NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Topping out ceremony marks milestone for affordable homes in Marston 

    Source: City of Oxford

    A traditional topping out ceremony has marked a major milestone in the construction of 40 new affordable homes in Marston. 

    The low-carbon development will be delivered in partnership by Oxford City Council’s housing company, OX Place, and Lucy Developments.  

    Representatives from the organisations gathered this week to celebrate the reaching the highest point of development at the former paddock off Butts Lane in Old Marston.  

    An ancient tradition 

    Topping out is a long-standing tradition in the construction industry, with roots going back to Saxon times, celebrating a building reaching its highest point. In keeping with tradition, a yew tree branch, a symbol of growth and prosperity, was fixed in place at the top of Marston Paddock. 

    Affordable and sustainable homes for Oxford 

    Due for completion in Autumn 2025, Marston Paddock will offer 40 affordable homes. This includes 21 council homes let at social rent for people on the housing register and 19 shared ownership homes. 

    Social rent levels mean council tenants will typically pay around 40% of the rent a private landlord would charge for the same home. Shared ownership is a flexible option which helps a range of people onto the housing ladder in one of the UK’s most unaffordable cities.  

    The new homes have been designed to go 56% beyond national carbon reduction targets, using a fabric-first approach, air source heat pumps, and mechanical ventilation heat recovery. 

    The development promotes sustainable travel with secure cycle storage, electric vehicle charging, and a new cycle link to the A40 path. 

    Comment 

    “Topping out is a proud moment in any development and it’s brilliant to celebrate this milestone at Marston Paddock. This is a beautiful, sustainable development that will deliver 40 genuinely affordable homes for people in Oxford who need them most.” 

    Councillor Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies 

    “OX Place is proud to be working with Lucy Developments to deliver these much-needed homes. From affordability to sustainability, Marston Paddock shows what’s possible when we build with people and the planet in mind.” 

    Kevin Lowry, Interim Managing Director, OX Place 

    “We’re proud to be partnering with OX Place on a project that demonstrates how quality, sustainability, and affordability can go hand in hand. Reaching this milestone at Marston Paddock is a testament to the shared commitment of our teams to deliver homes that will have a lasting positive impact on the community and environment.” 

    Greg Hilton, Head of Lucy Developments 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Dan Cohen becomes the 131st Lord Mayor of Leeds

    Source: City of Leeds

    Councillor Dan Cohen became the new Lord Mayor of Leeds yesterday, following Leeds City Council’s annual general meeting.

    Taking over the role from Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, Councillor Cohen is the 131st Lord Mayor of Leeds. He will be joined in his mayoral year by his wife, Mrs Elayna Cohen, who will take on the role of Lady Mayoress.

    Above: Councillor Dan Cohen (centre right) with the former Lord Mayor, Abigail Marshall Katung (centre left), the Leader of Leeds City Council, Councillor James Lewis (right), and the political group leaders following yesterday’s ceremony. 

    Born in Alwoodley, Councillor Cohen attended Leeds Grammar School before reading law at Northumbria University. Graduating in 1996 and after training as a solicitor, Councillor Cohen spent most of his working career as managing director and head of in-house legal at Madison Hosiery; a leading Leeds small and medium enterprise importing and distributing hosiery to the country’s major retailers, a family business started by his father Henry Cohen in the 1960’s.

    Councillor Cohen was elected to Leeds City Council for the Alwoodley ward in May 2011 and has since built a reputation as an effective and dynamic ward councillor, together with chairing the council’s Children and Families Scrutiny Board.

    Above: The new Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Dan Cohen. 

    Alongside his council role, Councillor Cohen is also head of in-house legal at The Cohen Foundation, Chair of Governors at Leeds Jewish Free School, which he helped found in 2013, together with being a governor at Brodetsky Primary School, Highfield Primary School, and Allerton High School.

    As is traditional for a new Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Cohen has nominated a charity to represent during his term of office and has chosen Leeds Mencap.

    Leeds Mencap is a local, independent charity supporting children and young people with learning disabilities, autism and other additional needs to feel valued, supported and equipped to thrive.

    Rabbi Anthony Gilbert has kindly agreed to act as the Lord Mayor’s chaplain during his year of office.

    Above: The new Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Dan Cohen.

    The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Dan Cohen, said: “I am honoured and hugely humbled to become the 131st Lord Mayor of Leeds, especially as we move into our city’s 400th birthday year.”

    “As a Leeds boy, it means the world to be able to serve my city in this way. Leeds is an amazing, vibrant, diverse, and dynamic city, and its citizens reflect all those qualities in bucketfuls. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime to have this chance to serve my home city as its Lord Mayor.

    “It is also an honour to be representing such a worthwhile charity as Leeds Mencap throughout my mayoral year. I will do all I can throughout my tenure to raise the profile and much-needed funds for this fantastic organisation.”

    Above: The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Dan Cohen and the Lady Mayoress, Elayna Cohen. 

    The new Lady Mayoress, Elayna Cohen, said: “I’m very honoured to become Lady Mayoress and I’m really looking forward to supporting Dan in his Mayoral duties throughout the coming year.

    “It will be such an honour to meet so many people, doing fantastic work for our city and the community, and to have the opportunity to thank and recognise everyone for all they do to make our city the very best place to live in the UK.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Birmingham Attorney Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Chase Tristian Espy, 36, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography arising out of events that occurred from March 2021 to August 2021, announced United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Felix A. Rivera-Esparra.

    U.S. District Judge Annemarie Carney Axon accepted the plea and set sentencing for January 24, 2023, at 9:00 a.m.

    The plea agreement filed states the investigation was initiated when Espy engaged in online chats with undercover law enforcement whom Espy believed was a 15-year-old girl.  Upon being arrested, Espy’s cell phone was seized, and a search warrant was obtained.  From this search, approximately 69 videos and four images of child sexual abuse material were found.

    “The hard work of the agents involved in this case reflect how local, state, and federal law enforcement are committed to protecting children from predators,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said.  “Possessing child pornography is not a ‘victimless’ crime. Each time images of the innocent are shared or viewed, the child is re-victimized.”

    “The FBI is committed to protecting our children from sexual abuse and exploitation, and we will continue to work with our partners to bring to justice those who would prey on our most vulnerable,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Rivera said. “I want to thank the members of the FBI Birmingham Child Exploitation & Human Trafficking Task Force and our partners for their outstanding work in this case.”

    Possession of Child Pornography carries a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will seek imprisonment of Espy consistent with the high end of the advisory United States Sentencing Guideline range as calculated by the Court at the time of sentencing.

    The FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF), the Homewood Police Department, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) participated in this investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Leann White and Jonathan Cross are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Participating in Alaska HIDTA Initiative Campaign to Combat Drug Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office is participating in a statewide advertising campaign, launched by the Alaska High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiative, designed to help communities partner with law enforcement in the fight against drug trafficking in Alaska. This law enforcement effort follows reports that, between 2020 and 2021, Alaska experienced the largest percent increase of drug overdose deaths of any state in the United States.

    Recognizing that no single agency can fight this battle alone, the FBI Anchorage Field Office joined other participating HIDTA law enforcement agencies for a team approach to remove illicit fentanyl and other dangerous drugs from communities in Alaska. As part of these efforts, the agencies launched a comprehensive advertising campaign designed to empower Alaskans to report suspicious drug trafficking activities and behaviors to law enforcement. By doing so, Alaskans can help save countless lives from overdose, as law enforcement works to mitigate the threat of illicit fentanyl and other dangerous drugs across Alaska.

    “This crisis demands full attention from both law enforcement and the public, for illicit fentanyl is causing untold damage to families and entire communities in Alaska, and across the nation,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “With law enforcement’s united front, along with deviceful measures to improve public safety and public awareness, together with our communities, we can fight the flow of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs that are being trafficked throughout the state.”

    Participating HIDTA law enforcement agencies are encouraging the public to report suspicious drug trafficking activity to AKtips, which can be done quickly online while remaining anonymous. Just download the AKTips smartphone app for iOS or Android. Alternatively, you can submit a tip securely online at the following website: akhidta.org or text the keyword AKTIPS, followed by your crime tip to 847411.

    The Alaska HIDTA program, designated in May 2018, is spread throughout the state, and includes partnerships between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. More information about the Alaska HIDTA Initiative and participating agencies can be found at akhidta.org.

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

      usao/ak/23-03

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Assault on Border Patrol Agents Results in Lengthy Sentence

    Source: US FBI

    TUCSON, Ariz. – Jorge Zazueta-Miranda, 51, of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 90 months in prison. The sentence is to run consecutive to a previous Illegal Re-Entry of a Removed Alien conviction and sentence from New Mexico. Zazueta-Miranda pleaded guilty to Assault on a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon on June 23, 2023.

    On April 1, 2020, U.S. Border Patrol agents near Douglas observed two yellow, cloned “construction” trucks with construction company logos on the sides. Agents stopped one truck, which contained 19 undocumented non-citizens. The second truck, driven by Zazueta-Miranda, failed to stop and sped up. Zazueta-Miranda drove at high speeds through the city of Douglas to the airport area, then continued along the border road into the rugged desert area. A Border Patrol agent attempted to intercept the truck, but Zazueta-Miranda deliberately turned towards the agent’s vehicle and collided with it striking the rear quarter panel. Zazueta-Miranda backed up and then drove towards a break in the U.S. border wall, striking a second agent’s vehicle. Zazueta-Miranda and several undocumented non-citizens jumped out of the truck and fled through the break in the border wall, successfully fleeing into Mexico. Agents recovered a latent print from the driver’s side door belonging to Zazueta-Miranda. A witness, who had been abandoned in the second cloned construction truck, identified Zazueta-Miranda, by a photo, as the driver, and an arrest warrant was issued. Almost two years later, on February 9, 2022, Zazueta-Miranda was arrested in New Mexico after being caught near the New Mexico – Mexico border.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sierra Vista field office, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Serra M. Tsethlikai and Evan N. Wesley, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-00681-TUC-RM
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-206_Zazueta-Miranda

    # # #

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to 109 Months

    Source: US FBI

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Vivian A. Earle, 42, of Phoenix, was sentenced yesterday to 109 months in prison by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow. Earle was convicted on five counts of Bank Robbery by a jury on June 30, 2023.

    Between April and August of 2019, while in Phoenix, Earle robbed five banks, including Wells Fargo, Chase, and Bank of America, taking over $34,000. After the last robbery, a bank customer followed Earle’s vehicle from the parking lot and called 911. Phoenix Police responded and followed Earle until they apprehended him.  

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Gayle Helart and Anthony Church, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-19-01121-PHX-GMS
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-207_Earle

    # # #

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

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    # # #

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

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

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

    The FBI and Fort Smith Police Department investigated the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Sheriff of Franklin County, Arkansas Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting Two People in Custody

    Source: US FBI

    FAYETTEVILLE – Former Franklin County, Arkansas, Sheriff Anthony Boen, 51, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for assaulting two individuals in his custody. After a six-day trial in August 2021, a jury in the Western District of Arkansas convicted Boen of two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law.

    Evidence presented at trial established that Boen used unreasonable force to punish pretrial detainees on two separate occasions.  On Dec. 3, 2018, Boen struck a detainee multiple times in the head with a closed fist while the detainee was sitting on the floor and shackled to a bench inside the Franklin County Jail.  Several minutes later, Boen returned to the detainee’s cell and struck him in the head again, then spit on him.  On Nov. 21, 2018, Boen slammed a detainee onto the floor and ripped his hair during an interrogation.  Both detainees suffered bodily injury as a result of Boen’s actions.  During the subsequent investigation of these offenses, Boen contacted officers who witnessed his assaults and pressured them not to provide truthful information to investigators. 

    “Anthony Boen swore an oath to support the United States Constitution and the State of Arkansas Constitution,” said U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas.  “His actions clearly violated not only the civil rights of these individuals but also the trust of the people of Franklin County. Cases like this are very important to our office because they involve the most personal and basic of civil rights: the rights to be protected and unharmed while in the custody of law enforcement officers. Today’s sentencing shows that justice will prevail in cases where a person’s civil rights are violated. We will continue to vigorously pursue cases involving the violation of basic civil rights that should be afforded to everyone.”

    “No one is above the law, especially high-ranking law enforcement officers who have a duty to uphold the Constitution and protect individuals in their custody,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant abused his power as sheriff by assaulting the people he was sworn to protect and pressuring his subordinates to cover

    up his crimes. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute law enforcement officials who violate people’s civil rights.”

    “When former Sheriff Boen brutally assaulted individuals in his custody and violated their civil rights, it impacted all Arkansans and their trust in authorities,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson. “The FBI is committed to maintaining the public’s trust in law enforcement. With today’s sentencing of Mr. Boen, our community knows we will aggressively investigate and bring to justice any law enforcement officer who would violate the rights of their fellow Americans.”

    The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon T. Carter and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer.

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Friend and Business Partner of GirlsDoPorn Owner Michael Pratt Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison

    Source: US FBI

    NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – March 19, 2024

    SAN DIEGO – Matthew Isaac Wolfe was sentenced in federal court today to 14 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy with Michael Pratt, owner of the website GirlsDoPorn, and others, to deceive and coerce young women into appearing in pornographic videos. A restitution hearing is scheduled for May 7, 2024 at 10 a.m.

    The conspiracy included recruiting the victims from throughout the United States and Canada using internet advertisements for clothed modeling jobs. Even after the victims learned the gig involved an adult video-shoot, Wolfe admitted to persuading women to appear in the videos by telling them that the videos would never be posted online, that the videos would never be released in the United States, and that no one who knew the women would ever find out about the videos, representations he knew to be false. In truth, the videos were exclusively marketed and distributed on the internet. Not only did Wolfe lie to the women, he also instructed others to do so. Wolfe told co-defendant Theodore Gyi, the cameraman on hundreds of GirlsDoPorn video shoots, that if asked, he should lie to the women and tell them the videos would not be posted on the internet.

    Most of the video shoots took place in San Diego – at local hotels and short-term rental units.  Although the women were promised that the video shoots would be brief, they often took hours. Once the video productions began, some women were not permitted to leave the shooting locations until the videos were completed; some were threatened with lawsuits or cancelled flights home if they did not complete the videos; and others were allegedly forced to perform certain sex acts, which they had earlier declined to do.

    After the victims returned home, still believing that they would remain anonymous, clips of the videos were posted on heavily trafficked adult film sites, like Pornhub, meant to funnel viewers to the full-length versions of the videos on Pratt’s website, GirlsDoPorn. Pratt charged visitors to GirlsDoPorn a subscription fee and generated more than $17 million in revenue. 

    Wolfe pleaded guilty to the conspiracy on July 26, 2022, admitting he moved to the United States from New Zealand in 2011 to work for Pratt and had a wide range of responsibilities. He filmed approximately 100 videos; uploaded finished videos onto the internet; oversaw the company’s financial books; and operated various business entities that were used to promote the business. Wolfe worked at GirlsDoPorn from 2011 until his arrest in October 2019.

    During hearings today and on January 22, 2024, approximately 30 survivors asked a federal judge to impose a significant sentence, describing how the actions of Wolfe and his co-defendants destroyed their lives. Survivors, many of them college students at the time, described answering what they thought were legitimate modeling ads and flying to San Diego for paid modeling gigs, only to be forced to perform sexual acts on camera.

    The women spoke of struggling with substance and alcohol abuse, anxiety and depression, suicidal thoughts and attempts, and post-traumatic stress syndrome in the aftermath of their videos going viral. Some spoke of lost relationships with friends and family; others dropped out of school; and others went into hiding.

    One of the women said: “I was robbed of my privacy, my dignity, and my peace of mind… But worst of all, I was robbed of my identity. I was once viewed as a beautiful, fun-loving and strong woman who was known for her athleticism and ability to make just about anyone laugh. I was a caring friend and a daughter my parents were proud of. Mr. Wolfe shattered who I was…Today I’m taking my identity back. I am not a victim. I’m a survivor.”

    One woman recalled the day she learned that her pornographic video received more than 300 million views on Pornhub, one of the most-visited websites in the world.

    “That ad seemed harmless, but it wrecked my entire life. In an instant, the life I had was gone: My hopes gone, my relationships gone, everything was gone…The fall-out from the videos spread to every part of my life like cancer, and that cancer remains to this day, making it virtually impossible for me to start a new life. I lost my modeling career, my college years, my whole twenties, my name, my career path, my friends, and my family. Everything I had built was gone, and so too was my future. Doors that were once opened were slammed in my face…Matthew Wolfe stole my life, and it wasn’t just my life. He stole hundreds of lives. What kind of price do you put on a life? Mr. Wolfe deserves a jail sentence that accounts for each and every life he has stolen.”

    Another woman told the court: “It’s been nearly 3,650 days of living in a tortuous purgatory, but today marks a major milestone in my recovery. Today there’s a shift in the winds. Today is the day all the survivors get their voices back. Today is the day we get to be heard.”

    Wolfe also admitted he was aware that personal identifying information and social media accounts for some women were being posted on pornwikileaks.com, a site controlled by Pratt and dedicated to “exposing” the true identities of individuals appearing in pornographic videos, causing the victims to be subjected to severe harassment. Even after Wolfe became aware of this, he and others continued to assure prospective models that no one would ever find out about their video shoot or learn their identity.

    “We applaud all survivors who courageously speak out in pursuit of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Their voices rang out in the courtroom today, and we stand beside them in holding Mr. Wolfe accountable for the incredible pain and suffering he caused.”

    “Matthew Wolfe’s willingness to use deception, coercion and intimidation to exploit young women paints a sordid picture of the lengths some people will go just to make money,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “Wolfe’s sentencing today, and any past or future sentencings related to this case, are small slivers of justice for the victims, but ultimately don’t fully heal the deep pain spawned by Mr. Wolfe and the other defendants.”

    Co-defendant Michael Pratt made his first appearance today after being extradited from Spain following more than three years as an international fugitive. In 2022, Pratt was named to the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list.

    Ruben Andre Garcia, the recruiter and male model, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on June 14, 2021. Theodore Gyi was sentenced to four years in prison on November 9, 2022. Valorie Moser, the office manager, is set for sentencing on August 9, 2024.

    DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 19cr4488                       

    Michael James Pratt                                        Age:       36                 Unknown

    Matthew Isaac Wolfe                                      Age        37                     San Diego, CA

    Ruben Andre Garcia                                       Age:       31                      San Diego, CA

    Theodore Gyi                                                  Age,       46                        Solana Beach, CA  

    Valorie Moser                                                 Age:       37                       San Diego, CA

    CHARGES

    Count 1

    Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion, 18 U.S.C. § 1594

    Maximum Penalty:  Life in prison, $250,000 fine.

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    FBI – Southern District of California

    U.S. Marshals Service

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: GirlsDoPorn Owner Michael Pratt Extradited to Face Sex Trafficking Charges

    Source: US FBI

    SAN DIEGO – Michael Pratt, the alleged mastermind behind the GirlsDoPorn commercial sex trafficking ring, made his first appearance in federal court today following his extradition from Spain Monday night.

    Pratt, who was the owner of the website GirlsDoPorn, was charged in October 2019 in the Southern District of California with sex trafficking crimes in connection with a scheme to deceive and coerce young women to appear in pornographic videos. Pratt was an international fugitive for more than three years before he was arrested in Spain in December 2022. Earlier in 2022, he was named to the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list.

    At today’s hearing, Pratt was arraigned and entered a not-guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel E. Butcher. A detention hearing is scheduled for March 21 at 3 p.m. before Judge Butcher, followed by a motion hearing/trial setting on April 19 at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino.

    “We cast a wide net in search of Mr. Pratt and now that he is in San Diego, we are prepared to bring him to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath. “We extend our deep appreciation to the government of Spain for its assistance in securing his arrest and extradition.”

    “Michael Pratt’s initial appearance in San Diego is tangible proof that the pursuit of justice never stops, regardless of length of time or location,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge, Stacey Moy. “Pratt’s arrest and extradition back to the United States reflects a great collaboration among multiple agencies, both in the United States and Spain who were dedicated to seeking justice for the young women he allegedly victimized. This large, internationally coordinated effort could not have been successful without support from our law enforcement partners in Spain, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Department of Justice, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

    According to public court filings, Pratt and his co-defendants used force, fraud, and coercion to recruit hundreds of young adult women – most in their late teens – and at least one minor victim, to appear in GirlsDoPorn videos.

    Pratt is accused of recruiting the victims from throughout the United States and Canada using internet advertisements for clothed modeling jobs. Even after the victims were told the gig involved an adult video-shoot, Pratt and his co-defendants convinced the women that their videos would be provided solely to private collectors on DVD in foreign countries, that they would remain anonymous, and that the videos would not be posted on the internet – assurances that Pratt and his co-defendants knew to be false.

    Most of the video shoots took place in San Diego – at local hotels and short-term rental units.  Although the women were promised that the video shoots would be brief, they often took hours. Once the video productions began, some women were not permitted to leave the shooting locations until the videos were completed; some were threatened with lawsuits or cancelled flights home if they did not complete the videos; and others were allegedly forced to perform certain sex acts, which they had earlier declined to do.

    After the victims returned home, still believing that they would remain anonymous, Pratt and his co-defendants posted clips of the videos on heavily trafficked adult film sites, like Pornhub, to funnel traffic to the full-length versions of the videos on his website, GirlsDoPorn. Pratt charged visitors to GirlsDoPorn a subscription fee. The site generated more than $17 million in revenue for Pratt.

    Pratt faces 19 felony counts stemming from the operation of GirlsDoPorn. The charges include:

    •           Fifteen counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion;

    •           Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion;

    •           Production of child pornography;

    •           Sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud, and coercion; and

    •           Conspiracy to commit money laundering.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of California recognizes the outstanding efforts of the FBI in San Diego; the FBI Legal Attaché in Spain; the U.S. Marshals Service; Spain’s Ministry of Justice; and law enforcement officials in Spain and Portugal; as well as the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, for their substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Pratt.

    DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 19cr4488                                   

    Michael James Pratt                                        Age:       36                 Unknown

    Matthew Isaac Wolfe                                      Age        37                     San Diego, CA

    Ruben Andre Garcia                                       Age:       31                      San Diego, CA

    Theodore Gyi                                                  Age,       46                        Solana Beach, CA  

    Valorie Moser                                                 Age:       37                       San Diego, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES IN SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT

    Count 1

    Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion, 18 U.S.C. § 1594

    Maximum Penalty:  Life in prison, $250,000 fine.

    Counts 2-16

    Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion 18 U.S.C. §1591(a) and (b)(1)

    Minimum penalty: Fifteen years in prison; Maximum penalty: life in custody, $250,000 fine.

    Count 17

    Production of Child Pornography, 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e)

     Minimum penalty: Fifteen years in prison; Maximum penalty: thirty years in prison, $250,000 fine.

    Count 18

    Sex Trafficking of a Minor and By Force, Fraud and Coercion, 18 U.S.C. § 1591(a)(1), (a)(2), and (c)

    Minimum penalty: Fifteen years in prison; Maximum penalty: life in custody, $250,000 fine.

    Count 19

    Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(A)(i) and 1956(h).

    Civil penalty of the greater of (A) the value of the property, fund or monetary instruments involved in the transaction or (B) $10,000

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    FBI – Southern District of California and Legal Attaché in Spain

    U.S. Marshals Service

    U.S. Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs

    Spanish National Police

    Spain’s Ministry of Justice

    Spain’s Ministry of Interior

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: International Trafficker of Counterfeit Apple Products Sentenced to Prison

    Source: US FBI

    NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – March 25, 2024

    SAN DIEGO – Zhiwei “Allen” Liao was sentenced in federal court today to 51 months in prison for his role as an organizer and leader of an international conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit Apple products. The defendant was also ordered to forfeit two residences along with $120,370 in U.S. currency and more than 200 Apple devices seized during the investigation.

    According to court documents, Zhiwei Liao and his brothers, Zhimin Liao and Zhiting Liao, led an international exchange fraud scheme involving more than 10,000 counterfeit iPhones and iPads. The Liaos imported counterfeit iPhones and iPads from China that looked genuine and included identification numbers (IMEI and serial numbers) matching identification numbers on real iPhones and iPads that were under warranty and had been previously sold to customers in the United States and Canada.  At the direction of the Liao brothers, co-conspirators traveled to hundreds of Apple Stores across the United States and Canada, and attempted to exchange counterfeit iPhones and iPads for genuine iPhones and iPads resulting in a loss of $6.1 million to Apple, Inc. Zhiwei Liao then sent the fraudulently obtained, but genuine Apple products primarily to China where they were sold at a premium.       

    In court today, U.S. District Judge Cynthia Ann Bashant said that a significant prison sentence was appropriate because Zhiwei Liao was the organizer and leader of an extensive international criminal organization that trafficked in counterfeit goods throughout North America for several years.

    The scheme was sophisticated and dynamic, involving counterfeit devices imported from China that looked like genuine devices under warranty. Zhiwei Liao micromanaged the operations and created a moving target for law enforcement by directing counterfeit Apple products and criminal proceeds to be sent to different co-conspirators, companies, and family members throughout the scheme. Co-conspirators supported these efforts to avoid law enforcement by exchanging the counterfeit products using a variety of false names and email accounts.

    The defendant’s brothers, Zhimin Liao and Zhiting Liao, who were also leaders of the conspiracy, were previously sentenced to 41 months in custody in October 2023. 

    This case is part of a multi-year investigation led primarily by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Diego Police Department that resulted in 12 felony convictions, the forfeiture of five residences in San Diego with an estimated value of more than $4.1 million, over $250,000 in cash, and more than 200 Apple products that were either counterfeit, fraudulently obtained, or used during the criminal operations.

    “This was a massive, sophisticated fraud that victimized not only Apple, Inc., but thousands of Apple product owners across North America,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Theft of intellectual property and the sale of counterfeit goods are growing global problems with serious economic implications.” 

    “Mr. Liao’s sentencing closes a major chapter in a multi-year investigation that exposed an international, elaborate scheme to sell counterfeit goods worldwide,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “This investigation would not have been successful without the unwavering dedication and persistence of our law enforcement partners. We remain diligent in the pursuit of justice to help maintain the integrity of our economy.”

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Salel.

    DEFENDANTS                                 Case Number 19cr4407-BAS                                               

    Zhiwei Liao, aka “Allen”                   San Diego, CA                                    Age:    34

    Zhimin Liao, aka “Jimmy”                 San Diego, CA                                    Age:    36

    Zhiting Liao, aka “Tim”                     San Diego, CA                                    Age:    33

    Dao Trieu La, aka “Selena”                San Diego, CA                                    Age:    32

    Mengmeng Zhang, aka “Aria”           San Diego, CA                                    Age:    31

    Tam Nguyen, aka “Kelly,”                 San Diego, CA                                    Age:    39

    Charley Hsu                                        San Diego, CA                                    Age:    41

    Danny Tran Chan                               San Diego, CA                                    Age:    32

    Phillip Pak, aka “Teddy”                    San Diego, CA                                    Age:    33

    Deedee Zhu, aka “David,”                  San Diego, CA                                    Age:    35

    Jiaye Jiang, aka “joejoekong”            San Diego, CA                                    Age:    34

    Hyo Yang, aka “Will”                        San Diego, CA                                    Age:    33

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Conspiracy to Traffic in Counterfeit Goods – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2320

    Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison, $2 million fine, mandatory restitution, and forfeiture.

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    San Diego Police Department

    San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection

    Homeland Security Investigations

    U.S. Marshals

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Indictment Charges Las Vegas Couple with Drug and Money Laundering Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

                WASHINGTON – Rushan Lavar Reed, 46, and Celeste Nicole Reed, 26, both of Las Vegas, Nevada, were arrested on charges, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., related to the alleged sale of illegal drugs and the laundering of the drug proceeds. The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.

                According to the indictment, unsealed yesterday, starting in March of 2017, the Reeds knowingly conspired with others – known and unknown to the Grand Jury – to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics that included a detectable amount of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and amphetamine. The indictment also alleges that the defendants conducted and attempted to conduct financial transactions involving the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking activity.

                If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute the illegal drugs and 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

                This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Office of the Inspector General of the District of Columbia, with assistance from the FBI Las Vegas Field Office and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gary Crosby and Andy Wang, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Nigerian Men Indicted in Multimillion-Dollar Internet-Enabled Investment Fraud Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey unsealed charges today against three Nigerian nationals for their roles in a transnational internet-enabled investment fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Augustine Chibuzo Onyeachonam, 30, Stanley Asiegbu, a/k/a “Stanislaus, Asiegbu”, 37, and Chukwuebuka Nweke-Eze, 29, all of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, were each charged by Indictment with one count of wire fraud conspiracy (Count One), two counts of wire fraud (Counts Two and Three), one count of securities fraud conspiracy (Count Four), one count of identity theft conspiracy (Count Five), and four counts of aggravated identity theft (Counts Six through Nine).

    These defendants not only defrauded dozens of victims out of millions of dollars of their hard-earned money, but they also impersonated licensed FINRA representatives, spoofed their websites, and misappropriated the seal of the SEC to carry out their fraud,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue these kinds of scammers no matter where in the world they are and seek justice for their victims.”

    According to the Indictment:

    From at least as early as in or around 2018 through the present, Onyeachonam, Asiegbu, Nweke-Eze, and others (the “Conspirators”) orchestrated an internet-enabled fraud scheme that targeted victims throughout the United States, including in the District of New Jersey. As part of the fraud scheme, the Conspirators impersonated dozens of individuals registered as broker-dealers with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and used those stolen identities to solicit investments from members of the public through fraudulent public-facing websites.

    The fraudulent, or “spoofed”, websites were registered in the names of the impersonated victim brokers and often included genuine credentials, such as CRD numbers, associated with the victim brokers. At times, the spoofed websites also included links to: (1) the FINRA website associated with the victim brokers that allowed any member of the public to view the victim brokers’ employment history, certifications, licenses, or prior violations; and (2) fake social media accounts created by the Conspirators in the names of the victim brokers.  At times, the spoofed websites also displayed, without authorization, the seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  The Conspirators would further use the SEC seal in email communications with victims.

    The Conspirators lured victims of the fraud scheme to the spoofed websites by touting the services of the victim brokers in the comment sections of online articles or videos discussing financial and cryptocurrency investment-related topics. At times, the Conspirators would include links to one or more of the spoofed websites.

    When a fraud victim visited a spoofed website, he or she was directed to communicate with an individual they believed to be a legitimate broker-dealer by contacting a telephone number or email address listed on the spoofed website. The Conspirators, posing as the victim brokers, then communicated with fraud victims and, among other things: (1) told fraud victims that their money would be invested in various stocks and cryptocurrencies; and (2) guaranteed fraud victims returns on their investments of up to 25%. The Conspirators used voice-changing software applications to impersonate certain female victim broker dealers when communicating by telephone.

    When a fraud victim decided to invest money with one of the Conspirators posing as a victim broker, the fraud victim was told to: (1) open an account at a particular cryptocurrency trading platform; (2) purchase cryptocurrency assets through that platform; and (3) send the cryptocurrency assets to a particular cryptocurrency wallet address for the purpose of investment. In reality, the funds transferred by the fraud victims to the Conspirators were not invested but were stolen by the Conspirators. At times, fraud victims’ funds were stolen directly from the account(s) opened by them at a particular cryptocurrency exchange.

    As part of the fraud scheme, the Conspirators further created fraudulent online investment platforms that falsely displayed monthly returns associated with the fraud victims’ investments. A fraud victim visiting one of the fraudulent investment platforms typically would observe substantial returns on their investment. At times, when a fraud victim requested to withdraw funds from their account, they would be asked by the Conspirators to pay additional money in fees or taxes to withdraw the funds. After paying these fees, the funds would still not be released.

    In total, the Conspirators caused dozens of fraud victims to transmit funds that they believed to be for investments in the aggregate amount of at least approximately $3 million.

    The wire fraud conspiracy charged in Count One carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; the wire fraud charged in Counts Two and Three of the Indictment each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, the conspiracy to commit securities fraud charged in Count Four of the Indictment carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; the conspiracy to commit identity theft charged in Count Five of the Indictment carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; and the aggravated identity theft counts charged in each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of two years and a $250,000 fine.

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission today filed a civil complaint against all three defendants based on the same conduct.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI – Newark Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, with the investigation leading to the indictment.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony P. Torntore and Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

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

    24-450

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: US FBI

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

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

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

    U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger

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

    ATF SAC L.C. Cheeks, Jr.

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

    Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Washington Man Charged with Threatening Flight Attendants on an Airplane

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Washington, DC, man was arrested for threatening flight attendants during an incident in which he had to be restrained by flight crew and passengers while aboard a flight to Newark Liberty International Airport, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Kedus Yacob Damtew, 38, of Washington, DC, was charged by complaint in Newark federal court with one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants by assault or intimidation. He appeared before Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh in Washington, DC federal court, and was released.

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

    On June 12, 2024, shortly before landing on a flight from Houston, Texas, Damtew removed his shirt; pushed his bare chest into a flight attendant, pinning the flight attendant against the aircraft exit door; shouted epithets and threats of physical violence; and punched an aircraft oven. Damtew then followed the same flight attendant to the rear of the aircraft, where he continued to shout threats and epithets and threw a cup of water. Another flight attendant requested assistance over the airplane’s public address system, prompting several passengers to assist in securing Damtew in flex cuffs in the last row of the plane until the flight landed at Newark.

    The charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charge. He also thanked the Port Authority Police Department, under the direction of Edward T. Cetnar, for its assistance.

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

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

    24-446

    Defense counsel: Elizabeth Mullin, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Washington, DC

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    DEFENDANT

    AKA

    HOME

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

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

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

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

    23cr137

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ten Indicted in $2.7 Million Little Rock Fraud Ring

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—Ten defendants have been indicted for their roles in a bank fraud conspiracy that involved theft of pandemic unemployment funds. Khi Simms, 27, of Alexander, Arkansas, was ordered to remain in federal custody late yesterday afternoon after a detention hearing held before United States Magistrate Judge J. Thomas Ray.

          Three other defendants, Brelyn London, 27; Karl Harris, 26; and Deuntae Diggs, 26; all of Little Rock, are also in custody awaiting trial. The remaining six defendants, Madison Clark, 24, of Alexander; Keshoun Coleman, 23; Derrick Harris, 19; Terence Holman, 27; Brandon Shavers, 29; and Quentin Watson, 27; all of Little Rock, have been released on bond to await trial, which is scheduled for April 18, 2022.

          The indictment alleges that the defendants used unemployment debit cards, which were designed to distribute pandemic unemployment assistance made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act), to withdraw funds to which they were not entitled. According to the indictment, Madison Clark worked as a contract employee with a bank who had a role in distributing these unemployment debit cards for the state of California’s Employment Development Department.

          The indictment alleges that Clark used her access to issue debit cards, remove fraud blocks, and add credits to unemployment debit card accounts, resulting in approximately $2.7M in losses as calculated to this point in the investigation. Clark and Simms, and others Simms recruited, then used fraudulent debit cards to withdraw the funds Clark made available.

          All ten defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1M, and not more than five years of supervised release. All ten defendants are also charged with wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and not more than five years of supervised release. The case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Allison W. Bragg.

          An indictment contains only allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty.

    # # #

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

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

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    Twitter:

    @EDARNEWS

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Finds Little Rock Man Guilty of Sex Trafficking; Distribution and Production of Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—A Little Rock man has been convicted of four sex offenses at the conclusion of a three-day trial. A federal jury found KeShawn Boykins, 27, guilty on all four counts for which he was indicted: two counts of sex trafficking, distribution of child pornography, and production of child pornography.

          The jury returned their verdict this afternoon after deliberating for just under three hours. United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr., presided over the trial, and Judge Moody will sentence Boykins at a later date. 

          “This defendant physically abused his victims in order to maintain control over them and profit from the sexual acts he forced them to perform,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Today’s verdict sends a clear message to those who engage in these violent acts: you will be caught, and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent available to us under federal law.”

          Testimony during the trial established that in October 2018, a 19-year-old female identified as H.E. notified employees at Walmart in Maumelle, Arkansas, that she needed to escape from the man she was with. The employees contacted police, and H.E. told law enforcement she had met Boykins five days earlier and exchanged numbers. H.E. had been kicked out of her parents’ home, and Boykins offered for her to live with him, which she agreed to do.

          When H.E. arrived at Boykins’ apartment, she learned he was living with a 17-year-old female, identified as T.M., an adult woman, and others. The defendant made a profile for H.E. on an online dating website. Two days after moving in, the defendant told H.E. she had two “dinners” to attend. T.M. had already told H.E. that these dates meant H.E. would be expected to have sex for money. H.E. testified at trial that when she told Boykins she did not want to go, he threw her on the floor, choked her, and continued to physically abuse her. H.E. escaped during a trip to Walmart the following day.

          T.M. testified at trial that the defendant used an online dating website to arrange dates for her, and that if she came back with less money than Boykins expected, he would hit her. He never allowed her to keep any of the money and, due to her repeated attempts to leave, he routinely physically abused her.

          Evidence at trial indicated that Boykins’ phone contained multiple messages in which he arranged dates for both T.M. and H.E. He sent sexually explicit photos of both T.M. and H.E. while attempting to set up dates. The photos of T.M., taken when she was a minor, led to Boykins’ conviction on the child pornography charges.

          “Mr. Boykins produced child sexual abuse material and lured a vulnerable minor into the reprehensible world of sex trafficking,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson. “His abominable actions highlight the pervasive threat Arkansas children and families face on a daily basis. FBI Little Rock will continue to work with our local police partners and federal prosecutors to protect our communities from vile child predators.”

          The statutory penalty for sex trafficking ranges from not less than 15 years imprisonment up to life imprisonment. The statutory penalty for distribution of child pornography is not less than five years and not more than 20 years imprisonment. The statutory penalty for production of child pornography is not less than 15 years imprisonment and not more than 30 years imprisonment. All offenses of conviction include a potential penalty of not more than a $250,000 fine and not less than five years of supervised release.

          The investigation was conducted by the FBI, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Bryant and Benecia Moore.

    # # #

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

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

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    Twitter:

    @EDARNEWS

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Little Rock Warns of Increase in Targeted Sextortion Schemes

    Source: US FBI

    FBI Little Rock has noted an increase in sextortion schemes targeting children. The FBI has received numerous reports of predators posing as young girls on social media to coerce young boys into sending sexual videos of themselves and then extorting money from these victims.

    Here’s how this disturbing scheme works:

    1. A predator (posing as a young girl on social media) uses deception and manipulation to convince a young male, usually 13 to 17 years old, to engage in explicit sexual activity over video chat.
    2. The video is secretly recorded and saved by the predator.
    3. The predator then reveals they have saved the recordings and attempts to extort money from the juvenile victim by threatening to post the videos on various social media pages.
    4. To receive money, the predator may ask for bank account login information or request gift cards.

    Sextortion is a crime. The coercion of a child by an adult to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM) carries heavy penalties, including life sentences for offenders. To make the victimization stop, children typically notify someone—normally a parent, teacher, caregiver, or law enforcement. The embarrassment children feel from the activity they were coerced to engage in is what usually prevents them from coming forward. Sextortion offenders frequently have dozens of victims around the world, so coming forward to help law enforcement identify a predator may prevent countless future incidents of sexual exploitation.

    Here are some tips to protect adults and children online:

    • Parents should be selective about what they share online. If social media accounts are open to everyone, offenders can easily learn about parents and their children, and then use that information for predatory purposes.
    • Be wary of anyone you encounter online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
    • People can pretend to be anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that a person is who they claim to be.
    • Be highly suspicious if someone you meet on a game or app asks you to start communicating with them on a different platform.
    • Encourage children to report suspicious behavior to a trusted adult.

    If you know someone who may be a victim of sextortion in Arkansas:

    1. Contact FBI Little Rock at 501-221-9100 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (1-800-THE-LOST).
    2. Do not delete anything before law enforcement is able to review it.
    3. Tell law enforcement everything about the online encounters. It may be embarrassing, but it is necessary to find the predator.

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    # # #

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

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

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    Twitter:

    @EDARNEWS

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    # # #

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

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

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    Twitter:

    @EDARNEWS

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: US FBI

    TEXARKANA – A Texarkana man was sentenced today to 168 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Texarkana.

    According to court records, Officers with the Texarkana Police Department began investigating, 33 year old, Terron Jerome Pearse, after receiving information that a felony warrant had been issued for his arrest.  On October 12, 2020, officers located and attempted to make contact with Pearse, while he sat in a parked vehicle at his residence. As officers approached Pearse, he ran inside his residence and locked the door.  Knowing that Pearse was on state parole, and had an active search wavier on file, officers searched Pearse’s vehicle.  Inside Pearse’s vehicle, officers located a backpack that contained approximately 611 grams (or about 1.34 pounds) of suspected methamphetamine. While officers were making attempts to get Pearse to come out of the residence, he fell through the ceiling and was taken into custody.

    U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement.

    The Texarkana Police Department, the Bi-State Narcotics Task Force and the FBI investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Field Offices Warn of Numerous Targeted Sextortion Schemes in Southern Arkansas and Northern Louisiana

    Source: US FBI

    The FBI has received numerous reports of predators posing as children on social media to coerce minors into sending sexual videos of themselves and then extorting money from these underage victims. The FBI Little Rock Field Office has noted an alarming uptick in these schemes targeting children in areas around El Dorado, Magnolia, and Monticello, Arkansas. The FBI New Orleans Field Office has also seen similar schemes targeting children in the Monroe, Alexandria, and Shreveport, Louisiana areas.

    Here’s how this disturbing scheme works:

    1. A predator (posing as a child on social media) uses deception and manipulation to convince a minor victim, usually 13 to 17 years old, to engage in explicit sexual activity over video chat.
    2. The videos or images are secretly recorded and saved by the predator.
    3. The predator then reveals they have saved the recordings and attempts to extort money from the juvenile victim by threatening to post the videos on various social media pages.
    4. To receive money, the predator may ask for bank account login information or request gift cards.

    Sextortion is a crime. The coercion of a child by an adult to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM) carries heavy penalties, including life sentences for offenders. To make the victimization stop, children typically notify someone—normally a parent, teacher, caregiver, or law enforcement. The embarrassment children feel from the activity they were coerced to engage in is what usually prevents them from coming forward. Sextortion offenders frequently have dozens of victims around the world, so coming forward to help law enforcement identify a predator may prevent countless future incidents of sexual exploitation.

    Here are some tips to protect children online:

    • Everyone should be wary of anyone they encounter online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
    • People can pretend to be anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that a person is who they claim to be.
    • Be highly suspicious if someone you meet on a game or app asks you to start communicating with them on a different platform.
    • Encourage children to report suspicious behavior to a trusted adult.

    If you know someone who may be a victim of sextortion in Arkansas or Louisiana:

    1. Contact FBI Little Rock at 501-221-9100 or FBI New Orleans at 504-816-3000.
    2. Do not delete anything before law enforcement is able to review it.
    3. Tell police investigators everything about the online encounters. It may be embarrassing, but it is necessary to find and stop the predator.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ringleader of $10 Million TRICARE Scheme Sentenced

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—The organizer of a multi-million-dollar kickback conspiracy was sentenced today. Brad Duke, 47, of Little Rock was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment and ordered to forfeit $1,055,855.86 by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.

          Duke promoted prescription pain creams, scar creams, and supplements for a Mississippi-based compounding pharmacy, earning a share of whatever the pharmacy was paid for prescriptions issued by Duke’s affiliated doctors. After learning TRICARE, the national military’s health insurer, paid tens of thousands of dollars per month per patient for the compounded drugs he was promoting, Duke began to offer and pay kickbacks to generate prescriptions for those with TRICARE insurance.

          Duke paid kickbacks to recruiters, including Michael “Chance” Beeman (52, of Maumelle), Michael Sean Brady (53, of Little Rock), Jason Greene (35, of Nashville, Tenn.), Brian Means (47, of Fort Smith), and Jennifer Sorenson (44, of McKinney, Tex.), to find TRICARE beneficiaries around the country willing to receive the drugs. Duke explained a doctor would sign off on the necessary prescriptions without ever consulting the patients. All Duke needed was TRICARE beneficiary insurance information sufficient to fill out prescription forms.

          Upon receipt of beneficiary information from his recruiters, Duke routed prescriptions in the names of the TRICARE beneficiaries to local medical assistant Charlotte Leija (41, of Conway), to whom Duke paid kickbacks, usually $1,000 per prescription, to file the prescriptions under the name of the doctor for whom she worked.

          Within a year, Duke’s scheme generated over $10 million in compound drug prescriptions for over 100 TRICARE beneficiaries hailing from as far west as Chula Vista, Calif., to as far east as Foxborough, Mass. No one ever consulted a prescriber. Duke paid his recruiters more than $2 million to supply the beneficiaries and over $250,000 to Leija to issue the prescriptions.

          Judge Miller previously sentenced co-conspirators Brady, Beeman, Green, Means, Sorenson, and Leija to prison terms ranging from 8 months to 28 months and ordered them to forfeit illicit proceeds ranging from $198,799.00 to $598,435.99. As of today’s sentencing hearing, the U.S. Marshals had already seized $1,055,855.86 from Duke.

          The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alexander D. Morgan.

    # # #

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

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

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    Twitter:

    @EDARNEWS

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –