Category: MIL-OSI

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – A South Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 110 months in federal prison for committing a string of robberies of businesses throughout Los Angeles County – a series of crimes that ended with a high-speed chase that resulted in him and other defendant crashing their getaway car before running across a freeway last year.

Anthony Flores, 28, a.k.a. “BabyGfar,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Hernán D. Vera, who also ordered him to pay $10,439 in restitution. Flores has been in federal custody since September 2023.

At the conclusion of a three-day trial, a jury on July 18 found Flores guilty of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act) and two counts of Hobbs Act robbery.

“This defendant’s careless disregard for the law put lives at risk,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Today’s sentence highlights that my office – through the Operation Safe Cities initiative – will make sure that violent criminals face real consequences. The public deserves no less.” 

From May 27, 2023, to May 31, 2023, Flores and other co-conspirators robbed BevMo! liquor stores in Long Beach and Lakewood and conspired to rob other stores in West Covina and Pasadena, and on June 5, 2023, attempted to rob a BevMo! store in Canyon Country. During the robberies, Flores and others stole high-end liquor stored behind security glass and, in some instances, threatened employees with violence.

In total, Flores and his co-conspirators stole approximately $14,143 in merchandise during this spree.

On June 5, 2023, Flores and co-defendant Ivin Kitu Sanford, 32, formerly of South Los Angeles but now a resident of Las Vegas, attempted to rob the Canyon Country BevMo! store. Flores and a co-conspirator subdued a store employee and attempted to steal high-end bottles of liquor. They fled in a stolen gray Dodge Charger with a stolen license plate and attempted to evade officers during a traffic stop. Flores and Sanford led law enforcement on a chase before crashing into a tree. After the crash, they ran on foot across the 14 Freeway during rush hour traffic. Flores and Sanford were later found in bushes in a desolate area and arrested.

At the same July trial, Sanford was found guilty of one count of Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 30, 2025, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments.

The FBI, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the West Covina Police Department, and the Long Beach Police Department investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe prosecuted this case.

Source: US FBI

SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man was indicted today for allegedly possessing four machine guns and hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that law enforcement recovered at his home and from a storage unit he rented. 

Arthit Tanjapatkul, 43, of Santa Ana, is charged with one count of possession of machineguns and three counts of possession of child pornography.

Tanjapatkul, who was arrested on October 9 in this case and is free on $250,000 bond, is scheduled for arraignment in this case on November 18 in United States District Court in Santa Ana.

According to an affidavit filed on October 8 with the complaint, the investigation into Tanjapatkul began with him selling a regulated military-grade laser to a buyer in March 2023. Law enforcement later learned that the laser had been initially stolen by a military officer who was charged and convicted for his crimes in federal court in North Carolina. 

In October 2023, law enforcement searched Tanjapatkul’s home and seized dozens of firearms, including four machine guns. During the same search, agents recovered a cellphone that contained text messages where Tanjapatkul discussed automatic weapons. Law enforcement also recovered a hard drive that contained CSAM.

In July 2024, law enforcement searched a storage unit that Tanjapatkul rented in Santa Ana. In the storage unit, agents found a hard drive containing evidence of knowing possession of a machinegun and child pornography. Law enforcement also found 10 disks containing child pornography. The disks alone contained approximately 79 videos and approximately 831 images containing child sexual abuse material.

The drives and disks contained, among other things, videos and images involving minors under 12 years of age. In the home and storage unit, agents also found dozens of firearms and hundreds of items of military equipment that were initially stolen by the same military officer, according to court documents.

A complaint and an indictment contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

If convicted, Tanjapatkul would face a statutory maximum sentence of 70 years in federal prison.

The FBI is investigating this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Kedar S. Bhatia of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – A Grammy Award-winning Chicago rapper has been charged in a superseding federal grand jury indictment alleging he conspired with others to murder a rival rapper, resulting in the shooting death of the rival’s relative that occurred at a gas station near the Beverly Center shopping mall in Los Angeles in August 2022, the Justice Department announced today.

Durk Banks, 32, a.k.a. “Lil Durk,” “Blood,” and “Mustafa Abdul Malak,” of Chicago, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and one count of using, carrying, and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death.

The indictment adds two felony charges against Banks, who previously was charged via criminal complaint in this case.

The four-count superseding indictment, returned late Thursday, adds Banks as the lead defendant to a previous indictment returned October 17 and charging the following defendants in connection with the August 2022 murder:

• Kavon London Grant, 28, a.k.a. “Cuz” and “Vonnie,” of Atlanta;
• Deandre Dontrell Wilson, 33, a.k.a. “DeDe,” of Chicago;
• Keith Jones, 33, a.k.a. “Flacka,” of Gary, Indiana;
• David Brian Lindsey, 33, a.k.a. “Browneyez,” of Addison, Illinois; and
• Asa Houston, 36, a.k.a. “Boogie,” of Chicago.

Banks was arrested on October 17 near Miami International Airport after law enforcement learned that Banks had been booked on multiple international flights.  A federal magistrate judge in Miami has ordered him jailed without bond until he is transferred to Los Angeles for arraignment.

All six defendants – none of whom has yet entered a plea to the charges – are expected to be arraigned in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks.

According to the superseding indictment, in 2010, Banks formed an organization called Only the Family (OTF), which, among other things, produced and sold hip hop music from artists primarily from the Chicago area. OTF also acted as an association-in-fact of individuals who engaged in violence, including murder and assault, at Banks’ direction and to maintain their status in OTF.   

Banks feuded with a victim, identified in court documents as “T.B.” The feud stemmed from a November 6, 2020, murder in which an associate of T.B. shot and killed an OTF rapper named Dayvon Bennett, a.k.a. “King Von.” Bennett and Banks were close friends.

In response to Bennett’s murder, Banks allegedly put a bounty on T.B.’s life.

On August 19, 2022, several OTF members and associates used two vehicles and worked in tandem to track, stalk, and attempt to murder T.B. for hours, culminating in a shooting at a gasoline station located near the Beverly Center shopping mall. The co-conspirators used multiple guns, including a machine gun, and fired at least 18 rounds at T.B.’s vehicle, striking and killing a victim identified in court documents as “S.R.,” who was T.B.’s family member who had been traveling with T.B.

Banks allegedly ordered T.B.’s murder and the hitmen used money from Banks and OTF-related finances to carry out the hit. Bank and flight records show that an OTF member and close associate of Banks coordinated and paid for five co-conspirators to travel from Chicago to California on the day before the murder. Around the time the one-way flights were purchased, Banks told the OTF associate booking the flights, “Don’t book no flights under no names involved wit [sic] me.”

The same day the hitmen traveled from Chicago to California, Banks also traveled to California in a private jet with another conspirator, Kavon London Grant, 28, a.k.a. “Cuz” and “Vonnie.” Later that day, Grant allegedly purchased ski masks for the shooters to use to commit the murder and paid – using a credit card in Banks’ name – for the other co-conspirators’ hotel room.

“Mr. Banks is charged with orchestrating a cold-blooded murder that resulted in the death of a rival’s family member,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Not only that, the shooting occurred in the open, at a gas station at a busy intersection, endangering many others in the area. Violent gun crime of this sort is devastating to our community and we will have zero-tolerance for those who perpetrate such callous acts of violence.”

“The apprehension of Mr. Banks as he attempted to leave the United States is once again proof that the FBI and our extraordinary partners at the Los Angeles Police Department have a long reach,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “No excuse can justify this violent act and let me be clear: While you’re going about your life, thinking you ‘got away with it,’ the FBI is piecing together the facts that will serve as your undoing.”

“Cases like these that span multiple states and jurisdictions are complicated and can oftentimes only be resolved through the collaboration of multiple departments,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi. “This arrest is the culmination of the combined efforts of our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and LAPD’s Operation West Bureau Homicide detectives who discovered that Durk D a.k.a. Lil Durk was involved in this heinous murder. The hundreds of hours spent on the investigation included surveillance, authoring numerous search warrants, using forensic technology, and tireless investigative travel and collaboration alongside our federal partners led to this arrest. I am appreciative of the dedication of those involved.”

The other five defendants are in federal custody in Illinois after their initial court appearances in Chicago. They remain charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and one count of using, carrying and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. Jones faces an additional count of possession of a machine gun.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

If convicted, all the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, Daniel H. Weiner of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section, and Gregory W. Staples of the Orange County Office are prosecuting this case.

Source: US FBI

           WASHINGTON— A California man was sentenced to prison today after he previously pleaded guilty to a felony charge related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. 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.

           Jay James Johnston, 55, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols. Johnston previously pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder on July 8, 2024.

           According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Johnston was among a mob of rioters amassed on the Lower West Plaza of the U.S. Capitol building near an area known as the “Tunnel.” This was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement that day. At about 2:00 p.m., Johnston stood among the crowd, behind a row of police barricades, filming the day’s events on his cell phone.

           Over the next 40 minutes, the barricades were removed by rioters, and the police were forced to retreat. Johnston then advanced closer to the U.S. Capitol building, traveling up to the Lower West Terrace and onto the Inaugural Stage, where he continued to film the crowd on his phone. At approximately 3:03 p.m., Johnston made his way through the dense crowd on the Lower West Terrace and approached the entryway to the Tunnel. Johnston then turned to face the crowd on the Lower West Terrace and made a series of hand gestures, including pounding his fists together and pointing, appearing to encourage rioters to enter the tunnel.

           At approximately 3:04 p.m., Johnston pushed his way into the Tunnel toward the police line and was handed a stolen U.S. Capitol police riot shield from a rioter behind him. Johnston received the shield and then held it in front of himself for a few seconds. Other rioters nearby called out to “make a shield wall,” at which point Johnston responded by moving closer to the police line and handing the shield up to rioters who were immediately in front of the police. Shortly after handing the shield up to other rioters, Johnston then joined a group push effort against the police line by pushing against the rioters in front of him, who in turn pushed directly against the police.

           Court documents say that by 3:10 p.m., Johnston was pushed back toward the Tunnel entrance by other rioters who were leaving. Johnston did not leave; instead, he turned around and made his way into the tunnel toward the police line. At about 3:11 p.m., Johnston again joined a group push against the police inside the Tunnel, causing a Metropolitan Police Department Officer to be crushed between the crowd and a door.

           Johnston left the Tunnel at about 3:13 p.m.

           The FBI arrested Johnston on June 7, 2023, in Los Angeles.

           The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California provided valuable assistance.

           The FBI’s Los Angeles and Washington Field Offices investigated this case. Johnston was identified as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #247 on the FBI’s seeking information images.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

           In the 45 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,532 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 571 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

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

Source: US FBI

LITTLE ROCK—Three federal investigations culminated in 45 arrests this morning. An investigative focus on the pipeline of drugs and firearms between Pine Bluff and Little Rock resulted in the indictment of 80 individuals, all charged with various federal firearms and drug trafficking charges in multiple indictments that were unsealed today.

Two FBI operations, each focused on a rival gang, were created to address violence and drug trafficking in the corridor between Pine Bluff and Little Rock. The investigations focused on rival gangs responsible for violence throughout central Arkansas, with one operation focused on the EBK or Every Body Killas gang and resulting in the indictment of 35 defendants. The second investigation focused on the Loady Murder Mobb gang and resulted in the indictment of 26 defendants. Three more defendants, Quincy Martez Chambers, D’eandreian Devonte Meadows, and Joseph Riggins, Jr., are charged separately in stand-alone indictments. Three defendants are named in multiple indictments.

A third operation, this one led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), began in August 2021 when DEA and the North Little Rock Police Department identified street-level methamphetamine and fentanyl dealers in central Arkansas who were connected to the same source of supply. Investigation revealed the drugs were being mailed into Arkansas from California, and these shipments—which included kilogram-quantities of methamphetamine and thousands of pressed fentanyl pills—were then distributed to individuals in Little Rock and Pine Bluff as well as Houston, Texas. This investigation culminated in the indictment of 18 defendants. Manuel Taylor was charged in a separate indictment.

Pine Bluff Police Detective Kevin Collins was shot and killed in October 2020 while serving an arrest warrant on an EBK associate wanted for a homicide in Georgia. Prior to his death, Detective Collins was assisting FBI with intelligence related to criminal activity of these gangs, as well as surveillance, interviews, and arrests of individuals responsible for criminal activity in Pine Bluff. In March 2021, the FBI’s GETROCK Task Force obtained a wiretap and used a total of twelve wiretaps through June 2022 as a source of real-time information to intervene and prevent violence in Pine Bluff, Little Rock, and other communities throughout the state. Law enforcement discovered that the gangs were funding their violent activity primarily through the sale of large quantities of high-grade marijuana. The investigation revealed drug trafficking and travel between Arkansas and Texas, California, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Oklahoma.

Law enforcement began early this morning by searching for 72 suspects, all of whom were indicted for federal gun and drug trafficking crimes. Of the 80 defendants indicted in the three investigations, 8 of those were already in custody when this morning’s roundup began. In addition to the arrests, during the operation authorities seized 4 firearms, one of which was an AR-style pistol; 2 ounces of cocaine; 1 ounce of crack cocaine; and $30,000 cash.

Prior to today’s FBI arrests in their operations involving the EBK and Loady Murder Mobb gangs, investigators seized 42 firearms, including two machine guns; approximately $775,000 in cash and $428,000 in jewelry; approximately 278 pounds of marijuana, which has an approximate street value of $450,000; 7 ounces of cocaine; 3 ounces of crack cocaine; 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine; and 116 pills containing fentanyl.

Before today’s DEA arrests, investigators seized $146,000 in cash, 10 firearms, 12 pounds of methamphetamine, 1.2 kilograms of powder fentanyl, 600 pressed fentanyl pills, 10 pounds of marijuana, and nine ounces of cocaine.

Twenty-seven fugitives remain after this morning’s arrests. Most of the defendants who were arrested this morning will appear at a later date for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Joe J. Volpe.

The FBI conducted their operations with assistance from Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Department of Community Corrections, Little Rock Police Department, North Little Rock Police Department, Pine Bluff Police Department, and Jonesboro Police Department. FBI’s GETROCK Task Force was formed in 2017 in response to the escalation in gang and gun violence in Little Rock. The unit’s investigations and operations are coordinated out of FBI Little Rock’s field office, and GETROCK continues to serve as the clearinghouse for gang-related law enforcement activity in Central Arkansas. Additional support was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Arkansas National Guard Counterdrug Joint Task Force; and the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julie Peters and Amanda Fields with assistance from Cameron McCree.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Little Rock District Office conducted their operation with assistance from DEA Riverside, California District Office; USPIS; North Little Rock Police Department; Sherwood Police Department; and Benton Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Givens.

These efforts are part of several Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operations. 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. 

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

# # # 

This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

https://www.justice.gov/edar

 Twitter: @EDARNEWS

Source: US FBI

Source: US FBI

FBI Little Rock has noted an increase in sextortion schemes targeting children in the northwest Arkansas area. The FBI and local police in northwest Arkansas have received numerous reports of predators attempting to coerce young boys into sending sexual videos of themselves and then extorting money from these victims.

Here’s how this disturbing scheme works:

1. A predator (posing as a young girl on social media) uses deception and manipulation to convince a young male, usually 13 to 17 years old, to engage in explicit sexual activity over video chat.
2. The video is secretly recorded and saved by the predator.
3. The predator then reveals they have saved the recordings and attempts to extort money from the juvenile victim by threatening to post the videos across various social media platforms.
4. To receive money, the predator may ask for bank account login information or request gift cards.

Sextortion is a crime. The coercion of a child by an adult to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM) carries heavy penalties, including life sentences for offenders. To make the victimization stop, children typically notify someone—normally a parent, teacher, caregiver, or law enforcement. The embarrassment children feel from the activity they were coerced to engage in usually prevents them from asking for help. Sextortion offenders frequently have dozens of victims around the world, so when a victim comes forward to help law enforcement identify a predator, they are likely preventing countless future incidents of sexual exploitation.

Here are some tips to protect adults and children online:

• Parents and children need to be selective about what they share online. If social media accounts are open to everyone, offenders can easily learn about parents and their children, and then use that information for predatory purposes.
• Be wary of anyone you encounter online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
• Predators can pretend to be anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that a person is who they claim to be.
• Be highly suspicious if someone you meet on a game or app asks you to start communicating with them on a different platform.
• Encourage children to report suspicious behavior to a trusted adult.

If you know someone who may be a victim of sextortion in Arkansas:

1. Contact the FBI’s Arkansas Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force at 501-221-9100.
2. Do not delete anything before law enforcement is able to review it.
3. Tell law enforcement everything about the online encounters. It may be embarrassing, but it is necessary to find the predator.

Source: US FBI

      LITTLE ROCK—A Helena-West Helena man has been sentenced to 65 months in prison for providing material support to a terrorist organization. Bilal Al-Rayanni, 31, a naturalized citizen originally from Yemen, was sentenced Friday by United States District Judge Susan Webber Wright. Judge Wright also sentenced Al-Rayanni to 10 years of supervised release following imprisonment.

      In July 2014, Al-Rayanni traveled from the United States to Yemen to visit his family, where he stayed until January 2015. While Al-Rayanni was in Yemen, a terrorist organization known as Al Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known as Ansar al-Sharira (AAS), began to sweep south from the capital of Sanaa in armed conflict with Houthi rebels. Al-Rayanni admitted to federal agents that while he was in Yemen, he drove a vehicle in an armed convoy as part of an AAS recruiting mission.

      Images from Al-Rayanni’s time in Yemen include him with a dagger at his waist bearing the AAS emblem, images of him with the ISIS flag, and images of him in front of a convoy vehicle with an ammunition belt, two rifles, and an AK-47 automatic weapon resting against the vehicle. Al-Rayanni admitted to federal authorities that he drove an AAS recruiter from village to village to recruit fighters to oppose the Houthis.

      “While overseas, Bilal Al-Rayanni willingly volunteered to serve as a driver in an armed AQAP/AAS recruitment convoy,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson. “His lengthy federal prison sentence should serve as a warning to other potential supporters of designated foreign terrorist organizations. FBI Little Rock investigators on the Joint Terrorism Task Force remain dedicated to investigating and preventing acts of domestic and international terrorism which target our Arkansas communities.”

      This case was investigated by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacy Williams.

# # #

This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

https://www.justice.gov/edar

Twitter:

@EDARNEWS

Source: US FBI

LITTLE ROCK, AR— During an enforcement campaign conducted over the past two weeks, the FBI and its law enforcement partners identified and located 84 minor victims and rescued 37 actively missing children. This is the 13th iteration of the FBI-led nationwide operation, dubbed “Operation Cross Country,” focused on identifying and locating victims of sex trafficking. The campaign also develops state and federal cases against individuals and criminal enterprises involved in both child sex trafficking and human trafficking.

In addition to the identification and location of adolescent victims, the FBI and its partners located 141 adult victims of human trafficking across the nation. Special agents and investigators also identified or arrested 85 suspects with child sexual exploitation and human trafficking offenses. Those suspects identified will be subject to additional investigation for potential charges. The average age of victims located in similar operations is approximately 16 years old, while the youngest victim discovered during this operation was 11 years old.

In Arkansas, FBI agents from the Fayetteville Resident Agency partnered with northwest Arkansas victim advocacy organizations and law enforcement from Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Bentonville Police Department, Greenland School District Police Department, Lakeview Police Department, Rogers Police Department, Siloam Springs Police Department, and the University of Arkansas Police Department. Beginning on August 4th, this team identified and located two human trafficking victims, arrested one alleged human trafficker, and apprehended three individuals who allegedly traveled or intended to travel to northwest Arkansas from other states and cities in separate attempts to engage in unlawful sexual conduct with minors.

“Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Unfortunately, such crimes—against both adults and children—are far more common than most people realize. As we did in this operation, the FBI and our partners will continue to find and arrest traffickers, identify and help victims, and raise awareness of the exploitation of our most vulnerable populations.”

As part of Operation Cross Country XII, FBI special agents, intelligence analysts, victim specialists, and child adolescent forensic interviewers— working in conjunction with over 200 local, state, and federal partners and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)— conducted 391 operations over a two-week period.

“The success of Operation Cross Country in Arkansas this year is a direct result of the enduring partnerships we share with local and state law enforcement,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson. “Without our partners, four alleged predators may have avoided justice and two human trafficking victims may not have received the assistance they desperately needed. We will continue to work with Arkansas police agencies to combat human trafficking and child exploitation throughout our state.”

Source: US FBI

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Trevor Lee O’Dowd, 29, of Prescott Valley, was arrested last week for making online threats to kill anyone who attended yesterday evening’s music event at a venue in Tempe, Arizona. O’Dowd was charged by federal criminal complaint with a single count of Interstate Communication of Threats.

The complaint alleges that, between March 12 and 13, 2024, O’Dowd used a social media platform to post numerous threats to injure and kill attendees at the music event. O’Dowd posts indicated that he felt disrespected for not being invited to the event. His threatening posts included the following statements:

            “If they go im going on a rampage im just letting yall know before it happens.”

            “Anyone got an AK I can b[o]rrow. Bout to go end some lives since u think I’m never      gonna make it.” 

            “I suggest hiring more security for ur events soon.” 

            “April 7^th will be the last day for AZ hip hop.”

            “[D]on’t show up to mill Ave is all imma say.” 

In other messages, O’Dowd welcomed a police presence and added that it would “be a wild west shootout like the good old days . . . I have no reason to live so good luck with that.” 

The single count of Interstate Communication of Threats carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.

A 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.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           24-6135MJ
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-046_O’Dowd

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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.