Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: US FBI

HOT SPRINGS, AR. – A Hot Springs man was sentenced to life in prison yesterday and his co-defendant was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for the kidnapping of a minor female in April 2022. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearings for the United States District Court in Hot Springs.

According to court documents, Samuel Wayne Bolling Jr., age 40 and Dayla Diane Ferrer, age 21, entered into an agreement to kidnap a minor female in an attempt to extort money from her relatives. On April 18, 2022, Ferrer approached the minor female in the downtown area of Hot Springs, Arkansas and requested her assistance. The minor entered Ferrer’s vehicle where she was immediately attacked and restrained by Bolling. Contact was made with the minor’s family and Bolling demanded payment of $10,000 in exchange for her safe return. Bolling and Ferrer held the minor overnight before releasing her the next day.

U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

Hot Springs Police Department, FBI, Arkansas State Police, Garland County Sheriff’s Office, Hot Springs County Sherriff’s Office, and the Atoka (TN) Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Achorn and Carly Marshall prosecuted the case.

Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov

Source: US FBI

TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS – A Hope, Arkansas, man was sentenced on October 19, 2023, to 300 months in federal prison, with credit for time served on a related state court conviction, for using the internet to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.  The Honorable Judge Susan O. Hickey, Chief United States District Judge, announced the sentence.  There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, Jonathan Tyrell Haney, age 36, used the online social media service “Badoo” to entice a 12-year-old Ashley County girl to meet him for sexual intercourse.  The victim disappeared from her mother’s home in April 2021, reappearing alone the next day at a Columbia County gas station.  Haney’s DNA was later found on the victim’s clothing.  Haney was apprehended near Sulphur Springs, Texas, the same day the victim was found, after learning that Arkansas authorities were looking for him.

Upon completing his prison sentence, Haney will be supervised by the United States Probation Office for the next 20 years.  He is also required to register as a sex offender.

U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes, of the Western District of Arkansas, made the announcement.

The Crossett, Arkansas, Police Department, Magnolia, Arkansas, Police Department, Hopkins County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the United States.

This case was prosecuted 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov. 

Source: US FBI

TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS – A Texas man was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine in Texarkana, Arkansas.  The Honorable Judge Susan O. Hickey, Chief United States District Judge, presided over the case.  There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, Antonio Griffin, 40, of Wake Village, Texas, pleaded guilty in February 2023 to selling almost four ounces of pure methamphetamine to a confidential informant operating under the supervision of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bi-State Narcotics Task Force, in Texarkana, Arkansas.

U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes, of the Western District of Arkansas, made the announcement.

The Bi-State Narcotics Task Force, the Texarkana, Arkansas, Police Department, and the FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the United States.

Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov

Source: US FBI

Source: US FBI

HOT SPRINGS – An Indiana man was sentenced Friday, September 1, 2023, to 30 years in prison for violating an order of protection issued out of Lake County, Indiana by taking a minor listed in the order of protection across state lines, as well as transporting images of child pornography across state lines. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.

According to court documents, Nathan Martin Curry-Fishtorn, age 26, of Saint John, Indiana was arrested in Arkansas in August 2019. On August 18, 2019, the Little Rock FBI Office was contacted by the FBI Indianapolis Field Office regarding a missing minor last seen two days before in Crown Point, Indiana. Law enforcement’s investigation led them to a residence in Malvern, Arkansas, where Curry-Fishtorn and the minor were located.  Court documents show Curry-Fishtorn had previously been served an order of protection out of his home state of Indiana prohibiting him from having any contact with the minor. The minor told police Curry-Fishtorn had a gun during the twelve-hour drive and stated, “I have a gun, don’t try anything.” Also located in the vehicle was a SIM card from Curry-Fishtorn’s cellular phone. Forensic examination of the SIM card revealed images of child pornography. 

U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Hot Springs County Sheriff’s Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Crown Point, Indiana investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov

Source: US FBI

FAYETTEVILLE – A Tennessee man was sentenced yesterday to 240 months (the statutory maximum) in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Bank Robbery. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

According to court documents, on January 10, 2023, Danny Ray Madison, age 58, entered the First Security Bank on Wedington Drive in Fayetteville, represented that he was armed and robbed the bank, taking an undisclosed amount of U.S. currency.  With the assistance of local businesses, detectives with the Fayetteville Police Department were able to identify and arrest Madison that same day.  During an interview with a detective from the Fayetteville Police Department and a Special Agent with the FBI, Madison admitted that he traveled to Fayetteville for the sole purpose of robbing a bank.  Court documents revealed that Madison has three prior federal bank robbery convictions from North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee.

U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

The Fayetteville Police Department and the FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case.

Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov

Source: US FBI

           WASHINGTON – An Arkansas man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

           Nathan Earl Hughes, 34, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with a felony offense of civil disorder. In addition to the felony, Hughes is charged with misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings.

           Hughes was arrested on Aug. 30, 2023, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and made his initial appearance today in the Western District of Arkansas.

           According to court documents, video footage obtained from law enforcement depicting the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, shows an individual, later identified as Hughes, as present in the vicinity of the Lower West Terrace tunnel for at least one hour. Hughes wore a black/dark blue and camouflage print hat with a frayed brim, distinctive black Mechanix gloves, a gray hooded sweatshirt, and a black “Infowars” branded shirt with an image of a space shuttle and the words ‘Space Force Est. 2020” written on it.

           Court documents say that, at various points, Hughes pushed against the police line in the tunnel and helped other rioters physically fight police in an attempt to breach the line and enter the U.S. Capitol building. At approximately 3:15 p.m., Hughes was at the mouth of the tunnel and signaled the crowd of rioters, “C’mon! C’mon!” while waving his hand in the direction of the tunnel. After signaling to the crowd, Hughes entered the tunnel and charged toward the police line.

           Inside the tunnel, Hughes continued to signal others to enter and confront the police line. Hughes then stood shoulder-to-shoulder with others and began to rock back and forth in a synchronized movement with the crowd. At about 3:18 p.m., Hughes assisted the mob with forcefully removing police riot shields and passing them out of the tunnel. Hughes also personally attempted to forcefully pull away police shields and pass them out of the tunnel back to the other rioters.

           At approximately 3:19 p.m., as Hughes was being forced out of the tunnel by police, he was observed using his elbow to strike in the direction of police. After he was pushed out of the tunnel, Hughes remained in the vicinity of the tunnel for at least 90 minutes, encouraging other rioters to “Pull them out!” Earlier in the day, Hughes had witnessed the mob forcibly pulling police officers from the tunnel and into the crowd.

           This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas.

           This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Little Rock and Washington Field Offices, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

           In the 31 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,106 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. 

           Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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

Source: US FBI

Owner, Operator, and Corporate Entity Charged with Travel Act violations, Money Laundering, and Maintaining a Drug Premises

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Marshal Service, in coordination with the Phoenix Police Department, executed search and seizure warrants at the Royal Inn hotel, located at 2510 West Palo Verde Drive in Phoenix. Federal agents seized control of the hotel and shut down its operations due to widespread prostitution and drug trafficking activities that have gone unabated by its owners and operators.

Also today, the United States District Court unsealed a 44-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on September 17, 2024, against the Royal Inn’s owner, operator, and corporate entity, among others. Specifically:

• Varsha Patel, 56, of Chino Hills, California, the owner of Royal Inn, was charged with two counts of Using a Facility of Interstate Commerce in Aid of Racketeering, one count of Maintaining a Drug Premises, and 34 counts of Promotional Money Laundering. Varsha Patel was also charged with multiple counts of Making False Statements to Obtain a Small Business Administration Loan.
• Sarang Hospitality LLC, aka Royal Inn, the Arizona corporation through which the hotel does business, was similarly charged with two counts of Using a Facility of Interstate Commerce in Aid of Racketeering, one count of Maintaining a Drug Premises, and 34 counts of Promotional Money Laundering.
• Nilam Patel, 54, of Phoenix, the live-in operator and day-to-day manager of the Royal Inn, was also charged with two counts of Using a Facility of Interstate Commerce in Aid of Racketeering, one count of Maintaining a Drug Premises, and 34 counts of Promotional Money Laundering.
• Four other individuals were charged with Distribution of Fentanyl and Methamphetamine for drug dealing at the Royal Inn: Anthony Curtis, 42, of Buckeye; Otis Childers, 31, of Phoenix; Chauntelle Mills, 24, of Phoenix; and Leonardo Guerrero, 49, of Phoenix.

The indictment alleges that defendants Varsha Patel, Nilam Patel, and Sarang Hospitality LLC, operated the Royal Inn by primarily renting rooms to individuals engaging in prostitution and drug dealing. From 2017 through September 2024, these defendants used the funds they obtained from the Royal Inn room rentals to maintain and promote the Royal Inn’s operations; pay the mortgage on personal property located in Chino Hills, California; fund certificates of deposit; purchase life insurance policies; and pay for their own personal expenses.

The indictment further alleges that Varsha Patel, Nilam Patel, and Sarang Hospitality LLC were aware that most activities at the Royal Inn were illegal acts of prostitution, drug dealing, and drug using. Over the course of several years, Phoenix Police Department officials repeatedly informed these three defendants of the drug dealing and prostitution activities on the property, of the hundreds of calls for service local police received, and of the need to abate the criminal activities taking place. Despite having been served with multiple abatement letters, these defendants continued to operate the Royal Inn to intentionally facilitate and profit from the criminal activities occurring on the premises. This included: renting rooms to persons who overtly engaged in prostitution, and to persons who distributed illegal drugs; directing the sex workers to attract sex buyers off the property, and to walk separate from the sex buyer while going to the room; directing the sex workers, pimps, and drug dealers to park off the property; alerting sex workers, pimps, and drug dealers of law enforcement presence; failing to request a credit card, together with a government-issued identification, in order to rent a room; failing to evict persons engaged in prostitution and drug dealing, thereby allowing lengthy stays at the Royal Inn without detection; and failing to call the police when criminal activities were occurring.

A conviction for Using a Facility of Interstate Commerce in Aid of Racketeering carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A conviction for Maintaining a Drug Premises carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. A conviction for Promotional Money Laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. A conviction for Making False Statements to Obtain a Small Business Administration Loan carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A conviction for Distribution of Fentanyl and Methamphetamine carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshal Service, and Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gayle Helart and Patrick Chapman, United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, are handling the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-01529-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-127_Patel

Source: US FBI

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Ma’Kiah Cherae Coleman, 20, of Glendale, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to four months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release for assaulting a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Coleman pleaded guilty to Assault on a Federal Officer Inflicting Bodily Injury on April 23, 2024.

On April 25, 2023, Coleman assaulted a TSA agent at Sky Harbor Airport by grabbing the agent’s hair, forcing the agent’s head down against a baggage screening area table, and punching the agent in the head several times with a closed fist. Coleman had to be restrained by several other TSA agents.

In addition to being sentenced to prison, Coleman is banned from traveling by commercial aircraft during the three-year term of her court supervision.

TSA officers are federal employees who work for the Department of Homeland Security to protect the nation’s transportation systems. Their primary role is to screen passengers, baggage, and cargo for terrorism threats. Coleman’s actions resulted in the temporary closure of a Sky Harbor Airport Security Checkpoint while law enforcement responded.

The Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-23-00780-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-124_Coleman

# # #

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.

Source: US FBI

A nationwide FBI effort to raise awareness of frauds and scams that affect the public is underway. The goal is to share information with the public to highlight different types of fraud and scams, tips for identifying them and preventing losses, and how victims can report to protect others.

One of the most common tactics scammers employ is a false sense of urgency or isolation. They may try to instill trust, induce empathy or fear, or promise monetary gains, companionship, or employment opportunities—all to lure victims into immediate action. For this reason, the FBI’s awareness campaign urges the public to “Take A Beat”: resist pressure to act quickly, pause for a moment, and assess the situation.

According to the FBI’s latest Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) data, there have already been $1.6 billion in losses from January to May 2024, which is nearly $300 million more from the same time last year.

“The FBI is committed to investigate and pursue those who commit fraud for personal gain, and we take that responsibility very seriously,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez. “We, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to seek justice and hold accountable those who use illegal means and criminal behavior to take advantage of others.”

While fraud can happen to anyone, there are small steps that can be taken for citizens to protect themselves and their information:

• Take precautionary measures to protect your identity should a criminal gain access to your device or account. Immediately contact your financial institutions to place protections on your accounts and monitor for suspicious activity.
• Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, mailings, and door-to-door service offers.
• Search online for the contact information (name, phone number, email, addresses) of any unknown source which reaches out to you, as well as the proposed offer. Verify the legitimacy of businesses on websites such as Better Business Bureau. Other people have likely posted information online about businesses and individuals attempting to run scams.
• Never give or send to unverified people or businesses any personally identifiable information, money, checks, gift cards, or wire information.

If you believe you or someone you know may have been a victim of a fraud or scam, contact your local FBI office or submit a complaint on ic3.gov. You should document the name of the scammer/company and methods of contact, dates of contact, methods of payment, where funds may have been sent, and a thorough description of the interactions.

For more information on the common frauds and scams the FBI encounters, visit fbi.gov/scams.

To view the latest stats and trends, visit ic3.gov.