NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican Cartel Leader Jesus Mendez-Vargas In U.S. Custody On Drug Importation Charge

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jesus Mendez-Vargas Was a Leader of the Ruthless La Familia Michoacana Cartel’s Narcotics Trafficking Enterprise, Responsible for Importing Vast Quantities of Methamphetamine and Cocaine into the United States

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Frank A. Tarentino, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging JESUS MENDEZ-VARGAS, a/k/a “Chango,” with conspiring to import cocaine and methamphetamine into the U.S.  MENDEZ-VARGAS was taken into U.S. custody from Mexico and was presented on the charge contained in the Indictment today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl. 

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “As alleged, Jesus Mendez-Vargas was a leader of the violent drug trafficking organization, La Familia Michoacana, based in Mexico, with primary responsibility for the organization’s drug trafficking activities from approximately 2006 to 2011.  La Familia imported vast quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico and engaged in extensive violence in furtherance of its drug trafficking activities, including against those Mexican law enforcement officials who stood in its way.  This Office and our law enforcement partners will not stop working to see that those who lead violent drug trafficking organizations are met with the consequences of their actions. Mendez-Vargas will now face justice in an American courtroom.”

    DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino said: “The indictment against Jesus Mendez-Vargas, leader of La Familia Michoacana cartel is another example of the DEA’s determination to identify, target and eliminate drug traffickers poisoning our communities with fentanyl and methamphetamine. This removal demonstrates the New York Division’s relentless pursuit and unwavering commitment to hold accountable those who endanger our communities and traffic violence and drugs across our borders.”

    According to the allegations contained in the Indictment:1

    MENDEZ-VARGAS was a leader in La Familia Michoacana (“LFM”), a powerful, violent drug trafficking organization based in the state of Michoacan, in southwestern Mexico.  LFM controlled drug manufacturing and distribution within and around the state of Michoacan, as well as the port of Lazaro Cardenas, a key drug transshipment point.  LFM imported vast quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the U.S. from Mexico. LFM leadership forbade the sale or use of methamphetamine in the areas under its control in Mexico, and instructed LFM members that its methamphetamine was solely for export to the U.S.  From approximately 2006 to 2011, MENDEZ-VARGAS was a leader of LFM, with primary responsibility for LFM’s drug trafficking activities.

    LFM engaged in violence, including assault, murder, and kidnapping to support its narcotics trafficking activities.  LFM also used heavy weaponry, including military-grade weapons, assault weapons, and ammunition smuggled from the U.S. to Mexico by LFM’s associates for use by LFM.  On or about July 14, 2009, approximately two days after the arrest of a high-level LFM leader, the bodies of 12 Mexican federal police officers believed to have been murdered were discovered in Michoacan.  Days later, another member of LFM contacted a local television station in Michoacan and, among other things, claimed that LFM was in a battle against the Mexican federal police and prosecutors, and that LFM kidnaps people who owed LFM money and those whose family members worked in state and federal governments.

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    MENDEZ-VARGAS, 51, of Mexico, is charged with conspiring to import cocaine and methamphetamine into the U.S., which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

    The mandatory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s New York Field Division, as well as the assistance of the Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and the U.S. Marshals Service.

    This prosecution is part of an OCDETF operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.  The OCDETF New York Strike Force provides for the establishment of permanent, multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location.  This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.  The specific mission of the New York Strike Force is to target, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, reduce the illegal drug supply in the United States, and bring criminals to justice.

    This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley, Jane Y. Chong, Sarah L. Kushner, Alexander N. Li, Daniel G. Nessim, David J. Robles, and Kyle A. Wirshba are in charge of the prosecution.

    The charge contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
     

    1 As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan citizen charged for failing to register as a sex offender and illegally returning after deportation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TACOMA – A 25-year-old Guatemalan man will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Tacoma today for failing to register or update his sex offender registration and re-entering the U.S. following deportation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Juan Hernandez Zacharias was arrested in Mason County this morning by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigation agents.

    Zackarias is charged by criminal complaint with two felonies. The first, failure to register or update his sex offender registration, relates to his sentencing in October 2022 for first degree child molestation. The sentencing documents advise Zackarias that should he leave the state, he must register as a sex offender within three days of returning. Zackarias allegedly did not register as required.

    The second charge, reentry of a removed alien, relates to Zackarias’ return following deportation. On January 2, 2024, Zackarias had a removal hearing in Immigration Court. He was ordered removed and on February 4, 2024, he was removed from the United States and transported to Guatemala.

    However, on May 16, 2024, Zackarias registered a white van with Washington State plates in his name – indicating that he had returned to Washington.

    On December 6, 2024, Zackarias was arrested by Mason County Sheriff’s deputies for failing to register as a sex offender. The arrest was logged in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The NCIC system alerted ICE Homeland Security Investigations that Zackarias has an order of removal in place. The federal criminal complaint was sworn and filed with Magistrate Judge David W. Christal on February 21, 2025.

    Failure to register or update sex offender registration is punishable by up to ten years in prison. Reentry of a removed alien is punishable by up to two years in prison.

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

    The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite and Special Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Collins. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two brothers from India arraigned on indictment for selling counterfeit cancer drugs and adulterated medications

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Men are extradited from Singapore following their 2023 arrest after FDA and ICE undercover probe

    Seattle – Two brothers from India appeared in court today on a 2022 indictment for multiple counts related to their scheme to sell counterfeit and adulterated drugs in the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Avanish Kumar Jha, 38, and Rajnish Kumar Jha, 35, were arrested in Singapore on April 20, 2023, based on a request from the United States. In January 2025, a judge in Singapore ruled the men could be extradited to the U.S. to face 28 felony charges and the Minister for Law ordered their surrender on February 24, 2025. Both defendants entered pleas of not guilty and trial was scheduled for May 5, 2025, in front of U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez.

    “The defendants in this case allegedly made hundreds of thousands of dollars while defrauding people who were clinging to hope that a late-stage cancer medication could save their life. Because of this fraud, victims received counterfeit medication that contained none of the cancer-fighting substance they thought they were ordering,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “This fraud scheme didn’t just steal money; it stole the prospect of more time with loved ones for those battling cancer.”

    The investigation of the Jha brothers began in 2019, when investigators reviewed internet postings and other evidence indicating that the Jha brothers and their company, Dhrishti Pharma International, were offering to sell prescription drugs to buyers in the United States and elsewhere. Undercover agents with the Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began communicating with the Jha brothers and ordered some of their products.  Of particular concern was a “medication” labeled as “Keytruda,” a Merck drug for late-stage cancer. An analysis revealed that the Jha brothers were selling counterfeit Keytruda that contained none of active ingredient that made the authentic product effective. Other products contained contaminants.

    The brothers allegedly shipped the counterfeit and adulterated drugs from India. They accepted various means of payment including wire transfers and direct money exchanges. In some cases, they used intermediaries in the United States to pick up cash payments. The drugs were packaged in such a way to avoid detection by international customs or other regulators.

    Both men had been detained in Singapore since their arrest in April 2023 based on a provisional arrest request from the United States. The United States submitted a formal extradition request to Singapore in June 2023.

    “This case highlights ICE HSI’s commitment to protecting the public from dangerous and fraudulent practices that put vulnerable individuals at risk,” said acting Special Agent in Charge of ICE HSI Seattle Matthew Murphy. “The company in question preyed on those in desperate need of lifesaving treatments by offering counterfeit medications that provided nothing but false hope. Thanks to the diligent work of our special agents and our law enforcement partners, we are taking swift action to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

    The case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations and ICE HSI.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance with securing the extradition. Significant assistance was provided by law enforcement partners at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, including the ICE HSI Attaché and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Office of Overseas Criminal Investigations, and Singaporean authorities, particularly the Singapore Police Force and Attorney-General’s Chambers.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Stoneham Police Officer Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Bribery Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant defrauded a company to obtain tens of millions of dollars of Mass Save funds through paying bribes and kickbacks to company employees

    BOSTON – A former Stoneham Police Officer has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for a bribery and kickback scheme that netted millions of dollars in Mass Save contracts.  

    Joseph Ponzo, 51, of Stoneham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 27 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Joseph Ponzo was also ordered to pay $115,528 in restitution and a $100,000 fine. In November 2024, Joseph Ponzo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud; 24 counts of honest services wire fraud; one count of making false statements to government officials; and four counts of causing false tax returns to be filed with the Internal Revenue Service from 2016 to 2019. Joseph Ponzo was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023 along with his brother Christopher Ponzo.

    “Joseph Ponzo was a sworn officer, who pledged an oath to uphold the law, not violate it. However, he chose greed over integrity,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Joseph Ponzo’s greed came at the cost of consumers who were left paying the bill. A prison sentence is the price he will now pay for taking bribes and kickbacks.”

    “When an officer shrugs off his sworn oath and breaks the law to pad his paycheck like Joseph Ponzo did, he betrays the people of his community – and all of us who wear a badge,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Every year, Massachusetts homeowners spend millions of dollars to fund energy conservation projects for consumers. Joseph Ponzo and his brother cheated them by shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars in a steady stream of bribes and kickbacks to an insider who steered contracts their way, ignoring all ethical boundaries. Know that the FBI will continue to tenaciously investigate such corruption, and bring those involved to justice.”

    “Today’s sentencing of Joseph Ponzo demonstrates IRS-CI’s commitment to routing out corruption from all levels of the government.” said Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Ponzo orchestrated an elaborate kickback scheme to improperly obtain contracts from a government backed program designed to aid the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Programs like Mass Save are designed to help all citizens of Massachusetts, especially the less fortunate, who otherwise would not be able to afford these upgrades to their homes.”

    Joseph Ponzo, along with his brother and co-conspirator Christopher Ponzo, conspired to pay, and did pay, tens of thousands of dollars in cash bribes, kickbacks, and other in-kind benefits, including a John Deere tractor, a computer, home bathroom fixtures and free electrical work, among other things, to Company A employees (Associates 1 and 2) in exchange for the Associates’ assistance in getting the defendants millions of dollars in Mass Save contracts.

    Massachusetts law requires utility companies to collect an energy efficiency surcharge on all Massachusetts energy consumers. These funds, which amount to hundreds of millions of dollars each year, are to be disbursed by the utility companies to fund energy efficiency programs and initiatives in Massachusetts. Under the Mass Save program, the utility companies select lead vendors, like Company A, to approve and select contractors to perform energy improvement work for residential customers. This contracting work – performed by contractors at no-cost or reduced cost to the customer – is then paid for by Company A with Mass Save funds.

    On a weekly basis, from 2013 to 2017, Christopher Ponzo paid Associate 1 $1,000 in cash. At times, Christopher Ponzo paid Associate 1 $5,000 to $10,000 in cash, telling Associate 1 that the extra money was from Joseph Ponzo for his part in the bribery scheme. In return for these payments, Associate 1, among other things, helped Joseph Ponzo set up a shell company, Air Tight, to do insulation work and get approved as a Company A contractor under the Mass Save program. Joseph Ponzo put his spouse’s name on Air Tight incorporation documents and contracting licenses in order to conceal his involvement in his corrupt side business. Despite having no professional experience in residential insulation work, Joseph Ponzo collected over $7 million under the Mass Save program.    

    After Associate 1 left Company A in 2017, Christopher Ponzo and Joseph Ponzo recruited Associate 2 to the bribery-kickback scheme from approximately 2018 to 2022, paying Associate 2 thousands of dollars in cash and hiring a relative of Associate 2 as part of the ongoing scheme.

    During the course of the bribery-kickback scheme, Joseph Ponzo aided in the filing of false tax returns from 2016 to 2019 by claiming hundreds of thousands of dollars in false business deductions. To disguise personal expenses as business deductions, Joseph Ponzo used his company credit card to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in purchases at The Home Depot, Lowes and Staples, claiming to his tax preparers that charges at those establishments were business-related. In reality, Joseph Ponzo used the company credit card at those stores to purchase gift cards that he and his spouse then used to make thousands of dollars in personal expenditures.  

    In April 2022, both Joseph Ponzo and Christopher Ponzo falsely denied making bribe payments to any Company A employees when interviewed by federal agents.

    In February 2025, Christopher Ponzo was sentenced to 27 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Christopher Ponzo was also ordered to pay a $300,000 fine.

    U.S. Attorney Foley; FBI SAC Cohen; and IRS Acting SAC Demeo made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Dustin Chao of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty To Extortion, Stalking, Threatening Text Messages And Money Laundering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident pleaded guilty on Feb. 21. to extortion, money laundering, stalking, and sending threatening text messages to injure and kill two people and their families in California.

    Idriss Qibaa, 28, was charged by a superseding criminal information. He pleaded guilty to one count of extortion, two counts of money laundering, one count of stalking, and two counts of interstate communications containing a threat to injure. United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware II scheduled sentencing for May 22, 2025.

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

    At sentencing, Qibaa faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for the extortion charge; 10 years’ imprisonment for each of the money laundering charges; five years’ imprisonment for the stalking charge; and five years’ imprisonment for each of the interstate communications containing a threat to injure charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

    The FBI and the Beverly Hills Police Department investigated the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bonita Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than 21 Years for Supplying Fentanyl that Resulted in Death of 15-Year-Old Girl

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Marcus Ray Chavez was sentenced in federal court today to 262 months in prison for providing the fentanyl pills that resulted in the fatal overdose of a 15-year-old girl in 2022.

    According to court documents, on at least four occasions between September and November 2022, Chavez provided the girl with “M30” pills he knew were counterfeit and contained fentanyl, in exchange for sex with the girl. Chavez also admitted to knowing the girl was underage. On November 12, 2022, she fatally overdosed from pills that Chavez provided.

    According to the government’s sentencing memo, the victim was in the ninth grade at the time of her death. Family and friends described her as an energetic girl who “brightened any room she entered” and who hoped to one day own her own hair salon.

    “Any loss of life is tragic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “The loss of a child is particularly devastating. While nothing can bring this lost child back, we are committed to holding this dealer and others like him accountable.”

    “Mr. Chavez traded fake fentanyl pills for sex with a vulnerable child,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark. “Fentanyl’s grip tightens the chains of exploitation. As her family grieves and we honor her memory, Mr. Chavez now has over 20 years to remember his actions stole an innocent life.”

    “The San Diego Police Department mourns with the family and friends of the victim in this case,” said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. “We must stop the senseless loss of life due to fentanyl overdoses and stand together to hold dealers accountable for the destruction they cause.”

    Fentanyl remains a serious threat. The latest DEA laboratory testing, announced last fall, indicated that five out of 10 pills tested contained a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine McGrath. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Owen Roth provided substantial assistance in this case.

    DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 23cr1354                                               

    Marcus Ray Chavez                                       Age: 30                                   Bonita, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Sex Trafficking of a Minor – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1591(a)(1), (b)(2)

    Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years in prison, maximum life in prison and $250,000 fine

    Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a), 841(b)(1)(C)

    Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 20 years in prison, maximum life in prison and $1 million fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team (formerly known as Team 10)

    San Diego Police Department

    San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

    Homeland Security Investigations

    La Mesa Police Department

    National Guard Counterdrug Task Force

    California Department of Health Care Services

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove Phone Call with Son of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove held a powerful and emotional phone call with Judge Enrique Camarena, son of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. In 1985, Special Agent Camarena was abducted, tortured, and killed. His alleged killer, Rafael Caro Quintaro, was among the 29 wanted defendants taken into U.S. custody yesterday, who will now face prosecution under U.S. law.  

    “President Trump and I are committed to holding every member of the cartels accountable for their crimes and to bring justice to the family of each and every victim,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “It was truly an honor to speak with Judge Camarena to express my sincere condolences for the loss of his father and assure him that we will be relentless in our pursuit of justice in this case.”

    Statement provided by the Camarena family:

    “Today is a day we have long awaited. Forty long years of waiting, wondering, and hoping that justice would finally come. After four decades, the person responsible for taking our beloved Kiki from us has been brought to the United States to answer for what he did.

    “There are no words to fully describe the pain we have endured: the empty seat at the dinner table, the birthdays, and holidays without him. The life that was stolen, not just from him, but from all of us who loved him. We have lived with this loss every single day.

    “For 14,631 days, we held on to hope — hope that this moment would come. Hope that we would live to see accountability. And now, that hope has finally turned into reality. While no amount of time can erase the pain or bring back what we lost, today marks a step toward justice.

    “We want to thank the DEA, law enforcement agencies, investigators, and officials— both in the United States and abroad — who never gave up.

    “We want to thank President Trump for using the weight of this country to accomplish what we thought would never occur. Thank you to everyone who has worked on this case for 40 years. We don’t know all of you but please know that you have our family’s deepest thanks and appreciation.

    “To those who have stood by us, supported us, celebrated Red Ribbon Week with us and carried us through the darkest moments — our extended family, friends, and even strangers who have shared in our grief — we are forever grateful.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for 11 Years and Three Months for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

    Frank Cotto, age 38, was sentenced on February 28, 2025, to 11 years and three months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

    Cotto was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2024, and pleaded guilty on December 11, 2024.

    On November 30, 2023, Cotto was involved in a traffic stop following a trip to Colorado to obtain drugs. During the search of the vehicle law enforcement found over 2,000 fentanyl pills and six pounds of methamphetamine that was intended to be distributed in the Rapid City area. Officers also located a handgun in the door of the vehicle. Cotto is a prohibited person due to his use of methamphetamine and marijuana.

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

    This case was investigated by the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Meghan N. Dilges and Edward Tarbay prosecuted the case.

    Cotto was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Acting United States Attorney Fondren Announces Federal Indictment Against Gynecologist for Sexually Abusing Patients, Adulterating Medical Devices for Reuse on Patients, and Healthcare Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Memphis, TN – Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced today that Sanjeev Kumar, 44, was arrested this morning and charged with enticing and inducing four victims to travel interstate to engage in illegal sexual activity, adulteration of medical devices, misbranding of medical devices, and healthcare fraud.

    The indictment unsealed today alleges that from at least in or about September 2019 and up to and including at least in or about June 2024, Kumar enticed and induced four victims to travel interstate to his medical offices in Memphis, Tennessee, at least in part for the purpose of subjecting them to a sexual activity for which he could be charged with a criminal offense in violation of Tennessee Code Annotated Section 39-13-503.

    According to the Indictment, between 2019 and 2024, Kumar sexually abused women by conducting medically unnecessary gynecologic procedures with medical devices that he held under insanitary conditions and reused on patients when they were required to be disposed of or properly reprocessed. Kumar did not inform patients that he was reusing “single use” or improperly reprocessed devices before he inserted the devices into their vaginas. He also billed Medicare and Medicaid as if the procedures were medically necessary and as if he had used a new or properly reprocessed device for each procedure.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren said: “Kumar was consistently the top-paid provider in Tennessee for Medicare and Medicaid for hysteroscopy biopsy services, and he profited substantially from these criminal acts. The allegations indicate that Kumar acted as a predator in a white coat and used the cover of conducting medical examinations to put his patients at risk and enrich himself.”   

    “This doctor put profit ahead of patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The abusive behavior alleged here took place over five years, which means there could be many victims out there we have not heard from. We want you to know FBI victim specialists, special agents, and analysts investigating this case are here for each and every one of you, and we are your advocates. It is important to remember nothing Dr. Kumar has done was, or ever will be, your fault. We see time and time again that voices matter, and those who have stepped forward have empowered others to do the same. If you have any information concerning this case, or if you believe you are a victim or may have been affected by these alleged crimes, please visit www.fbi.gov/KumarVictims and complete the questionnaire so that we can contact you.  Your responses are voluntary but would be useful in the federal investigation and would enable us to serve you as a victim.”

    “Physicians have a sworn duty to prioritize the health and safety of their patients,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  “HHS-OIG is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who exploit their patients and federal health care programs for personal gain.”

    This case is being investigated by the United States HHS-OIG, the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).

    The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.  If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of the factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Crum, Scott Smith, and Sarah Pazar Williams for prosecuting this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case. 

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    For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rapid City Man Found Guilty of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted William Henry Riese, age 34, of Rapid City, South Dakota, of Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography, and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on February 27, 2025.

    The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in custody and a maximum penalty of up to life in custody, and/or a $250,000 fine, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $400 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

    Riese was arrested and federally indicted in August of 2022, following the undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators. Following multiple chats and sexually explicit text messages with a person Riese believed to be a 14-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent, Riese proceeded to negotiate a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. When Riese went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor, he was instead met by law enforcement agents and placed under arrest.

    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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.

    A presentence investigation was ordered, and sentencing has been scheduled for May 30, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: High-Ranking Member of Violent Mexican Drug Cartel Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Mexican national and high-ranking, violent member of the Los Zetas cartel pleaded guilty today to conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana destined for the United States.

    According to court documents, Jaime Gonzalez-Duran, also known as Hummer, 49, was an original member of Los Zetas, a drug trafficking organization comprised of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel. Los Zetas later formed an alliance with the Gulf Cartel, and they collectively operated under the name “The Company.” Gonzalez-Duran, a high-ranking member of Los Zetas, served as a plaza boss in the city of Miguel Aleman, Mexico, controlling the Company’s drug-trafficking activities in and through that area, and, later, as a regional commander in the cities of Nuevo Laredo, Miguel Aleman, and Reynosa, Mexico, supervising dozens of Los Zetas members in the region. In his roles, Gonzalez-Duran bribed law enforcement officers to ensure drug loads would not be disturbed; maintained weapons, explosives, and ammunitions caches; and committed acts of violence against rival drug trafficking groups during conflicts for control over drug plazas and trafficking routes. Gonzalez-Duran was personally responsible for the importation into the United States of more than 450 kilograms of cocaine and 90,000 kilograms of marijuana.

    Gonzalez-Duran pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine and marijuana for unlawful importation into the United States from Mexico. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Field Division made the announcement.

    The DEA Houston Field Division investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and October 2022 extradition of Gonzalez Duran.

    Trial Attorneys Tara Arndt and Jayce Born and Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.

    The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strength of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Admit Committing Fraud with Checks Stolen from the Mail

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – Four Franklin County, Missouri men have admitted using stolen checks from the U.S. Mail to commit bank fraud.

    Matthew Cahill, 40, pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and four counts of bank fraud. Cahill admitted that from roughly February 2020 through September 2021, he and others stole personal checks, business checks, bank account information and the personally identifying information of multiple victims by removing outgoing or delivered mail from mailboxes, residences and vehicles. Cahill and the others altered the checks or created counterfeit checks, and then used those checks at retail stores, deposited them or cashed them at banks. Cahill also electronically accessed a victim’s account and sent an unauthorized online ACH payment to an associate. The scheme created an actual and intended loss of $67,807.

    Cahill is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29.

    Donald Anderson, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and three counts of bank fraud and has been sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to repay $26,527 to victims.

    Joshua Hopkins, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to repay $1,395.

    Harvey Hale, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of bank fraud and has been sentenced to 12 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to repay $19,550.

    The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the police departments in the cities of Washington, Union, Eureka, St. Clair and St. Charles investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: D.C. Man Convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, and Drug Distribution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Deangelo Lorenzo Lewis, 28, of Washington D.C., was found guilty today of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 30, 2025.

                The conviction was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and United States Marshal Robert A. Dixon, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean T. Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division,

                According to court documents, Deputy U.S. Marshals arrested Lewis on October 3, 2023, in an apartment that he had rented using a stolen identity.  After securing Lewis and the apartment, Deputy U.S. Marshals applied for, received, and executed a search warrant on the apartment where they discovered more than $150,000 worth of checks that appeared to have been stolen from the U.S. mail, a check printer, and blank check stock, as well as driver’s licenses and social security cards issued to persons other than Lewis. Deputy U.S. Marshals also discovered a Century Arms, Micro Draco 7.62 x 39mm semi-automatic assault pistol, two 9mm handgun magazines, and approximately 1 ½ pounds of marijuana packaged for distribution.  The Micro Draco was loaded with 26 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.

                The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service with assistance from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James B. Nelson, Justin F. Song, Jacqueline O. Yarbro and Paralegal Specialist Jenna Lee.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Upstate CEO Sentenced to Federal Prison After Defrauding Company to Build a $2.5M Beach House

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Joseph Edward Gallagher, 67, of Greenville was sentenced to more than three years in federal for committing wire fraud after defrauding his company to build a beach house. 

    Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing established that Gallagher served as the president and CEO of AFL Telecommunications, which is owned by Fujikura, Inc. Despite receiving yearly compensation in excess of $2 million, Gallagher devised a scheme to have AFL pay for the construction of a personal beach house. Gallagher created a false business documents indicating EPIC Development Group, LLC, was serving as a consultant for AFL Telecommunications in the field of government contracts and optical infrastructure. In truth, EPIC was a builder and was constructing Gallagher’s beach house on Kiawah Island. 

    When EPIC submitted invoices for construction costs, Gallagher would alter them to indicate that the recipient of the services was AFL and that the services involved consulting rather than construction. Gallagher would further submit the altered invoices to AFL for payment. Gallagher succeeded, through fraud and deceit, in obtaining approximately $2.5 million from AFL for the construction of the beach house. EPIC had no knowledge that Gallagher was defrauding his employer.  

    “Gallagher’s actions represent a serious breach of trust. He abused his position of authority diverting millions from his company to fund a personal luxury,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “This sentence underscores that such brazen acts of fraud, regardless of an individual’s status, will be met with serious consequences.”

    U.S. District Judge Jacquelyn D. Austin sentenced Gallagher to 41 months imprisonment. She also ordered Gallagher to pay a $34,000 fine. She will decide the issue of restitution at a later hearing.  

    This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Watkins prosecuted the case. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Man Wanted in Connection with Deadly I-480 Shooting

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Euclid, OH – This afternoon, members of the U.S. Marshals led Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) arrested Michael Sanchez Roman, 30. Roman was wanted by the Bedford Heights Police Department for aggravated murder.

    On February 1, 2025, officers with the Bedford Heights Police Department responded to I-480 West near Aurora Road exit for a report of a disabled vehicle. Upon arrival officers located a deceased male who had suffered fatal gunshot wounds. The male was later identified as Johndiel Sanchez Rivera, 19. Michael Gabriel Alvarado, 21, and Michael Sanchez Roman, 30, were identified as being involved in the deadly shooting and warrants were issued for their arrest. Alvardo was arrested by the Bedford Heights Department on February 26.

    This afternoon, members of the NOVFTF arrested Roman at an address in the 1400 block of E. 221st Street, Euclid, Ohio. During the arrest attempt, Roman initially barricaded himself inside the residence with a 2-year-old child. Members of the task force were able to safely negotiate Roman to surrender.

    U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, “The safest option for these fugitives during an arrest is to comply with our officers’ orders and then everyone involved, including the fugitive, our officers and the public will be safe. Thankfully, no one was injured during this arrest and our officers were able to negotiate a safe surrender.”

    Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or you can submit a web tip. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous.  Follow the U.S. Marshals on Twitter @USMSCleveland.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Skilled Nursing Facility and Acute Care Hospital to Pay $6.5 Million to Settle Civil False Claims Act Allegations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – Providence Park, Inc., doing business as Ascension Living Providence Village, and Ascension Providence, formerly known as Providence Health Services of Waco, have agreed to pay the United States and the State of Texas $6,526,851.64 to resolve allegations under the Federal False Claims Act and the Texas Health Care Program Fraud Prevention Act.

    The United States alleged that Providence Park, which owns and operates a skilled nursing facility in Waco, submitted medically unnecessary Ultra-High Resource Utilization Group therapy claims to federal healthcare programs. The United States further alleged that Ascension Providence, which owns and operates an acute care hospital in Waco, submitted false claims to federal healthcare programs for individual outpatient therapy services at the Lacy Lakeview Clinic when group therapy was being provided, and for therapy services at Woodway, Providence Sports & Physical Therapy, and Lacy Lakeview when there was no plan of care signed by a physician.

    “My office will hold providers accountable when they submit inaccurate claims or seek reimbursement for medically unnecessary services,” said Acting United States Attorney Margaret F. Leachman of the Western District of Texas. “I encourage providers that identify instances of improper billing to work proactively to remedy the issue, as happened in this case.”

    Providence Park and Ascension Providence received cooperation credit under the terms of the settlement pursuant to the Department of Justice’s Guidelines for Taking Voluntary Disclosure, Cooperation, and Remediation into Account in False Claims Act Matters. They cooperated with the United States’ investigation by, among other things, disclosing the results of an internal investigation at Ascension Providence that resulted in an overpayment refund to Medicare, voluntarily identifying overpayments for outpatient therapy services at Ascension Providence pursuant to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General Healthcare Fraud Self-Disclosure Protocol, and identifying corrective actions to address the issues identified in the self-disclosure.

    The civil settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is captioned United States and Texas ex rel. Bland and Ellison v. Ascension Health Senior Care, et al., No. 5:21-CV-269 (W.D. Tex.).

    Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Parnham negotiated the settlement on behalf of the United States.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis County Man Admits Pandemic-Related Unemployment Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Friday admitted possessing stolen identities and engaging in several schemes, including one in which he falsely obtained COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits.

    Daryl Jones Jr., 45, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to three felonies: conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud.

    Between June 22, 2020, and July 15, 2020, the State of Pennsylvania deposited $84,592 in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits on debit cards fraudulently issued in the identities of Jones and four others. Debit cards were issued in the stolen identities of four more people, but no deposits were made.

    Jones obtained some of the personal information to set up the accounts from Cheryl Johnson, his girlfriend, who had supervised the victims while employed at various St. Louis area businesses.

    On June 3, 2021, Jones submitted counterfeit pay stubs from a fake business associated with Johnson to obtain a $31,700 vehicle loan. He and Johnson submitted counterfeit insurance identification cards to accept delivery of the vehicle. On June 25, 2021, they arrived at the St. Louis County home of James Whitiker in that vehicle, as law enforcement was performing a court-approved search. Investigators found a notebook containing the names, Social Security numbers and birthdates of about 35 individuals, two more pieces of paper with the identifying information of 18 others, three stolen identification documents, nine Pennsylvania unemployment insurance benefit debit cards and stolen credit and debit cards.

    Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29.

    Johnson, 44, pleaded guilty February 20 to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced in May. Whitiker, 43, pleaded guilty in July to a conspiracy charge and was sentenced in October to three years of prison. He admitted using two debit cards during the conspiracy and knowing that Jones and Johnson were using his home to commit the unemployment fraud.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Gang Members Arrested in Operation Targeting Area Known as “Dead End”

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Eight gang members were arrested Tuesday in ATF-led  “Operation Blue Laces,” announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.

    Monday’s takedown, which occurred in the Wheatley Place Neighborhood in South Dallas, resulted in the apprehension of eight members of the 42 Oakland Crips street gang. They made their initial appearances Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee H. Toliver.

    Those charged in three separate indictments include: 

    • Kendrick Jamal Young, aka “Peanut,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, felon in possession of a firearm (a Springfield Hellcat 9mm pistol, a Ruger 9mm pistol, and a FedArm AR-15 style pistol), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
    • Christopher Jamiel Love, aka “Black,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, felon in possession of a firearm (a Springfield Hellcat 9mm pistol, a Ruger 9mm pistol, and a FedArm AR-style pistol) and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
    • Alex Jerome Bowman, aka “Big A,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
    • Victor Scott Wingham, aka “Johnny Joe,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
    • Joshua Jimond Wheatley, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
    • Travion Williams, aka “Traa Savage,” charged with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence (a Taurus 9mm pistol and a Glock 9mm pistol)
    • Jihadd Thies Gorree Thomas, charged with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence (a Taurus 9mm pistol and a Glock 9mm pistol)
    • Jamarian Augustus Hewitt, charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substances, felon in possession of a firearm (a Ruger 9mm pistol), possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime , and using a communication facility (cell phone) to facilitate a drug felony

    At a detention hearing on Friday, prosecutors said defendants had been dealing drugs on a daily basis on Dallas’ Casey Street, in an area known as the “Dead End.” Phone records introduced into evidence showed that several members of the conspiracy texted to warn one another about upcoming law enforcement raids, sent young people in to look for missing dope following the raids, and went right back to dealing drugs after the raids concluded.

    Many of the arrestees had extensive criminal histories, with rap sheets that included drug and gun crimes.

    During the takedown, agents seized 14 firearms, more than a kilogram’s worth of methamphetamine pills, as well as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, alprazolam, marijuana, TXC wax, hash, and more than $47,000 in cash. They also seized six vehicles, several pieces of Crips -themed jewelry, and a caiman alligator, which was transported to the Dallas Zoo. 

    Indictments are merely allegations of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

    If convicted, some defendants face up to life in federal prison. 

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the Dallas Police Department, Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, IRS – Criminal Investigative Division, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Game Wardens. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assisted with care and transportation of the seized alligator. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert is prosecuting the case. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Farmington Hills Man Convicted in a Racially Motivated Assault of a Postal Worker

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DETROIT – A Farmington Hills man was convicted by a federal jury yesterday on charges of assaulting a United States Postal Worker, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced today.

    Beck was joined in the announcement by Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the U.S Postal Inspection Service’s Detroit Division. 

    Russell Valleau, 62, was convicted following a three-day jury trial before United States District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds. The jury also unanimously found that Valleau intentionally selected the letter carrier as the object of his offense because of her actual or perceived race or color. The jury deliberated approximately two hours before returning their verdict.  Valleau was convicted of assaulting a federal employee but acquitted of using a dangerous weapon in the assault.

    Evidence presented at the trial established that Valleau, angered by receiving a black person’s mail in his mailbox, aggressively approached the passenger window of his letter carrier’s postal truck yelling racially charged insults at her. This letter carrier, a black woman herself, tried to diffuse the situation by directing him to leave the unwanted mail in his mailbox. Undeterred, Valleau continued his insults, now pointing the vitriol directly to the letter carrier.  When she asked him to step away from her vehicle, he attempted to attack her through her open passenger window.  Valleau was only thwarted when the letter carrier sprayed him in the face with her USPS-issued mace and drove away.  Once apprehended, Valleau continued his offensive and profane language while in the custody of the officers – this included referring to his letter carrier as a “f**king smelly n**ger.” When officers admonished him for his language, he responded: “Oh, you like n**gers.”

    Acting U.S. Attorney Beck stated, “A letter carrier was simply trying to do her job, and this defendant physically attacked her while using racist and offensive language. This type of behavior has no place in our community and will not be tolerated.”

    “As the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service, the Postal Inspection Service prioritizes the safety and security of postal employees above all else,” said Detroit Division Inspector in Charge Rodney Hopkins. “Let this verdict be a warning to those who threaten, intimidate, or otherwise harm the dedicated men and women of USPS: We will arrest you, and we will seek to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

    The Court scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 27, 2025 at 10:00 AM.  Valleau faces up to twelve months incarceration.

    This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Farmington Hills Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Carlson and Darrin Crawford. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Cartel Boss Tied to Southlake Murder-for-Hire Among Defendants Extradited From Mexico

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Among the 29 cartel bosses extradited from Mexico to the United States on Thursday was Northern District of Texas defendant Jose Rodolfo Villarreal Hernandez, aka “El Gato,” announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham. 

    Mr. Villarreal Hernandez, a Mexican national who held a high-level position in the Beltran-Leyva Organization (BLO) Drug Cartel, was charged in June 2018 with interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire in the brutal slaying of a 43-year-old Southlake, Texas lawyer in 2013. 

    He was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List in October 2020 and arrested by Mexican law enforcement agents in Atizapán de Zaragoza, Mexico in January 2023.

    Attorney General Pam Bondi announced his successful extradition yesterday, pledging to prosecute all extradited cartel bosses “to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels.” 

    Mr. Villarreal Hernandez will make his initial appearance in federal court next week.

    According to evidence presented at the trial of his coconspirators, Mr. Villarreal Hernandez allegedly directed and financed a multi-year effort to locate and assassinate his victim, an attorney with ties to a rival cartel. Testimony revealed that Mr. Villarreal Hernandez allegedly believed the attorney was involved with the death of Mr. Villarreal Hernandez’s father and wanted revenge. 

    The victim was shot while sitting in the passenger seat of his vehicle outside an upscale shopping center in  Southlake on May 22, 2013. His wife was standing near the driver’s side door when her husband was killed. 

    Three men who, acting on orders from Mr. Villarreal Hernandez, tracked the victim prior to his death were convicted and sentenced in 2016: Jose Luis Cepeda-Cortes and Jesus Gerardo Ledezma-Cepeda were convicted at trial of interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire; Mr. Cepeda-Cortez was also convicted of tampering with documents or proceedings. Both men received life sentences. Jesus Gerardo Ledezma-Campano, son of Mr. Ledezma-Cepeda, pleaded guilty prior to trial to one count of interstate stalking and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

    A fourth defendant, Ramon Villarreal-Hernandez, the brother of Jose Rodolfo, was arrested in Mexico and extradited to the United States in 2020. He pleaded guilty to interstate stalking in June 2022 and was sentenced to ten years in prison.

    According to the U.S. State Department, in addition to allegedly ordering the Southlake murder, Mr. Villarreal Hernandez is believed to have overseen the importation of large quantities of cocaine into the United States as well as committing violent acts within the Republic of Mexico and the United States to maintain his organization’s power and status.

    “After more than a decade, Mr. Villarreal Hernandez will have to answer for his alleged crimes in an American courtroom,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “Since the victim was gunned down in a public parking lot in 2013, law enforcement’s commitment to this case has never wavered. I extend my sincere thanks to the federal, state, local, and international partners who have pulled together to ensure this defendant will be brought to justice.”

    An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Villarreal Hernandez is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

    The statutory maximum penalty for interstate stalking is life in prison; the statutory maximum for the murder-for-hire charge is life in prison or death.

    The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, with assistance from the Southlake Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, US. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, the Fort Worth Police Department, and the Grapevine Police Department. The  Mexican Secretariat of the Navy, Fiscalía Generalde la República (FGR), Coordinación Nacional Antisecuestro (CONASE) coordinated in the arrest of Mr. Villarreal-Hernandez.  The U.S. Marshal Service for the Northern District of Texas assisted in securing the defendant upon his arrival in Texas. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Mexico City, and the U.S. Marshals Mexico City Foreign Field Office provided valuable assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Burgess (fmr) and Aisha Saleem prosecuted the case against Mr. Luis Cepeda-Cortes, Mr. Ledezma-Cepeda, and Mr. Ledezma-Campano. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn Smith and Laura Montes are prosecuting the case against Mr. Villarreal Hernandez.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis County Felon Who Shot at Police Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Friday sentenced a convicted felon who shot at St. Louis County Police Department officers in 2020 to 25 years in prison.

    On Sept. 1, 2020, Dexter McKinnies shot at police, including officers who were members of the FBI Violent Crime Safe Streets Task Force, as they were trying to arrest him. Police had been trying to locate Dexter McKinnies during an investigation of multiple violent crimes and learned that his brother, Lawton McKinnies, had an active felony arrest warrant for three counts of first-degree assault and three counts of armed criminal action.

    Officers arranged a meeting as a ruse. The McKinnies went to the meeting believing that they would be performing maintenance work on a property. When Lawton McKinnies arrived, officers arrested him and discovered that he was armed with a 9mm pistol. Dexter McKinnies was across the street and fired multiple shots at officers with a 9mm pistol, striking an FBI truck. Officers returned fire and struck McKinnies.

    Both McKinnies are convicted felons and are thus barred from possessing a firearm.

    Dexter McKinnies, now 34, pleaded guilty in November to five felonies: one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts each of assault on a federal officer and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

    Lawton McKinnies, now 36, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to three years in prison. In March, he was sentenced to another year for violating his supervised release.

    The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donald Boyce and Nichole Frankenberg prosecuted the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Co-Leader of Transnational Drug Trafficking Organization Arrives in the U.S. to Face Federal Narcotics and Murder Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – An alleged leader of a transnational drug trafficking enterprise co-helmed by former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been sent to the United States from Mexico to face federal charges alleging that he ran a continuing criminal enterprise, committed murder and attempted murder, and conspired to possess, distribute, and export cocaine, the Justice Department announced today. 

    Andrew Clark, 34, a Canadian citizen who was residing in Mexico, was arrested by Mexican authorities in October 2024 and is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in United States District Court in Phoenix on charges contained in a 16-count superseding indictment out of the Central District of California. Alongside Wedding, Clark allegedly controlled a billion-dollar drug enterprise with supply routes that transported ton-quantities of cocaine from Colombia to Canada by way of Mexico and Southern California.

    From March to August 2024, Wedding and Clark allegedly conspired with others to export, possess, and distribute more than 1,800 kilograms of cocaine. In addition, using a network of virtual currency wallets, Wedding, Clark, and their co-conspirators transferred approximately a quarter of a billion dollars from April to September 2024. In one day, investigators seized more than $3 million dollars from one cryptocurrency wallet. 

    “The defendant, as described in the superseding indictment, played a key role in running a violent, international drug trafficking organization that was responsible for multiple murders,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “We are grateful to have him in the United States where he will face justice. When law enforcement officials around the globe work together, there is nowhere criminals can hide.”

    The superseding indictment alleges that Wedding and Clark, whose aliases include “The Dictator,” directed the November 20, 2023, murders of two individuals and the attempted murder of a third victim in Ontario, Canada. Wedding and Clark also allegedly ordered the murder of a fourth individual on May 18, 2024. Clark and another co-defendant are also charged with the April 1, 2024, murder of a fifth individual in Ontario, Canada.

    Clark is the second-named defendant in the superseding indictment that charges a total of 16 defendants. With Clark’s expected court appearance, a total of eight defendants will have been arraigned in this case. Clark’s co-conspirators are scheduled to begin trial on May 6.

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

    If convicted, Clark would face a mandatory minimum penalty of life in federal prison on the continuing criminal enterprise charge. The murder and attempted murder charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The drug trafficking charges carry mandatory minimum penalties of 10 years in prison.

    The FBI investigated this matter with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Field Division, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Federal Policing. In addition, significant assistance was provided by U.S. law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations – Detroit and United States Customs and Border Protection – Buffalo; Canadian law enforcement partners, including Niagara Regional Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police Service, and Peel Regional Police; Mexican law enforcement partners, including the Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la República) and the Criminal Investigation Agency (Agencia de Investigación Criminal); and Colombian law enforcement partners, including Colombian National Police – Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol, Special Interagency Investigation Group (Policía Nacional de Colombia – Dirección de Investigación Criminal e Interpol, Grupo Especial de Investigación Interagenciales). This investigation was conducted with the support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).

    Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi Allsop and Maria Jhai of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Ryan Waters of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former State Official and State Representative Charged with Offenses Related to Cancelled State Audit of Medicaid Provider

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an 18-count indictment charging KONSTANTINOS “KOSTA” DIAMANTIS, 68, of Farmington, and CHRISTOPHER ZIOGAS, 73, of Bristol, with various offenses related to the cancelling of a state audit of a Medicaid provider who engaged in health care fraud.

    The indictment was returned on February 25, 2025.  Diamantis and Ziogas each appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport, entered pleas of not guilty to the charges in the indictment, and were released on $500,000 bonds.

    As alleged in the indictment, between January and June 2020, Diamantis, while serving at Deputy Secretary of the State of Connecticut’s Office of Policy and Management (OPM), and Ziogas, who served as a State Representative for Connecticut’s 79th Assembly District, engaged in a scheme in which Diamantis solicited and received corrupt payments and benefits from Helen Zervas, an optometrist and owner of Family Eye Care in Bristol, in exchange for official acts concerning a State of Connecticut audit of Zervas’s and Family Eye Care’s Medicaid overbilling.  Diamantis and Ziogas then took steps to conceal their conduct.

    As part of the alleged scheme, in January 2020, an official with Connecticut’s Department of Social Services (DSS) provided notice that it would perform an audit of Zervas’s and Family Eye Care’s Medicaid billing.  Zervas, who has been charged separately, knew that she had fraudulently overbilled Medicaid for medical services that she had not provided, or that were not medically necessary.  Zervas sought assistance from Ziogas, who was her fiancée, to prevent the DSS audit from proceeding.  Ziogas, in turn, sought help from Diamantis.  In exchange for payments from Ziogas and Zervas, Diamantis undertook official acts, and pressured other state officials to undertake official acts, aimed at favorably resolving the DSS audit.

    As alleged in the indictment, on March 4, 2020, Ziogas made a bribe payment to Diamantis in the amount of $20,000.  On that date, Zervas’s attorney emailed a DSS official with a settlement offer to resolve DSS’s audit.  The next day, Zervas reimbursed Ziogas with a $25,000 check from Family Eye Care.  On March 12, 2020, Ziogas made a $10,000 bribe payment to Diamantis, and was subsequently reimbursed by Zervas.  After having been advised and pressured indirectly by Diamantis through officials at OPM and DSS, the DSS official cancelled the DSS audit and, on May 1, 2020, accepted Zervas’s settlement proposal.

    The indictment further alleges that, on May 12, 2020, Diamantis and Ziogas delivered a check from Family Eye Care in the amount of $599,810 to DSS.  On May 15, 2020, Ziogas, through Zervas, made a final bribe payment of $65,000 to Diamantis.

    The indictment also alleges that Diamantis and Ziogas made multiple false statements when interviewed by the FBI during the investigation of this matter, and that Diamantis failed to include the $95,000 in corrupt payments on his 2020 federal tax return.

    Finally, the indictment alleges that Ziogas, an attorney, separately committed bank fraud.  Ziogas was the trustee of a client trust, identified in the indictment as “Trust-1.”  In November 2019, Ziogas prepared and caused to be negotiated a check from Trust-1 in the amount of $5,500 made out to “Kosta Diamantis.”

    The indictment charges Diamantis and Ziogas with extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; bribery, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and conspiracy to commit bribery, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

    The indictment also charges Diamantis with seven counts, and Ziogas with two counts, of making false statements, which carries maximum term of imprisonment of five years on each count; Diamantis with one count of filing a false tax return, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years; Ziogas with three counts of making illegal monetary transactions, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count; and Ziogas with one count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan N. Francis and David E. Novick.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Seymour Woman Sentenced for $850,000 Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Seymour, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for a more than $850,000 fraud scheme in which she used the personal identity information of her fellow inmates in state prison to obtain student loans and tax refunds.

    Renee Delann Clouse, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Clouse to pay $857,618 in restitution and to forfeit to the government $857,618. Clouse was taken into custody at the end of the hearing to immediately begin serving her sentence.

    On April 23, 2024, Clouse pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. Clouse admitted that she harvested the personal information of fellow inmates while she was incarcerated on a state drug conviction, then after being released from prison used that information to fraudulently obtain a total of $338,610 in student loan funds and tax refunds to which she was not entitled.

    Clouse fraudulently obtained federal education loans of 18 other individuals totaling $285,435, in addition to more than $500,000 that was sent to the educational institutions, for a fraud scheme that totaled $804,434. Clouse also fraudulently obtained IRS refunds of 10 other individuals totaling $53,174.

    According to court documents, Clouse continued her fraud scheme even after she knew she was being investigated by federal agents, and after agreeing to plead guilty.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, Kansas City, Mo.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Previously convicted felon sentenced to 30 years in prison for possessing a machinegun while trafficking methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NORFOLK, Va. – A member of the Bloods criminal street gang was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a machinegun during a drug-trafficking crime.

    According to court documents, on Aug. 28, 2021, in Norfolk, Christopher Scarbor, aka Hellboy, 32, was in a BMW that fled from a marked police unit at a high rate of speed and ignored stop signs. The car entered a cemetery and crashed through and over gravestones before it spun out and stopped.

    After the car came to rest in the cemetery, Scarbor was arrested after he attempted to flee on foot. Scarbor possessed a waist pack that contained 87 pills and a machinegun conversion device (MCD), used to convert a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic machinegun. Police also recovered two semi-automatic firearms inside the car.

    On April 5, 2023, Scarbor was wanted for failing to appear in court while he was on pretrial release for his Aug. 28, 2021 offense. Norfolk police located Scarbor in a hotel in Norfolk. Officers observed an ammunition magazine in the bathroom and, from within the toilet tank, recovered a handgun with an affixed MCD; 8.51 grams of cocaine; 14.94 grams of fentanyl and xylazine; 17.16 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, and xylazine; and 37.06 grams of methamphetamine.

    In 2013, Scarbor was convicted for robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael Feinberg, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.

    Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph E. DePadilla prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-112.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Essex County Armed Career Criminal Charged With Weapons Possession And Trafficking Fentanyl, Heroin, And Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man was charged today with (i) being a felon in possession of a firearm, (ii) possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine, and (iii) possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    Michael Weaver, 38, of Irvington, New Jersey was charged today by superseding indictment with the above-referenced charges, and his arraignment will be scheduled before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court.

    As a result of Weaver’s significant and violent criminal history, which includes numerous convictions in Essex County for robbery, aggravated assault, unlawful weapons possession, and drug trafficking, he was charged under the Armed Career Criminal Act.  That charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison.  In total, as a result of all the charges in the Superseding Indictment, Weaver faces a total mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of imprisonment of life in prison.  Each offense carries a maximum fine of $250,000.  

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Chief Mitchell G. McGuire, and the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Director Emanuel Miranda, with the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ross River — Ross River RCMP recover stolen firearms

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Ross River RCMP investigators have recovered several stolen firearms and charged two adult males following separate and unrelated investigations.

    On November 26, 2024, Ross River RCMP received a report of a break and enter at a residence where two rifles were stolen. Through the course of the investigation, police were able to recover the firearms and Robert Power, was arrested and charged with:

    • Possession of a weapon obtained by crime;
    • Unauthorized possession of a firearm;
    • Weapons trafficking;
    • Possession of property obtained by crime.

    On November 30, 2024 police received a report of a rifle that was stolen. Police have since recovered this firearm and have charged Michael Bondarchuk with weapons trafficking and unauthorized possession of a firearm.

    Mr. Bondarchuk and Mr. Power were arrested on February 19, 2025 and held in custody for court on February 20. They were both released on Release Orders with conditions including a court appearance for March 6, 2025 in Ross River.

    Ross River RCMP request that anyone with information about these incidents to contact Ross River RCMP at 867-969-5555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Colorado Dentist Pleads Guilty to Multiple Tax Evasion Charges

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Colorado dentist pleaded guilty today to six counts of tax evasion related to his use of an illegal tax shelter.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, since 2014, Ryan Ulibarri owned and operated Ulibarri Family Dentistry in Fort Collins, Colorado. In 2016, Ulibarri purchased an abusive-trust tax shelter for $50,000. The tax shelter involved concealing income and creating false tax deductions through the use of a so-called business trust, family trust, charitable trust and a private family foundation, all of which Ulibarri created and controlled. From 2017 through 2022, Ulibarri used this tax shelter to conceal from the IRS over $3.5 million in income he earned from his dental practice.

    To set up the tax shelter, Ulibarri, as the purported trustee, signed trust instruments purporting to create the three trusts and foundation, and he opened bank accounts in the name of each. He further recruited friends to falsely sign his trust instruments as the purported creators of the trusts. Ulibarri then transferred majority ownership of his dental practice to the business trust. Ulibarri did this despite having been warned by attorneys and CPAs that, in Colorado, a trust could not own a dental practice.

    He then transferred over $3 million he earned from his dental practice into the bank accounts of the various trusts and foundation to create the illusion that the funds belonged to those entities. In reality, Ulibarri retained complete control over the funds and used the funds to pay for personal expenses including his home mortgage, credit card bills, boats and professional baseball season tickets. Finally, he filed false tax returns for himself, his dental practice, the trusts and foundation that falsely reported the income he earned from his dental practice as income of the trusts. On those tax returns Ulibarri also claimed fraudulent deductions for his personal living expenses which he disguised as trust expenses and charitable donations.

    In total, Ulibarri is alleged to have caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $1 million.

    Ulibarri is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Special Agent in Charge Amanda Prestegard of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Denver Field Office made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Amanda R. Scott and Lauren K. Pope and Assistant Chief Andrew J. Kameros of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Suspected bank robbers arrested in Belgium

    Source: Eurojust

    28 February 2025|

    Eurojust coordinated the collaboration between French and Belgian authorities that led to the arrest of 12 gang members on 26 February. The criminals are suspected of attempting to rob cash transports for banks. Due to the swift cooperation between the authorities, the criminals were stopped before committing a robbery.

    Two High Value Targets specialised in armed robbery were part of the criminal group. One of the suspects is known as the ‘escape king’ due to him escaping from prison multiple times. In the course of their investigation, the French authorities noticed the two High Value Targets travelling regularly to Belgium. They suspected the targets were planning to commit a crime. After their investigations showed that the members had links with Belgian suspects, cooperation with the Belgian authorities was quickly set up through Eurojust. 

    A joint investigation team was set up at Eurojust to allow the Belgian and French authorities to work together swiftly and efficiently, exchanging information and evidence in real time. To stop the criminals, a joint operation was planned at Eurojust. 

    In the late hours of 26 February, the Belgian authorities arrested 12 suspects. The authorities know several of the people arrested. Following the arrests, several searches were carried out in France and Belgium. Investigations into the robbers are ongoing. 

    The following authorities carried out the operations: 

    • France: JIRS PARIS inter regional specialised jurisdiction; OCCLO National Police Organised Crime unit  
    • Belgium: PPO Brussels; Investigative Judge Brussels; Judicial Police Brussels (PJF Bruxelles); Special Units Belgian Federal Police (DSU)

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Collingwood Corner — Cumberland County District RCMP appeals for information as investigation continues

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Cumberland County District RCMP is appealing to the public for information in regards to a snowmobile crash as it continues its investigation.

    On February 21, at approximately 10:20 p.m., RCMP, fire services and EHS responded to a report of a snowmobile crash on Wyvern Rd: RCMP investigates fatality following snowmobile crash | Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

    The investigation into all aspects of the incident is continuing, and investigators are appealing to the public for information pertaining to the hours leading up to, and including, the time of the snowmobile crash.

    Anyone with information who has not yet spoken with police is asked to contact Cumberland County District RCMP at 902-667-3859. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    Our thoughts continue to be with the victim’s loved ones at this difficult time.

    File #: 2025-234808

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