Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – Three members of a South Los Angeles street gang each were sentenced today to decades in prison for their roles in the robbery and fatal shooting in 2022 of Los Angeles Police Officer Fernando Arroyos.

In separate hearings today, United States District Judge Percy Anderson sentenced Luis Alfredo de la Rosa Rios, 30, a.k.a. “Lil J” and “Lil Malo,” to 50 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $31,204.07 in restitution. Judge Anderson also sentenced Ernesto Cisneros, 25, a.k.a. “Gonzo” and “Spooky,” to 50 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $28,604.07 in restitution. Finally, Jesse Contreras, 36, a.k.a. “Skinny Jack” and “Flaco,” was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $31,204.07 in restitution.

At today’s hearing, Judge Anderson said, “The senseless loss of life is all too frequent in our community. It is literally ripping apart the fabric of our society. The sentence imposed today must send a message, not only to this defendant but to everyone, that if you choose to endanger our community by murdering, robbing, and trafficking in narcotics, there will be significant consequences.”

Rios, Contreras, and Cisneros – all members of the South Los Angeles-based Florencia 13 (F13) street gang – pleaded guilty in July 2023 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

“Gangs bring death and destruction, most often upon the very communities they claim to represent,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “These defendants coldly and callously murdered an innocent man who grew up in our community and returned home to give back to the city he loved. I hope the major sentences we announce today bring some degree of solace to Officer Arroyos’ family, friends, and colleagues. My office will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute gang violence.”

“Fernando Arroyos should be with us today, helping to protect a city he was ready and willing to give his life for. Yet he died in a way none of us could have imagined” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “With Officer Arroyos’ senseless killing, we lost a protector, and most importantly, his family lost someone who meant the whole world to them. The sentences handed down today are just and reinforce our commitment to ensuring public safety and holding those who terrorize our communities accountable.”

“Gang violence tears at the very fabric of our communities, causing immeasurable harm and suffering,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that acts of violence, especially against our dedicated law enforcement officers, will be met with the full force of justice. Officer Arroyos had a promising life ahead of him and chose to serve the community where he was raised, and we will forever remember his commitment and sacrifice. We are grateful for our local and federal partners’ collaborative efforts in bringing these brazen criminals to justice and preventing them from preying on others in our communities.”

On the night of January 10, 2022, the defendants were driving in Rios’ truck around F13’s “territory” in the Florence-Firestone area of South Los Angeles, looking for people to rob. The defendants decided to rob Officer Arroyos because he was wearing gold chains around his neck. Arroyos was accompanied by his girlfriend – another victim who is identified in court documents as “A.M.” Contreras handed Rios a loaded gun. Cisneros, who accompanied Rios and Contreras in Rios’s truck, already possessed a loaded gun. Rios and Cisneros, both armed, then exited Rios’ truck.

Cisneros approached the off-duty officer, patted him down, and then took his chains and wallet, which contained Arroyos’ LAPD identification card. Rios approached A.M., patted her down and stole her property.

After robbing Arroyos, Rios and Cisneros opened fire. Arroyos was struck by a single bullet, which killed him.

Earlier the same day, Rios and Contreras committed armed robberies against two victims outside a bar within F13’s “territory” in the Florence-Firestone area.

Haylee Marie Grisham, 21, an F13 associate who was Rios’ girlfriend, pleaded guilty in April 2023 to one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering for participating in the fatal robbery of Arroyos. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 9, at which time she will face a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The FBI and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter. The Los Angeles Police Department provided substantial assistance.

Assistant United States Attorney Kathy Yu, Chief of Ethics and Post-Conviction Review, and Christopher C. Kendall of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.

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

Source: US FBI

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Mexican National illegally residing in Lexington, Serafin Bayona, 35, was sentenced on Wednesday to 135 months by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove for financially benefiting from forced labor.

According to his plea agreement, Bayona participated in a venture to financially benefit through the forced labor of others. Specifically, Bayona would loan money to the victims, all Mexican nationals then living in Mexico, to be smuggled into the United States.  He would then coordinate the smuggling of these victims and arrange transportation to Lexington, where they would be housed in one of several properties he maintained. The victims would repay Bayona, after they obtained work in the United States, with interest that was added to their debt.  Bayona also would charge the victims other fees, including fees for rent, transportation, cleaning, food, clothing, and obtaining employment and false identification documents.  Ultimately, the amounts owed by the victims resulted in an endless cycle of debt. When the victims protested paying the continued fees, Bayona used threats of force on victims and the victims’ families, including instances of brandishing a firearm, to compel the victims to continue to work in order to pay him.  During the execution of search warrants at properties Bayona maintained, over $50,000 in cash was discovered, which he admitted was generated through his participation in this forced labor venture. 

Under federal law, Bayona must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, HSI, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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Source: US FBI

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, charge, and arrest alleged child sexual abuse offenders.  The operation resulted in the arrests of 205 defendants in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

“Child exploitation offenses inflict lasting harm on the most vulnerable members of our society, and the proliferation of child sexual abuse material across the Internet repeats and amplifies that harm.  Prosecuting child exploitation offenses has been and will always be a top priority for this Office, and we’re grateful for our law enforcement partners’ commitment to pursuing justice in these cases.” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky Paul McCaffrey.

“I’d like to commend FBI Louisville’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force on their dogged pursuit of perpetrators of child sexual abuse. While the FBI’s work to identify, investigate, and apprehend these predators never stops, our increased efforts over the last month during Operation Restore Justice resulted in removing some of our community’s most heinous criminals,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “FBI Louisville, in lockstep with our law enforcement partners, will continue to use every available resource to protect America’s most vulnerable populations, especially our children.”

In the Eastern District of Kentucky, nine defendants were charged with various child exploitation offenses. One of the indictments remains under seal. They include the following:

• Jason Back, 42, of Salyersville, Ky., was charged with online enticement of a minor.
• Jesus Chavez, 32, of Somerset, Ky., was charged with five counts of producing child pornography.
• Jordan A. Cobb, 33, of Salyersville, Ky., was charged with online enticement of a minor and cyberstalking of a minor.
• Austin Hawk, 25, of Pittsburg, Ky., was charged with transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity.­­
• Nathan Smith, 30, of Manchester, Ky., was charged with two counts of distribution of child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
• Michael Moon, 47, of Annville, Ky., was charged with one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
• Timothy Ray Dale, 63, of Paris, Ky., was charged with one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
• Finley Wooton, 32, of Hyden, Ky., was charged with the attempted production of child pornography. 

While the charges allege that these crimes were committed, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. Also, in many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. 

This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

Other online resources:

Electronic Press Kit

Violent Crimes Against Children

How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

 

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

 

-END-

Source: US FBI

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington man, Drequahn Smith, 19, was sentenced on Tuesday to 128 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

On June 24, 2024, law enforcement officers with the FBI and the Lexington Police Department were conducting surveillance on an individual wanted on an arrest warrant. Drequahn Smith was observed with the wanted individual, and fled when the law enforcement officers approached. During the foot pursuit, Smith attempted to throw away a handgun he was carrying before he was apprehended.  In a subsequent search of Smith’s backpack and a residence associated with Smith, law enforcement officers recovered 413 grams of pressed fentanyl pills. Smith admitted in his plea agreement that he possessed the fentanyl with intent to distribute it, and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime. 

Under federal law, Smith must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by FBI and Lexington Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities.  It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts.  In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

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Source: US FBI

Fayetteville, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Melvin Stout, age 40, of Fayetteville, AR, pleaded guilty today to making a false statement on a loan application to obtain money through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  Earlier this month, Stout’s wife, Tiffany Acuff, age 36, of Fayetteville, and sister, Valarie Watson, age 43, of Fayetteville, also pleaded to charges in connection with obtaining loans through the PPP, which is intended for businesses struggling through the coronavirus pandemic.  

The program, which provides low-interest, forgivable loans for businesses who use the funds for essential business expenses, such as payroll, is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed in March 2020.

According to the plea agreements in each case, Stout, Acuff, and Watson submitted PPP loan applications that falsely represented their ownership of small businesses, which they alleged were eligible for PPP funds. Stout, was approved and received $9,400.00, Acuff, was approved and received $20,800.00, while Watson, applied for $20,800.00, but was declined. Along with the applications, the defendants submitted falsified tax documents and business receipts.  None of the defendants owned the businesses listed in the applications. 

Stout, Acuff, and Watson’s sentencings will be determined by the court at a later date, following the U.S. Probation Office’s completion of a presentence investigation. Based on their guilty pleas, the maximum penalties for each defendant include imprisonment for up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

The case was investigated by IRS, the FBI, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Assistant United States Attorney Hunter Bridges is prosecuting the case for the United States.

Source: US FBI

Fayetteville, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas announced that, Jonathan Terry, age 35, was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Money Laundering. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing today in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

Beginning in July of 2019, Terry began fraudulently obtaining the banking and personally identifying information of individuals throughout the Fayetteville Division of the Western District of Arkansas through various means, primarily from stealing mail from unattended mailboxes.  After he obtained that information, Terry opened financial accounts at various financial institutions, to include TD Ameritrade and Fidelity, and funded those accounts with stolen checks.  Terry also attempted to take advantage of the “pending” status of large deposits to transfer funds amongst the various accounts he opened.  In all, the Court found that Terry attempted $2,256,727.50 in transactions on those fraudulent accounts, though he and his coconspirators only obtained approximately $4,000 in the overall scheme.  The Court found that Terry was an “organizer or leader” of the scheme, that he victimized over 10 individuals, and that he obstructed justice during the investigation.        

Terry was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2020 and entered a guilty plea in June of 2020. 

This case was investigated by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the Fayetteville Police Department, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Arkansas State Police, IRS, the FBI and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).  Assistant United States Attorney Ben Wulff prosecuted the case for the Western District of Arkansas.

Source: US FBI

      LITTLE ROCK—A North Carolina man was sentenced late Monday after traveling to Arkansas twice to have sex with a minor he enticed over the internet. United States District Court Judge Brian S. Miller sentenced Jonathan Berrier, 53, of Lexington, North Carolina, to 180 months in federal prison. Cody Hiland, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Diane Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Little Rock Field Office, announced the sentencing.

      In January 2017, Berrier reached out to a 13-year-old minor on Facebook, and they began talking through text messaging and telephone as well. The conversations became sexual in nature and continued through spring 2018. As the sexual content of their conversations increased, the defendant sent gifts and packages to the minor, which included cell phones.

      The defendant travelled from North Carolina to Arkansas in February and March of 2018. On both occasions, he gave the minor a cell phone to communicate with him. Text messages retrieved from one of the phones revealed additional sexually explicit messages between the defendant and the minor. On both visits to Arkansas, the defendant had sexual intercourse with the minor.

      “This defendant cultivated a long term, sexually explicit online relationship with a 13-year-old child, and he then leveraged that relationship to come into our state and sexually abuse her,” said U.S. Attorney Hiland. “Today’s 15-year sentence should serve as a warning to anyone who would take advantage of a minor online: if you come to Arkansas with the intent to sexually abuse a child, we will investigate and prosecute, and we will seek a lengthy sentence.”

      Berrier was originally charged in a two-count indictment with one count of enticement of a minor and one count of travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The defendant pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor on September 25, 2020.

      In addition to the prison term, Berrier was sentenced to ten years of supervised release following his imprisonment. He was also ordered to pay $2400 in restitution to the victim to assist in paying for counseling services. The investigation was conducted by the FBI.

# # #

This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

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

https://www.justice.gov/edar

Twitter:

@EDARNEWS

Source: US FBI

EVANSVILLE— William Virgil Russell, II, 33, of Evansville, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of sexually explicit material involving minors.   

According to court documents, on April 3, 2023, social media application, Instagram, reported that an account owned by William V. Russell had accessed at least one video suspected of containing child sexual abuse material. The video depicted an adult male attempting to rape a prepubescent minor female.

Working with Instagram to review the account, law enforcement investigators found additional child sexual abuse material, as well as posts by Russell soliciting underage videos that stated, “Looking for freaks with young kids or siblings that need $$” and “Looking for under l2 to buy from hit me up.”

On September 26, 2023, investigators searched Russell’s home in Evansville and recovered his cellphone. Further investigation uncovered 21 sexually explicit images involving minors, as well as numerous chat session transcripts in which Russell describes himself as a pedophile, says he prefers toddlers, and asks women to provide him with nude and sexually explicit images of their children. Russell often offered to pay for the images.

At the time of the offenses described above, Russell was a registered sex offender based on a felony conviction for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material in Warrick County, Indiana. Following his release, Russell must continue to remain registered as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school.

“Every parent should know that social media apps like Instagram are not safe spaces for young children and are often hunting grounds for predators who seek gratification from their exploitation,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “I commend the investigators with FBI, Evansville PD, and the efforts of our AUSA for working together to ensure more vulnerable individuals are not victimized.”

The FBI and Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young

Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger, who prosecuted this case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.

If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood

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Source: US FBI

INDIANAPOLIS— Gabriel Whitley, 27, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to three months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to making materially false statements to the Federal Election Commission.

According to court documents, during the 2024 primary election, Gabriel Whitley was a candidate for United States Congress in Indiana’s 7th Congressional District. Whitley did not win the primary election, which was held on May 7, 2024. As set forth below in more detail, rather than raise funds in the normal course for his campaign, Whitley fabricated contributions that he had received and falsely reported to the Federal Election Commission (“FEC”) that he had in fact received those contributions. Whitley knew the FEC filings were riddled with falsehoods, and in making those fraudulent statements, deceived the American public about his candidacy.

As set forth in Court documents, on October 11, 2023, Whitley, acting as Treasurer for his principal campaign committee, “Honest Gabe for Congress,” filed a report with the FEC covering the period from July 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023. In that report, Whitley lied and falsely documented that 67 people, not including himself, made contributions to his campaign, totaling approximately $222,690. These reports included made-up names, occupations, employers, and addresses for multiple fictitious contributors.

On January 31, 2024, Whitley, again acting as Treasurer for his campaign committee, filed another report with the FEC repeating the same scheme he had engaged in previously, lying and falsely reporting contributions that he knew he had never received.

Finally, on April 15, 2024, Whitley filed yet another false report with the FEC. In that report, he lied again and falsely conveyed that he loaned his campaign $100,000 on March 7, 2024, while knowing that he had not in fact loaned his campaign this money and did not have the funds to do so.

In total, approximately $234,000 of the purported contributions to Honest Gabe for Congress never occurred.

“Gabriel Whitley intentionally created an illusion that he was a legitimate candidate for office with the financial support of the electorate, denying the public of its most powerful tool for casting informed ballots: transparency,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Federal election laws require all federal candidates to make a true, accurate accounting of the contributions they have received, so that citizens can properly choose their own leaders. This sentence should reassure the public of our government’s ability to police and punish conduct that corrupts elections and denies the public the right to cast informed votes.”

“When you are a candidate for public office, you have the same responsibility to follow the law just like the people you seek to represent,” said FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans. “This wasn’t a mistake by Mr. Whitley – it was a deliberate effort to deceive the public by violating campaign finance laws for his own gain. The FBI remains committed to investigating those who violate public trust and ensure they are held accountable.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II.

Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston and Trial Attorney of the Public Integrity of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, Nicole Lockhart, who prosecuted this case, with substantial assistance from former PIN Trial Attorney Jacob Steiner

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Source: US FBI

El Dorado, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Justin Tyrone Seguin, age 37, of Camden, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 100 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Possession of  Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in El Dorado.

In July of 2019, investigators with the Camden police department obtained a search warrant for Seguin’s residence in Camden, Arkansas. The search warrant authorized investigators to search the residence for controlled substances and other records indicating ownership and occupancy. On July 19, 2019, Investigators executed the search warrant. When officers entered Seguin’s bedroom, he struck an officer and resisted arrest.  After being subdued, a search of his bedroom revealed digital scales containing methamphetamine residue, marijuana and three bags of methamphetamine weighing approximately 45 grams. 

Seguin was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2019, and entered a guilty plea in February of 2020. 

This case was investigated by the Camden Police Department, the FBI, and Assistant United States Attorney Ben Wulff prosecuted the case for the Western District of Arkansas.