Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)
On May 7, 2025, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon welcomed the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America to the Justice Department to address the alarming rise in Anti-Semitism since October 7th, as well as the Civil Rights Division’s ongoing efforts to protect all people of faith nationwide.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Recently, the Department of Justice (DOJ) abruptly canceled hundreds of grants to community organizations and local governments, slashing critical funding for gun-violence prevention, addiction services, and crime-victim advocacy programs.“ As someone who has looked into the eyes of families who have just lost loved ones to gun violence, it’s deeply troubling to hear that efforts to prevent more deaths and tragedies are being dismissed as ‘wasteful spending’ by the Attorney General. This alarming justification ignores the devastating human toll of gun violence across our nation and unnecessarily risks more Americans’ lives,” said Rep. Judy Chu, whose congressional district includes Monterey Park, where 11 people died in Los Angeles County’s worst ever mass shooting in January 2023. “This is a crushing setback for our community and the rest of our country, but we will not waver.”
Since the shooting, Rep. Chu has introduced and co-led several bills to help prevent future mass shootings and gun violence in America, including the Language Access to Gun Violence Prevention Strategies Act, which would ensure that individuals with limited English proficiency can access gun violence prevention resources through in-language materials and culturally competent outreach.
“I’m fighting to pass legislation that depends on the DOJ for proper implementation,” continued Rep. Chu. “By undermining these critical efforts, Republicans are endangering lives. They bear responsibility for future gun violence in America.”
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Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Shiu Ka-fai and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (May 14):
Question:
Under the Hong Kong legislation, electrical products supplied in Hong Kong are required to carry a certificate of safety compliance, and energy labels are required to be shown on certain prescribed products supplied in Hong Kong. In the case of regulated electrical equipment, suppliers of such equipment are even required to register with the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) as registered suppliers and pay a recycling levy (the levy) to the EPD for the regulated electrical equipment distributed by them. However, it is learnt that quite a number of electrical products purchased online in Hong Kong through cross-border e-commerce platforms have not complied with the requirements of the aforesaid legislation, thus posing potential safety hazards to Hong Kong consumers and causing unfairness to local law-abiding merchants. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the measures taken by the authorities to intercept the import of non-compliant electrical products into Hong Kong in each of the past three years;
(2) as it has been reported that some cross-border e-commerce platforms intend to set up physical shops in Hong Kong, whereby goods are displayed for customers to experience in person, and customers may conduct transactions on online platforms and have the goods delivered directly by manufacturers outside Hong Kong, whether the authorities have studied if such selling approach has circumvented the existing laws of Hong Kong or if there are grey areas; if it has studied, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
Reply:
President,
(1) Since 2019, a Cross-border E-commerce Working Group (the Working Group) was established under the Cooperation Arrangement on Electrical and Mechanical Products Safety and Energy Efficiency between the EMSD and the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China. The Working Group focuses on controlling the risks arisen from cross-border e-commerce platforms, including the reporting of unsafe electrical products supplied through these platforms. Upon receiving notifications, the Mainland Authority will conduct follow-up actions according to the case merits, including proactive measures like order interception and product delisting to prevent unsafe electrical products from entering Hong Kong. The EMSD also co-organises annual policy and regulation briefings with the relevant Mainland Authority to explain to cross-border e-commerce platform businesses, electrical product manufacturers, and testing personnel the relevant laws and instructions for the supply of electrical products in Hong Kong, enhancing their understanding of regulations related to exporting household electrical products to Hong Kong. To date, 12 such briefings have been conducted.
Besides, the EMSD has conducted sample checks on 16 types for 180 household electrical products supplied in Hong Kong in the past three years. It also engages third party testing and certification bodies to conduct testing on the relevant safety standards. Around 160 prescribed products were also checked for compliance with the energy efficiency information on the energy label over the same period. If the relevant products are suspected to be in violation of the Regulation or the Energy Efficiency (Labelling of Products) Ordinance, the EMSD will conduct follow-up investigations.
The EMSD also conducts inspections at retail stores supplying household electrical products, local e-commerce platforms, and their suppliers. Prosecutions will be carried out against non-compliant products. In the past three years, around 14 000 inspections were conducted, uncovering about 230 cases of violations of the Regulations or the Energy Efficiency (Labelling of Products) Ordinance, which have resulted in fines totalling at around $500,000.
(2) and (3) Regarding the situation described in question (2), the EMSD has maintained communication with cross-border e-commerce platforms in the Mainland to remind them that household electrical products supplied in Hong Kong must comply with the local legal requirements. The EMSD will continue to monitor the operations of these platforms in Hong Kong, consult the Department of Justice regarding potential violations of the Regulations and the Energy Efficiency (Labelling of Products) Ordinance, and take further actions including prosecution as necessary.
Regarding the recycling levy arrangement, the EPD has noted recent operational models of certain cross-border e-commerce platform may involve the distribution or sale of regulated electrical equipment in Hong Kong. The EPD has approached the relevant platform to understand the situation and explain the relevant regulations. The platform concerned has also submitted to the EPD the applications for supplier registration endorsement of removal service plan. The EPD will continue to monitor the operational models of these platforms in Hong Kong and follow up on suspected violations.
The EPD and the EMSD have established a communication mechanism since 2024 to exchange intelligence on suspected offences relating to the Regulation, the Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme and WPRS. A joint enforcement operation was conducted in July 2024, resulting in prosecutions for violations that led to convictions and fines totalling at $22,500 in February 2025. Meanwhile, the EPD regularly inspects suppliers, sellers, and collectors under the WPRS, and has conducted over 1 600 inspections in the past three years, with summons issued to prosecute 28 non-compliant cases.
(4) Over the past three years, the EMSD has not received any reports on unregistered electrical workers installing household appliances arranged by cross-border e-commerce platforms. The EMSD will communicate with cross-border e-commerce platforms about the situation, and will follow up and investigate in accordance with the Electricity Ordinance as necessary.
(5) Having considered the relevant regulatory arrangements in other regions and the need to balance the actual enforcement situations with the prevailing business environment, the Government currently has no plan to amend the relevant regulations to cover the purchase of imported electrical products from cross-border e-commerce platforms and products imported in person. The EMSD will continue to take enforcement actions under a “risk-based” approach, and enhance public awareness of electrical products safety and energy efficiency through education and promotion. The EPD and the EMSD will continue to monitor market developments, review the implementation of the relevant regulations and enhance the enforcement arrangements in response to changing business models.
Source: US Marshals Service
Washington, DC – The U.S. Marshals Service awarded four purple heart commendations to the families of four officers who died in the line of duty in a formal ceremony yesterday.
The families of Deputy United States Marshal Thomas M. Weeks Jr., Task Force Officers Samuel Poloche and William Alden Elliott, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Officer Joshua Eyer were presented the posthumous awards during a ceremony at U.S. Marshals Service Headquarters in Arlington, Va. The four officers died in the line of duty on April 29, 2024, when a suspect opened fire on law enforcement officers serving an arrest warrant in Charlotte, N.C. Accompanying the families in attendance were Pamela Bondi, U.S. Attorney General; Todd Blanche, Deputy Attorney General; Mark Pittella, U.S. Marshals Service Director (Acting) and the Reverend Salvatore Criscuolo Monsignor of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Washington, D.C. Remarks were given by Attorney General Bondi and Director Pittella, along with music from the U.S. Marshals Service Pipes and Drums band and singer Lauryn Smith.
Attorney General Bondi said, “We acknowledge that no medal can ever fully express the eternal gratitude we have for you and your families. Thank you for your courage and strength; you are each a part of the Department of Justice; you will always be a part of our family and the U.S. Marshals’ family, and we will always be here to support you.”
“We carry forth the legacies of these men by remembering not only how they died but also how they lived; with courage, compassion and a profound sense of duty. Your legacies set a higher standard of service, courage and integrity,” said Director Pittella.
Imagery from the ceremony can be viewed here.
Source: US Department of Homeland Security
TdA Threats to Law Enforcement Grow while Illegal Aliens Remain in Custody
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today released a statement after the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a request Monday for the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to end a temporary injunction of deportations under the Alien Enemies Act (AEA).
The prolonged detention of TdA members in ICE facilities poses serious risks for ICE officers, facility staff, and other detainees, and DHS requests that the SCOTUS moves quickly to allow ICE to remove these terrorist gang members from our country.
“23 TdA members barricaded themselves in the Bluebonnet Detention Facility, threatened to take hostages, and endangered officers. Keeping these foreign terrorists in ICE facilities poses a serious threat to ICE officers, staff, and other detainees,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “The media repeated these TdA gang members’ false sob stories, but the truth is these are members of a foreign terrorist organization that rape, maim, and murder for sport.”
According to ICE Dallas Acting Field Office Director Joshua Johnson, on April 26, 23 TdA members at Bluebonnet Detention Facility barricaded the doors of their housing unit with bed cots. The detainees also covered surveillance cameras and blocked the housing unit windows.
They also threatened to take hostages and injure facility staff and ICE officers in addition to attempting to flood the housing unit by clogging toilets. When they were ordered to take down the barricades, the TdA detainees did not comply with orders and remained barricaded for several hours.
Johnson also stated the following regarding the risk of prison recruitment and the expansion of TdA:
Read the full court filing here.
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Source: US State of California Department of Justice
Files brief in support of states rocked by tariffs across the country
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom today filed an amicus brief in Oregon v. Trump, a case challenging President Trump’s illegal imposition of so called “emergency” tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Last month, Attorney General Bonta and Governor Newsom filed a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s unlawful use of power to levy tariffs via over a dozen executive orders under the IEEPA. In the brief filed today in the Court of International Trade, Attorney General Bonta argued that the Trump Administration’s interpretation of its authority under IEEPA is incorrect — the Act’s language does not provide the authority impose tariffs.
“President Trump’s illegal tariffs impact businesses, consumers, and states across the nation and it is our responsibility as state leaders to advocate and defend our people against harmful — and illegal — actions,” said Attorney General Bonta. “It’s simple, the statute that the President is using to impose his chaotic tariffs clearly does not include the authority to do so, any reading of it as such is wild, nonsensical, and irresponsible.”
BACKGROUND
In the past few months, President Trump has issued over a dozen executive orders imposing, pausing, reimposing, and escalating tariffs on every U.S. trading partner, and claimed authority to do so under IEEPA. New tariffs are chaotically contemplated, announced, or delayed nearly every day. The uncertainty surrounding the tariffs is itself causing immediate harm to California by incapacitating its ability to budget and plan for the future and chilling the economy — as businesses and people pause decision-making and lose out on opportunities.
While difficult to calculate due to their frenzied nature, most estimates put the new average tariff rate at or above 25%. The current IEEPA tariff regime imposes a universal tariff of 10% on all U.S. trading partners, with tariff increases as high 50% on more than 50 specific trading partners set to go into effect on July 9, 2025.
Separately, Canada and Mexico are subject to IEEPA tariffs of up to 25%, which are currently in effect after being paused and then re-started. China is subject to an ever-changing combination of IEEPA tariffs that reached a staggering rate of 145%, and as of the publication of this press release, plummeted down to 30% under the 90-day pause. The claimed rationales for each of these tariffs is wide-ranging and difficult to follow from trade deficits and foreign trade practices to immigration, crime, and illicit drugs. In response to President Trump’s tariffs, major U.S. trading partners including China, Canada, and the European Union have imposed or announced retaliatory tariffs — China’s retaliatory tariffs alone reached 125%.
The impact of President Trump’s unprecedented IEEPA tariffs is devastating and unprecedented. The near-daily threats to impose new tariffs have already inflicted and continue to inflict serious financial harms on California and states across the nation — with the largest burden expected to fall on the poorest Americans, who cannot absorb the loss of wages or the greater cost of goods.
President Trump’s tariff regime will:
A copy of the brief is available here.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
May 12, 2025 – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.
Two individuals were arrested in the Southern District of Georgia. To date, both have been charged federally.
Michael Alexander James, 44, of Waynesboro, GA and Martin Lindner, 52, of Augusta, GA were both charged in newly unsealed federal indictments with one count of Possession of Child Pornography, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”
“Possessing child pornography perpetuates the victimization of child sexual abuse survivors,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lyons. “As exemplified in Operation Restore Justice, we will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to protect our most vulnerable citizens.”
Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.
In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.
This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
Other online resources:
Electronic Press Kit
Violent Crimes Against Children
How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Attorneys General
Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 1400 defendants with Criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.
The Southern District of California filed 176 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. These included Two complaints which charged five people with participating in a human smuggling event that led to the deaths of at least three migrants, including a 14-year-old boy from India. His 10-year-old sister is still missing at sea and presumed dead; their father is in a coma and mother is also hospitalized.
The Central District of California filed criminal charges against 34 defendants this week who allegedly were found in the U.S. following removal. Many of the defendants charged were previously convicted of felonies before they were removed from the United States.
The District of New Mexico charged approximately 300 defendants with border-related crimes, including 91 defendants charged with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326). In addition, 209 individuals charged with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) were also charged with violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) because they unlawfully entered the National Defense Area in New Mexico.
The Southern District of Texas filed a total of 300 cases, charging 302 people from May 2-8 in continuing efforts to secure the southern border. As part of the cases, 93 face allegations of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 193 people face charges of illegally entering the country, while 11 cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration-related crimes.
The Western District of Texas filed 316 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 2 through May 8. Among the new cases, Cirilo Delgado-Alderete, Dilan Karim Valenzuela-Baca, and Antelmo Eligio Ramirez-Bernardo were arrested at an alleged stash house in Anthony, New Mexico. According to an affidavit, U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations agents observed three vehicles that had been identified as being used to smuggle illegal aliens to Albuquerque, New Mexico, parked at the residence. When agents questioned Ramirez-Bernardo, a Guatemalan national, they allegedly discovered he possessed a key to the residence on his keychain. Agents then located 25 individuals inside the residence who admitted to being citizens of Mexico, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, and Pakistan without documentation to be in the U.S. Two of the individuals, Delgado-Alderete and Valenzuela-Baca, were identified as alleged stash house caretakes and drivers to harbor and transport the illegal aliens. Delgado-Alderete, Valenzuela-Baca, and Ramirez-Bernardo are charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. The drivers allegedly picked up aliens in El Paso before transporting them to New Mexico.
The District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 314 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 117 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 166 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 25 cases against 31 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
We are grateful for the hard work of our border prosecutors in bringing these cases and helping to make our border safe again.
Source: United States Attorneys General
A federal jury in the District of Delaware convicted Clifton H. Gibbs, 68, of Sussex County today on multiple counts of sex trafficking and forced labor. Specifically, the jury convicted Gibbs of seven counts of sex trafficking seven adult victims, five counts of forced labor, and one count of interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
According to the evidence at trial, Gibbs exploited the victims’ heroin addiction and fears of withdrawal sickness to compel the victims to engage in commercial sex, panhandle, perform demanding manual labor on his property, and to steal goods for him to resell. Gibbs’ co-defendant, Brooke Waters, 46, previously pled guilty to sex trafficking, forced labor, and interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution charges.
“Today’s conviction vindicates the rights of multiple victims who the defendant trafficked over several years within the District of Delaware,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant preyed on individuals suffering from opiate addiction and cruelly exploited them for his own profit. The Justice Department is committed to aggressively fighting human trafficking and seeking justice for its victims.”
“I hope that today’s verdict brings some measure of closure for the victims in this case,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Hanson for the District of Delaware. “I commend the victims’ bravery and willingness to testify to bring this defendant to justice. Our communities are much safer, and this verdict should serve as a warning to other individuals who exploit victims for personal gain.”
“The conviction of Clifton H. Gibbs highlights the strong partnership between Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Justice in the fight against human trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens of HSI Philadelphia. “Gibbs preyed on vulnerable individuals, feeding their addiction for profit through forced labor and commercial sex. HSI remains committed to working alongside our federal partners to dismantle trafficking networks, bring perpetrators to justice, and through our victim centered approach, support victims as they reclaim their lives.”
“The crimes uncovered in this case are among the most egregious that Homeland Security Investigations encounters,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of HSI Maryland. “Exploiting vulnerable individuals through coercion, abuse, and manipulation is nothing short of reprehensible. This kind of predatory behavior destroys lives and undermines the fundamental values of human dignity and freedom. HSI remains unwavering in its mission to dismantle criminal networks, bring perpetrators to justice, and protect the safety and well-being of our communities, especially those who are unable to protect themselves.”
The evidence presented at the seven-day trial demonstrated that Gibbs sought out individuals, often young women, who were addicted to heroin, and without any money or a stable place to live, promising to take care of them by giving them housing, food, clothing, and easy access to drugs. He then provided many of them with heroin for free to ease their withdrawal sickness. He allowed them to live in trailers or campers on his two rural properties in Sussex County. He then instructed the women to engage in commercial sex, instructing his co-defendant to take photos of them and post online advertisements for them to do “dates” with commercial sex buyers. Gibbs kept all the proceeds from the commercial sex acts and provided the women with small amounts of heroin and cocaine to avoid withdrawal sickness. Gibbs positioned himself to control the victims’ access to heroin and thereby controlled the onset of withdrawal sickness. Exploiting the victims’ fear of withdrawal sickness, Gibbs profited from the commercial sex acts in which he compelled the women to engage. Gibbs and his co-defendant also recruited heroin-addicted individuals to “boost” or steal goods for him to re-sell, panhandle, and do manual labor on his properties. In the same way he did with the young women he compelled to engage in commercial sex, Gibbs exploited the victims’ fear of withdrawal sickness to coerce this labor for his profit.
Gibbs also used physical force with some of his victims by hitting, kicking, or threatening to shoot those who disobeyed his orders or talked back.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Gibbs faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Briana Knox for the District of Delaware and Trial Attorneys Christina Randall-James and Leah Branch of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Source: US State of North Dakota
A federal jury in the District of Delaware convicted Clifton H. Gibbs, 68, of Sussex County today on multiple counts of sex trafficking and forced labor. Specifically, the jury convicted Gibbs of seven counts of sex trafficking seven adult victims, five counts of forced labor, and one count of interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
According to the evidence at trial, Gibbs exploited the victims’ heroin addiction and fears of withdrawal sickness to compel the victims to engage in commercial sex, panhandle, perform demanding manual labor on his property, and to steal goods for him to resell. Gibbs’ co-defendant, Brooke Waters, 46, previously pled guilty to sex trafficking, forced labor, and interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution charges.
“Today’s conviction vindicates the rights of multiple victims who the defendant trafficked over several years within the District of Delaware,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant preyed on individuals suffering from opiate addiction and cruelly exploited them for his own profit. The Justice Department is committed to aggressively fighting human trafficking and seeking justice for its victims.”
“I hope that today’s verdict brings some measure of closure for the victims in this case,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Hanson for the District of Delaware. “I commend the victims’ bravery and willingness to testify to bring this defendant to justice. Our communities are much safer, and this verdict should serve as a warning to other individuals who exploit victims for personal gain.”
“The conviction of Clifton H. Gibbs highlights the strong partnership between Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Justice in the fight against human trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens of HSI Philadelphia. “Gibbs preyed on vulnerable individuals, feeding their addiction for profit through forced labor and commercial sex. HSI remains committed to working alongside our federal partners to dismantle trafficking networks, bring perpetrators to justice, and through our victim centered approach, support victims as they reclaim their lives.”
“The crimes uncovered in this case are among the most egregious that Homeland Security Investigations encounters,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of HSI Maryland. “Exploiting vulnerable individuals through coercion, abuse, and manipulation is nothing short of reprehensible. This kind of predatory behavior destroys lives and undermines the fundamental values of human dignity and freedom. HSI remains unwavering in its mission to dismantle criminal networks, bring perpetrators to justice, and protect the safety and well-being of our communities, especially those who are unable to protect themselves.”
The evidence presented at the seven-day trial demonstrated that Gibbs sought out individuals, often young women, who were addicted to heroin, and without any money or a stable place to live, promising to take care of them by giving them housing, food, clothing, and easy access to drugs. He then provided many of them with heroin for free to ease their withdrawal sickness. He allowed them to live in trailers or campers on his two rural properties in Sussex County. He then instructed the women to engage in commercial sex, instructing his co-defendant to take photos of them and post online advertisements for them to do “dates” with commercial sex buyers. Gibbs kept all the proceeds from the commercial sex acts and provided the women with small amounts of heroin and cocaine to avoid withdrawal sickness. Gibbs positioned himself to control the victims’ access to heroin and thereby controlled the onset of withdrawal sickness. Exploiting the victims’ fear of withdrawal sickness, Gibbs profited from the commercial sex acts in which he compelled the women to engage. Gibbs and his co-defendant also recruited heroin-addicted individuals to “boost” or steal goods for him to re-sell, panhandle, and do manual labor on his properties. In the same way he did with the young women he compelled to engage in commercial sex, Gibbs exploited the victims’ fear of withdrawal sickness to coerce this labor for his profit.
Gibbs also used physical force with some of his victims by hitting, kicking, or threatening to shoot those who disobeyed his orders or talked back.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Gibbs faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Briana Knox for the District of Delaware and Trial Attorneys Christina Randall-James and Leah Branch of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
BOSTON – A police officer with the Gloucester Police Department has been charged with receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Alexander Aiello, 34, of Gloucester, was charged with one count of receipt of child pornography. Aiello will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Aiello is a patrol officer employed with the Gloucester Police Department. It is alleged that Aiello was identified as a user with a registered account for a dark website, which provided a platform for users to download, view, advertise and distribute CSAM. Searches of Aiello’s person and residence on April 28, 2025, resulted in the seizure of the defendant’s cell phone and laptop as well as a USB thumb drive, which was found in Aiello’s nightstand in his bedroom.
It is alleged that a preliminary examination of the devices revealed that a TOR Browser – an application that provides anonymous web access and access to dark web hidden services – was installed and actively running on Aiello’s laptop. It is further alleged that the application had evidence of downloaded files consistent with recent use. Additionally, the preliminary examination allegedly located encrypted folders on the USB drive and laptop computer.
“As a law enforcement officer, Mr. Aiello was entrusted with safeguarding the community – and that includes protecting children from exploitation and abuse. Instead, he allegedly participated in one of the most reprehensible forms of exploitation,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “This case underscores our unwavering commitment to combating child exploitation in all its forms. Whether the offender is a private citizen or a public official, our mission remains the same: to protect children and pursue justice for victims.”
“As a police officer, Alexander Aiello was sworn to protect and serve, but today, the FBI charged him for receiving images of children being sexually abused,” said James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Those who seek out this despicable material are perpetuating the victimization of innocent children. That’s why the FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force diligently pursues these cases. Protecting kids from this physical and emotional trauma is our priority.”
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI Acting SAC Crowley made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Gloucester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CORRECTION: The defendant is 34, not 24 as the original release stated. In addition there is a updated FBI quote.
Source: United States Department of Justice 2
Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 1400 defendants with Criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.
The Southern District of California filed 176 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. These included Two complaints which charged five people with participating in a human smuggling event that led to the deaths of at least three migrants, including a 14-year-old boy from India. His 10-year-old sister is still missing at sea and presumed dead; their father is in a coma and mother is also hospitalized.
The Central District of California filed criminal charges against 34 defendants this week who allegedly were found in the U.S. following removal. Many of the defendants charged were previously convicted of felonies before they were removed from the United States.
The District of New Mexico charged approximately 300 defendants with border-related crimes, including 91 defendants charged with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326). In addition, 209 individuals charged with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) were also charged with violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) because they unlawfully entered the National Defense Area in New Mexico.
The Southern District of Texas filed a total of 300 cases, charging 302 people from May 2-8 in continuing efforts to secure the southern border. As part of the cases, 93 face allegations of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 193 people face charges of illegally entering the country, while 11 cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration-related crimes.
The Western District of Texas filed 316 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 2 through May 8. Among the new cases, Cirilo Delgado-Alderete, Dilan Karim Valenzuela-Baca, and Antelmo Eligio Ramirez-Bernardo were arrested at an alleged stash house in Anthony, New Mexico. According to an affidavit, U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations agents observed three vehicles that had been identified as being used to smuggle illegal aliens to Albuquerque, New Mexico, parked at the residence. When agents questioned Ramirez-Bernardo, a Guatemalan national, they allegedly discovered he possessed a key to the residence on his keychain. Agents then located 25 individuals inside the residence who admitted to being citizens of Mexico, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, and Pakistan without documentation to be in the U.S. Two of the individuals, Delgado-Alderete and Valenzuela-Baca, were identified as alleged stash house caretakes and drivers to harbor and transport the illegal aliens. Delgado-Alderete, Valenzuela-Baca, and Ramirez-Bernardo are charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. The drivers allegedly picked up aliens in El Paso before transporting them to New Mexico.
The District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 314 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 117 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 166 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 25 cases against 31 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
We are grateful for the hard work of our border prosecutors in bringing these cases and helping to make our border safe again.
Source: United States Department of Justice 2
A federal jury in the District of Delaware convicted Clifton H. Gibbs, 68, of Sussex County today on multiple counts of sex trafficking and forced labor. Specifically, the jury convicted Gibbs of seven counts of sex trafficking seven adult victims, five counts of forced labor, and one count of interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
According to the evidence at trial, Gibbs exploited the victims’ heroin addiction and fears of withdrawal sickness to compel the victims to engage in commercial sex, panhandle, perform demanding manual labor on his property, and to steal goods for him to resell. Gibbs’ co-defendant, Brooke Waters, 46, previously pled guilty to sex trafficking, forced labor, and interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution charges.
“Today’s conviction vindicates the rights of multiple victims who the defendant trafficked over several years within the District of Delaware,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant preyed on individuals suffering from opiate addiction and cruelly exploited them for his own profit. The Justice Department is committed to aggressively fighting human trafficking and seeking justice for its victims.”
“I hope that today’s verdict brings some measure of closure for the victims in this case,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Hanson for the District of Delaware. “I commend the victims’ bravery and willingness to testify to bring this defendant to justice. Our communities are much safer, and this verdict should serve as a warning to other individuals who exploit victims for personal gain.”
“The conviction of Clifton H. Gibbs highlights the strong partnership between Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Justice in the fight against human trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens of HSI Philadelphia. “Gibbs preyed on vulnerable individuals, feeding their addiction for profit through forced labor and commercial sex. HSI remains committed to working alongside our federal partners to dismantle trafficking networks, bring perpetrators to justice, and through our victim centered approach, support victims as they reclaim their lives.”
“The crimes uncovered in this case are among the most egregious that Homeland Security Investigations encounters,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of HSI Maryland. “Exploiting vulnerable individuals through coercion, abuse, and manipulation is nothing short of reprehensible. This kind of predatory behavior destroys lives and undermines the fundamental values of human dignity and freedom. HSI remains unwavering in its mission to dismantle criminal networks, bring perpetrators to justice, and protect the safety and well-being of our communities, especially those who are unable to protect themselves.”
The evidence presented at the seven-day trial demonstrated that Gibbs sought out individuals, often young women, who were addicted to heroin, and without any money or a stable place to live, promising to take care of them by giving them housing, food, clothing, and easy access to drugs. He then provided many of them with heroin for free to ease their withdrawal sickness. He allowed them to live in trailers or campers on his two rural properties in Sussex County. He then instructed the women to engage in commercial sex, instructing his co-defendant to take photos of them and post online advertisements for them to do “dates” with commercial sex buyers. Gibbs kept all the proceeds from the commercial sex acts and provided the women with small amounts of heroin and cocaine to avoid withdrawal sickness. Gibbs positioned himself to control the victims’ access to heroin and thereby controlled the onset of withdrawal sickness. Exploiting the victims’ fear of withdrawal sickness, Gibbs profited from the commercial sex acts in which he compelled the women to engage. Gibbs and his co-defendant also recruited heroin-addicted individuals to “boost” or steal goods for him to re-sell, panhandle, and do manual labor on his properties. In the same way he did with the young women he compelled to engage in commercial sex, Gibbs exploited the victims’ fear of withdrawal sickness to coerce this labor for his profit.
Gibbs also used physical force with some of his victims by hitting, kicking, or threatening to shoot those who disobeyed his orders or talked back.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Gibbs faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Briana Knox for the District of Delaware and Trial Attorneys Christina Randall-James and Leah Branch of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in Hartford has found DAVID MARSHALL, also known as “Saint,” 40, of Bristol, with sex trafficking, obstruction of justice, and violation of a protective order offenses.
According to the evidence presented during the trial, between January and April 2022, Marshall compelled a victim into performing commercial sex for his financial benefit and repeatedly raped and beat her if she did not follow his orders. He also controlled the victim by other means, including getting her addicted to fentanyl and threatening to harm her family. In March 2022, the victim attempted to escape from Marshall and obtained an order of protection against him after he was arrested by Cromwell Police for threatening to kill her.
On April 27, 2022, Marshall was arrested by police in Freeport, Maine, after he severely beat the victim. While in jail, Marshall contacted the victim in violation of the protection order, and attempted to convince her not to cooperate with the police and to continue to prostitute herself to earn money to bail him out of jail. Marshall also contacted another person from jail in an attempt to remotely erase the evidence on his cell phone, but he was unable to do so because the FBI had already secured the phone.
On May 10, 2023, while he was detained in federal custody, Marshall again attempted to obstruct the investigation and prosecution of this matter by writing a letter to a family member with instructions to “harass” the victim to keep her from testifying.
Marshall forcibly sex trafficked at least one other woman between 2017 and 2022. With his second victim, Marshall similarly used beatings, rapes, and other means to coerce her into engaging in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit for almost two years.
The trial began on April 30, 2025. Yesterday, Marshall was convicted of two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; two counts of attempted obstruction of sex trafficking enforcement; and one count of interstate violation of a protection order, causing serious bodily injury to the victim. The jury found Marshall not guilty of one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Marshall faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Marshall has been detained since April 27, 2022.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Newington Police Department, Cromwell Police Department, Freeport (Maine) Police Department, and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel Krull, Shan Patel, and Alexis Beyerlein.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine for its assistance in this case.
Source: US State of North Dakota
SAN DIEGO — An indictment unsealed today is the first in the nation to charge alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel with narco-terrorism and material support of terrorism in connection with trafficking massive amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin into the United States.
Pedro Inzunza Noriega and his son, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, are charged with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering as key leaders of the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO), a powerful and violent faction of the Sinaloa Cartel that is believed to be the world’s largest known fentanyl production network. Five other BLO leaders are charged with drug trafficking and money laundering. The indictment is a direct result of President Trump’s Executive Order 14157 which designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and the Secretary of State’s subsequent designation of the same on February 20, 2025.
“The Sinaloa Cartel is a complex, dangerous terrorist organization and dismantling them demands a novel, powerful legal response,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Their days of brutalizing the American people without consequence are over — we will seek life in prison for these terrorists.”
“Operation Take Back America initiatives reflect the reality that narco-terrorists operate as a cancer within a state,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “They metastasize violence, corruption and fear. If left unchecked, their growth would lead to the death of law and order. This indictment is what justice looks like when the full measure of the Department of Justice along with its law enforcement partners is brought to bear against the Sinaloa Cartel.”
“These charges highlight the unwavering efforts of transnational criminal organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel to flood our communities with deadly drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego. “HSI and our law enforcement partners will not allow cartel-driven drug trafficking to threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods. We are all lasered focused on a unified effort to dismantling these networks and their factions in bringing those responsible to justice.”
“BLO, under the leadership of Inzunza Noriega, is allegedly responsible for some of the largest-ever drug seizures of fentanyl and cocaine destined for the United States,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Houtan Moshrefi of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Their drugs not only destroy lives and communities, but also threaten our national security. The law enforcement efforts against the Noriegas reaffirms our commitment to dismantling and disrupting this very dangerous narco-terrorist group and combating narco-trafficking.”
According to court documents, since its inception the Beltran Leyva faction has been considered one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations to operate in Mexico, engaging in shootouts, murders, kidnappings, torture and violent collection of drug debts to sustain its operations. The Beltran Leyva faction controls numerous territories and plazas throughout Mexico – including Tijuana – and operates with violent impunity, trafficking in deadly drugs, threatening communities, and targeting key officials, all while making millions of dollars from their criminal activities.
Pedro Inzunza Noriega works closely with his son, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, to produce and aggressively traffic fentanyl to the United States, the government has alleged. Court documents indicate that together the father and son lead one of the largest and most sophisticated fentanyl production networks in the world. Over the past several years, they have trafficked tens of thousands of kilograms of fentanyl into the United States. On Dec. 3, 2024, Mexican law enforcement raided multiple locations in Sinaloa that are controlled and managed by the father and son and seized 1,500 kilograms (more than 1.65 tons) of fentanyl – the largest seizure of fentanyl in the world.
These indictments follow a notable tradition in the Southern District of California for targeting leadership and operations of powerful Mexican cartels – from the dismantling of the Arellano Felix Cartel to major strikes against today’s most dangerous, powerful and violent cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), and now the Beltran Leyva Organization. It is the first indictment from the newly formed Narco-Terrorism Unit in the Southern District of California which was established upon the swearing in of U.S. Attorney Gordon on April 11.
The indictment of Pedro Inzunza Noriega reflects the Southern District of California’s pursuit of the Sinaloa Cartel. Federal drug trafficking indictments are pending against all alleged leaders of its Beltran Leyva faction, including:
The Southern District of California also has indictments pending against other leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, including:
1,500 kilogram fentanyl seizure on December 5, 2024
1,680 kilogram cocaine seizure in Mexico City
Cocaie seizure with the “Incredibles” brand and “R” brand
Rainbow colored fentanyl pills and fentanyl bricks with “Louis Vuitton” and “Rolls Royce” stamps
Pedro Inzunza branded hat with Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, aka, “Chapo Isidro” and Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe aka, “El Musico” symbols
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Mellor and Matthew Sutton for the Southern District of California.
DEFENDANTS Case Number: 25cr1505
Pedro Inzunza Noriega Age: 62 Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico
aka “Sagitario,” aka “120,” aka “El De La Silla”
Pedro Inzunza Coronel Age: 33 Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico
Aka “Pichon,” Aka “Pajaro,” Aka “Bird”
David Alejandro Heredia Velazquez Age: 50 Guadalajara, Jalisco,
Aka “Tano,” Aka “Mr. Jordan” Mexico, and Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Oscar Rene Gonzalez Menendez Age: 45 Guatemala City,
Aka “Rubio” Guatemala
Elias Alberto Quiros Benavides Age: 53 San Jose, Costa Rica
Daniel Eduardo Bojorquez Age: 47 Nogales, Sonora, Mexico
Aka “Chopper”
Javier Alonso Vazquez Sanchez Age: 31 Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico
Aka “Tito”, Aka “Drilo”
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 960a and 841 – Narco-Terrorism
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 20 years in prison; $20 million fine
Title 18, U.S.C. Sec. 2339B – Providing Material Support to Terrorism
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. 848(a) -Continuing Criminal Enterprise
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 20 years; $10 million fine
Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 952, 959, 960, and 963 – International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 10 years; $10 million fine
Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841(a)(1) and 846 – Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 10 years in prison; $10 million fine
Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 952, 960 and 963 – Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 10 years; $10 million fine
Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and a fine of the greater of $500,000 or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
HSI
FBI
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from May 3, 2025, through May 9, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 314 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 117 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 166 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 25 cases against 31 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Marco Antonio Ruelas-Solis: On May 3, 2025, Marco Antonio Ruelas-Solis, of Mexico, was found in possession of an FNS-9C 9-millimeter pistol and 40 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition while target shooting along Forest Road 403 in the Tonto National Forest in Maricopa County. Ruelas-Solis was charged with Possession of a Firearm by Alien Unlawfully Present in the United States and Reentry of a Removed Alien. [Case Numbers: MJ-25-0178; MJ-25-6183]
United States v. Clayton Line Wilhite: On May 4, 2025, Clayton Line Wilhite was arrested and charged with Transportation of an Illegal Alien after he failed to yield at an immigration checkpoint. After Wilhite failed to yield, law enforcement officers from Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection responded to the scene and attempted to effectuate a stop. Wilhite led officers on a short vehicle chase before striking another car from behind and pulling over. Two illegal aliens from Mexico then exited the vehicle and tried to flee but were detained by agents. Wilhite remained in the driver’s seat and was arrested without further incident. [Case number: MJ-25-07795]
A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-076_May 9 Immigration Enforcement
# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Source: US State of California
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov
Encourages individuals with relevant information to email BCJ@doj.ca.gov
SAN DIEGO – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the opening of a civil rights investigation into San Diego County (County) and the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE). The investigation will seek to determine whether the County has engaged in a pattern or practice of unlawful treatment of youth at East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility and Youth Transition Campus in San Diego County and will examine SDCOE’s provision of educational services to youth at these facilities. If, through this investigation, the Attorney General’s Office determines that unlawful activity or practices took place, the office will also determine what potential reforms are needed to ensure that comprehensive corrective action takes place at these facilities.
“Every young person deserves the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe, dignified, and welcoming environment,” said Attorney General Bonta. “My office will investigate conditions at San Diego juvenile halls to ensure San Diego County and its Office of Education are following the law and meeting their obligation to the children they serve. As we launch this investigation, it is vital that we hear from members of the community. I encourage anyone with potentially relevant information on conditions at these facilities to reach out to my office at BCJ@doj.ca.gov.”
Under the California Constitution, California Government Code section 11180, et. seq., and California Civil Code section 52.3, the Attorney General has authority to conduct civil investigations into whether an entity has engaged in a pattern or practice of violating state or federal law. As opposed to a criminal investigation into an individual incident or incidents, a pattern or practice investigation typically works to identify and, as appropriate, compel the correction of systemic violations of the constitutional rights of the community at large.
Individuals with information regarding the treatment of youth at these facilities can contact the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Children’s Justice at BCJ@doj.ca.gov. Members of the public can also send information to Bureau of Children’s Justice in other languages.
Attorney General Bonta is committed to protecting and uplifting our youth and working to build a better tomorrow for future generations. As part of those efforts, he has fought to foster safe and inclusive school environments, defended the rights of LGBTQ youth, pushed our schools to provide an inclusive curriculum that reflects the diversity of our state and nation, and fought for foster youth and justice-involved youth. Through pattern or practice investigations, Attorney General Bonta has addressed discrimination at Mojave Unified School District, fought to protect youth in Los Angeles County Juvenile Halls, and instituted critical reforms at Redlands Unified School District.
Attorney General Bonta has made no determinations at this time about specific complaints, allegations, or the overall policies and practices of the County or SDCOE.
# # #
Source: United States Attorneys General
SAN DIEGO — An indictment unsealed today is the first in the nation to charge alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel with narco-terrorism and material support of terrorism in connection with trafficking massive amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin into the United States.
Pedro Inzunza Noriega and his son, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, are charged with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering as key leaders of the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO), a powerful and violent faction of the Sinaloa Cartel that is believed to be the world’s largest known fentanyl production network. Five other BLO leaders are charged with drug trafficking and money laundering. The indictment is a direct result of President Trump’s Executive Order 14157 which designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and the Secretary of State’s subsequent designation of the same on February 20, 2025.
“The Sinaloa Cartel is a complex, dangerous terrorist organization and dismantling them demands a novel, powerful legal response,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Their days of brutalizing the American people without consequence are over — we will seek life in prison for these terrorists.”
“Operation Take Back America initiatives reflect the reality that narco-terrorists operate as a cancer within a state,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “They metastasize violence, corruption and fear. If left unchecked, their growth would lead to the death of law and order. This indictment is what justice looks like when the full measure of the Department of Justice along with its law enforcement partners is brought to bear against the Sinaloa Cartel.”
“These charges highlight the unwavering efforts of transnational criminal organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel to flood our communities with deadly drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego. “HSI and our law enforcement partners will not allow cartel-driven drug trafficking to threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods. We are all lasered focused on a unified effort to dismantling these networks and their factions in bringing those responsible to justice.”
“BLO, under the leadership of Inzunza Noriega, is allegedly responsible for some of the largest-ever drug seizures of fentanyl and cocaine destined for the United States,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Houtan Moshrefi of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Their drugs not only destroy lives and communities, but also threaten our national security. The law enforcement efforts against the Noriegas reaffirms our commitment to dismantling and disrupting this very dangerous narco-terrorist group and combating narco-trafficking.”
According to court documents, since its inception the Beltran Leyva faction has been considered one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations to operate in Mexico, engaging in shootouts, murders, kidnappings, torture and violent collection of drug debts to sustain its operations. The Beltran Leyva faction controls numerous territories and plazas throughout Mexico – including Tijuana – and operates with violent impunity, trafficking in deadly drugs, threatening communities, and targeting key officials, all while making millions of dollars from their criminal activities.
Pedro Inzunza Noriega works closely with his son, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, to produce and aggressively traffic fentanyl to the United States, the government has alleged. Court documents indicate that together the father and son lead one of the largest and most sophisticated fentanyl production networks in the world. Over the past several years, they have trafficked tens of thousands of kilograms of fentanyl into the United States. On Dec. 3, 2024, Mexican law enforcement raided multiple locations in Sinaloa that are controlled and managed by the father and son and seized 1,500 kilograms (more than 1.65 tons) of fentanyl – the largest seizure of fentanyl in the world.
These indictments follow a notable tradition in the Southern District of California for targeting leadership and operations of powerful Mexican cartels – from the dismantling of the Arellano Felix Cartel to major strikes against today’s most dangerous, powerful and violent cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), and now the Beltran Leyva Organization. It is the first indictment from the newly formed Narco-Terrorism Unit in the Southern District of California which was established upon the swearing in of U.S. Attorney Gordon on April 11.
The indictment of Pedro Inzunza Noriega reflects the Southern District of California’s pursuit of the Sinaloa Cartel. Federal drug trafficking indictments are pending against all alleged leaders of its Beltran Leyva faction, including:
The Southern District of California also has indictments pending against other leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, including:
1,500 kilogram fentanyl seizure on December 5, 2024
1,680 kilogram cocaine seizure in Mexico City
Cocaie seizure with the “Incredibles” brand and “R” brand
Rainbow colored fentanyl pills and fentanyl bricks with “Louis Vuitton” and “Rolls Royce” stamps
Pedro Inzunza branded hat with Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, aka, “Chapo Isidro” and Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe aka, “El Musico” symbols
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Mellor and Matthew Sutton for the Southern District of California.
DEFENDANTS Case Number: 25cr1505
Pedro Inzunza Noriega Age: 62 Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico
aka “Sagitario,” aka “120,” aka “El De La Silla”
Pedro Inzunza Coronel Age: 33 Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico
Aka “Pichon,” Aka “Pajaro,” Aka “Bird”
David Alejandro Heredia Velazquez Age: 50 Guadalajara, Jalisco,
Aka “Tano,” Aka “Mr. Jordan” Mexico, and Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Oscar Rene Gonzalez Menendez Age: 45 Guatemala City,
Aka “Rubio” Guatemala
Elias Alberto Quiros Benavides Age: 53 San Jose, Costa Rica
Daniel Eduardo Bojorquez Age: 47 Nogales, Sonora, Mexico
Aka “Chopper”
Javier Alonso Vazquez Sanchez Age: 31 Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico
Aka “Tito”, Aka “Drilo”
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 960a and 841 – Narco-Terrorism
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 20 years in prison; $20 million fine
Title 18, U.S.C. Sec. 2339B – Providing Material Support to Terrorism
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. 848(a) -Continuing Criminal Enterprise
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 20 years; $10 million fine
Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 952, 959, 960, and 963 – International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 10 years; $10 million fine
Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841(a)(1) and 846 – Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 10 years in prison; $10 million fine
Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 952, 960 and 963 – Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 10 years; $10 million fine
Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and a fine of the greater of $500,000 or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
HSI
FBI
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
Padilla, Schatz, Wyden Lead Push Warning Trump Admin of Harmful Impacts of SAVE Act, Anti-Voter Executive Order in Native Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over elections, Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) led 11 Senators in sounding the alarm on the devastating impacts of President Trump’s anti-voter “election integrity” executive order and the SAVE Act on Native American voting rights. In a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, the Senators specifically warn about the challenges Native communities will face with the proposed requirements of documentary proof of citizenship and restrictions on mail-in voting.
“Enactment of new voter registration policies under the Executive Order and the SAVE Act would lead to mass disenfranchisement of eligible Native voters and further depress the Native vote,” wrote the Senators. “Tribal IDs generally lack place of birth information required by the legislation, and the vast majority of these IDs lack the specific U.S. citizenship documentation required by the Executive Order. And the SAVE Act’s in-person requirement would exacerbate existing barriers, such as requiring IDs that list residential mailing addresses, by forcing many Native voters to travel great distances, including costly flights or multi-hour drives, to reach their local elections office or polling place.”
“As Secretary of the Interior, you have a special moral and legal responsibility to uphold our nation’s trust and treaty obligations,” continued the Senators. “If implemented, the sweeping federal mandates included in the Executive Order and the SAVE Act would disenfranchise eligible Native voters who are following state laws. We encourage your active engagement with the White House and the Department of Justice to ensure that Native communities are able to exercise the franchise fully and have their voices heard at the ballot box.”
Tribal IDs are currently an acceptable form of documentation to register to vote in nearly every state, but the SAVE Act and Trump executive order require that an ID must show place of birth and citizenship, which the majority of Tribal IDs lack, adding another barrier to the ballot box for many Native American communities. The Senators underscored that if enacted, these provisions would force Tribal voters who live in rural and remote locations to travel significant distances to prove their citizenship in order to register to vote.
The Senators also emphasized the disproportionate impact the vote-by-mail restrictions would have on Native communities, which often rely more on mail-in voting because of a lack of infrastructure and transportation access. Trump’s executive order penalizes states that accept absentee or mail-in ballots received after Election Day, harming Native voters in states like Alaska, North Dakota, Oregon, and California that process ballots as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. In Alaska specifically, which has 229 federally recognized Tribes, vote-by-mail is essential because polling sites can be hundreds of miles away for villages that are not on the road system.
Only 66 percent of Native Americans eligible to participate in elections are currently registered to vote, leaving more than 1 million eligible voting-age Native Americans unregistered. Creating further obstacles to register to vote would likely reduce these numbers even further.
In addition to Senators Padilla, Schatz, and Wyden, the letter was also signed by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
Senator Padilla has led the charge opposing President Trump and Republicans’ reckless attempts to restrict the right to vote. As President Trump marked 100 disastrous days in office, he recently led his Democratic colleagues on the Senate floor to speak out against the SAVE Act and attacks on election integrity. Last month, Padilla warned Secretaries of State, Lieutenant Governors, and Chief Election Officials across the country of the devastating potential impacts of Republicans’ SAVE Act, concerns that have been echoed by top election officials across the country. He also led 11 Senators in introducing the Defending America’s Future Elections Act to repeal Trump’s illegal anti-voter executive order and prevent the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive voter registration data and state records. Padilla previously led 14 Democratic Senators in calling on Trump to revoke his illegal anti-voter executive order and issued a statement slamming the order when it was announced.
Full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear Secretary Burgum:
We write to express our serious concern over the impact of the Administration’s March 25 Executive Order 14284 “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” on Native communities. As former Governor of North Dakota, and now as Secretary of the Interior, you must appreciate that Indian Country faces voting challenges unique to the rest of the country, including remote locations, limited resources, and a legacy of legal discrimination. Unfortunately, both this Executive Order, and the related Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (H.R. 22) recently passed by the House of Representatives, would represent the largest steps backwards for Native American voting rights in many decades. We urge you to ensure that the federal government meets its trust responsibility to safeguard Native American voting rights and to engage in Tribal consultation on any new policies that impact the Native vote.
Enactment of new voter registration policies under the Executive Order and the SAVE Act would lead to mass disenfranchisement of eligible Native voters and further depress the Native vote. For example, both the Executive Order and the SAVE Act include a requirement for voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering or re-registering to vote. Tribal IDs generally lack place of birth information required by the legislation, and the vast majority of these IDs lack the specific U.S. citizenship documentation required by the Executive Order. And the SAVE Act’s in-person requirement would exacerbate existing barriers, such as requiring IDs that list residential mailing addresses, by forcing many Native voters to travel great distances, including costly flights or multi-hour drives, to reach their local elections office or polling place.
What’s more, under the Executive Order, the Attorney General is directed to take action against states with laws that accept absentee or mail-in ballots received after Election Day. This directive will have a disproportionate impact on Native communities, given the remote locations of many Native communities, along with a general lack of infrastructure and transportation access. As a result, Native voters often must rely on vote-by-mail systems to cast their ballots, but extremely long distances and unpredictable weather can result in mail delays that impact the arrival times of ballots. For example, in states like Alaska, which is home to 229 federally recognized Tribes, voters must rely on mail-in ballots due to the lack of local polling sites in Native villages, the majority of which are not on the road system; in fact, the nearest polling site might be hundreds of miles away by plane or boat. So, it is standard practice for many states to allow ballots to be counted for several days following the federal election as long as they were postmarked before or on election day. Of note, no state allows hand-delivered ballots to be returned after Election Day. If the Executive Order’s provision were enforced, it risks further disenfranchisement of Native voters in states like Alaska, North Dakota, Oregon, and California that accept absentee or mail-in ballots postmarked by the day before Election Day.
As Secretary of the Interior, you have a special moral and legal responsibility to uphold our nation’s trust and treaty obligations. If implemented, the sweeping federal mandates included in the Executive Order and the SAVE Act would disenfranchise eligible Native voters who are following state laws. We encourage your active engagement with the White House and the Department of Justice to ensure that Native communities are able to exercise the franchise fully and have their voices heard at the ballot box.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and we welcome the opportunity to further discuss these concerns with you.
Sincerely,
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
AUSTIN, Texas – A federal grand jury in Austin returned an indictment today charging an Austin man, who was employed as a fifth grade teacher in the city, with two counts related to his alleged receipt and possession of child pornography.
According to an affidavit filed in the court documents, Carl David Innmon, 50, allegedly downloaded multiple batches of downloads via BitTorrent between Dec. 29, 2024 and Jan. 15, 2025. The alleged downloads contained a total of 126 files that depict an image of a child engaging in sexual conduct or sexual performance. The children in three of the downloaded files, the affidavit alleges, include an infant and two girls between the ages of four and seven.
Based on the investigation, a search warrant was conducted on Innmon’s residence, leading to the seizure of a smartphone, a laptop and a portable hard drive. A forensic analysis of these items cumulatively revealed 365,797 files of Child Sexual Abuse Material.
Innmon is charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The affidavit also alleges that Innmon was in possession of artificial intelligence generated child pornography, and that his devices contained a large quantity of real images depicting students in a classroom. Some of those images were allegedly placed in an AI generator, de-clothing the students. With assistance from the Austin Independent School District and AISD Police, a Texas Department of Public Safety (TX DPS) Criminal Investigations Division (CID) Special Agent was able to positively identify the students depicted in the images and their ages. The children were allegedly identified as students of Innmon’s.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI and TX DPS CID are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Sparks is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Deona’tre Capri Dowell, 31, of Beckley, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Dowell admitted to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 25, 2024, Dowell received an ounce of fentanyl from a co-conspirator at his Beckley residence. Dowell admitted to the transaction and to arranging it earlier that day. Dowell further admitted that he obtained additional quantities of fentanyl during May 2024 from his supplier on consignment, paying the supplier back with the proceeds from distributing it.
On May 30, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Dowell’s residence and found approximately 535 grams of methamphetamine, 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl, a Romarm Micro Draco 7.62mm firearm, and a Glock model 21 .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Dowell admitted to possessing the seized controlled substances and intending to distribute them.
Dowell is among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. All 12 have pleaded guilty, including two defendants who pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-90.
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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
LOS ANGELES – A former employee of the California Employment Development Department (EDD), which administers the state’s unemployment insurance (UI) program, and her former boyfriend were sentenced today to federal prison terms for fraudulently obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 pandemic-related jobless benefits.
Phyllis Hope Stitt, 61, of Carson, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who also ordered her to pay $768,958 in restitution.
Judge Birotte today also sentenced Kenneth Earl Riley, 64, of South Los Angeles, to 20 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $611,458 in restitution.
Stitt and Riley had been in a romantic relationship for more than 10 years at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic while Stitt was employed by the EDD as an employment program representative. Her job duties included determining claimant eligibility for UI benefits and performing claim processing activities.
From March 2020 to September 2021, while using the access and information available to her in her position with EDD, Stitt acquired the names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and other personal identifying information of victims that were used to submit fraudulent claims.
Stitt then filed fraudulent applications for UI benefits without the victims’ knowledge or consent, and then increased the amount of UI benefits paid out by backdating the fraudulent requests to maximize the claims.
Stitt certified the fraudulent applications alleging that the victims had submitted their employment history and driver’s license information, and she confirmed they were unemployed because of the pandemic and actively were searching for work.
Many of the victims were ineligible to receive these benefits because they were currently employed, not unemployed because of the pandemic, or were deceased at the time.
In filing the fraudulent applications, Stitt used mailing addresses to which Riley had access. Riley then used debit cards and accounts created because of these fraudulent applications. Riley then made cash withdrawals at ATMs, bank transfers and retail purchases.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolster efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly head one of the three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the California Employment Development Department Investigation Division investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted case.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that two individuals were arrested and charged as part of Operation Restore Justice in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
First, on April 25, 2025, Troy Schaden (age 44) was charged via criminal complaint with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252A(a)(2) and 2252A(a)(5)(B). He appeared in federal court on May 2, 2025. According to court records, when a search warrant was executed at Schaden’s home on March 5, 2025, law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices. The investigation revealed that the devices contain CSAM that Schaden had purchased from an individual in the United Kingdom via the Telegram application and then distributed to others.
Second, on April 28, 2025, Victor Vega Rojo (age 49) was charged via criminal complaint with distribution and possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252A(a)(2) and 2252A(a)(5)(B). He appeared in federal court on May 2, 2025. Court records indicate that Vega Rojo does not have legal status in the country, and he is now in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to court records, when a search warrant was executed at Vega Rojo’s home, law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices, which through forensic review were determined to contain CSAM. The investigation revealed that the defendant distributed CSAM via the BitTorrent network and possessed hundreds of images of CSAM.
“The United States Attorney’s Office remains committed to working with the FBI and all federal, state, local, and tribal partners to zealously prosecute individuals who produce or distribute child sexual abuse material, engage in online enticement, and further child sex trafficking,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “I commend the efforts of all involved in seeking to hold these offenders accountable and to pursue justice for victims of these devastating offenses.”
“The message is clear, the FBI has an unwavering commitment to protecting children against sexual abuse,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “Through ‘Operation Restore Justice’ and day-to-day operations alongside our local, state and federal law enforcement partners we’re dedicated to keeping kids safe in our Wisconsin communities.”
If convicted of receipt or distribution of child pornography, each defendant would face a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and up to a maximum sentence of 20 years. If convicted of possession of child pornography, each defendant would face up to 20 years’ imprisonment. At this stage, the public is cautioned that a criminal complaint is merely a charge, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms.
In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.
In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.
This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
Other online resources:
Electronic Press Kit
Violent Crimes Against Children
How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer
414-297-1700
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
MARQUETTE – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Byerly Birge announced that a federal jury convicted Eugene Walter-George Rantanen, (37, L’Anse, Michigan) of murder and first-degree child abuse. Rantanen is scheduled to be sentenced this fall.
On February 19, 2024, a nineteen-month-old toddler became unresponsive while in the sole custody of Rantanen, while the two were inside the L’Anse Reservation of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. After extensive medical intervention, the child succumbed to the injuries and died on February 24, 2024. Based on the medical examiner’s testimony at trial, the toddler had suffered blunt force trauma to the head, which caused significant injuries to the brain. Based on government-witness testimony at trial, the only plausible explanation for the toddler’s injuries was that Rantanen caused the severe brain injuries.
“Any time a child dies, it is a tragedy. But it is particularly tragic when a caretaker causes the death,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Birge. “My office will hold individuals like Rantanen accountable for their violent crimes whenever it can.”
“This conviction confirms that Eugene Rantanen will no longer pose a threat to anyone, especially our children,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This outcome results from a thorough and cooperative investigation with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Police, the Village of L’Anse Police, the Baraga County Sheriff’s Office, the Michigan State Police, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan. I extend my deepest condolences to those who truly loved the young victim—no one should ever have to endure such a heartbreaking loss.”
The FBI, Michigan State Police, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Police, Baraga County Sheriff’s Office, and Village of L’Anse Police investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis Sanford and Jeanne Long are prosecuting it.
This case was part of the Department of Justice’s work to combat the missing and murder indigenous person’s (MMIP) crisis. Per the Bureau of Indian Affairs, “For decades, Native American and Alaska Native communities have struggled with high rates of assault, abduction, and murder of tribal members. Community advocates describe the crisis as a legacy of generations of government policies of forced removal, land seizures and violence inflicted on Native peoples.” The BIA website has more information about the MMIP crisis at https://www.bia.gov/service/mmu/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-people-crisis.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on May 9, 2025, YASIR G. HAMED, 60, of Woodbridge, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to offenses stemming from a scheme to defraud a COVID-19 pandemic relief program of more than $2.3 million.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). The PPP was overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”), and individual PPP loans were issued by private lenders, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders’ own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hamed, an accountant, had an ownership interest or representative relationship with several New Haven-based businesses, including Access Consulting and Professional Services Inc.; Connecticut Medical Transportation Inc.; Arabic Language Learning Program Inc.; Institute for Global Educational Exchange Inc.; Access Medical Transport Inc.; Ikea Car & Limo Inc.; Center of the World Tours, North America LLC.; and Sudanese American Friendship Association Inc. Between June 2020 and September 2021, Hamed submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of these companies, overstating employee numbers and average monthly payroll, and making other fraudulent representations. As part of the applications, he submitted false tax filings that had never been filed with the IRS.
Hamed also submitted PPP loan applications on behalf of companies owned by his clients. In at least one instance, Hamed convinced the owner of a business, which he knew was not active and had no employees, to seek PPP funding. Hamed prepared the paperwork for the PPP application and then took a significant portion of the loan proceeds.
Through this scheme, Hamed obtained than $2.3 million in PPP loans for his businesses and for his clients, receiving more than $1 million in loan proceeds for himself and his family, and significant kickbacks from his clients. Hamed used the funds for personal expenses, including education expenses for a family member, and for a downpayment on a $880,000 house in Woodbridge that he purchased in October 2020.
Hamed has agreed to pay $2,384,772 in restitution.
Hamed pleaded guilty to bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and engaging in illegal monetary transactions, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for August 8.
Hamed was arrested on November 13, 2024. He is released on a $500,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
Harrisburg – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”
“Operation Restore Justice illustrates our longstanding commitment and partnership with the FBI to vigorously prosecute crimes against children,” said Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus. “It’s through these partnerships that we are able to hold child predators accountable for these crimes.”
“The men and women of FBI Philadelphia work every day to protect and support children across all the communities we serve,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Operation Restore Justice underscores our unwavering commitment to combatting crimes against children—among the most heinous offenses we investigate. Together with our partners, the FBI will continue to pursue those who prey on the vulnerable and work tirelessly to educate the public on how to prevent, recognize, and report child abuse.”
Cases charged in the Middle District of Pennsylvania:
Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.
In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.
This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
Other online resources:
Electronic Press Kit
Violent Crimes Against Children
How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Laurel Lee – Florida (15th District)
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15) introduced the Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act to combat the growing threat posed by illegal cell phones in federal prisons. The bill would make it a felony to smuggle a cell phone into a correctional facility, strengthen deterrence against future smuggling, and require a comprehensive review of the Department of Justice’s current contraband enforcement policies.
The current penalty for smuggling a phone into a prison is up to a year.
“Cell phones smuggled into prisons are being used to orchestrate criminal operations that endanger correctional officers, inmates, and the public. This legislation strengthens the consequences for those who bring these devices behind bars and ensures the Department of Justice has the tools and direction needed to review and improve prison policies that address contraband,” said Rep. Laurel Lee. “I am proud to introduce this legislation to protect the safety of our correctional officers, inmates, and communities by cracking down on the illegal use of cell phones in prisons.”
Read the bill text here.
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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A recidivist sex offender was sentenced to 120 months in prison yesterday for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Registered sex offender Ricky Grover Aaron, 62, of Charlotte, a was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and pay restitution to his victims.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, the FBI was conducting an undercover online investigation to identify individuals sharing CSAM using peer-to-peer file sharing networks. Investigators determined that Aaron was utilizing a BitTorrent application to make CSAM available for others, and on multiple occasions, were able to download CSAM files from one or more of Aaron’s electronic devices.
In November 2022, a search warrant was executed at Aaron’s residence. Several electronic devices were seized and forensically examined. In total, investigators found that Aaron possessed the equivalent (when taking videos into account) of more than 300,000 CSAM images that depicted, among other things, minors including infants, toddlers, and children under the age of 12, being sexually abused and exploited, having violence inflicted upon them, appearing in bondage, and otherwise subjected to sado-masochistic conduct.
At the sentencing hearing, the Court also heard that Aaron failed to register as a sex offender in Mecklenburg County after he moved to North Carolina, as he was required to do because he had two convictions prior to this one, a federal conviction for receipt and possession of CSAM, and a state conviction for false imprisonment and aggravated exploitation of a minor in Tennessee. Under the provisions of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) convicted sex offenders are required to register with the Sex Offender Registry Board in any state or jurisdiction where they work or reside.
On October 29, 2024, Aaron pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained age 12. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the FBI for their investigation of the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Armstrong of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Operation Restore Justice
This week, the FBI in North Carolina announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, following a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrest of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The enforcement action was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.
Among those arrested as part of Operation Restore Justice was a former Charlotte resident, Terrell Shawn Anderson, 30, who is charged in the Western District of North Carolina with distributing child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material. Anderson was arrested in Atlanta and faces at least five years in federal prison and up to twenty years on each distribution count and up to twenty years on the possession count.
“We will aggressively prosecute these cases, as we do all cases against those who seek to exploit and abuse children,” said Russ Ferguson in the joint announcement made with the FBI. “The individuals charged and arrested in this operation are accused of engaging in conduct that harms children and perpetuates their abuse. I commend the FBI in North Carolina and the entire law enforcement community for their ongoing efforts to identify these perpetrators and bring them to justice so they cannot hurt another child.”
You can find additional information about the national Operation Restore Justice initiative here.
The charges against Anderson are allegations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: US State of California
An Oklahoma man was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Landon Joe Black, 25, of Stilwell, was sentenced for producing CSAM featuring two child victims that he shared on the “dark web.” Black would pose as a young girl on the internet to establish relationships with children and would then direct them to create CSAM. He would then share images of his victims along with their ages, as well as other CSAM images, on the dark web. He would refer to some of his victims as “baits.” Documents found on Black’s computers included a draft how-to guide for other offenders. Black also collected detailed information about one child, including information about their family, school, and daily movements. The pictures Black produced and shared continue to circulate, causing significant ongoing harm to his victims.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case, with substantial assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Marek.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Source: United States Department of Justice
OVW conducted a pre-application information session for its Fiscal Year 2025 Grants to Improve the Criminal Justice Response (ICJR) Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). During the presentation, OVW staff reviewed this NOFO’s requirements and discussed the opportunity.