Category: MIL-OSI

Source: US FBI

Burlington, Vermont –  The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Timothy Gabriel, 31, who most recently has been living in the Rutland area, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington to 60 months of imprisonment following his guilty plea to a charge that he possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. Senior U.S. District Judge William Sessions III also ordered that Gabriel serve a three-year term of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence. He directed that the federal sentence run concurrently to state sentences that Gabriel is serving on related and unrelated cases. Gabriel has been held in federal custody since his arrest in October 2023.

According to court records, someone stole a Vermont State Police cruiser from a residence in Rutland where it was parked in the pre-dawn hours of October 17, 2023. A few hours later, the car was found parked behind a downtown Rutland business. Investigators found that a police-issued Sig Sauer rifle had been forcibly removed from a secure locking device in the vehicle. Surveillance camera footage from businesses near where the cruiser was found showed the car enter a parking lot before dawn. The footage depicted a man, later identified as Timothy Gabriel, get out of the car, then leave the area with what appeared to be a rifle in his hand. DNA evidence later connected Gabriel to blood found inside the stolen cruiser. Gabriel is prohibited from possessing any firearms because he has several prior convictions in Vermont for felony offenses. Gabriel was arrested in Burlington on the afternoon of October 18, 2023. Court records show that Gabriel traded the stolen rifle for drugs. Law enforcement recovered the police rifle from a bag abandoned beside U.S. Route 7 near Bennington.

Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Rutland Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Gabriel is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.

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

Source: US FBI

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Patrick Civitello, age 19, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for assaulting a 15-year-old boy in retaliation for the boy’s mother testifying in a federal criminal trial.

Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

Patrick Civitello is the son of Jeffrey Civitello Sr. and the younger brother of Jeffrey Civitello Jr., both of whom were convicted of federal drug trafficking charges following a jury trial in Albany in April 2023. A witness, identified in the indictment as V-1, testified at that trial.

In pleading guilty, Patrick Civitello admitted that on the evening of May 19, 2024, while at a restaurant in Glenville, New York, he observed V-1, who was with her 15-year-old son (“V-2”). At the time he observed V-1, Patrick Civitello was speaking on the phone with Jeffrey Civitello Jr. (who was incarcerated), and Patrick Civitello told his brother that he had just seen V-1 walk into the restaurant. Patrick Civitello then said “I gotta rag this bitch, I gotta call you back,” meaning that he intended to retaliate against V-1 for her trial testimony. Jeffrey Civitello Jr. responded, “Ok run down, but do it away from everyone if you could.”

V-1 and V-2 then exited the restaurant and headed to their vehicle in the parking lot. Patrick Civitello, who was following V-1 and V-2 out of the restaurant, briefly stopped in the parking lot to remove his watch and a cross-body bag. Having placed those items on the ground of the parking lot, Patrick Civitello charged in the direction of V-1 and V-2. He punched V-2 in the head, and continued to punch and kick V-2 after V-2 fell to the ground. V-2 suffered minor abrasions and bruises, including to his head, neck, and hand. 

FBI agents arrested Patrick Civitello on June 13, 2024, on a criminal complaint. As he was being transported to the FBI Albany Field Office, he asked agents, “Don’t you think the witness deserved it?” and “What do you expect when you betray family and people you trust?”

United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino called the assault an “attack on the justice system” that sends “a chilling message to anyone who might be subpoenaed to trial” to testify. She ordered Patrick Civitello to pay a $5,000 fine and to serve a 3-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release.

The FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigated this case, with assistance from the Glenville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Dustin Segovia prosecuted this case.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man has been charged by indictment with assault following an alleged incident that left the victim with severe injuries.

According to court records, on September 23, 2023, Emerson Hayes, 61, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted John Doe with a knife, causing serious bodily injury.

Hayesis charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Hayes faces up to 10 years in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case.

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

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – Jaremy Smith has been sentenced to life in prison for a violent crime spree that culminated with the murder of Officer Justin Hare in New Mexico.

There is no parole in the federal system.

On March 15, 2024, Smith encountered NMSP Officer Justin Hare in Tucumcari, New Mexico, when Officer Hare stopped to assist Smith with a flat tire on the BMW. When Officer Hare pulled over behind the BMW, Smith exited the driver’s side of his car and approached the passenger window of Officer Hare’s patrol car. After a short discussion, Officer Hare asked Smith to walk to the front of the patrol vehicle. Instead, Smith shot Officer Hare, who slumped to the right in the driver’s seat. Smith then moved to the driver’s side of the patrol vehicle and shot Officer Hare two additional times before entering the driver’s seat and driving away with Hare still inside the vehicle.

Screenshot of Exhibit 1 (00:01:02) depicting Smith walking to driver’s side window of the patrol vehicle

At some point, the vehicle’s distress system was activated. Smith drove westbound on I-40 before exiting on a frontage road and removing Officer Hare from the vehicle, leaving him on the side of the road, and drove away. Smith drove the patrol vehicle for another 10 minutes, eventually crashing the patrol unit into shrubbery along the north frontage road of Interstate 40 in Guadalupe County, New Mexico.

When Officer Hare did not respond to the dispatcher’s check for an update, a second officer was sent to the scene. While en route, the second officer received the distress signal from Officer Hare’s handheld radio. The officer then spotted Officer Hare’s patrol unit driving in the opposite direction at high speed along the frontage road. The second officer attempted to catch up with Officer Hare’s unit, but before he could, Smith crashed the patrol vehicle. Upon approaching the crashed vehicle, the officer found it empty, with no sign of Smith or Officer Hare. The officer then began a search of the area and found Officer Hare, still alive. Officer Hare was rushed to Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari, where he was pronounced dead at 7:21 a.m.

After crashing the stolen patrol car, Smith fled on foot, stole a flatbed truck in Cuervo, and drove to Albuquerque. Smith was heading to Albuquerque because he had a former girlfriend who lived there.

Smith’s capture came on March 17, 2024, when a gas station clerk in Albuquerque recognized the unusual spelling of his name from police advisory messages when he presented identification to make a purchase, and the clerk contacted law enforcement. Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Deputies quickly arrived, and Smith attempted to ambush them before fleeing through a residential neighborhood. During the chase, Smith discarded the firearm used to kill Officer Hare, which was later recovered. Law enforcement also found the stolen flatbed truck, with ammunition inside, and further linked Smith to the crime spree.

“Jaremy Smith’s violent crime spree left a trail of destruction across state lines, endangering the lives of both the public and first responders,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellsion. “Today’s sentence serves as a powerful reminder that violence against those who serve and protect the public will not be tolerated. Officer Justin Hare, a hero who saw someone in need and selflessly stepped in to help, paid the ultimate price. We honor his memory by ensuring that Jaremy Smith will never again be able to endanger the lives of others. Our focus remains on securing justice for victims and holding violent criminals fully accountable for their actions.”

“Every day, first responders answer the call to protect others- often at great personal risk. The loss of Officer Hare is a heartbreaking reminder of that reality,” said Raul Bujanda Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “While this sentence does not undo the pain inflicted upon our community, we hope it brings a sense of resolution to his family. We will continue to work with our partners to pursue violent offenders with every tool at our disposal.”

“Jaremy Smith, in a cruel and calculated act of evil, ambushed Officer Justin Hare, executing him and leaving him to die alone in the cold after stealing his patrol vehicle,” said Chief Troy Weisler of the New Mexico State Police. “Thanks to the courage of community members and the tireless efforts of our local and federal partners, Smith was swiftly apprehended and brought to justice. With today’s sentencing, the court has sent a clear and unwavering message: anyone who harms those who protect and serve will face the full and unrelenting weight of justice. While no sentence can bring Justin back, our officers will rest easier knowing that Jeremy Smith will never again walk free and will spend the rest of his life exactly where he belongs.”

On January 17, 2025, Smith pled guilty to carjacking resulting in death, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, kidnapping resulting in death, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, and possession of a stolen firearm.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and New Mexico State Police investigated this case with assistance from the Tenth Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and Jack Burkhead prosecuted the case.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the brutal killing of a man on the Navajo Nation in 2020.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, between February 6, 2020, and February 15, 2020, Tyran Begay, 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, helped confine and torture John Doe alongside Camille Damon and Ronald Belone by binding and beating the victim, and leaving his body exposed to frigid weather in a remote area near Smith Lake, New Mexico.

Upon his release from prison, Begay will be subject to five years of supervised release.

Damon and Belone remain in custody pending trial, which has yet been scheduled.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco and Meg P. Tomlinson are prosecuting the case. 

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A couple from Sheep Springs is facing federal charges related to an alleged assault and subsequent medical neglect of a minor.

According to court records, on September 9, 2024, Raeshawn Doctor, 24, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly assaulted Jane Doe, a minor, causing serious bodily injury. Additionally, between September 9, 2024, and January 31, 2025, Doctor and Harley Nelson, 45, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, are accused of knowingly and recklessly endangering Jane Doe’s life and health through medical neglect.

Doctor and Nelson will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Doctor faces up to 10 years in prison and Nelson faces up to three years in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Marshall is prosecuting the case. 

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

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Yatahey man is facing charges in federal court in connection with a violent sexual assault.

According to court documents, on March 29, 2025, Jane Doe reported that she has been sexually assaulted the day before by Fernando Brown, 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Following the assault, Jane Doe was transported to Gallup Indian Medical Center for treatment. When questioned by law enforcement, Brown allegedly admitted to continuing sexual activity after Jane Doe repeatedly told him to stop and also disclosed prior instances of physical violence against Doe.

Brown is charged with aggravated sexual abuse and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Brown faces up to life in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramah-Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jordan is prosecuting the case.

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

Source: US FBI

TRENTON, N.J. – A Trenton man was sentenced to 168 months in prison for assaulting a federal agent with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Jabree Johnson, 30, of Trenton, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to a three-count indictment charging him with one count of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon, one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon of an individual with custody of federal property, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence, in which the firearm was discharged. 

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On March 22, 2021, federal law enforcement officers were conducting an investigation of firearms trafficking and other illegal activities in and around Trenton and Hamilton, New Jersey. In connection with the investigation, a federal law enforcement agent, working in an undercover capacity, arranged to purchase multiple firearms from an individual later identified as Johnson.

After arriving at an agreed-upon location for the firearms transaction, Johnson entered the undercover federal agent’s vehicle, and handed the agent a black, semi-automatic firearm. The undercover federal agent inspected the firearm and then returned it to Johnson and requested to see the other firearms that Johnson had agreed to sell. Instead, Johnson pointed the loaded firearm directly at the undercover federal agent and demanded money from the agent. In response, the undercover federal agent provided Johnson with an amount of U.S. currency that the agent had on him to purchase the guns. Johnson then ordered the undercover federal agent out of the vehicle at gunpoint. The agent exited the vehicle as ordered and immediately drew his/her service-issued firearm and fired at Johnson, striking Johnson in the shoulder. Johnson also fired his handgun multiple times at the undercover federal agent.  Johnson fled the area with the money. Johnson was later identified at a local hospital as the individual who had assaulted and robbed the undercover federal agent at gunpoint and placed under arrest.    

In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Johnson to five years of supervised release and ordered him to forfeit the firearm using during the commission of the crimes.

U.S. Attorney Alina Habba credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, Trenton Satellite Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr.; special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge­­­­ Terence G. Reilly; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Steve E. Wilson; officers of the Hamilton Township Police Division, under the direction of Police Chief Kenneth DeBoskey; troopers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and detectives and prosecutors of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

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Defense Counsel: Mark Catanzaro, Esq.

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury in the District of New Jersey returned a two-count indictment against a New Jersey man for falsely stating on an application for naturalization that he had never been associated with a terrorist organization, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced. 

Gafur Abdudzhamilovich Aliev, 44, of Edison, New Jersey, is charged with one count of making a false statement on an application for naturalization and one count of perjury. Aliev is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor via videoconference. 

According to the indictment, between in or around January 2018 and in or around January 2020, Aliev was a moderator and/or member of numerous channels on a social media application with encryption features that targeted members, associates, supporters, and potential recruits of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”).  On or about August 7, 2020, Aliev told Individual-1, in substance, that he previously sent money to ISIS for the purchase of weapons, and on or about August 16, 2020, Aliev additionally told Individual-1, in substance, that sending even a small amount of money ($100 to $400) to ISIS was “ok.”  On or about September 28, 2020, Aliev further told Individual-1, in substance, that those who commit jihad in the name of Allah should commit jihad financially and physically and that without financial support, jihad could not be performed, as money was needed to purchase equipment to conduct jihad.

On or about December 26, 2020, Aliev, under penalty of perjury, falsely stated in his application for naturalization that he had never been a member of, or in any way associated with, a terrorist organization.

The false statement on a naturalization application count carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The perjury count carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, deportation officers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, and the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Bryan, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanks U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for its assistance with the case. 

The government is represented by Joyce M. Malliet, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: Naz Ahmad, Esq.

                           Linda Foster, AFPD, Esq.

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark-based expediter today admitted to conspiring to give bribes to Newark public officials, including then-Newark Councilmember Joseph A. McCallum, Jr., in connection with real estate development and construction-related transactions and conspiring with others to create and sell falsified documents supposedly issued by the City of Newark in connection with development, construction, rental or sale of such properties in Newark. Baxter also admitted to feigning the need to pay a bribe to a Newark official to fraudulently obtain money for himself and participating in a separate scheme to fraudulently obtain federal COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced.

Lamont Baxter, 49, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to seven counts in an information charging him with conspiring to give bribes to Newark officials, giving bribes to McCallum in connection with a developer’s real estate transactions, committing wire fraud in connection with a purported cash bribe payment, conspiring to commit wire fraud in connection with falsifying documents purportedly issued by the City of Newark, and committing wire fraud to obtain PPP loans.  

According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in court:

As an expediter on real estate and construction matters in Newark, from 2017 through August 2022, Baxter served as a liaison between Newark officials and agencies and individuals seeking permits, Certificates of Continued Occupancy (CCO), Certificates of Code Compliance (CCC), approvals and other actions on an expedited basis. To provide these expediting services, for years, Baxter conspired with others, including developers, to pay cash bribes to various Newark officials so that these officials completed the official acts that Baxter requested on behalf of the developers and others.  Baxter would often use the term “taking care of” a Newark official to indicate to a developer when additional cash or extra payment was needed to be added to official fees charged by Newark so that Baxter could use the extra money to bribe a Newark official, such as an official handling the issuance of a CCC.

In addition to paying bribes to Newark officials on behalf of others, Baxter also once fraudulently obtained a $10,000 cash payment for himself by falsely indicating to his developer client that the cash was needed to pay a bribe to a Newark official. In that instance, Baxter kept the entire payment for himself and simply pretended that he had given the payment to a Newark Official.

Part of Baxter’s participation in the bribery schemes included delivering cash bribes exceeding $5,000 from 2019 to 2020 to then-Councilmember McCallum on behalf of a Newark developer who sought and obtained McCallum’s official assistance in obtaining approvals for real estate projects in Newark. On March 15, 2022, before Judge William J. Martini, McCallum admitted receiving bribes while serving as a Councilmember and a director of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation, as part of his guilty plea to wire fraud for devising a scheme to defraud Newark and of the right to McCallum’s honest services and subscribing to a false personal tax return for calendar year 2018.

Part of Baxter’s expediting services from 2017 to August 2022, included conspiring with others to create and deliver falsified and fraudulent CCOs, CCCs, and certificates of approval issued by the City of Newark notifying a utility that was to provide electricity for a property that the required inspection had been conducted at the property (known as “cut-in cards”) to individuals who needed these official documents in relation to the development, construction, rental or sale of properties in Newark.  Baxter and others used this scheme to fraudulently obtain payments from the individuals who required these official documents from the City of Newark.

Baxter also used the various entities he incorporated to obtain payments as an expediter to facilitate a scheme to fraudulently obtain PPP loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.  In 2020 and 2021, Baxter participated in preparing and submitting fraudulent PPP loan applications that included false tax forms and documents and contained false information on the application forms, concerning, among other things, the companies’ gross revenue.  As part of this scheme, Baxter even attempted to obtain a PPP loan for a lounge that he did not actually own and control, pretending to be its owner. As a result of his fraudulent scheme, Baxter obtained over $40,000 in PPP loan funds.  

The conspiracy to commit bribery charge in Count 1 of the information to which Baxter pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and the bribery charge in Count 2 to which Baxter pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy charges in Counts 3 through 7 to which Baxter pleaded guilty each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. All of the charges carry a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the pecuniary gain to the defendant or loss to the victims, whichever is greater. Sentencing for Baxter is scheduled for August 12, 2025 at 11 a.m.

U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge in Newark Terence G. Reilly in Newark; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea by Baxter.

The government is represented by Deputy Chief Jihee G. Suh and Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division and Chief Katherine Calle of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Opioid Unit.

All other co-conspirators identified in the Information are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: John A. McMahon, Esq.