Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: US FBI

HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that Edward Caspino, 47, of Waianae, was sentenced today in federal court by U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright to 168 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine and operating an illegal gambling business. Judge Seabright also ordered that the defendant forfeit any interest in more than $600,000 in cash seized by investigators in this case, and any interest in a 10-acre real property in Waianae that was used to host the illegal gambling business.

According to court records, Caspino distributed a total of three pounds of methamphetamine on three occasions in July 2021. With respect to the gambling charges, Caspino organized and conducted a large-scale chicken fighting operation at his property in Waianae from as early as February 2021 through March 2023. He and his five co-defendants hosted regular chicken fighting events that constituted illegal gambling under the laws of the State of Hawaii. Each chicken fight event involved numerous individual chicken fights, during which hundreds of spectators and participants bet on the outcome of the fights.

Caspino is the first to be sentenced among the six illegal gambling business conspirators. Co-defendants William Caspino, Lavern Joseph, Kerilyn Caspino, and Fausto Aragon, Jr. each pled guilty to charges related to the illegal gambling conspiracy. Co-defendant Howard Unebasami was convicted of conspiracy and operating an illegal gambling business by a jury after a four-day trial in March 2025. 

“Today’s lengthy sentence demonstrates that federal authorities will work together to put behind bars those responsible for illegal gambling operations and the community violence and drug trafficking tied to them,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “This prosecution has already secured convictions against five coconspirators, and Caspino’s 168-month sentence stands as a stark warning: running an illegal gambling business in Hawaii carries serious and lasting consequences under federal law.”

Anthony Chrysanthis, Deputy Special Agent in Charge for the DEA Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Hawaii, said today’s announcement underscores the agency’s commitment to halt the flow of drugs on the island. “The methamphetamine epidemic continues to threaten the health, safety and wellbeing of our communities. We are determined to intercept drug suppliers and to disrupt their criminal activities, at every point. DEA will continue to work with partners to safeguard our residents.”

“Today’s sentencing of Mr. Caspino and the guilty pleas of the co-defendants is a testament to HSI’s unwavering commitment to combating illegal narcotics and gambling operations that threaten the safety and well-being of our communities,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “We will continue to pursue justice and hold accountable those who violate federal laws designed to protect our communities.”

“FBI Special Agents – along with our partner agencies – work relentlessly every day to protect our communities from the dangers of drug trafficking organizations,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that we will use every available resource to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle these organizations.” 

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the Honolulu Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese prosecuted the case.

Source: US FBI

HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced today that Chris Pham, 21, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was charged yesterday by criminal complaint with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. A detention hearing in federal court is scheduled for March 20, 2025.

According to court documents, on March 12, 2025, law enforcement encountered Pham and found he was carrying a fully loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun with a defaced serial number. Pham was also carrying an additional magazine with 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition. During a search of Pham’s residence, law enforcement recovered a machine gun conversion device designed to turn a semiautomatic handgun into a fully automatic handgun. Law enforcement previously located an Instagram video showing Pham firing a fully automatic handgun into the air in public.

If convicted of the charged offense, Pham faces up to fifteen years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The charge in the criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Honolulu Police Department.

It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara D. Ayabe.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

Source: US FBI

ATLANTA – Six members of a drug trafficking organization have been sentenced for their roles in distributing deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the metro-Atlanta area.

“These defendants distributed substantial amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine with no regard for the grave public safety risk,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Our Office will continue to closely coordinate with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to prosecute drug traffickers and prevent dangerous narcotics from poisoning our communities.”

“These drug traffickers endangered countless lives by distributing large quantities of deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine,” Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division commented on the case. “DEA will continue to aggressively pursue the criminals that contribute to the drug crisis.”

“This case highlights the critical role Homeland Security Investigations plays in dismantling transnational drug trafficking organizations operating in our communities,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “The defendants in this case were responsible for introducing massive quantities of deadly narcotics into the metro-Atlanta area—methamphetamine that was trafficked across borders, chemically altered, and distributed without regard for the devastating impact on public health and safety. Through the combined efforts of HSI and our federal, state, and local partners, we’ve disrupted a dangerous supply chain and brought key members of this organization to justice.”

According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2022, federal special agents discovered that a drug trafficking organization (DTO) was distributing drugs obtained from a Mexico-based supplier throughout metro-Atlanta. These drugs included methamphetamine which arrived from Mexico in liquid form and was converted to crystal methamphetamine.

During an early phase of the investigation, defendant Erik Rosales-Lopez was arrested in December 2022 at a residence used to process liquid methamphetamine that had been mixed with paint. Rosales Lopez had distributed methamphetamine on three previous occasions, including to an undercover agent. During a search of his residence, investigators seized 11 kilograms of finished crystal methamphetamine. 

In April 2023, agents surveilled defendants Brayan Garcia-Picasso and Bryan Pacheco-Carranza as they left a residence believed to be used as a methamphetamine lab. Local law enforcement then conducted a traffic stop of their vehicle. Police officers seized approximately 16 kilograms of methamphetamine during a search of the vehicle. Agents later searched the residence as well and, while doing so, confirmed that the location was a methamphetamine lab. The agents found approximately six kilograms of methamphetamine and methamphetamine conversion equipment on the premises.

Following the arrests of Garcia-Picasso and Pacheco-Carranza, agents continued to investigate the DTO. In June 2023, defendant Alex Chamorro-Valencia was arrested after a search of a vehicle he was driving was found to contain nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine. Investigators also searched the residence from which he was seen departing and discovered a second methamphetamine lab used by the DTO. Agents recovered 15 gallons of liquid methamphetamine and 135 kilograms of finished crystal methamphetamine in the residence. Defendant Hedgarciney Gameno-Cortez was encountered in the residence and arrested.  

The following defendants were convicted and sentenced:

• Juventino Rodriguez was sentenced earlier today by U.S. District Judge Victoria M. Calvert to 54 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Rodriguez was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl after he pled guilty on December 19, 2024.
• Garcia-Picasso was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown to 12-and-a-half years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Garcia-Picasso was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine after he pled guilty on November 7, 2023.
• Pacheco-Carranza was sentenced by Judge Brown to six years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Pacheco-Carranza was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine after he pled guilty on January 18, 2024.
• Chamorro-Valencia was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross to eight years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Chamorro-Valencia was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine after he pled guilty on October 16, 2023.
• Hedgarciney Gameno-Cortez was sentenced by Judge Ross to eight years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Gameno-Cortez was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine after he pled guilty on February 28, 2024.
• Erik Josue Rosales-Lopez was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Rosales-Lopez was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine after he pled guilty on July 31, 2023.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, with valuable assistance from the Clayton County Police Department, Henry County Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, DeKalb County Police Department, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, and Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren E. Renaud and Sandra E. Strippoli, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Howard, prosecuted the case. 

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates.  The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies; and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Source: US FBI

Defendant Received a Portion of Proceeds from Clients’ Fraudulent Pandemic Benefit Claims

Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON — An Alabama man was arrested today for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            Gregory Lamar Nix, 52, of Cleveland, Ala., is charged with engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, civil disorder, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a dangerous weapon, among other charges. He was arrested in Cleveland, Ala. and made his initial court appearance today in the Northern District of Alabama.

            According to court documents, at approximately 2:21 p.m. on Jan. 6, video footage captures Nix banging the end of a white flagpole against the East House Doors, attempting to breach the U.S. Capitol building. Approximately six minutes later, Nix physically assaulted an officer with the U.S. Capitol Police, striking him with the flagpole and then thrusting and throwing the object at him. A few minutes later, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Nix attempted to smash the East House Doors’ glass panes with a black baton. He subsequently entered the building.

            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 Northern District of Alabama.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office. Assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the ten months since Jan. 6, more than 675 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 210 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

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

            The charges contained in any criminal complaint or indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: US FBI

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has concluded a national surge of resources to arrest accused child sex abuse offenders and combat child exploitation. In a coordinated effort by all 55 FBI field offices called Operation Restore Justice, 205 people were arrested and 115 children rescued nationwide last week alone.

The Atlanta Field Office charged nine people as part of this operation. Five in Atlanta, two out of the Augusta resident agency, and two out of the Rome area. The charges for eight of the subjects range from possession of child sexual abuse material to enticement of a minor. One subject was charged with obstruction of justice.

All defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

“Our commitment is resolute. FBI Atlanta remains steadfast in its mission to safeguard children from those who seek to harm society’s most vulnerable,” said Paul Brown, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta. “However, let there be no confusion—this week’s operation is just one chapter in a relentless, year-round effort that our dedicated agents are fully invested in. We will continue to leverage every tool and resource at our disposal to track down child predators and ensure they face justice.”

This initiative, between April 28th and May 1, was a joint effort with federal, state, and local partners to coincide with the end of Child Abuse Prevention Month and highlight the FBI’s ongoing efforts to confront these crimes. Investigating child sex abuse is an ongoing, high-priority mission of the FBI. The FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) program coordinates and bolsters efforts to counter all threats of abuse and exploitation of children that fall under FBI jurisdiction—including the production, sharing, and possession of child sexual abuse material; domestic or international travel to engage sexually with children; and the extortion of children to provide sexually explicit material of themselves. VCAC also helps to identify, locate, and recover child victims and strengthen partnerships that are critical to prevent abuse and capture offenders.

The FBI investigates cases through Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces (CEHTTFs) located in each field office, allowing the FBI to combine resources with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The FBI also partners with the nonprofit National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

In 2004, the FBI created the Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) to identify individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children and the production of child sexual abuse material. The program is a collaborative effort between the FBI and the NMCEC.

Source: US FBI

Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF) can be found at each of the FBI’s 55 field offices and many of their smaller offices—around 280 locations in all. FBI Atlanta organized its JTTF in 1994. The FBI Atlanta JTTF has representatives positioned around the state of Georgia.

JTTFs gather trained investigators, intelligence analysts, linguists, and tactical experts from federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Task force members share intelligence and investigative leads and respond to threats and incidents.

“We rely on our law enforcement partners to help keep our communities safe,” said Paul Brown, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta. “All of our partners bring their special skills and expertise to these teams, making us all that much stronger.”

The FBI’s JTTF model dates to 1979, when the New York Police Department and the FBI’s New York Field Office created a joint task force to tackle violent bank robberies. They imitated the model in 1980, when terrorist bombings, bomb threats, and other violence plagued the city and announced the formation of the first JTTF in April 1980.

After the 9/11 attacks, FBI leadership directed all FBI field offices to establish a JTTF. In addition, the FBI established its National Joint Terrorism Task Force to support the local task forces in June 2002. The NJTTF, at FBI Headquarters, enhances communication, coordination, and cooperation from partner agencies.

JTTFs have disrupted dozens of plots in the past four decades.

FBI Atlanta counts numerous disruptions of its own, including a plan to attack the White House in 2020. Thanks to a tip from a member of the Atlanta community, Hasher Jallal Taheb was captured and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/forsyth-man-sentenced-attempted-attack-white-house

The FBI Atlanta JTTF also investigated the Jihadists of Georgia case, where two men living in Georgia made videos of the U.S. Capitol and other Washington, D.C., landmarks with plans to travel and attend a terrorist training camp.

https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2009/december/jihadists_121509
https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2009/december/jihadists_12170 .

Source: US FBI

ATLANTA – Aliakbar Mohammad Amin has been arrested and charged pursuant to a criminal complaint with transmitting interstate threats to injure Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard and her family. 

“Threatening to harm public officials is a criminal act that cannot be excused as political discourse,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr.  “Our Office, in coordination with our law enforcement partners, will vigorously prosecute individuals who commit these acts of violence.”

“The FBI sees all threatening communications as a serious federal offense. We will employ every investigative tool and resource available to identify those responsible and ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Let this arrest serve as a clear warning: if you engage in this kind of criminal behavior, you will be caught and you will go to prison.”

According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the complaint, and other information presented in court: Between March 29 and April 1, 2025, Amin allegedly sent text messages that included threats against DNI Gabbard and her husband, including the following statements: 

• “You and your family are going to die soon” and “I will personally do the job if necessary.”
• “Death to America means death to America literally, Tulsi is living on borrowed time.
• “The home you two own . . . is a legitimate target and will be hit at a time and place of our choosing.”
• “Prepare to die, you, Tulsi, and everyone you hold dear. America will burn.”

During the investigation, federal agents also discovered similar threats allegedly made by Amin in social media posts, including an image depicting a firearm pointed at a photograph of DNI Gabbard,  and a second image of a firearm pointed at a photograph of DNI Gabbard and her husband. Federal agents later recovered a firearm while executing a warrant to search Amin’s home.

Aliakbar Mohammad Amin, 24, of Lilburn, Georgia, was charged on April 11, 2025, via a previously sealed criminal complaint alleging a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c). He was ordered detained pending trial by a U.S. Magistrate Judge after making his initial appearance in federal court.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man was sentenced today for kidnapping and collecting ransom money, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Johnnie Sharp, Jr., and United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis. 

U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon sentenced Matthew Amos Burke, 35, to 204 months in prison for kidnapping, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.  Burke pleaded guilty to the charges in April.

According to the plea agreement, on September 11, 2020, Burke unlawfully entered the home of the victim. Burke then abducted the victim and transported him to Burke’s residence, where the victim was forced to transfer $250,000 from his bank account  into another bank account as directed by Burke.  Once $250,000 was transferred, Burke drove the victim back to his residence and released him. The victim then contacted the Birmingham Police Department and the Mountain Brook Police Department.

The FBI and Secret Service investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department and the Mountain Brook Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys John Camp and William Simpson prosecuted the case. 

Source: US FBI

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Jesus Pujol Hernandez (41), Miguel Marquez Romero (29), and Paulo Sabon Montero (54), all of Naples, Florida, with conspiracy to use a facility of interstate commerce to commit murder-for-hire and use of a facility of interstate commerce with intent to commit murder-for-hire. If convicted, each faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

According to the indictment and evidence presented in court, between April 16 and 17, 2025, Marquez Romero and Sabon Montero discussed over the phone killing an individual that Hernandez had identified for up to $30,000. Hernandez had been hired by the intended victims’ brother to carry out the plot. Marquez Romero, Sabon Montero, and Hernandez exchanged phone calls and organized a meeting to discuss the murder. On April 17, 2025, the conspirators met in a grocery store parking lot in Naples before being apprehended by law enforcement.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Patrick L. Darcey.