NewzIntel.com

Category: Vehicles

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

    Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Piercey faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, for each wire fraud and mail fraud count; 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each witness tampering count; and 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater, for each money laundering count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Trussville Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Trussville man has been sentenced for drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

    U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Antonio Sedell Ellis, 50, to 48 months in prison. In October 2024, Ellis pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.

    According to the plea agreement, on May 9, 2023, a Trussville police officer observed a black Ford F-450 traveling on Interstate 59 and cross the outside fog line several times. The officer initiated a traffic stop of the driver, later identified as Ellis. During the stop, the officer could smell alcohol coming from inside the vehicle and asked Ellis to exit the vehicle. Although Ellis initially complied with the officer’s requests, he then attempted to walk away from the scene and refused to follow the officer’s orders. Additional officers responded and successfully apprehended Ellis. He was placed into the back of the patrol car so that a full search of Ellis’s vehicle could be completed. The search uncovered a package containing one kilogram of cocaine, several bags of cocaine, and drug paraphernalia.

    The FBI investigated the case along with the Trussville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany T. Byrd prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Murray County Resident Pleads Guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Eluding a Peace Officer

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jayson Geoffrey Evans, age 50, of Sulphur, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000.00 fine, and one count of Eluding Peace Officer in Indian Country, punishable by not less than one year imprisonment and up to five years imprisonment, and a fine of not less than $1,000.00 and up to $5,000.00.

    The Indictment alleged that on December 30, 2023, Evans assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon, with intent to do bodily harm.

    The Indictment further alleged that on December 30, 2023, Evans willfully attempted to elude a peace officer while operating a motor vehicle after receiving a visual and audible signal directing him to stop.

    The crimes occurred in Murray County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

    The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

    A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Evans will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dayton Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Veterans Organization

    Source: US FBI

    PORTLAND, Ore.— Cheryl Elizabeth Campos, 61, of Dayton, Oregon, pleaded guilty to wire fraud today as part of a scheme to defraud the Department of Oregon Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

    According to court documents, between January 2022 and June 2024, Campos misused her position as Quartermaster of the VFW to access their bank accounts and illegally transfer large sums of money to her personal accounts. To conceal the unauthorized transfers, Campos falsified financial documents, bank statements, and accounting records.

    In total, Campos transferred more than $1.7 million from the VFW’s accounts to her personal accounts. Campos used the funds to buy hundreds of crystals, semi-precious rocks, marbles, stones and statues. She also used the funds for personal expenses including credit card payments and purchasing a vehicle for a family member.

    On March 24, 2025, Campos was charged by criminal information with wire fraud.

    Campos faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced on July 8, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Amy M. Baggio.

    As part of the plea agreement, Campos has agreed to pay restitution in full to the VFW and will also forfeit any criminally-derived proceeds and property used to facilitate her crimes identified by the government prior to sentencing.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Robert S. Trisotto, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—Victor Garcia will spend the next 168 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr.

          A federal grand jury indicted Garcia, 43, of Palmdale, California, in a superseding indictment on April 5, 2023. He was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. On November 4, 2024, Garcia pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

          On December 21, 2022, the Conway Police Department conducted a traffic stop and upon investigation, discovered Garcia had a federal warrant for drug distribution out of California. Officers conducted a pat down search of Garcia and located a methamphetamine pipe in his possession. Garcia admitted to officers that he had a small amount of marijuana in the center console of the vehicle. During the officers questioning of Garcia and his passenger, they provided officers inconsistent stories. Upon a search of the passenger, officers located a baggie of methamphetamine in her possession.

          While conducting a search of the vehicle, officers noted the carpeting was not uniform and after locating the seam of the carpet, determined it had been glued down. Officers pulled the carpet back and discovered a sheet of metal with hinges. Upon a search of this after-market hidden compartment, officers located over 20 kilograms of pure methamphetamine in five vacuum-sealed bags.

          Judge Marshall sentenced Garcia to serve 168 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Judge Marshall also sentenced Garcia to five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

          This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Conway Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin O’Leary.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

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

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Twenty-Two Charged in Imperial Valley Takedown of Violent Drug Trafficking Organization Linked to Beltran Leyva Cartel

    Source: US FBI

    EL CENTRO – Twenty-two alleged members of a sophisticated transnational drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa-based Beltran Leyva Cartel were indicted by a federal grand jury for importing and distributing more than a ton of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine into the United States, laundering the illicit proceeds, and attempting to export firearms from the United States into Mexico.

    In a coordinated takedown this morning in California, Arizona, Iowa, and Colorado, more than 150 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials arrested 10 defendants and executed six search warrants in Imperial County. As of this afternoon, the search continues for 12 fugitives.

    Including seizures today and throughout this long-term investigation, authorities have confiscated more than 1,000 kilograms (about 2,204 pounds) of drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and over 750 kilograms (about 1,653 pounds) of fentanyl, 10 firearms, and more than $250,000 in narcotics proceeds.

    “We have literally seized a ton of drugs that were destined to hit our streets and harm our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “By disrupting this prolific, cartel-linked trafficking network, we are preventing the devastation and violence it brings.”

    “Today’s enforcement action marks the culmination of a complex, long-term HSI investigation, demonstrating the strong collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies nationwide,” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Diego. “Our local communities are undoubtedly safer today, and we remain committed to aggressively pursuing criminal organizations that threaten our country.”

    “Close coordination and aggressive action amongst allied law enforcement agencies just made communities nationwide safer places to live and work,” said El Centro Border Patrol Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino. “The well executed takedown of this drug trafficking organization heralds a new day in homeland security where we will relentlessly apprehend and prosecute transnational threats.”

    According to search warrants, the defendants belonged to a Mexicali, Mexico- and Imperial County-based transnational criminal organization that operated as a distribution cell for the Beltrán Leyva Cartel, specifically associated with Fausto Isidro Meza Flores aka El Chapo Isidro. Using undercover operations and multiple rounds of wiretaps, agents conducted numerous controlled purchases, traffic stops of personal vehicles and tractor trailers, and searches of houses and stash locations leading to large seizures of narcotics.

    Additionally, during the fourth round of wiretaps, one of the wiretap targets, an Imperial County-based narcotics subdistributor, was shot multiple times in Mexicali and died several months thereafter. Investigators believe that the subdistributor was lured from the United States to Mexico and shot by a co-conspirator in relation to their drug trafficking and money laundering activities.

    According to federal search warrants:

    In one instance on January 23, 2023, authorities seized approximately 1.4 million fentanyl pills after intercepting phone conversations about moving fentanyl pills in a semi-truck. Federal agents watched the transaction from afar, then conducted a traffic stop on the drug-laden tractor-trailer. Law enforcement officials located eight duffel bags containing approximately 148.53 kilograms (327.45 pounds) in the trailer of the truck.

    In another instance, on May 9, 2023, authorities seized approximately 483,000 fentanyl pills after intercepting phone conversations about moving narcotics in a semi-truck. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on the drug-laden tractor-trailer and located bags containing approximately 48.30 kilograms (106.48 pounds) of fentanyl pills in the truck.

    Shortly thereafter, on May 25, 2023, authorities seized approximately 480,000 fentanyl pills, 72.29 kilograms of methamphetamine, and a loaded 9mm handgun with a 10-round magazine inserted and a round in the chamber. After intercepting phone conversations about coordinating the movement of narcotics in a semi-truck, federal agents surveilled the narcotics being loaded into the tractor-trailer, then conducted a traffic stop. Law enforcement officials located six duffel bags containing approximately 72.29 kilograms (159.37 pounds) of methamphetamine and 48.6 kilograms (107.14 pounds) of fentanyl in the trailer of the truck.

    In another instance, on October 9, 2023, investigators seized approximately 139,000 fentanyl pills and 36.66 kilograms (80.82 pounds) of methamphetamine following federal agents’ surveillance of defendants unloading and transporting the narcotics.

    On March 14, 2024, after a traffic stop conducted by a Brawley police officer, law enforcement seized approximately 59.48 kilograms (131.13 pounds) of methamphetamine.

    Federal agents also seized firearms and ammunition during the investigation, including two gold plated AR-15 semi-automatic rifles hidden inside a 55-gallon barbeque grill on August 3, 2023, and two rifles, two pistols, approximately 2182 ammunition rounds, and seven magazines destined for Mexicali-based drug traffickers.

    Additionally, according to court records, five of the charged defendants are tied to alien smuggling activity, having been either arrested and/or previously prosecuted for immigration-related crimes, such as alien smuggling, accessory after the fact to illegal entry, and selling or offering to sell a Visa.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Loren G. Renner.

    DEFENDANTS                                            

    Case Number 24cr2399                               

    Irving Alberto Lopez Valdes                                      Age: 36                       Mexicali, Mexico

    Raul Salome Valdez-Orduno                                     Age: 46                       Mexicali, Mexico

    Case Number 24cr2400

    Jesus Damian Lizarraga Sanchez                               Age: 28                       Mexicali, Mexico

    Case Number 24cr2434

    Elizabeth Millan                                                         Age: 46                       San Diego, California

    Brandon Garcia                                                          Age: 27                       Calexico, California

    *Seven unnamed defendants are fugitives

    Case Number 24cr2431

    Roberto Marrufo                                                        Age: 40                        Calexico, California

    Case Number 25cr0785

    Ricardo Miramontes Nava                                          Age: 35                       Calexico, California

    Case Number 25cr0786

    Jacob Rodiles                                                              Age: 21                       El Centro, California

    Roberto Fernandez                                                     Age: 70                       Calexico, California

    Raul Martinez Jimenez                                               Age: 56                       Mexicali, Mexico

    Julian Banuelos                                                           Age: 19                       Imperial, California

    Alain Alejandro Robles-Murrieta                               Age: 19                       Mexicali, Mexico

    *Three unnamed defendants are fugitives

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a) and (b)(1), 846

    Maximum penalty: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a $10 million fine.

    Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and a $500,000 fine

    Attempted Transfer of a Firearm for Use in a Drug Trafficking Crime – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1924(h)

    Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison and a $250,000 fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Homeland Security Investigations, Calexico – Imperial Valley Border Enforcement Security Taskforce (IV-BEST)

    Homeland Security Investigations, Riverside, CA

    Homeland Security Investigations, Denver, CO

    Homeland Security Investigations, Yuma, AZ

    Homeland Security Investigations, Sioux City, IA

    United States Border Patrol, El Centro Sector Intelligence Unit

    Customs and Border Protection, Calexico Intelligence Division

    Imperial County Narcotics Task Force

    Drug Enforcement Administration, Imperial County Office

    Drug Enforcement Administration, Phoenix Office

    Federal Bureau of Investigations, Imperial County Office

    United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations

    United States Marshals Service

    Calexico Police Department

    Imperial County Sheriff’s Office

    Imperial County District Attorney’s Office

    Brawley Police Department

    California Highway Patrol

    El Centro Police Department

    San Diego-Imperial Valley HIDTA

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

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

    High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 33 HIDTAs, and HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.

    This investigation 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).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two out-of-state residents charged with stealing Alaskan identities to target local financial institutions

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment yesterday charging two out-of-state residents with conspiring to commit bank fraud by stealing identities and creating false identification documents.

    According to court documents, on April 14, 2025, the Anchorage Police Department (APD) received a report that a female entered three local bank branches in Eagle River, Wasilla and Anchorage, respectively. The female presented potentially fraudulent military ID and passport cards and requested to withdraw $9,500 from accounts at each branch. The documents had the female’s picture but the name and date of birth of the account holders. The female successfully withdrew $9,500 from the Eagle River and Wasilla branches for a total of $19,000.

    On April 15, 2025, Soldotna Police Department (SPD) received a report similar to the report APD received the day prior, detailing that a female entered a local credit union and presented a potentially fraudulent military ID and passport card to try and withdraw cash.  Staff suspected the identification was fraudulent and attempted to contact their fraud department. While on the phone, the female left the credit union.

    Later the same day, the Kenai Police Department (KPD) received the same report of a female presenting a potentially fraudulent military ID and passport card at a local bank to try and withdraw cash. Bank staff recognized the female from a recent internal fraud alert.

    Staff at the Kenai bank attempted to call the police after the female suspect presented the alleged false documents, but she fled the bank in a vehicle. SPD officers located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. Law enforcement identified the driver as Karey McLeish, 25, of Texas and the female suspect, who was a passenger in the vehicle, as Rebekah Walker, 45, of Connecticut. Officers searched the defendants and located over $700 in cash and a plane ticket from Texas to Anchorage dated April 13, 2025. Officers also searched the vehicle and discovered over $1,600 in cash, three cell phones and key cards for a local hotel.

    Court documents further explain that law enforcement searched the hotel room McLeish and Walker were staying at in Soldotna and located a bag containing men’s clothing and hygiene products, as well as 11 military ID’s and 11 U.S. passport cards. The identification documents contained different names and dates of birth for Alaska residents, but all had Walker’s picture. 

    McLeish and Walker were originally charged by complaints on May 16, 2025, and were arrested in Kenai on May 21, 2025.

    McLeish and Walker are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, five counts of aggravated identity theft, five counts of forgery or false use of a passport and one count of fraud in connection with identification documents. The defendants are scheduled to make their initial court appearance on May 23, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, they face a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison for each aggravated identity theft count, and up to 30 years in prison for the other seven counts. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge William Chang of the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), San Francisco Field Office made the announcement.

    The DSS San Francisco Field Office, with assistance from APD, KPD and SPD, is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Miller is prosecuting the case.

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Who Attempted to Carjack a Deputy U.S. Marshal Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

               WASHINGTON – Kentrell Flowers, 19, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for the attempted gunpoint carjacking of an unmarked vehicle occupied by a Deputy U.S. Marshal. 

               The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Acting U.S. Marshal Ron Carter of the District Court for the District of Columbia, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

               Flowers pleaded guilty on Feb. 20, 2025, before District Court Judge Richard J. Leon to using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. In addition to the 120-month prison term, Judge Leon ordered Flowers to serve five years of supervised release. 

               According to court documents, on July 5, 2024, at 1:17 a.m., two deputy U.S. Marshals were working a protective detail on the 2100 block of 11th Street, NW. The deputies were parked in separate unmarked vehicles when a silver minivan pulled up alongside one of them. A man, later identified as Flowers, got out of the van, approached the driver’s side-door, and pointed a pistol directly at the deputy marshal.

               The deputy marshal pulled out his own department-issued firearm. The deputy fired four shots through the side window, striking Flowers in the mouth. The second deputy marshal at the scene also fired on Flowers. 

               Flowers fell to the ground. The deputy marshals provided first aid, while the silver minivan driven by the unknown accomplice fled the scene. A second unknown suspect ran away on foot. Flowers was treated at a local hospital.

               Law enforcement recovered Flowers’.40 caliber Smith & Wesson which was loaded with eight rounds of ammunition. 

               This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared English and Emory V. Cole.

    24cr331

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Exec at O.C. Company and Illegal Alien Arrested on Federal Complaint Alleging He Embezzled $7 Million from His Employer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SANTA ANA, California – A former executive at a Newport Beach company that specializes in the purchase of classic cars – who also happens to be an illegal alien from Mexico – was arrested today on a federal complaint alleging he embezzled approximately $7 million from his employer.

    Alexander G. Ramos, 62, of Newport Beach, is charged with wire fraud, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

    A federal magistrate judge ordered Ramos jailed without bond and scheduled an arraignment for June 30.

    According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Ramos was employed at the victim company since 2017 until his termination in September 2024 in the company’s Risk Management Department. Through his positions, he knew his employer’s loans and held relationships with title agents or other partners nationwide. He also oversaw requests by the company’s Title and Risk Department to its Accounting Department for payment to title agents, sometimes submitting the requests himself.

    Ramos allegedly caused checks to be issued from the victim company to certain parties, including a Las Vegas DMV services business. The checks were supposed to cover expenses for tax, titling, and licensing associated with car purchases.

    However, Ramos purposely caused his employer to send too much money to the outside entities. He then directed those entities on how to dispose of the extra money, including by sending the funds to bank accounts that he controlled.

    A law enforcement review of financial records revealed that approximately $7 million in checks and wires were deposited into Ramos-controlled bank accounts from the outside entities in the car industry. The origin of some of the funds deposited into Ramos’s bank accounts showed the checks and wires were made out to the victim company and were intended as refunds to that company’s clients who had overpaid for vehicle registration fees.

    Instead of being returned directly to the Ramos’s employer, Ramos allegedly moved the funds to other accounts he controlled for his personal use, including buying a home in Irvine. The illegal transfers date back to at least January 2020, according to the complaint.

    Ramos is an illegal alien from Mexico who was removed from the United States in 2017 but later returned.

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

    The FBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General are investigating this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Fu of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan man pleads guilty, sentenced for illegal re-entry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Isaias Fernando Diego-Lucas, 40, a citizen of Guatemala, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to illegal re-entry. Diego-Lucas was sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who handled the case, stated that Diego-Lucas is an alien without any legal status in the United States. In February 2012, he was physically removed from the United States. On February 24, 2025, Diego-Lucas was found in Chautauqua County. He was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Department of Homeland Security agents. Diego-Lucas presented a Guatemalan Identification Consular card.

    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. 

    The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan and Immigration, Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Acting Field Office Director Steven Kurzdorfer, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Eastern European Organized Crime Leaders Convicted of Murder for Hire Targeting U.S.-Based Journalist on Behalf of Iranian Government

    Source: US FBI

    Iranian Government Hired Polad Omarov and Rafat Amirov to Kill Masih Alinejad in Exchange for $500,000

    A federal jury returned guilty verdicts yesterday on all five counts in the superseding indictment against Rafat Amirov, also known as Farkhaddin Mirzoev, Pᴎᴍ, and Rome, 46, of Iran; and Polad Omarov, also known as Araz Aliyev, Polad Qaqa, and Haci Qaqa, 40, of Georgia. The defendants were convicted of murder-for-hire and attempted murder in aid of racketeering charges, in a trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon. Amirov and Omarov are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 17.

    “The Iranian regime’s brazen plot to silence and murder Americans will not be tolerated,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This verdict underscores the Department’s commitment to finding and holding accountable those who threaten our citizens and our freedoms. With the great work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, we are now one step closer to justice.”

    “For years, the Government of Iran has attempted to silence an outspoken Iranian journalist, author, activist and critic of their regime through any means necessary, including harassment, violence, intimidation, and even attempted murder,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky for the Southern District of New York. “Chillingly, the plot to murder this Iranian dissident culminated over 6,000 miles from Iran, on U.S. soil, right here in New York, when a hitman with an AK-47 camped outside her home to kill her. I commend the career prosecutors of this office, and our law enforcement partners at the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division for their tireless work in bringing these defendants to justice. This verdict should send a clear message around the world: if you target U.S. citizens, we will find you, no matter where you are, and bring you to justice.”

    “The defendants participated in a brazen plot to kill an Iranian American dissident in New York who criticized the regime in Iran,” said Acting Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Thanks to the good work of the FBI and our partners their plan failed. This verdict demonstrates the FBI will not tolerate Iran’s attempts to threaten, silence, or harm American citizens.”

    According to court documents, Amirov and Omarov were high-ranking members of an Eastern European organized crime group (the Organization) who worked with other members of the Organization to attempt to kill Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Alinejad has previously been the target of plots by the Government of Iran to intimidate, harass, and kidnap her for her work as a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses around the world. As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Alinejad from within the U.S. for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence her criticism of the Iranian regime.

    After these brazen efforts to kidnap Alinejad from the U.S. failed, the IRGC turned to Amirov and Omarov to locate, surveil, and murder her. Beginning in approximately July 2022, Amirov sent targeting information—which he had received directly from IRGC officials in Iran—about Alinejad to Omarov. In turn, Omarov communicated this information to Khalid Mehdiyev, another member of the Organization who had been residing in Yonkers, New York, so that Mehdiyev could surveil Alinejad and murder her. In turn, Mehdiyev sent photographs and videos of Alinejad’s residence to Omarov, who shared these materials with Amirov and the IRGC officials who orchestrated the plot in Iran. Amirov and Omarov then arranged for a $30,000 cash payment to Mehdiyev, who used a portion of this payment to buy an AK-47 style assault rifle, two magazines, and at least 66 rounds of ammunition; as Mehdiyev boasted in electronic communications, a “war machine” he could use to kill Alinejad.

    In late July 2022, Mehdiyev repeatedly traveled to Alinejad’s neighborhood to surveil her. Mehdiyev sent reports of his surveillance to Omarov, who passed them to Amirov. On July 24, 2022, Mehdiyev reported to Omarov from Alinejad’s residence that he was “at the crime scene.” On July 27, 2022, Omarov told Amirov that Mehdiyev was ready to kill Alinejad, writing “this matter will be over today. I told them to make a birthday present for me. I pressured them, they will sleep there this night.”  On July 28, 2022, Mehdiyev sent Omarov a video taken from inside the car that Mehdiyev was driving with the assault rifle and a message reading “we are ready.” Amirov sent an image of the interior of Alinejad’s home to Omarov to be forwarded to Mehdiyev, writing “this is the house where she stays.”  As Omarov continued to update Amirov about Mehdiyev’s readiness, Amirov cautioned Omarov “let him keep the car clean.”  When Mehdiyev subsequently drove from where he was surveilling the residence, he was stopped after a traffic violation and, during a subsequent search of the vehicle, police officers found the assault rifle, 66 rounds of ammunition, approximately $1,100 in cash, and a black ski mask.

    After Mehdiyev was arrested and placed into custody, Omarov contacted Mehdiyev’s mother and threatened to kill her and her other son if she did not locate Mehdiyev.

    Amirov and Omarov were convicted on five counts: murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison (Count One); conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison (Count Two); conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison (Count Three); attempted murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison (Count Four); and possession and use of a firearm in connection with the attempted murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison (Count Five).

    The FBI New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force are investigating the case, with assistance from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department thanked the authorities in the Czech Republic for their assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and Matthew J.C. Hellman for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case with assistance from paralegal specialist Owen Foley and Trial Attorneys Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Role in Kidnapping

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Queens, New York man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in a Paterson, New Jersey, kidnapping, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Reginald Law, 39, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with kidnapping and Hobbs Act robbery. 

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

    On October 8, 2020, Law and his conspirator, Maurice Cottman, entered a retail store in Paterson, where they accosted the victim, who was working in the store. Law and Cottman physically removed the victim from the store, then transported him in the back of a U-Haul truck from Paterson to New York.  Law admitted that during the kidnapping, he and Cottman called the victim’s family and demanded ransom for his return.  Law and Cottman also forced the victim to give them his debit card and pin number, which they used to withdraw money from his bank accounts.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Padin sentenced Law to five years of supervised release.

    Cottman previously pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to an Information charging him with one count of kidnapping. On March 29, 2022, Judge Chesler sentenced Cottman to 15 years in prison with five years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence.  He also thanked the FBI New York Field Office and the Paterson Police Department for their assistance.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit.

                                                               ###

    Defense counsel: Christopher L. Patella Esq., Bayonne, New Jersey

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Disaster or digital spectacle? The dangers of using floods to create social media content

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate in Public Health & Community Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney

    Almost 700 rescues had been carried out in New South Wales by Friday morning as
    record-breaking rainfall pounds the state. Tragically, four people have died in floodwaters.

    Amid the chaos, videos posted on social media show people deliberately entering or standing above swollen rivers and flooded roads. It is a pattern of dangerous behaviour that occurs frequently during natural disasters in Australia.

    Filming unsafe acts for social media is not just risky for participants. It may inspire copycat behaviour, and, if things go wrong, can endanger the lives of rescuers. It’s a public health problem which requires new remedies.

    Selfies in floods: a risky business

    During a flood, water can be deceiving. Just 15cm of water can knock an adult off their feet or cause a car to lose traction and float. Submerged debris and contaminated water add to the dangers.

    Emergency services routinely warn the public not to enter floodwaters – on foot or in vehicles. But many people ignore the warnings, including those out to create social media content.

    In a startling example posted on Tiktok during the current floods, a young man stands on a mossy log which has fallen over a flooded river. The video, accompanied by dramatic music, shows swirling floodwaters surging beneath him. One wrong step, and the man could easily have drowned.

    In other examples posted on Tiktok in recent days, a woman wades through murky floodwaters, and a person films as the car they are travelling in drives down a flooded road.

    Similar behaviour was observed during floods in Townsville earlier this year. Residents filmed themselves diving and wading into floodwaters, and towing each other on inflatable rafts.

    And during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, social media was filled with images of people in Queensland surfing dangerous swells and wading in rough surf.

    A worrying trend

    Our research explores the links between social media and adverse health outcomes.

    Selfie-related injury has become a public health concern. People are increasingly venturing off-trail, seeking out attractive but hazardous locations such as cliff edges and coastal rock platforms.

    These behaviours can lead to injury and death. They can also put emergency services personnel in harm’s way. In 2021, for example, a woman fell into a swollen river on Canberra’s outskirts while trying to take a selfie with friends, prompting a police official to warn:

    There is no photo or social media post that is worth risking your life to get. Any water rescue puts the lives of not only of yourself but those of emergency services personnel at risk.

    Getting to grips with the problem

    How should the problem be tackled? Previous research by others has recommended “no-selfie zones”, barriers, and signs as ways to prevent selfie incidents. But our research suggests these measures may not be enough.

    The phenomenon of selfie-related incidents requires a public health approach. This entails addressing the behaviour through prevention, education, and other interventions such as via social media platforms.

    In the latest floods, unsafe behaviour has occurred despite a series of official flood, weather and other warnings. Residents also continue to drive into floodwaters, despite repeated pleas from authorities.

    Official warnings compete with – and can lose out to – more emotionally compelling, visually rich content. If the public sees other people behaving recklessly and apparently unharmed, then even clear, fact-based warnings can be ignored.

    This is especially true in communities experiencing “alert-fatigue” after having gone through disasters before.

    Sometimes, vague terminology in warnings means the messages don’t necessarily cut through. We’ve seen this before in relation to surf safety. Technical phrases such as “hazardous swell” don’t change behaviour if people don’t understand what they mean.

    For warnings to work, they need to be clear and provide instruction – stating what the danger actually is, and what to explicitly do, or not do.

    For social media users, that might mean spelling out not to go into floodwaters to capture content for social media.

    We’ve also previously called on social media companies to be held more accountable for the dangerous content they publish – by flagging risky content and supporting in-app safety messaging, especially at high-risk locations or during extreme weather events.

    What to do right now

    If you’re in or near a flood zone, follow guidance from emergency services to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

    When it comes to using social media in an emergency:

    • stay entirely out of floodwaters, even for a quick photo

    • think before you post. Your safety is more important than your content. No post is worth risking your life

    • avoid glamourising risk. Sharing risky photos or videos can influence others to do the same, potentially with worse outcomes

    • follow official advice. Floodwaters are unpredictable. Warnings are issued for a reason

    • use your platform for good. Share verified information, support affected communities and help amplify safety messages.

    As extreme weather becomes more frequent in Australia under climate change, so too will the urge to document them. But we risk turning disasters into digital spectacles – at the expense of our lives and that of rescuers.

    Samuel Cornell receives funding from Meta Platforms, Inc. His research is supported by a University of New South Wales Sydney, University Postgraduate Award. His research is supported by Royal Life Saving Society – Australia to aid in the prevention of drowning. Research at Royal Life Saving Society – Australia is supported by the Australian government. He has been affiliated with Surf Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving NSW in a paid and voluntary capacity.

    Amy Peden receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Meta Platforms, and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. She holds an honorary affiliation with Royal Life Saving Society – Australia.

    – ref. Disaster or digital spectacle? The dangers of using floods to create social media content – https://theconversation.com/disaster-or-digital-spectacle-the-dangers-of-using-floods-to-create-social-media-content-257350

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Individuals Plead Guilty to Wide-Ranging Scheme to Monopolize Transmigrante Forwarding Industry, Fix Prices, Extort Competitors, and Launder Money

    Source: US FBI

    The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that eight defendants have pleaded guilty for their conduct in a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios, Texas, border region near Harlingen and Brownsville, Texas. The three remaining defendants to the superseding indictment remain at large as fugitives. Transmigrantes are individuals who transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping those clients complete the customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico.

    “The Criminal Division is committed to holding violent criminal organizations accountable in whatever markets in which they operate,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Transnational criminal organizations that use violence to dominate industries will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “These guilty pleas bring to justice individuals who used violence and extortion to fix prices and monopolize the market for essential services that Americans rely on to earn a living,” said Director of Criminal Enforcement Emma Burnham of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to use every tool at its disposal to protect the public by prosecuting violent criminals – including those who aim to corrupt America’s free markets.”

    “Price fixing harms both the public and the business community,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “Schemes like this artificially drive up prices, forcing consumers to pay more than they ordinarily would. At its core, such market collusion is nothing more than theft from consumers.”

    “These defendants tried to rule through fear, using threats, violence and intimidation to eliminate competition,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Their guilty pleas send a clear message that price fixing and market allocation are serious crimes, and we will hold those accountable who put profits over the law and fair commerce.”

    “Today’s pleas reflect the relentlessness of the federal government’s pursuit of transnational criminal organizations that exploit international trade and the U.S. economy,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This violent scheme was fueled by greed that undermined the safety and economic security of the border region; HSI has prioritized significant resources to protect the U.S. and our legitimate trade.”

    According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Houston, defendants Carlos Martinez also known as “Cuate,” Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, Roberto Garcia Villareal, Sandra Guerra Medina, and Mireya Miranda pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, and one count of conspiracy to monopolize the same market in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The conspirators fixed the prices for transmigrante forwarding agency services and created a centralized entity known as the “Pool” to collect and divide revenues among the conspirators, limit competition from other agencies, and increase prices for their services. Market participants who were not part of the conspiracy had to join and pay into the Pool. Pool members enforced the rules of the Pool by monitoring whether forwarding agencies were charging the agreed-upon prices, including by posting prices publicly on social media, and monitoring whether agencies were paying into the Pool as required.

    Martinez, Calvillo, Villareal, and Carlos Yzaguirre pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion. Martinez also pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by extortion. The defendants conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay money to the Pool and to pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed in the industry as well as a “fine” for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. The conspirators perpetrated acts of intimidation, coercion, and violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies. Defendant Martinez was responsible for at least $9.5 million in extortion payments.

    Martinez and Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez also pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy, through which they laundered extortion proceeds. Cash obtained from the extortion conspiracy was deposited into bank accounts controlled by Martinez and his family, and those deposits were made to conceal and disguise the nature, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds. Juan Hector Ramirez Avila pleaded guilty to one count of structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements.

    Martinez agreed to forfeit four real properties and $375,000 in seized U.S. currency, to pay a fine, and to pay full restitution to extortion victims. Guerra, Miranda, Calvillo, and Villareal have also agreed to pay fines as part of their plea agreements.

    Rigoberto Brown and Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, and Diego Ceballos-Soto were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    Conspiracies to allocate the market, fix prices, or monopolize in violation of the Sherman Act carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $1 million fine for an individual. Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion in violation of the Hobbs Act carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 fine. Money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $500,000 fine. Structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, HSI, and the FBI are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Brittany E. McClure, Anne Veldhuis, and Michael G. Lepage of the Antitrust Division, Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of VCRS, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

    Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican Cartels Targeting Americans in Timeshare Fraud Scams, FBI Warns

    Source: US FBI

    Estas estafas les han costado a las víctimas más de $300 millones de dólares. Aprenda cómo protegerse.

    El FBI ha visto un aumento en las estafas dirigidas a propietarios de tiempo compartido. En este tipo de estafa, los delincuentes engañan a estos propietarios de tiempo parcial para que desembolsen cuantiosas sumas de dinero en efectivo, todo bajo falsas pretensiones relacionadas con sus propiedades de tiempo compartido.

    Su elección principal de víctima—estadounidenses mayores—técnicamente esto hace que el fraude de tiempo compartido sea una forma de fraude a personas mayores, o delito que tiene como objetivo hacer que los estadounidenses mayores sean despojados de su dinero o criptomoneda. El FBI investiga agresivamente tales delitos para salvaguardar de estafas a una población particularmente vulnerable, dijo el Agente Especial Adjunto a Cargo Paul Roberts, quien dirige la Subdivisión de Delitos Financieros Complejos en la Oficina de Nueva York.

    “Los estafadores de tiempo compartido tienen como objetivo dejar a las víctimas sin nada, lo cual deja en las victimas consecuencias devastadoras en su futuro financiero, relaciones, salud física y emocional”, señaló el mismo.

    Sin embargo, indicó él, el fraude de tiempo compartido también se encuentra en el radar del Buró debido a que sus ganancias ilícitas se utilizan cada vez más para financiar cárteles violentos en México. “A medida que los cárteles cimientan aún más su control en este espacio, es especialmente crítico que el FBI tome la iniciativa en abordar esta amenaza a personas mayores estadounidenses”, dijo Roberts. Él agregó que algunos estafadores participan en estos esquemas porque temen convertirse en las próximas víctimas de estos cárteles.

    Los cárteles han operado los fraudes de tiempo compartido más reportados que involucran propiedades en México, dijo Roberts. El Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), el Cártel del Golfo y el Cártel de Sinaloa han estado ejecutando esquemas de fraude de tiempo compartido, para ayudar a financiar sus actividades ilícitas, durante más de diez años. Hasta la fecha, basado en denuncias y rastreo financieros, el FBI cree que el CJNG ha sido el cártel que predominantemente participa en fraudes de tiempo compartido en México. Sin embargo, es probable que los centros de llamadas independientes en México también estén participando en este delito.

    El fraude de tiempo compartido es una operación atractiva para los cárteles ya que es más barato y representa menos desafíos logísticos, laborales y de supervisión que otras operaciones generadoras de ingresos como el tráfico de drogas y armas, explicó Roberts.

    “El fraude de tiempo compartido tiene costos generalmente bajos y reinversión mínima ya que sólo se necesita un alquiler de espacio reducido, configuración de telecomunicaciones y empleados de habla inglesa con acceso a bases de datos de complejos turísticos”, dijo Roberts. “Se percibe un menor riesgo de enjuiciamiento y de extradición por fraude de tiempo compartido, y en cambio sí es un flujo de efectivo fácil que va directamente al sistema bancario mexicano, ofuscando los fondos para facilitar las actividades de lavado de dinero”.

    Estos esquemas—impactan desproporcionadamente a los estadounidenses ricos y mayores que quieren recuperar parte del dinero que gastaron en sus tiempos compartidos—dejan huellas emocionales y financieras en sus víctimas”.

    Sin embargo, el FBI está utilizando una combinación de asociaciones estratégicas para detectar, investigar y prevenir estos esquemas.

    “Nos asociamos con una variedad de diferentes agencias para investigar estos casos, las cuales incluyen la Administración Federal Antidrogas de Estados Unidos (DEA, por sus siglas en inglés) y a la Oficina de Control de Activos Extranjeros del Departamento del Tesoro de Estados Unidos (OFAC, por sus siglas en inglés)”, dijo Roberts. “Asimismo coordinamos con agencias estatales y locales para asegurarnos también de recibir denuncias de víctimas presentadas ante estas instancias. Trabajamos cada vez más con socios del sector privado en la industria financiera para ayudar en la detección y prevención de estos fraudes”.

    ¿Cómo Funcionan Las Estafas de Fraude de Tiempo Compartido?

    Para llevar a cabo sus estafas, los estafadores realizan una amplia investigación sobre sus posibles víctimas. Los delincuentes crean documentos falsos y se hacen pasar por personas de instituciones confiables para embaucar a las víctimas con sus historias y asustarlas para lograr que cumplan.

    “A lo largo del proceso, los estafadores utilizan una combinación de tácticas de ventas de alta presión y estrategias de fraude cibernéticas, tales como las de imitar direcciones de correo electrónico de entidades legítimas y falsificar documentos oficiales, para convencer a las víctimas de que cada fase de la estafa es legítima”, explicó Roberts.

    Y, añadió Roberts, este no es un tipo de estafa de una sola vez. Los estafadores suelen utilizar una combinación de esquemas para re-victimizar a los propietarios de tiempo compartido durante un período de varios años.

    Estos tipos de estafas suelen desarrollarse en tres fases, explicó Roberts.

    En la fase uno, dijo, los estafadores hacen contacto con la víctima por primera vez por teléfono o por correo electrónico.

    “En estas comunicaciones iniciales con las víctimas, los estafadores a menudo se hacen pasar por  corredores terciarios de tiempo compartido o representantes de venta de la industria de tiempo compartido, bienes raíces o servicios financieros localizados en Estados Unidos o México”, dijo Roberts.

    Los estafadores luego instan a la víctima a tomar una de estas tres acciones:

    1. Salirse de su tiempo compartido
    2. Alquilar su propiedad de tiempo compartido
    3. Invertir en certificados de acciones para su tiempo compartido

    Los estafadores posteriormente presionan a las víctimas a que paguen por adelantado honorarios o impuestos para asegurar estos acuerdos, explicó Roberts.

    Y, advirtió Roberts, los estafadores hacen su tarea. Antes de empezar a estafar a las víctimas, estos se ponen en contacto con fuentes dentro de la industria del tiempo compartido para obtener información sobre las propiedades de tiempo compartido y sus dueños. También hacen hasta lo imposible para vender a sus objetivos [victimas] la autenticidad de sus esquemas por medio de contractos redactados, cartas de oferta y documentación de cuentas bancarias fraudulentos.

    “Los estafadores, asimismo, con el fin de reforzar su credibilidad, se apalancan de una vigorosa red de sitios web de empresas falsas, nombres de negocios y direcciones, registros con funcionarios gubernamentales y grupos comerciales”, dijo Roberts.

    Y, agregó, los estafadores son aparentemente angloparlantes fluidos quienes han memorizado respuestas a preguntas frecuentes sobre sus negocios falsos para así vender aún más la farsa de que sus argumentos de venta son legítimos.

    Los estafadores después exigen repetidos pagos adelantados hasta que la víctima se queda sin dinero o se entera de su esquema.

    En la fase dos de la estafa, los estafadores vuelven a acercarse a las víctimas después de haber pasado algún tiempo. En esta ocasión, los estafadores se hacen pasar por empleados de bufetes de abogados que quieren ayudar a las víctimas a recuperar el dinero que éstas les entregaron a los estafadores en la fase uno.

    “Los estafadores a menudo afirman que los estafadores iniciales han sido acusados de fraude o considerados jurídicamente responsables en una demanda en Estados Unidos o México, y que a las víctimas se les debe restituir en el acuerdo de reposición”, explicó Roberts. No obstante, para acceder a ese dinero de restitución, a las víctimas se les dice que deben pagar honorarios legales o judiciales a los bufetes de abogados. Los estafadores subsecuentemente defraudan a las víctimas con una serie de pagos anticipados relacionados con este acuerdo; nuevamente utilizando documentos falsos para reforzar su credibilidad”.

    La tercera fase de la estafa implica la suplantación del gobierno. Los estafadores se hacen pasar por funcionarios de la OFAC, de la Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera del gobierno de México o de otras entidades internacionales, tales como la INTERPOL.

    Luego toman una de dos vías:

    • Los suplantadores del gobierno afirman que están contactando a las víctimas porque tienen acceso a acuerdos penales y desean ayudarlas a recuperar el dinero perdido.
    • O bien, los suplantadores tratan de asustar a las víctimas para que proporcionen aún más dinero. Esto lo hacen informándoles a las víctimas de que sus pagos iniciales a los estafadores de tiempo compartido se consideraron sospechosos. Los estafadores luego les dicen a las víctimas que las autoridades determinaron que sus pagos a los estafadores de tiempo compartido estaban “vinculados al lavado de dinero o a operaciones terroristas”. Subsecuentemente, estos amenazan con citar a las víctimas a comparecer o con enviarlas a prisión si no pagan dinero adicional con el fin de asegurar de que sus pagos se liberen y se limpien sus nombres.

    Reconocer las Señales

    El fraude de tiempo compartido no se denuncia por dos razones principales: Las víctimas o no se dan cuenta de que están siendo estafadas, o no se dan cuenta de que hay ayuda disponible. Dicho esto, el FBI y la Comisión Federal de Comercio han visto recientemente un repunte en denuncias. En los últimos cinco años, dijo Roberts, más de 6,000 víctimas han reportado a las agencias más de 300 millones de dólares en pérdidas.

    El FBI espera que una mayor cobertura mediática del fraude de tiempo compartido eduque al público sobre la amenaza e inspire a más víctimas a presentar denuncias.

    “No hay nada vergonzoso en caer víctima de una estafa como esta”, dijo Roberts. “Lo peor que la gente puede hacer es sufrir en silencio por vergüenza o por miedo a la crítica”.

    Mientras tanto, usted puede protegerse de caer víctima de fraude de tiempo compartido sí reconoce las señales.

    • Primero, dijo éste, nadie le debería pedir que pague honorarios o impuestos por adelantado, ni le debería pedir que proporcione un formulario de poder notarial. Ninguna de éstas es práctica estándar de la industria. Cada uno es una señal de peligro.
    • Próximo, dijo él, si alguien que dice ser funcionario del gobierno se pone en contacto con usted, esa persona no debería:
    • Ponerse en contacto con usted sobre un acuerdo de restitución.
    • Amenazarlo con arresto o enjuiciamiento si no se paga el dinero.
    • Amenazarlo con citatorio a comparecer ante un tribunal fuera de los Estados Unidos.
    • Afirmar el estar trabajando con el FBI y/o la Oficina de Control de Activos Extranjeros del Departamento del Tesoro de Estados Unidos para expedirle un citatorio.
    • Por último, usted puede tomar algunas medidas proactivas para protegerse contra la estafa de fraude de tiempo compartido. No conteste llamadas telefónicas de números desconocidos.
    • Si alguien se comunica con usted sobre su tiempo compartido y solicita dinero por adelantado, deje de comunicarse con ellos y no pague.
    • Nunca firme, certifique ante notario, ni envíe ningún poder notarial o documentos legales por correo electrónico.

    Las Posibles Consecuencias del Fraude de Tiempo Compartido

    Las personas que ayudan a orquestar estafas de fraude de tiempo compartido pueden enfrentar la extradición a Estados Unidos y posible enjuiciamiento por una serie de cargos penales, los que incluye:

    • Fraude electrónico
    • Fraude bancario
    • Confabulación para cometer fraude electrónico
    • Confabulación para cometer fraude bancario
    • Blanqueo de dinero
    • Cargos por la Ley sobre organizaciones corruptas influidas por el crimen organizado (RICO)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: President and CEO of Las Vegas-Based Company Pleads Guilty for Role in Investment Fraud Scheme Where He Stole Millions in Victim Investor Funds

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS – A Nevada man pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of wire fraud stemming from his role in a years-long fraud scheme, during which he stole more than $6.1 million in victim investor funds.

    According to court documents, Mykalai Kontilai, formerly Michael Contile, 55, of Las Vegas, facilitated an investment fraud scheme involving his company, Collector’s Coffee Inc., doing business as Collector’s Café (Collector’s Coffee), a company incorporated in California and headquartered in Las Vegas. From 2012 to 2018, Kontilai made or caused to be made numerous materially false and misleading representations to induce victims to invest in Collector’s Coffee — a company he claimed was on the verge of launching an online auction house for third-party owned collectibles, such as Hollywood and sport memorabilia. As a result of Kontilai’s numerous false and misleading statements, including that investor funds would be used for legitimate business purposes, that Kontilai had personally invested millions of his own money in the company, and that he did not take a salary, Kontilai successfully raised approximately $23 million from Collector’s Coffee investors. However, rather than using the proceeds as represented, Kontilai stole approximately $6.1 million for his own personal use, including for the purchase of luxury goods, apartments, and vehicles.

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) began investigating Kontilai for misappropriating investor funds in or around 2017. Kontilai obstructed the investigation by forging documents that he caused to be transmitted to the SEC and lied under oath to the SEC. Kontilai was charged in connection with this conduct both in the present case on June 3, 2020, and in a separate case in the District of Colorado on March 10, 2020. While under investigation but prior to charging, Kontilai fled to Russia and was ultimately arrested on an Interpol Red Notice in Germany in 2023. He was extradited back to the United States to face the pending charges in May. As part of the plea agreement in this case, the government will move to dismiss the Colorado case at sentencing.

    Kontilai pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 4 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.

    The FBI and IRS-CI are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the extradition from Germany of Kontilai.

    Trial Attorneys Brandon Burkart and Sara Hallmark of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section (FRD) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Oliva for the District of Nevada prosecuted this case. Former FRD Trial Attorney Emily Scruggs provided valuable assistance. 

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: President and CEO of Las Vegas-Based Company Sentenced for Role in Investment Fraud Scheme Where He Stole Millions in Victim Investor Funds

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS — A Nevada man was sentenced yesterday to 51 months in prison and was ordered to pay $6.1 million in restitution stemming from his role in a years-long fraud scheme.

    According to court documents, Mykalai Kontilai, formerly Michael Contile, 55, of Las Vegas, facilitated an investment fraud scheme involving his company, Collector’s Coffee Inc., doing business as Collector’s Café (Collector’s Coffee), a company incorporated in California and headquartered in Las Vegas. From 2012 to 2018, Kontilai made or caused to be made numerous materially false and misleading representations to induce victims to invest in Collector’s Coffee — a company he claimed was on the verge of launching an online auction house for third-party owned collectibles, such as Hollywood and sport memorabilia. As a result of Kontilai’s numerous false and misleading statements, including that investor funds would be used for legitimate business purposes, that Kontilai had personally invested millions of his own money in the company, and that he did not take a salary, Kontilai successfully raised approximately $23 million from Collector’s Coffee investors. However, rather than using the proceeds as represented, Kontilai stole approximately $6.1 million for his own personal use, including for the purchase of luxury goods, apartments, and vehicles.

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) began investigating Kontilai for misappropriating investor funds in or around 2017. Kontilai obstructed the investigation by forging documents that he caused to be transmitted to the SEC and lied under oath to the SEC. Kontilai was charged in connection with this conduct both in the present case on June 3, 2020, and in a separate case in the District of Colorado on March 10, 2020. While under investigation but prior to charging, Kontilai fled to Russia and was ultimately arrested on an Interpol Red Notice in Germany in 2023. He was extradited back to the United States to face the pending charges in May.

    On Nov. 21, Kontilai pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. As part of the plea agreement in this case, the government has moved to dismiss the Colorado case.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)’s Phoenix Field Office made the announcement.

    FBI and IRS-CI investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the extradition from Germany of Kontilai.

    Trial Attorneys Brandon Burkart and Sara Hallmark of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Oliva for the District of Nevada prosecuted this case. Former Fraud Section Trial Attorney Emily Scruggs provided valuable assistance.

    ###

     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Schenectady Man Sentenced for Assaulting Trial Witness’s Son

    Source: US FBI

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Patrick Civitello, age 19, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for assaulting a 15-year-old boy in retaliation for the boy’s mother testifying in a federal criminal trial.

    Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

    Patrick Civitello is the son of Jeffrey Civitello Sr. and the younger brother of Jeffrey Civitello Jr., both of whom were convicted of federal drug trafficking charges following a jury trial in Albany in April 2023. A witness, identified in the indictment as V-1, testified at that trial.

    In pleading guilty, Patrick Civitello admitted that on the evening of May 19, 2024, while at a restaurant in Glenville, New York, he observed V-1, who was with her 15-year-old son (“V-2”). At the time he observed V-1, Patrick Civitello was speaking on the phone with Jeffrey Civitello Jr. (who was incarcerated), and Patrick Civitello told his brother that he had just seen V-1 walk into the restaurant. Patrick Civitello then said “I gotta rag this bitch, I gotta call you back,” meaning that he intended to retaliate against V-1 for her trial testimony. Jeffrey Civitello Jr. responded, “Ok run down, but do it away from everyone if you could.”

    V-1 and V-2 then exited the restaurant and headed to their vehicle in the parking lot. Patrick Civitello, who was following V-1 and V-2 out of the restaurant, briefly stopped in the parking lot to remove his watch and a cross-body bag. Having placed those items on the ground of the parking lot, Patrick Civitello charged in the direction of V-1 and V-2. He punched V-2 in the head, and continued to punch and kick V-2 after V-2 fell to the ground. V-2 suffered minor abrasions and bruises, including to his head, neck, and hand. 

    FBI agents arrested Patrick Civitello on June 13, 2024, on a criminal complaint. As he was being transported to the FBI Albany Field Office, he asked agents, “Don’t you think the witness deserved it?” and “What do you expect when you betray family and people you trust?”

    United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino called the assault an “attack on the justice system” that sends “a chilling message to anyone who might be subpoenaed to trial” to testify. She ordered Patrick Civitello to pay a $5,000 fine and to serve a 3-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release.

    The FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigated this case, with assistance from the Glenville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Dustin Segovia prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Timothy Gabriel Imprisoned on Federal Firearms Charge

    Source: US FBI

    Burlington, Vermont –  The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Timothy Gabriel, 31, who most recently has been living in the Rutland area, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington to 60 months of imprisonment following his guilty plea to a charge that he possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. Senior U.S. District Judge William Sessions III also ordered that Gabriel serve a three-year term of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence. He directed that the federal sentence run concurrently to state sentences that Gabriel is serving on related and unrelated cases. Gabriel has been held in federal custody since his arrest in October 2023.

    According to court records, someone stole a Vermont State Police cruiser from a residence in Rutland where it was parked in the pre-dawn hours of October 17, 2023. A few hours later, the car was found parked behind a downtown Rutland business. Investigators found that a police-issued Sig Sauer rifle had been forcibly removed from a secure locking device in the vehicle. Surveillance camera footage from businesses near where the cruiser was found showed the car enter a parking lot before dawn. The footage depicted a man, later identified as Timothy Gabriel, get out of the car, then leave the area with what appeared to be a rifle in his hand. DNA evidence later connected Gabriel to blood found inside the stolen cruiser. Gabriel is prohibited from possessing any firearms because he has several prior convictions in Vermont for felony offenses. Gabriel was arrested in Burlington on the afternoon of October 18, 2023. Court records show that Gabriel traded the stolen rifle for drugs. Law enforcement recovered the police rifle from a bag abandoned beside U.S. Route 7 near Bennington.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Rutland Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    Gabriel is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ringleader of COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme Sentenced to Federal Prison

    Source: US FBI

    CINCINNATI – Joseph Lentine III, 55, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 63 months in prison for orchestrating a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme involving millions of dollars.

    According to court documents, Lentine oversaw a fraud scheme in which he prepared and filed fraudulent loan applications and controlled a significant portion of the loan proceeds once obtained. He knowingly and intentionally made false statements to receive funds to which he and other applicants were not entitled. In addition to defrauding Small Business Administration loan programs, Lentine also fraudulently sought unemployment assistance and emergency rental assistance.

    In total, Lentine submitted more than 20 loan applications seeking more than $3 million and obtaining $1.5 million.

    The defendant personally received more than $450,000 in PPP loan proceeds related to this scheme and used the money to buy a yacht and a Mercedes Benz vehicle.

    As part of his sentence, Lentine was ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution to the Small Business Administration and nearly $33,000 to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

    Lentine pleaded guilty in April 2023 to conspiring to commit bank fraud and making a false statement on a loan or credit application.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in this case.

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts Two Defendants Who Were Charged with 23 Other Ohioans in Narcotics Distribution Ring

    Source: US FBI

    One defendant also convicted of sex-trafficking victims through use of drug withdrawals, violence

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted two local men for their roles in a narcotics distribution ring involving bulk amounts of fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, methamphetamine & other narcotics. As part of this case, the government has seized more than $1.7 million, 50 firearms, and nine vehicles, including a motorcycle. One of the defendants convicted at trial also sex-trafficked at least three adult victims.

    The jury found David Price, 56, of Columbus, guilty on all counts, and Tavaryyuan Johnson, 25, of Columbus, guilty on drug trafficking counts.

    The verdict was announced on Feb. 5 following a trial that began on January 13, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.

    A multi-agency law enforcement task force initially announced the case in July 2022 after a federal grand jury initially indicted 11 defendants for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in central Ohio within 1,000 feet of a Columbus elementary school.

    A superseding indictment returned in October 2022 charged additional co-conspirators with distributing those same drugs in addition to methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, Xanax and Oxycodone.

    Price, who is also known as “DP,” was charged in a third superseding indictment in December 2024 with 11 drug, firearm and sex trafficking crimes. He faces a minimum of 25 years and up to life in prison.

    Johnson is also known as “Gucci” and “TJ,” and was also charged in a third superseding indictment in December 2024. He was convicted of four drug offenses, including using a family residence in Columbus as his stash house for bulk amounts of narcotics. Johnson faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.

    According to court documents and trial testimony, the two men were part of a conspiracy to distribute and possess to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, five kilograms or more of cocaine, 280 grams or more of “crack” cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin, as well as marijuana, oxycodone and alprazolam. The drug trafficking organization operated from January 2008 until it was dismantled by law enforcement in 2022.

    Drug offenses took place at residences on Burgess and Harris avenues, which are within 1,000 feet of Burroughs Elementary School.

    In July 2021, Price distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine that resulted in the overdose death of an adult female.  The testimony at trial indicated he purposefully killed her to get rid of her as she was talking to the police about his drug business.

    The government also proved beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that Price conspired to commit sex trafficking. From 2016 until 2022, Price and other members of the conspiracy would force and/or coerce adult female drug addicts into performing commercial sex acts by providing, withholding, or threatening to withhold controlled substances and lodging. Law enforcement’s investigation showed that various women engaged in a “rinse and repeat” cycle where they would be allowed to stay at a drug residence associated with Price, receive a front of drugs so they were not in active drug withdrawal, go to Sullivant Avenue, have sex for money, pay the debt from the front drugs, and then be allowed to remain at the house.

    Price was also found guilty of three counts of sex trafficking related to his violence and coercion towards three adult females.  The testimony at trial indicated that he would lock the females inside his residence for days or weeks at a time and refuse to let them leave, forcing them to engage in sex acts.  One victim was locked in a dog cage, shot and stabbed by Price. Another was restrained.  A third was beaten and choked and left with a black eye. Price would refuse to provide them drugs unless or until they engaged in the sex acts, forcing them into withdrawal if they did not comply.

    U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker commended the investigation coordinated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission task force, which includes Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Other agencies that have assisted the task force with the investigation include the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, HIDTA Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), Ohio National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Pickerington Police Department, New Albany Police Department, and the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Prichard and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.

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

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Seven Chilean Nationals Charged in Connection with Residential Burglaries in Multiple States

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – Seven members of an interstate burglary crew were charged for conspiring to target homeowners across multiple states in residential burglaries, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    Christofer Sanguesa Aguirre, Fabiana Prado Scatarzi, Santana Arturo Castillo Gonzalez, Felipe Andres Del Valle Munoz, Carlos Alfredo Calderon Valencia, Diego Antonio Calderon Leiva, and Pedro Alejandro Salgado Vallejos, all Chilean nationals, were each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to sell and receive stolen property that had crossed state lines and one count of receiving stolen property that had crossed state lines.

    “Residential burglaries have a traumatic and personal impact upon the people whose homes are violated.  Seven Chilean nationals have been charged with conspiring to target homeowners in residential burglaries across multiple states from New Jersey to Massachusetts, resulting in the theft of expensive wristwatches, designer handbags, and thousands of dollars in cash.  This office will continue to pursue those who commit these serious crimes.”

    Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna

    “We allege these men and women ransacked houses here in New Jersey and the East Coast, and then quickly traveled across the country, stealing over one hundred thousand dollars in valuables from private homes.” FBI-Newark Special Agent-in-charge Brian J. Driscoll, Jr. said.  “These alleged criminals are part of South American theft groups who have been coming in and out of the United States for months.  They hit an area and immediately disappear, using fake identifications and short-term rentals to evade getting caught.  It’s like chasing ghosts.  We put in a tremendous amount of hard work with incredible partner agencies from here to Oregon.  We caught this group—and a warning to others, this doesn’t end here.”

    “This is another outstanding example how cooperation, both on a local and national level amongst law enforcement agencies, yields positive outcomes for public safety in our communities,” said Immigrations and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris.  “ERO’s contributions to this investigation, initially with the defendants’ arrests on immigration charges, were critical in facilitating the criminal charges.”

    “To disrupt these fast-moving, well-traveled crime networks, it often takes strong collaboration and state-of-the-art technology.  Thankfully, we have both,” said Port Authority Police Superintendent Edward Cetnar.  “By working together and leveraging our advanced technology, including CCTV and ALPR systems, we were able to track these subjects across state lines so that we could assist our law enforcement partners in apprehending them.  This operation is a testament to the strength of cooperation throughout our vast law enforcement family, including our longtime partners at the FBI Newark Joint Organized Crime Task Force and the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

    Sanguesa Aguirre and Castillo Gonzalez appeared on January 15, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and were detained.  Del Valle Munoz and Calderon Valencia had their initial appearances on January 15, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa L. Fricke in federal court in Tacoma, Washington, and were detained.  Calderon Leiva had his initial appearance on January 15, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daryl F. Bloom in federal court in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and was detained. Prado Scatarzi appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol B. Whitehurst in federal court in Lafayette, Louisiana today and was detained.  Salgado Vallejos appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts today and was detained.

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

    The defendants were part of a sophisticated burglary ring that committed multiple residential burglaries in November 2024 in New Jersey and Massachusetts.  The defendants conspired to possess large amounts of jewelry, watches, designer handbags, and other valuable goods, among other items, with the losses totaling over $100,000.

    Law enforcement searched a vehicle the defendants were using to transport the stolen goods and recovered multiple pieces of jewelry, designer handbags and belts, perfume bottles, paper currency, watches, and other valuable items, alongside tools commonly used to burglarize residences. After law enforcement stopped the vehicle, Del Valle Munoz and Calderon Valencia fled across the country, eventually appearing near Seattle, Washington before traveling to a residence in Carlton, Oregon.  Law enforcement searched the residence where Del Valle Munoz, Calderon Valencia, and others had arrived and recovered bags and backpacks containing additional gold jewelry, diamonds, and watches, along with additional burglary tools.

    The charge of conspiracy to sell or receive stolen property carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; and the charge of receipt of stolen property carries a maximum potential penalty of ten years in prison. Both charges also carry a maximum potential penalty of up to a $250,000 fine, or twice the amount of money involved in the offense, whichever is greater.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited the FBI Newark’s Joint Organized Crime Task Force (JOCTF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Driscoll, Jr. in Newark; Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris; and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent of Police Edward T. Cetnar, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Colts Neck Police Department, Keansburg Police Department, Fort Lee Police Department, Paramus Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Spring Valley Police Department (NY), Town of Greenburgh Police Department (NY), Wellesley Police Department (MA), Westwood Police Department (MA), Massachusetts State Police, Renton Police Department (WA), King County Sheriff’s Office (WA), Tukwila Police Department (WA), Oregon State Police, Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office (OR), Carlton Police Department (OR), Denver Police Department (CO), Pennsylvania State Police, Novi Police Department (MI), ICE/ERO Portland, ICE/ERO Seattle, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, FBI New York, FBI Philadelphia, FBI Seattle, FBI Portland, FBI Denver, FBI New Orleans, FBI Boston, and FBI Legal Attaché Santiago, Chile.

    Anyone who believes they may be a victim, or has information about the theft group or burglaries, is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI, submit the information online at tips.fbi.gov, or call a local field office.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor A. Chenoweth of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.

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

                                                                 ###

    Defense counsel:

    Christofer Sanguesa Aguirre: Claressa Lowe, Esq., Newark, New Jersey

    Fabiana Prado Scatarzi:  James N. Green, Esq., Lafayette, Louisiana

    Santana Arturo Castillo Gonzalez: Michael Simon, Esq., Mountainside, New Jersey

    Felipe Andres Del Valle Munoz: John Carpenter, Esq., Tacoma, Washington

    Carlos Alfredo Calderon Valencia: Thomas Weaver, Esq., Bremerton, Washington

    Diego Antonio Calderon Leiva: Thomas Thornton, Esq., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

    Pedro Alejandro Salgado Vallejos: Michael Tumposky, Esq., Boston, Massachusetts

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Klamath Falls Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Kidnapping and Sexually Assaulting Two Women and Holding One in a Cell

    Source: US FBI

    MEDFORD, Ore.— Negasi Zuberi, 31, of Klamath Falls, Oregon, was sentenced to life in federal prison today for kidnapping and sexually assaulting two women, and holding one in a cell he constructed in his garage.

    “There is no place in civil society for this type of terrifying violence,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “I sincerely hope Zuberi’s life sentence will bring some measure of comfort to his victims. Their courage and perseverance are an inspiration to us all.”

    According to court documents, on July 15, 2023, while in Seattle, Zuberi posed as a police officer and used a taser and handcuffs to detain his victim in the backseat of his vehicle. Zuberi then transported the victim approximately 450 miles to his home in Klamath Falls, stopping along the way to sexually assault her.

    At his residence, the victim was moved from his vehicle into a cell he had constructed in his garage. The woman repeatedly banged on the cell door until it broke open and she escaped. The victim retrieved a handgun from Zuberi’s vehicle, fled his garage, and flagged down a passing motorist who called 911.

    On July 16, 2023, Reno Police Department officers and Nevada State Patrol officers located Zuberi in a parking lot in Reno, Nevada. After a short standoff, Zuberi surrendered to law enforcement and was taken into custody.

    While investigating Zuberi’s crimes, federal agents discovered that approximately six weeks prior to the kidnapping in Seattle, on May 6, 2023, Zuberi kidnapped and sexually assaulted another victim. While being held by Zuberi, his first victim observed stacked cinder blocks in his garage that he later used to construct the cell where he detained his second victim.

    On August 2, 2023, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Zuberi with kidnapping and transporting a victim with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Later, on February 15, 2024, a second kidnapping charge and charges for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition.

    On October 18, 2024, a federal jury found Zuberi guilty of all charges.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Portland and Reno, Nevada Field Offices, Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon State Police with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada; Klamath County District Attorney’s Office; Reno, Nevada Police Department; Washoe County, Nevada District Attorney’s Office; Nevada State Police; and Klamath Falls Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Jeffrey S. Sweet, Nathan J. Lichvarcik, and Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, with assistance from Appellate Chief Suzanne Miles, also of the District of Oregon.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Anchorage Man Indicted for Trafficking Drugs, Possessing Fully Automatic “Ghost Gun”

    Source: US FBI

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment last week charging an Anchorage man with possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute and possessing a “ghost gun” as a felon.

    According to court documents, on June 9, 2024, James McKinley, 37, was found passed out behind the wheel of a running vehicle in a handicapped parking space in Anchorage. Officers from the Anchorage Police Department contacted McKinley and he attempted to flee by ramming the police vehicle out of the way. When McKinley was unable to escape via his vehicle, he allegedly attempted to flee on foot but was taken into custody on scene.

    Court documents further allege that officers searched the defendant and his vehicle and found fentanyl powder and pills, methamphetamine, $35,000 in cash and a loaded pistol with no serial number that had been modified to be capable of fully automatic fire. These firearms, which contain no serial numbers or other means of tracing their origins, are referred to as “ghost guns.” At the time of the offense, McKinley had three prior convictions for misconduct involving a controlled substance in the third degree in violation of Alaska law.

    McKinley is charged with one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a machinegun during a drug trafficking crime and one count of being an armed career criminal in possession of firearms and ammunition. The defendant will make his initial court appearance on July 30. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 45 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating this case as part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, with significant assistance from the Anchorage Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Klugman and Mac Caille Petursson are prosecuting the case.

    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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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wasilla Man Charged with Child Pornography, Firearm Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Wasilla man was charged by criminal complaint last week for allegedly possessing child pornography and possessing a firearm as a felon.

    According to court documents, in June 2022, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for a cell phone belonging to Paul Allen Greeno, 44. Upon review of the phone’s contents, agents found images of child sexual abuse, including sexual abuse of toddlers aged one to four years old.

    On Aug. 5, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant on Greeno’s person and residence. During the search, agents found four long gun rifles from a vehicle on his property. Several boxes of ammunition were also found in Greeno’s closet in his bedroom. Greeno was convicted of felony misconduct involving a weapon in December 2023.

    The criminal complaint filed against Greeno alleges that he befriended vulnerable youth in Anchorage with promises to supply them with drugs and then sexually exploited them.

    Greeno is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of child pornography depicting minors who have not attained 12 years of age. If convicted, Greeno faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. If anyone has information concerning Greeno’s alleged actions or may have encountered someone in person or online using the name Paul Allen Greeno, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana Weber 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    A criminal complaint 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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  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona Man Charged with Defrauding at Least 54 Victims in Investment Fraud Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a 19-count indictment against Anthonie Ruinard, Jr., 39, of Chandler, for Wire Fraud and Transactional Money Laundering.

    The indictment alleges that Ruinard scammed at least 54 victims out of more than $5.6 million through an investment fraud scheme operated under the guise of a business called Legacy Investors Group Inc. Ruinard falsely portrayed himself as a successful investor worth over $470 million. He promised victim-investors guaranteed rates of return—generally 5% to 6% per month—through investments in venture capital, private equity, and real estate. While some of the early victim-investors received some initial payments to perpetuate the fraud, others lost their entire investment. Ruinard largely used the victims’ money for himself, including on luxury vehicles (for example, the purchase of an armored vehicle for $344,000), general living expenses, casino gambling, credit card payments, and rental expenses.

    A conviction for wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or both. A conviction for transactional money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.

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

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Phoenix Division conducted the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. If you believe you were defrauded by the defendant, and have not previously contacted the FBI, please reach out to the following email address: LegacyGroupVictims@fbi.gov or fill out the questionnaire at this link: https://forms.fbi.gov/legacygroupvictims/view

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-01904-PHX-SMB
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-163_Ruinard

     

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rio Rico Man Indicted After Attempting to Flee Nogales Port of Entry

    Source: US FBI

    TUCSON, Ariz. – On November 13, 2024, a federal grand jury indicted Miguel Soto-Morando, of Rio Rico, on one count of Smuggling Ammunition from the United States, Assault on a Federal Officer with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon, and Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person.

    According to the complaint filed in this case, on October 16, 2024, Soto-Morando attempted to leave the United States through the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales. After Soto-Morando was referred to secondary inspection, he tried to flee into Mexico. The victim, a United States Customs and Border Protection officer, reached into Soto-Morando’s truck and attempted to prevent Soto-Morando’s escape. With the officer’s arm inside the vehicle, Soto-Morando accelerated toward the gate leading into Mexico but crashed into a pillar located in the United States. The collision caused the officer to be ejected from Soto-Morando’s vehicle.

    When Soto-Morando got out of his vehicle, two officers, including the victim officer, discharged their firearms, striking Soto-Morando twice. A subsequent search of a spare tire from the vehicle uncovered 3,140 rounds of ammunition destined for Mexico. Soto-Morando is also alleged to be a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

    A conviction for Smuggling Goods from the United States carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A conviction for Assault on a Federal Officer – Deadly or Dangerous Weapon carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A conviction for Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Each offense also carries a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release.

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

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nathaniel J. Walters, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-07997-RCC
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-167_Soto-Morando

     

    # # #

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Barling Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Federal Judge and Child Pornography Offense

    Source: US FBI

    FORT SMITH – A Barling man pled guilty today to one count of Threatening a Federal Official and one count of Receipt of Child Pornography. The Honorable Judge Mark E. Ford presided over the change of plea hearing in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.

    According to the plea agreement, Fort Smith Police Department was dispatched to a local shopping establishment pursuant to a 911 call wherein the caller stated the defendant, Rodney Dewayne Sheffield, age 40, had traveled to the shopping establishment in Fort Smith, Arkansas with the intent to shoot people.

    Officers with the Fort Smith Police Department subsequently made a traffic stop on Sheffield for operating his vehicle in a reckless manner on Rogers Avenue in Fort Smith. During the traffic stop, the officer observed a rifle on the passenger side floorboard of the vehicle.  The Officer separated Sheffield from the rifle and located ammunition on his person. 

    Further investigation showed Sheffield had a pending Social Security disability claim and was upset at the status of the claim. A witness stated Sheffield had traveled to the building where the Social Security administration offices were located and told him, “I’ve had enough, I can’t take it anymore.” The individual further stated Sheffield told him he was going to shoot the Social Security Administrative Law Judge. Sheffield stated he wanted to do this to “teach the Government a lesson.” The individual stated he called 911 after speaking to Sheffield.

    Subsequently a search warrant was obtained for Sheffield’s phone. Officers located images and videos of child pornography including children as young as approximately 5 years old on Sheffield’s phone.

    Sheffield’s sentencing date will be set at a later time. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment for Threatening the Federal Official and a minimum of 5 years imprisonment, maximum of 20 years for the Receipt of Child Pornography. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Office of the Inspector General Social Security Administration and Fort Smith Police Department are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall is prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pine Bluff Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—Tristan Larandell Lee, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 15 years in federal prison for illegally possessing cocaine with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a federal drug-trafficking crime. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.

          An investigation revealed that on Monday, March 8, 2021, Arkansas State Police troopers responded to a traffic accident on the median of I-530 after receiving reports of this vehicle being driven in a reckless manner. Arkansas State Police troopers located Lee in the driver’s seat. The responding trooper found Lee asleep. He struck the front passenger window which woke Lee up, at which time Lee attempted to start his vehicle and flee.

          Lee was given commands to exit his vehicle but refused to do so. The trooper eventually opened the passenger door to remove Lee from the vehicle, who was placed into custody due to combative behavior. During an inventory search of Lee’s vehicle, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, assorted pills, drug paraphernalia, and an Anderson Manufacturing, AM-15 rifle equipped with a 60-round drum magazine were located.

          On June 8, 2022, Lee, 39, of Pine Bluff, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. On March 13, 2024, Lee pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

          United States District Judge Moody sentenced Lee to 10 years’ imprisonment for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and five years’ imprisonment for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, ordering the sentences be served consecutively to one another. Judge Moody also sentenced Lee to five years’ supervised release.

          The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Arkansas State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Fields.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

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

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Sex Offender from Michigan Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison After Being Convicted of Numerous Sexual Offenses Against a Child

    Source: US FBI

          LITTLE ROCK—Jeremy Robert Ward, a registered sex offender from Michigan, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison on Thursday. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.

          Ward was previously convicted in 2013 in Michigan of three counts of possession of child sexual abusive material and one count of accosting a child for an immoral purpose.

          Ward met the 12-year-old minor victim online in September 2022 when he added her to his Snapchat account. He exchanged messages with the victim for approximately three weeks before traveling to Arkansas from his home in Michigan to meet her. On October 15, 2022, he met her face-to-face when he met her in his pickup truck while she was riding her bike near her neighborhood in Bryant. During her encounter with Ward, the victim began surreptitiously recording a portion of her exchange with him. On the video, Ward told her, “I was hoping to take you home” and “I just wish she [her mom] would let you go, especially since I drove all the way down here.” Ward also told the minor victim that she must “think I’m gonna kidnap you or something,” to which she replied, “You probably are about to at this point.” He later asked if she knew of any “private spots,” in an attempt to find a more secluded place to be with her.

          Around the same time, using an application on her cell phone, her father noticed she was outside of the established boundary where she was permitted to be. Her parents went to her location, and her father found the minor victim laying in the grass with Ward, whose pants were around his ankles. Ward then fled into the woods.

          The minor victim testified at trial that while she was in the field with Ward, he attempted to commit sexual acts with her. Subsequent investigation revealed that the victim and Ward communicated through video messages, some of which Ward recorded on his phone. The recorded video messages were recovered from Ward’s phone and included video and still images of the nude minor victim in the shower.

          After a three-day trial that concluded on January 24, 2024, a federal jury found Ward, 33, of Marine City, Michigan, guilty on all nine counts for which he was indicted: one count of interstate travel with the purpose of enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity with a minor, six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of travel with the purpose to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor.

          Judge Baker also sentenced Ward to a lifetime of supervised release.

          The investigation was conducted by the Bryant Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Bryant and Amanda Fields.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

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

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –