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Chicago Police Sergeant and Officer Charged with Stealing $5,200 from Individual They Believed was Transporting Drug Proceeds

2012-02-13T23:15:00.001-08:00

CHICAGO—A Chicago police sergeant and a patrol officer were arrested last night on federal charges alleging that they stole $5,200 in government undercover funds from a cooperating individual who they believed was transporting the cash for drug dealers. The sergeant, Ronald Watts, and the officer, Kallatt Mohammed, both assigned to a 2nd District tactical team, were each charged with one count of theft of government funds in a criminal complaint that was unsealed today in U.S. District Court. The arrests and charges were announced by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert D. Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Superintendent Garry F. McCarthy of the Chicago Police Department. The police department’s Internal Affairs Division participated in the investigation.

Watts, 48, an 18-year police veteran, and Mohammed, 47, who joined the department 14 years ago, both of Chicago, were released on $10,000 unsecured bonds after appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez in Federal Court. A status hearing was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Feb.21.

On Nov. 21, 2011, after a Cooperating Witness (CS5)—who unbeknownst to Watts and Mohammed was working with the FBI—told them that he/she was tasked by narcotics traffickers to transport drug proceeds from one location to another, the two officers took the money from CS5, according to the complaint affidavit. Agents conducting surveillance video-recorded the alleged theft, which occurred when Mohammed, driving his personal auto, approached CS5 in the 2700 block of South Vernon and took a bag containing $5,200 from CS5. Later, the officers paid CS5 $400 for allowing them to steal the drug proceeds, the charges allege.

Based on CS5’s prior dealings with Watts, including an instance when Watts and CS5 allegedly engaged in a similar transaction, the affidavit states that Watts had told CS5 in September 2011 that CS5 should call him or go to the station and ask for Watts or Mohammed to alert them whenever CS5 would be transporting money for drug dealers.

On Nov. 18, 2011, CS5 called Watts and told him in a recorded conversation that he/she had “one going on,” which would happen no later than Nov. 21. On that day, CS5 called Watts and said that CS5 was going to pick up a bag from a car near the intersection of 26th Street and Martin Luther King Drive and walk it to another car on 29th Street. Watts told CS5 that he would be in the area. Four minutes after receiving the call from CS5, phone records showed that Watts called a number belonging to Mohammed, allegedly to coordinate Mohammed’s participation in stealing the drug money purportedly being delivered by CS5, the affidavit states. Phone records also showed subsequent calls between Watts and Mohammed, it adds.

After Mohammed allegedly took the bag containing the money from CS5, did not give CS5 any money in return, and told CS5 to meet him near 30th and King Drive, CS5 then called Watts and discussed meeting Mohammed to obtain a portion of the money. Minutes after that conversation, agents watched as Watts and Mohammed met in the area of 5700 and 5800 South Princeton. About 20 minutes later, agents recovered the bag that Mohammed had taken from CS5 in an alley behind the 5900 block of South LaSalle Street, approximately a half-mile from the location where agents observed Watts and Mohammed meeting. The bag was empty.

CS5 called Watts again a short time later and met him near 22nd and Canal streets, where, in a recorded conversation, Watts handed CS5 $400. “Who always takes care of you?” Watts allegedly said to CS5. Phone records showed two additional calls between Watts and Mohammed within the next 15 minutes, according to the affidavit.

Theft of government funds carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted, the Court must impose an reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The government is being represented in court by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin F. Langner and Margaret J. Schneider.

The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Public’s Help Sought in Search for “Man in Black” Bank Robber

2012-02-13T23:14:00.000-08:00

Robert D. Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is asking for the public’s help in identifying the individual depicted on the below wanted flyer, dubbed the “Man in Black” robber, who is responsible for the armed robbery of at least one bank in the Chicago area.

The robbery took place on April 6, 2011, at a Citibank branch, located at 5674 South Archer Avenue. According to witnesses, the robber entered the bank wearing a black motorcycle helmet and approached the counter. The robber motioned as though he was going to take off the motorcycle helmet, but instead reached into his jacket and pulled out a small, semi-automatic handgun and a black draw-string bag.

The robber then stated, “Give me all your money, I’m not kidding.” As the tellers put the money on the counter, the robber told one of the bank employees to put the money in the bag and told all of the tellers to “hurry up” while pointing the gun at them. The robber took the money from the tellers and began to leave the bank. While walking toward the southeast exit, the robber pointed the gun at an employee and stated, “Boom! Boom! You’re dead!” The robber then exited the bank on foot, last seen walking north on Laramie Avenue.

The “Man in Black” robber is described as a white/male, approximately 5’10”–6’2” tall, with a thin build. He wore a black “HJC” Motorcycle Helmet with dark visor, black jeans, black leather gloves, black leather riding jacket, and white tennis shoes during the robbery.

This case is being investigated by the Chicago FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF), which is comprised of FBI special agents, detectives from the Chicago Police Department and investigators from the Cook County Sheriff’s Police.

Anyone recognizing this individual or having any information about this robbery is asked to call the Chicago FBI at (312) 421-6700 or any law enforcement agency.

Additional information about this and other unsolved Chicago area bank robberies, including downloadable photographs, is available on-line at the Bandit Tracker Chicago web site, www.bandittrackerchicago.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Copies of the wanted flyer are available from the Chicago FBI’s press office at (312) 829-1199.

Former State Trooper Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Witness Tampering

2012-02-13T22:47:00.001-08:00

COLUMBUS—Former Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Benjamin W. Richardson, 46, of Powell, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to an eight-count indictment charging him with mortgage fraud, bankruptcy fraud, and witness tampering.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Edward J. Hanko, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Anthony Marotta, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announced the pleas entered today before U.S. District Judge Gregory L. Frost.

FBI agents arrested Richardson on September 6, 2011 based on similar charges in a criminal complaint. He has been in custody since his arrest. The indictment was returned on September 8, 2011 under seal and has since been unsealed. Richardson was a trooper with the Ohio State Highway Patrol when he was charged and resigned when the charges were returned.

“A federal investigation revealed that Richardson engaged in a scheme to enrich himself and avoid personal liabilities,” an FBI agent testified during the hearing.

Richardson admitted that, in 2005, he engaged in a conspiracy to defraud mortgage lending institutions out of $678,275 in loans by means of false and fraudulent pretenses involving three properties he was buying and the refinancing of his own home. Richardson also admitted to falsely under-reporting his income when he filed for bankruptcy in 2007 by not disclosing income he received from a nightclub he owned at the time.

Richardson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Each crime is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements and false oaths in bankruptcy. Each count is punishable by up to five years in prison. Richardson also pleaded guilty to one count of witness tampering for attempting to prevent a witness from talking with law enforcement during the investigation. Witness tampering is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Stewart commended the cooperative investigation of this case by FBI and DEA agents, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Doug Squires and Laura Denton, who are prosecuting the case.

Judge Frost will schedule a date for sentencing.

Leader of Bloods Street Gang Indicted for Racketeering, Including Three Murders and Three Attempted Murders

2012-02-13T22:44:00.000-08:00

A superseding indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Ronald Herron, also known as “Ra,” “Ra Diggs,” “Ra Digga” and “Raheem,” with various crimes, including three counts of murder, related to his leadership of a set of the Bloods Street Gang. The superseding indictment charges the defendant with 23 counts, including racketeering, murder, murder in-aid-of racketeering, murder conspiracy, attempted murder, robbery, illegal use and possession of firearms, and narcotics trafficking.1 The defendant will be arraigned later this afternoon before United States Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis at the U.S. Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York. If convicted, the defendant faces up to life imprisonment.

The charges were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Janice K. Fedarcyk, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and Raymond W. Kelly, Commissioner, New York City Police Department.

As detailed in the superseding indictment and other court filings submitted by the government, a multi-year joint investigation by the FBI and the NYPD revealed that since 1998, Herron allegedly committed numerous crimes of violence in support of his criminal enterprise in and around the Gowanus Houses, a New York City public housing community in the Boerum Hill section of Brooklyn. Among other things, Herron is now charged with the 2001 drugrelated murder of Frederick Brooks, an offense of which Herron was acquitted in state court after witnesses refused to testify because they were threatened by Herron and his associates. Herron has also been charged with the 2008 murder of Richard Russo and the 2009 murder of Victor Zapata. In addition, Herron is accused of three attempted murders, including a 2008 stabbing at a nightclub in Manhattan.

As detailed in prior filings by the government, Herron posted videos of himself on the Internet in which he identified himself as the leader of the “Murderous Mad Dogs” set of the Bloods Street Gang, and claimed that he was the leader of a “murder team” and had previously “beat a body.” The videos also showed Herron firing weapons and threatening to use them to kill people. Herron also posted messages on Twitter in which he boasted that he had “beat the stabbing,” “beat the attempt,” and “beat the body.”

The charges announced today are the latest in a series of federal indictments in this district charging members of violent street gangs with racketeering crimes.

“As alleged, Ronald Herron and his gang terrorized a Brooklyn community for more than a decade, and he temporarily got away with murder by threatening and intimidating witnesses, only to return to the streets of Brooklyn to kill again and again,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “Thanks to the hard work and close cooperation between federal and local law enforcement, the defendant will now be held to account for his charged long history of violence. Our commitment to dismantling street gangs and to protecting our community from the ravages of gang warfare remains steadfast.”

“Ronald Herron and his associates were nothing if not honest in their assessment of themselves. As alleged in the indictment, the self-designation, ‘Murderous Mad Dogs,’ seems to be no understatement. Calling yourself murderous may not be a crime, but the description is fitting. The FBI is committed to reining in gang violence to make our neighborhoods safer.” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk.

NYPD Commissioner Kelly stated, “As alleged, Ronald Herron and his gang have a history of violence, intimidation and murder in the neighborhood around the Gowanus Houses in Brooklyn, and Herron even boasted on twitter about getting away with his crimes. His tweets were premature. I commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as NYPD detectives and federal agents, for their work in this case.”

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carter Burwell, Shreve Ariail, and David Sarratt.

The Defendants:

RONALD HERRON, also known as “Ra,” “Ra Diggs,” “Ra Digga ” and “Raheem ” Age: 30
1 The charges contained in the superseding indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Seeking Public Assistance Identifying Serial Bank Robber

2012-02-13T22:41:00.000-08:00

The FBI is requesting the public’s assistance in arresting the suspect known as the “Respectful Robber.” There is a $5,000 reward. Anyone with info can call (231) 946-7201. He is a white male, 20-30 years old, 6’-6’3” tall, 180-200 lbs. This individual is suspected in three robberies, including Lake Osceola State Bank on 6/3/11 in Luther,MI; Lake Osceola State Bank on 6/22/11 in Wellston, MI; and Citizens Nat. Bank on 11/16/11 in Pellston, MI.

Federal Jury Convicts Felon from Aurora, Minnesota, for Possessing a 20–Gauge Shotgun

2012-02-13T16:41:00.000-08:00

MINNEAPOLIS — Last week in federal court, a jury found a 33–year–old felon from the northeastern Minnesota community of Aurora guilty of possessing a 20–gauge shotgun. On February 10, 2012, following a three–day trial, the jury convicted John Joseph Douglas of one count of being a career criminal in possession of a firearm. Douglas was indicted on October 4, 2011.

The indictment and the evidence presented at trial proved that on May 30, 2011, Douglas possessed the gun and fired it into the air several times while surrounded by a group of people. Upon their arrival on the scene, officers found the group seated around a campfire on a vacant lot. Searching the grounds, the officers discovered a box of ammunition and several freshly fired shotgun shell cases. The shotgun itself was found nearby.

Because Douglas has been previously convicted of a felony, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms at any time. His prior convictions include third–degree burglary (1999), first–degree burglary (1999), second–degree assault (1999 and 2007), and aggravated robbery (twice in 1999), all of which occurred in St. Louis County. Since at least three of those offenses were crimes of violence, Douglas is now subject to the federal armed career criminal statute, which mandates a minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison upon conviction in this case. Given that the federal criminal justice system does not have parole, offenders serve virtually their entire sentences behind bars. United States District Court Judge Patrick J. Schiltz will determine Douglas’ exact sentence at a future hearing yet to be scheduled.

This case was the result of an investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, the Hoyt Lakes Police Department, the Gilbert Police Department, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew S. Dunne and Jeffrey M. Bryan.

Note, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a comprehensive, strategic approach to reducing gun crime in America. PSN, launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2001, encourages cooperative, multi–jurisdictional law enforcement and crime prevention efforts.

Sexual Offender Banned for Life

2012-02-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

Tucson, Ariz. – A 53-year-old man from Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico, apprehended by Tucson Station Border Patrol agents in September 2011, was sentenced to 33 months of confinement on Feb. 1.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted Marcial Avilar-Perez following his September apprehension for attempting to illegally re-enter the United States. During processing at the Tucson Station, agents used the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System to learn that Avilar-Perez was convicted in 1990 for lewd acts against a child under 14 years old in Riverside County, Calif. He was sentenced to one year in jail.

Following the Border Patrol’s initial processing, the case was submitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for re-entry of a felon. Avilar-Perez will be formally removed from the United States following his 33-month incarceration and is now banned for life from all legalization processes.

All illegal immigrants apprehended by the Border Patrol undergo criminal history checks using IAFIS. This vital tool accesses criminal records throughout the United States, enabling agents to quickly identify violent criminals and wanted people.

As part of a targeted enforcement strategy, the Tucson Sector places individuals into impact programs that are designed to influence their decision not to commit a subsequent illegal entry.

Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity and remain anonymous by calling the Border Patrol at (877) 872-7435 toll free.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Firefighter Fatality

2012-02-13T16:37:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality:

Name: Zachary Whitacre

Rank: Firefighter
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: <1
Date of Incident: 02/13/2012
Time of Incident: 0400hrs
Date of Death: 02/13/2012

Fire Department: Gore Volunteer Fire & Rescue

Address: PO Box 146, 7184 Northwestern PIKE, Gore, VA 22637
Fire Department Chief: Steve Holliday

Incident Description: Firefighter Whitacre passed away from injuries sustained when the apparatus he was riding in crashed. Freezing temperatures and hazardous road conditions caused by fire tanker operations were possible contributing factors to the accident. Investigation into the incident by local and state authorities continues.

Incident Location: U.S. 50 & Timber Ridge Rd, Bloomery, Hampshire, West Virginia 26711

Funeral Arrangements: Pending

Tribute is being paid to Zachary Whitacre at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fireservice/fatalities/

To date, 11 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2012. Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online @ http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fireservice/fatalities/statistics/ff_stats.shtm

Ann Pettway Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to the 1987 Kidnapping of an Infant from Harlem Hospital

2012-02-13T12:12:00.001-08:00

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ANNUGETTA PETTWAY, a/k/a “Ann Pettway,” pled guilty today to one count of kidnapping in connection with the 1987 abduction of a 19-day-old infant from Harlem Hospital. PETTWAY pled guilty in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: “There are few things more devastating than the loss of a child. The parents of Carlina White had their lives shattered when their baby girl was stolen from them. The kidnapping began a 24-year nightmare during every day of which they were denied the love, hopes, and dreams parents share with their children. With today’s guilty plea, Ann Pettway will be punished for her egregious crime and this family can begin to piece together this part of their lives.”

According to the complaint, plea agreement, and Information to which PETTWAY pled:

On August 4, 1987, a mother and father (the “Mother” and the “Father”) brought their infant daughter to Harlem Hospital, where she was admitted with a fever. In the early hours of the following day, hospital personnel discovered that the baby girl was missing. In January 2010, the victim of the kidnapping (the “Victim”), who is now 24 years old, told a New York City Police Department detective (the “NYPD Detective”) that when she sought to obtain prenatal care for her own child, she asked PETTWAY for identification documents, such as a birth certificate. PETTWAY told the Victim that she did not have identification documents for her because she had been given to PETTWAY by a woman who used drugs.

The Victim also told the NYPD Detective that in January 2010 she contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) to inquire about missing children from the late 1980s. NCMEC directed the Victim to a picture of a missing child from 1987. The Victim believed that the picture resembled her baby pictures. NCMEC put the Victim in touch with the Mother and Father who had brought their daughter to Harlem Hospital on August 4, 1987.

Between January 4 and January 7, 2011, NYPD detectives obtained DNA samples from the Mother, the Father, and the Victim. On January 18, 2011, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner concluded that the DNA samples matched.

On January 23, 2011, PETTWAY surrendered to authorities in Bridgeport, Connecticut. At that time, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) interviewed PETTWAY who told them that she had difficulty having her own children and had several miscarriages. PETTWAY admitted going to Harlem Hospital, taking the Victim with her by train to Bridgeport, and raising her there as her own. PETTWAY also admitted to trying to create a fake birth certificate for the Victim.

***

PETTWAY, 50, of Raleigh, North Carolina, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Castel on May 14, 2012, at 11:00 a.m.

Mr. Bharara praised the work of the FBI and the NYPD in this case. He also extended his thanks to law enforcement authorities in North Carolina and Connecticut for their assistance.

This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Andrea L. Surratt is in charge of the prosecution.

Pinedale Man Charged with Murdering Girlfriend

2012-02-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

ALBUQUERQUE—On February 9, 2012, FBI agents arrested MacArthur Cooke, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Pinedale, N.M., on a federal criminal complaint charging him with murder. Cooke made his initial appearance in federal court in Albuquerque, and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 9:30 a.m. on February 10, 2012. Cooke is temporarily detained pending a detention hearing that will follow immediately after his preliminary hearing.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Cooke is charged with killing Vivian Watson, a 29-year-old Navajo woman, on January 13, 2012, in Vanderwagen, N.M., which is located within the Navajo Indian Reservation. According to the criminal complaint, Cooke allegedly killed Ms. Watson, his girlfriend of two years, with an axe in her Vanderwagen home. The complaint alleges that the New Mexico Office of Medical Examiner has opined that the cause of Ms. Watson’s death was multiple, heavy, sharp force/chop wounds to the head, and that Ms. Watson’s wounds were consistent with those made with an axe.

Cooke was arrested on tribal charges on January 13, 2012 and remained in the custody of the Navajo Nation until his arrest on federal charges today.

If convicted of the offense charged in the complaint, Cooke faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Wishard is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety, Crownpoint Division.

Charges in indictments are only accusations, and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Robstown Man Guilty of Valero Bomb Threat

2012-02-13T12:10:00.000-08:00

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX—Jose Orlando Padilla, 19, of Robstown, Texas, has been convicted of using a telephone to communicate bomb threats to the Valero Refinery in Corpus Christi, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today along with Stephen L. Morris, special agent in charge of the FBI. Padilla entered his guilty plea at a hearing just a short time ago before Senior United States District Judge Hayden Head.

“Each and every hoax threat wastes precious law enforcement resources, time and money,” said Morris. “Those responsible will be identified and held accountable.”

At a hearing before Senior United States District Judge Hayden Head today, Padilla admitted that at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Oct. 25, 2011, he relayed to an individual at the Valero Refinery using a telephone that, “There’s a bomb in complex six.” Padilla called the refinery a second time at 3:20 p.m., requested to be transferred to a different extension and then reported, “There’s a bomb in complex six and seven.” Six minutes later, Padilla called the refinery a third time and repeated the threat. Three days later, at 6:08 a.m., Padilla again called the refinery and claimed, “There’s a bomb in complex six. It’s going to blow up between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m.” When the Valero employee tried to ask him a question about the bomb he replied with profanity and added that the “bomb is going to go and you need to clear complex six.”

In response to the threats Valero security, law enforcement personnel and bomb detection dogs were dispatched and the FBI began an investigation. Padilla was arrested shortly thereafter by the Nueces County Sheriff’s Office before the end of the day on Oct. 28, 2011, at which time he admitted the cell phone used to communicate the bomb threats was in his possession at the time the threats were made.

Following his plea today, Padilla was returned to federal custody where he will remain pending his sentencing hearing, set for April 17, 2012. At that time, Padilla will faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Following any sentence of incarceration Padilla may additionally be assessed a period of up to three years of federal supervised release.

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr.

Local, State, and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Engage in Largest Drug Bust in Colorado History Arresting Gang Members and Drug Dealers

2012-02-12T21:14:00.001-08:00

DENVER—Special agents, police officers, and deputy sheriffs this morning arrested 80 people on drug and/or gun charges, the United States Attorney’s Office announced. The arrests were made by over 500 agents and officers, making this the largest drug bust in Denver history. The arrests, announced today at a press conference in Aurora, were made after separate investigations were conducted by the Metro Gang Task Force; the Denver Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and the North Metro Task Force. The combination of these four separate but related investigations resulted in today’s mass arrests. A total of 97 defendants have been charged in either federal or state court as a part of this operation.

During the course of the investigation, including today’s operation, agents and officers seized 12 weapons, including an SKS assault rifle, and AR-15 assault rifle, and handguns, $415,140 in cash, 26,129 grams of cocaine, 1,000 grams of crack, and one pound of methamphetamine.

The defendants arrested by the Metro Gang Task Force, FBI, DEA, the Denver OCDETF Strike Force, and the ICE HSI were the result of seven separate indictments obtained by a federal grand jury in Denver. Many made court appearances this afternoon in two separate courtrooms, where they were advised of the charges pending against them, and the related penalties. The federal defendants will have detention hearings and will be arraigned next week. The defendants arrested by the North Metro Task Force are being prosecuted by the 17th Judicial District Attorney Don Quick.

“This combined enforcement action to take down four separate but related investigations demonstrates the coordinated strength and professionalism of federal, state and local law enforcement working together in Metro Denver,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. “These results could not have been done without the hundreds of members of our law enforcement family. Today our streets are safer, and the drug trade in Colorado has suffered a massive blow.”

If convicted, a vast majority of the federally charged defendants face not less than 10 years, and up to life in federal prison, as well as a fine of not more than $10,000,000.

The defendants in the North Metro Task Force case face either class two or three felonies, with many of the drug distributions relying on the weight of the drugs distributed. Depending on the weight these charges carry mandatory minimum prison sentences.

The Metro Gang Task Force is comprised of the FBI, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, the Aurora Police Department, the Colorado National Guard, the Colorado State Patrol, the Commerce City Police Department, the Denver District Attorney’s Office, the Denver Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, ICE/HSI, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Rocky Mountain HIDTA, the Thornton Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

The Denver OCDETF Strike Force includes the DEA, FBI, ICE/HSI, IRS-CI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The DEA Los Angeles Field Division, and the multi-agency Special Operations Division (SOD), and attorneys from the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and the Office of International Affairs assisted in the Denver OCDETF Strike Force investigation.

The North Metro Task Force is comprised of law enforcement officers from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, the Thornton Police Department, the Westminster Police Department, the Commerce City Police Department, the Northglenn Police Department, and the Federal Heights Police Department.

The indictments are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Four of Five Convicted for Roles in Attempted Armored Car Robbery Land in Federal Prison

2012-02-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

HOUSTON — Four Houston residents have been sentenced to prison for the attempted robbery of an armored car, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today.

Kaleem Jamie Stephens, 30, was charged and convicted along with Nicholas Dushon Price, 31, Victor Tyrone Bruno, 29, Jermaine McNeal, 29, and Ervin Clark, 23, for their roles in a conspiracy to rob an armored car. Price, Bruno, McNeal and Clark pleaded guilty to various charges, while Stephens proceeded to trial. Stephens was found guilty on Sept. 29, 2011. Today, U.S. District Judge Grey Miller, who presided over the trial, sentenced Stephens to a total of 144 months in prison. He will serve 84 months on both of the conspiracy to interfere with robbery and conspiracy to commit a violent offense while possessing a firearm charges which will be served consecutively to an additional 60 months for aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Bruno and Clark pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and received sentences of 81 and 84 months, respectively, while McNeal will serve three years of probation months for his conviction of misprision of a felony. Price will be sentenced on April 13, 2012.

During Stephens’ trial, the jury heard testimony that Stephens and all of his co–conspirators were arrested on Sept. 10, 2010, as a result of an undercover operation conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The investigation began on July 2, 2010, when DPS received information that Price wanted to rob an armored car of Garda Armored Services. Shortly thereafter, undercover agents from DPS and ATF, posing as employees of the company, met with Price. During this meeting, Price discussed getting approximately $250,000 in the robbery while working alongside the undercover agents and co–conspirators. On Aug. 19, 2010, the agents met with Price, Bruno and Stephens and discussed the details of the robbery as well as the roles of each defendant. Stephens was to use a “Bin Laden style gun” to hold down the driver of the armored truck while his co–conspirators robbed collected the cash in the vehicle. At the time of the arrests, agents found Clark had stolen a Dodge Durango for the co–conspirators to use as the getaway car, while McNeal was on standby to be Bruno’s getaway driver.

On Sept. 10, 2011, the date of the planned robbery, agents conducting surveillance of the defendants arrested Stephens and his co-conspirators before the robbery, thereby thwarting their plan. Investigating agents found a loaded SKS rifle and two loaded pistols in the cars carrying the defendants as well as a pistol in Stephens’ car.

With the exception of McNeal, all remain in custody.

Assistant United States Attorney Kebharu Smith and Suzanne Elmilady prosecuted this case.

CBP Officers at Progreso Port Arrest Man Wanted by ATF

2012-02-12T21:11:00.000-08:00

Progreso, TX – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Progreso Port of Entry apprehended a man on an active arrest warrant from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for a straw purchase of firearms.

On Thursday a CBP officer working pedestrian enforcement operations at the Progreso International Bridge came in contact with a man identified as 18-year-old Arnulfo Gaytan Jr., a U.S. citizen who resides in Weslaco. The primary CBP officer’s queries revealed an active arrest warrant for Gaytan from the U.S. Marshals Service in Washington, D.C. Gaytan was referred for further examination. A CBP officer’s secondary checks of a national database confirmed the active arrest warrant for Gaytan from the ATF for a straw purchase of firearms. CBP officers arrested Gaytan and turned him over to ATF for transportation to the Hidalgo Country jail.

“Vigilance by our CBP officers on the frontlines and the use of a national database at primary contributed to the identification of Arnulfo Gaytan Jr. as a wanted fugitive. I congratulate our CBP officers for the arrest of this wanted fugitive by the ATF for a straw purchase of firearms charge," said Carlos Rodriguez, CBP Port Director, Progreso/Donna Port of Entry.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Whiteriver Man Sentenced to Life in Prison

2012-02-09T17:25:00.000-08:00

PHOENIX—On Feb. 7, 2012, Samuel James Seymour, 51, of Whiteriver, Ariz., was sentenced to life in prison by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Rosenblatt in Phoenix. Seymour was found guilty by a federal jury on June 16, 2011, of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, one count of attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, one count of aggravated sexual abuse, one count of sexual abuse of a minor, and one count of abusive sexual contact with a minor.

Evidence presented at trial showed that, starting in approximately 2000, Seymour began sexually abusing a minor. The abuse lasted for several years, and involved both sexual and physical abuse. The evidence also showed that, in 2005, Seymour sexually abused another minor. The evidence further revealed that, in 2008, Seymour was observed sexually abusing a third minor. Finally, the evidence brought to light that Seymour had been sexually abusing a number of young children of both genders over a lengthy period of time.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Dimitra H. Sampson and Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

More Than Three Tons of Marijuana, More Than 90 Firearms, and Nearly $1 Million Seized in Multi-District Sting

2012-02-09T17:23:00.001-08:00

ORLANDO, FL—United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill announces the arrests yesterday of Jaime Rodriguez Sandoval (41), Ivan Alvarado (31), Josue Rivera Rosario (26), Jesus Gonzalez-Salcedo (37), Antonio Gonzalez (51), Jose Luis Franco-Gonzalez (35), Cesar Ramos (36), and Omar Martinez (37). Each is charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. If convicted, they each face a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life in federal prison

According to the criminal complaint, these individuals were involved in a conspiracy that caused thousands of pounds of marijuana to be transported from McAllen, Texas to Northern and Central Florida. The members of this drug trafficking organization allegedly coordinated the transportation of the narcotics from Texas to Florida for the Gulf Cartel in Mexico.

As a part of this investigation, search warrants were executed in the Middle District of Florida, the Northern District of Florida and the Southern District of Texas. More than 6,000 pounds of marijuana, more than 90 firearms, and approximately $989,891 was recovered in Florida alone, as part of this joint investigative effort.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Apopka Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel Irick and Christopher LaForgia.

FBI Seeks Whereabouts of Six Fugitives Who Fled in Multi-Agency Operation Targeting Narcotics Trafficking in Bay Area

2012-02-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

SAN FRANCISCO—The FBI is seeking the public’s help in locating six individuals, who have fled after being indicted by a federal grand jury or charged via criminal complaint for various narcotics trafficking related charges.

On Tuesday, over 900 officers and agents executed arrest and search warrants in a large-scale takedown of individuals involved in narcotics trafficking and gang activity in the Bay Area.

Local, state and federal officers—including FBI SWAT teams from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Portland, Phoenix, and Las Vegas; and officers from East Palo Alto and Menlo Park Police Departments—executed over 30 search warrants and arrested 26 and seized significant quantities of money, drugs, firearms, and several vehicles in “Operation Phallen Gardens.” The majority of the arrests and searches occurred in the East Palo Alto and Menlo Park areas.

Operation Phallen Gardens is the result of a two-year, Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and San Francisco Safe Streets Task Force investigation. The focus was on an associated group of individuals who supplied drugs, which included cocaine and methamphetamine, to multiple gangs in the area of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park.

The FBI can be reached 24 hours a day at 415-553-7400. All calls are confidential.

The following fugitives are being sought:

Name: Tony Giovanni Joseph

Sex: Male
DOB: 09/29/1981
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 230 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Caution: Armed and dangerous
Characteristics: N/A

Name: Derrick Lane

Sex: Male
DOB: 10/30/1972
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 165 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Caution: Armed and dangerous
Characteristics: N/A

Name: Shawn Curtis McKnight

Sex: Male
DOB: 06/07/1962
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 215 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Caution: Armed and dangerous
Characteristics: Missing right finger; pierced ears; tattoo on the left arm, right arm, under left arm

Name: Charles Edward Menifee III

Sex: Male
DOB: 11/07/1991
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 187 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Caution: Armed and dangerous
Characteristics: N/A

Name: Jesus Segura

Sex: Male
DOB: 03/16/1980
Height: 5’08”
Weight: 160 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Caution: Armed and dangerous
Characteristics: N/A

Name: Joey Earl Williams

Sex: Male
DOB: 01/16/1964
Height: 5’09”
Weight: 225 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Caution: Armed and dangerous
Characteristics: N/A

Members of the media should call FBI Public Affairs Specialist Julianne Sohn at 415-553-7450.

Background Investigation of Steve Jobs Released

2012-02-09T16:30:00.001-08:00

The 191-page document, released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), consists of the FBI’s 1991 background investigation of Steve Jobs for an appointed position on the U.S. President’s Export Council. The release also includes documents related to a 1985 investigation of a bomb threat against Apple.

See the file at vault.fbi.gov/steve-jobs

Twenty-Six Arrested in Multi-Agency Operation Targeting Narcotics Trafficking in Bay Area

2012-02-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

SAN FRANCISCO—On Tuesday, over 900 officers and agents executed arrest and search warrants in a large-scale takedown of individuals involved in narcotics trafficking and gang activity in the Bay Area, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag; Stephanie Douglas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in San Francisco; Chief Ronald L. Davis of East Palo Alto Police Department; and Chief Bryan Roberts of Menlo Park Police Department.

The following individuals were taken into custody based upon federal charges and made their initial appearance earlier today in federal court in San Francisco:

■Frederick Anderson, Jr., 53

■Michael Barnes, 54
■Dedeaux Maurice Brown, 37
■Monique Burns, 38
■Caezarine Kilo Donelson, 41
■Veronica Elliot, 30
■Fred Lamar Finney, 27
■Annette Hamilton, 48
■Elizabeth Head, 50
■Bobby Lee Jones, Jr., 51
■John Allen Keller, Jr., 24
■Cristian Rios Mora, 19
■Donald Poston, 36
■John Wayne Price, 37
■Prince Lee Prince, Jr., 38
■Leslie Reese, 52
■Donnell Robinson, 37
■Frederick Sims, 54
■Stephanie Yvonne Smith, 54
■Cellie Sturns, 53
■Dustin Thomas, 25
■Willie Charles White, 49
■Benjamin Lee Williams, 55
■Joseph Earl Lamont Williams, 30
■Raymond Williams, 25
■J. Jesse Ochoa Garcia, 41

The following individuals remain fugitives:

■Tony Giovanni Joseph, 30

■Derrick Lane, 39
■Shawn Curtis McKnight, 49
■Charles Edward Menifee, III, 20
■Jesus Segura, 31
■Joey Earl Williams, 48

The individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury or charged via criminal complaint for various narcotics trafficking related charges throughout the Bay Area.

“This operation demonstrates the results that can be achieved when federal and community law-enforcement partners work together,” U.S. Attorney Haag said. “Members of the San Francisco Safe Streets Task Force put their lives on the line every day to help make the Northern District of California a safe, productive and beautiful place to live.”

“This operation highlights how effective and important our task forces are in combating violent crime in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Douglas of FBI San Francisco. “The FBI and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners are committed to working together to target those involved in gang activity and narcotics trafficking.”

“This operation resulted in a significant blow against the scourge of gangs, drugs and violence in our communities,” said East Palo Alto Chief Ronald Davis. “As gangs evolve and grow beyond jurisdictional boundaries, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies must collaborate and use our shared resources to effectively disrupt their activities and stem the violence.”

“Task forces of this nature are a crucial component for local law enforcement to effectively address violent crime and narcotic trafficking in their communities,” said Menlo Park Police Chief Bryan Roberts. “These partnerships are a force multiplier for our operations.”

The OCDETF Program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.

The San Francisco Safe Streets Task Force consists of FBI agents, and police officers from East Palo Alto Police Department and Menlo Park Police Department. This task force was established in 1996 as a part of the FBI Safe Streets Violent Crimes Initiative, which seeks to target violent crimes through coordinated investigations.

The United States Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of California, FBI San Francisco, East Palo Alto Police Department, and the Menlo Park Police Department thank the following agencies for their assistance during the operation: FBI Field Offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Portland, Phoenix, and Las Vegas; the United States Marshal Service; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; California Highway Patrol, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain View Police Department, Newark Police Department, Redwood City Police Department, Sunnyvale Police Department, Oakland Police Department, Stockton Police Department, Fremont Police Department, Santa Clara Police Department and Palo Alto Police Department.

Please note, an indictment contains only allegations and as in all cases, the defendants must be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Florida Man Wanted on Federal Charges Arrested in Texas

2012-02-09T16:25:00.000-08:00

FBI announces the arrest last night of Rashad Emon Clark, aka Shagg Dogg, 33, of West Palm Beach, Florida, on federal charges.

The arrest was made at approximately 7:00 p.m. without incident in North Houston, Texas, by the FBI and members of the Human Trafficking Task Force.

There is no information as to status of his extradition to the Southern District of Florida available at this time.

The FBI was assisted in this investigation by the West Palm Beach Police Department (PD), Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the Jupiter PD.

The FBI continues its investigation.

St. Charles Man Indicted on Federal Charges of Pointing a Laser at In-Flight Aircraft

2012-02-09T15:42:00.000-08:00

ST. LOUIS—The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Brian David Monday was indicted for allegedly pointing a green laser beam into the cockpit of an airplane and a helicopter while they were in flight on November 4, 2011. The alleged incidents took place in St. Charles County.

Monday, 30, St. Charles, MO, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of interfering with an airplane and a helicopter.

If convicted, this charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

“It is important to understand that the laser is no longer a pinpoint but a bright spotlight by the time it hits an aircraft, said Thomas R. Metz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI St. Louis Division. “It interferes with the operation of an aircraft because pilots are temporarily blinded.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Allegheny County Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Body Armor

2012-02-09T15:39:00.001-08:00

PITTSBURGH, PA—A resident of Pittsburgh has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

The one-count indictment named Arthur Henderson, 38, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment, on or about Jan. 11, 2012, Henderson, after having been convicted of a crime of violence, illegally possessed body armor.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of three years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Almon S. Burke, Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ross Township Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

America's Most Wanted Fugitive Captured in Port Wentworth, GA

2012-02-09T15:37:00.000-08:00

Savannah, GA – Jennifer Segrest, on the run for the past two years, was arrested by members of the Savannah Office of the United States Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Port Wentworth Police Department and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office on February 7, 2012.

Jennifer Segrest, 38, was wanted by the Cobb County Police Department for the offenses of child molestation and enticement of a child. According to the warrant, Segrest knowingly facilitated the repeated molestation of her two minor daughters, ages five and six to a pedophile in exchange for $30,000. After an investigation into these child abuse allegations the Cob County Police Department charged Segrest with the underlying sex offenses.

The case was referred to the U.S. Marshals South East Regional Fugitive Task Force to help find this dangerous felon. An extensive investigation ensued over the last two years. Recently this case was profiled on America’s Most Wanted as early as December 2011. The segment was shown several times over the ensuing months and recently a concerned citizen provided information that lead law enforcement to an address in Port Wentworth. The Savannah Task Force with the assistance of the Port Wentworth Police Department and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office went to the address of 202 Cantyre Street, Port Wentworth and arrested Segrest without incident. Segrest was taken to the Chatham County Jail to await extradition back to Cobb County.

This case embodies the motto of the United States Marshals Service “You Can Run, But You Cannot Hide”. Through the unwavering perseverance of the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Apprehension program along with the assistance of our state and local law enforcement agencies a very dangerous and violent felon was taken off the street.

Annually, investigations carried out by the U.S. Marshals result in the apprehension of over 36, 000 federal fugitives. More federal fugitives are arrested by the Marshals Service than all other federal agencies combined. In 2011, U.S. Marshals led task forces arrested more than 86,000 state and local fugitives, which cleared over 113,000 warrants.

The Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force has three offices: Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah. The task force covers the whole state of Georgia. The Savannah Office of the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force is a team comprised of investigators from the Georgia Department of Corrections, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department, the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Department, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Department, the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Department, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department, and the United States Marshals Service. The task force objective is to seek out and arrest fugitives charged with violent crimes, drug crimes, sex offenders, and other felonies.

“Tall, Dark, and Now Handcuffed”

2012-02-08T15:54:00.000-08:00

John “Steven” Stark is in Custody

John “Steven” Stark was arrested this morning by agents of the FBI, as well as task force officers with the Beaumont Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Port Arthur Police, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. At approximately 11:15 a.m., he was arrested as he attempted to get into a taxi outside the Parkdale Mall in Beaumont, Texas.

A law enforcement hunt for Stark was initiated after a bank robbery was reported earlier at the Prosperity Bank, located at 6150 Eastex Freeway in Beaumont Texas. The bank robber fit Stark’s description and the getaway car matched the description of the vehicle Stark was believed to have been driving.

Tips from the public have helped investigators identify and charge the so-called “Tall, Dark, and Handsome Bandit” earlier this week. He was given the moniker after some witnesses described him as tall and handsome.

Stark is charged federally with bank robbery in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas. He’s charged with robbing the Bank of America, located at 2625 Calder in Beaumont, Texas, on January 30, 2012. He was also wanted for questioning in the robbery of the Comerica Bank, address 3135 Southwest Freeway in Houston, Texas, on Thursday, February 2, 2012.

During the Beaumont bank robbery, Stark is alleged to have passed a threatening note to tellers, and never spoke. In the more recent Houston robbery, the bank robber also handed a teller a threatening note which demanded money. No one was physically hurt during either robbery.

Stark was featured as a wanted fugitive on Clear Channel Outdoor digital billboards in the Houston area. Clear Channel Outdoor donated the space as a public service to the community.

San Antonio Men Sentenced in Firearms Straw Purchasing/Trafficking Investigation

2012-02-08T15:52:00.000-08:00

Firearms Were Destined for the Los Zetas Drug Trafficking Organization in Mexico

United States Attorney Robert Pitman, Special Agent in Charge Gary Orchowski, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Houston Division and Special Agent in Charge Jerry Robinette, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement–Homeland Security Investigations in San Antonio announced that two San Antonio men–23–year–old Keith Edwards and 22–year–old Ricky Gonzales–have been sentenced to 87 and 42 months in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in a firearms straw purchasing and trafficking investigation.

Edwards and Gonzalez, who were sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Del Rio, are two of 22 defendants who have pleaded guilty to federal firearms charges in connection with this investigation. The other defendants include San Antonio area residents Marino Castro, Jr., age 27; Edward Levar Davis, age 33; Jake Lee Cardenas, age 22; Ricky Castillo, age 23; Ronald Joseph Edwards, age 27; Samuel Antonio Escobar, age 23; Roxanne Bernal Guerra, age 32; Oralia Naranjo Ortega, age 45; Roxann Marie Rodriguez, age 24; Rosendo Rodriguez, Jr., age 37; Carlos Veliz, Jr., age 23; David Hance–Colon, age 25; Brittany Hernandez, age 20; Linda Luevanos Gonzalez, age 37; Joanna Elaine Flores, age 25; Crystal Marie Adame, age 20; Israel Cantu, age 31; Maria Montelongo Zavala, age 50; Jose Ytuarte, age 31; and, Antonia Naranjo Lopez, age 46.

According to court records, the defendants, under the direction of ringleaders Castro and Davis, conspired to illegally purchase firearms from San Antonio area firearms dealers. Once retrieved from straw purchasers, Castro and Davis admittedly arranged to transport the firearms to a staging location in Eagle Pass where they were to be smuggled into Mexico to members of the Los Zetas Drug Trafficking Organization. Between May 2010 and August 2010, authorities intercepted five different shipments attributed to this trafficking cell and seized over 200 firearms, including handguns, AK–47 and AR–15–style assault rifles and one .50 caliber Barrett sniper rifle.

“People who make false statements in connection with the purchase of firearms need to know two things: first, it is likely that those firearms are being used by those who eventually receive them to commit violent crimes, often against innocent victims; and two, that their role in facilitating the acquisition of firearms by criminals – even if that role is being paid a couple of hundred dollars for buying a firearm and passing it off to a middle man – will net them a federal prison sentence of up to ten years,” stated United States Attorney Robert Pitman.

To date, nine of the defendants have been sentenced to federal prison terms–14 years (Davis), 10 years (Castillo), 87 months (Edwards), 72 months (Cardenas), 57 months (Linda Gonzalez), 42 months (Ricky Gonzales), 37 months (Hance), 21 months (Ortega), and 12 months (Veliz). Marino Castro is scheduled to be sentenced at 11:00am on May 21, 2012, in Del Rio before United States District Judge Alia Moses. Antonia Lopez died of cancer prior to sentencing. Sentencings for the remaining defendants are scheduled throughout February, March and April.

“This is an example on how Federal and State agencies working together can deny the criminal element the tools of their violent trade. Lives were saved by denying the criminals hundreds of firearms,” stated Special Agent in Charge Gary Orchowski, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Houston Division.

“One of HSI’s top priorities is the dismantling of organizations involved in the smuggling of firearms to Mexican drug cartels,” said Jerry Robinette, special agent in charge for HSI in San Antonio. “The collective expertise and authorities of our law enforcement partners during this investigation significantly contributed to preventing hundreds of rifles and handguns from reaching violent criminal organizations and prosecuting those who were responsible.”

This case was investigated by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE–HSI) with assistance from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Seal is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

Baltimore County Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Threatening to Murder an ATF Task Force Officer

2012-02-08T15:00:00.000-08:00

Baltimore, Maryland — U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles sentenced Craig Allen Shepperd, age 38, of Whitehall, Maryland, today to eight years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for threatening to murder a federal law enforcement officer.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Debbie D. Bullock of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Baltimore Field Division; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; Chief John J. Hohman of the Baltimore County Fire Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

According to Shepperd’s plea agreement, the Baltimore County Police Department and ATF identified Shepperd as a primary suspect in the arson of a horse barn that had burned down at 2808 Shepperd Road in Monkton, Maryland on August 26, 2010.

On March 8, 2011, a Baltimore County detective and an ATF Task Force officer (TFO) went to the Baltimore County Detention Center where Shepperd had been detained to serve a state indictment on Shepperd, charging him with arson. Shepperd became very agitated and stated that he was a marksman and a very good hunter. Shepperd said that he would shoot the TFO in the head, and that when he got out of jail, he would meet the TFO at a restaurant and neither of them would come out alive. Shepperd held his hand up imitating a pistol, pointed directly at the TFO and motioned as if pulling a trigger. Shepperd also stated that he was going to create a scene and when the TFO responded, Shepperd would be waiting in the woods to shoot the TFO in the head.

The TFO identified himself as a Federal Task Officer and Shepperd stated that he already knew that. The TFO had been appointed as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal and Task Force Officer with ATF since 2009.

Investigators also obtained recordings of conversations Shepperd had with an individual and his father in which Shepperd repeats and confirms his threats to murder the TFO.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the ATF, Baltimore County Police Department, Baltimore County Fire Department and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney A. David Copperthite, who prosecuted the case.

CBP Officers at the Peace Bridge Arrest Imposter

2012-02-08T14:58:00.000-08:00

Buffalo, N.Y. - U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Field Operations announced the arrest of a citizen of Nigeria on charges of false claim to United States citizenship and misuse of a passport.

On February 2, CBP officers encountered a male at the Peace Bridge border crossing in Buffalo, N.Y. The subject presented a valid United States passport and claimed that he was a United States citizen. CBP officers referred the subject and his vehicle for a secondary inspection.

During secondary inspection, the subject’s fingerprints were taken and confirmed his true identity as Olabimpi Olejiya, a 31-year-old citizen of Nigeria. During an interview, Olejiya admitted his true identity and that he was acting as an imposter due to being wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Olejiya is wanted out of Arlington,Virginia, as a bail absconder for removing his ankle bracelet.

Olejiya was arrested by CBP officers and was arraigned in federal court on February 6 on charges of false claim to United States citizenship and misuse of a passport. Once proceedings are completed in Buffalo, Olejiya will be extradited to Arlington to face his bail-absconding charge.

U.S. and Chinese Defendants Charged with Economic Espionage and Theft of Trade Secrets in Connection with Conspiracy to Sell Trade Secrets to Chinese Companies

2012-02-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

U.S. Citizens Alleged to Have Conveyed Valuable DuPont Technology to Companies Controlled by the Government of the People’s Republic of China

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury in San Francisco has charged five individuals and five companies with economic espionage and theft of trade secrets for their roles in a long-running effort to obtain U.S. trade secrets for the benefit of companies controlled by the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), announced U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag; Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Department of Justice; and Stephanie Douglas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Francisco Division.

According to the superseding indictment, the government of the PRC identified as a priority the development of chloride-route titanium dioxide (TiO2) production capabilities. TiO2 is a commercially valuable white pigment with numerous uses, including coloring paint, plastics and paper. To achieve that goal, companies controlled by the PRC government, specifically the Pangang Group companies named in the superseding indictment, and employees of those companies conspired and attempted to illegally obtain TiO2 technology that had been developed over many years of research and development by E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (DuPont).

According to the superseding indictment, the Pangang Group companies were aided in their efforts by individuals in the United States who had obtained TiO2 trade secrets and were willing to sell those secrets for significant sums of money. Defendants Walter Liew, Christina Liew, Robert Maegerle and Tze Chao obtained and possessed TiO2 trade secrets belonging to DuPont. Each of these individuals allegedly sold information containing DuPont TiO2 trade secrets to the Pangang Group companies for the purpose of helping those companies develop large-scale chloride route TiO2 production capability in the PRC, including a planned 100,000 ton TiO2 factory at Chongqing, PRC.

According to the superseding indictment, the Liews, USA Performance Technology Inc. (USAPTI), and one of its predecessor companies, Performance Group, entered into contracts worth in excess of $20 million to convey TiO2 trade secret technology to Pangang Group companies. The Liews allegedly received millions of dollars of proceeds from these contracts. The proceeds were wired through the United States, Singapore and ultimately back into several bank accounts in the PRC in the names of relatives of Christina Liew.

The five individuals charged in the indictment are:

•Walter Lian-Heen Liew, aka “Liu Yuanxuan,” 54, of Orinda, Calif. Mr. Liew is a naturalized U.S. citizen and co-owner of USAPTI. Mr. Liew is charged with conspiracy to commit economic espionage, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets, attempted economic espionage, attempted theft of trade secrets, possession of trade secrets, conveying trade secrets, conspiracy to obstruct justice, witness tampering, conspiracy to tamper with evidence and false statements. Mr. Liew was charged in August 2011 with obstruction of justice and making false statements to the FBI. He was arrested at that time and has been ordered detained pending trial based on a finding by Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins that he is a flight risk. Mr. Liew’s next scheduled court appearance is before the Honorable Jeffrey S. White on Feb. 9, 2012, at 2:00 pm.

•Christina Hong Qiao Liew, aka “Qiao Hong,” 49, of Orinda. Mrs. Liew is a naturalized U.S. citizen and co-owner with her husband, Walter Liew, of USAPTI. Mrs. Liew is charged with conspiracy to commit economic espionage, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets, attempted economic espionage, attempted theft of trade secrets, witness tampering, conspiracy to tamper with evidence and false statements. Mrs. Liew also was charged in August 2011 with obstruction of justice and making false statements to the FBI. She was released by the court on conditions that include travel restrictions and electronic monitoring. Mrs. Liew’s next scheduled court appearance is before the Honorable Jeffrey S. White on Feb. 9, 2012, at 2:00 pm.
•Hou Shengdong, 42, a citizen of the PRC. Hou was the vice director of the Chloride Process TiO2 Project Department for the Pangang Group Titanium Industry Company Ltd. According to the superseding indictment, Hou and other Pangang Group employees requested DuPont blueprints as a condition of working on the Pangang Group project. Hou is charged with conspiracy to commit economic espionage, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets and attempted economic espionage. A warrant has been issued for Hou’s arrest.
•Robert Maegerle, 76, of Harbeson, Del. Maegerle was employed by DuPont as an engineer from 1956 to 1991. According to the superseding indictment, Maegerle had access to DuPont TiO2 trade secrets, including specific information regarding DuPont’s TiO2 facility at Kwan Yin, Taiwan. Maegerle is charged with conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets, attempted theft of trade secrets, conveying trade secrets and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Maegerle was arrested this morning in Harbeson.
•Tze Chao, 77, of Newark, Del. Chao was employed by DuPont from 1966 to 2002. Chao is charged with conspiracy to commit economic espionage. Chao was served with a summons to appear in court in San Francisco on March 1, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. for arraignment on the superseding indictment.

The superseding indictment also names five companies as defendants:

•Pangang Group Company Ltd. Pangang Group is a state-owned enterprise controlled by the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the PRC State Council and located in Sichuan Province, PRC.

•Pangang Group Steel Vanadium & Titanium Company Ltd. (PGSVTC). PGSVTC is a subsidiary of the Pangang Group.
•Pangang Group Titanium Industry Company Ltd. Pangang Group Titanium is a subsidiary of PGSVTC and was the entity directly responsible for constructing the 100,000 ton chloride-route TiO2 factory at Chongqing, PRC. Pangang Group Titanium entered into an agreement with USAPTI in 2009 under which USAPTI conveyed DuPont TiO2 technology to Pangang Group Titanium and its employees.
•Pangang Group International Economic & Trading Co. (PIETC). PIETC is a subsidiary of PGSVTC and is responsible for financial matters related to the construction of the Chongqing TiO2 factory. PIETC signed a 2009 agreement with USAPTI under which DuPont technology was transferred.
•USA Performance Technology Inc. (USAPTI). USAPTI is an Oakland, Calif.-based engineering consulting company owned and operated by Walter and Christina Liew. According to the superseding indictment, USAPTI succeeded two other companies owned by the Liews – Performance Group USA and LH Performance – which also were used in the conspiracy to convey DuPont trade secrets to PRC-based companies.

Each of the five corporate defendants named in the superseding indictment are charged with conspiracy to commit economic espionage, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets and attempted economic espionage. Summonses were issued to each corporate defendant requiring them to appear in court in San Francisco on March 1, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. for arraignment on the superseding indictment.

DuPont is a company based in Wilmington, Del., that manufactures a wide variety of products, including TiO2. DuPont invented the chloride-route process for manufacturing TiO2 in the late-1940s and since then has invested heavily in research and development to improve that production process. The global titanium dioxide market has been valued at roughly $12 billion, and DuPont has the largest share of that market.

The chloride-route process is more efficient and cleaner than the sulfate-route process prevalent in the PRC. The superseding indictment alleges that the object of the defendants’ conspiracy was to convey DuPont’s secret chloride-route technology to the PRC companies for the purpose of building modern TiO2 production facilities in the PRC without investing in time-consuming and expensive research and development.

DuPont reported information to the FBI that its TiO2 trade secrets had been misappropriated. The FBI opened an investigation in March 2011.

“As today’s case demonstrates, technology developed by U.S. companies is vulnerable to concerted efforts by competitors – both at home and abroad – to steal that technology,” said U.S. Attorney Haag. “Fighting economic espionage and trade secret theft is one of the top priorities of this Office and we will aggressively pursue anyone, anywhere who attempts to steal valuable information from the United States.”

Assistant Attorney General Monaco said, “The theft of America’s trade secrets for the benefit of China and other nations poses a substantial and continuing threat to our economic and national security, and we are committed to holding accountable anyone who robs American businesses of their hard-earned research. I thank the agents and prosecutors who helped bring about this important case.”

FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Stephanie Douglas stated, “The conduct alleged in the superseding indictment reveals a methodical effort by foreign interests to misappropriate valuable U.S. technology by using individuals operating within our borders. The goal of this scheme was to obtain the benefit of research and development investments by U.S. companies, without making the same investment of time and money. This is not only unfair, but it does great damage to the U.S. economy and as a result undercuts on national security. The FBI is committed to rooting out commercial espionage that puts U.S. companies at a disadvantage in the global market.”

The maximum statutory penalty for each of the charges alleged in the superseding indictment is as follows:

•Count One, conspiracy to commit economic espionage: 15 years in prison, $500,000 fine and restitution. The fine for an organizational defendant is not more than the greatest of $10,000,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss.

•Count Two, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets: 10 years in prison, $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss, and restitution. The fine for an organizational defendant is not more than the greatest of $5,000,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss.

•Count Three, attempted economic espionage: 15 years in prison, $500,000 fine and restitution. The fine for an organizational defendant is not more than the greatest of $10,000,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss.
•Count Four, attempted economic espionage: 15 years in prison, $500,000 fine and restitution. The fine for an organizational defendant is not more than the greatest of $10,000,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss.
•Count Five, attempted theft of trade secrets: 10 years in prison, $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss, and restitution. The fine for an organizational defendant is not more than the greatest of $5,000,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss.
•Counts Six and Seven, possession of trade secrets: 10 years in prison, $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss, and restitution. The fine for an organizational defendant is not more than the greatest of $5,000,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss.
•Count Eight, conveying trade secrets: 10 years in prison, $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss, and restitution. The fine for an organizational defendant is not more than the greatest of $5,000,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss.
•Count Nine, possession of trade secrets: 10 years in prison, $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss, and restitution. The fine for an organizational defendant is not more than the greatest of $5,000,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss.
•Count 10, conspiracy to tamper with witnesses and evidence: 20 years in prison, $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss, and restitution.
•Counts 11 and 12, witness tampering: 20 years in prison, $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss, and restitution.
•Count 13, conspiracy to tamper with evidence: 20 years in prison, $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss, and restitution.
•Count 14, false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch: five years in prison, $250,000 fine, and restitution.

The case is being prosecuted by the Special Prosecutions and National Security Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Francisco, and the Counterespionage Section of the U.S. Department of Justice. The investigation, which is ongoing, is being conducted by the FBI.

Please note, an indictment contains only allegations and, as in all cases, the defendants must be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

FBI Top Stories: Protecting Civil Rights, Part 2

2012-02-07T20:42:00.000-08:00

Closing a Memphis Murder Case

Continued from Part 1

Mickey Wright, a 46-year-old devoted father of five, was a code enforcement officer for the city of Memphis, Tennessee. “One day he went to work,” said Special Agent Tracey Harris, “and he never came home.”

During a routine stop at an auto repair business in 2001, Wright was murdered—“just because he was black,” Harris said.

The Mickey Wright case outraged the Memphis community and illustrates not only how emotionally charged civil rights cases can be, said Harris, but how difficult they are to investigate and prosecute.

Wright went missing on April 17, 2001. Two days later, his work identification badge and other personal items were found in a ditch about 20 miles outside of Memphis. Ten days after his disappearance, Wright’s burned code enforcement truck was discovered in a Mississippi field.

Suspicion fell on Dale Mardis, a gun dealer who owned the property where the auto repair shop was located. But it would be three years after the killing before Mardis was charged by the state of Tennessee with second-degree murder. In 2007, he was allowed to plead no contest—acknowledging that the state had enough evidence to convict him but not having to admit guilt in the murder. He began serving a 15-year sentence.

“This was a very public case,” Harris said, “and there was a public outcry when Mardis entered his plea and only got 15 years. Mickey Wright’s body was still missing, and many believed this was a hate crime—a far more serious offense than the second-degree murder charge.”

On behalf of Wright’s family, a local official asked the FBI to investigate the case as a civil rights matter. With Mardis in jail, some of the witnesses who had earlier perjured themselves during the state proceedings felt more comfortable telling the truth, Harris said. “And we located new witnesses whom Mardis had told about the crime.”

In 2008, federal prosecutors charged Mardis with the racially motivated killing of Wright. That April day when Wright stopped at the auto repair shop, Mardis became incensed and shot him. Federal prosecutors said Mardis often fought with code enforcement inspectors, especially if they were black. Mardis later admitted to burning the body with diesel fuel in a 55-gallon drum.

During the FBI investigation, Harris said, a witness also implicated Mardis in another murder, to which he also pled guilty. Last July, 10 years after Mickey Wright’s murder, Mardis was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole—and he finally admitted publicly to the hate crime he committed.

“It really meant a lot when we were able to get that guilty plea and life sentence,” said Jonathan Skrmetti, an assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the case. “Mickey Wright’s family was there with us in the courtroom, and we were able to explain to them that this man would never again be out on the streets and that no other families would face the risks that they had suffered, losing a loved one for no good reason.”

“This case was personally very rewarding,” Harris added, “but more importantly it was good for the community. People were angered by this case, and together with the U.S. Attorney’s office, we helped restore the public’s faith in the criminal justice system. That’s a very good feeling.”

Hanford Man and Nuestra Familia Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Distribution Charge

2012-02-07T20:35:00.000-08:00

FRESNO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Leonard Luera, 24, of Hanford, pleaded guilty today to unlawful use of a telephone in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Kings County Narcotic Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Justice Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, working closely with the local agencies of Hanford Police Department, Lemoore Police Department, Corcoran Police Department, Kings County Sheriff’s Office, Visalia Police Department, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol. The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Marshals Service provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly Sanchez and Kathleen Servatius are prosecuting the case.

According to court documents, between December 2009 and June 2010, Luera was a member of Nuestra Familia (NF) in Kings County, and helped to distribute methamphetamine and collected proceeds from methamphetamine sales transacted by other NF members and associates. The NF obtained large shipments of methamphetamine such as a 10-pound shipment on May 3, 2010 and a 20-pound shipment on June 2, 2010. These shipments were distributed by the NF throughout California and elsewhere. According to the plea agreement, Luera used his phone to speak with Richard Antonio Salas on multiple occasions, facilitating the distribution of the methamphetamine.

Besides Luera, Salas, and 42 others have been charged in this case. The charges against them are pending they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Luera is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, 2012 by United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill. The maximum statutory penalty for the charge is four years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 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.

Yuma Border Patrol Agents Seize Marijuana Worth $229K; Arrest Armed Suspects

2012-02-07T19:52:00.000-08:00

Yuma, Ariz. – U.S. Border Patrol agents from Yuma Sector seized $229,000 worth of marijuana and arrested two armed suspects during three incidents over the weekend.

On Friday, agents assigned to Camp Grip, Yuma Sector’s forward operating base, found footprints indicating a group of individuals had crossed into the United States illegally. Agents tracked the footprints and found three suspects carrying backpacks filled with more than 100 pounds of marijuana. The marijuana, valued at nearly $137,000, was seized for destruction. The subjects were arrested and processed for removal.

Later that night, Wellton Station agents patrolling 10 miles south of Gila Bend detected two individuals traveling on foot through the desert. Agents apprehended the pair and discovered they were armed with a .38-caliber handgun, a BB pistol resembling a firearm, and a knife with brass knuckles attached. The suspects also were in possession of 3.29 grams of methamphetamine, a glass pipe (drug paraphernalia), $1,992 cash, camouflage clothing and .223-caliber ammunition. The suspects, weapons and all property were turned over to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On Saturday, Wellton Station agents patrolling nine miles south of I-8 and Spot Road detected footprints of a group traveling north. Agents followed the footprints and located four abandoned backpacks filled with 185 pounds of marijuana. After securing the narcotics, agents continued tracking the footprints and arrested four individuals. The marijuana, worth $92,600, was seized for destruction. The subjects were arrested and processed for removal.

Three Men Sentenced for Attempting to Intimidate African-american Students at a Louisiana Middle School

2012-02-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that three men were sentenced for a federal hate crime stemming from an incident that took place at Beekman Junior High School in Beekman, Morehouse Parish, La. U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Hayes sentenced James Lee Wallis Jr. to eight months in prison, Tony L. Johnson to six months in prison and Brian Wallis to five months in prison. All three defendants will also receive one year of supervised release and must attend a cultural diversity and sensitivity program.

On Aug. 12, 2011, defendant Johnson pleaded guilty to intentionally attempting to intimidate and interfere with African-American students who were attending Beekman Junior High School. Brothers Brian Wallis, 21, and James Lee Wallis Jr., 25, pleaded guilty to the same offense on Sept. 2, 2011. During their respective plea hearings, all three defendants admitted that they hung a dead raccoon in a noose from a flagpole located in front of Beekman Junior High School. They each further admitted that they were angered by the school’s new busing policy, which had increased the number of African-American children attending the school, and that they wanted to scare the African-American children into leaving the school.

“Every child, regardless of race, is entitled to an education free from intimidation or discrimination,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “Unfortunately, acts of hate such as this one are all too common in this country in 2012. The Justice Department will continue to enforce our nation’s civil rights laws in order to protect the most vulnerable in our society.”

“There is no place in our schools for this kind of intimidation,” said Stephanie A. Finley, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. “Every child has the right to an education and to feel safe in school. I hope this case sends a message that this type of activity will not be taken lightly.”

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Mark Blumberg and Trial Attorney Christine M. Siscaretti of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick for the Western District of Louisiana.

Arrest Made in Bank of the West Robbery in Albuquerque

2012-02-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

Anthony Roy Campos, 32, of Albuquerque, has been arrested in connection with the robbery Monday (2/6/2012) of Bank of the West, 780 Juan Tabo Blvd NE, near Lomas Boulevard NE, Albuquerque.

Campos is expected to appear in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque on Tuesday.

Witnesses say a man entered the bank at about 12:20 p.m. and gave a teller a note that demanded cash.

The suspect left the bank with an undisclosed amount of money.

Albuquerque Police Officers arrested Campos a short time later.

Charges in criminal complaints and indictments are only accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Wanted by the FBI: John “Steven” Stark, aka “Tall, Dark, and Handsome Bandit”

2012-02-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

Robber Identified and Charged, but Remains a Fugitive; Subject Linked to Robberies in Houston and Beaumont

Tips from the public have helped investigators identify and charge the so called “Tall, Dark, and Handsome Bandit.” Now the FBI needs your help in locating fugitive John “Steven” Stark.

Stark is charged federally with bank robbery in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas. He’s charged with robbing the Bank of America, located at 2625 Calder in Beaumont, Texas, on January 30, 2012. He is also wanted for questioning in the robbery of the Comerica Bank, address 3135 Southwest Freeway in Houston, Texas, on Thursday, February 2, 2012.

Stark goes by Steven Stark. He is a white male, 46 years old, 6’ tall, and weighs approximately 230 pounds. He was last known to be driving a silver 2006 Toyota Corolla four-door sedan bearing Texas license plate 699XPW. His last known address was located in Liberty County, Texas. He is also known to have friends and associates in the Beaumont and Houston, Texas areas.

Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the location and arrest of Stark. If you have information about Stark, please call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 713-222-TIPS (8477), or the Houston office of the FBI at 713-693-5000.

Stark is currently being featured as a wanted fugitive on Clear Channel Outdoor digital billboards in the Houston area. Clear Channel Outdoor donated the space as a public service to the community.

Possession of Sawed Off Shotguns Earns Felon Ten Years in Prison

2012-02-07T16:27:00.001-08:00

Tampa, Florida — U.S. Attorney Robert E. O’Neill announces that U.S. District Judge Susan Bucklew yesterday sentenced Dwain Denorris Wallace, III (40, Tampa) to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of two short–barreled shotguns. The court also ordered Wallace to forfeit both guns and the ammunition.

On October 4, 2011, a federal jury found Wallace guilty. According to testimony and evidence presented in court, on the night of March 25, 2011, Wallace was stalking his ex–girlfriend and had taken her car from her and refused to return it. At approximately 8:40 p.m. that night, Wallace found her at a relative’s residence and began to argue with her. During the argument, Wallace pointed a loaded, 12–gauge Winchester sawed–off shotgun at her. Upon seeing the gun, two 911 calls were made to the Tampa Police Department (TPD). Wallace fled the scene before officers arrived. Within the hour, Wallace again found his ex–girlfriend. She and her daughter were setting up for a party inside a local club. Wallace confronted his ex–girlfriend inside the club. A family member called 911.

Wallace attempted to leave the scene as the police arrived, and a pursuit ensued. He was apprehended in the vicinity of the club. Officers recovered a Winchester sawed–off shotgun nearby, which was loaded with three rounds of 12–gauge ammunition. Upon searching the vehicle, officers found an extremely short sawed–off Ithaca 20–gauge shotgun with a spent shell in the chamber, three more rounds of 12–gauge ammunition in a duffel bag on the passenger seat, and a baseball bat on the floor of the backseat.

Prior to March 2011, Wallace had been convicted of five state felonies, including attempted second degree murder for shooting his uncle.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo.

It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program – a nationwide, gun–violence reduction strategy led by ATF. United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill, along with Virginia O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Oklahoma Man Sentenced for Kidnapping and Robbery

2012-02-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

Carey L. Breshers, 52, of Oklahoma, was sentenced on February 6, 2012, to 293 months’ imprisonment on each of two counts of kidnapping, and 240 months’ imprisonment for interference with commerce by robbery, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Breshers was also sentenced to five years’ supervised release to follow imprisonment, a $300 special assessment, and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $44,618.50. The terms of imprisonment were ordered to run concurrently with each other, but consecutively to a sentence of 121 months’ imprisonment imposed on Breshers by a federal district court in Kansas, for a total sentence of 24 years and five months.

According to court documents, on October 26, 2010, at around 10:00 a.m., Breshers walked into World Finance in O’Fallon, Illinois, and held two female employees at gunpoint while questioning them about their personal checking accounts, finances, and vehicles, as well as the location of the bank for the business. He eventually made one of the employees write a company check for $3,000. Breshers then told the women to leave their cell phones, lock the business, and come with him. He directed one of the employees to drive her car and forced the other to get in the backseat with him.

Breshers directed the women to attempt to cash the check at the O’Fallon branch of Regions Bank. After two unsuccessful attempts to cash the check, Breshers ordered the women back to World Finance, where he took $1,104 from the business. Breshers then forced the employees to drive him to St. Louis. During the drive, Breshers removed the firearm from his pocket and fiddled with it. He told the women that he had committed a similar crime in Oklahoma, and that he had safely released the victim in that situation. Breshers made the women take the exit at I-44 and Jefferson, and drive around the back of an abandoned building, where he released them. He left in the employee’s car which was later found at a Metro Link station in Missouri. Breshers was arrested on October 31, 2010, in Topeka, Kansas, after committing the federal offense of interference with commerce by robbery, and found to be in possession of the firearm used in the kidnappings and robbery in the Southern District of Illinois. He has been in custody since his Kansas arrest.

The case was investigated by the O’Fallon Police Department, the FBI, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.

FBI and San Diego Police Seek Public’s Assistance to Identify Bank of America Bank Robber

2012-02-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

The FBI and San Diego Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance to identify the unknown male responsible for robbing the Bank of America, located at 4319 Camino de la Plaza, San Diego, California, on Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

On Tuesday, January 31, 2012, at approximately 10:02 a.m., the Bank of America, located at 4319 de la Plaza, San Diego, California, was robbed by an unknown male using a demand note. The robber entered the bank and stood in the teller line for approximately two minutes. Once at the teller counter, the robber presented a demand note for cash and threatened to have a weapon. The robber kept his left hand in his left jacket pocket simulating he had a gun in his pocket. After receiving a sum of money the robber walked out of the bank.

Witnesses describe the robber as follows:

Sex: Male

Race: Hispanic
Age: Approximately 35 to 40 years old
Height: Approximately 5’8”-5’9”tall
Weight: Approximately 185 lbs.
Build: Medium-heavy
Eyes: Unknown
Complexion: Dark
Hair/Coloring: Unknown
Clothing: Black hat with an unknown symbol on the front, dark sunglasses, black tee shirt with white logo, black zip-up jacket, blue jeans, black tennis shoes with white soles

Anyone with information concerning this robbery is asked to contact the FBI at telephone number (858) 565-1255 (san.diego@ic.fbi.gov) or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-TIPS (8477).You may remain anonymous by calling the FBI or Crime Stoppers.

Cold Case Homicide Arrest

2012-02-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

The Albuquerque Police Department released the following statement.

On August 4, 1987, the body of 37-year-old Diedre Brewington was located in her apartment on Coal Avenue SW. Investigation determined she had been shot to death. APD detectives learned Diedre was separated from her husband, 43-year-old Ronald A. Brewington, and she intended to divorce him. Investigators determined that there was probable cause to arrest Mr. Brewington for the murder of his wife and an arrest warrant was obtained. However, Mr. Brewington had already fled New Mexico and could not be located. In April, 1988, the Bernalillo County grand jury indicted Mr. Brewington for first-degree murder in the death of Diedre and a bench warrant was issued. Mr. Brewington has eluded capture on this charge and has been a fugitive for almost 25 years.

Last fall, the Albuquerque Police Department’s Cold Case Unit began a follow up investigation of this murder and began trying to locate Mr. Brewington. A collaborative multi-agency investigation took place. Detectives tracked Mr. Brewington and learned he has used many aliases and has resided in many locations across the U.S. during the past 25 years. Through investigation, the alias Mr. Brewington is currently using was learned.

With the assistance of the Albuquerque office of the FBI, the San Francisco Office of the FBI, Oakland Police Department, San Francisco Police Department and the U.S. Marshals, Mr. Brewington was tracked to the San Francisco Bay Area. Each agency was very involved and instrumental in this investigation. An Albuquerque Police Department Cold Case detective and other law enforcement officers travelled to the Bay Area to conduct additional investigation.

The Albuquerque Police Department officers who traveled to the Bay Area reported today that Mr. Brewington has been successfully taken into custody.

APD would like to thank the Albuquerque Office of the FBI, the San Francisco Office of the FBI, Oakland Police Department, San Francisco Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals for their assistance with this investigation. The cooperation between these agencies was nothing short of amazing and this shows the dedication of these law enforcement agencies and how they will never stop investigating cold cases and tracking down wanted fugitives.

HSI Nogales Special Agent Pleads Guilty to Obstruction and Other Federal Violations

2012-02-07T15:07:00.000-08:00

TUCSON, AZ—On February 1, 2012, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Jovana Deas, 33, of Rio Rico, Ariz., entered a guilty plea before visiting United States Magistrate Judge E.S. Swearingen to all 21 counts of an indictment.

At the change of plea hearing, Deas admitted to abusing her position as an HSI special agent to illegally obtain and disseminate government documents classified as Official Use Only. Some of the sensitive information Deas unlawfully accessed was later discovered on a laptop computer of her former brother-in-law by law enforcement in Brazil. Her brother-in-law is associated with a drug trafficking organization in Mexico, which has ties to drug traffickers in Brazil. Deas further admitted that she illegally accessed, stole, and transferred sensitive U.S. government documents to unauthorized individuals, and that she obstructed HSI investigations. Deas also admitted that she lied to an HSI special agent when asked why she was making computer inquiries about a specific person who was a target of another agent.

Deas’ guilty plea included a total of seven felony violations, each punishable by up to five years in prison, and 14 misdemeanors, each punishable by up to one year in prison.

Deas became a U.S. government employee in June, 2003, as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer assigned to the Nogales, Ariz. port of entry. In 2008, she became an HSI special agent assigned to the HSI Nogales office.

The indictment to which Deas pleaded guilty also charges her sister, Dana Maria Samaniego Montes, 40, of Agua Prieta, Mexico with violations of federal law. Samaniego Montes is a fugitive believed to be residing in Mexico. She is a former Mexican law enforcement official with alleged ties to drug trafficking organizations.

Deas is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2012, before United States District Court Judge Cindy Jorgenson.

The investigation of Deas was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and ICE Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) agents at the FBI’s Southern Arizona Corruption Task Force (SACTF). SACTF agents were assisted in this investigation by agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Department’s Consular Integrity Division, and the Brazilian Federal Police. The prosecution of Deas is being handled by James T. Lacey, an assistant U.S. attorney in Tucson.

CBP Officers in Nogales Nab Homicide Suspect

2012-02-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Nogales, AZ. — Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Tucson Field Office arrested a 46-year-old Iraqi national yesterday wanted for murder in Louisville, Ky.

The man was attempting to enter the United States through a pedestrian lane at the Dennis DeConcini Port when officers referred him for additional questioning.

He then told officers he wanted to surrender in connection to an outstanding arrest warrant. A routine records check confirmed his identity and that he was wanted by Louisville Metro Police on charges for homicide, domestic violence, assault, 1st degree domestic violence, burglary, 1st degree tampering with physical evidence, and violation of an emergency protective order/domestic violence order. The subject was immediately taken into custody, processed and turned over to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department.

Individuals arrested are charged with a criminal complaint, which raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.

Border Patrol Arrests Eight Dangerous Criminals

2012-02-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Tucson, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended eight illegal aliens with criminal histories during the weekend.

Agents assigned to the Naco Station arrested two Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States on Friday in separate incidents. Record checks revealed both men were Sureño gang members with prior arrests – one for forgery, the other for arson and battery with bodily harm. Both men are now facing federal charges.

Also on Friday, Douglas agents apprehended a male Mexican national illegally present in the United States who had a prior arrest in California for child cruelty. He faces federal charges.

Douglas agents apprehended a Mexican national who had illegally entered the United States on Saturday. Record checks revealed an extensive criminal history including domestic violence and burglary. He now faces prosecution.

In separate incidents Sunday, Douglas agents apprehended two Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States. Record checks revealed one man was previously arrested for kidnapping for ransom/hostage and a conviction for driving under the influence. The other man was previously arrested for sexual assault, burglary and domestic assault. Both men face federal charges.

Also on Sunday, agents assigned to the Casa Grande Station apprehended two men – one from Mexico, the other from El Salvador – for illegally entering the United States. The Mexican national admitted to having affiliations with the Sureño 13 gang. Records checks revealed the El Salvadorian has an active warrant from 1999 issued by the Division of Parole in Albany, NY, for parole violation-felony robbery. Both men are facing prosecution.

The Tucson Sector Border Patrol is committed to keeping dangerous criminals from entering our communities. All individuals apprehended undergo a criminal history check using the Integrated Automated Fingerprints Identification System, allowing agents to quickly identify and classify violent criminals and wanted persons.

Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling (877) 872-7435 toll free.

El Centro Border Patrol Nabs Drug Smugglers

2012-02-06T15:55:00.000-08:00

Imperial County, CA. – Earlier this week, U.S. Border Patrol agents from the El Centro Sector arrested a 56 and 54-year-old male attempting to smuggle marijuana through the Highway 111 and Highway 86 Checkpoints.

The first incident occurred after Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio station conducted a search of a tractor-trailer at the Highway 111 Checkpoint near Niland, Calif. During the search, agents discovered two sealed containers containing packages of marijuana. The marijuana weighed approximately 155 pounds and was given an estimated street value of $123,000.

The driver was arrested and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration along with the tractor-trailer and marijuana.

That same day, Border Patrol agents at the Highway 86 Checkpoint near Westmorland, Calif. discovered 17 brick-like bundles of marijuana in an a hidden compartment inside a Isuzu SUV. The marijuana weighed approximately 33 pounds and was given an estimated value of $26,560.

The driver was arrested and turned over to the Imperial County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Task Force.

'Coyote' Found Guilty of Smuggling

2012-02-06T15:53:00.001-08:00

Sentencing Scheduled for April 2012

Tucson, Ariz. – A 26-year-old Mexican national was convicted in U.S. District Court Wednesday on three counts of smuggling aliens for private financial gain.

In November 2011, Casa Grande Border Patrol agents discovered several footprints after responding to detection technology while patrolling in the west desert. Agents tracked the footprints for several miles before encountering a group of individuals who had entered the United States illegally. All subjects were apprehended and transported to Casa Grande Station for processing.

During processing, agents identified one of the subjects, Berlain Galvez-Lopez, aka “El Chato,” as the foot guide, or “coyote.” A records check also revealed Galvez-Lopez had two prior immigration removals. After initial processing, the Tucson Sector’s Prosecution Unit submitted the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Galvez-Lopez’s sentencing is set for April 12. CBP is committed to ensuring that smugglers are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

CBP welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling (877) 872-7435 toll free.

Marin Man Sentenced to 96 Months for Possession of Child Pornography

2012-02-06T15:35:00.000-08:00

San Rafael Psychologist and Founder of Independent Learning Schools Ordered to Pay $50,000 to National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

SAN FRANCISCO—Donald Tosti was sentenced Feb. 2, 2012, to eight years in prison and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution for possessing child pornography, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.

Tosti was convicted on Sept. 14, 2011, on two charges of possessing child pornography. During the trial, evidence showed that Tosti was found to possess child pornography after taking his computer to CompUSA for repair. A search of Tosti’s home and office revealed a large collection of child pornography, including depictions of the rape of very young children. In sentencing Tosti, United States District Court Judge Jeffrey S. White emphasized the size of his collection and the graphic and extreme nature of the child pornography images as aggravating factors in imposing his sentence.

Tosti, 76, of San Rafael, Calif., was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 6, 2009, with one count of possession of child pornography. A second charge was added by the grand jury on Nov. 24, 2010, based on additional child pornography found after Tosti’s arrest.

The sentence was handed down by Judge White following a bench trial on two counts in violation of Title 18, United States Code, section 2252(a)(4)(B). Judge White also sentenced the defendant to a five-year period of supervised release and ordered him to pay $50,000 in restitution to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The defendant is scheduled to begin serving the sentence on April 2, 2011.

Owen Martikan is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the case with the assistance of Rosario Calderon. The prosecution is the result of a four-year investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the San Rafael Police Department.

Enrichment Federal Credit Union Robbery Suspect Arrested

2012-02-06T15:32:00.001-08:00

The Knoxville Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Chief David Rausch of the Knoxville Police Department (KPD) announce the arrest of Daniel E. Lopez, age 39, of Knoxville, Tennessee. At approximately 5:00 p.m. yesterday, Lopez was arrested, without incident, by members of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force (which consists of personnel from the FBI, KPD, and KCSO) and the KPD’s Organized Crime Unit. Lopez is facing a federal charge for bank robbery. He is suspected of robbing the Enrichment Federal Credit Union in Knoxville, Tennessee on 02/01/2012. This matter was a joint investigation of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the KPD Major Crimes Unit.

All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Robbery of Chase Bank Branch in Chicago

2012-02-06T14:57:00.000-08:00

The Chase Bank branch located at 4854 West Irving Park Road in Chicago, was robbed today by two men of an undisclosed amount of cash. An alert witness obtained a description of the getaway vehicle, which was stopped a short distance away by Chicago Police officers on routine patrol.

A total of five people, three of which were in the waiting car, are in custody, but no charges have yet been filed as the robbery is still under investigation.

The two men who actually entered the bank today are also suspected of robbing the Chase Bank branch, located at 1230 North Milwaukee, on two prior occasions. Photos of one of the robbers are available on the Bandit Tracker website, www.bandittrackerchicago.com, as featured robber number two.

No injuries were reported during today’s incident.

Additional information will be released when available.

Immigration judge orders Liberian human rights violator removed based on his use of child soldiers

2012-02-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

First time ICE has used the recruitment and use of child soldiers charge

WASHINGTON — An immigration judge in Batavia, N.Y., earlier today ordered removed from the United States the former leader of the Liberian Peace Council (LPC) for his role in human rights abuses committed during the Liberian civil war in the 1990s. This is the first time in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) history that an individual has been charged under the Immigration and Nationality Act's recruitment and use of child soldiers ground of inadmissibility.

George Saigbe Boley, 62, of Hilton, N.Y., the leader of LPC during the Liberian civil war, was found by an immigration judge to be removable from the United States. Boley's case represents the first removal order obtained by ICE under the authorities of the Child Soldiers Accountability Act of 2008, which added the recruitment and use of child soldiers as a ground of inadmissibility to and deportability from the United States. The immigration judge also found Boley inadmissible based upon the government's charge of commission of extrajudicial killings in Liberia in the 1990s and that Boley had abandoned his lawful permanent resident status.

"This historic immigration judge's ruling is the culmination of extensive efforts by Homeland Security Investigations special agents and ICE attorneys to bring George Boley to justice for his crimes," said ICE Director John Morton. "The United States has always been a place of refuge and freedom from oppression for millions. We must ensure that those who come here seeking freedom and the rule of law do not have to fear that their persecutor may become their neighbor."

Various organizations have reported that the LPC engaged in serious human rights abuses against the civilian population. The 1995 United States Department of State report on Human Rights Practices in Liberia documented credible reports that Boley authorized the extrajudicial executions of seven of his soldiers on Nov. 14, 1995. According to witnesses who testified before Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 1994, the LPC burned dozens of captives and village inhabitants accused of witchcraft activities in a Liberian village. Other TRC witnesses also testified that in 1995, the LPC massacred 27 inhabitants in an attack on a village - ordering them to lie down before they slit their throats with cutlasses and raping the women before they killed them.

The investigation was conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Buffalo. ICE's Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) Chief Counsel's Office in Buffalo, N.Y., handled the administrative removal proceedings leading to the immigration judge's decision. The field office was supported by ICE's Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC), OPLA's Human Rights Law Section and HSI Paris.

The HRVWCC investigates human rights violators, including those who have participated in war crimes and acts of genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, and the recruitment and use of child soldiers, who try to evade justice by seeking shelter in the United States. These individuals may assume fraudulent identities to enter the country, seeking to blend into communities inside the United States. Members of the public who have information about foreign nationals suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes are urged to call the ICE tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or to complete the agency's online tip form. To learn more about the assistance available to victims in these cases, the public should contact ICE's confidential victim-witness toll-free number at 1-866-872-4973.

HSI has more than 200 active investigations and is pursuing over 1,900 leads and removal cases involving suspects from approximately 95 different countries. These cases are predominantly focused on Central and South America, Haiti, the former Yugoslavia and Africa. They represent cases in various stages of investigation, prosecution or removal proceedings.

Former Rosemead Mayor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Federal Bribery Charges for Taking More Than $10,000 in Payments from Developer

2012-02-05T21:55:00.001-08:00

LOS ANGELES—The former mayor of the City of Rosemead was charged today in federal court with soliciting and accepting bribes from a real estate developer in exchange for city approval of a development project.

John Tran, 36, of Rosemead, was named in a criminal information filed this morning. In a plea agreement also filed in United States District Court, Tran has agreed to plead guilty to the felony offense.

According to the plea agreement, a property developer, who is called a cooperating informant (CI) because of information provided to the FBI, made a series of payments to Tran, who first approached the developer at Rosemead City Hall. The developer made cash payments totaling $7,000 in 2005 and 2006, and the developer’s business partner wrote a $3,200 check to Tran in 2007.

“During the time that the CI made payments to defendant, the CI’s planning and building proofs were pending approval before the City,” according to the statement of facts in Tran’s plea agreement. Tran “occasionally informed the CI that the CI’s project was ‘there,’ and that he was ‘not going anywhere.’ Based on the CI’s conversations with defendant, the CI believed that the CI would have to accede to defendant’s bribe demands if the CI wanted the project approved, and that the CI’s project would not be approved if the CI refused to pay defendant.”

After the payments were made, Tran was voted out of office, and the city never approved the project.

Tran was elected to the Rosemead City Council in 2005 and was Mayor of Rosemead from 2007 to 2009.

The charge of bribery carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Tran is expected to make his initial federal court appearance in this case on February 21.

The case against Tran was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

CONTACT:

Assistant United States Attorney Joseph N. Akrotirianakis
Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section
(213) 894-2467

Kentland Drug Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

2012-02-05T21:53:00.001-08:00

GREENBELT, MD—U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. sentenced Demeco A., Savoy, a/k/a “Mickey,” age 32, of Laurel, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to Savoy’s guilty plea, from June 2010 through August 2011, Savoy was part of a drug distribution organization that operated in the Kentland area of Prince George’s County. During the conspiracy Savoy and others used cellular telephones to conduct their drug trafficking business. Law enforcement intercepted numerous conversations between Savoy and his co-conspirators in which they used coded language of discuss the purchase of cocaine. Savoy was also overheard discussing the quality of the drugs he had purchased.

Savoy admitted that during the course of the conspiracy he purchased and sold between 280 and 840 grams of crack cocaine for the Kentland Drug Organization.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys David I. Salem and Jonathan F. Lenzner, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

Members of Arizona to Buffalo Drug Trafficking Organization Indicted

2012-02-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging members of an alleged drug trafficking conspiracy with supplying large amounts of cocaine and marijuana from Arizona to the Buffalo area. Two of the defendants are also charged with money laundering. The narcotics charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a maximum of life, a $10,000,000 fine, or both, while the money laundering offense is punishable up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

The charged defendants are identified as Jordan Ali, formerly of Alden, N.Y, but now residing in Tempe, Arizona; Shane Grafman, of Prescott, Arizona; Jason Nati, of Buffalo, N.Y.; Elijah Chaffino, of Tempe Arizona; and Jacquelyn Witman, formerly of Buffalo, N.Y., but now residing in the Atlanta, Georgia area.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, the Indictment alleges that between 2004 and February 2011, the defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. The defendants are alleged to have obtained the narcotics in the State of Arizona, and to have thereafter utilized several methods to send the marijuana and cocaine to the Buffalo area, including cars, trucks, shipping crates, and United States Postal Service parcels.

During the course of the conspiracy, law enforcement seized approximately $1 million in United States currency, including $671,385 from a hidden compartment within a Honda Ridgeline driven by Shane Grafman; $21,150 seized from Jacquelyn Witman at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport; and $299,950 from a vehicle located in Apache County, Arizona.

The investigation culminated in Jordan Ali’s arrest, on January 31, 2012, in Buffalo, when he arrived to collect money for marijuana the group had recently shipped to Buffalo in United States Postal Service parcels. Law enforcement agents had intercepted and seized these parcels prior to the marijuana being distributed in the Buffalo area. Elijah Chaffino was arrested this week in Arizona. The remaining defendants have not been arrested as of yet and are at large.

Defendants Jordan Ali and Shane Grafman are also charged with money laundering conspiracy.

“This case is yet another example of the exceptional skill and team work of this area’s law enforcement community,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “In this case, substantial quantities of narcotics were recovered before they could reach our streets. The fact that authorities also seized almost one million dollars in suspected illicit proceeds means that the possible profit from these crimes has also now been removed from those who engaged in the offenses.”

The Indictment is culmination of investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Wilbert L. Plummer, Acting Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Division; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero; Internal Revenue Service, under the direction of under the direction Special Agent in Charge Charles R. Pine; United States Postal Service Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Robert Bethel; Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota; Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda; Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Tim Howard; Niagara Frontier Transit Authority, under the direction of Chief George Gast; Tempe, Arizona Police Department; Apache County, Arizona Sheriff’s Department; and Oklahoma State Police.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Seeking Public’s Assistance in Identifying Serial Bank Robber and Accomplice

2012-02-05T21:29:00.000-08:00

The Knoxville Division of the FBI and the Knoxville Police Department launched an electronic billboard campaign to help identify a serial bank robber active in Knoxville. He may also have an accomplice in the robberies. The individual is suspected of robbing at least two banks and one local business in the Knoxville area.

The first suspect is described as a clean-shaven white male with short brown hair and a prominent receding hairline. He is approximately 5’ 9” to 5’ 10” tall and weighs between 150 to 160 pounds with a slim build. He is approximately 40 to 50 years of age.

Investigators are also attempting to identify his accomplice. The accomplice is described as a heavy-set white male with brown hair. He also wears eyeglasses.

A reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of these individuals. Anyone with information should contact the Knoxville Division of the FBI at 865-544-0751 or KPD at 865-215-7212.

This matter is being investigated jointly by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force (which consists of the FBI, KPD, and KCSO) and the KPD Major Crimes Unit.

Six Additional 10th Street Gang Members and Associates Indicted for Racketeering and Narcotics Trafficking

2012-02-05T21:25:00.001-08:00

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a fourth superseding indictment charging six additional members and associates of the 10th Street Gang. The Indictment specifically accuses the defendants of racketeering conspiracy, multiple violent crimes in aid of racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and firearm offenses.

In September 2009, the grand jury charged six 10th Street Gang members and associates with violent crimes in aid of racketeering and other charges. Since that time, three additional indictments have been returned charging an additional 32 10th Street Gang members and associates with a variety of federal criminal offenses.

The six men charged in the most recent indictment were arrested early this morning in a coordinated effort led by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force. The defendants are identified as Jonathan Delgado, 23, Sam Thurmond, 23, Domenico Anastasio, 24, Ismael Lopez, 24, Darnell McIntosh, 28, and Christopher Pabon, 23, all of Buffalo N.Y.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi, who is handling the case, stated that the latest Indictment accuses the newly charged defendants of multiple acts of violence. These incidents consist of:

■Jonathan Delgado, Sam Thurmond, Ismael Lopez, Domenico Anastasio, Christopher Pabon, and Matthew Smith (previously charged) are accused of participating in the murders of Brandon McDonald and Darinell Young and the attempted murder of three others on April 17, 2006;

■Jonathan Delgado, Tony Peebles, and Hector Rodruguez (both previously charged) are accused of participating in a May 22, 2006 home invasion of rival drug dealers on Hudson St.;

■In addition, Darnell McIntosh is accused of narcotics conspiracy.

The latest superceding indictment also identifies new incidents committed by previously charged defendants. These incidents consist of:

■Tony Peebles and Justin Augus are accused in a shooting on August 11, 2009 on Pennsylvania Ave.;

■Cody Busch is accused of a shooting on August 13, 2009 on Prospect Ave.;

■Tony Peebles, Saul Santana, Desmond Ford, and Cody Busch are accused of shootings on August 17, 2009 on Virginia St. and Fargo Ave.;

■Nourooz Ali is accused of a shooting on October 21, 2009 on Virginia St.;

■Michael Hernandez is accused of drug trafficking and attempting to facilitate the sale of a gun in December 2009;

■Tony Peebles and Omar Hernandez are accused of participating in the shooting of Rival M&T gang members on June 15, 2007;

■Derrick Yancey, Brandon Bobbitt, and Desmond Ford are accused of participating in the September 15, 2008 murder of Omar Fraticello Lugo and the shootings of two others

Today’s indictment also continues to include incidents charged in earlier Indictments. These include:

■the murder of Christian Portes on June 13, 2009 on Whitney Place;

■the murder of Anthony Colon on June 26, 2009 on Ullman and Esser;

■10 attempted murders of rival gang members and rival gang associates;

■multiple instances of witness intimidation, assault and robbery.

Today’s indictment brings to 38 the total number of 10th Street Gang members and associates charged to date. Thirteen of these defendants have been convicted thus far in connection with this investigation.

In addition to the violent crimes, the 10th Street Gang is also accused of being involved in trafficking various controlled substances, including cocaine, cocaine base, heroin, marijuana, ecstasy, and hydrocodone. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers seized approximately 150 grams of crack cocaine, approximately 200 grams of cocaine and quantities of heroin, marijuana, hydrocodone, and ecstasy as well as several firearms.

“Today’s arrests of six additional, alleged members of the 10th Street Gang is further proof of this office’s commitment to ferret out violent, gang-driven crime,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. Those who join a gang or engage in gun violence should realize their days are numbered. Federal law, and the jail terms they authorize, were specifically designed to protect the community from this type of conduct. We along with all of our law enforcement partners intend to vigorously enforce those laws in order to keep our citizens safe and our streets gang-free.”

“This morning’s arrests represent the FBI Safe Streets Task Force’s continued enterprise approach toward dismantling and defeating gang activity in the Buffalo area,” said Christopher M. Piehota, FBI Special Agent in Charge. “This unified law enforcement strategy leverages all available resources, skills, and authorities to combat crime. As a result of the shared intelligence developed through the ongoing 7th and 10th Street Gangs investigation, the Safe Streets Task Force has arrested numerous associated gang members and associates. Subsequent gang activity in the Buffalo West Side has diminished, community members feel safer in their homes, and can better enjoy their historic neighborhoods. The continued success of this investigation would not be possible without major contributions from the New York State Police, the Buffalo Police Department, and other Safe Street Task Force partners.”

“The investigation that resulted in the dissolution of the 7th and 10th Street gangs, that were operating in the City of Buffalo, is a textbook example of how resources from city, state and Federal Law enforcement and prosecutors combined with the citizens within a community to reclaim peace and security for its residents,” said Major Christopher Cummings of the NYS Police. “This level of cooperation will always be a key factor to success against organized criminal activity.”

The superseding indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota, New York State Police under the direction of Major Christopher Cummings, the Buffalo Police Department under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives under the direction of Frank Christiano.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

“Tall, Dark, and Handsome Bandit” Linked to Robberies in Houston and Beaumont

2012-02-05T20:48:00.000-08:00

The FBI Bank Robbery Task Force needs your help in identifying the man who’s being called the “Tall, Dark, and Handsome Bandit.” He was captured in bank surveillance photos robbing the Comerica Bank located at 3135 Southwest Freeway in Houston, Texas, on Thursday, February 2, 2012. He also appears in photos from a Beaumont bank robbery on Monday, January 30, 2012.

In the more recent Houston robbery, the man entered the bank around 11:55 a.m. and handed a teller a threatening note which demanded money. The teller provided him with some cash, and he left the bank. No weapon was observed by witnesses. No one was physically hurt during the robbery.

On Monday, the same robber is suspected in the robbery of the Bank of America, located at 2625 Calder in Beaumont, Texas, at approximately 11:06 a.m. During that robbery, the man also passed a threatening note to the tellers, but never spoke.

The bank robber is described as a white male, mid- to late-30s, 6’0”-6’1” tall, handsome, with a medium build and very short brown hair. During Thursday’s robbery, he wore a white button-down pressed dress shirt, dress jeans, and brown sunglasses which he wore on top of his head during the robbery.

Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the charging and arrest of this robber, or any felony suspect. If you have information about this crime, please call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 713-222-TIPS (8477), or the Houston office of the FBI at 713-693-5000.

Protecting Civil Rights Part 1: Memphis Agent Seeks Justice for Victims

2012-02-05T20:45:00.000-08:00

Special Agent Tracey Harris is a 13-year veteran of the FBI who specializes in civil rights cases such as hate crimes and human trafficking. But it’s not just her job—it’s her passion.

When she transferred back to her native Memphis, Tennessee in 2003 and landed on the civil rights squad, it was not her top choice—that is, until her first case, which involved a police officer who raped a 12-year-old girl in his squad car while he was on duty.

“That’s when I realized that somebody has to do these cases,” Harris said. “Many civil rights victims represent the social ills of the world,” she explained. “They may be prostitutes, victims of human trafficking, or individuals abused by police. These are not generally people who have strong family ties or come from stable homes. They often have no voice. It’s our job,” Harris said, “to give them a voice. Somebody has to speak for these victims.”

Harris works closely with the agents on her squad and with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, which is one of the nation’s leading prosecutors of federal civil rights cases.

“This community has a legacy of being on the front lines of civil rights issues,” said Edward Stanton, III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. In February 2011, Stanton established a dedicated civil rights unit and announced the initiative at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, located on the site where the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was slain.

“I don’t think it’s by happenstance or coincidence that our district often leads the nation in civil rights prosecutions,” Stanton said. “We couldn’t do that without our partners from the FBI. At the end of the day, pursuing justice remains the bottom-line goal for both agencies. Our prosecutors and their FBI colleagues have a special bond and a dedication to these cases.”

That special bond is due in part to the unique nature of civil rights cases, said Steve Parker, an assistant U.S. Attorney in Memphis who heads the civil rights unit.

In many federal criminal investigations, agents bring a fully investigated case to a prosecutor for trial. Civil rights cases are different, Parker said, because they rely more on grand juries to gather information. “Witnesses in civil rights cases don’t come forward on their own because they are usually close associates or friends of the defendants,” he explained. “It takes the leverage of the grand jury and the expertise of the investigators and prosecutors working together to successfully deal with these cases.”

Parker added, “I work 90 percent cases of my cases with the FBI’s civil rights squad. We do interviews together and go to grand juries together—we work together very closely just about every day.”

Agent Harris acknowledged that civil rights cases can be emotionally difficult and can take years to resolve. “You deal with that by taking them one case at a time and one prosecution at a time,” she said. “And you are gratified when the bad guys go to jail and the victims and their families get some measure of justice.”

One such difficult case that Harris and prosecutors are especially proud of involved the murder of a 46-year-old Memphis code enforcement officer and father of five named Mickey Wright. His killer, Harris said, “took Mickey’s life just because he was black.”

Next: Bringing Mickey Wright’s murderer to justice.

The FBI and Civil Rights

The FBI is the lead agency for investigating violations of federal civil rights laws. We work to prevent offenses in four major areas:

- Hate crimes.

- “Color of law” abuses that involve U.S. law enforcement and other officials such as judges taking illegal advantage of their authority.
- Human trafficking/involuntary servitude.
- Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act violations.

In fiscal year 2010, the FBI initiated more than 750 civil rights cases that fell into one of these four categories. Special Agent Tracey Harris, who specializes in civil rights investigations in our Memphis Field Office, pointed out that many victims of civil rights crimes are among the most vulnerable members of society and may not be able to seek justice on their own.

Former Webb County Deputy Constable Sentenced to Five Years

2012-02-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

LAREDO, TX—Eduardo Garcia, a former Webb County deputy constable, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for interference with commerce under color of official right, a violation of the Hobbs Act, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today.

On Sept. 28, 2011, Garcia pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce under color of official right, admitting he escorted a vehicle he believed to have been loaded with one kilogram of cocaine. On Oct. 22, 2011, Garcia, driving a Webb County Prisoner transport van, met and followed the “load vehicle” driven by a confidential source from the “Los Presidentes” area on Loop 20 to the Doctor’s Hospital parking lot in Laredo. At the conclusion of the escort, Garcia was paid $500 in cash. At the time, Garcia was wearing his law enforcement badge on his belt.

Garcia also escorted another vehicle he believed had been loaded with one kilogram of cocaine on Nov. 21, 2008. Driving his personal vehicle, Garcia escorted a vehicle which he believed to be carrying approximately one kilogram of cocaine starting from the Conoco gas station near the intersection of Loop 20 and Highway 359 in Laredo. During the escort, Garcia called the confidential source to warn him that there was a suspicious vehicle in the area and to advise to exit Loop 20. However, the confidential source continued to drive the pre-planned route and, at the conclusion of the escort, once again paid Garcia $500 in cash.

In actuality, the vehicle had been loaded with a “brick” of sham cocaine on both occasions. Garcia’s job during the escorts was to keep an eye out for legitimate law enforcement which would be identified as “uglies” or “bad guys,” and to alert the driver of the load vehicle.

Today, U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen sentenced him to 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year-term of supervised release in addition to a $3,000 fine. Garcia was allowed to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Roberto F. Ramirez and Elizabeth R. Rabe.