Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

 

 

MIAMI – U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones joined federal, state, and local leaders on Nov. 10 for the ceremonial opening of the Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center, a new courthouse facility designed to expand access to justice and serve the growing needs of Miami-Dade County.

For U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones—who previously served as a state court judge in Miami-Dade County—the courthouse’s opening holds special significance. The new courthouse reflects both the county’s evolving needs and its enduring commitment to a fair, accessible, and well-resourced justice system.

“This courthouse reflects who we are as a community: resilient, forward-looking, and committed to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones. “It also stands as a proud tribute to Osvaldo N. Soto, a Cuban exile, Bay of Pigs veteran, and trailblazing attorney who spent his life defending liberty. I sat on the state bench just a few blocks from here, and I know how much this building will mean for the people we serve. Miami-Dade is investing in its future, and we’re honored to stand with our state and local partners as we continue the work of protecting our community and defending the rule of law.”

Named in honor of Osvaldo N. Soto, a Cuban-American lawyer and civil rights pioneer, the courthouse will house multiple judicial operations and provide modern, secure, and technologically advanced courtrooms, improved public services, and additional space for justice partners.

Before his presidential appointment and Senate confirmation, U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones served as a state court trial judge presiding over civil and criminal domestic violence cases in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PORTLAND, Maine: The United States Attorney’s Office announced that Andrew B. Benson has taken the oath of office to become the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine.  U.S. Attorney Benson was nominated for the position of United States Attorney for the District of Maine by President Donald J. Trump on September 30, 2025. Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed him U.S. Attorney effective October 22, 2025, pending Senate confirmation of his presidential nomination, and he was sworn in on the same date by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Lance E. Walker.

U.S. Attorney Benson is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the District of Maine. He oversees a staff of 45 employees and contractors located in Portland and Bangor, including 21 attorneys, 21 non-attorney support personnel and three contractors. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms, and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.

U.S. Attorney Benson was born in western Maine and grew up in Bethel, attending local schools.  After high school, he attended the University of Maine at Orono and received an honors degree in German literature.  He then attended the University of Maine School of Law and received his Juris Doctorate in 1988.

A veteran prosecutor, Benson worked for a district attorney’s office in central Maine, trying serious and violent felonies.  In 1999, he was appointed one of three senior homicide prosecutors for the Maine Attorney General’s Office by Maine Attorney General Andrew Ketterer and was assigned with the responsibility of overseeing and trying homicide cases throughout the state. During his fifteen-year tenure in the Attorney General’s Office, he dealt with over 100 murder and manslaughter cases.   

In 2014, he was nominated to the bench of the Maine District Court by Governor Paul LePage. He was renominated by Governor Janet Mills in 2021.  After each nomination he was unanimously confirmed by the Maine State Senate.

While a member of the district court bench, he presided over hundreds of trials, including dozens of serious criminal jury trials.  He resigned from his judicial position in order to accept the position of United States Attorney for the District of Maine.

Editor’s Note:
This matter occurred on the date indicated, but the press release was not published at that time due to the federal government shutdown. The release was posted and made available following the return to normal operations.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Lajuan Marquis Martin, 31, was charged by complaint on Oct. 16, 2025, with possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction. An indictment containing the same charge was returned by a grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 28, 2025. On Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, Martin appeared before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps in Jefferson City, Mo., and pleaded guilty to the single-count indictment.

According to the affidavit associated with the original complaint, Martin was arrested by Columbia police officers for driving while his license was suspended. When he was brought to the Columbia Police Department for fingerprinting and processing, he was searched. Pills and bags of white powder began to fall out of his pant legs, and a Taurus, model PT 738, .380 caliber firearm was discovered in Martin’s shoe. Martin is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions, including a prior conviction in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Under federal law, Martin is facing up to 15 years imprisonment, in addition to a term of supervised release. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Columbia, Missouri Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a five-count indictment charging PAMELA AGUILAR, 65, of Shelton, with fraud offenses stemming from an alleged embezzlement scheme that defrauded a Connecticut company of approximately $700,000.

As alleged in the indictment, Aguilar was employed as Chief Financial Officer of a Connecticut software company, identified in court documents as “Company A.”  Between approximately 2018 and 2025, Aguilar defrauded Company A’s by making ACH and wire transfers from Company A’s account to personal bank accounts, writing checks and making cash withdrawals from Company A’s account, and by making PayPal and credit card payments from Company A’s account for her own benefit.

It is alleged that through this scheme, Aguila stole approximately $700,000 from Company A.  Aguilar attempted to cover up her criminal behavior by providing false weekly cash reports and false monthly financial statements to Company A’s Chief Executive Officer.

The indictment was returned on October 15, 2025.  On October 22, Aguilar appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was released on a $50,000 bond.

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

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

NEWARK, NJ. –  An Indonesian jewelry company, its Indonesian co-owner, and two other Indonesian and Italian employees were charged last week with engaging in a scheme to illegally evade more than $86 million in customs duties and tariffs on more than $1.2 billion in jewelry imports into the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Icha Anastasia, 37, of Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, and Claudio Fogale, 51, of Mussolente, Italy were arrested and charged last week by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  They appeared on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and were detained.  Michael Yahya, who was also charged, remains in Indonesia and has not yet been arrested.

“As the complaint alleges, the defendants conspired to evade duties and tariffs for imports into the United States on an enormous scale. These charges demonstrate that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our agency partners are dedicated to rooting out efforts by foreign companies and individuals to defraud the United States and undercut American businesses.”

– Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba

“Perpetrating a years-long scheme to evade paying millions of dollars of customs duties and tariffs is a serious criminal offense.  Michael Yahya, Icha Anastasia, Claudio Fogale, and others are alleged to have used a foreign company to import over $1.2 billion of jewelry and illegally defraud the United States out of more than $86 million in customs duties and tariffs,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office.  “IRS-CI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate fraud against the United States and foster confidence in the legal system.” 

“This case underscores HSI’s unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of U.S. trade and ensuring that those who attempt to evade lawful duties or circumvent U.S. laws are held accountable,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. “As alleged, the defendants engaged in a complex, multi-year scheme to evade more than $86 million in duties and tariffs—defrauding the U.S. government and undermining legitimate American businesses. HSI, in partnership with our federal law enforcement colleagues, will continue to investigate and dismantle schemes that threaten the nation’s economic security and the rule of law.”

“This case underscores CBP’s role in safeguarding the U.S. economy by enforcing trade laws and holding suspected bad actors accountable,” said CBP’s New York Field Office Director of Field Operations Francis J. Russo. “Our officers and import specialists used data-driven targeting and meticulous examinations to help disrupt this suspected duty-evasion scheme while facilitating legitimate commerce.”

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

PT Untung Bersama Sejahtera, a/k/a “UBS Gold” (“UBS Gold”), Yahya, Anastasia, Fogale, and others have been involved in a large-scale customs duty and tariff evasion scheme.  UBS Gold is a major jewelry company headquartered in Indonesia that ships jewelry around the globe, including to the United States.  Yahya, an Indonesian national, is a co-owner of UBS Gold and its Export Marketing Head; Anastasia, an Indonesian national, served as a Senior Account Executive for UBS Gold who serviced customers in the United States; and Fogale, an Italian national, was also a UBS Gold employee who serviced customers in the United States.

UBS Gold—through its employees, agents, and representatives Yahya, Anastasia, Fogale, and others—engaged in a conspiracy to evade lawful duties and tariffs for shipments of jewelry to the United States.  To evade tariffs and duties, the defendants engaged in at least two related and overlapping schemes.

For years until in or around the end of 2020, Indonesia had duty-free treatment with the United States through the Generalized System of Preferences (“GSP”) program. The GSP program expired on or about December 31, 2020, and was not reauthorized by Congress.  Therefore, from on or about January 1, 2021, through the present, the United States has imposed a duty on jewelry imported from Indonesia to the United States.  UBS Gold and its co-conspirators evaded these duties by making jewelry in Indonesia and then shipping it to Jordan, which had a Free Trade Agreement with the United States, before sending it to the United States. The defendants then falsely claimed that UBS Gold jewelry had been manufactured in Jordan, which avoided the duty that would otherwise apply.

Starting earlier this year, the United States imposed tariffs for the importation of goods into the United States from many different countries, including Indonesia and Jordan.  To avoid those tariffs, the defendants and co-conspirators began shipping scrap gold from the United States to Jordan, which they falsely claimed was gold jewelry that simply needed to be assembled or finished in Jordan. Instead, the defendants and co-conspirators swapped the scrap gold for UBS Gold jewelry made in Indonesia, which they then shipped from Jordan to the United States.  The defendants and co-conspirators falsely claimed that the jewelry had been manufactured in the United States, so they could avoid paying the tariffs that would otherwise apply.

Through these schemes, from in or around 2021 through in or around October 2025, the defendants caused UBS Gold and its customers to avoid more than approximately $86,477,705.72 in duties and tariffs on more than $1.2 billion in jewelry shipments to the United States, including to New Jersey.

The wire fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of either $250,000 for the individual defendants or $500,000 for the corporate entity or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater.

Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents and task force officers of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; special agents with Homeland Security Investigations in Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy; and officers and specialists of U.S. Customs and Border Protection at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Francis J. Russo.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olta Bejleri of the Economic Crimes Unit, Peter Laserna of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit, and Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark.

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

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Defense Counsel for Icha Anastasia: Jerry Ballarotto, Hamilton

Defense Counsel for Claudio Fogale: Joseph Amsel, Newark

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – A Chicopee man was arrested on Nov. 12, 2025 for allegedly distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Thomas Selby, 46, of Chicopee, Mass., was charged by criminal complaint with one count of distribution of child pornography. Selby was arrested on Nov. 12, 2025 and made an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield later that day. He was subsequently released on conditions following a detention hearing held on Nov. 14, 2025.

According to the charging documents, in early 2024, Selby was identified as an active member of a group dedicated to CSAM on an internet-based messaging and social-media application. On Nov. 12, 2025, searches of Selby’s person and residence allegedly resulted in the recovery of various electronic devices – including smart phones. It is alleged that an initial forensic examination of Selby’s phone revealed multiple files consistent with CSAM and his active participation in multiple groups dedicated to the viewing and sharing of CSAM. Further review of Selby’s devices remains on-going.

Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Barnico, Jr. of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller announces that Brad William Blanchard, 45, has been sentenced for attempted receipt and attempted distribution of child pornography. United States District Judge David C. Joseph sentenced Blanchard to 150 months in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release for these offenses. 

According to information presented in court, law enforcement agents involved in an undercover investigation began communicating with an individual, later identified as Blanchard, on an internet-based fetish forum wherein Blanchard expressed his sexual interest in underage children. Blanchard sent an undercover agent images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) which depicted a minor victim. Following this exchange, agents were able to obtain and execute search and arrest warrants for Blanchard’s person, residence, and electronic devices. At the time the warrants were executed, Blanchard admitted to law enforcement that he had sent the CSAM images and that his girlfriend, Amy Kraft, had assisted in sending him CSAM for his sexual gratification. Kraft was subsequently arrested and admitted her involvement in sending the CSAM images to Blanchard to fulfill his sexual fantasies and gratification.

Amy Kraft, 49, the co-defendant and girlfriend of Blanchard, pled guilty to attempted distribution of child pornography and was sentenced on October 1, 2025, to 120 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution to the victims. 

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Danny Siefker is prosecuting the case.

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

To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration, or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential, and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.

To report online child sexual exploitation, use the electronic Cyber Tip Line or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in partnership with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.

To learn more about the National Resource Hotline, visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking, visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 6:25-cr-00037-DCJ-DJA.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – A Fall River man has been arrested and charged for allegedly possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and distributing cocaine.

Carlos Perez, 40, has been charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of distributing a controlled substance. Perez was arrested on Nov. 13, 2025 and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for Nov. 19, 2025.

According to charging documents, on May 5, 2025, Perez sold cocaine as well as a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition to a cooperating witness. It is further alleged that, Perez sold a Sig Sauer, P230 SL, .380 caliber pistol and ammunition on June 2, 2025 as well as a Ruger, Max 9, 9mm pistol and ammunition on June 30, 2025.

Perez is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due multiple prior convictions. According to the charging documents, Perez has 61 adult charges on his record and over 15 criminal convictions, including a 2015 state conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class A Substance, for which he served two years in the house of corrections, as well as two separate convictions for Assault and Battery Dangerous Weapon in 2008, for which he received a two-year suspended sentence and six months in the house of corrections.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distributing a controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Fall River and New Bedford Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Erik Gammons, 42, of Marianna, Florida was sentenced to eight years in prison after previously pleading guilty to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This substantial drug seizure by our state law enforcement partners, with support from the Drug Enforcement Administration, ensured these deadly narcotics were kept off our streets, and the successful prosecution by my office should send a firm message that federal prison time awaits anyone who tries to peddle this poison in the Northern District of Florida. This is yet another step toward fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the drug traffickers who have flooded our communities with deadly drugs for far too long.”

According to court records, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on May 5, 2025. After the vehicle stopped, the defendant exited from the rear passenger’s side of the vehicle and told law enforcement to arrest him. Later, as law enforcement was obtaining gloves to search the vehicle, the defendant stated to go ahead and take him to jail and that there were drugs in the vehicle.

Law enforcement searched the vehicle and located a garbage bag, which was found to contain two other bags with large amounts of crystal methamphetamine, a bag containing a large amount of suspected powder cocaine, three digital scales, one of which contained suspected cocaine residue, a box of opened clear plastic bags used to package drugs for resale, documents addressed to the defendant including pay stubs, and an opened vacuum sealed bag identical to the ones that contained crystal methamphetamine. The defendant was also found to be in possession of two cellular telephones and approximately $2,761.00 in numerous denominations.

The narcotics were later tested, weighed, and confirmed to be 899.1 grams of methamphetamine with 98% purity, equal to 881.1 grams of pure methamphetamine, per bag. The seized cocaine weighed 568.8 grams.

“I’m proud of the great work our agents and law enforcement partners did in bringing this investigation to a close,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “Removing methamphetamine—especially this purity level—will go a long way in making Panhandle communities safer.”

“We are working every day to keep drugs out of our community,” said Sheriff Edenfield. “When people choose to profit off poison, there are consequences. We’ll continue standing up for what’s right and working to protect the citizens of Jackson County.”

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Etherton and Eric Welch.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Austin Keith Hibbert, 25, of Tallahassee, FL, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to entice or persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity, attempting to travel for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct, and transferring obscene material to a person less than 16 years of age. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This case was the result of incredible collaboration between our local, federal and international law enforcement partners to identify this sexual predator and stop him before he could victimize the minor child he was seeking to exploit. I am proud of the work of my office to build this successful prosecution and hold this offender accountable for his disgusting crimes.”

Court documents reflect that between May 2023, and August 2024, the defendant communicated almost daily through multiple social media platforms with a 13-year-old child from Estonia, a country in Northern Europe. The defendant met the child through a popular Internet game. The communications between the defendant and the child quickly became sexual in nature. The defendant told the child that he intended to travel to Estonia to meet and to engage in sexual activity. Additionally, the defendant sent the child more than twelve explicit videos. In August 2024, law enforcement officials learned that the defendant had applied for a U.S. passport and had booked an international flight from Tallahassee to Estonia. On August 12, 2024, law enforcement officials intercepted the defendant as he attempted to board his flight at the Tallahassee International Airport. A search of the defendant’s person and carry-on bags revealed items indicative of his intent to travel to meet with the child, including his U.S. passport, a bracelet, and a box of condoms. A later search of the defendant’s electronic devices confirmed the defendant’s communications with the child, his travel plans, and showed that he reserved lodging near where the child lived.

“This case demonstrates the FBI’s global reach and unwavering commitment to protecting children everywhere,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “Through partnerships with our domestic and international counterparts, we were able to identify and stop Hibbert from crossing borders to sexually exploit a young child.”

“Estonian Police and Border Guard Board is grateful to the FBI and the Northern District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office for great cooperation in this grave case,” said Rait Pikaro, Head of Crime Bureau, North Prefecture for the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board. “We strive to act as preventively as possible in Estonia and thanks to our U.S. colleagues, no [hands on] crime was committed in Estonia. This great example of cooperation shows that the fight against child sexual exploitation is truly global. We believe strongly that this is the way we can succeed in tackling this phenomenon.”

The sentence was the result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tallahassee Police Department, with assistance from the Estonian Police and Border Guard Agency. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

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

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.