Category: MIL-OSI

Source: US FBI

FRESNO, Calif. — The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence. At the core of PSN is setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place. Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announces the following PSN prosecutions that resulted in sentences in the beginning of 2025.

Arturo Talamantes, 31, of Fresno, was sentenced today to four years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Dec. 16, 2023, police responded to a 911 call from a crowded bar in Fresno reporting a man with a gun. When officers arrived, Talamantes had a loaded black Kahr P40 handgun that he carried through the crowded bar, ignoring officer commands to stop. Once inside, he hid the gun in a hallway storage area where officers found and seized it. Talamantes is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions for manufacturing a short-barreled rifle and inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant. This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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David Diaz, 48, of Bakersfield, was sentenced on March 3, 2025, to eight years and eight months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to court documents, on Sept. 20, 2023, Diaz and co-defendant Jesus Alejandro Lopez, 47, of Bakersfield, drove to Fresno after agreeing to sell 35 pounds of methamphetamine. Both men were armed when they arrived. Shortly after arriving, police arrested the men and seized a stolen Rock Island Armory .45 caliber handgun loaded with seven rounds from Diaz. Diaz is prohibited from possessing ammunition due to three prior felony convictions involving possession and transportation of a controlled substance and inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant.

On March 10, 2025, Lopez pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on June 23, 2025. Lopez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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Tionte Beard, 25, of Fresno, was sentenced on March 3, 2025, to three years and 10 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. According to court documents, on Oct. 28, 2023, police conducted a probation compliance check at Beard’s apartment after Beard posted pictures of guns on his social media. Police seized an Anderson Manufacturing model AM-15 .223-caliber rifle, a Sig Saur model P320 9 mm handgun, and several rounds of ammunition hidden in a laundry basket in a closet. Beard is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior felony convictions for carjacking, illegally possessing a firearm, and inflicting corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant. This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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Amed Taylor Muhammad, 24, of Fresno, was sentenced on Jan. 13, 2025, to two years and six months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Sept. 26, 2023, police responded to reports of a shooting in southwest Fresno near a high school and middle school. Officers stopped Muhammad near the location of the shooting after eyewitnesses spotted him from the location with others while holding something in his waistband. After a brief struggle, officers detained Muhammad and seized a loaded black Taurus PT140 G2, .40 caliber pistol from his front waistband. Muhammad is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions for assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, vehicular theft, and illegally possessing a firearm. This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.

The above cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple.

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Felix Alejandro, 38, of Delano, was sentenced on Jan. 6, 2025, to four years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to court documents, on Aug. 2, 2023, police pulled Alejandro over for violating traffic laws. Alejandro consented to a search of his car and police found a 0.40 caliber semi-automatic Polymer 80 pistol wedged between the driver’s seat and center console. The handgun was loaded with 10 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Alejandro was on federal supervised release for a prior drug trafficking felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. This case was the product of an investigation by the Delano Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Jeffrey A. Spivak prosecuted the case.

These cases are 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.

Source: US FBI

FRESNO, Calif. — Jarvell Kent, 30, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to assault with a deadly weapon in the U.S. Penitentiary at Atwater, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, on April 28, 2024, Kent chased another inmate around a cell block at USP Atwater while holding a knife-like, jail-made weapon. Kent, along with another inmate, used his jail-made knife to stab the victim, wounding him and requiring medical attention.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case.

Kent is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff on June 23, 2025. Kent faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Source: US FBI

FRESNO, Calif. — Abreiana Rogers, 29, of Los Angeles, made an initial appearance in federal court in Fresno Thursday for charges stemming from her participation in a year-long bank fraud scheme that sought to defraud credit unions of nearly $1 million, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

Five co-defendants in the scheme made their initial appearances in November 2024: Fresno residents Nyric Hinton, 26; Zion Brewer, 39; Zorian Temple, 23; Davonntae Barfield, 30; and Harry Cooper Neal, 29.

All six defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Rogers was also charged with four counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Hinton was charged with one count of bank fraud. Temple and Barfield were also each charged with two counts of bank fraud.

According to court documents, between April 2022 and Jan. 31, 2023, the defendants used Facebook and Facebook Messenger to recruit bank account holders, promising these account holders a cut of any fraudulent funds deposited into their accounts. The defendants then used those individuals’ bank accounts to deposit stolen and fraudulent checks. Brewer, a U.S. Postal Service employee, assisted by stealing mail containing checks and other financial information, and by providing that information to his co-conspirators.

The defendants and others would then rapidly deplete the fraudulently deposited funds from the account holders’ accounts using electronic transfers and cash withdrawals. The defendants then shared the proceeds among themselves and other co-conspirators. To circumvent financial institutions’ fraud protection systems, the defendants shared information about known weaknesses in the financial institutions’ fraud protection systems. To conceal the fraud, the defendants instructed account holders to claim that their accounts had been compromised if contacted by the financial institutions about the fraudulent deposits.

The defendants are alleged to have attempted at least $1 million in fraudulent transactions with financial institutions, fraudulently used over 100 bank accounts, and obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars from the financial institutions.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Spivak is prosecuting the case.

The case is set for a status conference on June 4, 2025.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and for any count of bank fraud. Rogers also faces a two-year mandatory consecutive prison sentence for aggravated identity theft if convicted. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Source: US FBI

FRESNO, Calif. — On Feb. 27, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Sergio Zacarias Lopez, 57, a Mexican citizen residing in Fresno, charging him with bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The indictment was unsealed following his arrest today.

According to court documents, between January 2016 and June 2023, Zacarias Lopez abused his position as the accounting supervisor and controller to defraud a family-run Fresno fruit wholesaler. Zacarias Lopez would write multiple company checks payable to “cash” and then deposit them into his own personal bank account through local ATMs. He signed the fraudulent checks using the signatures of other employees with signatory authority, including one of the founders of the company. Through this scheme, Zacarias Lopez embezzled more than $1 million before he was eventually detected by one of the banks and terminated by the company. To secure his accounting role in the first place, Zacarias Lopez stole a valid social security number and used that along with other falsified employment documents to conceal his lack of legal status. The indictment also states that Zacarias Lopez was previously removed from the United States in 2000 and has not been permitted to return to the United States.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Lee is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of bank fraud, Zacarias Lopez faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. If convicted of aggravated identity theft or illegal re-entry of a removed alien, he faces a penalty of two years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Source: US FBI

FRESNO, Calif. — Carlos Jordan Lopez, 29, of Fresno, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 10 years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute approximately 107 pounds of fentanyl and approximately 39 pounds of cocaine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 8, 2023, Lopez was stopped for a traffic infraction while driving northbound on Interstate 5 near Shields Avenue in Fresno County. A subsequent search of the trunk revealed a spare tire loaded with 28 packages containing approximately 485,000 fentanyl pills. Officers also located a bag that contained 18 “bricks” of cocaine powder.

This case was the product of an investigation by the California Highway Patrol, the California High Impact Investigation Team, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Gilio and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Lewis prosecuted the case. 

Source: US FBI

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On March 13, 2025, a federal grand jury returned four separate indictments against Brown Brotherhood Gang Members Leo Alphonzo Alonso-Medina, 32, of Vallejo; Jeremiah I’amafana Salanoa, 22, of Vallejo; Doroteo Suastegui, 47, of Vallejo; and Carlos Osvaldo Higuera-Aldana, 22, of Dixon, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, the Brown Brotherhood gang is a subset of the Sureño gang and has been a frequent target of investigations of the Vallejo Police Department and the Solano County Violent Crime Task Force. The primary criminal activities of this gang have included murder, robbery, extortion, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, burglary, and stolen vehicles. The current investigation began in February 2024 and led to searches and arrests on Feb. 27, 2025. FBI agents and task force officers arrested these four members of the Brown Brotherhood gang on that day for federal drug trafficking and firearms charges.

Contraband seized from search warrants executed on Feb. 27, 2025.

The indictment against Leo Alphonzo Alonso-Medina charges counts of distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine, unlawful dealing in firearms, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, Alonso-Medina faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.

The indictment against Jeremiah I’amafana Salanoa charges three counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, Salanoa faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.

The indictment against Doroteo Suastegui charges counts of distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and unlawful dealing in firearms. If convicted, Suastegui faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. 

Finally, the indictment against Carlos Osvaldo Higuera-Aldana charges three counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, Higuera-Aldana faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.

These cases are the product of investigations by the FBI Violent Crime Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fairfield Police Department, the Vacaville Police Department, the Vallejo Police Department, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, and the Solano County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt, R. Alex Cárdenas, and Adrian Kinsella are prosecuting these four federal cases.

Any sentence imposed would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley woman pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for stalking a victim then impersonating him and his wife to further stalk government employees at a United States consulate in Vietnam, which she threatened to bomb.

Natalie Nguyen, 39, of Pasadena, pleaded guilty to one count of stalking and one count of threat by interstate commerce to kill another person and to damage and destroy buildings by fire and explosives.

Nguyen has been in federal custody since February 2024.

According to her plea agreement, Nguyen stalked a victim – identified in court documents as “T.H.” – from April 2023 to February 2024, sending emails threatening to kill him and his wife. One of the emails contained screenshots of a text conversation about paying a hitman $15,000 to kill the victim’s wife.

Nguyen also began stalking five employees at the U.S. consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. At times, she impersonated T.H.’s wife, including in an August 2023 email in which she threatened to “bomb the [expletive] consular in Ho Chi Minh City.”

In October 2023, Nguyen – impersonating T.H. and using T.H.’s email account without permission – sent an email to three government employees at the U.S. consulate stating, “i wil [sic] kill every [expletive] one of you who has been delaying issuing my wife visa.”

In January 2024, Nguyen – impersonating T.H.’s wife – sent a message to U.S. officials through an online portal stating, “Device will be detonated at America consular in Saigon and in San Francisco. All of you will be exploded for causing my separation with my husband for this last year. Everything will be exploded around new year or after.”

The following month, Nguyen impersonated T.H. and sent an inquiry to a U.S. Embassy online portal threatening to explode grenades around the time of the lunar new year at the consulate. Several minutes later, Nguyen, impersonating T.H., sent an email to the Vietnamese consulate stating, “i have a grenade set to be exploded this lunar new year at the consulate. my wife is ready.”

United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett scheduled a June 18 sentencing hearing, at which time Nguyen will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the stalking count and up to 10 years in federal prison for the threats count.

The FBI investigated this matter with assistance from the Diplomatic Security Service.

Assistant United States Attorney Diane Roldán of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.