Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Over 500 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct in Arizona

Source: US FBI

PHOENIX, Ariz. – During two weeks of enforcement operations from January 21, 2025, through February 3, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona has brought immigration-related criminal charges against over 500 defendants. Specifically, the Office charged 565 defendants with immigration-related crimes. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Apart from interdiction efforts at the border, Federal law enforcement has been prioritizing immigration enforcement operations and prosecutions of aliens unlawfully in the interior of the country who have connections to criminal activity in the United States, including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, who have active warrants for their arrest, or who have outstanding final orders of removal from the United States issued by an immigration judge. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearms, and alien smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of  our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect us all.

Recent matters of interest include:

United States v. Edwin Santiago Marquez Flores: On January 27, 2025, Edwin Santiago Marquez Flores was under surveillance by HSI special agents on suspicion of engaging in human smuggling activity via social media. During a traffic stop, Marquez was found to be illegally in possession of two Century Arms AK47-style rifles, along with over $1,400 in U.S. currency. He was charged by criminal complaint with being an Alien in Possession of a Firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5). Marquez admitted to being in the United States without legal status and admitted that he picked up the rifles with the intention that they be smuggled into Mexico. Marquez further admitted that he had sold approximately 50 firearms, including 40 to one specific individual who smuggles them to Mexico. He also admitted to transporting and selling cocaine in the United States and to coordinating approximately 300 drivers to smuggle approximately 800-1,000 illegal aliens within the United States. In total, Marquez said he was paid over $1.2 million for his smuggling activities. Case No. 25-3007 MJ.

 

United States v. Jason Kyle Dunn: On January 31, 2025, Jason Kyle Dunn, a U.S. Citizen, was charged with smuggling aliens in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324. Dunn was encountered at a U.S. Border Patrol immigration checkpoint on Interstate 19, driving a Ford F-550. After a human-detecting canine alerted to the vehicle, aliens were found concealed inside toolboxes in the bed of the truck. Specifically, Border Patrol found one subject locked in the driver’s side toolbox, two locked in the passenger side toolbox, and three locked in the main toolbox. The smuggled aliens reported they had no way of opening the toolboxes from the inside and that they had been locked inside the toolboxes for up to two hours before being rescued by Border Patrol. Case No. 25-8428 MJ.

United States v. Alfonso Garcia Vega: On February 2, 2025, ICE ERO Phoenix arrested Alfonso Garcia Vega, a Mexican citizen and criminal alien, who had previously been removed after a federal felony conviction and had unlawfully returned to the United States. Vega was charged by criminal complaint for illegal reentry after deportation in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a), as enhanced by 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b) because of his prior felony convictions in the United States. Court papers in that prior case reflect that Garcia Vega’s criminal history includes DUIs, assault, illegal reentry, a drug trafficking offense, and misconduct involving weapons. See United States v. Alfonso Garcia-Vega, No. CR-19-00198-PHX-DLR. ICE ERO began its investigation in this matter based on a referral from ATF that Garcia Vega had previously attempted to illegally buy a firearm in the United States, and which purchase had been denied. Garcia Vega had been deported from the United States in 2020 pursuant to a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge after his 2019 federal felony conviction, for which he was sentenced to two years in custody. ICE officers attempted to consensually encounter and arrest Garcia Vega while he was on the sidewalk in front of his residence, but he fled into his residence in an attempt to avoid arrest. ICE ERO then obtained an arrest warrant to enter the residence. Case No. 25-3078 MJ.

A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

CASE NUMBER:            25-3007 MJ       
                                      25-8428 MJ  
                                      25-3078 MJ                                       
RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-014_Immmigration Enforcement

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18th Street Gang Member Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy and Two Murders

Source: US FBI

Defendant Recorded Victim Being Stabbed More than 100 Times and Sent the Video to Other Gang Members as a Warning Not to Cooperate with Law Enforcement

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Yanki Misael Cruz-Mateo, a member of the 18th Street gang, a transnational criminal organization, was sentenced by United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall to 45 years’ imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy in connection with his participation in two murders: the October 25, 2017 murder of 20-year-old Jonathan Figueroa in Saugerties, New York, and the February 2, 2018 murder of 20-year-old Oscar Antonio Blanco-Hernandez in Queens.

John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.

“Cruz-Mateo committed two horrific murders and boasted about the carnage in video and text messages to instill fear, exact retribution, and promote gang violence,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “The lengthy sentence imposed today delivers a powerful message that senseless violence carries serious consequences. My Office will continue our tireless efforts to investigate and prosecute violence carried out by the 18th Street and other transnational criminal organizations.  It is my sincere hope that the justice meted out today provides a measure of comfort and closure for the victims’ loved ones.”

Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, the New York State Police, the Kingston Police Department, and the New York City Police Department for their assistance on the case.

“Yanki Misael Cruz-Mateo, an 18th Street gang member, lured two victims to their brutal murders as retribution for perceived disloyalty and affiliation with rival organizations,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.  “His actions mirror the gang’s depravity and its lawless prioritization of social status over human life.  May today’s sentencing offer a semblance of justice for the victims’ families and highlight the FBI’s continued determination to eradicate all brutal gang violence plaguing our communities.

Today’s sentence is the latest achievement in a series of prosecutions by this Office and our law enforcement partners of the leaders, members, and associates of 18th Street.  According to court filings and proceedings, 18th Street is a transnational criminal organization and violent street gang with members and associates residing throughout New York State, including Queens and Long Island, elsewhere throughout the United States, including Houston, Texas, and Central America. Members of 18th Street regularly engage in murder, attempted murder, assault, extortion, illegal drug and firearms trafficking, false identification document production, witness tampering, and money laundering.

October 25, 2017 Murder of Jonathan Figueroa

As set forth in court filings, including the government’s sentencing memorandum, in the late evening hours of October 24, 2017, Cruz-Mateo lured and travelled with Figueroa from Queens to Kingston, New York. Upon their arrival in Kingston, they were met by Israel Mediola Flores and other 18th Street members and associates who, into the early morning hours the following day, brought Figueroa to Turkey Point State Forest, brutally stabbed him to death and buried him in a makeshift grave.  Cruz-Mateo ordered the murder to be video-recorded and captured multiple 18th Street members and associates repeatedly stabbing Figueroa, slashing his throat and severing his ear.  In the video, Cruz-Mateo stated that Figueroa was being murdered for “being a rat.” Cruz-Mateo then sent the video to other 18th Street members as a warning.  Figueroa’s body was discovered in February 2018 by the FBI, along with state and local law enforcement authorities, in a five-foot deep grave in Turkey Point State Forest.  The victim had sustained more than 100 stab wounds.

Co-defendants Walter Fernando Alfaro Pineda, Israel Mediola Flores, and Jose Douglas Castellano pleaded guilty to Figueroa’s murder. Mediola Flores was sentenced to 425 months in prison; Pineda and Castellano are awaiting sentencing.

February 2, 2018 Murder of Oscar Antonio Blanco-Hernandez

On February 2, 2018, several gang members killed Blanco-Hernandez because they believed he was a member of the rival MS-13 gang.  Co-defendant Jose Chacon had met Blanco-Hernandez weeks earlier through their mutual employer, a New Jersey-based house painting company.  On the morning of the murder, co-defendant Carolina Cruz and Chacon picked up Blanco-Hernandez at his home in New Jersey under the guise of going to smoke marijuana as friends.  Cruz and Chacon drove Blanco-Hernandez to Queens where they met 18th Street gang members, including Cruz-Mateo and co-defendant Yoni Sierra, who entered the rear passenger seat of Cruz’s car on opposite sides, sandwiching Blanco-Hernandez between them.  Cruz drove Chacon, Cruz-Mateo, Sierra, and their victim about 1.6 miles away to a quiet residential neighborhood.  Cruz-Mateo, Sierra, and Blanco-Hernandez got out of the car and started walking eastbound, while Cruz and Chacon stayed behind with the car.  After walking for a few minutes, Cruz-Mateo drew a .380 caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot Blanco-Hernandez in the back of the head, killing him instantly. Blanco-Hernandez’s body was discovered on a residential street in the Jamaica Hills section of Queens.  He sustained three gunshot wounds: two gunshots to the torso and one to the head.

Sierra, Chacon, and Cruz also pleaded guilty to Blanco-Hernandez’s murder.  Chacon was sentenced to 269 months in prison; Sierra to 204 months in prison; and Cruz to 150 months in prison.

This case is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.  OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section.  Assistant United States  Attorneys Jonathan P. Lax, Erin Reid, Margaret Schierberl, Adam Amir, and Rebecca Urquiola are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Tareva Torres and Samuel Ronchetti.

The Defendant:

YANKI MISAEL CRUZ-MATEO (also known as “Yenki Misael Cruz Mateo,” “Yankee Mateo,” “Doggy,” and “Wino”)
Age: 25
Jamaica, Queens

Co-Defendants Previously Convicted:

ERIC CHAVEZ (also known as “Lunatico”)
Age: 25
Jamaica, New York

WALTER FERNANDO ALFARO PINEDA (also known as “Clever”)
Age: 45
Houston, Texas

ISRAEL MEDIOLA FLORES (also known as “Chapito” and “Sinaloa”)
Age: 29
Kingston, New York

YONI ALEXANDER SIERRA (also known as “Arca,” “Arc Angel” and “Wasson”)
Age: 26
Jamaica, Queens

JOSE JIMENEZ CHACON (also known as “Little One”)
Age: 26
New Brunswick, New Jersey

CAROLINA CRUZ (also known as “La Fiera”)
Age: 31
Elizabeth, New Jersey

JOSE DOUGLAS CASTELLANO (also known as “Chino”)
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New York

JUNIOR ZELAYA-CANALES (also known as “Terco”)
Age: 28
Jamaica, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-139 (S-7) (LDH)

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FBI New York Seeking Additional Victims of Brooklyn Man Arrested for Sexual Exploitation of Children

Source: US FBI

NEW YORK, NY— The New York FBI/NYPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force executed an arrest warrant for Manuel Davila, 28, of Brooklyn on April 29, 2025, following an investigation into the sexual exploitation of multiple children.

Upon execution of a judicially authorized search warrant, agents reviewed iCloud records associated with Davila and found communication via a mobile conversation application with minor victims. In one instance, in an 18-minute video recorded on or about January 17, 2024, Davila, attempted to solicit sexually explicit material from a minor victim he believed to be 10 years of age.

FBI New York interviewed an additional minor victim who Davila requested sexually explicit images of in previous chats. Davila instructed the minor victim to delete the images and messages after they were sent.

If you are a victim of Manuel Davila, or have any information concerning Manuel Davila, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or you can report a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. The FBI has teams dedicated to providing victims with necessary resources and assistance.

“Soliciting sexually explicit material from young children is a heinous crime. Protecting vulnerable members of our communities – our children – is one of the most critical aspects of our work,” said Christopher Raia, Assistant Director in Charge of FBI New York. “The FBI is determined to protect children from depraved individuals attempting to prey on them.”

The FBI is legally mandated to identify victims of federal crimes it investigates. Identified victims may be eligible for certain services and rights under federal and/or state law.

Note: A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Phoenix Woman Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Possession of a Machinegun and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering

Source: US FBI

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Cynthia Solano, 40, of Phoenix, was sentenced this week by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 87 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, for her involvement in a transnational firearm smuggling organization. On August 14, 2024, Solano pleaded guilty to Possession of a Machinegun and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.

Between February 2022 and January 2023, Solano conspired with others to conduct financial transactions which were designed to conceal proceeds generated from the sale of firearms trafficked from the United States into Canada. After the proceeds were received, Solano used the proceeds to purchase additional firearms.

Beginning in late December 2022, Solano gathered 87 firearms in Phoenix which she intended to deliver to other members of the organization in Michigan.  

On January 3, 2023, Solano was driving near Springfield, Illinois when she was contacted by the Illinois State Police. The Illinois State Police troopers searched her vehicle and found 87 firearms, individually wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper. One of the firearms was equipped with a machinegun conversion device (also known as a “Switch”) attached. A machinegun conversion device converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm.

After Solano was arraigned in Arizona, she was placed on pretrial release. She later removed her electronic monitoring device and fled to Mexico. Through the efforts of the United States Marshals’ Office, she was captured by law enforcement in Mexico and removed to the United States to face prosecution.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

The OCDETF Arizona Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Arizona Army National Guard, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Pima County Sheriff’s Office, and the Scottsdale Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-00408-PHX-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-012_Solano

# # #

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

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Former School Bus Driver Pleads Guilty to Possessing Thousands of Images of Child Sexual Abuse Material

Source: US FBI

RIVERSIDE, California – A San Bernardino County man who once worked as a school bus driver pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for possessing thousands of images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Donal James Seaver, 51, of Hesperia, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.

Seaver has been in federal custody since March 2024.

According to his plea agreement, federal and local law enforcement executed a search warrant at Seaver’s residence in March 2024. Law enforcement seized four digital devices from Seaver and his bedroom, three of which contained CSAM. One of the devices – a Samsung tablet – contained thousands of images depicting CSAM.

Seaver admitted in his plea agreement that he knew the files contained videos and images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He further admitted to knowingly downloading CSAM from the internet onto his devices – material that depicted children under the age of 12 years.

United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal scheduled an August 25 sentencing hearing, at which time Seaver will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

The FBI and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.

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California Resident Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – A California resident was sentenced to 100 months in prison for possessing fentanyl for distribution, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Timothy Alan Blank, 55, of Los Angeles, California, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

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

On March 6, 2024, Blank, transported approximately five kilograms of fentanyl in his personal vehicle from the Los Angeles, California area across the United States into the District of New Jersey.  On March 8, 2024, Blank’s vehicle was stopped by law enforcement agents in Fort Lee, New Jersey when agents discovered the five kilograms of fentanyl inside the trunk area of the vehicle. Following his arrest, Blank admitted to law enforcement agents his intent to distribute the fentanyl inside of the District of New Jersey.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Padin sentenced Blank to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Alina Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Lee Police Department, and the FBI Los Angeles Field Office, with the investigation that led to the sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent D. Romano of the Criminal Division in Newark.

                                                                       ###

Defense counsel: Claressa L. Lowe

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Californians Report Over $2.5 Billion in Losses According to IC3 Annual Report

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES—The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has released its latest annual report. The 2024 Internet Crime Report combines information from 859,532 complaints of suspected Internet crime and details reported losses exceeding $16 billion – a 33% increase in losses from 2023.

According to the 2024 report, California ranked #1 out of all states in the number of complaints received by the public. Moreover, California residents 60 and over, suffered the most losses at over $800 million and submitted the greatest number of complaints.

The top three cybercrimes in California, by number of complaints reported by victims in 2024 were: Cryptocurrency Fraud, Extortion, and Phishing/Spoofing.

“This report is a sobering reminder that we in California, especially our seniors, remain prime targets for scammers who will jump at every opportunity to defraud potential victims” said Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “It’s important for the public to remain vigilant to guard against ever-increasing cyber threats. At home, practicing good cyber hygiene is an effective way to create a safer online environment for you and your family. If anyone suspects they or someone they know may be a victim of fraud, we encourage them to report it to the FBI by calling our Los Angeles Field Office at 310-477-6565, online at tips.fbi.gov and submitting a report to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.”

To promote public awareness, the IC3 produces an annual report to aggregate and highlight the data provided by the general public. The quality of the data is a direct reflection of the information the public provides through the IC3 website. The IC3 standardizes the data by categorizing each complaint and analyzes the data to identify and forecast trends in Internet crime. The annual report helps the FBI develop effective relationships with industry partners and share information for investigative and intelligence purposes for law enforcement and public awareness.

The IC3, which was established in May 2000, houses nine million complaints from the public in its database and continues to encourage anyone who thinks they’ve been the victim of a cyber-enabled crime, regardless of dollar loss, to file a complaint through the IC3 website. The more comprehensive complaints the FBI receives, the more effective it will be in helping law enforcement gain a more accurate picture of the extent and nature of Internet-facilitated crimes.

The FBI recommends that everyone frequently review consumer and industry alerts published by the IC3. If you or your business is a victim of an Internet crime, immediately notify all financial institutions involved in the relevant transactions, submit a complaint to www.ic3.gov, contact your nearest FBI field office, and contact local law enforcement.

Learn more about the history of IC3 by listening to this previously released podcast: FBI podcast episode “Inside the FBI: IC3 Turns 20.”

The full 2024 Internet Crime Report can be found here: https://www.ic3.gov/AnnualReport/Reports/2024_IC3Report.pdf

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L.A. Pawn Shop Owner Indicted for Allegedly Conspiring to Sell Stolen Andy Warhol Trial Proof and Lying to the FBI About Its Sale

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – The owner of a pawn shop in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles was indicted today for allegedly conspiring to sell a stolen Andy Warhol print trial proof, which was shipped from the Beverly Hills office of an auction house to Dallas, then lying about it to federal agents.

Glenn Steven Bednarsh, 58, of Farmington, Michigan and formerly of Beverly Hills, is charged in a two-count federal grand jury indictment with conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen goods.

He is expected to be arraigned in the coming weeks in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

According to the indictment, in February 2021, Bednarsh knowingly purchased for $6,000 a stolen Warhol trial proof depicting Russian revolutionary and Soviet Union leader Vladimir Lenin, which is worth an estimated $175,000. Bednarsh allegedly asked a co-conspirator, Brian Alec Light, 58, of Hudson, Ohio, and formerly a resident of downtown Los Angeles, to help him sell the stolen Warhol Lenin trial proof. Light then contacted the Beverly Hills of an auction house based in Dallas about selling the Warhol trial proof. 

In March 2021, Bednarsh transported the trial proof to the Beverly Hills office of the auction house, which then shipped it to Dallas. Light e-signed an auction house consignment agreement and called the auction house to state he had dropped off the trial proof and to ask about receiving a cash advance for it.

An employee of the auction house in Dallas reached out to the gallery in West Hollywood for its opinion of the piece, according to court documents. The gallery immediately recognized the piece as stolen, then notified the auction house and the FBI.

Later in March 2021, when FBI agents began inquiring about the stolen Warhol trial proof, Light lied to them by saying he bought it at a Culver City garage sale for $18,000 and provided a fake receipt.

In August and September of 2021, Bednarsh lied to FBI agents by telling them Light asked him to store the Warhol Lenin trial proof for him and that he agreed to do so out of friendship and not for financial gain. 

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

Light pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. His sentencing is currently set for May 27, and he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

The FBI’s Art Crime Team is investigating this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Erik M. Silber of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section and Matthew W. O’Brien of the Environmental Crime and Consumer Protection Section are prosecuting this case.

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Former Taliban Commander Haji Najibullah Pleads Guilty to Hostage Taking and Providing Material Support for Acts of Terrorism Resulting in Death

Source: US FBI

Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that HAJI NAJIBULLAH, a/k/a “Najibullah Naim,” a/k/a “Abu Tayeb,” a/k/a “Atiqullah,” a/k/a “Nesar Ahmad Mohammad,” pled guilty to hostage taking and providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death in connection with NAJIBULLAH’s role in the hostage taking of an American journalist and two Afghan nationals in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2008 and 2009, and his leadership of Taliban fighters who carried out attacks on U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009, resulting in the deaths of American soldiers.  NAJIBULLAH pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “Haji Najibullah was a Taliban commander who committed acts of terrorism against U.S. servicemembers and civilians in Afghanistan. His vicious acts of terrorism included taking hostage multiple civilians and providing material support for attacks that resulted in the deaths of brave Americans.  Najibullah committed his crimes in Afghanistan over 15 years ago, and now faces justice in an American courtroom.  Today’s guilty plea serves as an emphatic reminder that this Office, and our law enforcement partners, will aggressively pursue those who harm Americans through acts of terror, no matter where in the world they may be, and no matter how long it may take to achieve justice for their victims.  I thank the career prosecutors of this Office, and our dedicated partners, for their work in holding Najibullah accountable for his heinous crimes.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “For years, the FBI New York JTTF and our law enforcement partners tirelessly sought justice for the hostage taking of civilians, and also for the deaths of United States service members at the hands of Taliban fighters under Najibullah’s command.  These terrorist attacks demonstrated utter disregard for humanity, and Najibullah finally admitted to his role in these premature deaths of our citizens.  Today’s plea emphasizes the FBI New York JTTF’s unwavering resolve to disrupting all acts of terrorism and ensuring any individual who targets our country will be held accountable.”

As alleged in the charging instruments, court filings, and statements in the public record:

Between approximately 1996 and 2001, the Taliban controlled Afghanistan and harbored and supported terrorists, including terrorists involved in perpetrating the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S.  After losing power in approximately October 2001 as a result of the U.S. and NATO-led invasion of Afghanistan, the Taliban engaged in a deadly insurgency campaign to regain control of the country.  Beginning in the early 2000s, as part of that campaign of violence, the Taliban conducted numerous suicide bombings, targeted killings, assassinations, improvised explosive device (“IED”) attacks, paramilitary ambushes, and hostage takings against the then-government of Afghanistan, U.S. military forces and their NATO and Afghan partners, and American civilians in Afghanistan.

Between in or around 2007 and 2009, NAJIBULLAH served as a Taliban commander in Afghanistan’s Wardak Province, which borders Kabul.  During that time, Taliban fighters under NAJIBULLAH’s command carried out deadly attacks against American and NATO troops and their Afghan allies, using, among other things, suicide bombers, automatic weapons, IEDs, and rocket-propelled grenades (“RPGs”) and other anti-tank weapons and explosives, including against U.S. military helicopters. 

For example, on or about June 26, 2008, Taliban fighters under NAJIBULLAH’s command ambushed and attacked a U.S. military convoy in the vicinity of Wardak Province, Afghanistan, with IEDs, RPGs, and automatic weapons, killing three U.S. Army servicemembers: Sergeants First Class Matthew L. Hilton and Joseph A. McKay, and Sergeant Mark Palmateer, and their Afghan interpreter. Several other servicemembers were also injured in the attack.  

In or about November 2007 and September 2008, NAJIBULLAH participated in two videorecorded interviews with a French reporter in Afghanistan.  NAJIBULLAH and fighters under his command discussed how they targeted American and French troops—including a specific attack they conducted against French troops in or around August 2008.  They also identified a particular location where they had used IEDs and anti-tank weaponry to destroy American military vehicles.  During the interview, NAJIBULLAH further demonstrated how to operate a rocket-propelled grenade launcher to shoot troops guarding checkpoints and boasted that fighters under his command were ready to fight the “holy war,” including that they were “ready to be suicide bombers” and “put on a belt and blow themselves up if we ask them.”  In September 2008, in the French reporter’s presence, NAJIBULLAH and fighters under his command attacked and destroyed an Afghan National Police outpost using automatic weapons and rockets.

On or about November 10, 2008, NAJIBULLAH and other Taliban fighters took hostage an American journalist (“U.S. Hostage-1”) and two Afghan nationals who were assisting U.S. Hostage-1 (together with U.S. Hostage-1, the “Hostages”) at gunpoint in Afghanistan.  Shortly thereafter, NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators forced the Hostages to hike across the border from Afghanistan to Pakistan, where NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators detained the Hostages.  For the next approximately seven months, NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators held the Hostages captive in Pakistan.  NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators forced the Hostages to make numerous calls and videos seeking help, in an attempt to compel ransom payments and the release of Taliban prisoners by the U.S. Government.

*                *                 *

NAJIBULLAH, 49, pled guilty to providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, and to hostage taking, which also carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.  

The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department.  He also thanked the New York and New Jersey Port Authority Police, the Department of Defense, and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division for their assistance with this investigation, as well as the Ukrainian authorities and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance in the arrest and extradition of the defendant.

This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and David J. Robles are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Burke of the Counterterrorism Section.

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Lancaster Man Who Fled Mid-Trial Found Guilty in Absentia of Producing, Enticing, and Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – An Antelope Valley man has been found guilty in absentia of producing and receiving sexually explicit images of a teenage girl whom he had enticed to engage in criminal sexual activity, the Justice Department announced today.

Gregory Cole Jr., 30, of Lancaster, was found guilty late Thursday of one count of production of child pornography, one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, and one count of receipt of child pornography.

Cole, who removed the location-monitoring unit from his ankle mid-trial and stopped appearing in court, is believed to be a fugitive. United States District Judge Percy Anderson issued a bench warrant and revoked Cole’s bond.

According to evidence presented at a three-day trial, in March and April of 2024, Cole enticed the victim – a 16-year-old girl – to send him sexually explicit images of herself via direct messages on Instagram. 

Law enforcement searched Cole’s Instagram account and discovered he enticed the victim to create and send him CSAM. Cole demanded CSAM from the victim and sent her pornography of adult women in poses he wanted the victim to photograph herself in for him, which the victim did.

Cole deleted his Instagram account after the victim’s mother discovered his messages with her daughter.

Cole faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The FBI investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys J’me K. Forrest and Derek R. Flores of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.