed by an illegal alien, you are not alone. Call 1-855-48-VOICE (1-855-488-6423). 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Men Sentenced for Real Estate and Tax Fraud

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Two men were sentenced to prison today for a wire and tax fraud scheme to obtain title to a $1.3 million home in Roanoke County, Virginia. Herman Estes Jr. of Fieldale Virginia was sentenced to 84 months in prison; his co-conspirator Daniel Heggins of Charlotte, North Carolina was sentenced to 24 months in prison.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Herman Estes filed a false amended income tax return for 2021 claiming he was entitled to a refund of $18.3 million. In March 2023, Estes made a $1.3 million cash offer for a property on Old Mill Plantation Road in Roanoke County. To legitimize this offer, Estes provided the parties to the transaction with a proof of funds letter that Estes created using an online form. Estes also provided the real estate agent with Heggins’ contact information and claimed Heggins was his trust manager with authority to approve the cash offer. When the real estate agent contacted Heggins, Heggins purported to approve Estes’s use of his trust funds to purchase the house.

    As payment for the property, Estes tendered a fraudulent cashier’s check in the amount of $1,307,199.43 signed by him and purportedly drawn off a Federal Reserve Bank. Funds in that amount were debited to the settlement company’s trust account before the check was flagged as fraudulent.

    In March 2023, Estes filed another false tax return claiming he was entitled to a $2.9 million refund.

    In addition to the terms of imprisonment, Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth K. Dillon for the Western District of Virginia ordered Estes to serve three years of supervised release and Heggins to serve three years of supervised release.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee for the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Andrew Ascencio of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Brett for the Western District of Virginia prosecuted the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Johnson for the Western District of Virginia assisted in the investigation and prosecution.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former West Virginia Supervisory Correctional Officer Sentenced to more than 17 Years in Prison on Conspiracy and Obstruction Charges

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in covering up an assault by correctional officers that resulted in the death of inmate Quantez Burks on March 1, 2022. Lester, 35, of Odd, WV, was sentenced to 210 months in prison.

    On January 27, a federal jury convicted defendant Lester on three felony obstruction of justice charges, including conspiracy to tamper with witnesses; witness tampering; and giving false statements. As part of these efforts to cover up the fatal assault other officers committed, the defendant threatened subordinate officers with violence and retaliation, added false statements to multiple officers’ reports, instructed officers to give a false cover story to investigators, and personally gave false statements to internal investigators. The evidence showed that the defendant also provided false information relating to the assault of Burks during a voluntary interview with FBI agents.

    Seven correctional officers pleaded guilty in connection with the assault of Burks; several of those former officers testified against Lester during the trial. In November 2024, Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks, resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 16, 2025. On August 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Burks’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 9.

    Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. Andrew Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk on July 14.

    On May 8, U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to serve 108 months in prison.

    “This defendant wrongfully decided to obstruct an investigation into a fatal assault of an inmate,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I am proud of the Criminal Section within the Civil Rights Division and their counterparts in the Southern District of West Virginia for their work on this case.”

    “On the defendant’s watch, correctional officers killed an inmate, and the defendant conspired with them to cover up their crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virgina. “The defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system he had sworn to uphold.”

    The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case.

    Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of Prolific Guatemalan Drug Trafficking Organization and Guatemalan Politician Who Supplied Tons of Cocaine to the Sinaloa Cartel Presented in U.S. District Court

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Today, Freddy Arnoldo Salazar Flores of Guatemala, a representative of the Central American Parliament, made his initial appearance in federal court in the District of Columbia. Salazar Flores voluntarily returned from abroad to the United States on May 14. On May 12, Salazar Flores’s alleged co-conspirator and father-in-law, Aler Baldomero Samayoa-Recinos, also known as “Chicharra,” of Guatemala, made his initial appearance. Samayoa-Recinos was arrested in Mexico in March 2025 and extradited from Guatemala to the District of Columbia on May 9.

    In May 2017, Salazar Flores, 41, was indicted on one count of conspiring with others between 2010 and 2017 to import more than five kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. Samayoa-Recinos, 58, was charged separately in August 2018. The indictments charging Salazar Flores and Samayoa-Recinos were unsealed in March 2022.

    According to court documents, Salazar Flores, Samayoa-Recinos, and their drug trafficking organization, known as Los Huistas, acted as a critical link in the illicit supply chain of cocaine from South America to Mexican cartels, and ultimately into the United States. Salazar Flores and Samayoa-Recinos allegedly controlled and operated a sophisticated transportation network within Guatemala—including warehouses, trucking routes, and properties on the Guatemala-Mexico border—to transport cocaine from Guatemala to the Sinaloa Cartel, recently designated a foreign terrorist organization, and other Mexican cartels. As alleged, Salazar Flores received tonnage quantities of cocaine at his warehouses in Guatemala City, and his workers transported the cocaine through farms belonging to Samayoa-Recinos to Mexico for importation into the United States. Between 2010 and 2014, the defendants allegedly received and transported approximately 50 metric tons of cocaine into Mexico for further distribution into the United States. In April 2014, Honduran authorities seized 743 kilograms of cocaine that were allegedly to be sent to the defendants for further transportation.

    In March 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed financial sanctions on Salazar Flores, Samayoa-Recinos, and other members of Los Huistas.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Acting Administrator Robert J. Murphy of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement.

    The DEA Bilateral Investigation Unit and DEA Guatemala Country Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Marshals Service, and INTERPOL Washington provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Samayoa-Recinos to the United States. The Department of Justice thanks Guatemalan law enforcement for their invaluable support of this case.

    Trial Attorneys Doug Meisel and Ligia Markman of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    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: Thirty Gang Members and Associates Indicted on Racketeering, Murder, Drug Trafficking, Fraud, and Firearm Charges

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    An eight-count indictment was unsealed in the Southern District of Georgia charging 30 defendants – all alleged Sex Money Murder (SMM) gang members and associates – with crimes including racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and related firearm and drug trafficking crimes.

    According to court documents and statements in court, SMM members and associates engaged in extreme violence to retaliate against fellow members for perceived violations of gang rules. For example, SMM members killed one member who wanted to leave the gang and attempted to kill another by repeatedly stabbing him for alleged homosexual activities while in jail. SMM members profited from trafficking large amounts of deadly drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin, throughout the Savannah metropolitan area. They also made money participating in sophisticated fraud schemes targeting federal COVID-19 relief and unemployment benefit programs that resulted in intended losses of over $850,000.

    “As alleged, the Sex Money Murder gang, a derivative of the nationally known Bloods gang, brutally enforced its purported rules, killing a 19-year-old member, and engaged in rampant drug trafficking and federal program fraud to enrich themselves,” said Matthew Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will not rest until every criminal organization like SMM that wreaks havoc on our streets and prison systems and exploits programs meant to support vulnerable populations are dismantled. Thank you to every federal, state, and local law enforcement agency that came together to dismantle this criminal enterprise.”

    “Today’s indictment is an important step in ending gang violence on our streets and in our prisons,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons for the Southern District of Georgia. “My office will continuously work with our law enforcement partners to ensure public safety.”

    “The violence and crime this gang committed across our region contributed to an epidemic in our nation.” said Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown of the FBI Atlanta Field Office. “Our hearts go out to the victims and their families who suffer because of this gangs’ activities. The FBI works with our law enforcement partners every day to crush violent crime in Georgia and our nation.”

    “This case demonstrates the relentless coordination and commitment among our law enforcement partners to dismantle violent criminal enterprises like Sex Money Murder,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). “ATF is proud to have played a critical role in targeting the illegal firearms and narcotics trafficking that fueled this gang’s deadly reach both inside and outside prison walls.” 

    “This indictment represents a significant step forward in our continued efforts to dismantle violent criminal enterprises operating within Georgia communities and correctional facilities,” said Director Chris Hosey of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). “The GBI remains committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to hold gang members accountable and protect the safety and wellbeing of all Georgians.”

    “The use of contraband cell phones as a tool to carry out gang activity and other crimes from behind prison walls will not be tolerated and we are proud of our Agents for their role in assisting our law enforcement partners in stopping these individuals from jeopardizing the safety of the public and the operations of our facilities,” said Commissioner Tyrone Oliver of the Georgia Department of Corrections. “This indictment is a great example of partnerships at every level, ensuring the job of public safety remains paramount.”

    According to court documents, on Feb. 24, 2020, Byron Hopkins and other SMM members intercepted a young victim a few hours after he stepped off his school bus. They drove him to a rural residential neighborhood where Hopkins shot him to death. The victim had reportedly expressed a desire to leave the gang after accusing Hopkins of having sexual relations with a minor female who became pregnant. To lure the victim, his, “big brother” in the gang – a person he trusted – sent him a text message claiming there was an important gang meeting he needed to attend. Believing this, the victim willingly got into the vehicle, unaware he was being taken to the site of his execution. This is just one example of SMM’s deadly violence against a member that questioned authority or violated gang rules.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, SMM is a subset of The Bloods gang, which originated in Los Angeles in the early 1970s. The SMM subset has spread from the Bronx and New York to areas across the East Coast, including Georgia, where it operates inside and outside prisons and jails. The indictment alleges an extensive criminal enterprise in which SMM members, including inmates within the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDOC), orchestrated numerous crimes, including murders, attempted murders, attempted robberies, drug trafficking within and outside of GDOC facilities, and wire and bank fraud. Seven of the defendants allegedly committed or ordered the charged crimes from prison.

    If convicted, the defendants face penalties including up to life in prison or death for the murder in aid of racketeering and using a firearm in the commission of a murder; up to life in prison for the racketeering conspiracy and drug conspiracy; up to 30 years for the wire fraud conspiracy; and up to 20 years for the conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Georgia Department of Corrections are investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Georgia State Patrol, Hinesville Police Department, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, Chatham County Police Department, Chatham Couty Counternarcotics Team, Savannah Police Department, McRae-Helena Police Department, Police Department, DeKalb Police Department, Brunswick Police Department, and Richmond Hill Police Department.

    Trial Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Pennington III for the Southern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.

    The indictment is a result of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations. The OCDETF mission is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task force approach. OCDETF synchronizes and incentivizes prosecutors and agents to lead smart, creative investigations targeting the command-and-control networks of organized criminal groups and the illicit financiers that support them. Additional information about the OCDETF Program may be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    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: Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Defrauding United States Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security Administration

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Greenbelt, Maryland – Marvin Deboulet, 51, of Catonsville, Maryland, pled guilty to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain Veterans Affairs and Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits in federal court.  

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge Nate Landkrammer, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of the Inspector General (VA-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Colleen Lawlor, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division. 

    According to the guilty plea, Deboulet enlisted in the U.S. Army in February 2010, and officially entered duty for basic training, on May 5, 2010. Then on December 2, 2010, Deboulet went absent without official leave of duty (AWOL) from military service.

    On June 6, 2011, Deboulet was charged by summary court martial with a period of desertion ending on March 22, 2011. The U.S. Army formally discharged Deboulet “under conditions other than honorable” on November 18, 2011. Prior to and after 2010, Deboulet never served in any branch of the U.S. military.

    In June 2012, Deboulet sought care from a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center in Loma Linda, California. On his application for treatment, Deboulet indicated that he was discharged honorably and checked a box stating that he was a purple heart recipient.

    Additionally, Deboulet submitted documents falsely claiming that he served in the U.S. Marine Corps and suffered combat-related mental and physical injuries during military service from 2003 and 2005. Deboulet also falsely stated that he was the sole survivor of a Humvee bombing in Kosovo. As a result of Deboulet’s misrepresentations, the VA provided Deboulet with medical care and associated costs that he was not entitled to.

    Then, in October 2014, Deboulet sought SSA benefits in Hagerstown, Maryland. Deboulet again provided false information, specifically that he served in the U.S. Marine Corps from February 26, 1994, until November 23, 2005. Based on its rules as of June 2012, the SSA determined Deboulet was disabled based on information he provided, and a pending claim that he referenced with a VA medical facility.

    As a result of its findings, the SSA awarded Deboulet and his son benefits. Deboulet fraudulently received $143,128.27 in benefit funds that he was not entitled to.

    Deboulet faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for wire fraud. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the VA-OIG and SSA-OIG for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: South Florida Tax Preparer, Two Others Charged with Conspiring to Defraud Covid-19 Relief Program

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    MIAMI –The last of three defendants made his initial appearance in Miami federal court yesterday to face an indictment charging the men with conspiracy to commit wire fraud while scheming to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.

    PPP loans were intended to provide economic relief to small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the allegations in the indictment, between May 2020 and March 2021, Guillermo Lopez Carrazana, Christian Mendoza, and Max Alberto Mera Ulloa, all residents of Miami-Dade County, conspired to submit over 165 false and fraudulent PPP loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which administered the emergency relief program under the CARES Act. The PPP was designed to help businesses maintain payroll and cover essential expenses during the pandemic. It is alleged that the defendants received $6.5 million in COVID relief money through the fraud.  

    It is alleged that Carrazana, Mendoza (a tax preparer) and Ulloa owned and operated various businesses, including G LUX LLC, Global Tax & Accounting Group Corp, CM Logistics Systems LLC and Max Mera Corporation. Along with others, the defendants allegedly submitted fraudulent loan applications that misrepresented payroll and employee information to obtain large sums of money under false pretenses.

    The indictment further alleges that the defendants engaged in a kickback scheme, offering and receiving payments in exchange for referring additional individuals to participate in the fraudulent loan applications. It is also alleged that the defendants and the other fraudsters did not use the proceeds of the PPP loans for their intended purpose, instead they used the funds to enrich themselves.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office made the announcement.

    FBI Miami and IRS-CI, Miami Field Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz is prosecuting the case.

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

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-20178.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: California man appears on drug charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BILLINGS – A California man accused of possessing methamphetamine and cocaine appeared today for arraignment, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    The defendant, Heriberto Eddie Garcia, 45, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, Garcia faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of life, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release.

    U.S. Magistrate Judge Tim Cavan presided. Garcia was released pending further proceedings.

    Count one of the indictment alleges that in May 2023 and continuing until January 2024, Garcia knowing and unlawfully conspired with others to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine.

    Count two of the indictment charges that on January 22, 2024, Garcia knowingly and unlawfully possessed, with the intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine.  

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The DEA, Montana Highway Patrol and Laurel Police Department conducted the investigation.

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

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

    PACER case reference. 25-16.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas, Virginia, And Florida Residents Charged In Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the  unsealing of an indictment charging Esequiel Maldonado (46, Texas), Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr. (46, Fort Myers), Ron Ramirez, Jr. (23, Texas), and Schuyler Jordan Thompson (31, Virginia) with conspiracy, distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine, and use of communication facilities in the commission of drug trafficking crimes. If convicted on all counts,Esequiel Maldonado and Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr., because of their prior convictions for serious drug felonies, face a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Ramirez and Thompson each face a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 44 years, in federal prison.   

    According to court documents, each of the charged individuals played a distinct and critical role in the conspiracy. Esequiel Maldonado was the Texas-based leader of the drug trafficking organization (DTO). He authorized sales of kilogram-quantities of cocaine, served as the DTO’s broker, and set cocaine prices. Ramirez handled logistics and communications. On behalf of Esequiel Maldonado, Ramirez recruited and paid a courier, Thompson. Ramirez arranged for Thompson to fly to Florida and get cocaine supplied by (according to Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr.) Los Chapitos, known to law enforcement as a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, and to deliver it to Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr. The cocaine was then distributed by Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr. in the Middle District of Florida. Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr. also arranged for drug proceeds to be paid back to Esequiel Maldonado. 

    An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

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

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