Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: US FBI

Director Christopher Wray has named Rebecca A. Day as the special agent in charge of the Anchorage Field Office in Alaska. Ms. Day most recently served as a section chief in the Critical Incident Response Group at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Day joined the FBI as a special agent in 2006 and was assigned to the Las Vegas Field Office, where she investigated organized crime and drug matters and served on the Evidence Response Team. In 2009, she transferred to the Fort Worth Resident Agency of the Dallas Field Office, where she investigated public corruption and civil rights violations.

In 2012, Ms. Day was promoted to a supervisory special agent in the Terrorist Financing Operations Section of the Counterterrorism Division at Headquarters, serving as a program manager. After returning briefly to Fort Worth, Ms. Day was selected in 2014 to serve as a field supervisor in the Tulsa Resident Agency of the Oklahoma City Field Office. In Tulsa, she oversaw all national security threats, including counterterrorism, counterintelligence, weapons of mass destruction, and cyber. She also served as the program coordinator of the Domestic Terrorism Program for the Oklahoma City Field Office.

Ms. Day was promoted in 2020 to assistant special agent in charge of the Oklahoma City Field Office’s Criminal Branch. She managed the response after a U.S. Supreme Court decision reaffirmed reservation land, expanding the FBI’s investigative and jurisdictional responsibilities related to Indian Country. Ms. Day also served as the SWAT commander and led the Crisis Negotiation Team and Operational Medical Program.

In 2022, Ms. Day was promoted to section chief of the Investigative and Operations Support Section in the Critical Incident Response Group at Headquarters, leading the Behavioral Analysis, Intelligence, and Security and Facilities units.

Ms. Day earned a Bachelor of Science in finance from East Central University in Oklahoma. Prior to joining the FBI, she worked as an accountant in the energy sector.

Source: US FBI

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Fairbanks man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for coercing two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct.

According to court documents, in September 2022, Leveron Moore, 40, enticed two minors, aged 15 and 16 at the time, for the purpose of coercive sexual exploitation.

Moore also used his cell phone to produce, attempt to produce and possess photos of sexually explicit conduct involving both minor victims and used an application on his phone to hide the images from law enforcement.

One of the minor victims reported the abuse to a local health official, and Moore was arrested by the FBI in March 2023. Moore had previously been separated from the U.S. Army while stationed at Fort Wainwright in lieu of a court martial after having been charged with the attempted sexual assault of an 18-year-old subordinate in 2016.

The defendant is required to serve 20 years’ supervised release as part of his sentence.

“Mr. Moore deliberately targeted two of Alaska’s most vulnerable community members and will now pay the price for his destructive actions,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska. “We commend the tremendous bravery of both victims for disclosing Mr. Moore’s heinous conduct to officials. My office stands by our firm commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute any instance of child exploitation.”

“Mr. Moore deliberately exploited and abused minors, the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Vorndran of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work collaboratively with law enforcement partners and service providers to seek justice for these horrific crimes against children.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers and the Fairbanks Police Department, investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the

Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage woman was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for her role in a conspiracy to produce child sexual abuse materials.

According to court documents, Denali Brehmer, 22, and her co-conspirator Darin Schilmiller, 25, conspired to murder Cynthia Hoffman in June 2019 while Schilmiller was residing in Indiana. While they were conspiring to commit Hoffman’s murder, they also conspired to coerce a minor victim to produce sexually explicit images, which Brehmer took and sent to Schilmiller via text message.

Brehmer and Schilmiller pleaded guilty to production of child pornography in front of the U.S. District Court in July 2023. Schilmiller is awaiting sentencing. Both defendants were sentenced by the State of Alaska to 99 years in prison for their roles in Hoffman’s murder.

In delivering the sentence, the court ordered Brehmer to serve a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and the rest of her life on supervised release.

“The harm Ms. Brehmer has caused to the victims and their families through the course of her conduct is unfathomable,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “My office will continue our unwavering commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to protect Alaska’s children and seek justice against perpetrators who choose to commit these reprehensible crimes.”

“This sentencing underscores the unrelenting efforts by law enforcement and prosecutors, at every level, to ensure that none of Brehmer’s ruthless crimes went unanswered or unpunished,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Vorndran of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to use every tool available to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who exploit and harm our most vulnerable.”

“Denali Brehmer’s actions are beyond heinous,” said Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle.  “Overcoming the trauma the victim suffered due to Brehmer’s actions will be a life-long journey.  This case is an excellent example of why various law enforcement entities working together through the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is so vitally important.  Hopefully today’s sentencing will aid the victim in their healing process.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.

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

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging an Anchorage man with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Court documents allege that on Sept. 7, 2023, Christopher Nickalaskey, 32, possessed multiple firearms and ammunition.

According to court documents and a press release from the Anchorage Police Department, on Oct. 1, 2023, Nickalaskey possessed a firearm during an encounter with police. The release alleges Nickalaskey was contacted by police and began to fight officers. During the altercation, Nickalaskey allegedly reached for a gun in his waistband and pulled the trigger, striking himself and an officer in the lower body.

At the time of both alleged events, Nickalaskey was a convicted felon. Nickalaskey was convicted of a drug crime in the Anchorage Superior Court in 2014 and of being a felon in possession of a firearm in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska in 2021.

Nickalaskey is charged with two counts of felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The defendant will make his initial court appearance on a later date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska, Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Vorndran of the FBI Anchorage Field Office and Chief Michael Kerle of the Anchorage Police Department made the announcement.

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers is prosecuting the case.

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

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Eagle River man was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for sexually abusing a minor in order to produce and possess child pornography.

According to court documents, Michael Vernon Ross, 32, began sexually abusing a 7-year-old child in 2017. The abuse occurred weekly and lasted for multiple years.

Ross documented some of the abuse through pictures and videos kept on his cell phone. The defendant was in possession of over 450 photos and 30 videos of varied length depicting his sexual abuse of the victim.

On Sept. 3, 2021, classmates of the victim told school staff that they believed the child was being abused. The school took appropriate and timely action to report the abuse to law enforcement, which led to the prompt investigation and prosecution of the defendant.

Ross pleaded guilty in September 2023 to one count sexual exploitation of a child for production of child pornography and one count possession of child pornography. Ross was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, 25 years’ supervised release, and is required to pay over $28,000 in restitution.

In imposing the maximum sentence for the production of child pornography, the court noted that while it doesn’t have the power to “bring back the victim’s childhood, there can be provision for just punishment.”

“Mr. Ross’ actions were deplorable. He preyed on a member of our most vulnerable community and caused irreparable damage to those involved,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska. “Individuals who choose to target children should expect to be vigorously investigated and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s office in collaboration with our law enforcement partners. This case highlights why encouraging your children and peers to report suspected abuse is paramount, because it helps our teams continue to prioritize efforts to keep Alaska’s children safe.”

“The defendant’s years-long child exploitation crimes are among the most egregious and have no place in our society,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “May this sentence serve as a reminder that the FBI and our law enforcement partners have zero tolerance for child predators, and will hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

“The Anchorage Police Department thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the prosecution of these offenses.  The sexual exploitation of anyone is unacceptable in the Municipality of Anchorage and all communities.  The abuse of our youth is a serious matter that will be diligently investigated,” said APD CACU Detective S. Davies. “The Anchorage Police Department encourages anyone who learns of a disclosure of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation, or makes observations of those crimes, to please make a report.  It is our hope that the sentence received by Mr. Ross will bring closure to those involved and have a deterrent effect for others.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Brickey and Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the

Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

If you are a victim of child abuse or suspect someone you know is a victim, you can report to APD at ReportChildAbusetoAPD@anchorageak.gov or 3-1-1/(907) 786-8900, the state OCS at reportchildabuse@alaska.gov or 1(800) 478-4444, or the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, subsequent to his conviction by a federal jury of one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of felon in possession of firearms and ammunition in July 2023.

According to court documents, Charles Rashid Malik Lee, aka “Cheese,” 41, had been under investigation by federal authorities. The FBI And Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a search warrant on Lee’s residence and vehicle in Anchorage in Oct. 2021.

Agents found Lee inside the residence in the process of flushing heroin down the toilet. Agents searched the residence and discovered a total of over 150 grams of meth, 100 grams of heroin and 90 grams of cocaine. According to evidence presented at trial, these drugs had a street value of over $54,000.

Agents also found tools commonly used by drug traffickers, including digital scales, branded baggies and two loaded handguns, among other items. It was later determined that one of the digital scales had Lee’s fingerprint on it. Agents also discovered over $165,000 in cash hidden in multiple locations around the residence, including in a crawl space.

“This successful prosecution shows that illegal drug distribution has no place in Alaska and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “My office, in partnership with our law enforcement partners, will investigate and vigorously prosecute any perpetrator who chooses to distribute these dangerous drugs and seek justice for any damage they cause.”

“The defendant’s dangerous drug trafficking activities threatened the safety of our community and his own family,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Anyone who profits from violence and drug trafficking activities at the expense of public safety will be held accountable by the FBI and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”

“Cases like this clearly demonstrate the resolve of the Drug Enforcement Administration and our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to hold criminals such as Mr. Lee accountable for his actions,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “We will not tolerate armed drug traffickers in our community, as the sentence in this case shows.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and the DEA Seattle Field Division investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Brickey and Alana Weber prosecuted the case.

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

UPDATE: This release has been amended to include a quote from FBI Anchorage.

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Arizona man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in an international drug trafficking ring targeting Alaska.

According to court documents, Joel Rascone, 30, of Yuma, Arizona, was a member of Miguel Guevara’s drug trafficking ring that smuggled over a dozen kilos of meth, heroin and cocaine from Mexico into Alaska for six years. As part of his role in the enterprise, Rascone sold heroin for the organization in Alaska and sent wire transfers to Guevara’s coconspirators and suppliers in Mexico.

Rascone had four felony convictions in the state of Arizona prior to this case, including theft, possession of a dangerous drug, and two convictions for attempted unlawful use of means of transportation. In the 2017 theft case, Rascone and two other men robbed a gas station in Yuma, Arizona, at knifepoint, all wearing masks over their faces.

Three other defendants in this case have already been sentenced or pleaded guilty:

• Miguel Guevara, a.k.a. “Javi,” 40, has entered a plea of guilty and it is awaiting acceptance from the Court.
• Serena Joseph, 41, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and money laundering and was sentenced to 63 months imprisonment.
• Washahiotha Zaragoza, 46, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.

Four additional co-defendants are believed to be at large in Mexico.

“These prosecutions mark another milestone in our fight against criminals who come to Alaska from Outside to traffic dangerous drugs that harm our communities,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Dismantling drug trafficking organizations is a priority for my office, and we will continue to partner with law enforcement to keep drugs out of our state and keep Alaskans safe.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Office led the investigation, with support from the Anchorage Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations Sells, Arizona Office, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Alaska State Troopers, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport Police and Alaska National Guard.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ainsley McNerney, Christopher Schroeder and William Taylor are prosecuting the case, with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison O’Leary. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, and law enforcement agencies in the state of Arizona provided additional support on the case.

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

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Source: US FBI

ANNISTON, Ala. – A Gadsden medical sales representative and a Rainbow City pain clinic owner were sentenced today for their roles in health care fraud conspiracies that cost insurers millions of dollars. U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and Special Agent in Charge Tamela Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Atlanta Region made the announcement.

U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced James Ewing Ray, 53, of Gadsden, to 40 months for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Ray was ordered to forfeit more than $850,000 and to pay restitution to victims of more than $5.3 million. According to Ray’s plea agreement, Ray was a sales representative who marketed to doctors’ offices various health care products and services, including topical prescription creams from specialty pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME), and electro-diagnostic testing. Ray was paid fees for the prescriptions, DME, and tests he generated from doctors.

From at least 2012 through 2018, Ray conspired to pay and receive kickbacks to induce medical providers to issue medically unnecessary prescriptions and order medically unnecessary goods and services, which were then billed to Medicare and other health insurers. Among those services was nerve conduction testing provided by a Huntsville-based electro-diagnostic testing company called QBR or Diagnostic Referral Community. Ray received per-patient kickbacks from QBR for inducing medical providers to order tests from QBR. Medical providers received kickbacks from QBR too, disguised as hourly payments for the ordering physician’s time and staff’s time but in reality payments for every patient who got a test.

Judge Coogler sentenced David Lyle Shehi, 43, of Rainbow City, to 28 months for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Shehi was also ordered to pay forfeiture and restitution to his victims. According to Shehi’s plea agreement, Shehi owned Etowah Pain, a pain clinic in Rainbow City, and was paid kickbacks in exchange for his practice’s ordering nerve conduction tests from QBR that would be billed to Medicare and other health insurance programs. Shehi also caused his practice to routinely bill health insurance programs for patient office visits using the code that would generate the highest reimbursement—even though that code was not appropriate and Shehi was warned that billing in this way was not allowed.

The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys J.B. Ward and Don Long are prosecuting it. 

See related press here:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/pain-clinic-owners-sentenced-unlawfully-distributing-opioids-and-multimillion-dollar

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/etowah-pain-clinic-owner-pleads-guilty-multi-million-dollar-kickback-and-health-care

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/multiple-defendants-sentenced-major-compounding-pharmacy-fraud-conspiracy

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/new-hope-man-sentenced-his-role-multi-million-dollar-kickback-and-health-care-fraud.

Source: US FBI

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A member of “Noir’s Luxury Refunds” pled guilty today to participating in a fraud conspiracy, organized through the cloud-based messaging service Telegram, that targeted retailers across the country, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. 

Brian Nicklaus Buchanan, 28, of Clayton, North Carolina, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Corey L. Maze to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

According to court documents, Buchanan was a member of Noir’s Organization, a group that operated the Telegram channel “Noir’s Luxury Refunds,” as well as other fraud-based Telegram channels. Noir’s Luxury Refunds was dedicated to refund fraud, a type of fraud where a purchaser claims to return an item, receives a refund, but keeps the product. Customers would pay Noir’s Organization a percentage of the product price in exchange for the organization fraudulently refunding the item on the customer’s behalf. Noir’s Organization marketed itself as having the expertise to defraud retailers across the world in a wide range of industries. At one point, the Noir’s Luxury Refunds channel had over 5,900 followers. Noir’s Organization operated from July 2020 until July 2022.

Documents reflect that the group obtained refunds or attempted to obtain refunds for millions of dollars’ worth of products, including electronics, designer clothing and apparel, home furnishings, and appliances. Noir’s Organization used a variety of tactics to commit refund fraud, including social engineering to manipulate customer services representatives into issuing refunds, manipulating shipping labels to deceive a retailer into believing they had received a returned product when it had not, and recruiting customer service representatives as “insiders” to perform refunds on the conspiracy’s behalf. Noir’s Organization also developed malware that would target retailers’ websites to facilitate refund fraud by circumventing fraud prevention measures.

Ten other individuals who are alleged to have been members of Noir’s Organization have been indicted in related cases pending in the Northern District of Alabama:

• Aiman Akram Kaif, also known as “Dior,” 19, from New York, New York;
• Damion Wayne Scarlett, also known as “Dash,” 23, from Deer Park, New York;
• Dhruv Gargi, also known as “Panda,” 24, from Newark, New Jersey;
• David James Park, also known as “Plutus,” 22, from Phoenix, Arizona;
• Andre Johannes Ischler Simonet, also known as “Chief,” 22, from Northfield, Minnesota; 
• Nicholas John Caruso, also known as “Deaf,” 31, from Dallas, Texas;
• Jennifer Mireya Palma, also known as “Bianca,” 23, from Los Angeles, California;
• CK Chikong Tran, also known as “Radiant,” 28, from New York, New York; 
• Tyree Samuel Tinsley, also known as “Tysamtin,” 30, from Richmond, Virginia; and
• Jason Seib, also known as “Waynor,” 42, from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 

The FBI investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John M. Hundscheid and Edward J. Canter are prosecuting the cases.

Assistance was provided by Target Corporation; Amazon.com, Inc.; Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.; Wayfair Inc.; Dell Technologies; Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc.; American Airlines Group Inc.; Hewlett Packard Incorporated; Adidas AG; eBay Inc.; and Google’s CyberCrime Investigation Group. The Sûreté Nationale of Morrocco also provided valuable assistance to the investigation.

This case was brought as part of Operation Chargeback, an FBI investigation into organized refund fraud groups across the United States and internationally. Cases have also been brought in the Western District of Washington and the Northern District of Oklahoma as part of the initiative.

For more resources on cybercrime, visit www.ic3.gov.

An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.