Category: MIL-OSI

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – The CEO of a Latin music conglomerate and his talent agency were found guilty by a jury today of conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act by conducting business with a Guadalajara-based concert promoter with ties to Mexican drug cartels.

José Ángel Del Villar, 44, of Huntington Beach, the CEO of Del Records and its related talent agency Del Entertainment Inc., was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers in violation of the Kingpin Act and 10 counts of violating the Kingpin Act.

Co-defendant Del Entertainment also was found guilty of all 11 counts of which Del Villar was convicted.

According to evidence presented at a nine-day trial, in April 2018, the defendants did business with Jesús Pérez Alvear, a.k.a. “Chucho,” of Guadalajara, Mexico, a music promoter who controlled Gallistica Diamante, a.k.a. Ticket Premier. Pérez promoted concerts for Del Entertainment in Mexico until March 2019.

The U.S. Treasury Department listed Pérez and his company as “specially designated narcotics traffickers” under the Kingpin Act on April 6, 2018, after concluding he facilitated money laundering for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and the Los Cuinis drug trafficking organization. The Kingpin Act prevents people in the United States from conducting business with sanctioned persons and entities.

Even though Del Villar and Del Entertainment were aware that it was illegal to engage in transactions or dealings with Pérez, they willfully did business with him by continuing to have a Del Entertainment musical artist perform at concerts in which Pérez and Del Entertainment had a financial interest.

For example, on April 19, 2018, FBI agents approached a well-known musician and explicitly told him about Pérez’s designation under the Kingpin Act and how that prohibited him from conducting business with Pérez and performing concerts that Pérez promoted.

On April 28, 2018, the musician performed at a music concert which Pérez organized. Del Villar’s credit card was used to pay for a private jet that brought the musician from Van Nuys Airport to the performance in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

On multiple other occasions in 2018 and 2019, Pérez and Del Villar continued to do business by arranging for the musician to perform at concerts in Mexico – including Mexicali and San José Iturbide, Guanajuato.

“The defendants here chose to get into business with an individual they knew had ties to the CJNG and had been designated a narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Cartels and transnational criminal organizations cause immeasurable harm to our country. We are using every tool to eliminate these organizations and will prosecute those that do business with cartels.”

“Doing business with government-sanctioned individuals is illegal and can have very serious consequences,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s guilty verdict sends a message to music industry associates and others who engage in business with those sanctioned for laundering money for Mexican cartels that such criminal activity will not be tolerated by the FBI and our partners at the IRS and the United States Attorney’s Office.”

United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled an August 15 sentencing hearing, at which time Del Villar will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count. Del Entertainment will face a sentence of five years of probation and a fine of $10 million for each count.

Co-defendant Luca Scalisi, 58, of West Hollywood, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in this case and is scheduled to be tried separately in July 2025.

Co-defendant Pérez, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers, was murdered in Mexico in December 2024. 

The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control provided significant assistance in this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Benedetto L. Balding and Alexander B. Schwab of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force, and Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, prosecuted this case, with substantial assistance from the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.

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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (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. 

Source: US FBI

SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man was sentenced today to 46 months in federal prison for orchestrating a scheme to steal high-value violins and robbing a bank in Irvine.

Mark Meng, 58, of Irvine, was sentenced by United States District Judge David O. Carter, who scheduled a restitution hearing for June 24 in this case.

Meng pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of wire fraud and one count of bank robbery. He has been in federal custody since May 2024.

From August 2020 to April 2023, Meng schemed to steal valuable violins and keep or resell them for his personal gain. Meng – posing as a collector of musical instruments – contacted violin shops across the country to express interest in receiving the violins on loan for a trial period to determine if he wished to buy them. In some cases, he purchased violin bows before asking for the violins on a trial-period basis.

After receiving each violin, Meng negotiated a purchase price for it, kept the instrument beyond the trial period, then provided the violin shops with a check or set of checks for the violin, knowing the whole time the checks he wrote to the violin shops would be rejected due to insufficient funds.

When a violin-shop representative contacted Meng to inform him that the shop’s bank had rejected his checks, he sent a new series of checks, which also later were rejected due to insufficient funds. Sometimes, Meng lied to the violin shops by falsely telling them he had mailed the violin back to them, but that they had been lost in the mail. Eventually, Meng stopped communicating with the violin shops.

After fraudulently obtaining the violins, Meng re-sold them to a buyer – often during the trial periods from the violin shops. For example, on February 1, 2023, a victim loaned Meng a Guilio Degani violin – valued at $175,000 – pursuant to a trial-period contract, which required Meng to return or purchase the violin by February 10, 2023. However, Meng attempted to sell this violin to a buyer – who was unaware of the violin’s stolen origin.

According to court documents, Meng also stole the following:

• one Lorenzo Ventapane violin, dated 1823, and valued at $175,000;
• one Guilio Degani violin, dated 1903, and valued at $55,000;
• one Caressa & Francais violin, dated 1913, and valued at $40,000;
• one Francais Lott violin bow, stamped “Lupot,” and valued at $7,500;
• one Gand & Bernardel violin, dated 1870, and valued at $60,000;
• one French, Charles J.B. Colin Mezin violin, valued at $6,500; and
• one German, E.H. Roth Guarneri violin, valued at $6,500.

Despite knowing that he did not own these violins and violin bows, Meng sold three of these stolen violins and a violin bow to a victim for a total of $44,700.

In January 2023, Meng emailed one violin shop in Alexandria, Virginia, to express an interest in obtaining the Ventapane violin and the Degani violin on a trial basis, all the while intending to fraudulently obtain then re-sell them.

On April 2, 2024, Meng entered a bank branch in Irvine, wearing a hat, sunglasses, a bandana covering his face, and blue latex gloves. Meng gave the bank teller a note stating “$18,000. Withdraw. Please. Stay Cool. No harm. Thx.” When the teller told Meng she did not have access to the money he demanded, Meng responded, “Give me whatever you have.” The teller, fearing harm to herself and her co-workers, handed Meng $446.

The FBI’s Art Crime Team investigated this matter, with assistance from the Irvine Police Department and the Glendale Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Laura A. Alexander and Mark A. Williams, both of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, prosecuted this case.

Source: US FBI

FAYETTEVILLE – On January 15, 2025, Benjamin Coney, age 30, and Emily Grace Brinley, age 26, both of Conway, Arkansas, were sentenced to a combined 378 months in prison without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of Online Enticement of a Minor in violation of federal law. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.

According to court documents, in November of 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, began an undercover investigation targeting online predators seeking minors for sexual activity. Between November 19, 2023, to November 27, 2023, a male and female couple, later identified as Coney and Brinley, messaged an undercover FBI officer posing as the mother of two young girls. In messages sent by the couple, they detailed their intended abuse of the two young girls and arranged to drive from Conway to Bentonville to engage in the sexual acts. When the couple arrived at the pre-arranged meeting location, they were met by law enforcement officers and immediately taken into custody. Among the items located in their vehicle were sexual aides and lubricant.

Coney and Brinley were indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in May of 2024. Benjamin Coney entered a plea of guilty in September of 2023 and was sentenced to 210 months imprisonment to be followed by 25 years of supervision. Emily Grace Brinley entered a plea of guilty in July of 2023 and was sentenced to 168 months to be followed by 15 years of supervision.

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

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Benton County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Williams prosecuted the case on behalf of 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 at www.pacer.gov.

Source: US FBI

        WASHINGTON – An Arkansas man was sentenced to prison today after he pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement 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.

        David Camden, 45, of Tontitown, Arkansas, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, 12 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $7,000 in fines and restitution by U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan.

        According to court documents, Camden traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021, and to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election.  After the rally, Camden approached the U.S. Capitol building and entered the restricted perimeter near the West Front of Capitol grounds. There, Camden climbed a media tower assembled for the upcoming Inauguration and waved a flag.

        At approximately 1:20 p.m. – nearly twenty minutes after rioters initially breached the restricted grounds, Camden approached a bike rack barricade separating police officers from rioters on the Capitol’s West Front. Camden then yelled at officers and forcefully pushed a bike rack barricade into a line of U.S. Capitol Police Officers. In response, officers successfully repelled Camden’s advance and deployed a chemical irritant in Camden’s direction to preempt further aggression.

        After this incident, Camden remained on Capitol grounds and joined other rioters on the West Plaza. At approximately 2:11 p.m., Camden deployed a fire extinguisher toward a police line assembled to stop rioters from advancing on the Capitol.

        The FBI arrested Camden on July 1, 2024, in Arkansas.

        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. Camden was identified as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #286 on the FBI’s seeking information images. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

        In the 48 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,583 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 600 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—Joseph Riggins, Jr., will spend 25 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl that resulted in a person’s death. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Wednesday by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.

      On November 29, 2023, Riggins, 33, of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Judge Moody also sentenced Riggins to three years supervised released. Riggins was indicted on April 5, 2023, on one count of knowingly and intentionally distributing a mixture and substance containing fentanyl that resulted in death. The maximum penalty Riggins faced was not less than 20 years to life in prison and a fine of $1,000,000. There is no parole in the federal system.

      An investigation revealed that on July 31, 2022, Riggins engaged in a series of text messages with D.M. about Riggins trading heroin to D.M. in exchange for sex. On August 1, 2022, Riggins met with D.M. at a local motel in North Little Rock, Arkansas, where Riggins provided D.M. with a controlled substance containing fentanyl. D.M. later used that controlled substance in the motel room. The following day, August 2, 2022, motel staff members found D.M. deceased inside her motel room. D.M.’s body was subsequently transported to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory for forensic analysis. An autopsy later determined that D.M.’s death was caused by a mixed drug toxicity of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. The fentanyl in D.M.’s body at the time of examination was at a level significantly higher than where lethal levels of fentanyl typically begin, according to the medical examiner who conducted the autopsy.

      The investigation was conducted by the North Little Rock Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Gordon.

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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

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Source: US FBI

TEXARKANA – A Colombia County, Arkansas man was sentenced today to 140 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing methamphetamine in south Arkansas.  The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing, which took place in the United States District Court in Texarkana. 

According to court documents, Joseph Edward Lowe, age 37, of Magnolia, Arkansas, sold high-purity methamphetamine during multiple ‘controlled buy’ operations conducted by state and federal investigators in 2021 and 2022. A federal grand jury indicted Lowe in September 2022, and he later pleaded guilty to two counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine on October 10, 2023.  Lowe’s sentence was enhanced due to his status as a Career Offender.  There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the Magnolia Police Department, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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 at www.pacer.gov.

Source: US FBI

FAYETTEVILLE – A federal jury convicted a Newport, Arkansas man yesterday of Conspiracy to Distribute more than 400 grams of a Mixture or Substance Containing Fentanyl.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) initiated an investigation into a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing fentanyl pills in Fayetteville, Arkansas from May to June 2023. The investigation identified Claude Dukes, Jr., age 42, of Newport, Arkansas, as the source of supply for fentanyl being distributed by co-conspirator, Justin Alexander Ellis, age 36, of Fayetteville.  The pills distributed by this group contained fentanyl made or pressed to look like M-30 Oxycontin prescription pills. Dukes was found to be responsible for over 400 grams of fentanyl distributed in the conspiracy through his own conduct and the conduct of co-conspirators.

Duke is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date. Conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl is punishable by a minimum term of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Justin Ellis pleaded guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl on February 28, 2024, and is awaiting a sentencing date. Distribution of Fentanyl is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case and were assisted by the following agencies: Benton County Drug Unit, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Rogers Police Department, Bentonville Police Department, Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Arkansas Department of Corrections Division of Community Corrections, and the Newport, Arkansas Police Department.  

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sydney Stanley, Kevin Eaton, and Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (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.

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

Source: US FBI

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Aliyah Robyn Stalder, 24, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced last week to three years of probation by United States Magistrate Judge Alison S. Bachus for assaulting a flight attendant while on board a commercial flight. During her term of probation, Stalder will not be permitted to travel by commercial aircraft without prior approval and must pay a $5,000 civil penalty imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Stalder was also ordered to pay over $8,000 in restitution for her actions. Stalder pleaded guilty on November 14, 2024, to Assault by Striking, Beating, or Wounding on an Aircraft.

On February 9, 2023, Stalder boarded a commercial flight from Seattle to Phoenix. During the flight, Stalder attempted to open multiple cabin doors and ultimately had to be restrained by members of the flight crew and other passengers. During the struggle to restrain Stalder, she assaulted one of the flight attendants.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and 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-24-00031-PHX-ASB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-011_Stalder

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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.

Source: US FBI

The FBI is issuing this Public Service Announcement to warn the public that scammers exploit mass casualty events and disasters, such as the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans and the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, to commit fraud by soliciting fake charitable donations to support victims or their families. Scammers may pose as disaster relief agencies to collect personal information, conduct charitable fraud schemes, or commit fraud against disaster assistance programs. Scammers may also impersonate official entities, celebrities, influencers, or other individuals. For example, a scammer might pose online as a high-profile victim to solicit donations. Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be used to increase perceived legitimacy of a fraud or impersonation.

Criminals have used past crises as opportunities to target members of the public with fraudulent donation schemes. Scammers take advantage of catastrophic incidents—such as mass casualty events, terrorist attacks, war, natural disasters, or pandemics—to pose as charitable entities providing humanitarian aid or developing fundraising efforts, including monetary and cryptocurrency donations. Charitable fraud schemes associated with natural disasters are a common occurrence online as well as through in-person collection drives.

In 2024, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received more than 4,500 complaints reporting approximately $96 million in losses to fraudulent charities, crowdfunding accounts, and disaster relief campaigns.

Tips to Protect Yourself

• Do your own research before you donate to anything. Confirm the validity of any charitable opportunity. Best practices include, but are not limited to:
  • Verifying charities by researching the charity online to see if there are news articles, reviews, or posts linking the charity to fraud; checking to see if the charity is registered with your state’s charity regulator, if available; and checking the Internal Revenue Service’s website (https://www.irs.gov) to see if the charity is registered.
  • Validating that crowdfunding efforts are supporting the beneficiaries advertised; researching who is behind the crowdfunding request; researching who the request is intended to benefit and if the need is legitimate; and reverse searching images and stories associated with the request, as scammers will often copy and paste material stolen from others.
• Be suspicious of online communications claiming to be from individuals affected by the events and seeking immediate financial assistance.
• Recognize that pressure to “act fast” might be a sign of a scam.
• Do not send payments to unknown individuals or organizations asking for financial assistance.
• Do not communicate with or open texts, posts, e-mails, attachments, or links from unknown individuals posing as entities soliciting charitable donations or humanitarian aid.
• Review email headers and domain information to evaluate legitimacy. Emails from official organizations almost never come from free email services. IP addresses can reveal if the information is originating from overseas. Domain names and IP addresses’ current registration information may be available through the registry at lookup. ICANN.org if it was not restricted by the domain or IP address owner.
• If an unknown individual contacts you, do not release any financial or personal identifying information (PII), and do not send any money.
• If you have already donated funds and believe you are a victim of a scheme, do not pay additional fees or taxes to obtain a refund of your money. Do not pay for any services that claim they can recover lost funds.
• Do not use debit, gift, or prepaid cards for payment.

Report It

If you believe you have been a victim of a financial Internet scam or a fraudulent scheme related to New Year’s Day or other mass casualty events, please file a report with the FBI’s IC3 at www.ic3.gov. If possible, include the following:

• Identifying information about the individuals or charity, including name, phone number, address, e-mail addresses, social media handles, etc.
• Financial transaction information, such as the date, type of payment, amount, account numbers involved, name and address of the receiving financial institution, and receiving cryptocurrency addresses.
• Describe your interaction with the individual, including how contact was initiated, such as the type of communication, the purpose of the request for money, how you were told or instructed to make payment, what information you provided to the criminal actor, and any other details pertinent to your complaint.

Additional Resources

Source: US FBI

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Julius Darnell Dixon, 54, of Phoenix, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 51 months in prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release, for providing contraband to federal inmates and for a supervised release violation. On October 21, 2024, Dixon pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The guilty plea also constituted a violation of Dixon’s supervised release for an earlier bank robbery conviction (CR-99-00516-PHX-SPL).

Between February 2023 and April 2024, Dixon conspired with federal inmates at various institutions to mail books to them from bookstores in the Phoenix area containing hidden Suboxone strips. Dixon’s method of using unwitting bookstores to mail the books circumvented prison security, as the books appeared to be purchased by the inmates directly from the bookstores. Investigators identified Dixon by locating communications between Dixon and the inmates after two mailings were intercepted by prison staff. The packages were traced to bookstores in the Phoenix area, where Dixon had given his phone number and, for one mailing, his name and email address.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Bureau of Prisons, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick E. Chapman, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:          CR-24-00942-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-003_Dixon

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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.