Category: MIL-OSI

Source: US FBI

TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Teddy Lee Martin, 63, for Robbery in Indian Country and Assault with Intent to Commit a Felony in Indian Country. Judge Russell ordered Martin to be sentenced to 78 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and to pay $6,000 in restitution.

“Martin was a threat to our community, and behind bars is the best place for him,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This case is an excellent example of law enforcement using technology and working with prosecutors towards the same goal. With their swift action, Martin was in custody and off the streets.”

In August 2023, Creek County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a home in Sapulpa. Upon arrival, the 85-year-old victim told deputies that a masked man, later identified as Martin, entered the house with a handgun, demanded money, and threatened to kill the victim if she did not cooperate. Martin stole jewelry and physically assaulted the victim before leaving the home.

Neighborhood video surveillance and FLOCK cameras show Martin fleeing in a vehicle from the area. Law enforcement shared the vehicle information that Martin was seen fleeing in. Tulsa Police officers pulled over the vehicle and confirmed with Creek County that the vehicle occupants matched the description of the suspects seen fleeing the home.

Upon searching the vehicle, law enforcement found some of the jewelry taken from the home, the mask and the clothing seen on video footage.

Investigators discovered that Morgan Turley was driving the vehicle away from the victim’s home. In December, she pled guilty in State Court for conspiring to commit robbery with Martin and falsely impersonation when she gave officers the incorrect name.

Martin is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and he will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The FBI, Creek County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Dunn prosecuted the case.

Source: US FBI

TULSA, Okla. – Two Tulsans were sentenced for selling illegal drugs on the dark web that were purchased from China, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Aaron Michael Thomas, 42, for Introduction of Misbranded Drug into Interstate Commerce, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises for the distribution of Pregabalin, and Possession of Child Pornography. Judge Hill ordered Thomas to 78 months imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release.

According to court documents, in 2022, the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service opened an investigation into an illegal vendor selling drugs on the dark web. The vendor was suspected to be one of the largest illegal prescription drug vendors in the country. Drugs were being sold without the requirement of a prescription, and paid for via cryptocurrency. They were packaged with misleading and false labeling and did not have warnings or directions for safe use.

Law enforcement discovered the packages were being shipped by Thomas and his co-defendant, Darren Doil Means, from their home in Tulsa. Undercover agents successfully made three undercover purchases. In October 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant where agents seized more than 270 pounds of 21 different drugs or active pharmaceutical ingredients, including pregabalin and xylazine.

Thomas and Means had a room outfitted as a packaging and distribution center for their operation. Agents also found encapsulating devices for making drug capsules and misleading drug labels. The electronic devices recovered showed that Thomas illegally purchased all of the drugs from vendors in the People’s Republic of China and that he took deliberate steps to avoid detection by U.S. Customs when shipping the drugs into the United States. Additionally, the agents discovered numerous images of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Means, 59, pled guilty to Introduction of Misbranded Drug into Interstate Commerce and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. In January 2025, Judge Hill sentenced Means to three years of probation.

Thomas will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – Office of Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FDA Office of Chief Counsel, Consumer Protection Branch, Tulsa Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and FBI Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel, Aaron M. Jolly, and Reagan V. Reininger prosecuted the case.

Source: US FBI

McALLEN, Texas – A 41-year-old Mercedes resident has been sentenced for downloading child sexual abuse material (CSAM) using a peer-to-peer program, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Armando Jose Flores Jr. pleaded guilty July 10, 2024, to receipt of child pornography.  

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now sentenced Flores to 121 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including information detailing how Flores downloaded and stored 90 GB of CSAM across five devices. The material included over 4,500 images/videos which contained bondage, bestiality and infants/toddlers. Flores will also serve five years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Flores will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date. 

On Jan. 9, 2024, law enforcement identified a computer making videos of CSAM available for download through a peer-to-peer file-sharing program. Several videos were downloaded and found to depict prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The computer’s IP address was registered to an address belonging to Flores in Mercedes.    

In February 2024, authorities executed a federal search warrant at his residence and seized four electronic devices. Each contained CSAM downloaded between approximately May 1, 2022, and Oct. 31, 2022.

Flores admitted to using a peer-to-peer file-sharing program on his computer to download and receive material that contained child pornography at his home. He stated he had been accessing child pornography through peer-to-peer networks for multiple years. 

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

FBI conducted the investigation. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

Source: US FBI

TULSA, Okla. – A man from Kansas, Oklahoma, was sentenced today for two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country, Aggravated Abuse of a Minor by Force and Threat in Indian Country, and Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Sequoyah Jo Hinzo, 30, of Kansas, Oklahoma, to 480 months, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon release, Hinzo will be required to register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, from 2020 through 2022, Hinzo sexually abused three children, who were 6, 9, and 13 years old. Additionally, Hinzo created fake social media accounts to entice a minor child to send him sexually explicit photos.

Hinzo is a citizen of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, and he will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The FBI, Kansas Police Department, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Jiang and Valeria Luster prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

Source: US FBI

TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Damon Michael Dozier, 41, for Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. Judge Hill ordered Dozier imprisoned for 180 months, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon release, he will be required to register as a sex offender.

In June 2023, Dozier took a minor child behind a shopping mall to engage in sexually explicit activity. Dozier admitted that he knew the child was only 13 years old.

Dozier is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Scaife and Steve Briden prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

Source: US FBI

The U.S. Attorney’s Office unsealed a second superseding indictment against 18 members and associates of a Cleveland-based violent street gang.

Source: US FBI

Source: US FBI

In addition, on October 7, 2022, Vitel’Homme allegedly ordered gang members to kidnap two U.S. citizens from their home in Haiti. Armed gang members allegedly forced entry into the victims’ residence and attempted to kidnap them. During the kidnapping, the gang members allegedly shot and killed one of the victims. The other victim was taken into captivity and held hostage at an undisclosed location in Haiti, while Vitel’Homme participated in ransom negotiations in exchange for the victim’s release. On October 28, 2022, the gang released the remaining victim after the victim’s family paid ransom payments. A second indictment was unsealed on October 24, 2023, charging Vitel’Homme for his alleged role in the kidnapping.  

“Haitian gang leader Vitel’Homme Innocent is the 532nd fugitive added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and killing of U.S. Citizens in Haiti,” said FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri. “The State Department is offering a reward of up to $2 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction. Our resolve to bring him to account for his alleged crimes will not waver.”

Vitel’Homme is 37 years old and has black hair and brown eyes. He is between 5’7″ and 5’10” tall and weighs about 150 pounds.

Vitel’Homme is believed to be in Haiti and has ties to other countries throughout the Caribbean.

If you have any information concerning Vitel’Homme, please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). You can also submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. 

Source: US FBI

Source: US FBI

           WASHINGTON – An Ohio man was sentenced to prison today after he was previously convicted of assaulting law enforcement with a Trump billboard and other offenses 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.

           Jonathan Joseph Copeland, 29, of Lima, Ohio, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich to 71 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

           Copeland was previously convicted of six felonies, including two counts of civil disorder, and one count each of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon,  entering and remaining in a restricted building or ground with a deadly and dangerous weapon, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly and dangerous weapon, and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or ground with a deadly and dangerous weapon. Copeland was also convicted of misdemeanors of act of physical violence in the Capitol building or grounds and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

           According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Copeland traveled from Ohio to to Washington, D.C., where he attended a rally on the night of January 5, 2021, and then portions of the “Stop the Steal” rally on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, at the Ellipse. After the rally, Copeland marched with others to the Peace Circle, located on U.S. Capitol grounds, where he walked around the downed barriers at the Peace Circle and moved towards the front of a line of rioters behind a bike-rack-style barrier manned on the opposite side by several U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers protecting the U.S. Capitol complex.

           At approximately 12:52 p.m., a group of rioters, including Copeland, advanced on the manned bike rack barricade. They pushed through the officers and the barricade to move closer to the building. Specifically, Copeland, with his arms outstretched, pushed on the backs of other rioters as those rioters pushed on the barricade. After the rioters overwhelmed the officers and trampled over the barricade, Copeland and his fellow rioters charged forward toward the West Plaza.

           At approximately 1:40 p.m., Copeland participated in pushing a large metal frame holding an oversized “TRUMP” sign into a defensive line of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and USCP officers, who were attempting to prevent a further advance toward the Capitol building. Copeland placed both hands onto the sign and forcefully pushed it into the line of officers.

           Court documents and trial testimony reflect that the all-metal frame was approximately eight feet tall and ten feet wide, welded with screws, and supported by large casters and wheels that were approximately the size of a person’s head. As described by one MPD officer who was a member of the defensive police line, the sign frame was heavy, with sharp metal angles jutting towards the officers.

           Also, on the West Front, Copeland began arguing with a photographer within the crowd. Copeland yelled at the cameraman and shoved him several times, and then a group of rioters attacked the photographer and pushed him off a ledge.

           Court documents and trial testimony reflect that Copeland entered the Capitol building at 2:25 p.m. via the Senate Wing Door. Once inside, he traveled through the Crypt and to the Capitol Visitor Center, repeatedly waving at other rioters to join him further inside the Capitol building. He finally exited the building at approximately 2:41 p.m. through a window next to the Senate Wing Door.

           The FBI arrested Copeland in Fort Shawnee, Ohio on Aug. 25, 2022.

           This case was 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 Northern District of Ohio.

           This case was investigated by the FBI’s Cleveland and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

           In the 46 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,561 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 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.