NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Miske Enterprise Member Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy and Role in Kidnapping and Murder of Johnathan Fraser

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

    HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that Delia Fabro-Miske, 30, of Honolulu, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release for racketeering conspiracy. Fabro-Miske pled guilty on January 12, 2024, in the middle of jury selection, to conspiring to conduct and participate in the conduct of the affairs of a racketeering enterprise, the “Miske Enterprise,” through racketeering activity that included bank fraud, obstruction of justice, and wire fraud.

    Fabro-Miske admitted that she and codefendant Michael J. Miske committed bank fraud by submitting fraudulent paperwork in order to obtain leases for two vehicles that were used for one of Miske’s businesses. Fabro-Miske also  obstructed a joint investigation into another of Miske’s businesses, Kamaaina Termite and Pest Control (“KTPC”), which was conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (“HDA”). At Miske’s direction, Fabro-Miske submitted to HDA falsified fumigation logs, which claimed that she was the certified applicator of chemicals on hundreds of jobs. In reality, most of the listed jobs were completed by unlicensed applicators. Fabro-Miske also fraudulently obtained Social Security Administration (“SSA”) survivor benefits at Miske’s direction by having her wages at KTPC decreased below the SSA benefits income threshold. At the same time, Miske paid Fabro-Miske in benefits that were not reported to the SSA or Internal Revenue Service.

    Additionally, according to information provided to the Court, in or about 2017, Miske placed Fabro-Miske in charge of his businesses in an attempt to preserve and conceal his assets in anticipation of federal prosecution. In practice, Fabro-Miske carried out Miske’s wishes and acted at his direction. Fabro-Miske assisted in a fraudulent scheme committed through Miske’s businesses, which involved submitting false filings to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs that permitted the businesses to operate under fraudulently obtained and maintained licenses. Miske Enterprise members then falsely represented to customers that Miske’s businesses were properly licensed. Between 2017 and 2020, the businesses generated millions of dollars in income annually. As the head of Miske’s businesses, Fabro-Miske was also responsible for the proper and safe application of pesticides and other chemicals at customers’ homes. Information provided to the Court, however, showed that fumigations were regularly conducted without proper supervision or chemicals. Chief Judge Watson stated that Fabro-Miske’s work at Miske’s businesses “funded any number of crimes that we heard months and months of testimony” about in Miske’s trial, and her assistance “allowed Mr. Miske to run rampant in this community.”

    Finally, the Court determined that Fabro-Miske was also responsible for participating in a conspiracy with other Miske Enterprise members to kidnap and murder 21-year-old Johnathan Fraser. According to information provided to the Court, Caleb Miske – Miske’s son and Fabro-Miske’s husband – and Fraser were driving together when the two were involved in a car crash in November 2015.  Caleb Miske ultimately passed away from his injuries, and Miske blamed Fraser for his son’s death and enlisted several Miske Enterprise members to assist in his plan to murder Fraser. As part of that plan, Miske directed Fabro-Miske to rekindle her friendship with Fraser and his girlfriend and to lure them into living with her at an apartment paid for by Miske. On July 30, 2016, Fabro-Miske took Fraser’s girlfriend on a “spa day” paid for by Miske, ensuring that Fraser would be isolated when he was kidnapped. Fraser was never seen again after that day. Due to Miske’s death in December 2024, Chief Judge Watson explained that “the person most involved in Mr. Fraser’s demise will not ever be sentenced by this Court.” While Chief Judge Watson found that Fabro-Miske did not “directly and personally kill” Fraser and determined her to be a minimal participant in the kidnapping and murder conspiracy, he noted that there was “no doubt” that her actions led to Fraser’s murder and that the circumstances painted a “strong and clear picture” of a conspiracy to commit kidnapping murder in aid of racketeering.

    Fabro-Miske was charged alongside twelve other defendants, all of whom pled guilty except for Miske, who proceeded to trial and was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and 11 other felony charges on July 18, 2024. Seven other members and associates of the Miske Enterprise pled guilty to various offenses in related cases. 

    “Delia Fabro-Miske was an integral member of the Miske Enterprise, which terrorized, exploited, and defrauded our community for decades. She participated in Miske’s bank frauds, social security fraud, falsification of fumigation records, and the concealment of Miske’s illegally obtained assets, and was a vital cog in the plot to murder of Johnathan Fraser. Fabro-Miske’s sentence yesterday demonstrates that those who occupy even the lower rungs of Hawaii’s criminal enterprises will pay a steep price when they face justice in federal court,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “The dismantling of the Miske Enterprise represents one of the most significant law enforcement efforts in the history of Hawaii law enforcement, and it would not have been possible without the tremendous and dedicated work of our partners at the Honolulu Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Environmental Protection Agency, among many others.”

    “Ms. Fabro-Miske was a key member in the Miske Enterprise fraud schemes, actively participating in defrauding the government and taxpayers,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “This sentencing reflects years of collaboration between FBI Honolulu and our law enforcement partners. The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle violent criminal enterprises, hold their members accountable, and pursue justice for victims.”

    “Our investigators follow the money because criminal organizations profit at the expense of public safety,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “Ms. Fabro-Miske’s racketeering conviction is a reminder that, in the end, crime really doesn’t pay.”

    “The sentencing of Ms. Fabro-Miske underscores HSI’s commitment to disrupting and dismantling criminal organizations in Hawaii,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “HSI will continue to hold accountable those who significantly harm our communities by breaking federal laws. By bringing justice to the Miske Enterprise, HSI sends the message that we will not tolerate any violent activity on our islands.”

    “By falsifying documents, defendant obstructed EPA and the state’s criminal investigation of a pesticide applicator that illegally applied restricted use pesticides,” said Benjamin Carr, Special Agent in Charge for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division in Hawaii. “Yesterday’s sentencing reflects the seriousness of defendant’s fraudulent conduct and the importance of complying with pesticide reporting requirements so EPA and Hawaii Department of Agriculture can keep our communities safe.”

    This prosecution was 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, intelligencedriven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Cybercrime Lab of the Department of Justice Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, the Honolulu Fire Department, the Hawaii National Guard, 93rd Civil Support Team, the Office of Investigations–Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Inciong, Michael Nammar, KeAupuni Akina, and Aislinn Affinito prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon Charged with Possession of Firearm Following Arrest in Southeast

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON – Rhondell Williams, 38, of the District of Columbia, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

            Williams is charged in an indictment unsealed in federal court with three charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of a prohibited weapon.

            According to court documents, on April 4, 2025, MPD officers observed an individual, later identified as the defendant, holding an open bottle of tequila in the 2800 block of Pomeroy Road SE. Upon approaching Williams, officers discovered the open container of alcohol and subsequently arrested him.  During the arrest, it is alleged that a search revealed that Williams was also in possession of a concealed, loaded 9mm semi-automatic “ghost gun” with no serial number.    

            Further investigation revealed that Williams does not possess a permit to carry a firearm in Washington, D.C., and has a prior conviction for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.

            This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department.

    View Williams indictment here. 

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cole Harbour — RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment investigating attempted robbery

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment is investigating an attempted robbery in Cole Harbour.

    On April 19, at approximately 6:05 p.m., RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment and EHS responded to a report of an altercation between two men in the parking lot of a grocery store on Forest Hills Parkway.

    Upon arrival, officers observed two men fighting inside a car. One man immediately complied with officers’ directions while the other tried to drive away when officers attempted to arrest him. One of the responding officers deployed their conductive energy weapon to aid in the arrest of the man. The 31-year-old man of Cole Harbour was then safely arrested for attempted robbery.

    The investigation, which is in its early stages, indicates that the 31-year-old man attempted to steal the car and the other man, who was the vehicle owner, tried to prevent him from doing so. Both men are known to each other. The two suffered minor injuries due to the altercation. No one else was injured in the incident.

    The 31-year-old man was transported to hospital by EHS; he remains in police custody. The vehicle owner was treated at the scene and released pending further investigation.

    The investigation is ongoing. Anyone who may have witnessed this incident and has not yet spoken with police is asked to contact RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment at 902-490-5020. To remain anonymous, contact Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or using the P3 Tips app.

    File #: 25-54235

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Family of man murdered in Peckham continue to appeal for witnesses

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    The family of an innocent man who was fatally shot and stabbed while cycling home after watching a football match have appealed for the public’s help to get justice.

    Ola Raji, a 21-year-old student, was attacked and killed in Peckham on the night of Tuesday, 21 April 2015.

    Ola had spent the evening at a friend’s house watching a Champion’s League football match between Bayern Munich and Porto. Later, while cycling on the East Surrey Grove estate, near Commercial Way, SE15, he was stabbed and shot in a senseless attack by two men. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, Ola later died in hospital.

    Ten-years on from his murder, Ola’s family and the officers leading the investigation are appealing for any information that could lead to the arrest, charge and prosecution of those responsible.

    The independent charity Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information that leads to the identification and prosecution of those responsible for Ola’s murder. Police are particularly interested in speaking witnesses described as:

    A female driving a black Vauxhall Corsa in the area between 21:45 – 23:00.

    Two males who returned to an address in Pear Court at 23:10.

    In an appeal for information, Ola’s sisters, Zainab Raji and Ruki Ware said: “This is a painful reminder of 10 years of loss – our family is not going to get that time back. When we get together, there is always that sense of something missing. There are children who never get to know their Uncle, who would still be so young even now. The laughter we share is that little less loud. There is a smile absent in the photographs.

    “But this is not just about our family. It’s about safety on the streets of Peckham and the wider south London area. There is no doubt the people who did this once could carry out similar attacks again. Maybe they already have.

    “We are getting closer to the truth – for example, we now know about phone calls Ola received shortly before the attack. Just the smallest piece of evidence from any witnesses or those with knowledge of what happened could be enough to put those responsible behind bars and make the streets safer for the entire community.”

    Detective Chief Inspector Alex Gammampila, who is leading the investigation, said: “Ola was an innocent man, in the wrong place at the worst time. His murder has devastated his friends and family, and those in the local community.

    “Ten-years on, we continue to appeal for anyone who has any information to come forward.

    “Were you out in Peckham that night? Were you also watching the football that night, or were you near Commercial Way? Did you see or hear the shooting or anything that struck you as being unusual?

    “No piece of information is too small, and could be the final piece of the puzzle that leads us to identify Ola’s attackers.”

    Alexa Loukas, London Regional Manager at Crimestoppers said: “As the family of Ola Raji continue their heartfelt appeal for justice 10 years after this tragic murder, we want to remind people that his attackers have still not been caught.

    “This is deeply unsettling for his loved ones and the local community. That is why, as part of this 10th anniversary appeal we are offering of up to £20,000 for information received to our charity Crimestoppers, that helps lead to the conviction of Ola’s attackers.

    “We know that there may be several witnesses who have information but for whatever reason talking to the police is not an option. We are an independent charity, separate from the police, and we are unable to identify anyone who contacts us.”

    Anyone with information can call 101 or message @MetCC on X, giving the reference 2597/16APR25. Information, including photos or videos, can also be easily uploaded to the dedicated appeal page.

    To provide information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They are an independent charity, separate from the police. They won’t ask for your name and can’t trace your call. The reward will only be payable for information passed directly to Crimestoppers and not to the police. A reward code must be asked for when calling the charity on 0800 555 111. If you contact Crimestoppers via the online form anonymously, the ‘keeping in contact’ facility must be used and a reward code must be requested on your initial contact with the charity.

    Detectives continue to investigate the possibility that Ola’s attackers left the scene on foot via a cut through from Cator Street, into Sumner Road, before turning into Rosemary Road heading in the direction of the Surrey Canal Path.

    Three individuals were arrested on suspicion of murder. A further two individuals were arrested for perverting the course of justice. However, no further action was taken against these individuals and no criminal charges were ever brought.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Murder investigation launched following a fatal stabbing in Enfield

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A murder investigation has been launched following the death of a 45-year-old woman in Enfield.

    On Saturday, 19 April at around 19:00hrs police were called to an address in Ayley Croft, Enfield following reports of a stabbing.

    Officers attended alongside the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance who treated one 45-year-old woman.

    Sadly, despite their best efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

    The next of kin has been informed and is being supported by specialist officers.

    There have been no arrests at this early stage of the investigation.

    Detective Chief Inspector Neil John, from the Metropolitan Police who is leading the investigation, said: “Our thoughts are with the victim’s family at this difficult time.

    “As our investigation continues there will be an increased police presence in the area, and a crime scene remains in place.

    “We understand this will be very distressing to the local community and anyone who has concerns can speak to local officers.

    “To aid us with our investigation, I would like to appeal to the public for information. We are particularly interested in talking to anyone who was driving through Ayley Croft between 1830hrs and 1930hrs that may have dashcam footage.

    “To share footage or any other information, no matter how insignificant you believe it may be, please call 101, referencing CAD 5741/19APRIL.”

    Detective Chief Superintendent Caroline Haines, Borough Commander who oversees policing for Enfield, said:

    “We understand the concern that this will cause local residents. Neighbourhood officers will be working alongside specialist officers in the coming days to progress the investigation and support the local community.

    “Please contact officers if you have any information or any concerns.”

    Anyone with information is urged to contact police by calling 101 quoting the reference 5741/19APRIL. Alternatively, to remain anonymous you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cook’s Cove — Update: Multi-agency search for child in Guysborough County suspended

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A multi-agency search for a child who fell into the water in Cook’s Cove, Guysborough County, has been suspended.

    On April 17, at approximately 1:40 p.m., Guysborough County RCMP, fire services and EHS were dispatched to a report of a chid who had fallen into the water while fishing with a man and another child. The man entered the water immediately to rescue the child but was unsuccessful.

    Since that time, more than 13 agencies have been involved in the search for the child, including multiple fire departments, EHS LifeFlight, several volunteer ground search and rescue teams (Pictou County GSAR, Strait Area GSAR, Inverness County GSAR, Colchester GSAR), Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources Air Services, Nova Scotia Public Safety Field Communications, Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, Coast Guard Auxiliary, and multiple RCMP units.

    There is no information to suggest that the child got out of the water safely and the extensive search efforts have not resulted in information that would enable searchers to identify a specific search location for the child’s remains.

    On April 19 at 5 p.m., the search was suspended. Any further search efforts would resume by air at a later date.

    The child’s family has been kept updated on the search efforts and RCMP victim services is engaged.

    Our thoughts are with the child’s loved ones and the community at this difficult time.

    File #: 2025-504441

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Met police appeal for information following criminal damage to seven statues in Westminster

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    The Met Police is appealing for information following criminal damage to seven statues during a protest in Parliament Square, Westminster on Saturday, 19 April.

    Officers are currently trawling CCTV footage from the surrounding area after statues were defaced with graffiti and are appealing to anyone who may have been in attendance with information, footage or pictures to come forward by calling 101 quoting 01/7396927/25.

    No arrests have been made.

    Chief Superintendent, Stuart Bell, who led the policing operation for the protest, said:

    “Criminal damage and vandalism like this has no place on the streets of London and spoils the area for locals and those visiting.

    “While the police support the public’s right to protest, criminality like this is senseless and unacceptable. We are pursuing this and will take action against those responsible.

    “Working with the Greater London Authority (GLA) plans are underway to remove the graffiti but this requires specialist equipment and we are confident this will be done shortly.

    “We are keen to speak to those who saw anything on the day and urge anyone with information, pictures or footage to come forward. Please call 101, quoting 01/7396927/25.”

    Officers are also dealing with a number of complaints from the public about signs and images shared on social media that were reportedly displayed at the protest yesterday.

    Officers are investigating but to date the images and signs are from historic events, did not take place in London, or do not constitute a criminal offence. Available footage of the protest is being reviewed and action will be taken if there are signs displayed that breach of the law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Government of Somalia engages ISIS-Somalia with support from U.S. Forces

    Source: United States AFRICOM

    At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted a collective self-defense airstrike against ISIS-Somalia on April 18, 2025. 

    The airstrike occurred southeast of Bosasso, Puntland, in Northeastern Somalia. 

    AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad. 

    Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to 135 Months for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine in Lee and Harnett Counties

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    GREENSBORO, N.C. – A Sanford, North Carolina man was sentenced yesterday in Winston-Salem to more than 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).

    ANTWAN LOPEZ CLEMONS, age 45, was sentenced to 135 months of imprisonment plus 5 years of supervised release by the Honorable Loretta C. Biggs, Senior United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison and supervision, CLEMONS was ordered to forfeit a Winchester Double Star 5.56 rifle and a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun.

    According to court records, on seven occasions between February 16, 2024, and April 2, 2024, CLEMONS sold fentanyl to a confidential informant (CI) in Lee County, totaling 712.85 grams of fentanyl.  On two occasions in March 2024, CLEMONS also sold a total of over 200 grams of methamphetamine to a CI in Harnett County.  A search of the two properties associated with CLEMONS yielded another 1,638 grams of methamphetamine, 4 grams of fentanyl, 7 grams of cocaine, 73 dosage units of Suboxone, 125.7 grams of M522 pills, and 2,073 grams of marihuana, as well as a 5.56 rifle and a 9mm handgun.

    CLEMONS pleaded guilty on October 9, 2024, to distribution of fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B), conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine in violation of 21U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and 846, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A).

    “We are committed to protecting communities in the Middle District of North Carolina from the devastating impacts of fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution,” said Acting United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon. “We will continue working closely with the dedicated law enforcement professionals in this district to hold those responsible for this scourge accountable before the law.”

    “This sentencing sends a clear message: those who traffic fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our communities will be held accountable. HSI remains unwavering in our commitment to work alongside our federal, state, and local partners to disrupt the networks that drive this deadly trade,” said Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte, which oversees North and South Carolina. “We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring justice to those who profit from addiction and endanger lives.”

    The case was investigated by the Sanford Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by MDNC Assistant United States Attorney Laura Jeanne Dildine.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Prosecutors File Federal Criminal Charges Against 34 Defendants Who Allegedly Re-entered the U.S. Following Removal

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    LOS ANGELES – Federal prosecutors this week filed criminal charges against 34 defendants who are alleged to have been found in the United States following removal, the Justice Department announced today.

    Many of the defendants charged previously were convicted of felony offenses prior to their removal from the United States, including domestic violence, unlawful sex with a minor, and assault with a deadly weapon.

    The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum 10-year prison sentence and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.

    Some of the recently filed cases are summarized below:

    • Maximo Medrano, 59, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Medrano, who was removed from the U.S. in 1998 and 2023, has a criminal history that includes a felony conviction in 1997 in Monterey County Superior Court for transportation of a controlled substance, for which he was sentenced to two years in California state prison. Medrano also was convicted in Orange County Superior Court in 2023 of inflicting corporal injury upon a spouse/cohabitant and four counts of disorderly conduct, video/photo of bedroom/bathroom/etc., for which he was required to register as a sex offender. Medrano is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Assistant United States Attorney MiRi Song of the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
    • Adrian Chopin-Sánchez, 32, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal.  Chopin-Sánchez, who was removed from the U.S. in 2017, has a criminal history that includes a felony conviction in Orange County Superior Court in 2013 for unlawful sex with a minor, for which he was sentenced to one year in California state prison. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Scally of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
    • Daniel Giovanni Rivera-Peralta, 32, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Rivera-Peralta, who was removed from the U.S. in 2021, has a felony conviction in Orange County Superior Court in 2020 for assault with a deadly weapon, for which he was sentenced to four years in California state prison. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Scally of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating these matters.

    Federal prosecutors today also filed a criminal complaint against four illegal aliens who allegedly stole $10,000 in cash from a victim on Wednesday at a gasoline station in the East Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The defendants allegedly loitered outside bank branches in Los Angeles, including in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, before following a victim who appeared to leave with a large sum of money. After stealing the money, law enforcement who surveilled the defendants then pursued them at a high rate of speed. After law enforcement eventually pulled them over, two defendants fled on foot before being arrested. The $10,000 in cash was recovered inside one defendant’s underwear. While searching the defendants’ residence in the Mid-City neighborhood of Los Angeles, law enforcement found several fake passports. 

    The defendants in this matter are charged with conspiracy to transport, transmit or transfer at least $5,000 of stolen money in interstate or foreign commerce:

    • Javier Jesús Cordoza Araújo, 41, of Venezuela;
    • Ingrid Carolina Medina, 40, of Colombia;
    • Gladys Gruz Navarro, 62, of Venezuela; and
    • Guadalupe Delcristo Martínez, 46, of Mexico.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Orange County Violent Crimes Task Force is investigating this matter.

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges 329 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct in Arizona this Week

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – During this week of enforcement operations from April 12, 2025, through April 18, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 329 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 130 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 179 aliens for illegally entering the United States.  In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 16 cases against 18 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. The United States also charged one individual with failing to register, as required by law. 

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

    Recent matters of interest include:

    United States v. Manuel Ivan Rodriguez-Loya: On April 13, 2025, Manuel Ivan Rodriguez-Loya was arrested for Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. Border Patrol agents from the Lordsburg, New Mexico Station attempted to stop Rodriguez-Loya’s vehicle, but he failed to yield, leading agents on a high-speed chase into Arizona. Agents from the Willcox, Arizona Station then positioned themselves to intercept the vehicle and eventually caught Rodriguez-Loya. He was found to be transporting eight illegal aliens at the time, including citizens of Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador. [Case Number: MJ-25-00365-TUC-BGM]

    United States v. Emilio Escobar-Escalante: On April 15, 2025, Emilio Escobar-Escalante was sentenced to 37 months in prison for Reentry of Removed Alien. Border Patrol agents discovered Escobar-Escalante in the desert near Vamori, Arizona on January 10, 2024. He initially gave a false name but was ultimately identified as Escobar-Escalante. His identity revealed that he is a documented member of the Latin Kings and MS-13 criminal gangs. Immigration records showed that Escobar-Escalante has been removed from the United States seven times. Escobar-Escalante has previous convictions for illegal reentry, as well as racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. [Case Number: CR-24-00541-TUC-CKJ]

    United States v. Antonio Terrell Gaither: On April 15, 2025, Antonio Terrell Gaither was indicted for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens and Bringing an Illegal Alien to the United States for Profit. According to the criminal complaint, Gaither admitted to using Telegram and burner phones to recruit others to travel to the southern border to pick up illegal aliens before transporting them to Phoenix, Arizona. [Case Number: CR-25-00566-PHX-KLM]

    United States v. Felipe Alonso-Cabada: On April 17, 2025, Felipe Alonso-Cabada, aka Oscar Sanchez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged for Reentry of Removed Alien. According to the criminal complaint, after being arrested on local charges in Phoenix, Arizona, it was determined that Alonso-Cabada had been previously deported after a conviction for trafficking heroin. [Case number: MJ-25-5220-PHX-DMF]

    United States v. Eduardo Prado Flores: On April 17, 2025, Eduardo Prado Flores, an alien illegally present in the United States was charged with Failure to Register as an Alien under 8 U.S.C. § 1306(a). Flores, who was removed to Mexico on five occasions, has been living in the United States unlawfully since 2022. On April 16, 2025, Flores was turned over to the Department of Homeland Security after being arrested for Driving Under the Influence. While he was living in the United States from 2022 to 2025, Flores failed to file any immigration paperwork or register as required by law. [Case Number: MJ-25-5225-PHX]

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

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

    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-060_April 18 Immigration Enforcement

    # # #

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Sentenced to 38 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Juan Demetrio Villalpando Dominguez, 65, of California, was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

    According to the plea agreement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted long-term, overlapping investigations of Villalpando Dominguez’s son, Juan Demetrio Villalpando, Jr. a/k/a “Junior,” and others.  Two confidential sources made controlled purchases of narcotics in furtherance of the investigations.  These controlled purchases were often negotiated with Mexico-based sources of supply and carried out by the suppliers’ associates in the Denver metropolitan area.

    Drug proceeds collected from Juan Demetrio Villalpando Jr.’s customers by one confidential informant were aggregated and then sent in packages addressed to an uncharged person.  The true recipient of the money, however, was Villalpando Dominguez.  Villalpando Dominguez would then arrange for his son, Juan Demetrio Villalpando Jr., to receive the money in Mexico.

    “Money laundering is a serious offense that enables drug traffickers to peddle their deadly wares,” said Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell. “We will hold offenders accountable.”

    “Facilitating drug trafficking by funneling illegal proceeds back to Mexico perpetuates the scourge of the drug epidemic in our communities,” said Amanda Prestegard, IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge, Denver Field Office. “Removing these money launderers from the streets and putting them in prison is a result of the hard work of CI special agents, who proudly provide financial expertise as we work alongside our law enforcement partners to bring criminals to justice and keep our communities safe.”

    “Dismantling cartels requires more than seizing drugs – it includes cutting off the flow of illicit money that fuels their operations. That’s why targeting the money laundering component of these networks is a key priority,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “With our partners at IRS-CI and ICE, the FBI continues to take a strategic, coordinated approach to bring these complex criminal enterprises to justice and safeguard all Americans from the devastating impact of illegal drugs.”

    United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing.

    The FBI, IRS-CI, and DHS conducted the investigation in this case.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Duncan and Michael Houlihan, as well as by former Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung.

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

    Case No.:  23-cr-00106-CNS

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan Man Unlawfully Residing in the United States and Convicted of Sexual Battery Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining Custody of an Unaccompanied Alien Child in the United States

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    On Thursday, a federal grand jury indicted a man for his alleged role in smuggling an unaccompanied alien child (UAC) to the United States and for allegedly submitting a sponsorship application with false statements to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to gain custody of the minor after she entered the United States.

    “The prior administration’s border policies created an environment that enabled human trafficking and allowed bad actors to take advantage of at-risk children,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We are committed to protecting children from the scourge of human trafficking and will not rest until we deliver justice for those who suffered during the border crisis.”

    According to the indictment, Juan Tiul Xi, 26, a Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Cleveland, illegally entered the United States in 2023. Thereafter, Tiul Xi allegedly encouraged and induced a 14-year-old Guatemalan girl to illegally enter the United States and to use the identity of Tiul Xi’s sister as her alias. As a UAC, the Guatemalan girl was placed in the care and custody of ORR. As alleged, Tiul Xi then falsely stated on documents submitted to ORR when he applied to sponsor and obtain custody of the girl that he was the UAC’s brother and that her alias was her actual name. ORR relied on Tiul Xi’s alleged false statements when, on or about Sept. 5, 2023, ORR released the UAC to Tiul Xi’s care.

    Tiul Xi is charged with one count of encouraging or inducing illegal entry for financial gain, one count of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement, and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the illegal entry count, a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the false statement count, and a mandatory consecutive penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    “This case is a testament to ICE’s commitment to hold predators accountable for the harm they inflict on children,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons. “We are making every effort to ensure the safety of children released to sponsors across the United States. This is vital work and through their victim centered approach, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents are perfectly positioned to uncover any similar crimes by predatory sponsors.”

    “The Office of Refugee Resettlement is committed to continuing vital policy changes that promote the safety and welfare of unaccompanied alien children related into the Unites States,” said ORR Acting Director Angie M. Salazar. “We have significantly increased sponsor vetting with the wellbeing of the child at the core of our process. We hope that our commitment is evident by our collaboration with law enforcement to right previous wrongs and help bring these crimes to light.”

    The indictment is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 360 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 325 U.S. convictions; more than 270 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    The ICE HSI and FBI Cleveland field offices are jointly investigating with assistance from HSI’s Attaché team in Guatemala. Additionally, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C. and ORR have provided valuable assistance.

    Senior Trial Attorney Christian Levesque of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), Joint Task Force Alpha detailee/Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Acting U.S. Attorney Carol Skutnik and Criminal Division Chief Michael L. Collyer for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.

    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 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Convicted for Unauthorized Identity Documents with Illegal Intent

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GULFPORT, MS – A Houston, Texas, man pleaded guilty on April 17, 2025, to Unauthorized Possession of Five or More Identity Documents or Authentication Features with Intent to Use Unlawfully.  According to court documents, Kenny Hoang Nguyen, age 31, of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty to this felony offense in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. 

    Nguyen is scheduled to be sentenced on August 20, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.  Federal law also provides for Nguyen to be held responsible for restitution to victims. A federal judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  

    On May 7, 2024, an agent with the Jackson County, South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team (MET) observed a vehicle driving carelessly and initiated a traffic stop on Interstate 10 eastbound. The vehicle was being driven by Kenny Hoang Nguyen.  The agent’s narcotics K9 alerted on the vehicle and a search revealed a small amount of suspected methamphetamine.

    Additionally, agents found seven temporary Texas driver’s licenses bearing Nguyen’s face but with names and personal information of other people.  Further, agents found various documents; debit cards, papers with other personal identity information, and U.S. Mail belonging to other persons. Some items were located in an object that appeared to be book entitled “Holy Bible” but actually was a container. Receipts and deposit slips also were found, with two deposit slips in the name of a victim whose identity was used to create a false ID with Nguyen’s photo.  27 victims were identified whose data (such as account numbers, driver’s license numbers, dates of birth, and social security numbers) was unlawfully possessed by Nguyen.

    The case was referred to a U.S. Postal Inspector for further investigation.  Multiple victims were interviewed whose identity had been unlawfully possessed by Nguyen in Jackson County.  Victims described unlawful activity involving their mail and bank accounts that were directly consistent and matched documents such as bank records possessed by Nguyen when he was arrested in MS.

    Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, Patrick A. Lemon, praised the work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Border Patrol and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.  Lemon joined Shameka Jackson, Acting Inspector-in-Charge of the Postal Inspection Service (Houston Division), and Adam M. Calderon, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, in making the announcement.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris prosecuted the case. 

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), 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: Highland Park Man Involved in Violent Robberies Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DETROIT – Christopher Bey, a 50-year old from Highland Park, Michigan, was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to Interference with Commerce by Robbery, Use of a Firearm in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm relating to an armed robbery, shooting, and attempted armed robbery, all of which occurred in the City of Pontiac, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced today.

    Beck was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James Dier of the ATF’s Detroit Division and Sheriff Michael Bouchard of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

    “Removing violent offenders from our community is one the office’s top priorities,” stated Acting  U.S. Attorney Julie Beck.  “We will not stop being laser-focused on aggressively prosecuting dangerous individuals who persist in terrorizing our citizens. The strategies we use to identify the drivers of violence, who we then prosecute, works. We are truly making our community safer,” she stated.

    “This 20-year sentence is RIGHTEOUS. Mr. Bey is a sociopathic serial shooter who has consistently shown an inability to follow societal rules.  It most certainly sends a clear message: if you use a firearm to shoot an innocent member of our community, there is absolutely no limit on the resources ATF will expend to hunt you down and hold you accountable for your cowardly conduct,” said ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Everyone deserves to feel safe when they go to work to provide for their family.  Armed criminals motivated by greed have no place in our Michigan community, and ATF will tirelessly work with our state and local partners to remove the most dangerous offenders off our streets and put them where they belong: behind bars.”

    Bey robbed a Boost Mobile store in the city of Pontiac on February 4, 2023. After entering the store, Bey brandished a firearm and demanded money from the store employee. The employee fully complied with Bey’s demands. Nevertheless, Bey pulled a potato from his pants, affixed it to the barrel of the revolver, and shot the victim twice in the stomach. The victim was in the hospital for approximately one month. Bey later admitted to the ATF that he got the idea to use the potato as a silencer from watching a movie.

    Bey attempted to rob a Dollar General Store in the City of Pontiac on March 24, 2023. After entering the store, Bey handed a store employee a note while pointing a gun at the employee. He ordered the employee to the storeroom and directed the employee to apply handcuffs to himself. A customer accidentally entered the storeroom and fought with Bey, who ran out of the store.

    Bey was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court records, during the robbery investigations, law enforcement observed social media posts of Bey holding a firearm with his face obscured by a ski mask. Law enforcement was able to use other images from his social media accounts to determine Bey’s identity.

    On July 26, 2023, the Pontiac Gun Violence Task Force (GVTF), assisted by, Oakland County Sheriff’s Office’s K9 Unit, Customs Border Protection – Aviation Enforcement, and the Detroit Police Department, arrested Christopher Lee Bey.  Bey has been in custody since his arrest.

    The GVTF was established by the ATF and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. The GVTF is tasked with investigating the unlawful possession of firearms and the use of firearms to commit violent crimes within Pontiac, Oakland County, and the Eastern District of Michigan.

    This case was prosecuted by the Violent & Organized Crime Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: HOUSTON, TEXAS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FENTANYL OFFENSES

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Gulfport, MS – A Houston, Texas man pleaded guilty today to traveling from Houston, Texas to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to distribute fentanyl.

    According to court documents, Jeffrey Daster Torres, 38, traveled from Houston, Texas to Gulfport, Mississippi, with Roberto Renteria-Guerrero, 53, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Columbia, South America, to distribute almost 200 grams of a substance containing fentanyl. Unfortunately for Torres and Guerrero, law enforcement officers were made aware of their plans, and stopped the vehicle in which they were traveling.  After the traffic stop, officers found the fentanyl, photos of which are below.

    Officers also discovered that Torres was traveling with a fake driver’s license.  Subsequent analysis of Torres’ and Guerrero’s phones confirmed that they were involved in drug trafficking, and had made at least one prior trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  In fact, in electronic messages Torres and Guerrero shared at least one photos of a substance that appeared consistent with the fentanyl seized.

    Torres pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of interstate travel in aid of racketeering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years imprisonment and a maximum of 40 years imprisonment.  Guerrero previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and similarly faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years imprisonment and a maximum of 40 years imprisonment. Guerrero is scheduled to be sentenced on August 14, 2025. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi; and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement.

    The DEA, with assistance from the Biloxi Police Department and South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Buckner and Hunter McCreight are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), 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: Long Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Production and Distribution of Images of Minors Engaging in Sexually Explicit Conduct

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Gulfport, MS – A Long Beach, Mississippi man pleaded guilty today to three counts of producing images and videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and one count of distributing images and videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

    According to court documents, in February 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) in Gulfport learned that Jason Leonard Rhodes, a 47-year-old male, had sexual contact with three minor boys. With that information, the FBI and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Cybercrime Division, conducted a search warrant at the defendant’s residence on February 8, 2023.

    During the search warrant, the FBI found various electronic devices belonging to Rhodes. A forensic examiner with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Cybercrime Division conducted a forensic analysis on those devices and found videos of Rhodes engaged in sexually explicit conduct with minors. The forensic examiner also found chats between Rhodes and others in which Rhodes sent some of those videos to other people as well as videos of other children being sexually abused.

    During the search warrant, Rhodes gave a confession to law enforcement, admitting to videoing himself engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the minors and to sending out pictures and videos of children being sexually abused.

    Rhodes is scheduled to be sentenced August 26, 2025, and faces up to thirty years in prison for each count of producing images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and up to twenty years on the count of distributing images and videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

    The case was investigated by the FBI, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Cybercrime Division, and the Long Beach Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee Smith, Glenda Haynes, and Andrea Jones 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 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ryan Ellison Appointed as United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – Ryan Ellison has been appointed as the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Mr. Ellison was sworn in by United States District Judge Margaret Strickland on April 18, 2025.

    “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of New Mexico in this role,” said Mr. Ellison. “For however long I serve as United States Attorney, my primary objective will be to keep New Mexicans safe through the vigorous enforcement of Federal law. Under my leadership, the United States Attorney’s Office will do its part to stem the unlawful flow of people and drugs into our country. We will also not lose sight of our responsibility to combat violent crime, gang activity, child predators, and to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States’ civil interests. Together with our federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement partners, the United States Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly to make New Mexico a safer place to live, work, raise a family, and run a business. And we will make New Mexico a far less attractive place to commit a crime.”

    Mr. Ellison, born and raised in Alamogordo, New Mexico, graduated from the University of Arizona with a business degree in 2010. He earned his Juris Doctor and MBA from Texas Tech University in 2013. Since 2018, Mr. Ellison has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico in the Las Cruces Branch Office, most recently as Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney of the Violent and General Crimes Section.

    As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Ellison prosecuted members of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (“SNM”) prison gang. To date, more than 175 SNM gang members and associates have been charged with serious federal crimes, making the ongoing SNM prosecution the largest criminal case ever brought in the District of New Mexico. He has also investigated and prosecuted other violent crimes, including VICAR murder, RICO conspiracy, carjacking resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death, murder-for-hire, and various firearms, immigration, and national security offenses.

    Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Mr. Ellison worked as an Assistant District Attorney in the 47th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Texas and as an associate attorney in private practice.

    As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Ellison will be responsible for overseeing federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States in the District of New Mexico. Ellison leads a dedicated team of over 150 prosecutors and support professionals with offices located in Albuquerque and Las Cruces. The District of New Mexico encompasses 33 counties and shares a 180-mile international border with Mexico. It is home to five National Forests, four major military installations, two National Laboratories, 19 pueblos, two Apache tribes, and one-third of the Navajo Nation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security Guard Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of an Inmate

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Morris Gary Hibbitt, 51, of Avondale, was sentenced on April 14, 2025, by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 13 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release for sexual abuse of an inmate. Hibbitt is also required to register as a sex offender.

    On May 21, 2023, while on duty as the Security Supervisor at Behavioral Systems Southwest (BSS) in Phoenix, Hibbitt sexually assaulted a female inmate under his supervision. BSS is a residential reentry center contracted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to aid inmates in their transition back into the community while completing their prison sentences. Inmates at BSS are in official detention and remain under the custodial authority of the BOP.

    The Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Kristen Brook, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-00992-PHX-GMS
    RELEASE NUMBER:     2025-059_Hibbitt

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 205 charged with illegal entry or reentry as part of new cases filed this week in efforts to secure southern border

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A total of 216 more cases have been filed in immigration and border security-related matters from April 11-17, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    As part of those cases, 86 face allegations of illegally reentering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, firearms or sexual offenses, or prior immigration crimes. A total of 119 people face charges of illegally entering the country while 11 cases involve various instances of human smuggling.  

    Some of those charged with felony reentry include Mexican national Alejandro Contreras-Zapata, who was allegedly found near Roma. The charges allege he had been previously sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon before his removal March 7.

    Erika Camacho-Rodriguez is also a convicted felon and illegally returned recently, according to the complaint. Authorities found her near Roma, having been removed March 31 following a conviction for transporting illegal aliens as the charges allege. She is also from Mexico.

    Another case charges Cesar Garcia-Rivas, a Mexican male found in the United States near Rio Grande City. He had allegedly been removed Oct. 21, 202o, and had previously received a 70-month sentence for kidnapping. 

    Three other men were apprehended near Laredo and had just been removed within the last five months, according to their charges. The criminal complaints allege Daniel Fimbres and Jose Alejandro Rodriguez-Panjol had just been removed Feb. 19 and 28, respectively, while Delfino Lopez-Roque was removed Nov. 24, 2024.

    All six of these illegal aliens and others charged in some of the cases filed this week face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted of illegally returning to the United States without authorization. 

    Other relevant matters this week include the jury conviction of a 25-year-old Laredo woman for conspiracy to transport, attempting to transport and bringing in and attempting to bring a three-year-old minor to the United States. Salma Galilea Veliz planned to have the boy assume the identity of her biological son in an effort to smuggle him into the United States. In exchange, she would be paid $2,500.

    In another jury trial resulting in a guilty verdict, a known human smuggler was convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The jury deliberated for approximately 15 minutes before finding Jose Rodriguez Jr. guilty after a one-day trial. When he was initially arrested in August 2024 for transporting aliens, authorities also discovered 150 images of CSAM on his phone. The evidence included numerous files depicting sexual assaults of prepubescent children.

    Also announced this week was the indictment of two illegal aliens and a Laredo man for various firearms offenses. The investigation began March 21 when law enforcement discovered the location of a firearm allegedly used in a crime. Upon searching the residence, authorities allegedly discovered two machine gun conversion devices, a backpack that contained magazines and ammunition as well a .38 special and .22LR ammunition. Also on the property was a grey backpack containing a 9mm S&W handgun, according to the complaint. Erick Lopez Jr., 18, Laredo, is charged with possession of a machine gun, while Erick Lopez-Rivera Sr., 37, and Marcos Lora-Morales, 24, both illegal aliens unlawfully residing in Laredo, are facing charges of alien in possession of ammunition and alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, respectively. Lopez-Rivera Sr. is also charged with felony reentry of an alien.

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

    The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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.

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

    An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Minnesota Man Faces Federal Charges for Threatening to Murder United States Congressperson

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – Michael Lewis of Minneapolis has been indicted for threatening to murder a United States official, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, on March 26, 2025, Michael Paul Lewis, 52, called the office of a United States Congressperson and left a voicemail in which he threatened to murder her.

    “Federal law protects our elected officials from this sort of violent, unhinged, and murderous rhetoric,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick. “It is entirely unacceptable.  Defendants who attempt to terrorize public officials in this way will face the full weight of federal justice. I am grateful for the diligent and swift work of the FBI to hold this defendant to account.”

    “Threatening to kill a member of Congress is not protected speech.  It is a federal crime that will be met with immediate and decisive action,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “No one should be subject to violence for fulfilling their elected duty to represent the American people.  The FBI and our partners will investigate such threats thoroughly and hold accountable anyone who threatens the safety of our elected leaders.”

    Lewis is charged with one count of threatening to murder a United States official and one count of interstate transmission of a threat to injure the other person. He made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today and will remain detained until his arraignment and detention hearing on April 23, 2025, before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster. 

    This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys LeeAnn Bell and Andrew Winter are prosecuting the case. 

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: UPDATE 2: Unified Command begins transition of jurisdiction of Brunswick East River Mystery Sheen response

    Source: United States Coast Guard

    News Release  

    U.S. Coast Guard 7th District PA Detachment Jacksonville
    Contact: Coast Guard PA Detachment Jacksonville
    Office: 904-714-7606/7607
    After Hours: 786-393-4138
    PA Detachment Jacksonville online newsroom

     

    04/18/2025 04:21 PM EDT

    BRUNSWICK, Ga. – The Brunswick East River Mystery Sheen Unified Command addressed emergency response efforts and signed a memo, Thursday, establishing the transition of jurisdiction for remedial oversight to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Los Angeles Man Sentenced for Money Laundering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Daniel Hooker, 36, of Los Angeles, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to 27 months in prison, for his role in a money laundering conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, from August 2023 through March 2024, Hooker and three co‑conspirators conducted multiple financial transactions involving funds they believed to be proceeds of cocaine trafficking. Their belief as to the nature of the funds was based on representations of an individual working at the direction of law enforcement. On two different occasions in 2023 and 2024, Hooker met the individual in a parking lot in Rancho Cordova and accepted a total of $100,000 in cash to be laundered. After those meetings in Rancho Cordova, Hooker wired funds from a bank account he controlled into a bank account designated by the individual in an effort to complete the laundering. In total, the conspirators received approximately $940,000 in purported drug trafficking proceeds. Of that amount, the conspirators laundered approximately $811,000.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Thuesen and Whitnee Goins prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Serial Dollar Store Robber Sentenced

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A Forsyth County, North Carolina, man was sentenced today in Greensboro to a total of 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to a string of armed robberies in Forsyth, Guilford, Alamance, and Rockingham Counties, announced Acting United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).   

    BYRON CLAY SCOTT, age 33, was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment for the robberies plus 3 years of post-release supervision by the Honorable Thomas D. Schroeder, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. SCOTT was also sentenced to 24 months to run consecutive to that sentence for committing the robberies while he was on post-release supervision for another armed robbery out of Forsyth County from 2013. In addition to prison and supervision, SCOTT was ordered to pay $21,005.38 in restitution and to forfeit a 9mm handgun.

    According to court records, between November 2023 and January 2024, SCOTT and one or more unknown individuals committed at least 10 armed robberies of Dollar General and Family Dollar Stores in Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Burlington, and Reidsville. Video surveillance obtained from each of the stores showed the robbers wearing Halloween style face masks, gloves, and dark clothing. All but one of the robberies occurred at night, near closing time. SCOTT was arrested on January 15, 2024, by the Winston-Salem Police Department after they responded to a call for a robbery in progress. When they searched the vehicle SCOTT was driving, they found copies of his birth certificate and Social Security card, along with gloves and masks in the back seat, which were consistent with the gloves and masks worn during each of the robberies. Data obtained from electronic tracking on the vehicle SCOTT was driving and review of SCOTT’s search history on his phone tied him to each of the robberies.

    SCOTT pleaded guilty on January 6, 2025, to five counts of interference with commerce by robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a).

    The case was investigated by the Winston-Salem Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Greensboro Police Department, the Burlington Police Department, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Piedmont Safe Streets Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracy M. Williams-Durham.

    Since 1992, the FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative has successfully aligned FBI Agents, state and local law enforcement investigators, and federal and state prosecutors onto SSTFs to reduce violent crime. This nationwide initiative brings resources together in a “force multiplier concept” and utilizes the expertise of each agency.  SSTFs focus primarily upon street gang and drug-related violence through sustained, proactive, coordinated investigations to obtain prosecutions on violations such as racketeering, drug conspiracy, and firearms violations.

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: KDY Crew Member Sentenced to 180 Months for Armed Carjacking and Marijuana Distribution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON – Jovan Terrell Williams, 20, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 180-months in federal prison in connection with the November 2023 armed carjacking of a Chevrolet Corvette and for his participation in the Kennedy Street Crew drug trafficking conspiracy.

                The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Washington Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

                Williams, aka “Chewy,” pleaded guilty on September 5, 2024, to carjacking while armed and conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilos of marijuana. In addition to the 180-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Williams to serve five years of supervised release.

                Williams is the last of 17 KDY members to be sentenced in this case. Yesterday, on April 17, co-defendant and KDY leader Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga, 29, was sentenced to 160 months in prison. 

                According to court documents, Williams was a member of the Kennedy Street Crew, a violent drug trafficking organization which operated open-air drug markets on an 11-block stretch of Kennedy Street in Northwest, as well as surrounding streets. Like many drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), KDY armed itself with fire power to facilitate the drug trade, defend its territory from rival crews, and commit other violent crimes. Following a takedown operation in June 2023, most defendants charged by indictment for their roles in the KDY DTO were apprehended. Williams, however, remained a fugitive for months.

                On November 17, 2023, at approximately 7:40 p.m., Williams—while still a fugitive—carjacked an individual at gunpoint on the 1800 block of Half Street, SW, stealing the victim’s 2021 Chevrolet Corvette. Williams was armed and wearing a ski mask when he and two associates ran from stolen Audi and Lexus sedans and advanced towards the owner of the Corvette, who knelt in surrender.

                While pointing a gun at the car owner, Williams took the keys to the Corvette, a Tesla key attached to an Apple Air Tag, and Apple Air Pods. Williams and his associates then drove away in the stolen cars. Approximately 40 minutes later, the stolen Audi and Lexus were used in an armed robbery of three individuals on 8th and P Streets NW.

                Later that evening, at 9:53 p.m., law enforcement tracked the Apple Air Tag stolen from the carjacking victim to an apartment building on the 4700 block of Benning Road NE. Officers found and arrested Williams and two associates in the building’s laundry room. Following the arrests, officers recovered a “ghost gun” from inside a washing machine. In a hole in the laundry room’s ceiling, officers found three more concealed firearms: a black pistol, a black Glock 19 with an obliterated serial number, and another black pistol outfitted with a “switch” that would allow it to fire as a machine gun.

                Earlier that year, on January 26, 2023, law enforcement executing a residential search warrant encountered Williams along with several other KDY crew members on the 1700 block of D Street, NE. Also in the residence, law enforcement recovered 10 firearms, assorted ammunition, 21 kilos of marijuana packed in suitcases, and 40 grams of fentanyl-laced pills. The firearms included a privately manufactured AR-style .223 caliber pistol (a ghost gun) modified to fire as a machine gun, and a Draco 7.62 x 39mm pistol. DNA profiles obtained from both firearms linked both weapons to Williams, who acknowledged that he possessed them in connection with the drug trafficking conspiracy.

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

                This case was investigated by ATF’s Washington Field Division, the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, and the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force, with assistance from the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Office.

                The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

    KDY DEFENDANTS

    NAME

    AGE

    SENTENCES
    Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga 29 Sentenced March 17, 2025, to 160 Months in Prison after Pleading Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Cocaine Base, and a Detectable Amount of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
    Khali Ahmed Brown, aka “Migo Lee” 24 Sentenced January 16, 2025, to 168 Months after Pleading Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl and Oxycodone; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense; and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.
    Keion Michael Brown 21 Sentenced January 16, 2025, to 147 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and Oxycodone and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford” 23 Sentenced August 16, 2024, to Five Years for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy” 24 Sentenced December 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Jovan Williams, aka “Chewy” and “Choo” 20 Sentenced April 18, 2025 to 180 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and Armed Carjacking.
    Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour” 25 Sentenced March 22, 2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana
    Cameron Xavier Reid 28 Sentenced May 31, 2024, to 60 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana.
    Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub 26 Sentenced May 16, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
    Juwan Demetrius Clark, aka “Squirrel” 28 Sentenced January 10, 2025, to 37 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
    Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby,” 34 Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base.
    David Penn, aka “Turtle” 32 Sentenced November 15, 2024, to 220 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture of Cocaine Base; and Two Counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
    Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy” 31 Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
    Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King” 24 Sentenced February 8, 2024, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment.
    Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle” 29 Sentenced April 26, 2024, to 15 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base.
    Angel Enrique Suncar, aka “Coqui” 31 Sentenced December 12, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Adebayo Adediji Green 31 Sentenced August 16, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.

                Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA; all remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.

    23cr202 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 135 Border-Related Cases This Week

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 135 border-related cases this week, including charges of transportation of illegal aliens, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, deported alien found in the United States, and importation of controlled substances.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

    In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

    A sample of border-related arrests this week:

    • On April 15, Jesus Manuel Zuniga Huerta and Jose Alberto Flores Avalos of Mexico were arrested at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and charged with importing deadly fentanyl into the U.S. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 148 pounds of fentanyl in the rear frame well of a tractor-trailer driven by Zuniga Huerta.
    • On April 15, Brian Jaime Sanchez, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found an undocumented immigrant concealed in the trunk of Sanchez’s car as he attempted to cross the border at the Tecate Port of Entry.
    • On April 17, Sergio Villalba-Serrano, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Departed Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, Villalba-Serrano was taken into custody near the Tecate Port of Entry after his Cadillac was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Villalba-Serrano had previously been deported on October 26, 2019, from Laredo, Texas.

    Also this week, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:

    • On April 10, 2025, following a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted seven-time felon Miguel Rolon of conspiring to bring in aliens and bringing in two aliens for financial gain.  During trial, the evidence showed that Rolon picked up two Guatemalan nationals at a stash house in Tijuana, Mexico, coached the aliens to weave a fictious backstory to customs officers, and attempted to smuggle the same aliens into the United States using others’ U.S. passports at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Rolon is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2025.
    • On April 18, 2024, Javier Gracia-Meza, a Mexican national, who was previously convicted of a felony illegal reentry offense, was sentenced in federal court to 15 months in custody for again entering the United States illegally.
    • On April 18, 2025, Cruz Torres-Gonzalez, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of five felony immigration offenses, was sentenced in federal court to 54 months in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.
    • On April 18, 2025, Pablo Lazcano-Quinonez, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony conspiracy to distribute marijuana, felony possession/use of drug paraphernalia, and two illegal reentry offenses, was sentenced in federal court to 15 months in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.
    • On April 18, 2025, Jesus Eduardo Morga-Ceballos – a Mexican national who was previously convicted of a felony controlled substance offense in 2014, a misdemeanor criminal threat with intent to terrorize in 2014, and a felony illegal reentry in 2023 – was sentenced in federal court to 101 days in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.

    Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.

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

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Garvin County Woman Sentenced to Serve 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Assaulting Child in Indian Country

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OKLAHOMA CITY – AMANDA STOWERS, 40, of Garvin County, has been sentenced to serve 180 months in federal prison for sexually abusing a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. 

    On May 4, 2021, a federal Grand Jury returned a three-count Indictment against Stowers, charging her with three counts of sexual abuse of a minor. According to public record, in April of 2020, officers with the Stratford Police Department began investigating a possible sexual assault involving a minor victim. The investigation, conducted by the FBI and Stratford Police Department, determined that Stowers had sexually assaulted the victim between April 20, 2017, and April 19, 2020. 

    This case is in federal court because the victim is a member of the Chickasaw Nation and the crimes took place within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation. 

    On September 10, 2024, Stowers pleaded guilty, and admitted she sexually assaulted the minor victim between the dates referenced.

    At the sentencing hearing on April 15, 2025, U.S. District Judge Jodi W. Dishman sentenced Stowers to serve 180 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Dishman noted that the lengthy term of incarceration was warranted due to the serious nature of the offense. 

    This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Stratford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvo Mikkanen prosecuted the case. 

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Individuals Indicted for Meth Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Mountain Home, Ar., woman and a Bakersfield, Mo., man were arrested today following a nine-count indictment by a federal grand jury for trafficking methamphetamine in southwest Missouri.

    Virginia Perreira, 36, and John Zastrow, 34, were charged in a nine-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on April 1, 2025. The indictment was unsealed and made public today following the arrests of Perreira and Zastrow.

    The indictment alleges that Perreira and Zastrow participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from March 12, 2024, to Jan. 22, 2025. Perreira is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and four counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Zastrow is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, three counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm.

    The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

    Under federal statutes, if convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine a maximum prison sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000,000 is authorized. If convicted of distribution of methamphetamine, a prison sentence of up to 40 years and a fine of up to $5,000,000 is authorized under federal statutes. The charge of unlawful possession of a firearm has a maximum prison sentence of 15 years and a fine of up to $250,000 authorized under federal statutes. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine I. Schlegl. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the South Central Missouri Drug Task Force, and the Ozark County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Kansas City Resident Arrested and Charged in Connection with Tesla Arson

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Note: View the criminal complaint here.

    A Kansas City resident, attending college in Boston, was arrested and made his initial court appearance today in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla business in Kansas City, Missouri.

    According to the criminal complaint, filed in the Western District of Missouri and unsealed today, Owen McIntire, 19, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of malicious damage by fire of any property used in interstate commerce.

    “Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: you will not evade us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it.”

    “Crimes have consequences. The people behind these violent and dangerous attacks on private property will face decades in prison — we will not make deals and we will not negotiate,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. 

    “This is the second arrest this week of a suspect charged with targeting Tesla, more proof that the FBI will not stand for these destructive acts,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These actions are dangerous, they are illegal, and we are going to arrest those responsible. We will work with our partners at the Department of Justice to hold accountable anyone who commits such crimes. I commend our FBI teams in Kansas City and Boston for their work.”

    “ATF’s Special Agents and forensic experts recovered and analyzed key evidence—including Molotov cocktails—used in this deliberate and dangerous arson attack,” said Acting Director Dan Driscoll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). “This wasn’t vandalism — it was a violent criminal act. Thanks to the relentless work of ATF special agents, and our close coordination with the FBI and local law enforcement, we now have a suspect in custody. I am committed to ensuring ATF continues to stand on the front lines of public safety. ATF will not tolerate those who incite political violence in our communities.”

    According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, on Thursday, March 17, at approximately 11:16 p.m., an officer with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department (KCMOPD) in the vicinity of the Kansas City (KC) Tesla Center observed smoke coming from a grey Cybertruck parked in the KC Tesla Center parking lot. The officer also observed an unbroken suspected incendiary device near the burning Cybertruck. KCMOPD recovered the unbroken incendiary device, also known as a Molotov cocktail. The fire spread from the Cybertruck to a second Cybertruck in the lot. The Kansas City Fire Department responded to the scene to extinguish the fire.

    The Cybertrucks had sale prices of $105,485 and $107,485. Additionally, two charging stations were damaged by the fire, each of which is valued at approximately $550.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Foley and Trey Alford for the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    The FBI Kansas City and Boston Field Offices, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department are investigating the case.

    A criminal complaint 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: CISA Statement on CVE Program

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    The CVE Program is invaluable to the cyber community and a priority of CISA. On April 15th, CISA executed the option period on the contract to ensure there will be no lapse in critical CVE services. We appreciate our partners’ and stakeholders’ patience.

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