Category: MIL-OSI

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Former Federal Contractor Sentenced to 42 Months and $172,500 Fine for Bribery Involving Millions in U.S. DOD Contracts

Source: US FBI

Second defendant sentenced in case involving nearly half a million dollars in bribes for confidential bidding information about U.S. Department of Defense contracts

FAIRBANKS – A former government contractor and owner of Best Choice Construction LLC (Best Choice) was sentenced to 42 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release and a criminal fine of $172,500 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline for conspiracy and bribery of a public official.

According to court documents, Ryan Dalbec, 44, of Mesa, Arizona, agreed to pay over $460,000 in bribes to former U.S. Air Force contracting official, Brian Lowell Nash II, in exchange for confidential bidding information on over $8,250,000 in U.S. Department of Defense contracts at Eielson Air Force Base and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER). The confidential bidding information Nash provided helped Dalbec and Best Choice win some of those contracts, including a $6,850,000 construction contract related to the F-35 aircraft program at Eielson Air Force Base. Dalbec and his wife, Raihana Nadem, also helped Nash launder the bribery proceeds through family members and third-party bank accounts to conceal the nature and source of the funds. Dalbec previously pleaded guilty to the charges on September 2, 2022.

Judge Beistline commented that Dalbec’s conduct was motivated by greed and his activity was premediated and likely would have continued had he not been caught. In addition to the other penalties, Judge Beistline ordered Dalbec to pay $16,296.80 in restitution to Eielson Air Force Base.

Nash was previously sentenced in November to serve 30 months imprisonment and ordered to forfeit $47,000 in unlawful gains.

Nadem pleaded guilty to a felony for related misconduct and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16, 2022.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan D. Tansey.

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Wasilla Man Indicted on Federal Kidnapping and Firearm Charges

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging a Wasilla man with kidnapping and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  

Anderson was arrested on November 3 by Alaska State Troopers and remains in custody at Anchorage Correctional Complex. He is a registered sex offender based on a 2001 conviction for sexual assault in the first degree in Kenai.  

Anderson also faces State of Alaska charges of attempted murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, sexual abuse of a minor, robbery, assault, misconduct involving a controlled substance and tampering with evidence.

If the public has any further information regarding Anderson’s activities, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at 907-276-4441.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement.

The Alaska State Troopers and FBI are investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI’s Joint Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (J-CARD) Team. The FBI’s J-CARD Team consists of specially trained investigators and intel personnel from the FBI, Alaska State Troopers and Anchorage Police Department who are experienced in child abduction cases and can rapidly deploy anywhere in the state. The team is designed to provide investigative, technical, and resource assistance to state and local law enforcement during the most critical time period following a child abduction.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Schroeder and Adam Alexander are prosecuting the case.

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

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

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Alabama Man Found Guilty of Charges Related to Capitol Breach

Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON – An Alabama man was found guilty today by a jury in the District of Columbia of misdemeanor charges for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. 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 presidential election.

            Russell Dean Alford, 62, of Hokes Bluff, Alabama, was found guilty of four charges.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 6, 2021, Alford attended a “Stop the Steal” rally near the Ellipse and then walked towards the U.S. Capitol, where he entered the upper House door on the southeast side of the building, at approximately 2:43 p.m. He went into the building through doors that had been broken by others. He remained inside for approximately 15 minutes. He later posted videos and photographs on social media, including to his YouTube page.

            On Jan. 20, 2021, Alford was interviewed by the FBI at his business in Alabama. Upon seeing the agents walk towards him in the parking area of his business, he stated, “I wondered when ya’ll were going to show up. Guess you’ve seen the videos on my Facebook page.”

            Alford was arrested on March 29, 2021, in Birmingham, Alabama.

            Alford was found guilty of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

            He is to be sentenced on Jan. 23, 2023. The four offenses carry a combined statutory maximum of three years of incarceration and potential financial penalties. The Court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Birmingham and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 20 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 870 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 265 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.

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Gadsden Man Charged with Multi-Million-Dollar Kickback and Health Care Fraud Conspiracies

Source: US FBI

Tuscaloosa, Ala. – A federal grand jury last week indicted a Gadsden man for conspiring to pay and receive kickbacks and commit health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Felix A. Rivera-Esparra, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles. 

A six-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges James Ewing Ray, 51, of Gadsden, Alabama, with one count of kickback conspiracy, four substantive kickback counts, and one count of health care fraud conspiracy. 

Ray owned Integrity Medical, LLC, a company through which he marketed health care items and services to medical providers.  According to the indictment, between about 2012 and 2018, Ray conspired with others to pay and receive kickbacks to induce medical providers to issue medically unnecessary prescriptions and order medically unnecessary goods and services, which were then billed to Medicare and other health insurers.

One of those services was electro-diagnostic testing by QBR, a Huntsville-based testing company whose owner, John Hornbuckle, is under indictment in a related case.  The indictment against Ray alleges that QBR billed insurers millions of dollars for electro-diagnostic testing that its technicians performed, regardless of whether there was a medical need for them.  QBR is alleged to have paid Ray a fee for every patient his doctors referred, and to have paid those doctors a per-patient fee for their referrals.  Federal insurers were billed millions of dollars for these tests, the indictment alleges.

The maximum penalty for kickback conspiracy is five years in prison.  The maximum penalty for health care fraud conspiracy  is ten years in prison.  Each of the four substantive kickback counts carries a maximum of ten years in prison.

The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys J.B. Ward and Don Long are prosecuting the case. 

An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Birmingham Teacher Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Last week, a federal judge sentenced a Birmingham teacher for transferring obscene material to a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Felix A. Rivera-Esparra.

U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Richard Pope, 57, of Birmingham, to 54 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. As a condition of his supervised release, Pope must register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Pope previously pleaded guilty to three counts of transmission of obscene material to a minor. 

According to the plea agreement, Richard Pope was a graphics art teacher and baseball coach at G.W. Carver High School in Birmingham. In March 2020, Pope messaged a minor on Facebook. During the chats, Pope engaged the minor in sexually explicit conversations and sent the minor obscene images.

“This sentence sends a strong message that those who abuse their positions of trust with our children will be prosecuted and punished,” U.S Attorney Escalona said. “My office, along with our law enforcement partners, will work to ensure that our schools are always safe for our children.”

“Pope betrayed the trust granted to him in his position as a teacher and now will pay the consequences for his actions,” SAC Rivera said. “The public can rest assured that the FBI will always be vigilant in pursuing those who choose to prey on our most vulnerable, especially our children. I am proud of the work done by the FBI Birmingham Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force and our partners at ALEA for bringing Pope to justice.”

FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John M. Hundscheid and R. Leann White prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Alabama Man Sentenced to One Year and One Day in Prison for Defrauding Jefferson County Retirement Plan

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge on Monday sentenced an Alabama man for devising a scheme to defraud Jefferson County’s retirement plan, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Felix A. Rivera-Esparra.

U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Gary Dean Gibbs, Jr., 52, to one year and one day for wire fraud. Gibbs was also ordered to pay $132,646.12 restitution to the General Retirement System for Employees of Jefferson County.  Gibb’s pleaded guilty to the charges in May.

According to the plea agreement, Gibbs’ father was a former employee of Jefferson County, Alabama, who was receiving benefits from The General Retirement System for Employees of Jefferson County (“GRS”). GRS is a retirement plan that provides benefits to retired and disabled employees of Jefferson County, Alabama. Beginning in September 2017 and continuing until February 2022, Gibbs concealed his father’s death from GRS and collected money from GRS to which he was not entitled. Gibbs used his father’s personal identifiers and forged his father’s signature on documents submitted to GRS to further his scheme. Additionally, Gibbs assumed his father’s identity during telephone calls with GRS employees. Gibbs collected approximately $132,646.12 to which he was not entitled.

“The defendant’s theft of money from the GRS was detrimental to the hard-working employees and retirees of Jefferson County, who contributed for years to the retirement plan, and was appropriately punished by time in federal prison.” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “The United States Attorney’s Office appreciates the work of the FBI and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the cooperation of the GRS during the investigation and prosecution of this matter.”

“Gibbs’ fraudulent scheme took money away from the Jefferson County retirement system intended for those who have saved for their later years,”. Acting SAC Rivera said. The sentence handed down today holds him accountable for his actions and allows for restitution to the victims. I want to express my thanks to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office for their partnership and assistance in this investigation.”

The FBI investigated the case along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney George Martin  prosecuted the case.

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Former Tacoma Resident Indicted for Damaging Six Different Energy Facilities in the South Sound and Southwest Washington

Source: US FBI

Seattle – A 33-year-old former Tacoma resident was indicted by a federal grand jury earlier this month for conspiracy to destroy energy facilities and six counts of destruction or attempted destruction of an energy facility, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Zachary Rosenthal, who is currently incarcerated in the Washington State Department of Corrections for vehicular assault, was indicted in Oregon last July for damaging two energy facilities in Portland. The Oregon case is scheduled for trial on November 3, 2025.

According to the Western Washington indictment, between June and December 2022, Rosenthal conspired with others to damage six different power substations in western Washington: the Toledo substation in Lewis County on August 5, 2022; the Woodland 1 substation in Cowlitz County on November 17, 2022; the Woodland 2 substation on November 18, 2022; the Puyallup substation in Pierce County on November 20, 2022; and the Tumwater substation in Thurston County on November 22, 2022; and the attempted destruction to the Oakville substation in Grays Harbor County on December 5, 2022. The indictment charges five counts of destruction of an energy facility, and one count of attempted destruction of an energy facility for the Oakville substation attack.

The indictment calls for forfeiture of proceeds of the criminal scheme which appears to have been an attempt to burglarize businesses and ATMs when the power was out, and alarm systems might be down.

The attacks on the power stations resulted in power outages ranging from about 1,000 customers to 6,000 customers per substation.

Rosenthal and his coconspirators damaged the substations through a variety of means including gunshots, smashing equipment, or using heavy chains to cause short circuits.

The Oregon substation attacks occurred in the same timeframe as the Washington attacks, on November 24 and 28, 2022.

Damaging an energy facility with intent to cause a significant interruption and impairment of the function of the facility is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.  

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Winter Garden Man Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Conducting Series of Cyber Intrusions Against Former Employer

Source: US FBI

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Julie S. Sneed has sentenced Michael Scheuer (40, Winter Garden) to three years in federal prison for knowingly transmitting a program, code, or command to a protected computer and intentionally causing damage and for committing aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered Scheuer to forfeit his computer, which was used to commit the offenses, and to pay $687,776.50 in restitution to the victims of his crimes. Scheuer pleaded guilty on January 29, 2025.

According to court documents, Scheuer conducted a series of computer intrusions or attacks directed at his former employer following his termination. These intrusions included manipulating allergen information in restaurant menus to indicate that food items were safe for customers with certain allergies, when they were not. Scheuer also altered menu information related to wine regions to reflect locations of recent mass shootings. Additionally, Scheuer launched denial-of-service attacks designed to lock certain company employees out of their accounts.

“Formidable relationships with the private sector are a pillar of the FBI’s Cyber Strategy. Through the strength in our partnerships, our Cyber Task Force swiftly identified Mr. Scheuer and disrupted his ability to continue threatening the public,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor. “We are committed to safeguarding a robust Cyber Strategy to unmask malicious cyber

actors to ensure justice is served.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Tampa Division Orlando Resident Agency Criminal Intrusion Cyber Squad. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. Sowell.

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Utah Charter School Director Charged for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

Source: US FBI

Defendant allegedly possessed over 10,000 images of child sexual abuse material and is the lead director of multiple charter school’s grades K-6

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A charter school director in northern Utah is in federal custody and charged in a federal criminal complaint after he allegedly possessed well over 10,000 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and represented online that he could produce and distribute to others for profit.

Jared Dallan Buckley, 40, of West Point, Utah, is the Lead Director of both the Layton and Ogden, Utah, campuses for the Leadership Learning Academy, a charter school for grades kindergarten through six. Buckley is scheduled to make his initial appearance on the complaint Friday, April 25, 2025, at 9:45 a.m. in courtroom 8.4., before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

According to court documents, in October 2024, FBI agents began an on-line investigation of a person known only as “EMMA,” later identified as Buckley, who was using an application known to be used by people interested in child sexual abuse material. During the investigation, “EMMA” distributed a video of child sexual abuse materials and represented that he had original child sexual abuse material that he could produce and distribute to others for a price. Through the investigation, agents were able to connect “EMMA” to a telephone number that was associated to Buckley.

On April 22, 2025, FBI agents executed search warrants on Buckley’s residence in West Point, and his 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD LT. FBI seized a cell phone in Buckley’s vehicle that was consistent with the make and model of the phone being utilized by the internet accounts associated with “EMMA.” During the forensic examination of the cell phone, agents found well over 10,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material. The forensic examination of the cell phone also revealed evidence that Buckley has been distributing images of child sexual abuse material across multiple on-line platforms.

Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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

Documents: 

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Prolific Fraudster Sentenced to 10 Years for Series of Schemes Costing Victims Millions

Source: US FBI

HOUSTON – A 39-year-old Manvel resident who used his veteran status to perpetuate several financial crimes has been ordered to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Antonio Jackson Jr. pleaded guilty Feb. 4.

U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal has now ordered Jackson to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered Jackson to pay a total of $1,974,145.63 in restitution to four different victims.     

At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about the various methods Jackson used to exploit his victims, including creating fake companies, submitting bogus tax records and even faking signatures of government officials and copying official government seals and emblems. In handing down the sentence, Judge Rosenthal highlighted Jackson’s wide-ranging criminal conduct and his ongoing commitment to defrauding both public and private victims. The court also noted that Jackson exploited his brief stint in the U.S. Army, which ended in a court-martial, as a way to deceive others under the guise of service.  

From July 2020 to May 2021, Jackson submitted four false Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications. He claimed his business earned millions in revenue and paid hundreds of thousands in wages to more than 20 employees. In reality, Jackson fabricated tax returns, bank statements and other business records to support his false claims. The scheme resulted in losses of approximately $480,000.

While awaiting trial, authorities uncovered three additional schemes Jackson committed. As part of his plea agreement, he admitted to defrauding a Washington D.C.-based federal credit union through a series of scam home improvement loans. Jackson also made false statements to obtain a Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA)-backed loan. In addition, he defrauded Brazoria County taxpayers by falsely claiming disabled veteran status to receive property tax relief on his Manvel residence.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Small Business Administration and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs- Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with the assistance of several local police departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Swartz and Thomas Carter prosecuted the case.