Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Posted on

Detroit Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

Source: US FBI

DETROIT – A Farmington, Michigan man was sentenced this week to 15 years in prison for sexually exploiting multiple children, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced today.

Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Evan Mercer, 31, of Farmington, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Terrence G. Berg. Mercer pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children after he chatted with multiple minors online and recorded images of them nude and in sexually explicit positions. The youngest victim appears to have been just seven years old. Mercer contacted her in September 2023 and recorded a video of her exposing herself to a web camera. He solicited nude images from at least two other minors. Mercer’s crimes came to light after a witness came forward to law enforcement after discovering the videos Mercer had produced. Authorities located and Mercer’s electronic devices, finding the evidence of his crimes.

“This defendant solicited multiple children online and exploited their youth, naivete, and vulnerability to create sexual exploitative images of his victims. We are thankful to the brave witness who came forward to alert authorities of his crimes, and to the law enforcement who collected that evidence and ensured this offender was brought to justice,” U.S. Attorney Gorgon said.

“Evan Mercer’s sentencing underscores the FBI’s steadfast commitment to seeking justice for victims of child exploitation and to protecting our most vulnerable population,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Mr. Mercer’s inexcusable actions against minors, as well as any other offenders, will not be tolerated. I commend the dedicated efforts of our Oakland County Resident Agency members, and our law enforcement partners at the Ferndale Police Department. I also want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, whose contributions were vital in concluding this case. We remain fully committed to collaborating with our community and law enforcement allies to identify, investigate, and bring to justice those who pose a threat to our children.”

“This case was investigated by special agents of the FBI Oakland County Resident Agency and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diane Princ, Nhan Ho, and Tara Hindelang.  

Posted on

Former Algona Meatpacking Plant Worker Convicted in Pandemic Benefits Fraud Conspiracy

Source: US FBI

A former Algona, Iowa, meatpacking plant worker who obtained fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans and recruited others into the scheme was convicted by a jury on May 8, 2025, after a four-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.

Yovany Ciero, age 48, from Mason City, Iowa, formerly of Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela, was convicted of three counts of wire fraud, 23 counts of money laundering, one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from a specified unlawful activity, and one count of money laundering conspiracy.  The verdict was returned following about three and a half hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that Ciero is a former Sergeant in the Cuban military who crossed the Mexican border nearly twenty years ago after his request for a visa to enter the United States was denied.  In 2020, Ciero was working at an Algona meatpacking plant when the COVID-19 pandemic began.  Beginning in July 2020, Ciero, and over one hundred other immigrants from Cuba, obtained fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on the false and fraudulent pretenses that they were self-employed businesspeople who earned approximately $100,000 in gross income in 2019 when they actually worked at the meatpacking plant or elsewhere in 2019.         

Ciero was one of six “bundlers” in the fraudulent PPP loan scheme.  Ciero’s role was to recruit individuals into the scheme, obtain their personal identifying information for the fraudulent loan applications, and then pass that information to others who submitted the fraudulent loan applications to lenders who were participating in the PPP.  The evidence established that over $4 million in fraudulent loan PPP applications were submitted, and the government lost over $2.4 million as a result.

Once the individuals received their fraudulent PPP loan funds, typically $20,000 each, Ciero served as a “funnel” in a money laundering conspiracy.  Ciero collected fees that the organizers of the scheme charged the applicants, typically $3,000 per $20,000 fraudulent loan.

Ciero also obtained two fraudulent PPP loans for himself and his paramour.  Ciero used most of this PPP loan money to purchase a semi-truck.  Ciero is the sixth former Iowa meatpacking plant worker convicted in the PPP scheme.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Ciero remains free on bond pending sentencing.  Ciero faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, over $10,000,000 in fines, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy L. Vavricek and Daniel A. Chatham and was investigated by the Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Storm Lake Police Department.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 24-CR-3013.

Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Posted on

T. White: Dallas Field Office

Source: US FBI

Prior to joining the FBI, I served as a law enforcement officer with the U.S. Capitol Police for 10 years. I worked as a K9 handler and K9 sergeant before becoming an FBI agent. Since joining the FBI, I have primarily worked organized crime.

What drew you to the FBI?

My introduction into law enforcement came at an early age after hearing various stories from my father about his days working as a military police officer. I grew up wanting to be a doctor, however, and went to college to pursue that career. But I found myself more interested in forensic science and took a few graduate courses to further explore that field. Those courses piqued my interest in the FBI, and even though I wasn’t initially selected to be an agent, I was motivated to work even harder to gain relevant experience and reapply. It took me nearly eight years, but I was determined. I contacted the recruiter at my local field office, resubmitted my application, completed the selection process, and was given a class date to begin new agent training at the FBI Academy in Quantico.

Share the thing you’re most proud of from your FBI career.

Given the diverse backgrounds within the Bureau, it never occurred to me that I could be the first anything in the FBI. 

Posted on

Amy Kaskel: Albuquerque Field Office

Source: US FBI

I joined the FBI in 1999 and have worked national security and counterintelligence investigations in the New York and Los Angeles offices and at FBI Headquarters. I have also managed human intelligence operations and witness security programs and served as a team leader in the inspection division. In March 2020, I was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Albuquerque Field Office.

What drew you to the FBI?  

While working as a customs inspector at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, I met the FBI special agent assigned to the airport. One day he suggested I apply, but I thought all FBI agents were men who had been attorneys, accountants, law enforcement, or military. He explained the FBI was looking for smart, inquisitive people with varied backgrounds and life experiences. 

I was drawn to the FBI because of the many opportunities, unique travel, interesting training, fascinating overseas assignments, challenging collateral duties, the opportunity to protect the United States, and no more polyester uniform! Now, 23 years later, I am a different person because of the opportunities presented to me in my career and am glad I was encouraged to apply to the FBI.

Posted on

Melissa Vanek: Anchorage Field Office

Source: US FBI

After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in integrative biology and then competing as a professional track and field athlete, I was recruited by the FBI for an intelligence analyst position in the San Francisco Field Office. I worked criminal matters for more than three years before I entered the FBI Academy. I returned to the San Francisco Field Office and spent 12 years as a special agent in the Santa Rosa Resident Agency, working everything from Ponzi schemes to armored car robberies to wine heists to disaster fraud. I am currently coordinating several programs for the Anchorage Field Office.

Who made a difference in your career? How?

After 15 years with the FBI, the excitement of being a special agent began to diminish, as I found myself taking my job for granted.

One day, a colleague handed me a letter that changed everything. The letter was dated April 21, 1972, and it was addressed to a woman named Jane who had expressed interest in becoming an FBI special agent.

Jane was informed that only men could be employed as special agents, because, as the letter stated: “Due to the diverse situations with which special agents are confronted, many of which are combat in nature, we must employ in that capacity men who are fully qualified and on whom we can rely to discharge effectively under any contingency the full range of duties for which they are responsible.” The letter was signed John Edgar Hoover, Director.

This letter awakened in me the realization that the professional opportunities I had been afforded were only possible because of those who refused to accept that women were incapable of performing the duties of an FBI special agent. I reflected on how many women, like Jane, received those rejection letters. Instead of conceding defeat, they worked to prove that women undoubtedly belonged among the ranks of FBI special agents. It was not lost on me that in the same year this letter was written, the first two female special agents were accepted into the FBI Academy. I often ponder the impact of Jane’s letter on my career and the careers of all female agents who have contributed to the FBI.

This letter was a catalyst for me to become a special agent recruiter for the FBI, and I now devote myself to recruiting a diverse range of qualified candidates into the most prestigious law enforcement agency in the world.

As we now celebrate 50 years of female special agents, Jane’s letter is displayed at my workspace as a reminder of the debt I owe her and so many others for paving the way for not only me, but all past, current, and future female special agents.

Posted on

Kimberly Vagos Blackwood: Boston Field Office

Source: US FBI

Born in 1972, the first year women were permitted to be FBI special agents, I started my FBI career as a file clerk in 1996 and became an agent in early 2001. I have worked cases in a number of areas, but have focused on complex financial crimes, health care fraud, and other white-collar investigations.

What is the best career or life advice you’ve been given?

In the days and weeks following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, we were all working extremely long hours and not getting a lot of sleep. A few weeks in, I knew I needed to get some exercise, so I snuck out for a quick run. I was feeling guilty and hoping that no one would see me. In the elevator on my way outside, I bumped into a very senior agent. I apologized profusely for sneaking out for a run. 

Posted on

FBI Honors Fallen During 2022 Police Week Events

Source: US FBI

As the nation recognizes Police Week, FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed his gratitude to law enforcement officers nationwide and voiced his concern over the growing dangers faced by those who work to keep our communities safe.

On Monday, the FBI released its annual statistics on law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Those numbers show 129 officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2021. Seventy-three of those deaths were felonious.

“Each and every story is heartbreaking,” Wray said in a video address. “A 30-year Florida deputy murdered one shift shy of retirement. An officer ambushed on his first day on the job, leaving behind a wife and an infant son. A combat veteran and his police dog killed while serving together.”

Police Week is observed every May and provides an opportunity for law enforcement officers to gather for fellowship events and honor those they lost.

Posted on

Former FBI Director Airs Warning About Elder Fraud

Source: US FBI

The Websters are among millions of older Americans targeted each year in elder fraud schemes like bogus lottery and romance scams. Fraudsters string along victims with promises of love or riches in exchange for cash advances or assistance moving illegal funds. Losses from these types of scams reach into the hundreds of millions each year and are increasing as the U.S. population ages.

The Websters’ case was featured on fbi.gov in 2019 and garnered national attention. The couple hopes the new public service announcement (PSA) will remind older people, their families, and caregivers that they need to maintain their guard against sophisticated schemes.

“Since we have become involved with this issue, we’ve heard sad stories of millions of dollars stolen, lives threatened, and even suicides,” Lynda Webster said. “My husband has been targeted for years. And when one scammer threatened our lives we knew we had to act.”

The PSA includes archival images of Webster as a Navy officer in World War II and Korea and later as a federal judge and head of the country’s premier intelligence and law enforcement agencies. The scammer who targeted the Websters didn’t know this background, just that Judge Webster was older and might therefore be susceptible to cons that prey on traits like trustworthiness, loneliness, and a yearning for more financial security.

Posted on

FBI Defeats U.S. Secret Service in Charity Hockey Game

Source: US FBI

The FBI won a hard-fought game against its longtime hockey rivals, the U.S. Secret Service, on Saturday night. Most importantly, the game was expected to raise around $20,000 for families of fallen law enforcement officers.

Despite falling behind early, the FBI’s team rallied to win, 3-2.

“It was a good, hard-fought battle. It’s always back and forth between our two teams. We know they’re a fast team; so we like to weather the storm with them…We fought back, got a couple goals in the third and took it to them and won,” said Kevin Weinstock, who skates for the FBI team even though he recently left the agency.

While the on-ice action at Medstar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia provided plenty of excitement, two special four-legged visitors stole the show. The FBI’s victim assistance dog, Wally, and retired Secret Service dog, Hurricane, both made appearances at the game. Hurricane participated in the ceremonial puck drop between U.S. Secret Service Chief Operating Officer George Mulligan and FBI Director Christopher Wray.

The hockey rivalry was put on hold last year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The previously annual tradition dates back to the early 2000s, when then-FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, a former hockey player, used to skate with the team in warmups.

For both the players and the fans, the game offers an opportunity to support their agencies outside of the grueling demands of a typical workday, Weinstock said.

“I think it gives employees a fun, social event that relates to work, but it’s outside of it,” he said. “It’s something fun you can feel a part of supporting your team.”

An FBI and U.S. Secret Service player collide during the game.

Director Christopher Wray addressed the team before the game.

Posted on

Administrative Professionals Helped Run the FBI in Its Earliest Days

Source: US FBI

A strong organization does not run without highly skilled administrative professionals, and these professionals have served with distinction throughout FBI history.

When the Bureau was created in 1908, the new headquarters office was occupied by only its leader, Stanley Finch. But it soon became clear that he would need assistance.

Alexander Bruce Bielaski was called in from the investigative accountants of the new Bureau and quickly made his mark keeping the Bureau functioning. He was promoted to lead the Bureau several years later. 

The tenure of J. Edgar Hoover, who served as director for almost 48 years, was also marked by important assistants. Helen Gandy and Samuel Noisette were the two most associated with his success. 

Gandy became Hoover’s principal secretary in the early 1920s and served as his administrative assistant for the rest of his career. She had significant influence on Bureau policy, personnel, and culture.

Similarly, Samuel “Sam” Noisette served as the gatekeeper to Hoover’s office. Technically his official greeter, Noisette joined the front office in 1928 and served for 40 years before retiring. He was a talented amateur artist; it was known that if you wanted to impress the right leaders in the Bureau, you attended Noisette’s local exhibitions. If you rose high enough, he might even give you one of his works to display.

In 1957, Hoover promoted Noisette to the position of agent, although his duties remained the same.

Subsequent directors, and other high-ranking officials, have had similarly dedicated and talented administrative professionals helping them keep the Bureau running. We recognize their contributions today and every day.